Essay name: Musical Instruments in Sanskrit Literature
Author:
S. Karthick Raj KMoundinya
Affiliation: University of Madras / Department of Sanskrit
The essay studies the Musical Instruments in Sanskrit Literature and its relationship with the South Indian musical tradition. The study emphasizes the universal appeal of music and documents how it pervades various aspects of life, art, literature, painting, and sculpture.
Chapter 1 - Introduction: Musical instruments in India
17 (of 21)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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16
Hamsopaniṣad says that Nāda can be attained only by crores of
penance.
� एव जपकोटय� नादमनुभवति एव� सर्व� हंसवशान्नादो दशविधो जायत� �
चिणीति प्रथमः � चिञ्चिणीति द्वितीयः � घण्टानादस्तृतीया� � हंसनादश्चतुर्थ� �
पञ्चमस्तन्त्रीनादः � षष्ठस्तालनाद� � सप्तमो वेणुनादः � अष्टमा मृदङ्गनादः �
नवमो भेरीनादः � दशमो मेघनाद� �
[sa eva japakoṭayā nādamanubhavati eva� sarva� haṃsavaśānnādo daśavidho jāyate |
ciṇīti prathama� | ciñciṇīti dvitīya� | ghaṇṭānādastṛtīyā� | haṃsanādaścaturtha� |
pañcamastantrīnāda� | ṣaṣṭhastālanāda� | saptamo veṇunāda� | aṣṭamā mṛdaṅganāda� |
navamo bherīnāda� | daśamo meghanāda� |
] Hamsopanisad - Cakratānam - Verse 1
Nāda has to be experienced only through crores of penance and
that Nāda known through Hamsa, is ten fold. The sounds - cin as first,
cincin as second, ghanṭa as third, hamsa nāda as the fourth, tantri as
fifth, tāla as sixth, venu as seventh, mrdanga as eighth, bheri as ninth
and megha as the tenth.
The Purānas deal with devotional and bhakti music. In some of
the Purāṇas, details pertaining to music are found in separate sections.
For instance, the whole of Chapter 21 is devoted to music in the
Mārkandeya Purāna. Verses 23 and 24 therein depict the number of
svaras, grāma rāgas, gītas and murcchanas as seven and the number of
Tālas as forty-nine.
सप्तस्वर� ग्रामरागाः सप्त पन्नगसप्तम गीतकान� � सप्तैव तावत्यश्चापि मूर्च्छनाः �
[saptasvarā grāmarāgā� sapta pannagasaptama gītakāni ca saptaiva tāvatyaścāpi mūrcchanā� |
] Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa XXI Verse 23
तालाश्चैकोनपञ्चाशत्तथा ग्रामत्रयाञ्चयत् �
[tālāścaikonapañcāśattathā grāmatrayāñcayat |
] Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa XXI Verse 24
