While scales are a definite expression of notes in a particular order, Indian ragas are difficult to define. While a raga can be expressed as a set of particular notes, this is not a comprehensive definition of a raga. I would compare the raga to a river, and the notes are a snapshot of the river at a point in time; the notes are the constituents of a raga but do not define a raga completely. Please watch this video to learn more

00:00 Introduction

00:14 Western Music

00:26 Differences in raga and scales

00:37 The seven notes in Indian Music

00:48 Indian Swara variations

01:19 Indian Music and Spirituality

01:43 In conclusion