---

A brief empirical survey of every known ‘Kauns/Kaunsi/Kaushik’ raga (60+ total), aiming to answer the question: ‘What does ‘Kauns’ mean today?‘

---

• Home | Search | Tags •

• Overview & intro to the ‘Kauns zone’ •
• Gathering every known Kaunsi raga •
• What ‘Kauns trends’ can we detect? •
• Outliers, oddballs, & special cases •

• 60+ KAUNSIS: QUICK SUMMARIES •

–Malkauns-ang Kaunsis–
–Chandrakauns-ang Kaunsis–
–Other Kaunsi-infused ragas–

• ‘Kauns/Kaunsi/Kaushik’ •

---

Perhaps the ragascape’s most famous suffix, the term ‘Kauns’ is nevertheless fraught with complications. Traditionally, the presence of ‘Kauns’ in a raga’s name simply indicated that it ‘drew from Malkauns’ – but today, the term also seems to encompass a broader set of meanings. Multiple overlapping definitions have been offered, but none quite seem to capture the full character of how ‘Kauns’ is used today.

 

For example, Chandrakantha states that it is “generally used to represent 5-note ragas”, and Ocean of Ragas points to common factors such as “a pentatonic scale [comprising] shuddha ma with komal or shuddha ga, dha, and ni”, adding that “some have 5 notes in aroha, and 6 or 7 in avroh…and some examples have tivra Ma”. Rajan Parrikar notes that “in most formulations, the Malkauns template serves as the starting point, but occasionally a Kauns prakar may instead be informed by its mannerisms” – while Surajit Bose offers the following summary: “Narrowly defined, ‘Kauns’ implies an aroha-avroh of ‘Ga-Ma-Dha-Ni‘, [although] each member of the family may take a different permutation of shuddha and komal…and Madhukauns dares to be different”.

 

All of these definitions are helpful, and none are misleading – but concise elaboration still seems elusive. Perhaps the term itself is now too diffuse to be usefully defined: the ‘Kauns zone’ is evolving rapidly, with dozens of fresh forms having been created over the past few generations, many of which appear to share little resemblance. Or perhaps the term still carries specific meaning – after all, artists choose their raga names carefully, and still consider the term to bring something vital.

 

If the meaning of a word is its use in the language, the only way to bring clarity is via direct study of how the term ‘Kauns’ is actually used in the modern ragascape. So I pored through the Masterlist and gathered every raga with ‘Kauns, Kaunsi, Kosh, Kaushik’ in the title (see Etymology below), along with anything I could find about the origins of their names and melodic combinations. Whatever this process may reveal, it’s a great excuse to listen to some rare and strange Kaunsis…

 

---

–Malkauns (Nikhil Banerjee)–

---

“If you’re not in a serious mood, then don’t play or sing Malkauns. You must take extra care with this raga. It is a favourite raag of the djinns [spirits], you see. If you can charm them – if they like the way you are playing it – they will do anything for you. If they don’t, they will kill you.” (Ali Akbar Khan)

---

—All ‘Kauns/Kaushik’ ragas—

(Included purely on the basis of name: any that include ‘Kauns‘, ‘Kaunsi‘, ‘Kaushik‘, ‘Kaushiki‘, or ‘Kosh‘ – click to see quick summaries of each raga)

---

[Better-known Kaunsis] Malkauns: SgmdnS | Chandrakauns: SgmdNS | Jogkauns: SgGmPdNS | Nandkauns: SgGmPdnS | Kaunsi Kanada: SRgmPdnS | Pancham Malkauns: SgmPdnS | Sampurna Malkauns: SRgmPdnS | Kaushik Dhwani: SGmDNS | Madhukauns: SgMPnS | Harikauns: SgMDnS | Mohankauns: SgGmdnS

[Rare Kaunsis] Amirkhani Kauns: SGMPnS | Arun Kauns: SGmdNS | Bahadurkauns: SRgmdNS | Bapukauns: SgmPdnS | Bhinnakauns: SgmDNS | Chandrakaushiki: SRgmPdnNS | Charukauns: SRGmPdnS | Daraskauns: SgmPdnS | Deepkauns (v1): SgmPdNS | Deepkauns (v2): SgmPDNS | Dev Kauns: SRgmPNS | Dhanikauns: SgmPnS | Ek Prakar ki Kauns: SgGmdnNS | Ganeshkauns: SrgmPDnS | Gandharkauns: SGmdnS | Gunakauns: SRGmPdnS | Gunjikauns: SRgGmPdnS | Hafiz Kauns: SgGmPdDnS | Hussaini Kauns: SRgGmPdnNS | Imratkauns: SRGmdnS | Jai Kauns: SgmMDNS | Kauns Gandhar: SGmdNS | Kaunsi Bhairavi: SrgmPdnS | Kaushik Bageshri: SRgmdnS | Kaushik Bahar: SRgmPdDnS | Kaushik Bhairav: SrGmPdnS | Kaushik Ranjani: SRgmdNS | Kaushik Todi: SgmMdS | Kaushiki: SRgmPdnS | Madhkauns: SgGmdnS | Madhurkauns: SgGmdnS | Mangalkauns: SRgmPdnNS | Nabhukauns: SgmdnNS | Neelkauns: SgmdnNS | Nirmalkauns: SRgMPDnS | Purana Chandrakauns: SgmDnS | Puriya Kauns: SGmdnNS | Rageshri Kauns: SRGmdnS | Ranjankauns: SgmdDnS | Rishabh Chandrakauns: SRgmdNS | Rishabh Malkauns: SRgmdnS | Sarangkauns: SRmdnS | Shivkauns (v1): SgmDnS | Shivkauns (v2): SRgmPdNS | Shyamkauns: SRgmPdNS | Sundarkauns (v1): SgmDnS | Sundarkauns (v2): SGmPdnS | Suryakauns (v1): SGmdnS | Suryakauns (v2): SRgGmPdNS | Suryakosh: SgmDNS | Tivrakauns: SgMdnS | Tulsikauns: SgmdnNS

(Send me any Kaunsis I’ve missed!)

