KAMPITAS & GAMAKAS

(Symbolised, defined and sung by Akella Mallikarjuna Sharma)

Ancient treatises of Indian music have furnished and defined two sets of Gamakas comprising of ten
and fifteen in number, respectively. An in depth analysis of these Gamakas reveals that some of the Gamakas
like Tribhinna (a pluck on three strings simultaneously) and Mudrita (sound produced with a closed mouth)
are not Gamakas at all in the strict sense of the word and hence cannot be treated so.

A detailed study of Gamakas throws light upon the various undefined Kampitas and Gamakas. The
need of the hour is to categorize and define them to suit contemporary music. This, enables a more
comprehensive approach to a study of Gamakas, which is the crux of Karnataka music. In this endeavour,
various Kampitas and Gamakas have been categorised and defined. They have also been symbolised since
documentation is crucial. An attempt in this direction will safeguard our rich culture, which is of immense
value to the future generations.

The svaras occupying the twelve Svaragatasthanas have been assigned 16 names. They have been
categorised into three types.

1. The plain notes: The Shadja and Panchama, which are neither Kampitas nor Gamakas, are permanent
plain notes.

2. The Kampitas: The oscillation of a note in relation with its adjacent note is Kampita. The adjacent
notes of the Shadja, which are the Shuddha-rishabha and Kakali-nishada and the adjacent notes of
Panchama, which are Shuddha-dhaivata and Prati-madhyama are permanent Kampitas which have
not been symbolised. These Kampitas are of 4 types and they are,

a. Atho-svaragathasthana-prAdhAnya-Ordhva-Kampita wherein the note oscillates from its

immediate lower note to its original position, for example: Shuddha-rishabha and Shuddha-dhaivata.
b. Ordhva-svaragathasthana-prAdhAnya-atho-kampita wherein the note oscillates from its
immediate upper note to its original position, for example: Prathi-madhyama and Kakali-nishada.
c. Sveeya-Svaragathasthana-prAdhAnya-Ordhva-Kampita wherein the note oscillates from its
original position to its immediate upper note, for example: Chatushruthi-rishabha and Chatushruthi-
dhaivata.
d. Sveeya-Svaragathasthana-prAdhAnya-atho-kampita wherein the note oscillates from its original
position to its immediate lower note, for example: SAdharana-gandhara(r3) and Kaishiki-nishAda (d3).

3. The Gamakas: The Gamakas are categorised into 2 types. They are, Lalita-gamaka and Sampradaya-
gamaka. Gamakas, in general, begin with a downward glide.

In Lalita Gamaka, the note starts oscillating from its second upper note to the original note. For eg.
The Sadharana-gandhara in the Avarohana of KAnada.This begins with a downward glide from Shuddha-
madhyama and oscillates between Shuddha-madhyama and SadhArana-gAndhAra. Similarly, the Lalita-
gamaka of Shuddha-madhyama is the oscillation between Panchama and Shuddha-madhyama and
the Lalita-gamaka of Kaishiki-nishAda is the oscillation between Shadja and Kaishiki-nishAda .

In SampradAya gamaka, the note swings between the second uppernote and the immediate lower
note of a particular note. For eg. in SampradAya-gamaka, the SadhArana-gandhAra begins with a
downward glide and oscillates between Shuddha-madhyama and Chathushruti-rishabha like in the
Arohana of KAnada. Similarly, the SampradAya-gamaka of Kaishiki-nishAda is the oscillation between
the Shadja and Chatushruti-dhaivata and Shuddha-madhyama is the oscillation between the Panchama
and the Antara-gAndhAra.

Besides the permanent plain notes and the permanent Kampitas, the remaining six notes are rendered
in all the three types.

Note: 1.While the oscillation between two notes is Kampita, the swinging of a note between three or more
notes is Gamaka. 2.Each and every symbol furnished below is strictly based on the traveling of the
sound (of the note). 3.The slash across any symbol indicates the SampradAya-gamaka and the thick
dot on the symbol indicates a longer duration of the note. 4.The long and short notes are indicated with
letters of upper case and lower case respectively. 5.The subscript number furnished along with the
note is the serial number of the respective note among the 16 names of the 12 notes. 6. Shuddha-
madhyama has not been numbered at all.

