4. The Vedāṅgas in the Nārada Purāṇa (chapters 50-57)

The Vedāṅgas are the ‘limbs’ or accessories of the Veda which help the proper understanding, recitation and sacrificial application of the Vedas. They include the following exegetical sciences: Śikṣā (phonetics), Kalpa (ritual), Vyākaraṇa (grammar), Nirukta (etymology), Chandas (metrics) and Jyotiṣa (astronomy).^[1] These are compared to the following limbs of the Veda: the nose, the hands, the mouth, the ears, the feet and the eyes.

1. Śikṣā

The traditional list of Vedāṅgas assigns the first place to Śikṣā or instruction given for the correct pronunciation, accentuation, etc. of the Vedic text. Its oldest mention is found in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (1.2) and the oldest text dealing with them are the Prātiśākhyas.

The Nārada Purāṇa deals with not only the rules of correct pronunciations of (Vedic and classical) Sanskrit but also with the science of music—vocal and instrumental. The importance of this section of the Nārada Purāṇa becomes obvious when we find Agni Purāṇa summarising the Pāṇinīya Śikṣā practically in Pāṇini’s words.^[2]

According to Nārada, Svara (accent) is important in Śikṣā. In chanting ṚK, Gāthās and Sāma-mantras, the Svarāntara pertaining to ṚK (Arcika) is one, to Gāthās (Gāthika) is two, while that related to Sāma-mantras (Sāmika) is three. The Arcikasvara is used in chanting Kaṭha, Taittirīya, Ṛgveda and Sāma Veda Saṃhitās. The Ṛgveḍa may be chanted in Gāthika and Sāmika Svaras as well.^[3]

In the Vāṅmaya (every day speech) the pronunciation is from (1) the chest (uras), (2) the throat (kaṇṭha), and the head (śiras) These three are known as Savanas.

The Svaras, low (nīca), medium (madhya) and high (Ucca) have their sources from uras, kaṇṭha and śiras respectively, and the seven notes (sapta-svaras) in the Sāmaveda also are produced from these. The Ārcika svaras are classified as Udātta, Anudātta and Svarita.^[4] From physical (pārthiva) point of view, the svara is classified as ucca, madhyama and saṅghāta. Out of seven Svaras, the third, the first and the sixth (kruṣṭa) are used by Āhvarakas, the four svaras from second to the fifth by Taittirīyas, all the seven svaras by Sāmavedins and the second and the first svaras by Tāṇḍins, Śātapathas and the Vājasaneyins.

Vocal Music

Although one is tempted to compare this section of the Nārada Purāṇa with Nārada’s Saṅgīta Makaranda, the latter being later in date (11th. cent, a.d.) cannot be the source of the Nārada Purāṇa The Nārada Purāṇa, however, quotes verses from 50.44 ff from an older work with the words: bhavanti cātra ślokāḥ.

The Svara-Maṇḍala

The Svara-maṇḍala consists of seven svaras, three grāmas (gamut), twenty-one Mūrchanās (melodies) and forty-nine tānas (protracted tunes). The seven svaras^[5] are: Ṣaḍja (Sa), Ṛṣabha (Ṛṣ), Gandhāra (Ga), Madhyama (Ma), Pañcama (Pa), Dhaivata (Dha) and Niṣāda (Ni). They are regarded as originating from the throat (kaṇṭha), head (śiras), nose (nāsika), chest (uras), conjointly from chest, head and throat, forehead and the last from all these combined (sarva-sandhija) respectively. These correspond to the cry of a peacock (Mayūra), a bull (Go), a goat (Aja) a heron (Krauñca), a cuckoo in spring (puṣpa-sādhāraṇakāle kokila), a horse (Aśva) and an elephant (Kuñjara). They were first sung by Agni, Brahmā, Soma,

Viṣṇu, Nārada, and (the last two by) Tumburu respectively. The Ṣaḍja pleases gods, Ṛṣabha sages, Gandhāra manes (pitṛs), Madhyama Gandharvas, Pañcama gods, sages and pitṛs, Niṣāda Yakṣas and Dhaivata all living beings (bhūtas). Strangely enough castes are associated with these svaras. For example, Pañcama, Madhyama and Ṣaḍja are supposed to have been presided over by Brāhmaṇas. The importance of these svaras (of sāman) for sustenance of all beings is emphasised by Nārada.^[6]

Grāmas

The three Grāmas are Ṣaḍja, Madhyama and Gandhāra and they are supposed to have been produced respectively by Bhūrloka (the earth), Bhuvar-loka (the firmament) and conjointly from Svarloka and Abhra (heaven and clouds). Grāmarāgas are due to the special position of Svaras (Nārada Purāṇa I.50.32a-34a.)

