Swaras and Their Chakras

March 3, 2024

Swaras in red indicate a chakra position to the rear of the body, corresponding with the ‘I’ vowel sound

The names of the swaras (notes) in Carnatic music and their associated chakras are:

swara	solfege	note	chakra	position
SA	Do	C	Muladhara	under the spine, perineum
RI	Re	C# / D / D#	Svadhishthana	base of the spine, to the rear
GA	Mi	D# / E	Nabhi	stomach
MA	Fa	F / F#	Anahat	chest / heart
PA	Sol	G	Vishuddhi	throat
DA	La	G# / A / A#	Agnya	third eye
NI	Ti	Bbb / Bb / B	Bindu	dip in back of head
SA	Do	C	Sahasrara	crown

In total, the octave is divided into 12 notes, as in Western music. It is important to know that these pitches are not fixed. Two ragas might contain the same note, but in practice, these notes will be pitched or oscillated differently according to the raga. This is why it is impossible to learn pieces by reading sheet music - it is an oral tradition, and sheet music can be very confusing for beginners.

Only two notes have a fixed pitch, the root SA and the fifth PA.