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(Note:- In the figures furnished below in each item while the 1st figure is the serial-number of the main-item,
the 2nd figure is the serial-number of the sub-item, the 3rd figure is the successive serial-number of the
corresponding audio-clipping provided in the CD and the 4th figure is the serial number in this file)

Kampitas:

01. (a). 395-01- - R - S r1 - S r1 D - P d1 - P d1

(b). 396-02- - M - P m2 - P m2 N - S n3 - S n3

(c). 397-03- - R - R2 g2 - R2 g2 D - D2n2 - D2n2

(d). 398-04- - G - G 2 r2 - G 2 r2 N - N2d2 - N2d2

Gamakas:

02. 01.399-05- -M g r s R S n d p D N d P
pmM m r2 s R2 - Arabhi r2sS s d2 p D2 - Arabhi sn2N2 n2 P - Surati

= =
02.400-06- = -p m G
3
pp mm G - Begada

03.401-07- -S
r2s S

04.402-08- -S
r2r2 S

05.403-09- -G r N d
mr2mr2m r1R1 - Todi sd2sd2s d1D1 - Todi

06.404-10- -m d P d r S
mn2 d1D1 P - Todi d1g2 r1R1 S - Todi

07.405-11- -r n d p d m g r
sr2 sn2 d2 p - Begada pd1 mp g3m r1 - Saveri

08.406-12- -r n d p
sr2 sn2 d2 p - Begada

09.407-13- -G r s N d p
R2G2m r2g2 s - Nayaki D2N2s d2n2 p - Nayaki

03. 01.408-14- -S P
g2S n2P

-m g m d
m mg2 m d1 - Hindola

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 02.409-15- -m g m d
1
m mr2 m d - Todi

03.410-16- -m g r s
m g3m r2g3 s - Shankarabharana

04.411-17- -m g r s
m mr2 r1 s - Todi

05.412-18- -m G r
m mR2m r1 - Todi

06.413-19- -s r g m s g m d
s sg R g3 m - Shankarabharana
3 2
s smG m d1 - Hindola
2

07.414-20- -s r g m p d n s
s r1 r1mR2 m - Todi p d1 d1sD2 s - Todi

-r g m p r g m pd p
r2 r2mR2 m p - Bhairavi r2 r2g2r2g2 g2pG3 p d1 p - Bhairavi

08.415-21- -R
g2R2g2R2g2R2g2 - Bhairavi

09.416-22- -g R s
g3 g3mr2g3 s - Begada

\
10.417-23- -r m g r
r m r m g m r2 - Bhairavi
2 2 2

11.418-24- -g m g r n s n d
r2m r2m g2m r2 - Kharaharapriya d2s d2 s n2s d2 - Kharaharapriya

-m p m g
g3p g3p mp g3 - Shankarabharana

-g m g r n s n d
r2m r2m r2m r1 - Todi d2s d2s d2s d1 - Todi

04. 01.419-25- - R G
p/d/n/s-R2 p/d/n/s/r-G3

-R S G R
R2,g3 S - Shankarabharana G2,m R2 - Kharaharapriya

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 02.420-26- -m g r s p m g r sn d p

m r2m r1 s - Todi p g3p g3 r2 - Begada s d2s d1 p - Todi

05. 01.421-27- -G r s N d p
Mg2m r2 s - Kharaharapriya Sn2s d2n2 p - Kharaharapriya

02.422-28- -G r s N d p
mG2m r2 s - Kharaharapriya sN2s d2n2 p - Kharaharapriya

03.423-29- -G r s N d p
Mr2m r1 s - Todi Sd2s d1 p - Todi

04.424-30- -G r s N d p
mR2m r1 s - Todi sD2s d1 p - Todi

05.425-31- -G m d D m d
Mmg2mg2 m d - Hindola D1 d1md1m d1 - Hindola

06.426-32- -R g m D n s
R2 mr2mr2 m - Bhairavi D2 sd2sd2 s - Bhairavi

-G m p
G3 pg3pg3 p - Shankarabharana

07.427-33- -s n r s
s sd2sd2 r2 s - Natakuranji

08.428-34- -p d r s
2
p sd sd2sd2 r2 s - Kambhoji

06. 01.429-35- -s G m
s mg2mg2 m - Hindola

02.430-36- -s G m
s mg2mg2 m - Hindola

03.431-37- -r G m
r mr2mr2 m - Bhairavi

04.432-38- -r G m
r2 mr2mr2 m - Bhairavi

05.433-39- -G r N d
mr2mr2m r1R1 - Todi sd sd s d1D1 - Todi
2 2

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 06.434-40- -P
n2pd2p - Bilahari

