Quantity of Sound according to 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ� [Part 4]

Some Important Shiksha Vedangas (study)

by Mala Laha | 2021 | 31,647 words

This page relates 鈥楺uantity of Sound according to Yajnavalkya Shiksha鈥� of the study dealing with Shiksha Vedangas鈥攁 crucial component of Vedic literature focusing on phonetics and pronunciation in ancient texts. The researched texts include the Paniniya, Yajnavalkya and Naradi Shiksas, among others. The study also investigates historical phonological transformations between Sanskrit and Pali, exploring the evolution of sounds and pronunciation.

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Part 4 - Quantity of Sound according to 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�

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The essential part of every utterance is duration. There are three kinds of duration: short, long and 鈥�pluta鈥� (protracted). It is measured for purposes of phonological description, by 鈥�尘腻迟谤腻鈥�^[1] or mora. This 鈥�尘腻迟谤腻鈥� (mora) is subdivided into four parts, called the four 补峁嘘 鈥檚. 鈥�础峁嘘鈥� is the minimum standard of duration. However, it is too delicate for perception. The 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ� compares to 鈥�补峁嘘鈥� to a particle of air reflecting the sun鈥檚 rays, the spatial comparison being presumably intended to convey an idea of its delicate nature^[2]. The 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ� gives a curious physiological correspondence of these 鈥�补峁嘘s鈥�. The seat of one 鈥�补峁嘘鈥� is in the heart, of two 鈥�补峁嘘s鈥� are in the throat and of three 鈥�补峁嘘s鈥� are at the front of the tongue, while the mora is physiologically spoken of as being 鈥渄iffused鈥�^[3]. The quantity of a mora or 尘腻迟谤腻 is analogically described in several ways.

In the 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�, one mora is compared to a note of the woodcock, the quantity of two moras or the long vowel is compared to the cawing of the crow, while the quantity of three moras or the ultra long i.e. pluta vowel is compared to the note of the peacock鈥�

啶氞ぞ啶粪じ啷嵿い啷� 啶掂う啶む 啶ぞ啶む啶班ぞ啶� 啶︵啶掂た啶ぞ啶む啶班 啶ぞ啶じ啷嬥そ啶掂啶班さ啷€啶む啷�
啶多た啶栢 啶掂う啶むた啶む啶班た啶ぞ啶む啶班 啶ぞ啶む啶班ぞ啶｀ぞ啶た啶むた啶膏啶膏啶ムた啶むた啶冟ゥ
c膩峁stu vadate 尘腻迟谤腻峁� dvim膩tra峁� b膩yaso'vrav墨t|
艣ikh墨 vadati trim膩tra峁� 尘腻迟谤腻峁嚹乵iti sa峁僺thiti岣|

(驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ� 17,18)

The 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ� is an authoritative work on this subject and it exhaustively deals with the rules of duration. There are four kinds of rules about duration of speech sound.

a. Quantity of individual sounds (Vowels).
b. Quantity of adjunct sounds(Consonants)
c. Quantity of the pause.
d. Quantity of the 鈥�补苍耻蝉惫腻谤补鈥�.

1 Quantity of individual sounds (vowels)

According to the 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�, vowels are classified as 鈥�hrasva鈥� short, 鈥�诲墨谤驳丑补鈥� long and 鈥�pluta鈥� Ultra long. The quantity of 鈥�诲墨谤驳丑补鈥� is two moras and the 鈥减濒耻迟补鈥� is three moras.鈥�

啶忇啶ぞ啶む啶班 啶さ啷囙う啷� 啶灌啶班じ啷嵿さ啷� 啶︵啶掂た啶ぞ啶む啶班 啶︵啶班啶� 啶夃啷嵿く啶む啷�
啶む啶班た啶ぞ啶む啶班じ啷嵿い啷� 啶啶侧啶む 啶溹啶炧啶......啷�
ekam膩tro bhaved hrasvo dvim膩tro 诲墨谤驳丑补 ucyate|
trim膩trastu pluto j帽eyo......||

(驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�, 13)

According to the 峁欢惫别诲补辫谤腻迟颈艣腻办丑测补 (XIII.16) and the 笔腻峁噄苍墨测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�^[4], the second element of the 鈥减濒耻迟补鈥� diphthongs 鈥�补颈鈥� and 鈥�补耻鈥� were longer.

2 Quantity of consonant

According to 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�, quantity of a consonant is only half a mora.鈥�

...啶掂啶啷嵿啶ㄠ 啶氞ぞ啶班啶оぎ啶距い啷嵿ぐ啶苦啶
...惫测补帽箩补苍补峁� 肠腻谤诲丑补尘腻迟谤颈办补尘

(驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�, 13)

The duration of a consonant according to the majority of Indian Grammarians^[5] is half 鈥�尘腻迟谤腻鈥�, but according to the 础迟丑补谤惫补惫别诲补辫谤补迟颈艣腻办丑测补 it is one 鈥�尘腻迟谤腻鈥濃€�

啶忇啶ぞ啶む啶班 啶灌啶班じ啷嵿さ啶�,啶掂啶啶溹え啶距え啶� 啶氞イ
ekam膩tro hrasva岣�,vya峁僯an膩ni ca|

(础迟丑补谤惫补惫别诲补辫谤补迟颈艣腻办丑测补, 1.59)

On the other hand the opinion of the 峁歬迟补苍迟谤补惫测腻办补谤补峁嘺尘 it is either one 鈥湷灸宄侔邂€� or 1/2 尘腻迟谤腻鈥�

