svalakşana technical_term

19 TRANSLATION [ Five alternatives in the relationship between sruti and svara ] Now the vikalpa⁴⁷ (option or alternative) about śrutis is being spoken of. The tādātmya 48 (identification of svara with śruti), vivartatva 49 (svara being the reflection of śruti), kāryatva 50 (svara being the kārya or effect of śruti), pariņāmitā⁵¹ (svara being the transformation of śruti) and also abhivyañjakatā⁵² (28) (svara being manifested by śruti) of śrutis is spoken of. Now he (the author) explains this itself— There is identification between svara and śruti i.e. both are identical just like jāti (species) and vyakti (individual or particular) because there is no differentia (viśeșa) between the two that are (equally) perceptible by the ear. (29) Just as the face of men is reflected in the mirror, similarly, svara manifests or (30) appears as reflected in the śrutis themselves. Some say that svaras are the kārya (effect) of śruti, just as the jar is the (31) 'effect' of the lump of clay and the rod (of the potter's wheel). Srutis undoubtedly get transformed into the form of svaras just as milk gets (32) totally transformed in the form of curd. The seven svaras beginning with sadja are always manifested by śrutis, just as the jar and the like located in darkness (are manifested), by the candle. (33) Thus, with this much I have spoken of the alternative (views) about śrutis. (34) Now I will speak about the refutation of (these) alternative (s). In general, the distinction of things having svalakşana 53 (distinctive feature) is siddha (evident or proved) like other things (that have their own distinction). That (thing) becomes (absurd or impossible) like nabhaḥ-puṣpa54 (a flower grown (35) in the sky) (when or if it is said to be) without differentia.

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