Shruti - A Foundation of Indian Classical Musical

 

Shruti

Anything that is heard is basically a micro frequency of the sound which is called a Shruti in Indian Classical Music. A Shruti is the shortest distance between the two different frequencies ever heard. It can be said that the tiny difference between the two swar in music which can be distinguished or can be sung or played in the instrument is called Shruti. In Indian Classical Music, A shruti is a unit of measurement of the pitch of the notes. The process of such dialect is heard by the ears and cannot be perceived through any other means or by any other organ so it has been named shruti. There are numerable difference pitches of sound which are arranged in a single octave starting from Shadaj. These seven notes is a series of frequency having an individual identity admitted as per the fundamental principle described in Shastra.

The Shastra of Indian Classical Music has admitted twenty-two different audible and distinguished sounds in a Saptak but the point arises why only twenty-two shrutis or the micro-tones in a single octave. Why not more or less tiny frequencies can be admitted in such process because as per the stander physic each individual frequency is a sound and can be recognized by means of technology. Here, Students should remember a most important thing that produced sound can be measured and distinguished by means of Physic or by Singing is totally a different process and each individual which can be measured through scientific instruments cannot sing or cannot be distinguished by the human ear so the Twenty-two Shruti in Shastra were arranged as per their shortest interval between two different notes which is heard and can sing in a melodic structure while doing musical practices.

In a series of a long tradition in Indian Classical Music, Shruti is recognized as the shortest interval of two audible notes. It is believed that shruti was firstly illustrated in Rigveda and later used in a musical context which was clearly defined by Acharya Bharat Muni in Natyashastra. The Total number of Shruti mentioned in Shastra were twenty-Two and it is accepted by all the scholars in various stage of time-period with the help of various experiments. The Sarana-Chatushtai was the first experiment done by Acharya Bharat in the 2^nd Century BCE to prove the Shruti with its correspondence to Shadaj Madhyam Bhav or Shadaj Pancham Bhav Gram and Merchant.

The position of Twenty-Two Shruti according to the ancient concept is below:-

S.	Shruti	Ancient Saptak	Modern Saptak	Carnatic Saptak
1	Tivra		Shadaj	S- Shadaj
2	Kumudwati
3	Manda			R1- Suddh Rishav
4	Chandovati	Shadaj
5	Dayavati		Suddh Rishav	R2/G1-Chatushrutik Rishav / Suddh Gandhar
6	Rajani
7	Ratika	Suddh Rishav		R3/G2-ShatShruti Rishav/ Sadharn Gandhar
8	Roudri		Suddh Gandhar	G3-Antar Gandhar
9	Krodha	Komal Gandhar
10	Vajrika		Suddh Madhyam	M1-Suddh Madhyam
11	Prasarani
12	Preeti			M2-Prati Madhyam
13	Marjani	Suddh Madhyam
14	Kshiti		Pancham	P – Pancham,
15	Rakta
16	Sandeepini	Pancham		D1- Suddh Dhaivat
17	Aalapani
18	Mandati		Suddh Dhaivat	D2/N1Chatushruti Dhaviavt/ Suddh Nishad
19	Rohini
20	Ramya	Suddh Dhaivat		D3/N2- Shatshruti Dhaivat/ Kaishaki Nishad
21	Ugra		Suddh Nishad	N3- Kakli Nishad
22	Kshovani	Komal Nishad

 

The Table is the overall illustration of Modern Saptak of Hindustani Music, Rabindra Sangeet and Carnatic Music.

S.	Shruti	Hindustani Saptak	Rabindra Sangeet	Carnatic Saptak
1	Tivra	Shadaj	Shadaj	S- Shadaj
2	Kumudwati		AtiKomal Rishav
3	Manda	Komal Rishav	Komla Rishav	R1- Suddh Rishav
4	Chandovati		Anukomal Rishav
5	Dayavati	Suddh Rishav	Suddh Rishav	R2/G1-Chatushrutik Rishav / Suddh Gandhar
6	Rajani		Atikmal Gandhar
7	Ratika	Komla Gandhar	Komal Gandhar	R3/G2-ShatShruti Rishav/ Sadharn Gandhar
8	Roudri	Suddh Gandhar	Suddh Gandhar	G3-Antar Gandhar
9	Krodha
10	Vajrika	Suddh Madhyam	Suddh Madhyam	M1-Suddh Madhyam
11	Prasarani
12	Preeti	Tivra Madhyam	Tivra Madhyam	M2-Prati Madhyam
13	Marjani
14	Kshiti	Pancham	Pancham	P – Pancham,
15	Rakta		Atikomal Dhaivat
16	Sandeepini	Komal Dhaivat	Komal Dhaivat	D1- Suddh Dhaivat
17	Aalapani		Anukomal Dhaivat
18	Mandati	Suddh Dhaivat	Suddh Dhaivat	D2/N1Chatushruti Dhaviavt/ Suddh Nishad
19	Rohini		Atikomal Nishad
20	Ramya	Komal Nishad	Komal Nishad	D3/N2- Shatshruti Dhaivat/ Kaishaki Nishad
21	Ugra	Suddh Nishad	Suddha Nishad	N3- Kakli Nishad
22	Kshovani

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