RAgam MAYAMALAVAGOWLA
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 MeLa rAgam no. 15 (Chakram 3 -  Agni  - gO)
(SUddha Rishabham, Antara Gandharam, Suddha Madhyamam,
Suddha Dhaivatham, Kakali Nishadham)  : (sa ra gu ma dha nu)
Definition (Lakshanam) (Venkatamakhin:
		pURNO mALavagowLAkhyah
		sa grahO gIyatE sadA

rAgANga rAgam, shadja gramam.  Ga and Ni are Jeeva svarams.

That Bhairav of Hindusthani Paddhathi is equivalent to
Mayamalavagowla in carnatic system.

The phrase "Maya" is prefixed to get the Melam Number 15,
using the KataPayAdi sankhya counting.  The original
name is Malavagowla.

Since the days of Bharata and Matanga, it is the preferred
ragam for beginners musicla lessons, since svaRas with
dual svarastAhnams are absent, and between two notes of each
pairs, there is only a semitone difference.  A meLam with
symmetrical tetrachords, separated by an interval of a 
major tone.

This auspicious rAgam evokes ShAntha rasam and pathos, and creates
a soothing effect.  Suitable to sing at all times,
particularly, the first yAMam (dawn).

A mUrchchana karaka meLam.  suitable for Graha Bedham.
The Ri murchchana results in Rasikapriya (Melam 72), while the
Ma murchchan a results in Simmendramadhyamam. (Melam 57)
 
A very popular rAgam suitable for the commencing segment of
a concert. It has a large number of Janaka rAgams.

Popular janya Ragams
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Malahari, Gowla, Bowli, Revagupti, Saveri, Lalitha, Vasantha,
Nathanamakriya, Jaganmohini, Paraju,  Bindumalini,
ChAyAgowLa, PUrvi, Lalithapanchama, Megharanji,
Mechabowli, Gujjari, Salanganatta, Gowlipanthu,
Gundakriya, Padi, KannadaBangaLa, Mangalakaishiki, 
Purnapanchamam, Sindhuramakriya,  Ardradesi

Other Janya Ragams
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ramkali, Mitrakirani, Lalithagowri,
Gummakambhoji, Vinodhini, Suddhamalahari,
Gowlarevagupti, Margadesikam, Maruvakannada,
Gowri, Shuddhakriya, Desyagowla, Ramakriya, Maruva,
Ghanasindhu, Desyarevagupti, Lalithakriya, Vasanthapriya.

Some authors place Vasantha and Lalitha as Janyams of 
Melam 17, Suryakantham.

Subbarama Dikshitar observes that in the Tiruttani Guruguha 
composition Srinadada Guruguho Jayati (in first Vibhakti),
Muthuswami Dikshitar  has incorporated Sarali, Jhanta, svara 
Varisai's in Trikalam in the Pallavi lines, and the Alankarams
 in Anupallavi.  Have a close look at the Dhatu.
This particular Krithi was the very first composition of
Muthuswami Dikshitar, after he  received blessings from
Chidambara Yogi in Varanasi, and visited the Subrahmanya
temple at Tiruttani.  His Mudra "Guruguha" is in respect
of the Lord Muruga in this shrine.

Diskhitar's famous "Gowla"antha krithis (eight) Krithis
al ending in some Gowla) on Goddess Nilothpalamba employs 
Mayamalavagowla for one of the Krithis.

Compositions in Mayamalavagowla
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Lakshya gItam
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
RavikOti TEja guNagana, Matyam (Venkatamakhin)

Thaanam  Venkatamakhin
^^^^^^^
Varnam
^^^^^^
Sarasijanabha, Adi (Svati Tirunal)
Nathane ParanE, Adi (M. S. Subrahmanya Iyer)
UlagaLantha, Adi (V. S. Gomatisankara iyer)
 
Tana Varnam
^^^^^^^^^^^
SarasAnkI, Adi (Raghavendrachar)

