Arabhi
A Shankarabharanam-family raga with a five-note ascent and a fuller descending outline.
Arabhi rises through five notes but brings Ga and Ni into its descending outline. That difference between upward and downward movement is central to understanding its shape.
Scale
Arohana: S R2 M1 P D2 Ṡ
Avarohana: Ṡ N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S
Its parent classification is Dheerasankarabharanam, Melakarta 29. R2 and D2 are the Chatusruti forms; G3 is Antara Gandhara, M1 Shuddha Madhyama and N3 Kakali Nishada.
Recognising the movement
In the ascending outline, Ri goes directly to Ma and Dha to upper Sa. Ga and Ni belong to the fuller descending picture; they should not simply be inserted into a straight upward scale. Descending phrases can also omit Ni, so not every descent has to spell out all seven notes. Ga and Ni are generally brief, lightly touched notes rather than long resting points.
Compare the ascent with Shuddha Saveri: the shared ascending notes alone are not enough to identify Arabhi. Pay attention to what happens on the way down and to the treatment of the connecting notes.
Compositions
Sādhiñcenē, one of Tyagaraja’s Pancharatna kritis, provides an extended encounter with Arabhi. Its successive lyrical sections offer more musical information than the scale alone.