Who has used the word 'Sansthan' for 'Mel'?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:
The correct option is **Lochan**. Lochan Kavi, who authored the significant 17th-century treatise *Raga Tarangini*, is historically recognized for being one of the earliest musicologists in the North Indian tradition to classify Ragas based on parent scales. Before the widespread acceptance of the term 'Thaat,' and distinct from the Carnatic term 'Mela,' Lochan introduced the term **'Sansthan'** to refer to the basic, definitive heptatonic scale or parent mode from which Ragas are generated. He is credited with defining 12 distinct *Sansthans* in his work, thereby pioneering a systematized classification approach in Hindustani music, making his work a crucial bridge to modern Raga theory.

The incorrect option is 1:
The music theorist **Ahobal** is famous for his work *Sangeet Parijat*, written around 1650 AD. His primary, revolutionary contribution was to establish the precise mathematical and measured location of the 12 notes on the *Veena* string, moving Indian musicology away from the abstract *Shruti* system towards a more practical, measurable one. While he laid the groundwork for modern Thaat theory by classifying Ragas, he did not use the word 'Sansthan' for the parent scale. Instead, his basic reference scale, which he called *Shuddh Thaat*, is generally considered to correspond to the modern *Kafi Thaat*, not the commonly accepted *Bilawal Thaat*.

The incorrect option is 3:
**Ramamatya**, a pivotal figure in Carnatic musicology, wrote the *Swar-Mel Kalanidhi* in the 16th century. His text is a foundational work for the Melakarta system, the Southern tradition's scheme for classifying Ragas. Ramamatya explicitly used the term **'Mela'** to describe the parent scale, establishing 20 *Mela* Ragas in his system. This term, 'Mela,' is distinct from 'Sansthan' and became the established terminology in South Indian music. Therefore, attributing the use of 'Sansthan' to Ramamatya is incorrect due to the clear terminological difference in his established system.

The incorrect option is 4:
The scholar **Damodar** authored the treatise *Sangeet Darpan* in the 17th century, contemporary to Lochan and Ahobal. Damodar's primary contribution to classification lay in the ancient *Raganga* system, classifying Ragas into categories like *Shuddha*, *Chhayalag*, and *Sankeerna*. While his work is essential for understanding historical Raga classifications, he did not adopt or introduce the specific term **'Sansthan'** to denote the parent scale or *Mel* within his methodological framework. His focus was more on the *Jati* (class) and *Anga* (limbs/characteristics) of a Raga, rather than a universal *Mel* framework designated as *Sansthan*.