Mātṛkā - concept

Generative rules (3) ↗ filter all

BD_6_1_R017 definition · 1 att.
Mātṛkā has two contexts: mother-goddesses and primary unit of language; Matanga uses it as primary unit of tonal sound (more subtle than śruti)
R_289_matrkas relation · 1 att.
Mātṛkās = subtle bases related to śrutis through a numeric correspondence.
R_2148_001 structural · 1 att.
Mātṛkā formation: iḍā and piṅgalā move vakra (crooked)

Pseudocode (DSL v1.1) ↗ full DSL (raw text)

RULE id: mātṛkā (cluster 102)
SCOPE: technical_term family
STATUS: empirical
CONFIDENCE: empirical
PROTECT: false

Essence pseudocode — identity + RECORD. The page citations for each slot value are in the Grammar record table above (audit trail). The full DSL adds ASSERTIONS with verbatim quotes (see Affirmations below) and CITED_RULES (see Graph relations).

Graph relations

Outgoing (4)

--[definition]--> śrutis (2)--[definition]--> Matanga (1)--[attribution]--> Varņa (1)--[relation]--> śrutis (1)

Incoming (4)

pramāņa --[definition]--> (2)prabandha --[relation]--> (1)Ekatālī --[citation]--> (1)vikalpana --[relation]--> (1)

Affirmations (4)

attribution

p.vol_I_p083

english

conf 0.92

[show source]

Varņa and its matrix mātrkā are identified as the 'light of the world'

"When varya and its matrix mātrkā is said to be the 'light of the world', the idea would be that sound is the origin of all manifest forms."

149 VIMARŚA As for the distinction between vowel and musical note, Abhinavagupta has made a remarkable contribution in the conception of the autonomy of musical note; this will be dealt with under the definition of svara in our text. 16. In language vyañjana, consonant ( lit. the act or instrument of mani- festation ) is the phonetic unit that brings about specificity, but it can be pronounced only with the help of vowel, otherwise it is impotent or ineffective. Hence svara has been identified here with the śakti (supreme energy or power) that lends the state of Siva to vyanjana (cf. Gandharva Tantra, IX. 17 and Garland of Letters, p. 260). The underlying idea is that Siva obtains His state only from the association with Sakti, otherwise it is like Sava (a dead body). Sakti is identified with ikāra ( the vowel 'i' ). ( cf. citation from Saktikāgama in Sabdakalpadruma Pt. V, p. 5) 17. Svarūpa (lit. own form) means the phonetic form of word and sentence without reference to meaning. The whole world being a manifestation of dhvani (sound), the very form of word and sentence without reference to meaning, delineates or 'paints' the world because this form itself is a stage of manifestation that in itself is the basis of further manifestation. 18. The sentence is the basic semantic unit, the 'word' becomes meaningful when it forms part of a sentence. This is the point of view of grammar ( vyākaraņa ) which is mentioned here. 19. Pada is defined by Pāṇini (Aṣṭā I, 4.14) as that which combines the suffix sup or tin (nominal or verbal suffixes), it is not just a combination of syllables. 20, 21. Kāraka is not co-extensive with 'case'. It is instrumental in bringing about the action denoted by verb (Monier Williams), Kāraka is the hetu or nimitta (cause) of kriyā (action). There are six Kārakas according to Pāņini, viz. kartṛ, karman, karaṇa, sampradāna, apādāna and adhikaraṇa. The sambandha (genitive case) is not accepted to be a Kāraka, because 'it ordinarily expresses the relation of two nouns to each other, but not the relation of a noun and a verb.' ( Monier Williams ) The sentence is formed with padas that have sup or tin suffixes combined with nouns and verbs respectively, standing, in turn, for kāraka and kriyā. 22. Mahāvākya has four primary connotations as follows - (a) An aggregation of sentences where the apprehension of the meaning of the individual components (sentences) leads to the apprehension of the total meaning of the aggregate, just as in the aggregate of five components in the nyāya-vākya used for inference. This is the view of nyāya. (b) An aggregate of sentences where one sentence is primary and the others are secondary. This is the view of Mimāmsā. (c) A sentence that expresses deep philosophical meaning. This is the view of Vedanta where sentences like tattvamasi (thou art That) aham brahmasmi (I am brahman ) etc. are accepted as mahā-vākyas. (d) A simple aggregate of sentences as in Rāmāyaņa, Mahābhārata or any literary composition.

definition

p.vol_I_p091

english

conf 0.95

[show source]

Mātṛkā has two major contexts of usage: mother-goddesses and the primary unit of language; Matanga refers to mātṛkā as the primary unit of syllabic sound and the primary unit of tonal sound

"Mātṛkā is a word with two major contexts of usage. One is the context of mother-goddesses... and the other is the primary unit of language... Matanga has referred to mātrkā as the primary unit of syllabic sound (vide verse 5, 6 ante). Here he is referring to the mātṛkās of śrutis which would mean the primary unit of tonal sound, which is more subtle than śruti."

