There are 72 raagas that contain all 7 swaras in both the ascending and descending lines, with the same notes used for both directions. There are melakartha raagas, sometimes called janaka or fixed raagas. The number of these raagas is fixed, but janya raagas are derived from the melakartha raagas, and are unlimited. The melakartha raagas are split into 12 groups, called chakras. The raagas are split first by the Madhyamam, or Ma, swaras, with six chakras containing shuddhamadhyamam, and the remaining six containing prathimadhyamam. Each chakra is represented by Ri and Ga, and within each chakra, each raaga corresponds to a Dha and Ni pairing. Each chakra is named after aspects of Hindu spirituality and corresponds to the number it represents.Ri and Ga, and then within each chakra, each raaga corresponds to a Dha and Ni pairing. Each chakra is named after aspects of Hindu spirituality and is associated with the number it represents.  

The melakartha system contains all possible combinations of the swaras and respective intervals and provides the basis upon which the raaga and melodic aspects of Carnatic music rest. The systematic organization of the chakras provides musicians with the ability to discern the intervals and organize them by pitch, and further gives musicians the ability to know what swaras will be sung simply by knowing which number melakartha raaga one is. For example, knowing that raaga Kiravani is number 21, a Carnatic musician can discern that it is between 1-36, having M1, between 19-24, and in the fourth chakra, having R2 and G2, and is third in the group of six, so it will have D1, N3.