[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Architecture and art](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art) › [A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative) › c2.61 # A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries c2.61 A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries c2.61 - **Language:** English ### [c2.61](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c2.61) The great difficulty which a student of Natya Shastra and Ratnakara meets with at the very outset is that of correctly locating the positions of the Shrutis and the Swaras of those two ancient treatises. In the absence of a satisfactory solution of these, the remaining portions of the treatises remain perfectly unintelligible. The Gramas, Murchhanas, Jatis and the Ragas, have all to be evolved, as we know, from the Shuddha and Vikrita Swaras which again depend upon their Shrutis. The positions of those Shrutis and Swaras, therefore, require to be placed beyond all reasonable doubt. It will perhaps not be out of place here to indicate how the difficulty for the student arises while attempting to study the Natya Shastra. I do not think it is anywhere disputed now that the Shruti Swara arrangement of Sharangdeva is essentially the same as that expounded by Bharat. If we then are able to arrive at any satisfactory conclusions as regards Bharata's Shrutis and Swaras of Sharangdeva. We are told by our research scholars that Bharata lived in the 5th century A D and that Sharangdeva wrote his Ratnakara about the middle of the thirteenth century A D. We shall not dispute these dates. The great question before us is, what does Bharata say about his shrutis and Swaras, in the Natya Shastra. Fortunately for us, Bharata has very lucidly explained his Shrutis and Swaras at P 304, Chap 28 of his work the Natya Shastra. But while doing so, it will be interesting to go through his explanation. But while doing so, it will be useful to constantly bear in mind the following two or three important rules generally followed by careful research scholars while interpreting ancient texts - [Previous: c2.60](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c2.60) - [Next: c2.62](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c2.62) - [Up: c2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c2) ## Linked texts (2) - [Saṅgītaratnākara](https://indike.org/pramana/in.art.sangita.sangraha.sangitaratnakara) — Śārṅgadeva, Sanskrit - [Nāṭyaśāstra](https://indike.org/pramana/in.art.natya.natyasastra) — Bharata, Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c2.61](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c2.61) · Pramāṇa