How do Indian syllables such as sa, ri, ga, and ma represent scale degrees?

In the context of Indian music, the syllables sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, dha, and ni function as a system of solmization, which is the practice of naming each degree of a basic scale with a specific word or syllable.1

These syllables are abbreviated forms of the seven traditional Indian note names: shadja, rishabha, gandhara, madhyama, panchama, dhaivata, and nishada. Much like the Western do-re-mi system, these syllables serve as a method for musicians to identify and recite the specific pitch degrees of a scale. While they are primarily used for singing or reciting melodies during the learning process, they can also be employed to write down the notes of a melodic line, effectively functioning as a simple syllabic pitch notation.21

In Indian music theory, these notes are understood within the framework of grama (basic scales) and jati (modes), where they represent the fundamental building blocks for melodic construction.3