Mūrchanās

Mūrchanās (melodies) are classified as pertaining to gods, manes (pitṛs) and sages. Those pertaining to gods are: 1. Nadī, 2. Viśālā, 3. Sumukhī, 4. Citrā, 5. Citravatī, 6. Mukhā and 7. Bālā. Those belonging to Pitṛs are 1. Āpyāyinī, 2. Viśvabhṛtā, 3. Candrā, 4. Hemā, 5. Kapardinī, 6. Maitrī, and 7. Bārhatī. The Mūrchanās of sages are: 1. Uttaramandra in Ṣaḍja, 2. Abhirūhatā in Ṛṣabha; 3. Aśvakrāntā in Gandhāra 4. Sauvīrā in Madhyama, 5. Hṛṣīkā in Pañcama, 6. Uttarā in Dhaivata and 7. Rajanī in Niṣāda.

Gandharvas sing the Mūrchanās of gods, Yakṣas use those of Pitṛs and men, those of sages (Nārada Purāṇa 1.50.35-41).

It is for proper Vedic studies that the Nārada Purāṇa seems to have discussed the science of music in Śikṣā. Some of the instructions to students are interesting. Good teeth being essential, he recommends the twigs of Mango, Bilva, Apāmārga (Achyranthes aspera) etc. for brushing the teeth. He advises the use of Triphalā powder mixed with salt for good digestions and clear pronunciation. He advises to inhale (sandal?) smoke and take in ghee. The student should recite the first seven Mantras in Mandra and then in his usual tone.^[7]

In spite of this discussion, he confesses that even expert musicians like him, Tumburu, Viśvāvasu and Gandharvas have a limited knowledge of Śikṣā^[8] and what he stated is only a pointer (diṅmātra) in the matter.^[9]

Musical Instruments

Nārada described only two instruments—Vīṇā (a lute) and Veṇu (a flute). A Lute is either wooden (Dāravī) or human (Gātravatī) and the latter is to be used in singing Sāmans.^[10]

Nārada gives the correspondence between the notes of the flute and those of Sāman. The Madhyama of a Veṇu (flute) is the first Svara of Sāman. Thus the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th svaras of Sāman are the Gandhāra, Ṛṣabha, Ṣaḍja, Dhaivata, Niṣāda, and Pañcama svaras on the flute^[11] respectively.

Unexpectedly here are two verses on chandas. The one gives the characteristics of Āryā (a mātrā-vṛtta with 12, 18, 12 and 15 mātrās per foot) and the rest Vipula (1.50.199-200).

2. Kalpa

This oldest tract of Sūtra literature deals with the (Vedic) ritual and was classified as Śrauta, Gṛhya and Dharma Sūtras according to the subject matter. The Kalpa in the Nārada Purāṇa is divided into (1) Veda, (2) Saṃhitā, (3) Āṅgirasa, (4) Śānti and (5) Nakṣatra. The Veda Kalpa deals with performance of rituals with chanting of mantras from the Ṛgveda. Saṃhitā Kalpa describes the deities, metres (chandas) and ṛṣis of the mantras; Āṅgirasa Kalpa deals with the six specific acts (karmas) pertaining to sorcery (abhicāra). Śānti Kalpa, as the name suggests, describes the rites to ward off calamities caused by gods (divya), beings on the earth (bhaumika) and from the sky (āntarikṣa). Nakṣatra Kalpa deals with planets and stars (1.51.1-8). The Nārada Purāṇa ascribes these Kalpas for every branch of the Veda though in ancient times they formed the part of the Caraṇa Vyūhas of the Atharva Veda.

