This term has sparked numerous debates and misunderstandings among musicians and theorists. In the Svarādhyāya, the chapter dedicated to the notes of the Saṅgītaratnākara, there is an in-depth analysis of the Svaras, their origin, and their interrelationships. Notably, this chapter makes no reference to the Rāgas or melodies, as a separate chapter entitled Rāgadhyāya is exclusively dedicated to them. The Svarādhyāya delves into the nature of microtones or Ṥrutī, discussing their position in the scale and the relationships between notes.

To establish these relationships, each note is individually considered and termed Vādī, serving as a reference note. Subsequently, Saṁvādī, Anuvādī, and Vivādī are mentioned in relation to the Vādī. These relationships are standardized and universally acknowledged. In the Śāstra, the Saṁvādī is positioned on the ninth and thirteenth microtones from the Vādī, a concept that could be analogously viewed as the ratio between the fourth and fifth in Western theory. Terms like 'sonant,' 'consonant,' 'assonant,' and 'dissonant,' fundamental in the entire harmonic system of Euroculture music, can be employed to translate the terms Vādī, Saṁvādī, Anuvādī, and Vivādī, respectively.

The key difference lies in the exclusion of the octave concept in the Indian system, which, unlike the Western system, identifies the fourth and fifth as the primary consonants. The Śāstras lack a formal description of the concepts Anuvādī and Vivādī, but it is evident that the notes 'R' and 'D,' each consisting of three Ṥrutī, are Vivādī compared to all other notes. Moreover, notes composed of two Ṥrutī, 'n' and 'g,' are Vivādī only concerning 'R' and 'D' and Anuvādī concerning all other notes. Notes composed of four Ṥrutī maintain an Anuvādī relationship only with notes composed of two Ṥrutī, lacking a Saṁvādī or Anuvādī relationship with notes composed of three Ṥrutī and others.

In the Śāstras, the primary relationship is the Vādī-Saṁvādī or even-sounding-dissonant relationship, governed by two rules:

1. Saṁvādī is the note positioned on the ninth and thirteenth microtones from the Vādī.

2. Notes with the same number of microtones share a Vādī-Saṁvādī relationship among themselves.

Thus, in adherence to the first rule, if 'S' is Vādī, 'M' and 'P' are Saṁvādī. The introduction of the second rule prevents a Vādī-Saṁvādī relationship between 'M' and 'N' komal.