啶ぞ啶む啶班ぞ啶班啶оぎ啶距い啷嵿ぐ啶� 啶掂ぞ啶さ啶むた啶掂啶啶溹え啶た啶む啶ぇ啶苦啶距ぐ啶冟イ
尘腻迟谤腻rdha尘腻迟谤腻 v膩 bhavati vya峁僯anamityadhik膩ra岣

(峁歬tantravy膩kara峁嘺, 2.28)

The duration of a fricative (耻峁补) according to the 笔腻峁噄苍墨测补艢颈办峁Ｄ� is equal to that of a long vowel鈥�

啶膏啶掂啶む 啶ぞ啶む啶班た啶曕 啶溹啶炧啶 啶掂た啶掂啶む 啶む 啶︵啶掂た啶ぞ啶む啶班た啶曕ぎ啷嵿イ
啶膏啶掂ぐ啶距ぃ啶距ぎ啷傕し啷嵿ぎ啶｀ぞ啶� 啶氞啶� 啶掂た啶掂啶む 啶曕ぐ啶｀ 啶膏啶啶むぎ啷嵿ゥ
sa峁僾峁泃a峁� 尘腻迟谤颈办补峁� j帽eya峁� viv峁泃a峁� tu dvim膩trikam|
svar膩峁嚹乵奴峁a峁嚹佱箖 caiva viv峁泃a峁� kara峁嘺峁� sm峁泃am||

(笔腻峁噄苍墨测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�,20,21)

3 Quantity of the Pause

A pause means 鈥渢ime of silence鈥� and generally it takes place at the end of a word, or at the end of the first member of a compound, which is shown split up in the 鈥�辫补诲补辫腻峁环补鈥� or inside a word, or at the end of a vowel when it is followed by another word. According to the 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ� the duration of the pause or 鈥�惫颈谤腻尘补鈥� is different in deferent circumstances.

For example there are three types of 鈥�惫颈谤腻尘补鈥� according to the 鈥�驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ佲€� 苍补尘别濒测鈥�

峁歡a惫颈谤腻尘补 (Verse Pause)鈥擜t the end of a verse, the duration equal to the three 鈥�尘腻迟谤腻s鈥�.

Pada惫颈谤腻尘补鈥擳he duration between two words equal to two 鈥�尘腻迟谤腻s鈥�.

啶嬥啷嬥そ啶班啶ム 啶む 啶︵啶掂た啶ぞ啶む啶班 啶膏啶ぞ啶む啶班た啶ぞ啶む啶班 啶膏啶ぞ啶︵啶椸え啷嵿い啶曕啷�
啶班た啶曕啶むえ啷嵿い啷� 啶ぞ啶｀た啶啶む啶曕啶粪た啶啶� 啶︵啶掂 啶ぞ啶む啶班 啶оぞ啶班く啷囙う啷� 啶啶о啷�
峁沜o'rthe tu dvim膩tra岣� sy膩trim膩tra岣� sy膩d峁沢antake|
riktantu p膩峁噄mutk峁pya dve m膩tre dh膩rayed budha岣|

(驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�, 13)

Avagraha惫颈谤腻尘补鈥擳he duration of an 鈥�avagraha鈥� is equal to the half a mora鈥�

啶呧さ啶椸啶班す啷� 啶む 啶曕ぞ啶侧 啶膏啶ぞ啶︵ぐ啷嵿ぇ啶ぞ啶む啶班ぞ啶む啶啷� 啶灌た啶膏啷�
avagrahe tu k膩la岣� sy膩dardha尘腻迟谤腻tmako hi sa岣

(驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�,13)

4 Quantity of 鈥楢nusv膩ra鈥�

According to the 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�, the 鈥�补苍耻蝉惫腻谤补鈥� is long after a short vowel, but short after a long vowel鈥�

啶掂ぐ啷嵿ぃ啷� 啶む 啶ぞ啶む啶班た啶曕 啶啶班啶掂 啶灌啶え啷佮じ啷嵿さ啶距ぐ啷� 啶︵啶掂た啶ぞ啶む啶班た啶曕啷�
啶︵啶掂た啶ぞ啶む啶班た啶曕 啶ぞ啶む啶班た啶曕 啶膏啶ぞ啶む 啶膏啶啶椸ぞ啶︵啶ざ啷嵿 啶 啶さ啷囙い啷嵿ゥ
var峁噀 tu m膩trike p奴rve hyanusv膩ro dvim膩trika岣
dvim膩trike m膩trika岣� sy膩t sa峁儁og膩dya艣ca yo bhavet||

(verse,42)

For example, it is long after 鈥�丑颈峁僺补鈥� but short after 鈥�dev膩n膩峁� h峁沝aye鈥�^[6]. But at the same time when an 鈥�补苍耻蝉惫腻谤补鈥� is after a short vowel and before a 鈥�蝉补峁儁耻办迟补惫补谤峁嘺鈥� it becomes short.鈥�

啶呧え啷佮じ啷嵿さ啶距ぐ啶膏啶啶ぐ啶苦し啷嵿啶距い啷� 啶膏啶啶椸 啶い啷嵿ぐ啶︵啶多啶い啷囙イ
啶灌啶班じ啷嵿さ啶� 啶む 啶む 啶掂た啶溹ぞ啶ㄠ啶ぞ啶む 啶膏啶膏啶ムぞ啶た啶むた啶︵ぐ啷嵿ざ啶ㄠぎ啷嵿ゥ
补苍耻蝉惫腻谤补syopari峁ａ弓膩t sa峁儁oge yatra d峁浥泍ate|
hrasva峁� ta峁� tu vij膩n墨y膩t sa峁僺th膩miti dar艣anam||

(驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补艢颈办峁Ｄ�, 44)