—Which ‘Kauns trends’ emerge?—

Based on analysing the ragas above, how is the term ‘Kauns’ actually used today?

---

• Typically, it still implies the vital presence of Malkauns – although a surprising number of recent creations come directly from its derivative Chandrakauns instead (SgmdNS), and a few take their suffix from Madhukauns (SgMPnS). By my reckoning, 40 of the 63 Kauns ragas can be classed as direct Malkauns offshoots, while 18 of the rest derive primarily from Chandrakauns – with a few more via Madhukauns, and Kaushik Dhwani coming from a different source entirely.

 

• In practice, this means that the raganga can be summarised via four ‘core sequences’: Sgm (Malkauns-ang); SgM (Madhukauns-ang); dnS (Malkauns-ang); dNS (Chandrakauns-ang) – with all known Kaunsi ragas containing at least one of these sangatis except the outlying Amirkhani Kauns (which may not even have been designated as a ‘Kauns’ by its creator) and Kaushik Dhwani (which, as mentioned, is not really a Kauns family member at all). For me, these four sequences represent the ‘distilled essence’ of the Kauns family.

 

• Inversely, it also seems that almost every raga which does draw significantly from Malkauns will include ‘Kauns/Kaushik’ somewhere in its title – indicating that artists still consider Malkauns to deserve name recognition when it appears in a mixed concoction. The only notable exceptions I can identify are Rajeshwari (however Shivkumar Sharma and others title the same SgmDNS scale ‘Bhinnakauns’), and Ali Akbar Khan’s Chandranandan (spontaneously derived from four Kaunsi ragas, but named hastily as he stared at the moon during a smoke break: ‘Chandranandan’ means ‘Moonstruck’).

 

• The principle that ‘Kauns ragas match the generic swaras Sa-Ga-Ma-Dha-Ni’ appears to be weakening, with less than half the ragas limiting themselves to this grouping (24/63) – however it still forms the spine of the raganga, with almost all ragas containing some form of ‘Sa-Ga-Ma-Dha-Ni’ (57/63), and almost half containing Malkauns‘ full SgmdnS swara-set (25/63). Inversely, 10 of the 15 ‘Sa-Ga-Ma-Dha-Ni’ ragas from the Megalist do include ‘Kauns’ in their name, with the only notable exception being Hindol (considered to overlap with the historical Malkauns lineage, hence the Carnatic equivalent being known as ‘Hindolam’). Thus, we should flip the original statement round: i.e. it is more accurate to say that ‘Sa-Ga-Ma-Dha-Ni = Kauns’, rather than vice versa.

 

• Every single raga on the list includes some form of ma – and all but 5 feature shuddha ma (unsurprising given its status as Malkauns’ vadi). Aside from Madhukauns, the ‘tivra Ma only’ cases are all rare (Harikauns, Tivrakauns, Nirmalkauns, & Amirkhani Kauns) – with the sole ‘double Ma’ ragas being Jai Kauns (a one-off Lalit + Rajeshwari fusion) and Kaushik Todi (an unrecorded experiment by Ravi Shankar). Conversely, only three ragas feature komal re at all (Ganeshkauns, Kaunsi Bhairavi, Kaushik Bhairav) – despite the overlap between Bhairavi and the Malkauns-ang.

 

• If the Kauns element is present in poorvang, komal ga will be prominent: due to the presence of this swara in all three of Malkauns, Chandrakauns, and Madhukauns. However, plenty of Kauns ragas do not feature komal ga (14/63), including those which constrain their Kauns elements to the upper scale (e.g. Sarangkauns: SRmdnS & Imratkauns: SRGmdnS), alongside a few which are explicitly conceptualised as ‘shuddha Ga swaps’ of the core Kauns pair (e.g. ‘Malkauns shuddha Ga’ as Suryakauns, and ‘Chandrakauns shuddha Ga’ as Arun Kauns & Kauns Gandhar). A handful more draw their komal ga from a non-Kauns source (e.g. Jog’s GmgS in Jogkauns and Nandkauns) – and, perhaps surprisingly, shuddha Ga is just as popular as shuddha Re in the sample (both present in 23 ragas).

 

(Ragmalas: “A scarf round his neck, and fanned by the fair-hipped one; A golden seat has been made for the handsome Shri Malav, King of the Gandharvas…”)

While this analysis may have uncovered some interesting trends and patterns, are we really any closer to a concise, useful definition of ‘Kauns’? And if not, does this matter? In the end, all I can say with confidence is that the term still ultimately means ‘derived from the Malkauns lineage’ – although today, almost a third of known Kauns ragas are ‘second-order derivatives’, formed directly from Chandrakauns rather than Malkauns (with a few ‘third-order’ examples arising from Madhukauns: itself formed via a ma-murchana of Chandrakauns: see below).

 

There are more ‘summary statements’ we could make: e.g., ‘all Kauns ragas feature some form of ma, and almost all feature shuddha ma’ – with the vast majority giving strength to komal ga, and only Sarangkauns excluding ga entirely. But I am sceptical of whether this has much practical use – after all, there is little reason to try and deduce a raga’s swara-set from its name rather than by just listening to it (and besides, names can be deceptive: e.g. Gorakh Kalyan & Gaud Sarang). Similarly, the extent to which we can form general conclusions based on a set of so many seldom-heard ragas is dubious.

