In Indian music, swaras (sing. swaram (स्वरं) or swara, pl. swarams or swaras), to give a correspondence, are notes. Swaras are the components of a raga, rather than the members of the all-encompassing chromatic scale. For example, instead of do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do, swaras are sa-ri(Carnatic), re(Hindustani)-ga-ma-pa-da(C), dha(H)-ni-sa (स-रि, रे-ग-म-प-द, ध-नि-स).
In the Carnatic raga Kanakangi (कनकाङ्गि), these were the swaras:
| Indian | Western |
|---|---|
| Sa | C |
| Ri, Re | D flat |
| Ga | D |
| Ma | F |
| Pa | G |
| Da, Dha | G sharp |
| Ni | A |
In Rasikapriya (रसिकप्रिया), the notes were as follows:
| Indian | Western |
|---|---|
| Sa | C |
| Ri, Re | E flat |
| Ga | E |
| Ma | F sharp |
| Pa | G |
| Da, Dha | B flat |
| Ni | B |
As you can see, from raga to raga, Ri (Re), Ga, Ma, Da (Dha), and Ni can change. So how do people differentiate? Like this:
| Swara | Expansion | Meaning | Animal/bird |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sa | Shadjamam (शड्जमं) | -- | Peacock |
| Ri | Rishabham (रिषभं) | Bull | Bull |
| Ga | Gandharam (गान्धारं) | -- | Goat |
| Ma | Madhyamam (मध्यमं) | Middle | Dove |
| Pa | Panchamam (पंचमं) | Fifth | Cuckoo |
| Da | Daivatam (दैवतं) | -- | Horse |
| Ni | Nishadam (निषादं) | Outcast | Elephant |
