64.1 - Bharata (100-200 BC), Natyashastra
Shadjashcha Rishabhashchaiva, Gandharo Madhymastatha, Panchamo
Dhaivatashchaiva, Nishadah sapta cha swarah // 21//
Meaning: Shadja, Rishabha, Gandhar, Madhyam, Pancham, Dhaivat, and
Nishada, are 7 swaras.
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Tisro Dve cha Chatastrascha, Chatastrah Tischa eva cha, Dve Chatastrah cha
Shadjakhye grame Shruti nidarshanam //24//
Meaning: 3, 2, 4, 4, 3, 2, 4 - Shadja Grama Shrutis are shown
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Shadjah chaturshruti dnyeya, Rishabhah Trishruti smrutah, Dvishruti cha api
Gandharo, Madhyamascha chatushrutihi //25//
Meaning: Worth learning Shadja on 4th shruti, Remember Rishabha on 3rd
shruti, And also Gandhar on 2nd shruti, And Madhyam on 4th shruti
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Chatushrutihi Panchamasyat, Trishruti Dhaivatastatha, Dvishrutihi tu Nishadah
Syat Shadjagrame Swarantare //26//
Meaning: Pancham on 4th shruti, Dhaivat on 3rd shruti, Nishad on 2nd, These
remain distances of swaras in Shadja grama
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Madhyama graame tu, Shruti apakrushtaah, Panchama karyaah
Meaning: In Madhyam gram, Shruti reduced, For Panchama to operate
(to make it consonant with Rishabha as explained earlier)
Panchamasya shruti, Utkarsha apakarshaad, Va aayadantara maardavaad
aayatatvad, Va tad Pramaanashruti
Meaning : Panchama’s shruti, To increase or decrease (P2 or P1), That stretched distance ‘making it soft’ , is called ‘Pramana Shruti’
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Some people argue that metallic string was discovered ‘after’ Bharata, and hence metal string did not exist at his time. Hence, how is it that he has described 22 shrutis on a metal string? Answer - 7 Metals were known before Bharata’s time!
They are called “Metals of Antiquity”, and are as follows:
(1) Gold (ca) 6000 BC
(2) Copper,(ca) 4200 BC
(3) Silver,(ca) 4000 BC
(4) Lead, (ca) 3500 BC
(5) Tin, (ca) 1750 BC
(6) Iron, smelted, (ca) 1500 BC
(7) Mercury, (ca) 750 BC
First tools, implements and weapons were made from copper. From 4,000 to
6,000 BC was the Chalcolithic period which was when copper came into
common use. By 5,000 BC copper sheet was being made.
By 3000 BC weapons, tools etc. were widely found.
Tools and weapons of utilitarian value were now within society, however, only kings and royalty had such tools; it would take another 500 years before they reached the peasants (https://neon.mems.cmu.edu/cramb/Processing/history.html, A Short History of
Metals by Alan W. Cramb,Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Carnegie Mellon University,Pittsburgh,PA,USA).
Further, YAJURVEDA, the ancient Indian text which is referred to in Natyashastra, mentions 3 metals, namely, gold, Silver and Copper. This shows that metal strings did exist at the time of Bharata.
64.2 - Dattilam (100-400 AD), Dattilam –
This is a South Indian treatise which mentions the following shloka on 22 shrutis. Shadjatven Gruhito Ya Shadja Grame Dhvanir Bhavet, Tato Urdhva Trutiya Syat Rushabho Naatr Sanshaya, Tato Dvitiyo Gandhar, Chaturtha Madhyama, Tatha Madhyamat Pancham, Tadvat Trutiyo Dhaivata Tatha, Nishado Dvitiya Syat,Tata Shadja Chaturthaka, Panchamo Madhyam Grame, Madhyamadya,
Trutiyaka.
Meaning: A sound is taken as Shadja in Shadja Grama. Thereafter, there is no doubt that Rishabha is 3 rd , Gandhar on 2 nd , Madhyam on 4 th , Pancham on 4th, Dhaivat on 3rd, Nishad on 2nd, and Shadja on 4th.
Note: Here, the clinching word is “Urdhva” meaning thereafter. Shadja is played on the string, and thereafter, Rishabha appears on the 3 rd shruti.
64.3 Matanga (6 th -8 th century AD), Brihaddeshi
Matanga wrote the following in his treatise, Brihaddeshi.
“Shravanendriya Grahyatvad, Dhvani eva shruti bhavet, Sa cha eka api dvividha dnyeya, Svarantara Vibhagatah”
Meaning: Only when the ear ‘understands’, a sound becomes a shruti. Learn that it is one, but it’s two parts divide distance between swaras.
Note: Matanga knew that there are 12 notes which can be identified. They begin and end at 2 points and are called as “shrutis”. The 2 parts contain the range of the note.
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“Tadatmyam Cha Vivartatvam Karyatvam Parinamita, Abhivyanjakata Cha Api
Shrutinam Parikathyante” (28)
Meaning: (While) Accurately reaching and reverting (from a point of perfect sensation of the note), the precision is called as “Shruti”.
Note : The lower and the higher limits of perception of a note is very precise in the human ear. Those points are the shrutis. We now know that there is 1 point for Shadja and Pancham and 2 each for other 5 notes, namely, Rishabha, Gandhar, Madhyam, Dhaivt and Nishad.
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“Idanim Shatshashti Bheda Bhinna Shrutayah Kathyante Mandra Madhya Tareshu Ura Kantha Shiratsu. Trishu Sthaneshu Pratyekam Dvavimshati Prakar Taya Bhidyamaneshu”
Meaning: Thus, there are 66 shrutis in Mandra, Madhya and Tara (octaves as seen in) Abdomen, Throat and Head (of Veena). In these 3 places are 22 shrutis each.
