S-g-P-D-n-S

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Confusion persists around which melodic forms are associated with the name ‘Lilavati’, with several incongruous examples in sporadic modern circulation. Abhirang uses the tones of a ‘komal ga Kalavati’ (SgPDnS), taking his composition from a 1969 edition of Sangeet magazine and linking his interpretation to the congruent Carnatic ‘Karani’ – while a scratchy Zia Fariduddin Dagar session uses the more extensive SrGmMPdDNS. And Dilshad Khan’s apparent ‘Leelavati’ recording, which showcases the Patiala master’s extraordinary command of mandra saptak, has swaras SrGmPnS: although I’m near-certain that this is a digital mistitling, as the official YouTube upload for doesn’t quite match the track length listed on the back of the physical CD (…the CD’s ‘Leelavati’ length corresponds to a supposed ‘Mishra Bha[iravi]’ on YouTube, which actually has swaras SRgPdS: chiming with other sources which describe Lilavati as “similar to Shivranjani in one range and Bhupali Todi in another”). ‘Lilavati’ is also the title of a famous 12th-century mathematical treatise by Bhaskara II, who named it after his daughter (“Fawn-eyed child Lilavati, how much 135 multiplied by 12? And tell me, oh beautiful one, how much is that product divided by the same multiplier?”).

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—Abhijith Shenoy ‘Abhirang’ (2020)—

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[refrain, e.g. 4:12] DP P(gP)g, (S)n SgS, S, nSgS…

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• Classifiers •

Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List):

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Swaras: -4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+

Sapta: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Poorvang: SRGM | SRG | SRM | SGM

Uttarang: PDNS | PDS | PNS | DNS

Varjit: Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni

Double: rR | gG | mM | dD | nN

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra

Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row

Symmetries: Mirror | Rotation | Palindr.

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Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Jati: Equal | Balanced | Av.+1 | Av.+2

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Murchana: Bhup. | Bihag | Bilaw. | Charu.

Raganga: Bhairav | Malhar | Kan. | Todi

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: (none found)

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–g–P–D–n–S

• Reverse: SRgmDS

• Negative: 2-1-2-1-1-2-3

• Imperfect: 3 (Pa, Dha, ni)

• Detached: 1 (Dha)

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Rasaranjani (on ni)

–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Karani

S-G₂-P-D₂-N₂-S

• Jazz: Dorian (no 2nd/4th)

1-b3-5-6-b7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-3-7-9-10-0

(3–4–2–1–2)

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o • • o • • • o • o o • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Lilavati, Leelavati, Lilavatee, ~Ranjani

—Dilshad Khan & Parveen Sultana (1995)—

(as noted above: the YouTube uploads for this album appear to have shuffled titles…although I’m confident that this one is the ‘real Lilavati’)