 

The real aim of this inquiry is to bring the full variety of the Kauns family to broader attention, and to shine a spotlight into the rare corners of a rapidly-expanding zone of raga (in fact, it began with me just trying to devise a list of all known Malkauns derivatives, which inevitably led to complications…). Browse the full list of 60+ Kaunsis below, tentatively grouped by their main raga of origin – and don’t hesitate to send me your reflections or any Kaunsis I’ve missed!

 

—Outliers & special cases—

A few cases present particular intrigue…

---

• Amirkhani Kauns (SGMPnS): Devised by Amir Khan only a short time before his untimely 1974 passing – although doubt persists as to whether he ever formally named it, with the curious ‘shuddha Ga, tivra Ma, no dha’ combo being atypical for the Kauns family. A recording from his last ever concert was originally released as ‘Untitled Raga’, and elsewhere I’ve seen it titled ‘Audav Ram Kalyan’ (in reference to Khan’s Ram Kalyan: SrGMPDnS). However it got there, the ‘Kauns’ tag is likely a nod to Khan’s nearby Madhukauns [full page]

---

• Madhukauns (SgMPnS): A recent-yet-influential scale introduced by Amir Khan via a ‘ma-murchana’ of Chandrakauns (listen to his sargam-demo of the rotational process). While some consider it indistinguishable from his congruent Chandramadhu, I believe that Madhukauns places less emphasis on the tivra Ma, focusing more on the Kauns-ang nSg range instead – perhaps hinting at where Khan himself considered the heart of the Kauns-ang to lie (i.e. Chandrakauns’ strong shuddha Ni becomes Chandramadhu’s strong tivra Ma, whereas Madhukauns seems more like ‘Madhuvanti’s aroha with a Kauns-ang nSg’: as hinted at by their names). Also beware that Amir Khan’s ‘Madhukauns’ is different to Prabha Atre’s ‘Madhurkauns’, which is in turn different to Salamat Ali Khan’s ‘Madhkauns’ (despite both these creations taking swaras SgGmdnS) – while Raga Nidhi mentions another ‘Madhukauns’, apparently now extinct (a SgMDnS Madhuvanti-Malkauns jod) [full page]

---

• Kaushiki (SRgmPdnS): While ragas entitled ‘Kaushiki/Kaushika’ are mentioned in numerous ancient texts (e.g. the C11th Abhinavabharati & C13th Sangita Ratnakara), their connections to the modern Kauns lineage are unclear. Nevertheless, a raga known as ‘Kaushiki’ resurfaced in the 20th century via Allauddin Khan’s Maihar lineage, who interpret it as a Malkauns-ang counterpart of Kaunsi Kanada [full page: and n.b. Other ‘Kaushi/Kaushik’ ragas appear to be direct Malkauns offshoots: e.g. Kaushik Bageshri, Kaushik Bahar, Kaushi Bhairav]

---

• Kaushik Dhwani (SGmDNS): Despite its Kauns-flavoured generic swaras, the raga is essentially just a renaming of the ancient Bhinna Shadja lineage (itself derived from the Shadja Grama base mode over 1000 years ago). The intentions behind the ‘Kaushik Dhwani’ title are unclear, especially given the raga’s usual Bilawal-ang – but seem likely to indicate the ‘Sound of Shiva’ rather than a melodic Kauns association [full page]

---

• Purana Chandrakauns (SgmDnS): An older raga unrelated to the ‘main’ Chandrakauns, now almost extinct, which nevertheless matches the Kauns-tinged ‘Sa-Ga-Ma-Dha-Ni’ generic swaras. Others have interpreted the same swara-set along similar lines as ‘Sundarkauns’, ‘Shivkauns’, ‘Audav Bageshri / Bageshri Kauns‘).

---

• Dhanikauns (SgmPnS): A form of Dhani which banishes Re throughout (vs. other incarnations which may permit Re in avroh, although this practice is becoming increasingly rare anyway). Based on Bindu Madhav Pathak’s rudra veena rendition, ‘Kauns’ seems to signify this strict audav quality rather than anything more intentionally phraseological – although the nSgm space offers Malkauns shades.

---

• ‘Aghora Kauns’ (???): I have discounted the supposed ‘Raag Aghora Kauns’, due to the sole source for its existence being painfully obvious AI-generated slop (…well, unless there is a hitherto unknown raga theorist publishing under the pseudonym ‘ContBuff.com’). The ‘article’ offers no notations, no renditions, and no specific information at all – instead giving exactly the sort of summary you might expect of a beginner student who had slept through their sole Malkauns lesson and then had to bullshit about it moments after waking up (“Although variations exist, Raag Aghora Kauns typically uses a pentatonic or near-pentatonic structure…The aroha and avroh [include] phrases designed to sustain emotional tension. There is a pronounced focus on tonal symmetry and controlled oscillation, helping maintain the characteristic calm gravity of the Kauns tradition while adding the distinct ‘Aghora’ depth…”). Gurus, shishyas, and rasikas of the world: we must unite to banish this zero-effort nonsense from our field (on a related note: can the phrase ‘Raag Bullshit Kauns’ be translated without offending the dignity of any sacred cows?).

---

—Bonus: Etymology of ‘Kauns’—

---

Where do the terms ‘Kauns/Kaunsi/Kosh‘ come from? As per Parrikar, “The name ‘Malkauns” (cognates: Malkosh, Malkoshi, Malkans, etc.) is said to derive from ‘Malava Kaushik‘, an old melody that finds mention in ancient treatises such as the [13th-century] Sangita Ratnakara of Sarangdeva. There is, however, no structural similarity between that Malava Kaushik and the present-day Malkauns – the current swaroopa of the raga is conjectured to be around 300-400 years old, [according to research in] Bhatkhande‘s monumental work Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati.”

