What is the number of 'Sthai Varna Alankar' in Sangeet Ratnakar and Sangeet Parijat?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2 (7, 7):
The correct answer, students, is 7, 7. This question pertains to the specific categorization within *Alankar* (melodic figures) as defined by two foundational musicological texts, *Sangeet Ratnakar* and *Sangeet Parijat*. The concept of *Varna* is the primary building block of melody, meaning "color" or "pattern," and is primarily categorized into four types: *Sthai* (static/repeated note), *Arohi* (ascending), *Avarohi* (descending), and *Sanchari* (mixed). *Alankar* are derived from the systematic application of these *Varnas*. Both *Sangeet Ratnakar* (by Sharangdeva) and *Sangeet Parijat* (by Ahobal) are authoritative texts that agree on the detailed structure of *Varna* classification. According to the standard interpretation of these classical works, the sub-varieties of *Sthai Varna Alankar* are codified as exactly seven. This value of seven is consistently applied and accepted in the detailed structure of *Alankar* described by both Sharangdeva and Ahobal, hence 7 for *Sangeet Ratnakar* and 7 for *Sangeet Parijat*.

The incorrect option is 1 (5, 5):
The value 5, 5 is incorrect because it does not align with the specific number of *Sthai Varna Alankar* established in these two texts. While some earlier or alternative musicological systems may use the number 5 for broader concepts, it is not the figure accepted for the *Sthai* division of *Varna Alankar* in *Sangeet Ratnakar* or *Sangeet Parijat*. Both Sharangdeva and Ahobal present a comprehensive and detailed structure that results in seven specific types of *Sthai Alankar* when analyzing the repetition of a single note. Therefore, choosing 5 would mean misrepresenting the established and widely referenced structural analysis presented in these two foundational treatises.

The incorrect option is 3 (5, 7):
This option, 5 for *Sangeet Ratnakar* and 7 for *Sangeet Parijat*, is incorrect as it incorrectly assigns the number five to *Sangeet Ratnakar*. *Sangeet Ratnakar*, written by Sharangdeva, is celebrated for its exhaustive detail and clearly defines seven *Sthai Varna Alankar*, not five. Furthermore, the number of *Sthai Alankar* is a point of consistency across these major texts, which often drew from and expanded upon the same ancient theoretical base. There is no textual basis to differentiate the numbers as five and seven for this specific *Varna* sub-classification between these two authors.

The incorrect option is 4 (7, 5):
This option reverses the correct and incorrect values, suggesting 7 for *Sangeet Ratnakar* and 5 for *Sangeet Parijat*. Although 7 is correctly attributed to *Sangeet Ratnakar*, the number 5 is incorrect for *Sangeet Parijat*. Ahobal’s *Sangeet Parijat* was written later to simplify and clarify the work of predecessors, but it largely maintained the structural classification for *Varna* and *Alankar*. The text therefore defines seven, not five, *Sthai Varna Alankar*. Assigning 5 to *Sangeet Parijat* contradicts the established theoretical content within Ahobal's work regarding the specific types of *Varna*.