Here’s a list of an aesthetic and scientifically designed chart of the 72 parent ragas which have been assigned to 12 chakras/wheel each comprising six ragas.
Continuing the extremely complex system from which our Carnatic classical music was derived we here arrive at a very aesthetic and scientifically designed chart of the 72 parent ragas. These are called melakarta ragas which numbering 72 have been re-scheduled into 36 each taking the ‘shuddha madhyama’ and ‘prati (sharp) madhyama’, namely the note ‘Ma’ respectively. Again, these 72 ragas have been assigned to 12 chakras/wheel each comprising six ragas. Therefore, we have six chakras in the Ma1 (shuddha madhyama) scale and six in the Ma2 (prati madhyama).
The nomenclature given to the chakras carries great import. For instance, the first chakra being numero uno is called ‘Indu’ after the moon of which we have just one in our universe; chakra two is named after the eyes: netra; the third after agni (fire) which exists in three forms (treat agni); the fourth after the four Vedas, the fifth is the bana chakra after the pancha bana (five arrows of Manmatha/Cupid), the sixth Rithu after the seasons (shat rithu); the seventh is Rishi after the sapta (7)rishis; the eighth is called ‘Vasu chakra’ (our mythology speaks of 8 Vasus/superhumans); the ninth is ‘Brahma’ of which we are told there are 9 (nava brahma/creators); the tenth is ‘Disi’ or direction and in Indian system we count 10 directions; the eleventh is Rudra chakra named after 11 rudras/deities and finally the 12th chakra is the ‘Aditya’ or sun of which there are 12 in the galaxy apart from ours.
This apart, the entire chart is made user-friendly by assigning the syllabic notes in an order that facilitates easy memorising for a student of music. For instance, all the ragas in the Indu chakra have a common note in rishabha and gandhara, viz,. ‘ra-ga’ (shuddha rishabha and shuddha gandhara-ri1 and ga1). The only notes that change their position in numerical order are the daivatha and nishadha (dha & ni). Similarly, in Netra chakra, it is ‘ra and gi’. The rishabha remains the same (ri1) while the gandhara changes to ‘sadharana gandharam (ga2). The third Agni chakra is identified with ‘ra-gu’ which means no change in the placement of rishabha but then the gandhara changes to antara gandhara (ga3). When it comes to the fourth Veda chakra, it is ‘ri-gi’ where the rishabha undergoes a change in position to chatursruti rishabha (ri2) with the gandhara remaining constant at sadharana gandhara (ga2). In the Bana chakra (ri-gu) the chatusruti rishabha is constant ‘ri2’ while the gandhara turns ‘ga3’. Finally, in the sixth Rithu chakra which completes the shuddha madhyama ragas, it is ‘ru-gu’ where the rishabha is placed in shatsruti (ri3) and the gandhara remains in ‘ga3’. The same is repeated in the next six chakras (37-72) which come under the prati madhayama melakarta ragas corresponding to the 36 shuddha madhyama ragas.
Now let’s get the list of these 72 ragas: Kanakangi, Ratnangi, Ganamurti, Vanaspati, Manavati, Tanarupi (Indu chakra); Senavati, Hanumathodi (todi), Dhenuka, Natakapriya, Kokilapriya, Rupavathi (Netra chakra); Gayakapriya, Vakulapriya, Mayamalavagowla, Chakravakam, Suryakantam, Hatakambari (Agni Chakra); Jhankaradwani, Natabhairavi, Keeravani, Kharaharapriya, Gourimanohari, Varunapriya (Veda chakra); Mara ranjani, Charukesi, Sarasangi, Harikambhoji, Dheera Sankarabharanam (Sankarabharanam), Naganandini (Bana chakra); Yagapriya, Ragavardhini, Gaangeyabhushani, Vagadeeshwari, Shulini, Chalanata (Naata) (Ritu chakra); Salagam, Jalarnavam, Jhalavarali, Navaneetam, Pavani, Raghupriya (Rishi chakra); Shadvidhamargini, Shuba Panthuvarali, Gavambhodi, Suvarnangi, Divyamani, Bhavapriya (Vasu chakra); Dhavalambari, Naamanarayani, Kamavardhini, Ramapriya, Gamanashrama, Vishwambari (Brahma chakra); Shyamalangi, Shanmukhapriya, Simhendra Madhyamam, Hemavathi, Dharmavathi, Neethimathi (Disi chakra); Kantamani, Rishabapriya, Lataangi, Vaachaspati, Meccha Kalyani (Kalyani), Chitrambari (Rudra chakra); Sucharita, Jyothiswaroopini, Dhatuvardhini, Kosalam, Nasika bhushani, Rasikapriya (Aditya chakra).