Some Important Shiksha Vedangas (study)
by Mala Laha | 2021 | 31,647 words
This page relates 鈥榗oncept of Yamavarna (a pair or a twin letter)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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 6 - The concept of Yamavar峁嘺 (a pair or a twin letter)
According to the theory of Indian Grammarians, Yama is one of a pair or a twin letter.
According to 狈腻谤补诲墨 艢颈办峁Ｄ� the Yama are available in pronunciation before a nasal letter or similar to it, when the nasal consonant is preceded by any one of the four consonants of the five class.鈥�
啶呧え啶ㄠ啶む啶ざ啷嵿 啶さ啷囙い啷� 啶啶班啶掂 啶呧え啷嵿い啷嵿く啶多啶� 啶ぐ啶む 啶う啶苦イ
啶むい啷嵿ぐ 啶ぇ啷嵿く啷� 啶ぎ啶膏啶むた啶粪啶熰啶む 啶膏さ啶班啶｀ 啶啶班啶掂さ啶班啶｀く啷嬥啷�anantya艣ca bhavet p奴rvo antya艣ca parato yadi|
tatra madhye yamasti峁ａ弓et savar峁嘺岣� p奴rvavar峁嘺yo岣|(狈腻谤补诲墨 艢颈办峁Ｄ�, 2/2/8)
啶掂ぐ啷嵿啶距え啷嵿く啶距啷嵿啶粪じ啷堗 啶膏ぞ啶班啶оぎ啶ㄠ啶むじ啷嵿ぅ啷堗ぐ啷嵿さ啶距そ啶た 啶膏啶啶むぞ啶ㄠ啷�
啶︵啶粪啶熰啶掂ぞ 啶ぎ啶� 啶ㄠた啶掂ぐ啷嵿い啶ㄠ啶む 啶嗋う啷囙ざ啶苦啶た啶掂ぞ啶洁ぇ啷嵿さ啶椸ぞ啶冟ゥvarg膩ny膩帽cha峁sai岣� s膩rdhamantasthairv膩'pi sa峁儁ut膩n|
d峁涐梗峁璿膩 yam膩 nivartante 膩de艣ikamiv膩'dhvag膩岣|(狈腻谤补诲墨 艢颈办峁Ｄ�, 2/2/9)
There are many examples of Yamas in the 厂腻尘补惫别诲补 of Kauthuma branch. The Yama represents itself as an example of partial doubling. For example, in 鈥渁ggane鈥�, 鈥�g鈥� is first doubled according to the general rule of doubling and then the second 鈥�g鈥� undergoes the stage called Yama. The number of distinct Yamas is not given by the 狈腻谤补诲墨 艢颈办峁Ｄ�. There are two different theories about the number of distinct Yamas. According to 笔腻峁噄苍墨测补 艢颈办峁Ｄ�[1], the 罢谤颈产丑腻艣测补谤补迟苍补[2], the 痴腻箩补蝉补苍别测墨辫谤腻迟颈艣腻办丑测补[3] Uvvata鈥檚 bh膩艣ya[4] and the 峁歬迟补苍迟谤补[5] there are only four types of 驰补尘补惫补谤峁嚹� like voiced and voiceless, aspirate and nonaspirate. On the other hand the 础迟丑补谤惫补惫别诲补辫谤腻迟颈艣腻办丑测补[6], the 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补辫谤补迟颈艣腻办丑测补[7] and the 峁欢惫别诲补辫谤腻迟颈艣腻办丑测补[8] suggested that there are twenty or twenty one kinds of yama (i.e. one for each of the not nasal 蝉辫补谤艣补 letters).
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
罢谤颈产丑腻峁补谤补迟苍补, commentary on the 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补辫谤腻迟颈艣腻办丑测补, 21.12
[3]:
痴腻箩补蝉补苍别测墨辫谤腻迟颈艣腻办丑测补, 8.29
[4]:
Uva峁璦bh膩峁a on 痴腻箩补蝉补苍别测墨辫谤腻迟颈艣腻办丑测补, 1.82
[5]:
峁歬迟补苍迟谤补 (Ed. By Burenell), p.2
[6]:
础迟丑补谤惫补惫别诲补辫谤腻迟颈艣腻办丑测补, 1.99
[7]:
罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补辫谤补迟颈艣腻办丑测补, 21.12
[8]:
峁欢惫别诲补辫谤腻迟颈艣腻办丑测补, 6.8