SAMPADA CARNATIC THEORY LEVEL 3 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS 2026
Ragam - CORRECT ANSWER -different combinations and sounds that please the mind through
the inner ear
Grama Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Shadjagrama and Madhymagrama murchanas
evolved in jathis which evolved in ragas
Marga and Desya Ragams - CORRECT ANSWER -Margaragms- pure, parental, and sumpurna in
nature
Desyaragams- ragams that belong to a particular place and style
Classification Through Time Periods - CORRECT ANSWER -Pre-Matanga, Post-Matanga, and
Ancient Tamil Music
(MATANGA WAS A SAGE)
Matanga Classifications - CORRECT ANSWER -Suddha Ragams- pure in nature
Chayalaga Ragams- ragas with parts/shades from other ragas
Sankeerna Ragams- ragas with many individual parts/shades
Narada's Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Purusha Ragams- masculine and robust in nature
Sthree Ragams- soft and feminine in nature
Napumsaka Ragams- neutral ragams
(THIS CLASSIFICATION IS NOW NOT USED)
Narada's Second Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Muktangakampithaswaras- all notes have
gamakas
,Ardhakampitha Ragas- only certain swarams have gamakams
Kampaviheena Ragas- all notes are plain and flat
Narada's Third Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Suryaamsa Ragas- day ragas
Chandraamsa Ragas- night ragas
Saranga Deva's Classsification - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Six Margaragas- (Grama, Upa, Suddha,
Bhaasha, Vibhaasha, and Antharbhaasha)
2. Four Desi Ragas- (Ragaanga, Upaanga, Bhaashaanga, and Kriyaanga)
SangithaRatnakara's Ragas - CORRECT ANSWER -Purvaprasiddha Ragas- ragas popular before his
time
Adhunika Ragas- ragas popular after his time
Raamamatya Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Uttama Ragas- vast ragas
Madhyama Ragas- ragas with limited scope
Adhama Ragas- ragas that only exist as murchanas
Ancient Tamil Music Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -PagalPaNare- ragas sung in the day
IruvapPaN- ragas sung at night
PoduPaN- ragas sung at all times
Ghana-Naya-Desya Ragams Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Ghana Ragas- well-structured
laya ragas (Nata, Goula, Arabhi)
Naya Ragas- soft and rakti ragas (Begada, Bilahari)
Desya Ragas- belong to Hindustani music (Behag, Kapi)
,Swaraantya Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Panchamantya Ragas- ragas with murchana upto
Pa (Navaroj)
Dhaivathantya Ragas- murchanan upto Da (Kuranji)
Nishadantya Ragas- ragas with murchana upto nishadam (Nadanamakriya)
Putra- Mitra- Kalatra Ragas - CORRECT ANSWER -Putra Ragas- janya ragas
Mitra (think of friend) Ragas- twin ragas (Ritigoula-Anandabhairavi)
Kalatra Ragas- feminine ragas (Raagini- NOT USED TODAY)
Murchana and Prayoga Ragas - CORRECT ANSWER -Murchana Ragas- ragas established by
merely singing murchana (Todi, Kalyani)
Prayoga Ragas- prayogas (or melodic structure) determine ragas (Athana)
Melakarta- Vivadi Ragas - CORRECT ANSWER -Out of 72 Melakarta ragas, 40 of them are Vivadi
ragams
Raaganga, Upaanga, and Bhashanga Ragas - CORRECT ANSWER -Raaganga Ragas- Melakarta
Ragas (Panthuvarali)
Upaanga Ragas- janya ragas with no anyaswara (Mohanam)
Bhashanga Ragas- janya ragas with anyaswara (Bhairavi)
Sampurna-Sampurna - CORRECT ANSWER -7-7 note murchana (Bhairavi)
Sampurna-Shadava - CORRECT ANSWER -7-6 note murchana (Bhairavam)
Sampurna-Audava - CORRECT ANSWER -7-5 note murchana (Natakuranji)
, Shadava-Sampurna - CORRECT ANSWER -6-7 note murchana (Kambhoji)
Audava- Sampurna - CORRECT ANSWER -5-7 note murchana (Bilahari)
Shadava-Shadava - CORRECT ANSWER -6-6 note murchana (Sriranjini)
Shadava-Audava - CORRECT ANSWER -6-5 note murchana (Bahudari)
Audava-Shadava - CORRECT ANSWER -5-6 note murchana (Malahari)
Audava-Audava - CORRECT ANSWER -5-5 note murchana (Mohanam)
All Ragas above may take zig-zag form and can be in... - CORRECT ANSWER -Murchana
(Sampurna, shadava, and audava) and ekaswara, dviswara, and triswaravakra ragas
Examples are... - CORRECT ANSWER -Natakuranji- Arohanavakra, ekaswara vakra, and
Sampurna- Audava Raga
Sri- Avarohanavakra, dwiswara vakra, and Audava- Sampurna Raga
To be a Janaka Raga... - CORRECT ANSWER -- must have all seven swaras (Sampurnatva)
- the 8th note must be Sa (Ashtaka)
- seven notes must be in the same order (Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Da Ni) (Kramatva)
- must have the same swarasthanas
What is the 72 melakarta scheme based upon? - CORRECT ANSWER -The 12 natural semitones
