Shivaranjani


Shivaranjani or Sivaranjani is a musical scale used in Indian classical music. There are two scales, one each in Hindustani music and Carnatic music. The Hindustani rāga is a pentatonic scale, while the Carnatic scale is an Audava - Audava scale - 5 notes in the Arohanam and 5 in the Avarohanam.

Hindustani scale

The Hindustani rāga Shivaranjani belongs to the Kaafi thaat in terms of classification of the scale. Its structure is as follows.
The komal gandhar in place of shuddh gandhar is the difference between this rāga and the global musical scale of Bhoop.

Borrowed into Carnatic music

This Hindustani scale is also the currently popular scale in Carnatic music. This scale is a janya rāgam, as it does not have all the seven swaras. It is a symmetric rāgam that does not contain madhyamam or nishadam. It is an audava-audava rāgam in Carnatic music classification. Its structure using swaras in Carnatic music notation is as follows.
In this form, Shivaranjani is considered a janya rāgam of Kharaharapriya, the 22nd Melakarta rāgam, though it can be derived from 3 other melakarta rāgams, Gourimanohari, Hemavati or Dharmavati, by dropping both madhyamam and nishadam.

Popular compositions

Shivaranjani rāgam brings out karuna rasa and lends itself for elaboration and exploration. It has many compositions in classical music and in film songs.
The popular Hindi film song Jaane kahan gaye woh din is based on this scale. Shivaranjani was a favourite of the legendary composers Shankar-Jaikishan, in addition to the aforementioned song from Mera Naam Joker they also used it for O basanti pavan paagal in Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai and O mere sanam in Sangam Mere nainaa saawan-bhaado.n. Kannum Kannum from the movie Thiruda Thiruda is regarded as the most different song done in this raga.
In Carnatic music, two ragamalikas start with a refrain in Shivaranjani. M S Subbulakshmi made Kurai onrum illai very popular which begins with this scale. Kurai onrun illai literally means "there is no defect" or "there is nothing left wanting", alluding to "we are satisfied and thankful" in prayer to "Kannan". Another composition Muiyakka muiyakka, by Purandaradasa, also begins with this scale. Another famous composition in this raaga is 'Jagat janani' rendered in Tamil language.

Film Songs

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Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Graha bhedam

Shivaranjani's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 2 other pentatonic rāgams, namely, Sunadavinodini and Revati. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. See Graha bhedam on Shivaranjani for more details and an illustration.

Scale similarities

The Carnatic scale Shivaranjani is a janya rāgam associated with the 64th parent scale Vachaspati. It has vakra prayoga and its scale is as follows.
The compositions in this scale are: