Sampurna Carnatic raaga

Nāṭa

The bold, festive raaga that opens concerts, Dikshitar's 'Maha Ganapatim' and Tyagaraja's 'Jagadananda Karaka'; heroic and martial.

veera (heroism), festive, auspicious

Nāṭa is a sampurna (seven-note) 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 R3 G3 M1 P D3 N3 S, where R3 = shatshruti rishabha and D3 = shatshruti dhaivata (enharmonically at the pitch of G2 and N2 respectively)

avarohana / descending

Vakra. Wikipedia/shivkumar: S N3 P M1 R3 S (dropping G3 and D3). ragasurabhi: S N3 P M1 G3 M1 R3 S. Sources conflict on whether G3/D3 appear in descent

How to hear it

Life notes / jeeva: Rishabha: R3 (shatsruti rishabha) is Nata's jiva svara; another reading lists R, M, N as the jiva swaras.
Resting notes / nyasa: Sa and Pa are the principal graha/nyasa; apart from Sa and Pa, Ri and Ga are the take-off notes, with Ga (G3) also functioning as a nyasa swara.
Signature phrases / prayoga: Characteristic motifs PDNS (in older Nata), PNS, PS, Pr, and the M/N and N-M-P figures; descent dominated by PMRS (older) or GMRS; strong low-register phrases; sample sancara S SNSR S, SNPMPNS, G,MP, PNSNPMGMR, GMPNNP, PN,S.
Ornament / gamaka: Kampita / dirgha (oscillation) on Rishabha, whose swaying effect gives the raga a majestic touch; kampita on nishadha (in the N-M-P / M-N motifs) and on panchama; zig-zag oscillatory movement over the R3-G3 interval; jarus (glides) embedded in phrases.

Easy to confuse with

Gambhiranata (Gambheera Nattai)

also compared with its parent Chalanata

Listen for it

Jagadananda Karaka, Tyagaraja (first Pancharatna kriti)
Mahaganapatim, Muthuswami Dikshitar
Swaminatha Paripalaya, Muthuswami Dikshitar
Maha Ganapathim, Sindhu Bhairavi (Ilaiyaraaja) film
Narumugaiye, Iruvar film

Identify a raaga →

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