Into which two categories do great music composers divide the nada?

• A. Anahata and Nada
• B. Ahata and Nada
• C. Anahata and Sabda
• D. Ahata (Nada produced by an instrument or human body) and Anahata (Sound which cannot be heard)

Answer: (D)

Great composers view nada as existing in two forms: ahata nada, the sound produced by striking an instrument or by a human body, which you can hear, and anahata nada, the unstruck sound, the inner resonance that is not heard as an external tone. This contrast captures both the audible, tangible aspect of music and the subtle, inward vibration that music can imply beyond ordinary hearing. The option that pairs ahata with anahata reflects this distinction precisely: audible sound produced by playing or making, and a sound that cannot be heard with the ears. The other choices don’t present that essential contrast, mixing in terms that don’t align with the recognized distinction between the audible and the unstruck.