According to modern swar-shruti system, the shruties of Madhyam Swar are:

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:

The concept of *Swar-Shruti* is fundamental to Indian classical music, stating that the octave is divided into 22 microtones (*Shrutis*). According to the structure of the *Shadaj Gram* and the modern classification that follows it, each of the seven main notes (*Swaras*) occupies a specific group of these shrutis. The *Madhyam* swar (*Ma*) is a four-shruti swar (like *Sa* and *Pa*), meaning it is conceptually composed of four microtones. While the most common names for these four shrutis are *Tīvrā, Kumudvatī, Mandā, and Chandovatī*, some musicological traditions use an alternate, authentic nomenclature. The group **Vajrika, Prasarini, Priti, and Marjni** (a variant of *Mārjanī*) represents this specific alternate set of four consecutive shrutis that define the pitch and character of the *Madhyam* swar, placing it in the 10th to 13th positions of the full 22-shruti cycle.

The incorrect option is 1:
This option lists Ranjni, Ratika, Roudri, and Krodha, which is a mix of shrutis from various swaras, thus making it incorrect for *Madhyam*. *Ranjanī* and *Ratikā* are famously associated with the four shrutis of the **Pancham** swar (*Pa*). Furthermore, *Raudrī* is one of the three microtones that constitute the **Rishabh** swar (*Re*). Lastly, *Krodhā* is typically identified as one of the two shrutis of the **Gandhar** swar (*Ga*). Therefore, because the shrutis in this option belong to *Pa, Re*, and *Ga*, they cannot collectively define the single swar *Madhyam*.

The incorrect option is 2:
The grouping Roudri, Krodha, Prasarini, and Priti is also flawed because it combines shrutis from different swaras. As mentioned, *Raudrī* is a defining shruti of the **Rishabh** swar (*Re*). Similarly, *Krodhā* is a core component of the **Gandhar** swar (*Ga*). The *Prasarini* and *Priti* are correctly identified as two of the four shrutis of *Madhyam* (*Ma*), but a correct swar-shruti grouping must contain *all* four consecutive shrutis of a single swar. Since this option mixes *Re, Ga*, and *Ma* shrutis, it is not a valid set for *Madhyam*.

The incorrect option is 4:
The list Kshiti, Rakta, Sandipni, and Alapini is fundamentally incorrect for *Madhyam*. These four names are universally recognized in virtually all musicological texts as the four shrutis that define the **Shadja** swar (*Sa*). *Shadja* is the tonic, the first note of the scale, and its four shrutis (the 1st through 4th positions) establish the foundational pitch for the entire system. Therefore, this grouping explicitly belongs to *Shadja* (*Sa*) and cannot be the correct answer for *Madhyam* (*Ma*).