 

The phrase ‘Malav-Kaushik‘ has a long history, but is most closely associated with the meaning ‘He Who Wears Serpents as Garlands‘ – pointing to a common sartorial habit of Lord Shiva, for whom the raga is said to have been composed. Learn more in my writeup of the Malkauns myth: “Shiva’s mortal-born wife, Princess Sati, had renounced the trappings of the material world for his love, displeasing her father, King Daksha – who eventually fell into a fit of fury, insulting his daughter and berating Shiva’s character (‘A vagrant, who has neither commitments nor a sense of values in life…one who roams about in dreadful cemeteries, attended by hosts of ghosts and sprites; like a madman, naked, with disheveled hair, wearing a garland of skulls and ornaments of bones…the lowest of the gods’…)”.

 

(Shiva bears Sati’s charred corpse)

—ALL KAUNSIS SUMMARISED—

Grouped by their main raga(s) of origin:

–Malkauns-ang | Chandrakauns-ang | Other Kaunsis–

• Malkauns group •

---

• Malkauns (S-g-m-d-n-S): While ragas under varied ‘Malava Kaushik’ titles have existed since at least the 13th-century Sangita Ratnakara, they appear to share no direct connection with the modern Malkauns – considered by Bhatkhande to be between 300-400 years old [see Etymology above, as well as the Malkauns origin myth: composed by the Goddess Parvati to soothe Lord Shiva’s murderous rage…]

---

• Chandrakauns (S-g-m-d-N-S): Arose as a ‘raised Ni Malkauns’ variant in the early to mid-20th century, quickly overshadowing an older, unrelated raga of the same name (now called ‘Purana Chandrakauns’) – although it is unclear which artists may have first pioneered it, or who named the new scale (‘Chandrakauns’: ‘Kaunsi of the Moon’) [full page]

---

• Ek Prakar ki Kauns (S-gG-m-d-nN-S): Introduced by sitarist Rais Khan by adding varied shuddha Ga and Ni motions to the basic Malkauns framework (the title just means ‘A Type of Kauns’) – offering chromatic flourish via lingering nNS meends and mGgGm motions [full page]

---

• Harikauns (S-g-M-D-n-S): A curious ‘Malkauns with raised Ma+Dha’ scale of uncertain origin, recorded by performers including vocalists Amir Khan & Prabha Atre, as well as Nasir Ahmed‘s incredible mandolin take (a Telegraph India critic once described the raga as the “one of the ugliest and most difficult to sing ever conceived”, in a nevertheless glowing review of an Ulhas Kashalkar concert) [full page]

---

• Imratkauns (S-R-G-m-d-n-S): Devised by sitarist Imrat Khan as a poorvang-uttarang blend of Rageshri and Malkauns, with the impression of the former tending to dominate [full page]

---

• Jogkauns (S-gG-m-P-d-N-S): Usually summarised as ‘Jog plus Chandrakauns’ – however its creator J.P. Gunidas’ original 1940s inception drew more from a ‘raised Ni Malkauns’ offshoot than from Chandrakauns itself, which was then still in its infancy (Parrikar: “Gunidas originally referred to his inspiration as simply ‘Kaunshi’, but a subsequent discussion with B.R. Deodhar lead him to re-baptize it ‘Jogkauns’ given its harmonious blend of Jog with the Kaunsi-ang”) [full page]

---

• Kaunsi Kanada (S-R-g-m-P-d-n-S): Often oversimplified as ‘Malkauns in aroha, Darbari in avroh’, the raga can offer bountiful colours beyond this pairing, allowing overlap with Kaushiki, Sampurna Malkauns, and a range of further forms – with interpretations displaying considerable variance particularly when it comes to Pa (some omit it in ascent, e.g. Niladri Kumar, while others give it prominence in both directions, e.g. Shivkumar Sharma – while Ali Akbar Khan described Pa as “like the moon behind clouds; it comes out for a moment, and then it’s gone”) [full page]

---

• Kaushiki (S-R-g-m-P-d-n-S): A mysterious Malkauns-ang raga of uncertain heritage, beloved by Maihar musicians [discussed above/full page]

---

• Madhurkauns (S-gG-m-d-n-S): Invented by vocalist Prabha Atre as a double-Ga development of her own Suryakauns, itself a ‘shuddha Ga Malkauns’ [full page]

---

• Mohankauns (S-gG-m-d-n-S): Spontaneously created by Ravi Shankar in 1949 on hearing of Mohandas K. Gandhi’s death – with shuddha Ga added in a ‘Ga-Ni-Dha’ catchphrase, chosen to spell out the Mahatma’s surname [full page]

---

• Nandkauns (S-gG-m-P-d-n-S): A famous poorvang-uttarang blend of Jog and Malkauns invented by Chinmoy Lahiri, with shuddha ma, as the natural meeting point, assuming special prominence – which, despite the name, contains no trace of Nand (as per his son Shyamal Lahiri: “during a tour, a person named Nandababu was with them…they daily discussed the use of Jog’s twin-Ga…From these discussions, my father found the seed of a new raga…he insisted that as Nandbabu was the first to open the thread, the raga was named after him…”) [full page]

---

• Pancham Malkauns (S-g-m-P-d-n-S): A loose tag encompassing various ‘Malkauns + Pa’ forms, with many artists restricting Pa mostly to avroh movements (e.g. Amir Khan), offering significant overlap with Kaunsi Kanada and Sampurna Malkauns – with the raga performed as ‘Pancham Kosh’ in the Dagarvani Dhrupad [full page]

---

• Sampurna Malkauns (S-R-g-m-P-d-n-S): An umbrella title for assorted ‘Malkauns + Re/Dha’ ragas, with significant modern variance in how this formula is interpreted (Deepak Raja: “Amongst the various manifestations of the concept, the most celebrated is that of Kesarbai Kerkar, which uses 9 swaras [SRgGmPdDnS] instead of the minimum 7…”) [full page]