07.435-41- -P
N2pD2p - Bilahari

08.436-42- -M
D2g3Pg3 - Darbar

07. 01.437-43- -G r s M g r
mR2mG2m r2g2 s - Bhairavi pG3pMp g3m r2 - Begada

-N d p
2
sD2sN2s d n2 p - Begada

02.438-44- -G m d
mg2m g2mg2 m d1 - Hindola

03.439-45- -G m p
mr2m r2mr2 m p - Bhairavi

04.440-46- -G m p G p m
mr2m r2mr2 m p - Bhairavi mr2mr2mr2 p m - Todi

05.441-47- -G m d
mr mr m r mr m d1 - Todi
2 2 2 2

08. 01.442-48- -R D
sg3R2 - Shankarabharana psD2 - Shankarabharana

02.443-49- -sR s g M g
3 3
s Sg Rg s - Shankarabharana g G pMp g3 - Shankarabharana
3 3

-s G r r G r
s SmG2m r2 - Bhairavi r1 R1mG3m r1 - Saveri

03.444-50- -r G r d N d
r2 R2mG2m r2 - Kharaharapriya d2 D2sN2s d2 - Kharaharapriya

r1 R1mR2m r1 - Todi d1 D1sD2s d1 - Todi

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04.445-51- -r G r d N d
r1 R1g2 R2g2 r1 - Todi d1 D1n2D2n2 d1 - Todi

05.446-52- -R G D S
r2g3R2 G3 - Shankarabharana d2sD2 S - Mohana

06.447-53- -N S
D2sd2 S - Kharaharapriya

07.448-54- -N S
d2Sd2 S - Kharaharapriya

08.449-55- -G M
r2mR2 M - Kharaharapriya

09.450-56- - M p N s
G3pg3pg3 p - Shankarabharana D2sd2sd2 s - Kharaharapriya

10.451-57- - M p N s
3 3 3
g Pg pg p - Shankarabharana d2Sd2sd2 s - Kharaharapriya

11.452-58- -m d n s
1
m d n2sn2s n2s - Hindola

12.453-59- -G G r s
r2mR2 r2mr2m r2m s - Darbar

13.454-60- -G r s
R2m R2 R2m R2R2mG2m r2g2 s - Bhairavi

-M g r
G3p G3G3p G3G3pMp g3m r2 - Begada

-N d p
D2s D2D2s D2D2sN2s d2n2 p - Begada

Page 33
 VARIETIES OF KAMPITA & GAMAKA OF KAISHIKI-NISHADA
(to be sung @ one note per each second; the figures are the respective serial numbers of the
Kampitas or Gamakas)
1 1(a) 53
01. (455) P D1/D2 N2 S 15. (469) P D1 N2 S
1(a) 1(a) 59 25
02. (456) P D2 N2 S 16. (470) P D1 N2 S
1(c) 27 25
03. (457) P D2 N2 S 17. (471) S N2 D2 P
58 25 28 24
04. (458) P D2 N2 S 18. (472) S N2 D2 P
35 25
05. (459) P D2 N2 S 19. (473) S N2 D2 P
44 57 1(c)
Darbar
06. (460) P D2 N2 S 20. (474) S N2 D2 P
53 13 25
Nayaki
07. (461) P D2 N2 S 21. (475) S N2 D2 P
54 29 9
08. (462) P D2 N2 S 22. (476) S N2 D1 P
56 30 9
09. (463) P D2 N2 S 23. (477) S N2 D1 P
57 49
10. (464) P D2 N2 S 24. (478) P D2 N2 D2
55 42
11. (465) P D2 N2 S 25. (479) P D2 N2 D1
37 1(a) 50 9
12. (466) P D2 N2 S 26. (480) P D1 N2 D1
45 1(a) 51 9
13. (467) P D2 N2 S 27. (481) P D1 N2 D1
59 25
14. (468) P D2 N2 S

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