S-rR-mM-P-n-S

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A Kumar Gandharva creation, inspired by witnessing the plight of a goat as it was led past his house on the way to be sacrificed at a nearby Kali temple. To collate a few common tellings: “When the goat realises, it starts pleading to save its life. The vilambit bandish describes these prayers [‘bachaale mori maata’: ‘oh save me, my mother’]. In drut, the goat realises that its life cannot be saved – and decides that the people carrying it to the altar should enjoy it, crying for the drummer to play loudly to drown out his fears [‘dholiya baja’]…”. Variously described by listeners as “fascinating and distressing”, “modernist poetry in karuna rasa”, and “the sheer essence of crippling pain and helplessness” – while Gandharva himself classified it as a “ragini of Sarang”, focusing his melodies around a ‘bleating’ double-Ma which is often separated from the relief-bringing Pa above. Dha is varjit throughout, as is Ga: despite this swara’s fabled associations with goats (while it’s probably a stretch to say that Ga’s absence represents the goat’s forthcoming removal from this earthly realm, I like the incidental symbolism…). Invented prior to 1966, based on its inclusion in Rao’s Raga Nidhi Vol.4 (“a midday raga [with] chayas of Madhumad Sarang & Bairagi Bhairav”), and first given widespread release on a 1972 album (along with Bhavmat Bhairav) – with Gandharva acolytes including Milap Rane and Sadhana Shiledar also having recorded it since. Also see other Gandharva-authored ragas including Bihad Bhairav, Rati Bhairav, Saheli Todi, & Lagan Gandhar.

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राग मधुसूरजा

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—Kumar Gandharva (1972)—

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[refrain, e.g. 0:07] R/m(RrS), R/mSr, r r(S), R/mSr, S (rS), SrS, m(R) mP/n (n)P, mM m, Mmm, mMm, (m)Mm(r), (m)M mMm, Rm(S), RmRm(S) r(S), (Sn)S, R/m(RS) M(m)m m…

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• More •

Histories, melodies, mythologies, etc…

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—Imagery: Kali temple goat—

“The sacrificial goat is pulled up the stairs by its ear, bleating. A stop is made in front of the makeshift office, then the goat is alternatively pushed and pulled inside the temple. A parikrama [round] is made inside, and the goat is lifted up, protesting, to the feet of the deity. The priest holds down the goat, and then releases his hand. Surprisingly, the goat remains still, as if it can feel the presence of the Mother. The priest sprinkles holy water and flowers taken from the deity’s feet. The goat jumps up, as if it has been released from a spell. The sacrifice has been done. It is now led back to the village, where it spends the rest of its life undisturbed, as it is one of the Mother’s chosen ones. Where else do you get a ‘Satvik Bali’ [bloodless sacrifice]?” (Moumita Bagchi)

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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)

Also compare to other ragas matching the generic swaras ‘Sa-Re-Ma-Pa-Ni‘: including Bairagi (S-r-m-P-n-S); Megh, Madhumad Sarang (S-R-m-P-n-S); Devshri (S-R-M-P-n-S); & Sarang (S-R-m-P-nN-S).

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–rR–mM–P–n–S

• Reverse: SRmMPnNS (=Loom Sarang)

• Negative: 4-1-4-1-2 (e.g. Bhupali Todi)

• Imperfect: 2 (re, Re)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Basant set

–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: (~Ratnangi)

S-R₁-R₂-M₁-M₂-P-N₂-S

• Jazz: Suspended Pent. (dbl 2nd/4th)

1-b2-2-4-#4-5-b7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-1-2-5-6-7-10-0

(1–1–3–1–1–3–2)

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o o o • • o o o • • o • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Madhusurja, Madhusuraja, Madh-Surja

• Transliterations: Hindi (मधुसूरजा)

—Milap Rane (2023)—