---

• Sarangkauns (S-R-m-d-n-S): An enchanting ‘sun+moon’ raga sung by Parveen Sultana and others, blending Sarang’s poorvang with Malkauns’ uttarang (hear my electric guitar cover of her bandish!) [full page]

---

• Sundarkauns (v1) (S-g-m-D-n-S): A ‘shuddha Dha Malkauns’ scale introduced by Gwalior vocalist Acharya Vishwanath Rao Ringe ‘Tanarang’ in the mid-20th century, intended as a distinct entity from the prakriti ‘Audav Bageshri/Purana Chandrakauns’ lineage (n.b. a second, unrelated ‘Sundarkauns‘ also circulates) [full page]

---

• Sundarkauns (v2) (S-G-m-P-d-n-S): An alternate incarnation of ‘Sundarkauns’ resembling ‘Charukeshi no Re’, sung by artists including Sadhana Shiledar and Abhirang – with Raga Nidhi Vol.4 noting that some call the same scale ‘Malkali’ (unrelated to Tanarang’s Sundarkauns above)

---

• Tivrakauns (S-g-M-d-n-S): A curious ‘Malkauns tivra Ma’ experiment released by rare raga explorer Abhirang in 2022, with the swara-swap bringing a sharp disbalance to proceedings, as classic Malkauns phrases are fundamentally recoloured by the lack of stable home ground – also lies close to Harikauns [full page]

---

• Tulsikauns (S-g-m-d-nN-S): Created by Maihar sitarist Kartik Kumar, matching the swara-set of ‘Malkauns double-Ni’ (or ‘Malkauns + Chandrakauns’), with a strong ma-murchana summoning oddly bluesy flavours [full page]

---

• Bapukauns (S-g-m-P-d-n-S): A ‘Malkauns plus Pa’ concoction played by Amjad Ali Khan, with slight shades of shuddha Re & Dha (‘Bapu’ may relate to Gandhi)

---

• Charukauns (S-R-G-m-P-d-n-S): Invented by Ravi Shankar and released on a prominent 1986 album, essentially running along the lines of ‘Malkauns shuddha Ga in aroha, Charukeshi in avroh’ (see more from S Balachander)

---

• Daraskauns (S-g-m-P-d-n-S): A ‘Malkauns + Pa’ raga performed by Agra vocalist Babanrao Haldankar, also featuring subtle touches of komal re (so far I’ve found no connection to Alladiya Khan ‘Daraspiya’, founder of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana)

---

• Ganeshkauns (S-r-g-m-P-D-n-S): An Ahiri-prakriti invention of gharana-blending sarodiya Zarin Daruwala, combining a Malkauns-like aroha with scalar avroh motions

---

• Gandharkauns (S-G-m-d-n-S): Discussed by Biswarup Ghosh Dastidar as one of the names used for the ‘Malkauns shuddha Ga’ scale – however I can’t find any recordings under this exact name

---

• Gunakauns (S-R-G-m-P-d-n-S): A Malkauns-ang Charukeshi variant sung by Chhota Gandharva – seemingly the same raga as Prabhar Karekar’s prakriti ‘Gunikauns’ rendition [n.b. Rao’s 1965 Raga Nidhi v4 p.268 discusses a different ‘Gunakauns’ with swaras S-R-g-mM-P-d-N-S, apparently unavailable on record: “a new raga [with] angas of Bhimpalasi, Kafi, and Multani…the beauty depends on the avirbhav-tirobhav process”]

---

• Gunjikauns (S-R-gG-m-P-d-n-S): A title applied to several seemingly unrelated ‘Malkauns + Malgunji’ blends – with different streams associated with vocalists including Sarahang (Patiala) and Madhavbua Ingale (Gwalior), as well as Imdadkhani sitarist Arvind Parikh‘s divine SRGgmPdnS form (superbly unpacked in an essay by his disciple Deepak Raja: “The raga has its origins in a fleeting exposure to a famous ghazal by Mehdi Hassan. Parikh was captivated by the poetic and melodic poignancy of the opening line (‘Tum aae ho, to shabe intezaar guzri hai‘: SGmnd; dmGP; PGmG; RSd…It occurred to Parikh that the pathos of the melody could be enhanced if komal ga was added in the descent…Nothwithstanding the maturation of the melodic idea in the creator’s mind, the flowering of its “raga-ness” will require several generations of competent musicians to work on it”)

---

• Hafiz Kauns (S-gG-m-P-dD-n-S): A ‘Malkauns double-Ga/Dha’ played by Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, dedicated to his father Hafiz Ali Khan

---

• Kaunsi Bhairavi (S-r-g-m-P-d-n-S): A Malkauns-ang Bhairavi variant which tends to place the former in aroha and the latter in avroh, recorded by Rajeev Taranath and Moumita Mitra (also see Abhavati)

---

• Kaushik Bageshri (S-R-g-m-d-n-S): A ‘Bageshri + Malkauns’ poorvang-uttarang split sung by Geeta Athalekar (who suggests a pakad of gmdmgR, RgmgRS) – not to be confused with ‘Bageshri Kauns‘

---

• Kaushik Bahar (S-R-g-m-P-dD-n-S): A general title for ‘Malkauns + Bahar’ blends, which, depending on interpretation, may span the full swara-sets of both parent ragas – explored by artists including Chhota Gandharva (as ‘Kaunsi Bahar’)

---

• Kaushik Bhairav (S-r-G-m-P-d-n-S): A morning-night ‘Bhairav + Malkauns’ blend created by Allauddin Khan and developed by his disciple Ravi Shankar, prakriti with Basant Mukhari (sometimes titled ‘Kauns Bhairav’) – since recorded by other artists including Vivek Khadilkar (who gives a chalan of SrrS, GmPm, GmdnS; SndP, mGP, mPGmrS)

---

• Kaushik Todi (S-g-mM-d-S): An intriguing Ravi Shankar invention with only four generic swaras, thus far unrecorded – however its creator did confirm the swara-set in writing to Rajan Parrikar (Parrikar: “I just asked Ravi Shankar about Kaushik Todi…He said there were elements of Malkauns and Bilaskhani Todi, and briefly sang the chalan, I could hear both the Ma used consecutively. He has never recorded the raga but he said a 3-set CD commemorative to be released shortly has one of his students playing it” […any ideas what CD this might be?])