Krithis
^^^^^^^
Merusamana, Madhyadi (Tyagaraja)
TulasI dala, Rupakam (Tyagaraja)
Vidulaku, Adi (Tyagaraja)
RakshimpavE, Jhampa (Tyagaraja)
DevI Sri Thulasamma, Adi (Tyagaraja)
Sri NAdAdi GuruguhO, Adi (Muthuswami Dikshitar)
NIlOthpalAmbikAyAh, Triputa (Muthuswami Dikshitar)
MAyAtIta, Rupakam (Tanjavur Ponnayya)
NIlAyathAkshi, Triputa (Syama Sastri)
Deva Deva kalayAmi, Rupakam (Swati Tirunal)
Ksheera Saagara, Dhruvam (Jayachamaraja Wodaiyar)
AdikkondAr, Adi (Muthu Tandavar)
manamE Kavalai, Rupakam (Muthu Kavirayar)
Devadi Deva , Adi (Mysore sadasiva Rao)
Sharma Prada, Rupakam (Thulaseevanam)
NAn En SeyvEn, Adi (Kotiswara Iyer)
KaLAngamillA, Adi (T. Lakshmanan Pilai)
namani VamsagA, Rupakam (Muthiah Bhagavathar)
Aditya Devadidevam, Adi (Muthiah Bhagavathar)
Taraka nama, Adi (Muthiah Bhagavathar)
Mahimai ARiya, Adi (Papanasam Sivan)
Bhuvaneswari Pugazh, Desadi (Papanasam Sivan)
IllAthathai, Adi (Papanasam Sivan)
MAyam EdO, Adi (Papanasam Sivan)
Polla Puli, Adi (Papanasam Sivan)
akalakalA vANi, Adi (Periyasami Thooran)
Ulagaththukku ArasiyAm, Adi (Nilakanthan Sivan)
Ninnu Nammiyannu, Triputa (Bhadrachala Ramadas)
Jaya jaya Swamin (Tarangam), Adi (Narayana Tirtha)
Ninnu Nammina, Adi (Vina Krishnamachariar)
Ethanai ThAn, Chapu (Vina Krishnamachariar)
ChintayEham, Rupakam (Mysore Vasudevachariar)
Kalinaruluku NI, Adi (Mysore Vasudevachariar)
NandA oru SEdi, Adi (Gopalakrishna Bharathy)
Sivaloka Nathanai, Adi (Gopalakrishna Bharathy)
Hariya Bittere, Adi (Purandaradasa)
Namo Namo, Adi (Purandaradasa)
InkE Nantaga, Adi (Annamacharya)
NIvu SarvaguNa, Adi (Annamacharya)
MAthE Nin kana, Adi (Annamacharya)
Narayana NI nAma, Adi (Annamacharya)
Inderigu , Adi (Annamacharya)

Modern Compositions
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ShyAmaLambikE, Adi (M. Balamuralikrishna)
Pannaga SayanA, Adi (D. Pattammal)
SHambho Mahadeva, Rupakam (Cuddalore Subramanyam)
AmbA Yuvathi, Adi (Ashok Madhav)
Manthra Svaroopa, Rupakam (Bangalore Mukund)
Mayavati, Adi (Bangalore Mukund)

Ragamalikas
^^^^^^^^^^^
Very few Ragamalikas feature Mayamalavagowla as a component.
I have only two examples.
"GAnaloLa NI VelanA" (Ragamalika) (M. Balamuralikrsihna)
features Mayamalavagowla as a component .

The mammoth 72 Melaraga malika of Maha Vaidyantha Iyer
has the 15th line in Charanam: in Mayamalavagowla:
"Jita MAyAmaALavagowlanthargatah MahesAh TvAm Vindanthi"
      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I have not heard any Tillana in Mayamalavagowla;  nor have
I heard any Ragam Tanam Pallavi in Mayamalavagowla.

There are several Ragams, whose name end is "Gowla"
While Gowla, and Chayagowla are derived from (Janyams) of
Mayamalavagowla, others have no relationship with this Ragam.
Some of these are:  Kedaragowla, Purva Gowla, (Nari)Ritagowla,
Kannadagowla, and Narayanagowla.

P. Narayanaswami






Please send any corrections/additions to V Chandramouli at
vchandra@eecs.umich.edu or Pramila Srinivasan at pramila@ecn.purdue.edu