Jeeva swara: raagas are characterized and distinguished from other raagas by their uniqueness while they are expounded. One of the important uniqueness is its jeeva swara. Jeeva swara is given that name, the word “jeeva” meaning “life”, because that swara defines the “soul” of the raaga. While expounding the raaga, the jeeva swara is played or sung more than all other swaras, except the aadhaara shruti shaDja or sa. In fact, the aadhaara shruti shaDja defines the frame of reference for the raaga or the complete music concert. For the shaDja to be the frame of reference, it is continuous played in the background using a drone musical instrument like the tamboora. Thus shaDja is the swara played / sung most of the time, with the jeeva swara being the only the second most dominant swara in the musical presentation. There are many ways to maintain the jeeva swara in a musical presentation. Here are some examples:

ü      Musical curves and curve-lets could begin or end with the jeeva swara. Example of panchama or pa as a jeeva swara: pa dha ni Sa, pa ma ga ri sa, ni dha pa, ga ma pa, ga ma pa – pa ni Sa

ü      Musical curves and curve-lets could be centered around the jeeva swara by to and forth. Example: ga ma pa dha pa ma pa ma ga pa dha ni – ni dha pa.

ü      Gamaka around the jeeva swara. Example: musical micro-tonic vibrations around the jeeva swara.

ü      aandOLita musical curves around jeeva swara. Example: Pendulum type vibrations around the jeeva swara.

ü      Ensuring that the jeeva swara is used more than other swaras statistically. If one were to literally count the number of all swaras played or sung over a given duration, the jeeva swara is the dominant or the anchor swara compared to all other swaras of the raaga, except for the aadhaara swara shaDja.

Discussion and Demonstration of mELakarta

Note: You may directly go to the list of demonstration compositions if you already know the concepts or mELakarta and jeeva swara. However, I strongly urge you to review this material to understand, clarify or reinforce your understanding of these concepts.

mELakarta raagas were defined by the famous musicologist / musician venkaTamakhi. He defined, categorized and named the 72 mELakarta raagas. You can read about it in many music text and reference books and internet.

By definition, mELakarta raagas allow all possible permutations and combinations of the different swaras, without regard to any one swara being the jeeva or anchor swara, as long as the 7 defined swaras for the mELakarta raaga only are used in singing or playing the raaga. In other words all swaras of the raaga are equally important. While expounding the raaga, one could use any one or more of the swaras ri, ga, ma, pa, dha and ni repeated more than the other swaras of the mELakarta raaga, as long as one does not eliminate any one or more of the swaras of the mELakarta for too long or completely.  In principle, one could expound the mELakarta raaga with one jeeva swara or two jeeva swaras or up to all six swaras or no jeeva swara at all. All these possible expansions are part and parcel of the mELakarta raaga. In addition, any and all possible vakra combinations are all part of the mELakarta raaga. Any janya (derivative) raaga with seven, six or five swaras taken at a time derived from the mELakarta could be using one or few jeeva swaras and / or specific some characteristic saraLa and vakra swara combinations distinguish it from other raagas specializing in other saraLa or vakra combinations chosen from the parent (janya) mELakarta raaga. Thus, a mELakarta is the parent for all the auDava, shaaDava and smapoorNa raagas derived from it with their own distinguishing musical characteristics.