S-R-mM-P-D-N-S

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A prominent early afternoon raga of the Sarang family, often said to evoke sringara. Ga is omitted, Dha is ornamental, and shuddha ma is restricted to avroh (always before Re, and sometimes adjacent to the tivra, e.g. RMPmR; MmR) – with Tanarang giving a pakad of NDSNRS (see melodic summary). Despite its current-day fame, beloved by instrumentalists and vocalists alike, Bhatkhande noted that only a few artists of his early 20th-century era performed it – although the Sarang lineage itself stretches back much further, finding mention in Ramamatya’s 1550 Swaramela Kalanidhi and appearing in assorted ragmala paintings (usually listed as either as a son of Shree or a ragini of Malkauns). Also refer to Bor’s bandish translations (“While I was swinging, a snake bit the tip of my finger…”), and an incredible khayal-ang rendition by Budhaditya Mukherjee – while Eric O’Daly recommends a fine pair of vocal renditions: “Padma Talwalkar’s is beautiful, and Pran Nath’s is hypnotic and incredible”. Compare to offshoots such as Ambika Sarang, Noor Sarang, Rang Malhar, and Lakshmi Kalyan. 

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राग शुद्ध सारंग

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: e.g. NSRM, MPNS

Avroh: e.g. SN, NDPMP, mRSNS

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Pakad: e.g. RMPmR; NDSNRS

Chalan: e.g. SNSR; RmR; SN; PNDS; NRS; RmR; mP; PRmR; SN; NSR; S; NSRmRMP; RMPN; DP; PNSRS; RSNDP; RmR; mRSN; NS (Parrikar)

• Tivra Ma is vital to distinctive wide-jumping aroha lines which often start or end on shuddha Ni (e.g. NSRM; RMPN) – and shuddha ma is restricted to avroh motions towards the shuddha Re vadi (e.g. RMPmR; MmR; NSRmR)

• The expansive Re-Ma sangati introduces a tenser quality than in ‘shuddha ma only’ Sarang ragas such as Brindabani Sarang, allowing for colourful vakra movements such as NSRMPM; DMPMP; mRSNS

• Ga is varjit throughout, and many artists treat shuddha Dha as a ‘lesser’ swara (e.g. N(D)P), although this practice is not universal – and older renditions often add komal ni to the descent (usually as nDP; nPmR)

• Associated, as a Sarang family raga, with the heat of the afternoon sun (although some consider it better-suited to the late morning hours) – and generally played with more complex ornaments than other Sarang ragas (e.g. R(MPMPmR); N(RSNSN))

—Debashish Bhattacharya (2013)—

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[refrain, e.g. 4:03] R(m)R, MMP, (NR)SN, P(M)P, m\R, (m)RNS…

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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: Noor Sarang, Kedar

See all shadav ragas which omit Ga

Also see other ragas with the generic swaras ‘Sa-Re-Ma-Pa-Ni‘ – and compare to the rest of the Sarang raganga

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–mM–P–D–N–S

• Reverse: SrgmMPnS

• Complement: SrgGdnS

• Imperfect: 2 (Ma, Dha)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Kedar set

–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Neelambari

S-R₂-M₁-M₂-P-D₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Lydian (no 3rd, dbl. 4th)

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

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-5-6-7-9-11-0

(2–3–1–1–2–2–1)

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o • o • • o o o • o • o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Re)

• Names: Shuddha Sarang, Suddha Sarang, Soodha Sarang

• Transliterations: Hindi (शुद्ध सारंग); Bengali (শুদ্ধ সারঙ্গ)

—Budhaditya Mukherjee (2016)—