---

• Madhkauns (S-gG-m-d-n-S): A low-high ‘Jog + Malkauns’ blend devised by Sham-Chaurasia singer Salamat Ali Khan (not to be confused with Amir Khan’s ‘Madhukauns’ or Prabha Atre’s ‘Madhurkauns’, although it is prakriti with the latter)

---

• Nabhukauns (S-g-m-d-nN-S): A Malkauns + Chandrakauns blend combination listed in Raga Nidhi Vol.4 as an invention of Sunil Kumar Bose (“the use of both Ni consecutively gives and individuality and appeal”) – however I can’t yet find any recordings

---

• Purana Chandrakauns (S-g-m-D-n-S): An older raga unrelated to the ‘main’ Chandrakauns [discussed above]

---

• Puriya Kauns (S-G-m-d-nN-S): A presumed Malkauns + Puriya blend, only evident via a single superb rendition by Pakistani pair Badar & Qamar-Uz-Zaman

---

• Rageshri Kauns (S-R-G-m-d-n-S): A blend of Rageshri’s poorvang with Malkauns’ uttarang, performed by Pakistani scholar-singer Mehfooz Khokhar (also see the similarly-conceived Imratkauns)

---

• Ranjankauns (S-g-m-dD-n-S): Mentioned in Rao’s Raga Nidhi Vol.4 (p.20) as a modified form of Malkauns, with shuddha Dha in aroha and both Dha in avroh – however I’m yet to trace any recordings

---

• Rishabh Malkauns (S-R-g-m-d-n-S): An umbrella term for ‘Malkauns + shuddha Re’ experiments, with many artists confining Re to avroh (e.g. Abhirang interprets it as a blend of Malkauns and Sarangkauns: SgmdnS; SndmR, gS)

---

• Shivkauns (v1) (S-g-m-D-n-S): A name applied to various ‘Malkauns shuddha Dha’ experiments, often interpreted with a Bageshri-ang (also see the prakriti Purana Chandrakauns, Bageshri Kauns, and Sundarkauns) – performed by Ronu Majumdar & Badar & Qamar uz-Zaman

---

• Suryakauns (v1) (S-G-m-d-n-S): A ‘shuddha Ga Malkauns’ introduced by Prabha Atre in the mid-20th century (although Biswarup Ghosh Dastidar describes it as being “derived from Carnatic”) – which Atre later developed into Madhurkauns via the reinsertion of komal ga [n.b. also see the other Suryakauns]

---

• Suryakosh (S-g-m-D-N-S): A Rajeshwari-prakriti form discussed in Raga Nidhi Vol.4 (p.172: “this newly-introduced raga has been formed by [making] komal ni and dha of Malkauns shuddha…an interesting raga, which sounds like Madhuradhwani”) – however I’m yet to trace any recordings (not to be confused with Suryakauns)

---

Also browse Malkauns-infused ragas without ‘Kauns’ in the name:

---

• Chandranandan (S-R-gG-m-P-d-nN-S): Spontaneously created by Ali Akbar Khan in the late 1940s to fill up spare studio tape at the end of a session, via blending ideas from Malkauns, Chandrakauns, Nandkauns, & Kaunsi Kanada – and named hastily during a smoke break while staring at the moon (‘Moonstruck’: read the full tale)

---

• Abhavati (S-r-g-m-P-d-n-S): Essentially the same concept as Kaunsi Bhairavi (‘Malkauns up, Bhairavi down’) – documented in Raga Nidhi Vol.4 (“vadi-samvadi: ma-Sa, pakad: nSgmdndPmgrS; nSgmdnS; SndPmPgrS“) and The Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Music of India (“This morning raga has a shadow of Malkauns…Re and Pa are omitted in aroha…) – but seemingly unrecorded

---

• Anupriya (S-gG-m-d-n-S): Created by Gwalior vocalist Madhusudan Patwardhan by using shuddha Ga instead of komal ga in Malkauns’ aroha, explored by Abhirang to bring shades of Siddharanjani and Jog (SGmdnS; Sndm, GmgS)

---

• Malav (S-gG-m-P-dD-nN-S): A unique concoction which blends Jog’s poorvang with Malkauns’ uttarang, also introducing shuddha Dha in special phrases such as PDn DDPmGm – refer to a C.R. Vyas rendition and a Moumita Mitra breakdown (“SGmP, GmdnS; SdnPGmgS…Additionally, PDnDP GmGmP GmgS…I have also used Dha like GmP, GmDnDnP, mGPm”)

---

• Pushpachandrika (S-gG-m-dD-n-S): An intriguing ‘Malkauns + Rageshri’ combination which thus visits both forms of Ga and Dha, said to have been invented by Himanshu Dutta of Kolkata – also played by Pannalal Ghosh and Biswarup Ghosh Dastidar (who gives a Jog-tinged chalan of SGmd, mdndmG, GmD, Snd, mdndmG, GmgS)

---

• Shailaja (S-g-P-d-n-S): A Malkauns variant sung by Biswarup Ghosh Dastidar (“derived from Malkauns by adding Pa and omitting ma: SgPdnS; SndPgS”) and Farhan Amin (who describes it as “the Malkauns of the morning”)

