Pluta 18 is described as counting how many laghus with beat?

• A. Counting two laghus with beat
• B. Counting three laghus with beat
• C. Counting four laghus without beat
• D. Counting one laghu with beat

Answer: (B)

In rhythm counting, a laghu is a grouping within a tala that ends on a beat. Pluta 18 denotes an 18-beat cycle, and it’s described as counting three laghus with beat because you can divide those 18 pulses into three equal laghu segments (six pulses each), with the beat landing at the end of each laghu. That means there are three strong beat points inside the cycle, one at the end of each laghu, giving three “with beat” groups that sum to eighteen. If you tried two laghus, you’d have nine pulses per laghu, which doesn’t fit the standard division for this 18-beat cycle; four laghus would require non-integer lengths, and one laghu would collapse the cycle into a single, long group.