How many 'Shuddha' and 'Vikrit' swaras were mentioned by Ramamatya ?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1: Shuddh: 7, Vikrit: 7

Ramamatya, in his seminal 16th-century Carnatic music treatise *Svaramelakalanidhi*, defined a system of 7 *Shuddha Swaras* and 7 *Vikrita Swaras*. He retained the universal 7 *Shuddha Swaras* (Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni) as the base of his scale. His major theoretical development involved the clear enunciation of seven *Vikrita Swaras* to reconcile and rationalize the inconsistencies he perceived in earlier theoretical models, such as the one described by Sarngadeva. This classification led to a total of 14 distinct notes (*Swaras*) in his theoretical system, which was a pivotal attempt to align the abstract theory of *Shrutis* with the practical performance of music during his era.

The incorrect option is 2: Shuddh: 7, Vikrit: 12

This option is incorrect because the idea of 12 *Vikrita Swaras* belongs to a different musical authority, Sarngadeva, who described a total of 12 *Vikrita Swaras* in his *Sangita Ratnakara*. Ramamatya’s *Svaramelakalanidhi* explicitly addresses this older system and critiques it, stating that only seven *Vikrita Swaras* were practically required to demonstrate the scales (*melas*). The modern total of 12 notes in an octave (7 *Shuddha* and 5 *Vikrita*) is a later concept and is not the number defined by Ramamatya.

The incorrect option is 3: Shuddh: 7, Vikrit: 22

This option confuses the concept of *Swaras* with the ancient concept of *Shrutis* (microtones). The number 22 refers to the universally accepted total number of *Shrutis* within an octave as described by Bharata and others, which forms the underlying canvas for all Indian classical music. Ramamatya’s goal was to select a practical set of *Swaras* from these *Shrutis*; he did not classify all 22 *Shrutis* as *Vikrita Swaras*.

The incorrect option is 4: Shuddh: 7, Vikrit: 02

This is incorrect because two *Vikrita Swaras* would only result in a total of nine notes, which is vastly insufficient to define the twenty *Melas* (parent scales) that Ramamatya established in his treatise. His system, aimed at scientific classification, required a more extensive set of chromatic notes than just two altered notes to accurately represent the musical diversity of the time.