S-R-M-P-D-n-S

---

Derived as a ‘janya’ offshoot of the Carnatic Vachaspati (mela #64), Saraswati is named after the four-armed Hindu goddess of music, art, and learning – also venerated in Thailand as ‘Surasawadee’, Myanmar as ‘Thurathadi’, China as ‘Biancaitian’, and Tibet as ‘Yang-Chen-Ma’ (the word derives from ‘saras+wati’: ‘she who possesses flowing water’, associated with Harappan-era worship of a long-extinct Ghaggar-Hakra River). The raga which bears her name is marked by a wide aroha jump from Re to tivra Ma (although artists such as Amjad Ali Khan often ‘compresses’ this gap via a very low Ma sruti), with Ma also used as a kan between Pa and Re – and the inclusion of komal ni notably recolouring avroh motions (e.g. DSnD; MPnD; MRnDS). Some performers may emphasise the Kalyan-ang, while others look to the raga’s Southern roots for inspiration. Rampur-Sahaswan vocalist Ghulam Mustafa Khan reportedly stated that he was “the first artist to attempt Raag Saraswati in North India” (also adding context to the rendition on his 1975 debut album: “Remembering my friend and brother Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, who several times said, ‘I am listening to your recording, and loving Saraswati more and more…”). Also see Saraswati Kedar and Saraswati Sarang – as well as Kameshwari, a prakriti creation of Ravi Shankar.

---

• Raga Megalist (365+) •

राग सरस्वती

Search | Glossary | Tags

• Hindustani Raga Index •

—Shahid Parvez (2021)—

---

[refrain, e.g. 4:53] S(nSn)nS R, M, P(M), RSR, S, R(SRS)nS R, M(P), P(M), RSR…

---

• More •

Histories, melodies, mythologies, etc…

---

—Imagery: Saraswati Pata—

“Saraswati Pata: The painting is divided in to nine parts. In the three central panels, a temple enshrining Saraswati and her vahana (the swan) is depicted. Other panels are filled with attendants, musicians, dancers, and Jain monks. Natural pigments on cloth…” (Western India, c.1475)

---

• Carnatic Origins •

---

—Ragam Saraswati—

(Ranjani-Gayatri)

---

–All ragas of Carnatic origin–

---

• Classifiers •

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

---

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.

---

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: Kameshwari

Also see other shadav ragas which omit Ga

–Swara Geometries–

---

• Core form: S–R–M–P–D–n–S

• Reverse: SRgmMnS

• Negative: 2-2-1-1-3-3

• Imperfect: 3 (Ma, Dha, ni)

• Detached: 2 (Ma, ni)

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Kameshwari set

---

• Quirks: ‘tivra Ma, komal ni‘ (rarest pairing)

---

–Global Translations–

---

• Carnatic: Saraswati

S-R₂-M₂-P-D₂-N₂-S

• Jazz: Lydian Dominant (no 3rd)

1-2-#4-5-6-b7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-6-7-9-10-0

(2–4–1–2–1–2)

---

o • o • • • o o • o o • o

---

• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Re)

• Names: Saraswati, Saraswati Kalyan, Saraswatee, Sarasvati

• Transliterations: Hindi (सरस्वती); Urdu (سرسوتی); Bengali (সরস্বতী);  Punjabi (ਸਰਸਵਤੀ); Sindhi (سرسوتي); Assmese (সৰস্বতী); Gujarati (સરસ્વતી); Odia (ସରସ୍ୱତୀ); Kannada (ಸರಸ್ವತಿ); Malayalam (സരസ്വതി); Sinhala (සරස්වතී); Tamil (சரசுவதி); Telugu (సరస్వతి); Persian (سرسوتی)

—Ghulam Mustafa Khan (1974)—