The Nārada Purāṇa describes the domestic rites and rituals under Nakṣatra Kalpa wherein we are given the purification of the plot of ground, placing of fire upon the altar (Vedī), arrangement of sacrificial materials, Gaṇeśa worship, propitiation of planets and pitṛkalpa i.e. performance of Śrāddha (Nārada Purāṇa.I.51.9 ff). The Nārada Purāṇa draws heavily from the Yāj. smṛti ch. I in this chapter.

3. Vyākaraṇa

Vyākaraṇa or the science of grammar was developed for understanding the Veda and the earliest specimens of which are found in stray observations in the Āraṇyakas, the Uṇādi-sūtras (on formation of nouns from roots) and Phiṭ-sūtras (dealing with accents), Pāṇini’s Aṣṭādhyāyī being the only representative of such exegetical works. Out of the encyclopaedic Purāṇas, Agni Purāṇa gives the most exhaustive treatment of Sanskrit grammar in 11 chapters (chs. 349-359). It is an epitome of Kumāra vyākaraṇa.^[12] Garuḍa Purāṇa devotes two chapters (chs. 203-204) which show that Kātantra’s grammar was its basis.^[13]

According to Nārada, grammar is the mouth of the Veda (Nārada Purāṇa 1.52-1) and it discusses the following topics: (1) the seven case-endings, (2) Declension of nouns (in three genders), (3) Kāraka (cases), (4) Saṃhitās or Sandhis, (5) taddhita (nominal formation), (6) compounds (Samāsa), (7) Tiṅ Vibhakti (conjugation of verbs).

Nārada Purāṇa’s presentation of grammar is popular and not scientific. He only gives examples and does not bother about Pāṇini’s rules.^[14] It is possible that this section was written after Pāṇini was made popular by Bhartṛhari’s Vākyapadīya, in the 7th cent. a.d.

4. Nirukta

Nirukta gives the etymology of Vedic words. The Nārada Purāṇa considers it to be the ear of the Veda (Śrotrāṅga). It classifies Vedic roots into five categories, viz. those with Varṇāgama (addition of a syllable), varṇaviparyaya (Metathesis), varṇavikāra (change in the syllable), Varṇanāśa (Haplology), Saṃyoga (joining of letters) and he gives haṃsa, siṃha, gūḍhotmā, pṛṣodara and bhramara as the instances of these respectively (Nārada Purāṇa1.53.1-5). As noted above, on p. 21 Nārada Purāṇa further points out the difference in the declension and conjugation of Vedic and classical Sanskrit as in Pāṇini’s Vaidikī Prakriyā. The roots are divided in ten groups (gaṇas) like bhvādi, adādi and the groups have 1006, 73, 22, 140, 32, 157, 25, 10, 52, 136, roots respectively. These are again classified according to their padas (e.g. Parasmaipada) and accents (e.g. Udātta, Anudātta, Svarita) (Nārada Purāṇa 53.16-76).

As all words are Siddha (derived), the study of their original form (Prakṛti), the morphology (Pratyaya), the augment (Āgama) should be undertaken (Nārada Purāṇa 1.53.70-86).

As compared with Yāska’s work, Nārada Purāṇa gives only a concise popular presentation containing a few illustrations. But the other two encyclopaedic Purāṇas (Agni Purāṇa & Garuḍa Purāṇa) have not treated this topic at all,

5. jyotiṣa (Astronomy)

Unfortunately no work of Vedic antiquity on Jyotiṣa proper has come down to us, except the references in the Saṃhitās and Brāhmaṇaṣ (especially of the Yajurveda).^[15]

Out of Purāṇas, Agni Purāṇa (some twenty chapters from 121ff) and Garuḍa Purāṇa chapters 58-62 deal with Astronomy. Garuḍa Purāṇa like Nārada Purāṇa states that this science was composed by god Brahmā in 4,00,000 verses^[16] —a figure popular with Purāṇa-writers. The treatment of this science in the Nārada Purāṇa is more scientific and exhaustive. This science has three branches—Gaṇita (Astronomical calculations), Jātaka (Horoscopy) and Saṃhitā (Astrology, omens, etc.).

