Melakarta number 51 · Brahma chakra

Kamavardhini

Also written or called: Kashiramakriya, Pantuvarali, Kamavardhani

● Confidence: high Last verified: 12 Oct 2026

Scale

A sampurna melakarta: all seven notes in straight order, going up and coming down, with no omitted notes and no zigzag paths.

Beginner's explanation

Kamavardhini is number 51 of the 72 melakarta ragas , the parent ragas from which many other ragas are derived. It belongs to the Brahma Chakra (the ninth of 12). Its Ma is M2 (prati madhyama) , so it sits in the second half of the list (numbers 37 to 72).

Going up, its notes are S, R1, G3, M2, P, D1, N3 and the upper S; coming down it uses the same notes in reverse. Like every melakarta it is Sampurna : all seven notes, in straight order, with no omitted notes and no zigzags.

If Sa is C on a keyboard, these notes fall on C, D♭, E, F♯, G, A♭, B (0, 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 semitones above Sa). This only shows where the notes sit: a raga is more than its notes, and its ornaments and phrases are not shown here.

In practice this raga is often listed under the name Pantuvarali.

A bit deeper

How the number gives the notes. Number 51 is in chakra 9 (Brahma). The chakra fixes the pair of Ri and Ga (R1, G3), and the raga's place within the chakra (third of 6) fixes the pair of Dha and Ni (D1, N3). Ma is M2 because 51 falls in the second 36. This is exactly the rule this site uses to generate all 72 scales.

Counterpart and neighbours. Number 15, Mayamalavagowla, has the same notes with M1 in place of M2. The other five ragas of the Brahma chakra (Dhavalambari, Namanarayani, Ramapriya, Gamanashrama, Vishwambari) share its Ri, Ga and Ma and differ only in Dha and Ni.

The name. The name encodes the number through the katapayadi sutra : the first two syllables, "kā" and "ma", stand for 1 and 5, and read in reverse that gives 51.

Other names. Sources also give these names or spellings: Kashiramakriya, Pantuvarali, Kamavardhani.

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 633, 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

• 15. Mayamalavagowla
• 49. Dhavalambari
• 50. Namanarayani
• 52. Ramapriya
• 53. Gamanashrama
• 54. Vishwambari

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

• Marga Sahayeshvaram Chapu·Sanskrit
• Ramanatham Bhajeham Tisra Eka·Sanskrit
• Senapate Palayamam Adi·Sanskrit
• Shri Sundararajam Adi·Sanskrit
• Ucchistha Ganapatau Adi·Sanskrit
• Vishalaksim Vishveshim Chapu·Sanskrit

Papanasam Sivan

• Adiya Padattai Tamil
• Amba Manam Tamil
• Indrajala Kannigal Adi·Tamil
• Nin Arul Tamil
• Niyallavo Adi·Tamil
• Niye Pedai Tamil
• Shambho Umapate Tamil
• Shri Maha Tamil
• Unadu Dayai Tamil
• Vandarulvai Toghai Tamil

Purandara Dasa

• Ada Hogalu Adi·Kannada
• Adaddella Olide Rupaka·Kannada
• Agalagali Rangayya Ata·Kannada
• Anya Satiya Ata·Kannada
• Ariyaru Ata·Kannada
• Baramma Ele Ata·Kannada
• Barayya Manege Chapu·Kannada
• Barige Ninna Ata·Kannada
• Buci Bandide Eka·Kannada
• Buddhivantanalla Ata·Kannada
• Cinte Yatako Rupaka·Kannada
• Dariyenidake Murari Ata·Kannada
• Dharmavemba Sambalava Adi·Kannada
• Eke Ninagistu Chapu·Kannada
• Endige Dhanya Triputa·Kannada
• Enenu Danava Chapu·Kannada
• Enna Manada Ata·Kannada
• Entha Balavantano Eka·Kannada
• Govinda Enniro Kannada
• Guruvina Gulamanaguva Adi·Kannada
• Hannu Bandide Janaru Chapu·Kannada
• Hannu Ta Benne Ta Ata·Kannada
• Hari Hararu Hege Ata·Kannada
• Hariya Dasaraginnu Adi·Kannada
• Hendadi Prana Ata·Kannada
• Hindilla Svami Ata·Kannada
• Hoyyo Hoyyo Dangurava Ata·Kannada
• Hushyunna Bannada Ata·Kannada
• Inthatanu Guruvadaddu Ata·Kannada
• Intinthaddellavu Eka·Kannada
• Kugade Usirikkade Ata·Kannada
• Kunidado Krsna Eka·Kannada
• Kusu Kandevamma Ata·Kannada
• Lota Pata Ata·Kannada
• Madhva Muniye Namma Adi·Kannada
• Madu Sikkadalla Eka·Kannada
• Maneyolagado Ata·Kannada
• Mayavati Ata·Kannada
• Muddu Kolliro Adi·Kannada
• Nageyu Barutide Eka·Kannada
• Nambi Bhajisiro Chapu·Kannada
• Nimma Bhagya Adi·Kannada
• Ninna Namaviddare Ata·Kannada
• Ollane Vaidika Ata·Kannada
• Ollidi Shakuna Kannada
• Rokka Eradakku Ata·Kannada
• Saku Samsara Sajjagilla Ata·Kannada
• So-aham Brahma Chapu·Kannada
• Sujnyeyindala Bekanna Ata·Kannada
• Summane Kalava Ata·Kannada
• Summaniru Manave Chapu·Kannada
• Vyapara Namagayitu Ata·Kannada
• Vyarthavayite Rupaka·Kannada
• Yake Ninagistu Chapu·Kannada
• Yama Tanna Chapu·Kannada

Swati Tirunal

• Hanta Jnyaninnu
• Matanga Tanayayai Adi
• Naga Shayananam Adi
• Paripalaya Sarasiruha Locana Adi
• Sarasaksa Paripalaya Adi
• Saroruhahasana Adi

Tyagaraja

• Andundaka Ne Vega Triputa·Telugu
• Cudare Celulara Triputa·Telugu
• Hari Hariyanukove Adi·Telugu
• Naradamuni Vedalina Adi·Telugu
• Parama Pavana Triputa·Telugu
• Raghuvara Nannu Adi·Telugu
• Sarame Gani Telugu
• Shambho Mahadeva Rupaka·Sanskrit
• Shobane Rupaka·Telugu
• Sundaratara Deham Adi·Sanskrit
• Vidhiyemi Jeyudura Telugu

How this was checked

• Sources agree: Scale of melakarta #51 Kamavardhini: S R1 G3 M2 P D1 N3 S'. Sources: Melakarta; Royal Carpet: Introduction to Carnatic Raga (the melakarta ragas). Generated from the melakarta rules, then compared with the scale printed for this number in each source. Both match.
• Sources agree: Kamavardhini is melakarta number 51, as the katapayadi code of its name gives. Sources: Mela Pocket Guide (katapayadi and the 72 melakartas); Royal Carpet: Introduction to Carnatic Raga (the melakarta ragas). The number-to-name pairing agrees in both sources and decodes under the standard rule.