165 VIMARŚA Wherever there is smoke, there is fire. This vyāpti-graha is accompanied by an udāharaņa (illustration) which is like this- यथा महानसे । As it is in the kitchen. The syllogism is completed in five steps known as avayavas (parts) as follows - (i) Pratijā (proposition) - the hill is fiery. (ii) Hetu (reason) - because of being smoky. (iii) Udāharaņa (example) - wherever there is smoke, there is fire, just as in the kitchen. (iv) Upanaya (application) - 'it is so here' or 'the hill has smoke which is a concomitant of fire'. (v) Nigamana (deduction) - therefore the hill is fiery. 57. Sound is accepted as the guṇa (attribute) of ākāśa (space, ether) - शब्दगणमाकाशम् । (Tarkasamgraha, Arthanirūpaņa Section, p. 354) 58. For parināma see note no. 51 above. In parināma, there is total change, whereas in abhivyakti, there is no change; a thing that is already present is manifested as it is. Hence both these propositions are mutually contradictory and could not be accepted together; they could only be accepted as alternatives. 59. Mātṛkā is a word with two major contexts of usage. One is the context of mother-goddesses whose number is seven (Märk Pur, 88. 11-20; 38), eight, fourteen (Gobh Smr I, 11, 20), eighteen (MBh 219, 26-41), or thirty-two (Mat Pur 179) and the other is the primary unit of language. NŚ (III, 30 and 45) speaks of Nāţya-mātr in plural number in the context of ranga-daivata- pūjana (worship of the god of the stage). This text also uses the word nata- mātṛkā (NŚ IV, 31 b) for the primary constituent unit of nṛtta (dance). This idea of primary unit is basic in the second context of mātņkā referred to above. Matanga has referred to mātrkā as the primary unit of syllabic sound (vide verse 5, 6 ante). Here he is referring to the mātṛkās of śrutis which would mean the primary unit of tonal sound, which is more subtle than śruti. 60. The inseparable relationship of ādhāra (container) and ādheya (contained) is generally accepted between dharmin and dharma; here śruti could be equated with dharmin and svara with dharma. 61. The existence of śrutis is said, here, to be proved or comprehended by negative inference, inference or (direct) perception. Since srutis are perceptible in the form of svara alone, svara being the manifest state of śruti, the mention of the perception of sruti seems to be somewhat incongruous and hence it becomes necessary to probe into the possibility of there being another meaning attached to śruti and this enquiry leads to a reference to Abhinavagupta's following statement and its paraphrase in S R- (i) ------श्रुतिस्थानाभिघातप्रभवशब्दप्रभावितोऽनुरणनात्मा स्निग्धमधुरः शब्द एव स्वरः - (Abhi Bhā on NS XXVIII, 21, p. 11) -------------------------------------- . - THE WORLD

relation

p.vol_I_p020

english

conf 0.85

[show source]

Mātṛkās are subtle bases related to śrutis in a numeric correspondence

"how many are they in relation to mātṛkās"

structural

p.vol_I_p094

english

conf 0.90

[show source]

The movement of iḍā and pingalā in the formation of matrkās is vakra (crooked)

"speaking of the formation of matrkās has said that the movement of ida and pingalā is vakra ( crooked )"

VIMARŚA 171 musical training, even today the ākāra sound is given primary importance. (cf. DAI, p. 46) 21, 22. This contention does not seem to fit in the context. The acceptance of vowels beginning with ākāra out of the fourteen svaras (vowels) of language does not carry further the argument that vowels and musical tones cannot be equated. The number of vowels in language is twenty-one according to Pa Si (4), sixteen according to Ag Pur XCI, 12, 16 and fourteen according to NŚ Kā Mā XIV, 8 as well as according to some Tantra texts (cf. Mahāmāyācāmaratantra quoted in Tantra-mahāvijāāna in Hindi by Sri Ram Sharma I, p. 58). Our author has accepted the last number viz. fourteen. The solfa-syllables viz., sa ri ga ma pa dha ni combine only two vowels viz. a and i with the respective consonants. Perhaps the author is hinting at the acceptance of these two vowels out of fourteen viz. a, ā, i, i, u, ū, r, rī, lr, lrī, e, ai o, au. 23. The gradual ascent of seven svaras in pitch seems to be implied. 24. There seems to be a break in the text; this sentence seems to be the concluding remark of the whole discussion on the question of equating vowels of language with musical tones both of which bear the same name viz. svara. 25. In grammar paribhāṣā is the adjective of those sūtras (rules) that teach the proper interpretation or application of other rules or resolve the apparent contradictions among other rules. This word also stands, in general, for abbreviations or signs used in any discipline; the latter meaning is relevant here as sa ri ga ma pa dha ni are abbreviations of şadja, rşabha, gāndhāra, madhyama, pañcama, dhaivata, nisāda respectively. Since BrD is the first extant . work that uses solfa-syllables, the above discussion has a historical context. 26-33. The samvādin, anuvādin and vivādin svaras represent the relationship of samvāda (roughly consonance), anuvāda (assonance) and vivāda (dissonance) among svaras. A relationship pre-supposes two entities, rather two ends in this case. The first one of these is the vādin or point of reference and the second one is samvādin or anuvādin or vivādin according to the interval concerned. This phenomenon of threefold relationships is associated with pleasantness, indifference and unpleasantness which has been depicted here with dual imagery viz. that of a logical discussion and governance. In an assembly involved in logical discussion one person makes a postulation; the vādin svara, playing the role of fundamental tone or tonic is like the person who initiates a discussion. The samvadin is like a person who actively supports the initial postulation. The anuvadin is like the person who passively supports the postulation and the vivadin is like the one who opposes the postulation. This imagery is inherent in the set of four musical terms that are under reference here and have been handed down by tradition. The second imagery of monarchial governance is an imposed one and occurs in our text for the first time in extant texts. It has been mentioned in almost all later texts. 34. Here raga seems to stand for melodic configuration or melody-matrix, rather than the delightfulness of musical sound in general.

Mātṛkā technical_term

Generative rules (3) ↗ filter all

Pseudocode (DSL v1.1) ↗ full DSL (raw text)

Graph relations

Outgoing (4)

Incoming (4)

Affirmations (4)