The 'Antar-Gandhar' of Bharat was based on:

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 4 (11th Shruti):
The concept of *Antar-Gandhar* is a key element of the ancient Indian musicological system described by Acharya Bharat Muni in the *Natyashastra*. This treatise established the 22 *shrutis* (microtones) as the fundamental divisions of the octave. In the *Shadaj Gram*, the standard note **Suddha Gandhar (Ga)** was positioned on the **9th shruti**. *Antar-Gandhar* (meaning 'inner' or 'higher' Gandhar) is a *Vikrit Swar* (altered note) that Bharat introduced. By canonical definition in his work, the *Antar-Gandhar* was fixed two *shrutis* higher than the Suddha Gandhar. Therefore, adding 9 + 2, the *Antar-Gandhar* was precisely located on the **11th shruti**. This raised note was crucial for the construction of scales and modes beyond the standard *Gram*.

The incorrect option is 1 (8th Shruti):
The 8th shruti, historically named *Raudri*, is located just one *shruti* prior to the position of the Suddha Gandhar (9th shruti). In the distribution of *shrutis* for the pure notes (*Shuddha Swaras*), the 8th shruti is often considered the terminal point of the note Rishabh and the starting point of the *Gandhar* note. Placing the *Antar-Gandhar*, which is defined as a raised and sharper note, on the 8th shruti would place it lower than the actual Suddha Gandhar. This contradicts the very nature of *Antar-Gandhar* as a higher, altered note, making the 8th shruti an incorrect choice.

The incorrect option is 2 (9th Shruti):
The 9th shruti, known as *Krodha*, is the canonical position for the **Suddha Gandhar** in Bharat's ancient system. Suddha Gandhar is the natural, pure form of the note Ga. *Antar-Gandhar* is a *Vikrit Swar* (altered note) that is intentionally higher in pitch than its Suddha counterpart. Therefore, the 9th shruti represents the standard, unaltered note, and cannot logically be the higher, modified *Antar-Gandhar* which is explicitly defined as two *shrutis* above this position.

The incorrect option is 3 (10th Shruti):
The 10th shruti is situated one *shruti* higher than the Suddha Gandhar (9th shruti). While it is an ascent from the Suddha position, it falls short of the definitive location for *Antar-Gandhar*. The tradition and texts clearly specify that the *Antar-Gandhar* is shifted by a total of two *shrutis* from the Suddha Gandhar. The 10th shruti would be an intermediate tone that does not correspond to the final, established position of the *Vikrit Swar*, which is firmly fixed on the 11th shruti in the system of Bharat.