vyañjana technical_term

³³ TRANSLATION (Anu. ¹⁸) But why are (vowels) beginning with ākāra 21 accepted out of fourteen 22 svaras? Truly has this been said. These have been accepted because of their uncommonness. Their uncommonness is because of their movement in upward sound.23 Or, the svaratva of vyanjanas beginning with şadja has been spoken of. But .... this is said to be only a sign 24 (by convention), that is to say, (the names of svaras) are the paribhāṣā 25 (list of abbreviations or signs) used by ācāryas (teachers). [The fourfold-ness of svaras according to kinds beginning with vadin ] (Anu. ¹⁹) Now I show the fourfold-ness of svaras, that befits the occasion or context. That is thus - Vādin 26 is so because of vadana 27 (speaking), like the master. The saṃvādin²⁸ is so because of saṃvadana²⁹ (supportive speaking), like the minister. The anuvādin⁵⁰ is so because of anuvadana⁵¹ (following or obedient speaking) like the attendants. Vivādin 52 is so because of vivadana 53 (opposite speaking), like the enemy. (Anu. 20) But vadana and the like are the nature (dharma) of living beings, how are they possible in insentient svaras? Truly has this been said. Vadana is here intended to mean the exposition of raga 34 (melody-matrix), not talking. What does it (vadana and the like) expound? It produces the ragatva 35 of raga.36 Those vadin svaras are only seven. That vādin should be understood as tenfold like the aṁśa.57 The vādi-maņdala (cycle of vādins) is thus - sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni. (Anu. ²¹) The samvadins should again be understood according to the interval of thirteen and nine śrutis, when there is sama-śrutikatva 38 (equal interval of the two svaras concerned, in terms of number of śrutis). What indeed is that samuāditua? The carrying forward or accomplishment⁵⁹ of the rāgatua of rāga 1 produced by the vādi-svara is indeed samvāditva (the nature of samvādin). The samvādi-mandala is thus —

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.