Raga Lakshana and Raga Classification
Raga as lakshana
A raga is a melodic identity, not a mere scale. The exam expects you to define it through aroha and avaroha, jati (audav, shadav, sampoorna), vadi, samvadi, anuvadi, vivadi, pakad and samay. Vadi is the most exposed note; samvadi is its consonant partner, usually a fourth or fifth away; anuvadi are helpers; vivadi is avoided in the raga's own phrases.
Classification: thaat, melakarta, janya
Bhatkhande's ten thaths (Bilawal, Khamaj, Kafi, Asavari, Bhairavi, Bhairav, Kalyan, Marwa, Poorvi, Todi) are parent scales used to group Hindustani ragas. A raga may omit notes from its thaat or use vakra phrases, so thaat is a classification tool, not a rigid composition rule. Carnatic melakarta is a stricter janaka scheme of 72 parent scales; janya ragas are derived from them. Do not use melakarta numbers for Hindustani ragas.
Worked example
Yaman: thaat Kalyan; aroha S R G M^ P D N S; avaroha S N D P M^ G R S; jati sampoorna; vadi G, samvadi N; pakad N r G M^ D N S. Reasoning: tivra Ma fixes Kalyan; G is the focal note, N its samvadi; the pakad shows the characteristic uttaranga phrase.
Marks-losing traps
Confusing vadi with samvadi; assuming every raga obeys its thaat in both directions; writing aroha as a plain scale when the raga uses vakra; assigning a time that contradicts the syllabus; treating pakad as a full scale.