In South Indian Carnatic music, a chakra is a sublevel of classification within the Melakartha ragas. There are 12 chakras and each chakra corresponds to a purvanga (the first four notes of a raga). The chakras are:

 1. Indu - Moon - Earth has only one moon
 2. Netra - Eyes - We have 2 eyes
 3. Agni - Fire - Fire is the 3rd element in the pancha bhootham list
 4. Veda - Hindu Scriptures - Represents the 4 vedhas
 5. Bana - Arrow - the five arrows that Kama (hindu cupid god)uses
 6. Rutu - Seasons - Hindu calendar has 6 seasons
 7. Rishi - Sage - Seven sages who form the Saptha Rishi mandala (great bear)
 8. Vasu - A group of devas (celestial beings)- Astha vasus who stole Sage Vasistha's cow, Kamadhenu
 9. Brahma - Hindu God
10. Dishi - Direction - there are 10 directions including up and down
11. Rudra - means 11
12. Aditya - represent 12 names of the sun god

Each name is associated with Indian culture and helps remember its chakra number. From the chakra number we can find out the first four swaras of the raaga.