Bēgaḍa

A gently smiling, majestic raaga of winding zig-zag phrases, heard in Tyagaraja's 'Nadopasana'; graceful rather than grave.

serene joy, grace, gentle majesty

Bēgaḍa is a bhashanga raaga in the Carnatic tradition.

in the raaga jeeva (life note) nyasa (resting note)

or tap any lit note to hear it

arohana / ascending

S G3 R2 G3 M1 P D2 N2 D2 P S (ragasurabhi gives shorter S G3 R2 G3 M1 P D2 P S)

avarohana / descending

S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S

How to hear it

Life notes / jeeva: Dhaivata (D2) emphasised as the life/defining note, secondary source
Resting notes / nyasa: N (nishada) is an important resting point, with a characteristic resting gamaka at N in phrases like pdp N, D, p and N dpmgr.
Signature phrases / prayoga: Ancient prayogas per the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini: S G M P D N D P N S, S N DN S, N S D R S. Muthuswami Dikshitar added SMGRS, SGM, SNDNS; Subbarama Dikshitar added PNDDRS and SGRGMP. Also SNDPS, DNSRS, PDPNDDP. Many Tyagaraja kritis open with G,MPDP or MGMGD,P. Scale is vakra shadava (ascent) to sampurna.
Ornament / gamaka: Signature nishada gamaka: in the prayoga p d n d p the kakali nishadam is slightly flattened but does not become kaishiki nishadam, sitting between the two. The dhaivata is rarely a straight note. The madhyama (M1) is idiosyncratic and highly expressive.

Shankarabharanam (same parent mela

beginners slide into it if the P D N D P phrase is not kept crisp)

◐ Draft: the reference facts on this page are compiled from public sources and are pending review by a musician. Corrections welcome via GitHub.