vol_I_p092 — Bṛhaddeśī

Bṛhaddeśī · Volume I

pp. 166–167folio 092

Devanāgarī (Bṛhaddeśī)

(ii) श्रुत्यनन्तरभावी यः स्निग्धोऽनुरणनात्मकः ।

स्वतो रञ्जयति श्रोतृचित्त स स्वर उच्यते⁴ ॥

(SRI, 3, 24cd 25 ab) (i) "The creamy and sweet sound with resonance as its essence, that is influenced by the sound born of the attack on the śruti-sthāna itself is svara. " (ii) "That (sound) which comes into being immediately after śruti, is creamy, has resonance as its essence (and) delights the listener's mind by itself, is called svara." Abhi Bhā implicitly and S R explicitly gives the name śruti to the first sound produced by 'attack', svara being the immediately consequent sound comprised of resonance. Thus śruti has two meanings viz. each 'point' in the series of intervals in a heptad accepted as twenty-two and the initial sound produced by 'attack' on each of these points. This line of thought is initiated by Abhinavagupta, but its seed seems to be inherent in Matanga when he says that struti is an object of perception. The initial sound produced by 'attack' marks the beginning of the process of hearing and hence the name 'sruti' is apt here both as an object ( karman ) of hearing and the act of hearing (bhāva ). 62,63,64. Prastāra (visual representation) of śrutis (see note 40 ante) is here said to be of three types viz. daņļa, viņā and maņļala. Abhinavagupta (Abhi Bhā on NŚ XXVIII, p. 24) mentions only danda and mandala and Kallinātha mentions viņā and maņļala. Thus maņļala is common to all the three and Abhi Bhā and Kalā explain it in the same way as BrD. On the basis of the three texts these three could be clearly understood as follows - (i) For danda-prastara twenty-two (vertical) lines should be drawn and their upper ends could be used in the same way as in viņā prastāra. (ii) For viņā-prastāra twenty-two horizontal lines have to be drawn and either of the ends (left or right) could be used for indicating svaras and their intermediary śrutis. (iii) For mandala-prastara six vertical and five horizontal lines have to be drawn; hence twenty-two ends ( up-down and right-left ) will be available, thus making it possible to indicate the svaras and their intermediary śrutis in a cyclic way in the pradakṣiṇā-krama (moving from the right to the left i.e. clockwise movement). 65. This refers to the following passage of NS where the śruti - intervals in şadjagrāma have been enumerated from şadja-

तिसो दे च चतस्रश्च चतस्रस्तिस एव च ।

हे चैवाय चतसम्ब पद्जग्रामे भवेद्विधि¹² ॥

( NŚ XXVIII, 24 ) "Three, two and four, again four and three, two and then four ( śrutis ) — this is the prescription in sadjagrāma". Thus the cycle has been started with the interval of rsabha, rather than that of şadja which is the first svara of şadjagrāma. 66. The purport of the argument in support of starting the cycle of sruti - intervals from rabha instead of sadja is that if the cycle is started with sadja it would

English — Sharma (Vimarśa)

be completed at niṣāda and there would be no place for kākalī niṣāda directly. The word antara in the compound 'antara-mūrchanā' covers both antara gāndhāra and kākalī niṣāda.⁸ Kākalī niṣāda could find a direct place in the cycle only if the cycle ends with sadja so that the interval between nisāda and şadja is covered; if the cycle begins with şadja then its interval from nişāda will not be directly covered. The mandala (cycle) beginning with reabha in sadjagrāma will cover both the grāmas in the following manner- Madhyama-grama⁹ pa ma Sadja-grama ga п sa an ga dha an ga kā ni ma ni ga ni kā ni dha pa пі sa 67, 68. Matanga has used the word grāmaņī ( leader of the village ) only once. Sadja and madhyama are here said to be the grāmaņis (leaders) of sadja- grāma and madhyama-grāma respectively.⁶ Other svaras are said to be their ( of şadja and madhyama) agre-sara; this term could be explained in two ways according to the association of agre with time and space.⁷ In the context of time agre usually stands for 'later', e.g. agre vakṣyāmaḥ, "we shall speak of it later". In the context of space it stands for 'in front' i.e. before. Other svaras come 'later' than şadja and madhyama, because primarily şadja and madhyama have to be established or accepted on an arbitrary sound and then the interval of rsabha- pañcama could be shown. Thus the other svaras beginning with rşabha and pañcama in the two grāmas come 'later'. In the context of space, the other svaras come first, agre meaning in front. Monier Williams translates agre-sara as moving in front or preceding; here preceding will have to be construed in terms of space and not in terms of time. ni-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni are moving in front of 'sa' and similarly pa-dha-ni-sa-ri-ga are moving in front of 'ma'; 'sa' and 'ma' are 'behind' in the sense that they have been accepted or supposed first. The 'first' in time comes last in space; e.g. if some beeds are filled up in a bottle, those

