In ancient Indian music, order of intervals in an octave was classified in Grams. The word Gram means a village. The main note of a Gram or the Gramini (village head), must have three properties:

1. It must be a 4 Sharuti Svara (note),
2. It must have a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth in the octave, and
3. The next note from the main note must be a three Sharuti note.

In ancient Indian music, there were three grams.

1. Shadaj Gram
2. Madhyam Gram and
3. Gandhar Gram

The first two Grams have a harmonic relation to each other. The third Gram, Gandhar gram has four Vikrat notes. It did not have the qualities to create Jaties and Moorshanas that would follow the rules of Gram and Sharuties (accepted intervals). The musicologist never made it the subject of their attention. Indian Classical music is based on the first two Grams.

To understand the Grams, let’s see the ancient natural octave and its Sharuties once more:

In simple text, we can write it like this:

4S, 3R, 2G, 4M, 4P, 3D, 2N

This is Shadaj Gram, the Gram of Shadaj or Sa. According to the Gram properties:
1. Sa is a 4 Sharuti note,
2. Ma and Pa in this octave are Sa’s perfect fourth and fifth, and
3. Re, which is the next note from Sa, is a 3 Sharuti note.

As I have described in earlier posts, there are two Vikrat notes in Shadaj Gram:

1. Antar Gandhar and
2. Kakali Nishad

Antar Gandhar (modern shudh Ga) is two Sharuties higher than the natural Shadaj Gram Gandhar and Kakali Nishad is two Sharuties higher than Natural Shadaj Gram Nishad.

In Shadaj Gram, Re and Pa are not in perfect fourth Samvad. When Pa (fifth) is lowered one Parman Sharuti (5 Savarts), it becomes a perfect fourth to Rishav. At that point it loses its perfect fifth relation with the root. As the intervals change, the Gram is also changed. When the Pancham or Pa is in perfect harmony with Re, then the octave reflects the second Gram, Madhyam Gram.

In Madhyam Gram, Ma is the first note of the octave. Therefore, the Madhyam Gram is:

4M, 3P, 4D, 2N, 4S, 3R, 2G

In this order, Madhyam is the only note that fulfills all three requirements to be called the main note of this Gram. It is a four Sharuti note. Nishad and Shadaj are its perfect fourth and fifth and the next note, Pa, is a three Sharuti note.

Changing the Gram:
There are two ways to alter the Shadaj Gram tuning into Madhyam Gram tuning:
1. Lower the fifth or Pa one Parman Sharuti so it becomes perfect fourth to the second or Re. In this case, note names do not change. Shadaj Gram Madhyam becomes the first note of the new Gram.
2. Tune the third or Gandhar two Sharuties higher, so it becomes perfect third to the root or Shadaj. In Shadaj Gram this note is Antar Gandhar. The first scale from Sa is called the first Santra (with Antar Gandhar) Moorshana of Shadaj Gram. If you now change the names of the notes (Sa becomes Ma), the first Santra Moorshana of Shadaj Gram become first Shudh (pure) Moorshana of Madhyam Gram. Here is the explanation:

a. Shadaj Gram is: 4S, 3R, 2G, 4M, 4P, 3D, 2N
b. Shadaj Gram with Antar Gandhar is: 4S, 3R, 4G, 2M, 4P, 3D, 2N
c. Madhyam Gram is: 4M, 3P, 4D, 2N, 4S, 3R, 2G

Now compare the Sharuti order of C with B

C: 4-3-4-2-4-3-2
B: 4-3-4-2-4-3-2

Therefore, the S R G M P D N of Shadaj Gram become M P D N S R G of Madhyam Gram. This example illustrates that the Shadaj Gram octave with Antar Gandhar is the same as Shudh (pure) Madhaym Gram and both of these Grams have a harmonic relation (perfect fourth).

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