S-r-G-mM-N-S

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A truly odd scale form, Meghranjani can be interpreted as either ‘Bhairav minus Pa & dha‘ (SrGmNS) or ‘Lalit minus dha‘ (SrGmMNS) – producing a strange shape which omits two consecutive generic swaras (see other such ragas in my ‘consecutive varjits‘ category, including Adbhut Kalyan, Devranjani, & Malashree). Originally borrowed from the Carnatic Megharanjani, the raga’s Hindustani incarnation is said to date back to Bhatkhande’s era, although the earliest mention I can find comes from a 1939 edition of The Indian Listener. Abhirang, who cites its Southern roots in the Mayamalavagowla parent scale, utilises both Ma in Lalit-tinged passages (NrGmMm) – while shehnai wizard Bismillah Khan confines himself to the shuddha ma in Bhairav-tilted motions (GmrS NS), also being unafraid to showcase the massive ma-Ni jump via motifs such as rGmN. Bismillah entitled his interpretation ‘Ashok‘, derived from a Sanskrit term meaning ‘freedom from grief’: to me, there is definitely something ‘absent’ in the scale, with its hollowed-out space between ma and Ni (spanning a full tritone, or half the octave). For more depth, refer to Moumita Mitra’s excellent 2024 demo lesson – and compare to other ‘komal Pa’ scales (i.e. those with ‘double Ma, no Pa’).

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• Raga Masterlist (1000+) •

राग मेघरंजनी

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: NrGmMm, NS

Avroh: SNMm, mGrS

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Chalan: e.g. NrGm; Sm mGrGrS; Sm NSrrS; NmG; mrGrS (OOR)

—Abhirang (2021)—

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[bandish, e.g. 0:49] (S)GrGm, GrS, (NS)N r G m; GmmN, m, (G)m, Gm, G(m)rG, rGG, G(mGm) S(NS)m, (G)m, Gm G(m)rG, (S)GrGM(GM), (M)G rS…

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• Carnatic Origins •

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—Ragam Megharanjani—

(R.K. Srikantan)

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–All ragas of Carnatic origin–

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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

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

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

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

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Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

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

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: (none found)

Compare to other ragas from the Bhairav and Lalit ragangas (as well as to other forms which fuse elements of both)

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–r–G–mM–N–S

• Reverse: SrMPdNS

• Complement: SRgPdDnS

• Imperfect: 2 (Sa, re)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (Rg—dD)

• Murchanas: none

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• Quirks: ‘consecutive varjits‘ (all forms of Pa & Dha are omitted) • ‘komal Pa‘ (=mMP)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: Megharanjani

S-R₁-G₃-M₁-M₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Double Harmonic b5 (no 6th)

1-b2-3-4-#4-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-1-4-5-6-11-0

(1–3–1–1–5–1)

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o o • • o o o • • • • o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–ma

• Names: Meghranjani, Megharanji, Megh Ranjani (n.b. Bismillah Khan titled his own import of the scale ‘Ashok’)

• Transliterations: Hindi (मेघरंजनी)

—Bismillah Khan (as ‘Ashok’)—