Rules of Chanting in Samskritam
Rules of Chanting in Samskritam
Rules of Chanting in Samskritam
Rules of Chanting
In
Sasktam
A compilation
By
Swamini Svatmabodhananda Saraswati
Student and disciple of
Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
For a hard copy or the soft copy of this compilation please contact:
Swamini Svatmabodhananda Saraswati
2B, Kubera Sampat
5/2, 18th Cross Road
Malleshwaram
Bangalore 560 055
Email: svatmabodha@yahoo.co.in
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r uh-mS-uYrj-a-m-xumh |
uc liri m qk Su xUxui ||
y vara-pada-vkyrtha-gadya-padya-svarpi |
vci nartayatu kipra medh dev sarasvat ||
Dedicated
to all my cryas
who taught me
Vedic chanting
Since stotras are smti poetry or can be prose like gadyams, there is no
restriction on reciting or singing them. Unlike the veda mantras there are
no svaras, notations. Anyone who can read Sasktam and pronounce
properly can recite the stotras. There is freedom to set it to any raga,
melody and can be sung according to manodharma. They are composed in a
particular meter, chandas, prosody and those rules will have to be
followed. The sandhi rules, euphonic grammar rules of splitting the words
in the appropriate places have to be necessarily followed lest the meaning
is misinterpreted. It is recommended that one learns from a teacher the
proper art of pronunciation and articulation and follow the grammar rules
of the Sanskrit language.
Since this is karma, a prayer to bhagavn, the result is perceptible. It
calms the mind, soothens, heals emotions, enhances focus
and
Svara
Simple Vowels are classified into short and long vowels according to the
unit length of time taken for pronunciation, EUhq, uccraam. This
unit length of time is called mtra. Mtra is only for a vowel. The length of a
syllable is measured by a mtra. Each svara is well defined. Mtras are
defined hrasva, drgha, pluta for the vowels.
xu xuU hrsva svar Short vowels: one mtra one unit of time for
pronunciation.
A a C i Eu G I
Sb xuU drgha svar Long vowels: two mtras two units of time
for pronunciation.
A D F H
A + A = A a + a =
C+ C= D
i+i=
E +E= F
u+u=
G+G+H
+ =
Diphthong
L e (A+C)(a+i)
L ai (A+D)(+)
A o (A+E)(a+u)
A au(A+F)(+)
and
AllxM, AlllxM -
When the
Mtr
the time required or duration of pronunciation of vowels and the actual
position in the mouth where it originates. This is has to be understood for
chanting the Vedas; knowledge of length of pronunciation of the vowels
hrsva, a short vowel, dhrga, long vowel, and pluta, an elongated vowel
which is used in the Vedas.
balam
prayatnam, external and internal effort in the uccraam
ma a z a w sa x ha y - sibilants
sma
- is very important in Veda chanting. Every letter while chanting has only
that kind of length of pronunciation. The words are not clumsily uttered by
pushing them. Letters cannot be pushed. Neither can it be lengthened
extraordinarily nor can be compressed while chanting. Sama - samat is
evenness. Following the metrical rules, maintaining continuity, following
the pauses and stops, appropriate breath control.
Santna
sandhi (euphonic combination) - two words have to naturally blend
while articulating. Knowledge of sandhi rules.
Posture
Gambhrat - in sitting posture. Head neck and back held staring position.
No shaking of the body or the hands or neck. No ce.
Volume
- Loudly when chanting in a group
- Medium while practising
-
Visraga rules
-
Anusvra rules
-
a z a w sa x ha y
Example
The vowel
- The vowel
GI
- ma a z a w sa x - sibilants
Pause/no pause
- Visarga before a word beginning with ksha - ] pause for a
moment and then proceed.
- Pause before any word beginning with a vowel.
- A word beginning with a conjunct consonant should be chanted
along with the previous word with no pause in between the
words.(sma)