← I p091 index I p093 →

Sanskrit attestations (2)

4.[definition] ⇄Svara is a creamy and sweet sound with resonance as its essence, influenced by the sound born of attack on the śruti-sthānaश्रुत्यनन्तरभावी यः स्निग्धोऽनुरणनात्मकः । स्वतो रञ्जयति श्रोतृचित्त स स्वर उच्यते

12.[structural] ⇄In sadjagrāma, the śruti-intervals follow the pattern: three, two and four, again four and three, two and then fourतिसो दे च चतस्रश्च चतस्रस्तिस एव च । हे चैवाय चतसम्ब पद्जग्रामे भवेद्विधि

English attestations (13)

1.[attribution]Abhinavagupta initiated the line of thought distinguishing śruti as initial attack sound and svara as consequent resonant soundThis line of thought is initiated by Abhinavagupta, but its seed seems to be inherent in Matanga when he says that struti is an object of perception.

2.[attribution]Abhinavagupta mentions only danda and mandala prastāra types in his commentary on NatyashastraAbhinavagupta (Abhi Bhā on NŚ XXVIII, p. 24) mentions only danda and mandala

3.[attribution]Kallinātha mentions viņā and mandala prastāra typesand Kallinātha mentions viņā and maņļala.

4.[definition]Svara is a creamy and sweet sound with resonance as its essence, influenced by the sound born of attack on the śruti-sthānaThe creamy and sweet sound with resonance as its essence, that is influenced by the sound born of the attack on the śruti-sthāna itself is svara.

5.[enumeration]Prastāra of śrutis has three types: danda, viņā, and mandalaPrastāra (visual representation) of śrutis (see note 40 ante) is here said to be of three types viz. daņļa, viņā and maņļala.

6.[relation]Sadja and madhyama are the grāmaņīs (leaders) of sadja-grāma and madhyama-grāma respectivelySadja and madhyama are here said to be the grāmaņis (leaders) of sadja- grāma and madhyama-grāma respectively.

7.[relation]Other svaras are designated as agre-sara (moving in front or preceding) relative to sadja and madhyamaOther svaras are said to be their ( of şadja and madhyama) agre-sara; this term could be explained in two ways according to the association of agre with time and space.

8.[relation]The word antara in antara-mūrchanā covers both antara gāndhāra and kākalī niṣādaThe word antara in the compound 'antara-mūrchanā' covers both antara gāndhāra and kākalī niṣāda.

9.[relation]Madhyama-grāma is one of two grāmas covered by the mandala cycle beginning with rsabha in sadjagrāmaThe mandala (cycle) beginning with reabha in sadjagrāma will cover both the grāmas in the following manner- Madhyama-grama

10.[structural]Danda-prastara requires twenty-two vertical lines with upper ends used for indicating svarasFor danda-prastara twenty-two (vertical) lines should be drawn and their upper ends could be used in the same way as in viņā prastāra.

11.[structural]Mandala-prastara requires six vertical and five horizontal lines to create twenty-two endpoints for indicating svaras in cyclic pradakṣiṇā-kramaFor mandala-prastara six vertical and five horizontal lines have to be drawn; hence twenty-two ends ( up-down and right-left ) will be available, thus making it possible to indicate the svaras and their intermediary śrutis in a cyclic way in the pradakṣiṇā-krama (moving from the

12.[structural]In sadjagrāma, the śruti-intervals follow the pattern: three, two and four, again four and three, two and then four"Three, two and four, again four and three, two and then four ( śrutis ) — this is the prescription in sadjagrāma".

13.[structural]Viņā-prastāra requires twenty-two horizontal lines with either end used for indicating svaras and intermediary śrutisFor viņā-prastāra twenty-two horizontal lines have to be drawn and either of the ends (left or right) could be used for indicating svaras and their intermedirary śrutis.

← I p091 index I p093 →