CARNATIC VOCAL REVIEW | LEVEL 2 | SAMPADA EXAM
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS 2026
Purvanga & Uttaranga - CORRECT ANSWER -FIRST PART & LATER PART
1. In a scale of ascending notes, the first portion of the swaras are the purvangam; the next
portion is the uttarangam
2. In the structure of a varnam, the pallavi, anupallavi, and mukthayi swaras are known as the
purvangam; the caranam and the ettugadaswaras/carana swaras are known as the uttarangam
3. Pallavi singing is improvisational singing with a set talam and ragam. The first part of this
singing is the purvangam, then the padagarba which serves as a pause/break, and the second
part is the uttarangam.
Graha - CORRECT ANSWER -COMMENCEMENT/BEGINNING/STARTING
1. Graha swara is the beginning note of a swara phrase. Each raga has a graha swara. There can
be multiple graha swaras in a raga or composition.
2. Graha in talam is the commencement of the talam with the composition itself. There are 3
types:
1. Sama graha - tala and composition start
together
2. Anagatagraha - tala begins first and song
follows
3. Ateetagraha - song begins first and tala joins
later
,Amsa/Vadi/Jiva - CORRECT ANSWER -MOST USED/SIGNIFICANT SWARA OF
COMPOSITION/RAGA
Lifegiving swara to the composition/raga
Nyasa - CORRECT ANSWER -ENDING NOTE OF RAGA/ SWARA PHRASE/COMPOSITION
1. Vinyasa - ending note of swara/raga phrase/composition
2. Apanyasa - occasional ending note of swara/raga phrase/composition
3. Sanyasa - ending note of the whole composition/last note of the last raga/swara phrase
Samvadi - CORRECT ANSWER -SWARA MUTUALLY IN CONSONANCE TO ANOTHER SWARA
BETWEEN 9/13 INTERVALS
Sound pleasing together
Ex:
SP
R1 M1
R2 M2
G1 N1
G2 N2
Vivadi - CORRECT ANSWER -SWARAS CREATE A DISCORDANT EFFECT IN COMPOSITION/RAGA
, Shatshruthi Rishabam
Sudha Gandaram
Shatshruthi Daivatam
Sudha Nishadam
Anuvadi - CORRECT ANSWER -SWARA WHICH HAS NO DISCORDANT NOR CONCORDANT EFFECT
ON COMPOSITION/RAGA
Follows the vadi swara; doesn't fit into certain category
Gati - CORRECT ANSWER -WAY/NUMBER OF KRIYAS IN EACH BEAT OF THE TALAM
How the talam goes according to the kriya
Like jati, 5 types:
Tisra Gati - 3 - Takita
Chaturasra Gati - 4 - Thakadhimi
Khanda Gati - 5 - Thakathakita
Misra - 7 - Thakadhimithakita
Sankeerna - Thakadhimithakathakita
from jati and gati, there are about 175 possible talas
Chittaswaram - CORRECT ANSWER -MELODIOUS VARIETY SWARA PHRASES MADE TO ENHANCE
THE COMPOSITION/RAGA
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS 2026
Purvanga & Uttaranga - CORRECT ANSWER -FIRST PART & LATER PART
1. In a scale of ascending notes, the first portion of the swaras are the purvangam; the next
portion is the uttarangam
2. In the structure of a varnam, the pallavi, anupallavi, and mukthayi swaras are known as the
purvangam; the caranam and the ettugadaswaras/carana swaras are known as the uttarangam
3. Pallavi singing is improvisational singing with a set talam and ragam. The first part of this
singing is the purvangam, then the padagarba which serves as a pause/break, and the second
part is the uttarangam.
Graha - CORRECT ANSWER -COMMENCEMENT/BEGINNING/STARTING
1. Graha swara is the beginning note of a swara phrase. Each raga has a graha swara. There can
be multiple graha swaras in a raga or composition.
2. Graha in talam is the commencement of the talam with the composition itself. There are 3
types:
1. Sama graha - tala and composition start
together
2. Anagatagraha - tala begins first and song
follows
3. Ateetagraha - song begins first and tala joins
later
,Amsa/Vadi/Jiva - CORRECT ANSWER -MOST USED/SIGNIFICANT SWARA OF
COMPOSITION/RAGA
Lifegiving swara to the composition/raga
Nyasa - CORRECT ANSWER -ENDING NOTE OF RAGA/ SWARA PHRASE/COMPOSITION
1. Vinyasa - ending note of swara/raga phrase/composition
2. Apanyasa - occasional ending note of swara/raga phrase/composition
3. Sanyasa - ending note of the whole composition/last note of the last raga/swara phrase
Samvadi - CORRECT ANSWER -SWARA MUTUALLY IN CONSONANCE TO ANOTHER SWARA
BETWEEN 9/13 INTERVALS
Sound pleasing together
Ex:
SP
R1 M1
R2 M2
G1 N1
G2 N2
Vivadi - CORRECT ANSWER -SWARAS CREATE A DISCORDANT EFFECT IN COMPOSITION/RAGA
, Shatshruthi Rishabam
Sudha Gandaram
Shatshruthi Daivatam
Sudha Nishadam
Anuvadi - CORRECT ANSWER -SWARA WHICH HAS NO DISCORDANT NOR CONCORDANT EFFECT
ON COMPOSITION/RAGA
Follows the vadi swara; doesn't fit into certain category
Gati - CORRECT ANSWER -WAY/NUMBER OF KRIYAS IN EACH BEAT OF THE TALAM
How the talam goes according to the kriya
Like jati, 5 types:
Tisra Gati - 3 - Takita
Chaturasra Gati - 4 - Thakadhimi
Khanda Gati - 5 - Thakathakita
Misra - 7 - Thakadhimithakita
Sankeerna - Thakadhimithakathakita
from jati and gati, there are about 175 possible talas
Chittaswaram - CORRECT ANSWER -MELODIOUS VARIETY SWARA PHRASES MADE TO ENHANCE
THE COMPOSITION/RAGA
