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Kaṭapayādi Explorer
Venkaṭamakhin's 72 melakarta names aren't arbitrary — each one spells its own number using an ancient consonant-numeral cipher. This is machine-verified: 64 of 72 names decode under the strict rule below, 7 more under a documented alternate reading, and exactly 1 (Naṭabhairavī) is a known historical anomaly that doesn't decode at all — disclosed honestly, not silently patched over.
How it works
Each melakarta name's first two syllables spell its number. Every consonant maps to a digit (the four groups — kādi, ṭādi, pādi, yādi — are named for their first letters: ka, ṭa, pa, ya all mean 1, which is where "kaṭapayādi" gets its name). The first syllable's consonant gives the ones digit, the second syllable's gives the tens digit — read in reverse of normal order. When a syllable starts with a consonant cluster (a "conjunct"), only the last consonant of the cluster usually counts.
Example: Kanakāṅgi → 1st syllable "ka" = 1, 2nd syllable "na" = 0 → read as 0-then-1 → mela 1.
* Flagged cards use a documented alternate reading convention, or (Naṭabhairavī alone) don't decode at all — see the note inside each card. 64 of 72 names decode under the strict rule; 7 more under documented alternates; 1 (Naṭabhairavī) is a known historical anomaly, not a data error.