are arranged as 16 Prakriti-Vikritswaras (the four Vivadi notes are Vikriti)
CORRECT ANSWERS 2026
Ragam - CORRECT ANSWER -different combinations and sounds that please the mind through
the inner ear
Grama Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Shadjagrama and Madhymagrama murchanas
evolved in jathis which evolved in ragas
Marga and Desya Ragams - CORRECT ANSWER -Margaragms- pure, parental, and sumpurna in
nature
Desyaragams- ragams that belong to a particular place and style
Classification Through Time Periods - CORRECT ANSWER -Pre-Matanga, Post-Matanga, and
Ancient Tamil Music
(MATANGA WAS A SAGE)
Matanga Classifications - CORRECT ANSWER -Suddha Ragams- pure in nature
Chayalaga Ragams- ragas with parts/shades from other ragas
Sankeerna Ragams- ragas with many individual parts/shades
Narada's Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Purusha Ragams- masculine and robust in nature
Sthree Ragams- soft and feminine in nature
Napumsaka Ragams- neutral ragams
(THIS CLASSIFICATION IS NOW NOT USED)
Narada's Second Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Muktangakampithaswaras- all notes have
gamakas
,Ardhakampitha Ragas- only certain swarams have gamakams
Kampaviheena Ragas- all notes are plain and flat
Narada's Third Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Suryaamsa Ragas- day ragas
Chandraamsa Ragas- night ragas
Saranga Deva's Classsification - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Six Margaragas- (Grama, Upa, Suddha,
Bhaasha, Vibhaasha, and Antharbhaasha)
2. Four Desi Ragas- (Ragaanga, Upaanga, Bhaashaanga, and Kriyaanga)
SangithaRatnakara's Ragas - CORRECT ANSWER -Purvaprasiddha Ragas- ragas popular before his
time
Adhunika Ragas- ragas popular after his time
Raamamatya Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Uttama Ragas- vast ragas
Madhyama Ragas- ragas with limited scope
Adhama Ragas- ragas that only exist as murchanas
Ancient Tamil Music Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -PagalPaNare- ragas sung in the day
IruvapPaN- ragas sung at night
PoduPaN- ragas sung at all times
Ghana-Naya-Desya Ragams Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Ghana Ragas- well-structured
laya ragas (Nata, Goula, Arabhi)
Naya Ragas- soft and rakti ragas (Begada, Bilahari)
Desya Ragas- belong to Hindustani music (Behag, Kapi)
,Swaraantya Classification - CORRECT ANSWER -Panchamantya Ragas- ragas with murchana upto
Pa (Navaroj)
Dhaivathantya Ragas- murchanan upto Da (Kuranji)
Nishadantya Ragas- ragas with murchana upto nishadam (Nadanamakriya)
Putra- Mitra- Kalatra Ragas - CORRECT ANSWER -Putra Ragas- janya ragas
Mitra (think of friend) Ragas- twin ragas (Ritigoula-Anandabhairavi)
Kalatra Ragas- feminine ragas (Raagini- NOT USED TODAY)
Murchana and Prayoga Ragas - CORRECT ANSWER -Murchana Ragas- ragas established by
merely singing murchana (Todi, Kalyani)
Prayoga Ragas- prayogas (or melodic structure) determine ragas (Athana)
Melakarta- Vivadi Ragas - CORRECT ANSWER -Out of 72 Melakarta ragas, 40 of them are Vivadi
ragams
Raaganga, Upaanga, and Bhashanga Ragas - CORRECT ANSWER -Raaganga Ragas- Melakarta
Ragas (Panthuvarali)
Upaanga Ragas- janya ragas with no anyaswara (Mohanam)
Bhashanga Ragas- janya ragas with anyaswara (Bhairavi)
Sampurna-Sampurna - CORRECT ANSWER -7-7 note murchana (Bhairavi)
Sampurna-Shadava - CORRECT ANSWER -7-6 note murchana (Bhairavam)
Sampurna-Audava - CORRECT ANSWER -7-5 note murchana (Natakuranji)
, Shadava-Sampurna - CORRECT ANSWER -6-7 note murchana (Kambhoji)
Audava- Sampurna - CORRECT ANSWER -5-7 note murchana (Bilahari)
Shadava-Shadava - CORRECT ANSWER -6-6 note murchana (Sriranjini)
Shadava-Audava - CORRECT ANSWER -6-5 note murchana (Bahudari)
Audava-Shadava - CORRECT ANSWER -5-6 note murchana (Malahari)
Audava-Audava - CORRECT ANSWER -5-5 note murchana (Mohanam)
All Ragas above may take zig-zag form and can be in... - CORRECT ANSWER -Murchana
(Sampurna, shadava, and audava) and ekaswara, dviswara, and triswaravakra ragas
Examples are... - CORRECT ANSWER -Natakuranji- Arohanavakra, ekaswara vakra, and
Sampurna- Audava Raga
Sri- Avarohanavakra, dwiswara vakra, and Audava- Sampurna Raga
To be a Janaka Raga... - CORRECT ANSWER -- must have all seven swaras (Sampurnatva)
- the 8th note must be Sa (Ashtaka)
- seven notes must be in the same order (Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Da Ni) (Kramatva)
- must have the same swarasthanas
What is the 72 melakarta scheme based upon? - CORRECT ANSWER -The 12 natural semitones
are arranged as 16 Prakriti-Vikritswaras (the four Vivadi notes are Vikriti)