Note: 3 octaves are playable on any string making a total of 22 X 3 = 66 shrutis. However, they are spread in 3 octaves, not in one.
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“Vishesh Sparsh Shunyatvad Shravanendriya Grahyayoho Swarashrutyoho Tu Tadatmyam Jati Vyakti Iva Anayoho” (29)
Meaning: At a specific point (on a string), the ear grants the sound as a shruti. The Swara and Shruti relationship is like Society and Individual.
Note: Matanga knew that the region of the note (Swara-kshetra) is like the society (group of similar frequencies), and shruti is like an individual.
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“Swaranam Shruti Karyatvam Iti Kechid Vadanti Hi Mrutpinda Danda Karyatvam Ghatasya Eva Yatha Bhavet” (31)
Meaning: Swara is made by Shruti just as the Soil makes a Pot.
Note: Basically, pot is made up of soil. Similarly, basically, Swara is made up of a Shruti.
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“Shrutayah Swara Rupen Parinamanti Na Sanshayah Parinamet Yatha Ksheeram Dadhi Rupen Sarvatha” (32)
Meaning: Shruti effects a Swara and there is no doubt in the effect as Milk effects Curds.
Note : Swara cannot exist without a shruti, as There can be no curds without Milk.
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“Shadjaday Swara Sapta Vyanjante Shrutibhihi Sadaa Andhakaarasthitaa
Yadvat Pradeepena Ghatadaya” (33)
Meaning: 7 swaras like Shadja get lit by shrutis just as the darkness inside a pot is lit by the light.
Note: We don’t see inside a pot without light. Similarly, 7 swaras cannot be seen without shrutis.
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64.4 - Ramamatya (6 th -8 th century AD), Swara-Mela-Kalanidhi “Tatra Turya Shrutou Shadja, Saptamyam Rishabhah, Matah Tato Navamyam Gandhar, Trayodashyam Tu Madhyamah,” (25)
“Panchamah Sapta-dasham, Tu Dhaivata Vimshati Shrutou, Dvavimshati Tu
Nishadah Shrutishu Itham Swarodbhavah” (26)
Meaning: Shadja is 4 th , Rishabha is 7 th , 9 th is Gandhar, 13 th is Madhyam, Pancham is 17 th , Dhaivat is 20 th , Nishad is 22 nd shruti, thus arise the Swaras.
Note: If Shadja is counted as 1 st , Rishabh will be on 3 rd , Gandhar on 9 th and so on as shown by Bharata and Dattilam.
64.5 - Somanatha (1609 AD), Raga-Vibodha
(Author – Pt. Subramanium Shastri Printed by C. Subbarayudu, Vasanta Press, Madras, 1945)
“Turyayam Saptamyam Tasu Navamyam Shrutyou Trayodashyam, Saptadashi, Vimshim, Dvavimshishu,Cha Te Sphuta Kramat”(1.17)
Meaning: 4 th , 7 th , therafter 9 th shruti, 13 th , 17 th , 20 th , 22 nd is the clear sequence.
Note: The sequence remains the same.
64.6 - Vyankatamakhi (1626-1662 AD)
Chaturdandi Prakashika (Translated by Acharya Shrikrishna Narayan Ratanjankar, Hindi translation, Sanskar Prakashan, Mumbai, India, 2015).
“Tara Shadjamitven Tad Aadya Shruti Shalinam Aarabhya Kaishiki Sandnya Nishadam…”
Meaning: Tara Shadja is shown by 1 st shruti beginning from Kaishiki Nishad.
Note : This is a very important explanation that the Kaishiki Nishad is the 1st shruti as shown by Bharata and Dattilam. Shadja comes 4 th from Kaishiki Nishad (Carnatic) or Komal Nishad (Hindustani) and so on.
As against this, Pt. V. N. Bhatkhande took the 1 st shruti as 4 th shruti from the beginning of the string as Rishabha (and not 3rd as shown by Bharata and Dattilam), he wrongly
denoted the resulting swaras of Bilawal when in reality of Bharata and Dattilam and as also amply explained here by Vyankatamakhi, it should have been Kafi.
“Dvadasha Api Sware Purvavat Iti Eva Shruti Parvani Vinasyet. Atra Api Kshetra
Sankocham Mahyam Etam Na Rochate”
Meaning: 22 notes can be shown on frets which contract as we go ahead and I do not like it. Later, because of the contraction of space, the musicians simply removed the ’22 shruti frets’ and replaced them with ’12 frets’ for 12 notes!
Soon, 22 shrutis were forgotten.
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“Shrutir Nama Bhaven Nada Vishesh Swara Karanam, Nanu Nasti Swara-
Shrutyor Bhedo, Nada Eka Rupayoho.”(2.3)
Meaning: Shrutis is a name given to special Nadas which cause Swaras. There is no difference between Swara and Shruti as both are basically, Nadas.
Note: Special Nadas or frequencies are those which form the ‘limits’ of Swaras
and therefore can be identified by the human ear.
“Vidyate Parinamitva Sambhava Asti Bheda Tayo Yadvat Swarna Tanka Kiritayoho”(2.4)
Meaning: One is a cause and the other, a result. Difference similar to Gold and an ornament.
“Dvavimshati Iti Proktaa Shrutayoho Bharata Adibhihi, Taascha Veena Prasiddheshu Sushpashtam Vibhajaamahe”
Meaning: These 22 shrutis shown by Bharat etc. I have shown them clearly.