S-R-G-M-P-D-N-S

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A popular early night raga, Shuddha Kalyan ascends with the same five swaras as Bhupali (SRGPDS), and descends with the full seven of Yaman (SNDPMGRS), leading some to title it ‘Bhoop-Kalyan’. Phrases tend to end on the poorvang-slanted Sa, Re, Ga, or Pa, and both the ‘avroh-only’ swaras (Ni & Ma) must be treated subtly throughout – in the words of Senia-Shahjahanpur sarodiya Radhika Mohan Maitra, “Ni and Ma are ‘astamita’: like rays of the setting sun, which has already sunken below the horizon…”. Listen to a lively (and remarkably well-recorded) 1935 rendition by Abdul Karim Khan, as well as the fantastically-filmed 1987 performance by Bhimsen Joshi below. See melodic summary below – and compare to other members of the Kalyan raganga.

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• Raga Masterlist (1000+) •

राग शुद्ध कल्याण

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: SRGPDS

Avroh: SNDPMGRS

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Pakad: variable, e.g. SDS; RGP(M)G; P(M)GRS

Chalan: e.g. S(N)DS; S(N)R; (N)DG; RGRGRS; GRP(M)G; GRG; P(M)DPGR; GRGP(N)DS; S(N)RS(N)DP; P(M)DPGR; RGP(G)RS (Bor/Dasgupta)

• Tivra Ma and shuddha Ni are rendered subtly – often being omitted in aroha and taken subliminally in avroh, e.g. as S(N)D; P(M)G (however the common summary of ‘Bhupali up, Yaman down’ is an oversimplification)

• Despite sharing natural overlap with Bhupali, special distinguishing phrases are used (e.g. PDPS(N)S; RGP(M)G; P(M)DPGR) – with shuddha Re also assuming greater overall prominence (e.g. SNR; RGPGR)

• Favours patient exploration in the lower-to-middle-octave zone up to madhya Pa – with the poorvang-tilted Sa-Re-Ga-Pa used as nyas

• Associated with the languid hours around sunset (‘when lamps are lit’) – some artists describe the Ma and Ni as being ‘like rays of the setting sun, already sunken below the horizon’

—Bhimsen Joshi (1987)—

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[bandish, e.g. 2:22] (S)R S(NS) S, S(ND) D\P, N(D) S(NS) S(NR)S SR R\SS, R G R(SNS) (S)R (N)S S(ND), D(SRG) (S)RRG R(S), (S)R S(NS) S, S(ND) D\P, (N)D (N)SS; SG, RG(MPDMPGRGM) G(MPDMPRG)R S(ND); (S)R S(NS) S…

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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: Kalyan thaat, Yaman

Also compare to other members of the Kalyan raganga

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–G–M–P–D–N–S

• Reverse: SrgmMdnS (=Meladalan)

• Complement: SrgmdnS

• Imperfect: 1 (Ma)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (g—D)

• Murchanas: Bilawal set

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• Quirks: ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Mohana Kalyani

S-R₂-G₃-M₂-P-D₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Lydian

1-2-3-#4-5-6-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-4-6-7-9-11-0

(2–2–2–1–2–2–1)

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o • o • o • o o • o • o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Ni)

• Names: Shuddha Kalyan, Suddha Kalyaan, Bhoop Kalyan, Bhupkalian (n.b. ‘Bhoop Kalyan’ is also used for Bhupali itself: as a Kalyan-ang raga)

• Transliterations: Hindi (शुद्ध कल्याण); Bengali (শুদ্ধ কল্যাণ)

—Kishori Amonkar (1998)—