Janya raga · parent: 20. Natabhairavi

Bhairavi

◐ Confidence: medium Last verified: 12 Oct 2026

Scale

Derived from the printed scale: sampurna in both ascent and descent (7 notes up, 7 down); bhashanga (borrows D2, outside its parent).

Beginner's explanation

Bhairavi is a janya raga : it is derived from the melakarta Natabhairavi (number 20), which means it takes its notes from that parent's scale. It also uses a note from outside the parent (D2), which makes it a Bhashanga raga: that note is an foreign note to the parent scale.

Going up, its notes are S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S'; coming down, S' N2 D1 P M1 G2 R2 S. Its ascent and descent each use 7 different notes (Sampurna ).

If Sa is C on a keyboard, the notes it uses fall on C, D, E♭, F, G, A♭, A, B♭. This only shows where the notes sit: a raga is more than its notes, and its ornaments and phrases are not shown here.

A bit deeper

Its parent. Bhairavi is placed under Natabhairavi (melakarta 20) by karnatik.com, the source for this page's parent. It uses all of the parent's notes.

A borrowed note. Bhairavi uses D2 although its parent has a different D. In theory this is what makes a raga bhashanga. No single melakarta holds all of its notes, so its parent is the one it is felt to grow from, by convention.

Same notes, different raga. Huseni and Mukhari use exactly the same set of notes as Bhairavi but differ in the path, the ornaments or the phrases.

Why start here? How likely you are to meet it

●○○ (rating 1 of 3: 1 = met very often)

Rating 1 of 3 (editorial, a rough guide to how often you are likely to meet this raga): karnatik.com's tally of compositions per raga (based on a list of 38,000 songs) gives it 857, one of the most-composed ragas. A 1 means met very often and 3 means met rarely. It says nothing about how hard the raga is to sing, which depends on its ornaments and is not rated here. The tally counts songs by raga name and dates from 2011.

Characteristic features

Key notes, characteristic phrases and ornaments are not recorded here yet: they could not be confirmed from two sources, and this site leaves them out rather than guess.

Where the notes sit

Related ragas

• 20. Natabhairavi
• Huseni
• Mukhari

Compare with another raga

Notable compositions (titles only)

Songs listed for this raga on karnatik.com by composers covered on this site. Lists are community-compiled, so a missing song does not mean it does not exist. Talas are as the source names them; no lyrics are reproduced.

Muthuswami Dikshitar

• Aryam Abhayambam Bhajare Ata·Sanskrit
• Balagopala Palayashu Mam Adi·Sanskrit
• Cintaya Ma Kanda Mulakandam Rupaka·Sanskrit
• Devi Jagadishvari Dina Janavana Rupaka·Sanskrit
• Lalitambikayai Laksa Chapu·Sanskrit
• Shri Kamalambikayah Param Nahire Re Citta Jhampa·Sanskrit
• Trilocana Mohinim Tripuranim Adi·Sanskrit

Papanasam Sivan

• Alavilada Anandam Tamil
• Attarunam Tamil
• Grahangalim Tamil
• Kalpakambike Shri Tamil
• Mayilapuriyil Tamil
• Ni Gadiyaladu Adi·Tamil
• Ni Gatiyaladu Tamil
• Shiridenum Tamil
• Shri Shanmukham Adi·Sanskrit
• Shri Vishvanatham Tamil
• Taye Bhairaviye Tamil
• Taye Ezhaipal Adi·Tamil
• Taye Nine Tamil

Purandara Dasa

• Agali Sairisalaradi Kannada
• Ara Maganenda Kannada
• Brahmananendare Adi·Kannada
• Cittaisida Vyasaraya Ata·Kannada
• Eke Cintisutiddi Kannada
• Eke Daya Barado Adi·Kannada
• Elli Virata Hrdaya Kamala Manasa Puje Kannada
• Endappi Kombe Chapu·Kannada
• Higguve Yako Ata·Kannada
• Ille Vaikuntha Triputa·Kannada
• Intha Hennina Adi·Kannada
• Intu Vedantagalalli Adi·Kannada
• Jaya Jaya Shri Adi·Kannada
• Jaya Mangalam Ata·Kannada
• Kande Kande Rajara Ata·Kannada
• Kayalarenu Ranga Ata·Kannada
• Kettenallo Triputa·Kannada
• Kodu Kandya Chapu·Kannada
• Madhukara Vrtti Adi·Kannada
• Nade Popa Ata·Kannada
• Ninnane Nambi Adi·Kannada
• Odi Barayya Adi
• Shrinivasanu Banda Ata·Kannada
• Tariso Shrihari Adi·Kannada
• Vasudevana Nenedu Chapu·Kannada
• Yashodeyamma Adi·Kannada

Swati Tirunal

• Ambhojamabha Triputa
• An Milo Adi
• Aye Girdhar Adi
• Bajat Murali
• Bansivale Adi
• Bhavadiya Kathabhi Adi
• Bho Cintayami Jhampa
• Capala Sampadaniha Padavarna
• Cintayami Te Adi
• Janani Mamavameye Chapu
• Khinnata Pundetra
• Krsna Candra Adi
• Mudhaiva Yatani
• Palaya Devadeva
• Pannagendra Sayana
• Raghukula Tilakamayi Adi
• Rama Rama Guna Kusuma
• Ramachandra Prabhu Adi
• Ramapate Adi
• Vasundhara Tanaya

Syama Sastri

• Devi Shri Kamaksi Chapu
• Kamaksi Amba Anudinamu Svarajati Chapu
• Parvati Janani Gitam Khanda Chapu
• Sari Evaramma Jhampa

Tyagaraja

• Anandamanandamayenu Desadi·Telugu
• Induka Puttincitivi Adi·Telugu
• Koluvaiyunnade Adi·Telugu
• Lalite Shri Adi·Telugu
• Nammina Varini Adi·Telugu
• Natha Brovave Adi·Telugu
• Nijamaite Mundara Triputa·Telugu
• Nivanti Deivamu Adi·Telugu
• Raksha Bettare Doraku Adi·Telugu
• Rama Kodandarama Rama Adi·Telugu
• Sarvantaryami Ni Adi·Telugu
• Shri Narada Gururaya Adi·Telugu
• Shri Raghuvara Sugunalaya Adi·Telugu
• Tanayande Prema Nowka Caritra Kirtanam Triputa·Telugu
• Tanayuni Brova Adi·Telugu
• Upacaramu Cese Rupaka·Telugu
• Upacaramulanu Adi·Telugu

How this was checked

• Partly agree: Scale of Bhairavi: ascent S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S'; descent S' N2 D1 P M1 G2 R2 S. Sources: Royal Carpet: Carnatic Ragas; List of Janya ragas. The two sources differ; see Variations & debates.
• Sources agree: Bhairavi is a janya of melakarta number 20, Natabhairavi. Sources: Royal Carpet: Carnatic Ragas; Royal Carpet: Introduction to Carnatic Raga (the melakarta ragas). Parent per karnatik.com. The raga borrows D2 from outside the parent, which is what bhashanga means; Wikipedia's table also names the foreign note.