Gaṇita deals with (1) arithmetical operations (Parikarma), (2) calculation of the motions of planets, (3) place, direction, times of the grahas, (4) lunar and solar eclipses, (5) the time of the rising and setting of the sun, (6) the elevation of lunar cusps and (7) conjunction of planets.^[17]

The arithmetical operations in the Nārada Purāṇa are the same as in Bhāskarācārya’s Līlāvatī. This is not to suggest that the Nārada Purāṇa is the borrower even though three verses in the Līlāvatī (47, 48, 135) are found in the Nārada Purāṇa (54.28, 29, 45).

The astronomical portion from the Nārada Purāṇa except (4), (5), (6), and (7) is the same as in the Sūrya-Siddhānta. Though 186 verses of this portion are common to the Nārada Purāṇa and the Sūrya Siddhānta, both the works might be independent borrowers from a common source.

The Jātaka portion of the Nārada Purāṇa (chapter 55) and Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka are practically identical in contents though textually the verses cannot be so claimed.

But the Saṃhitā portion in the Nārada Purāṇa (ch. 56) is a digest of the Nārada Saṃhitā and the fact that in the 755 verses of the Nārada Purāṇa we find about 300 quotations from the Nārada Saṃhitā shows how the Nārada Purāṇa is indebted to the Nārada Saṃhitā, though the possibility of a common source cannot be ruled out.^[18]

6. Chaṇḍas (Metrics)

Literature comprising the Vedāṅga on metrics is meagre. The Agni Purāṇa gives a detailed summary of the chandas śāstra in chs. 328-335.

As compared with Agni Purāṇa and Garuḍa Purāṇa Nārada Purāṇa’s treatment of metrics in 21 verses is brief (Kiñcillakṣaṇa). Naturally, it is merely an outline of the Vedic and classical metres, (including the syllabic (Varṇa) and the mātrā varieties. He explains the eight syllabic feet (gaṇas) and the variation of laghu and guru syllables (short and long), in them. He also explains the Sama (evenfooted), Ardhasama and Viṣama types of metres and the 26 classes of chandas depending on the number of syllables from one to twenty-six per pāda (feet) of a regular metre. A metre in which the pāda exceeds 26 syllables is called a Daṇḍaka having names like Caṇḍa, Vṛṣṭi, etc. (1.57.1-10).

It is by a variation in the distribution of laghu (short) and guru (long) syllables that a great variety of new, subordinate metres takes place (1.57.14-21).

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Nārada Purāṇa I. 50.9-12

[2]:

Vide Agni Purāṇa chapter 336.

[3]:

Nāradīya or Nārada Purāṇa I. 50. 15-23.

[4]:

Ibid., I. 50.23-26.

[5]:

Ibid., I. 50.30-109. 

[6]:

sarvāṇi khalu bhūtāni dharyanti sāmikaiḥ svaraiḥ //—Nāradīya or Nārada Purāṇa I. 50.109a.

[7]:

Ibid. I. 50.207ff.

[8]:

Nārada Purāṇa 1.50.206.

[9]:

Ibid., I. 50.237.

[10]:

The details of recital of Sāmans given from verse 79 ff. show that Gātravatī lute stands for human body or voice.

[11]:

Ibid., 50.59-60.

[12]:

Agni Purāṇa—A study, pp. 138-146.

[13]:

R. S. Bhattacharya—Garuḍa Purāṇa—intro., p. 31.

[14]:

Nārada Purāṇa 1.53.91-95 for Avyayībhāva compounds. But verses 2-24 are a versified form of the Sūtras of Pāṇini quoted in Kāraka Prakaraṇa of the Siddhānta Kaumudī.

[15]:

Vedic Age, BVB. Bombay P. 482.

[16]:

Garuḍa Purāṇa 1.59.1; Nāradīya or Nārada Purāṇa 1.54.2.

[17]:

Nāradīya or Nārada Purāṇa I. ch. 54.

[18]:

Dr. K. Damodaran Nambiar has traced all the quotations in the three branches of Jyotiṣa to the Līlāvatī, the Sūrya Siddhānta and the Nārada Saṃhitā, vide PJ. Jan.1974, pp. 103-112 of his dissertation on the Nārada Purāṇa.