Shulini

Carnatic music
Tanjavur-style tambura
Concepts
Śruti Svara Rāga Tāḷa Mēḷakarta Asaṃpūrṇa Mēḷakarta
Compositions
Gītaṃ Svarajati Varṇaṃ Kr̥ti Kīrtana Rāgaṃ Tānaṃ Pallavi Tillana
Instruments
Melody Sarasvati Vīṇā Veṇu Nādasvaraṃ Goṭṭuvādyaṃ (Citra Vīṇā) Violin Percussion Mr̥daṅgaṃ Ghaṭaṃ Morsing Kanjira Thavil Drone Tambura Shruti box
Composers Glossary
v t e

Shulini (pronounced shūlini) is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 35th melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is also spelled as Sulini, Shoolini or Soolini. It is called Shailadesākshi^[1] or Shailadaeshi^[2][3] in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.

It is the 5th rāgam in the 6th chakra Rutu. The mnemonic name is Rutu-Ma. The mnemonic phrase is sa ru gu ma pa dhi nu.^[2] Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

• ārohaṇa: S R₃ G₃ M₁ P D₂ N₃ Ṡ^[a]
• avarohaṇa: Ṡ N₃ D₂ P M₁ G₃ R₃ S^[b]

The notes used in this scale are shatsruthi rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham and kakali nishadham.

As it is a melakarta rāgam, by definition it is a sampoorna rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Kosalam, which is the 71st melakarta scale.

Shulini has a couple of minor janya rāgams (derived scales) associated with it. See List of janya rāgams for list of scales associated with Shulini.

A few compositions set to Shulini are:

• Prana natha by Thyagaraja
• Paramukhamadeno by Koteeswara Iyer
• Nalinanarayani by Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna
• Paalayaashumaam Shulini by Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Shulini's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 3 other melakarta rāgams, namely, Shanmukhapriya, Dhenuka and Chitrambari. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. For further details and an illustration refer Graha bhedam on Shanmukhapriya.

This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 20:10