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 3 - Musical Instruments of India (with reference to Sanskrit literary sources)
30 (of 114)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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143
In P膩峁噄ni's days music was regarded as an art (Silpa)
啶多た啶侧啶ぎ啷�
[艣颈濒辫补尘
] A峁ａ弓膩dhy膩yi (IV 4.55)
The affix 3' comes in the sense of 'that is whose art', after a word
denoting art, in the first case in construction. Thus yesangi ficuuza
HI: 1-a drummer -' an expert in playing on the Mrdanga'
Of the percussion and righting instruments mentioned is made of
Ma岣嶀笉奴ka a small tabour and Jharjhara
啶ぁ啷傕啶澿ぐ啷嵿啶班ぞ啶︵ぃ啶ㄠ啶い啶膏啶ぞ啶
啶ぁ啷佮啶掂ぞ啶︵え啶� 啶多た啶侧啶ぎ啶膏啶� 啶ぞ啶∴啶曕 啷�
[尘补岣嵟玨补箩丑补谤箩丑补谤腻诲补峁嘺苍测补迟补蝉测腻尘
ma岣島kav膩dana峁� 艣颈濒辫补尘asya m膩岣嵟玨a岣� |
] A峁ａ弓膩dhy膩yi (IV 4.56)
啶ぞ啶∴啶∴啶曕た啶曕 啷� 啶澿ぞ啶澿ぐ啶� 啷� 啶澿ぞ啶班啶澿ぐ啶苦啶� 啷�
[m膩岣嶀笉奴kika岣� | jh膩jhara岣� | jh膩rjharika岣� |
] The affix '30' comes optionally in the sense of 'this is whose art'.
P膩峁噄gha and T膩lagha were the time keepers in art.
啶ぞ啶｀た啶�-啶むぞ啶侧ぇ啷�-啶多た啶侧啶た啶ㄠた 啷�
[p膩峁噄gha-t膩ladho-艣ilpini |
] A峁ａ弓膩dhy膩y墨 (III.2.55)
From these sutras it is clear that Vocal music, instrumental music,
playing on cymbals- all came under the common name of silpa. 艢ilpa
comprised n峁泃ya (dance), Gita (song), V膩ditra (Instrumental music), and
sometimes also N膩峁瓂a (stage-acting).
The A峁ａ弓膩dhy膩yi refers to all of them, eg. Song is referred to as g墨ti
(III.3.95), and geya (III.4.68), a songster as gathika and gayani a dancer as
nartaka (III, 1.145), a vocal singer as g膩thaka and g膩thika (III, 1.146) as
follows:
