series painting based on Malkauns Raga, c. 1735 Malkauns is a serious, meditative raga, and is developed mostly in the lower octave (mandra saptak) and in a slow tempo (vilambit laya). Ornaments such as meend, gamak and andolan are used rather than 'lighter' ornaments such as
murki and khatka. Komal Ni is generally considered the starting note (graha swara), and the notes komal Ga and komal Dha are performed with vibrato (andolit). All five swaras can function as pausing notes. The komal Ni in Malkauns is different from the komal Ni in Bhimpalasi. The best time for this raga is late night. The effect of the raga is soothing and intoxicating. In teaching this rāg to students in the early 1980s,
Ali Akbar Khan confirmed that Malkaush is a midnight rāg of Bhairavi
thaat, Aurav jati, with moods of devotion, peace and heroism. He remarked: "
Djinni like this rāg" and "At first makes you sleepy, then gives you energy to move mountains." A lakshan geet (song that describes the characteristics of the raag) taught by Khansahib relates that Malkaush is one of the six original male ragas (thus ancient) and that its rasas (roughly "moods") are devotion and heroism [tala: Ada Chautāl]: Che ragŏ mĕ se eka rāga / Bhakti rasa, vira rasa / Mālakosha kehārvata / Vadī swara madhyamano samavādi sarajamano arohi SgmdmS avarohi nSSndmSndmgmgs == List of ragas in the Kauns family ==