Shubhapantuvarali (pronounced śubhapantuvarāḻi, meaning the auspicious moon) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 45th melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Shivapantuvarāḻi in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.Todi (thaat) is the equivalent in Hindustani music.
It is the 3rd rāgam in the 8th chakra Vasu. The mnemonic name is Vasu-Go. The mnemonic phrase is sa ra gi mi pa dha nu. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
This scale uses the notes shuddha rishabham, sadharana gandharam, prati madhyamam, shuddha 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 prati madhyamam equivalent of Dhenuka, which is the 9th melakarta scale.
Shubhapantuvarali has a few minor janya rāgams (derived scales) associated with it. See List of janya rāgams for full list of rāgams associated with Shubhapantuvarali.
Here are a few common compositions sung in concerts, set to Shubhapantuvarali.
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
Shubhapantuvarali's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields a melakarta rāgam, namely, Chalanata. 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 Chalanata.