Some Important Shiksha Vedangas (study)
by Mala Laha | 2021 | 31,647 words
This page relates ‘Svarabhakti according to the Naradi Shiksha� of the study dealing with Shiksha Vedangas—a 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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 4 - Svarabhakti according to the ī Śṣ�
The term �svarabhakti� signifies a fraction or fragment of a vowel. As regards the syllabication of �svarabhakti�, the ղٳپīⲹپśⲹ[1] and ṻ岹پśⲹ[2] lay down that it belongs to the previous vowel. The ղٳپīⲹپśⲹ described that after a �r� and before a spirant which is followed by a vowel, is inserted a svarabhakti, half a short �a�, or a quarter, while before any other consonant the svarabhakti after �r� is a quarter or an eight of �a�[3]. The ᲹԱīپśⲹ[4] restricts the occurrence of anything like svarabhakti to cases in which a spirant is the second member of a group and is itself followed by a vowel. But it allows this both after a �r� and a �l� and moreover, defined it as being the ��� and ��� vowels respectively. According to the ṻ岹پśⲹ[5], the svarabhakti which is described ṻ岹پśⲹ as being like the “ṛ� vowel is inserted between a �r� and a following consonant, when the former, is preceded by a vowel. If the following consonant is a spirant and itself is followed by a vowel, the svarabhakti is the longer one, as being a half�mora in length, while in other cases, the shorter one, of half of this length, is interposed.
According to ī Śṣ�, the svarabhakti which is followed by a Գܲ or a consonant or a same group of succeeding consonant and it always belongs to the preceding syllable�
अनुस्वार� पदान्तश्� क्रमजः प्रत्यये स्वके।
स्वरभक्तिस्तथा रेफः सर्व� पृर्वाङ्गमुच्यत्�Գܲ� padāntaśca kramaja� pratyaye svake|
svarabhaktistathā repha� sarva� pṛrvāṅgamucyat||(ī Śṣ� 2/2/15)
According to ī Śṣ�, there are two types of svarabhakti, one which is described as being like the ��� vowel and another is described as being like the ��� vowel�
स्वरभक्तिस्त� द्विबिधा ऋकार� रे� एव � �
स्वरोद� व्यञ्जनोदा � विहिताऽक्षरचिन्तकैः॥svarabhaktistu dvibidhā ṛkāro repha eva ca |
svarodā vyañjanodā ca vihitā'kṣaracintakaiḥ||(ī Śṣ� 2/6/7)
Actually a ��� with a spirant is always of high quality, but without a spirant ��� becomes of low quality[6]. According to ī Śṣ�, if the following consonant is a spirant and is itself followed by a ��� the svarabhakti is the longer one and in another case it is the shorter one. From this discussion it is cleared that svarabhakti means part of a vowel or appearance of a consonant. Many times a semivowel, which consists of one letter, has to be divided, especially for purposes of metre. It is divided as also for accentuation into two letters or rather, it has to be turned into two letters by inserting a vowel before it or after it. For instance, �y� is to be burned into �iy�, e.g. �ٰⲹ첹� ⲹ峾� for �ٰⲹ첹� ⲹ峾�; while �r� or �reph� is to be turned into ��� as for instance in �karhi cit� which is to be uttered as �k'ṛhi cit�.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
visarjanīyānusvārau bhajete pūrvamakṣaram. (Ṛgvedapratiśākhya,18.30)
[3]:
rephoṣmasaṃyoge rephasvarabhakti. (Taittirīyapratiśākhya, 21.15)
[4]:
ᲹԱīپśⲹ,4.16
[5]:
ṻ岹پśⲹ,6.13-14
[6]:
ī Śṣ� 2/6/6, ī Śṣ� 2/6/7