Venkatamakhin

Venkatamakhin (; ) or Venkatamakhi, was an Indian poet, musician, and musicologist of Carnatic music. He is renowned for his Chaturdandiprakashika in which he explicates the melakarta system of classifying ragas. Venkatamakhin composed geethams and prabandhas, as well as 24 ashtapadis in praise of Lord Thyagaraja of Tiruvarur.

==Biography== Venkatamakhin or Venkateswara Dikshita was the son of the musician, scholar, and priest, Govinda Dikshita, a Kannada Hoysala Karnataka Brahmin from Honnali near Shivamogga, who was also a minister of Raghunatha Nayak of Thanjavur. He was instructed in the veena by his father and his brother, Yagnanarayan. He was later schooled in the scholarly aspects of classical music by Tanappacharya. Venkatamakhin was also versed in Sanskrit and equipped with knowledge in varied subjects such as astrology, logic, philosophy, and alankara.