---

• Siddharanjani (S-G-m-d-n-S): A ‘Malkauns shuddha Ga’ scale adapted from its Carnatic namesake by artists including Abhirang, who points to chayas of Mohankauns in his rendition

---

• Chandrakauns group •

---

• Chandrakauns (S-g-m-d-N-S): [see above]

---

• Chandranandan (S-R-gG-m-P-d-nN-S): [see above]

---

• Chandrakaushiki (S-R-g-m-P-d-nN-S): Invented by Nikhil Banerjee as an interlinked combination of Chandrakauns and Kaushiki, and released on a prominent 1984 album [full page]

---

• Arun Kauns (S-G-m-d-N-S): A common name for the ‘Chandrakauns shuddha Ga’ scale, recorded by artists including Hemant Pendse & Abhirang (also see Kauns Gandhar)

---

• Bahadurkauns (S-R-g-m-d-N-S): A ‘Chandrakauns + shuddha Re in avroh’ form sung by Qawwali legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Patiala singer Nayab Ali Khan (Sundeep Dougal: “Here Nusrat says that the raga is an invention of Sultan Bahadur Hussain Sharqi, the Jaunpur ruler whose name is invoked in connection with the evolution of khayal…Re is present in phrases such as mgRSRS; RSNSNd“)

---

• Bhinnakauns (S-g-m-D-N-S): An enchanting ‘Chandrakauns + Bhinna Shadja’ blend performed by Shivkumar Sharma and others (prakriti with Rajeshwari)

---

• Deepkauns (v1) (S-g-m-P-d-N-S): A creation of Gwalior vocalist Madhusudan Patwardhan, combining the aroha of Patdeep with the avroh of Chandrakauns, thus resembling ‘Kirwani no Re’ (Abhirang: NSgmPNS; SNdmgS)

---

• Deepkauns (v2) (S-g-m-P-D-N-S): An alternate ‘shuddha Dha Deepkauns’ prakar sung by Saleem Mahmood, who describes his version as “an innovation of Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan”

---

• Dev Kauns (S-R-g-m-P-N-S): A rare shadav form only evident in a single rendition by gharana-blending vocalist Aslam Khan, who renders ma weakly and introduces occasional shades of shuddha Dha

---

• Hussaini Kauns (S-R-gG-m-P-d-nN-S): A Chandrakauns-ang form performed by Khurja gharana singers including Aslam Khan, who incorporates both forms of Ga and Ni into a complex blend

---

• Jogkauns (S-gG-m-P-d-N-S): [see above]

---

• Kauns Gandhar (S-G-m-d-N-S): A ‘Chandrakauns shuddha Ga’ sung by Jitendra Abhisheki and his disciples including Mohan Darekar (also see the similarly-conceived Arun Kauns)

---

• Kaushik Ranjani (S-R-g-m-d-N-S): A ‘Chandrakauns + shuddha Re in both directions’ said to have been invented by vocalist Chidanand Nagarkar – also recorded by Malini Rajurkar, Prabhakar Karekar, & Suyog Kundalkar

---

• Madhukauns (S-g-M-P-n-S): Created by vocalist Amir Khan via a ma-murchana of Chandrakauns [discussed above] 

---

• Mangalkauns (S-R-g-m-P-d-nN-S): A Chandrakauns-ang sampurna raga of unknown origin, performed by sarodiya Bahadur Khan on All India Radio in the 1980s – with a prominent shuddha Re and shades of Pancham Malkauns via insertion of ni and Pa in avroh lines

---

• Nabhukauns (S-g-m-d-nN-S): [see above]

---

• Neelkauns (S-g-m-d-nN-S): A Chandrakauns-ang double-Ni raga performed by Salamat Ali Khan, which lets shuddha Ni dominate while setting komal ni into delicate Malkauns-ang avroh phrases

---

• Rishabh Chandrakauns (S-R-g-m-d-N-S): A general term for assorted ‘Chandrakauns + shuddha Re’ forms, performed by artists including Dhrupad vocalist Ashish Sankrityayan (also see Bahadurkauns, of similar derivation)

---

• Shivkauns (v2) (S-R-g-m-P-d-N-S): An alternate ‘Shivkauns’ created by Mohammed Hussain, blending Chandrakauns with poorvang motions from Shivranjani (SRgPm, mdNS; SNdmgS)

---

• Shyamkauns (S-R-g-m-P-d-N-S): A Chinmoy Lahiri invention which ascends with the Chandrakauns-ang NSgmdNS and adds ma and Re in descent as SNdmPmgRS, drawing on Kaunsi Kanada for its structure – sung by artists including Devashish Dey and Biswarup Ghosh Dastidar (NSgmdNS; SNdmPmgRS)

---

• Suryakauns (v2) (S-R-gG-m-P-d-N-S): An alternate ‘Suryakauns’ performed by Bhimsen Joshi on a handful of occasions, which builds on a Chandrakauns-ang base – also resembling ‘Jogkauns + shuddha Re’ in its characteristic motions (not to be confused with Prabha Atre’s Suryakauns)

---

Also see Chandrakauns derivatives without ‘Kauns’ in the name:

---

• Rajeshwari (S-g-m-D-N-S): A strange Kaunsi-ang scale of unclear origin, resembling a ‘raised Dha Chandrakauns’ variant, performed by Salamat Ali Khan, Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan, Adnan Khan, & others (also see the prakriti Bhinnakauns) [full page]

---

• Chandra Bhairav (S-r-G-m-d-N-S): A ‘Chandrakauns + Bhairav’ blend invented by Gwalior vocalist Narayanrao Patwardhan sometime in the mid-20th century, documented in Raga Nidhi Vol.4 (“in uttarang it sounds like Chandrakauns…with vakra sancharis of Bhairav in the avroh poorvang”) but seemingly unrecorded by its creator – although Naman Dutt has independently devised a similar experiment

