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 2 - Origin and evolution of Music and Musical instruments
88 (of 99)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
103 2
.20 Grammar and Musical Instruments:
The Vy膩kara峁嘺 (Grammar in Sanskrit) is associated with
Sabdabrahman. Worship of the N膩dabrahman, which is the goal of
music, is a branch of this.
11 "
艢iva temples have a mantapam (pavilion or hall) called
Vy膩kara峁嘺-danamantapa". In Tamil it has come to be called
v膩kka峁噄kkum mantapam ". There are such halls in many temples in the
Cola territory of Tamiln膩岣島. One such is in Tiruvorriyur near Madras.
Why should there be a mantapa for grammar in 艢iva temples? What is
艢iva's connection with language? The following verse gives a clue:
啶ㄠ啶む啶むぞ啶掂じ啶距え啷� 啶ㄠ啶班ぞ啶溹ぐ啶距啷� 啶ㄠえ啶距う 啶⑧啷嵿啶距ぎ啷� 啶ㄠさ啶啷嵿啶掂ぞ啶班ぎ啷� 啷�
啶夃う啷嵿ぇ啶班啶む啶曕ぞ啶 啶膏え啶曕ぞ啶︵た啶膏た啶︵啶оえ啷囙い啶距う啷嵿さ啶苦ぎ啶班啶多 啶多た啶掂じ啷傕い啷嵿ぐ啶溹ぞ啶侧ぎ啷� 啷�
[n峁泃t膩vas膩ne na峁璦r膩jar膩jo nan膩da 岣峢akk膩m navapa帽cav膩ram |
uddhartuk膩ma岣� sanak膩disiddhanet膩dvimar艣e 艣ivas奴traj膩lam ||
] At the conclusion of His cosmic dance, Lord Siva sounded His
drum 14 times. Na峁璦r膩ja has a drum in one hand, called the Dhakka or
Damaruka. The T膩la of this drum (the time kept by it) is in keeping with
the "footwork" of the dancing god, the movement of his feet.
When Nataraja danced like this, Sanaka and his brother sages,
Patanjali, Vy膩grap膩da and so on stood round him, and watched this awe
inspiring dance. Vis峁噓 played the drum called the Maddala, while
Brahma kept time.
