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Swara

In Indian music, swaras (sing. swaram (स्वरं) or swara, pl. swarams or swaras), to give a correspondence, are notes. Swaras are the components of a raga, rather than the members of the all-encompassing chromatic scale. For example, instead of do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do, swaras are sa-ri(Carnatic), re(Hindustani)-ga-ma-pa-da(C), dha(H)-ni-sa (स-रि, रे-ग-म-प-द, ध-नि-स).

In the Carnatic raga Kanakangi (कनकाङ्गि), these were the swaras:

Indian Western
Sa C
Ri, Re D flat
Ga D
Ma F
Pa G
Da, Dha G sharp
Ni A

In Rasikapriya (रसिकप्रिया), the notes were as follows:

Indian Western
Sa C
Ri, Re E flat
Ga E
Ma F sharp
Pa G
Da, Dha B flat
Ni B

As you can see, from raga to raga, Ri (Re), Ga, Ma, Da (Dha), and Ni can change. So how do people differentiate? Like this:

What they mean

Each swara (e.g. "Sa", "Ri", "Ga", "Ma", "Pa", "Da", and "Ni") is believed to correspond with the natural sound of an animal/bird, and some have a meaning of its own.

Swara Expansion Meaning Animal/bird
Sa Shadjamam (शड्जमं) -- Peacock
Ri Rishabham (रिषभं) Bull Bull
Ga Gandharam (गान्धारं) -- Goat
Ma Madhyamam (मध्यमं) Middle Dove
Pa Panchamam (पंचमं) Fifth Cuckoo
Da Daivatam (दैवतं) -- Horse
Ni Nishadam (निषादं) Outcast Elephant