Shankara
शंकरा
S G P N D S' | S' N P G, P D P G, P R G R S
Origins & Context
Raag Shankara is a Bilawal thaat raga of Hindustani music, performed before midnight, that uses shuddha notes with no Ma and leaves out Re going up. Shuddha means natural, and a thaat is a parent scale. It is also written Sankara.
In this notation, an apostrophe marks the upper octave. One teaching outline gives the aroha, or ascent, as S G P N D S', with Dha taken in a crooked turn. Its avaroha, or descent, is S' N P G, P D P G, P R G R S. It names Ga as the vadi, the most prominent note, and Ni as the samvadi, its partner.
The AUTRIM project of the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the University of Amsterdam names Ga and Ni as the important resting notes and keeps Re weak. It finds some likeness with Hansdhwani, which leaves out Dha and stresses Re.
KalaSudha presents Hindustani musicians in concert and releases their recordings. Its academy teaches ragas online and in local workshops, and each course is built by its instructor with KalaSudha.
Technical Details
Melodic structure and movement patterns
Aroha (Ascent)
S G P N D S'
Avroh (Descent)
S' N P G, P D P G, P R G R S
Pakad (Catch Phrase)
G P N D S' N, D P G P, R G R S
Tanpura Tuning
P - S - S - .S
Additional Notes
Phraseologies
Key for these phrases: an apostrophe puts a note in the upper octave.
One teaching outline takes Dha in a crooked turn going up, as in G P N D S' N, and closes with P R G R S. The AUTRIM project also hears Dha used obliquely in the ascent, and Dha as important for the raga's image. Most of the movement lies in the middle and upper octaves.
Common Phrases
Around the World
Global connections and equivalent scales
With Sa on C, Shankara uses C, D, E, G, A and B, the major scale without its fourth. George Howlett gives Carnatic Shankaramohana as an approximate counterpart.