---

• Chandra Gunakri (S-r-m-d-N-S): A ‘Chandrakauns + Gunakri’ combination explored by Abhirang (“derived by omitting Ga and Pa in Bhairav, [bringing] shades of Gunakri in poorvang and Chandrakauns in uttarang…known as Gopika Kusuma in Carnatic”)

---

• Chandra Jog (S-R-g-m-P-d-nN-S): Created by Senia-Bangash sarod pioneer Hafiz Ali Khan (also see Hafizkauns), and performed more recently by his son Amjad Ali Khan – who seems to conceptualise it as an interlinked blend of Chandrakauns and Jog (n.b. not the same as Jog Chandra)

---

• Chandra Kanhra (S-R-g-m-d-nN-S): A ‘Chandrakauns + Darbari’ blend released by Imrat Khan on a 1987 surbahar album – as per the liner notes, it is “a raga of his own creation [which] retains important elements of Darbari, but combines them with Chandrakauns, which has a more romantic mood. The Kanhra turn of Darbari [gmR] is retained in the lower half of the scale, while the upper half is Chandrakauns” (also see his nearby Imratkauns)

---

• Chandra Lalit (S-g-mM-d-N-S): An experimental ‘Chandrakauns plus tivra Ma’ form which can thus present shades of Lalit (Abhirang offers a chalan of dNSgm, MdNS; SNdMm, gmgS, NdS)

---

• Other Kauns ragas •

---

• Amirkhani Kauns (S-G-M-P-n-S): Devised by Amir Khan shortly before his 1974 passing, seemingly as a Madhukauns variant – but controversy persists around the origins of its name [discussed above]

---

• Dhanikauns (S-g-m-P-n-S): A ‘strictly audav’ form of Dhani, featuring a Malkauns-ang nSgm run [discussed above]

---

• Nirmalkauns (S-R-g-M-P-D-n-S): Recorded by bansuri-Persian santur duo Nirmal & Rishi Nair circa 2021 (“Dedicated to Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi”) – with a distinct Madhukauns flavour via nSgMP

---

• Jai Kauns (S-g-mM-D-N-S): A one-off experiment by Abhirang, fusing Lalit-ang poorvang phrases with Rajeshwari’s ‘all shuddha’ uttarang

---

Also see other rare Kauns family derivatives:

---

• Madhupriya (S-g-M-P-D-n-S): A Madhukauns variant invented by Kirana vocalist Jayateerth Mevundi, which adds shuddha Dha in vakra phrases such as DPMPDP (thus lying close to Hemavati)

---

• Madhu Bairagi (S-r-g-M-P-n-S): A shadav form described by Abhirang as being “derived by adding komal re to Madhukauns, thus introducing shades of Bairagi, Todi, and Bairagi Todi”: PnSr, rgrS, SrgMrgrS, nSgMP, nS, PnSrS, rnP, SnPM, Pg, rgMrgrS, rnPS)

---

• Madhuchandrika (S-R-g-mM-P-n-S): A recent invention of harmonium virtuoso Tulsidas Borkar resembling ‘Madhukauns + shuddha Re/ma’, with the Re generally used as part of a kan to komal ga – also presenting chayas of Malkauns and Shrutivardhini

---

• Madhusurawali (S-g-mM-P-n-S): An invention of Gwalior vocalist Balwantrai Bhatt ‘Bhavrang’, formed by adding shuddha ma to Madhukauns via phrases such as MPGmG, gmgngS (Ocean of Ragas: “a harsh atmosphere created by tivra Ma is balanced by a soothing touch of the Kafi-ang”: also prakriti with Shrutivardhini) – recently sung by his son Rahul Bhatt

---

• Sultani (S-g-M-P-n-S): An intriguing recording by Salamat & Sharafat Ali Khan from a 1976 Kabul concert – which could be their own independent invention of the Madhukauns scale (although a subtle taar shuddha Re occasionally features), with the ‘Sultani’ name possibly being a nod to the nearby Multani (as per Vighnesh Hedge: “the Multani-ang is in phrases like S(M)gMP, MPg, and the approach to ga via a tug from Ma is also typical of Madhuvanti…It also incorporates the Kauns-ang in the g\S meend”) – since recorded by sarangiya Zohaib Hassan and clarinetist Jaffar Hussain Randhawa

---

• Hari Todi (S-r-g-M-D-n-S): A Harikauns modification which incorporates Todi’s rgrS conclusion phrase (Abhirang: “the phrase rnSrg also gives a hint of Bilaskhani Todi”)

---

• Jog Chandra (S-gG-m-D-n-S): A modification of Purana Chandrakauns based on adding flavours from Jog and Rageshri, called ‘Manohar Dhwani’ by some – sung by artists including Biswarup Ghosh Dastidar and Abhirang, and possibly created by Azmat Hussain Khan (not to be confused with ‘Chandra Jog‘)

---

• Saraswati Chandra (S-R-g-M-P-D-n-S): A ‘Saraswati in aroha, Madhukauns in avroh’ blend documented in a 1984 edition of Sangeet Magazine, resurrected by Abhirang (nSRMPDnS; SnPMgS: “The [Pa-murchana] of Madhukauns gives us Chandrakauns, hence the name ‘Saraswati Chandra’…and the [Re-murchana] gives a subtle hint of Basant Mukhari”)

---

Send me your favourite renditions, along with any Kaunsis I’ve missed!

(NEXT: browse other raganga lineages)

Raganga: Bhairav | Bihag | Bilawal |
Dhanashree | Kafi | Kalyan | Kanada |
Khamaj | Lalit | Malhar | Sarang | Todi