हंस

Raag Hamsa is a complete scale with all 7 notes in both ascent and descent raga in the Carnatic classical music tradition.. With its Sampurna-Sampurna jati structure, this raag creates a distinctive tonal landscape. The predominant rasa is Peace/Tranquility (शांत), making it suitable for compositions that evoke peaceful, meditative emotions. It is traditionally performed during evening hours, and its melodic contour offers rich possibilities for alapana, kalpanaswaram, and creative improvisation.

As part of the rich tapestry of Indian classical music, Raag Hamsa represents the deep connection between melodic structure and emotional expression that defines the Carnatic tradition.

Hamsa is a Carnatic janya raag primarily classified under Harikambhoji (melakarta 28, Chakra 5 'Bana'), corresponding to the Hindustani Khamaj thaat. The name 'Hamsa' (swan) holds profound symbolic significance in Indian music and philosophy: the Hamsa is the vehicle of Brahma and the symbol of discrimination (viveka) — the swan's mythical ability to separate milk from water symbolising the musician's capacity to separate the essential from the ornamental. In Carnatic practice, Hamsa is typically an audava-sampurna raag (five notes ascending, seven descending), with the ascent skipping Nishada and the descent employing Kaisiki Ni (komal Ni). It is a gentle, romantic raag suited to slow-tempo alapana and used in compositions evoking natural beauty and lyrical grace. Tyagaraja and other composers of the Carnatic tradition have written kritis in this raag.