Vayu Purana

पूर्व्वाचार्य्यमतं बुद्ध्वा प्रवक्ष्याम्यनुपूर्व्वशः। त्रिंशतं वै अलङ्कारांस्तान् मे निगदतः श्रृणु ।। २५.

Having understood the doctrine of the former teachers, I will declare in order; thirty embellishments, listen to them as I recite.

अलङ्कारास्तु वक्तव्याः स्वैःस्वैर्वर्णैः प्रहेतवः। संस्थानयोगैश्च तथा पादानां चान्ववेक्षया ।। २५.

Ornamentations should be described according to their own syllables and causes, as well as by the arrangement and combination of feet, and by careful examination.

वाक्यार्थपदयोगार्थैरलङ्कारस्य पूरणम्। पदानि गीतकस्याहुः पुरस्तात् पृष्ठतोऽथवा ।। २५.

The fulfillment of ornamentation is said to be through the connection of meaning, words, and phrases; the words of a song are placed either at the beginning or at the end.

स्थानानि त्रीणि जानीयादुरःकण्ठशिरस्तथा। एतेषु त्रिषु स्थानेषु प्रवृत्तो विधिरुत्तमः ।। २५.

One should know that there are three positions: chest, throat, and head; among these three positions, the best method is practiced.

चत्वारः प्रकृतौ वर्णाः प्रविचारश्चतुर्विधः। विकल्पमष्टधा चैव देवाः षोडशधा विदुः ।। २५.

There are four natural syllables, and four kinds of analysis; and there are eight variations, and the gods know them as sixteenfold.

स्थायी वर्णः प्रसंचारी तृतीयमवरोहणम्। आरोहणं चतुर्थन्तु वर्णं वर्णविदो विदुः ।। २५.

Experts in syllables know the steady syllable, the moving one, the third as descending, and the fourth as ascending.

तत्रैकः संचरस्थायी सचरास्तचरीभवन्। अथ रोहणवर्णानामवरोहं विनिर्दिशेत् ।। २५.

Among these, one is both moving and steady, becoming both with and without movement; and for the ascending syllables, the descending is also indicated.

आरोहणेन चारोहवर्णं वर्णविदो विदुः। एतेषामेव वर्णानामलङ्कारान्निबोधत ।। २५.

By ascending, the experts know the ascending syllable; now, learn of the ornamentations belonging to these syllables.

अलङ्कारास्तु चत्वारः स्थापनी क्रमरेजिनः। प्रमादश्चाप्रमादश्च तेषां वक्ष्यामि लक्षणम् ।। २५.

There are four ornamentations: establishment, sequential movement, error, and non-error; I shall now describe their characteristics.

विस्वरोष्ट्रकलाश्चैव स्थानादेकान्तरं गताः। आवर्त्तस्याक्रमोत्पत्ती द्वे कार्य्ये परिमाणतः ।। २५.

The visvara, uṣṭra, and kalā are those that move to the next position; in the cycle, two arise in sequence, determined by measure.

कुमारमपरं विद्याद्विस्तरं वमनं गतम्। एष वै चाप्यपाङ्गस्तु कुतारेकः कलाधिकः ।। २५.

One should know kumāra as another, which extends and moves away; and this, called apāṅga, is one more than the kalā.

श्येनस्त्वेकान्तरे जातः कलामात्रान्तरे स्थितः। तस्मिंश्चैव स्वरे वृद्धिस्तिष्ठते तद्विलक्षणा ।। २५.

The śyena arises at the next interval, remaining within the measure of a kalā; and in that note, an increase occurs, distinct from the previous.

श्येनस्तु अपरोहस्तु उत्तरः परिकीर्त्तितः। कलाकलप्रमाणाच्च स बिन्दुर्नाम चायते ।। २५.

The śyena is the descending one, called the superior; and by the measure of kalā and its group, it is known as bindu.

बिन्दुरेककला कार्या वर्णान्तस्थायिनी भवेत्। विपर्ययस्वरोऽपि स्याद्यस्य दुर्घटितोऽपि न ।। २५.

The bindu should be made as one kalā, remaining at the end of a syllable; even a reversed note may occur, but not with difficulty.

एकान्तरा तु वाद्यन्तु षड्जतः परमः स्वरः। आक्षेपास्कन्दनं कार्य्यं काकस्येवोच्चपुष्कलम् ।। २५.

The highest note is the one at the next interval from the base ṣaḍja; the act of raising and lowering should be done, as in the high note of the crow.

सन्तारौ तौ तु सञ्चार्यौ कार्यं वा कारणं तथा। आक्षिप्तमवरोह्यापि प्रोक्षमद्यन्तथैव च ।। २५.

The two, called santāra, are to be moved, and so too the cause; even when raised or lowered, they are to be sprinkled in the same way.

द्वादशञ्च कलास्थानमेकान्तरगतन्ततः। प्रेङ्खोलितमलङ्कारमेवं स्वरसमन्वितम् ।। २५.

The place of twelve kalās is at the next interval; the ornamentation called preṅkholita is thus endowed with notes.

स्वरसंक्रामकाच्चैव ततः प्रोक्तन्तु पुष्कलम्। प्रक्षिप्तमेव कलया पादानीतरयोर्भवेत् ।। २५.

From the transition of notes, puṣkala is then described; it is inserted by a kalā between the feet and the others.

द्विकलं वा यथा भूतं यत्तद् ह्रासितमुच्यते। उच्चाराद्विस्वरारूढा तथा चाष्टस्वरान्तरम् ।। २५.

Whatever is diminished by two kalās, that is called reduced; and when pronounced, it rises to the note called visvara, as well as to the eighth note.

यस्तु स्यादवरोहो वा तारतो मन्द्रतोऽपि वा। एकान्तरहिता ह्येते तमेव स्वरमन्ततः ।। २५.

But whether it is lower, or higher, or even deeper, if it is without a single interval, all these are considered as the same note in the end.

मक्षिप्रच्छेदनो नाम चतुष्कलगणः स्मृतः। अलङ्कारा भवन्त्येते त्रिंशद्ये वै प्रकीर्त्तिताः। वर्णस्थानप्रयोगेण कलामात्रा प्रमाणतः ।। २५.

The group of four divisions is known as 'makṣipracchedana'; these are called embellishments, thirty in number, described according to the application of the place of articulation and the measure of time units.

संस्थानञ्च प्रमाणं च विकारो लक्षणन्तथा। चतुर्विधमिदं ज्ञेयमलङ्कारप्रयोजनम् ।। २५.

Formation, measure, modification, and characteristic—these fourfold purposes of embellishment are to be understood.

यथात्मनो ह्यलङ्कारो विपर्यस्तोऽतिगर्हितः। वर्णमेवाप्यलंकर्त्तुं विषमं ह्यात्मसम्भवात् ।। २५.

Just as an ornament that is misplaced on oneself is greatly censured, so too is it improper to embellish a syllable in a way that is contrary to its own nature.

नानाभरणसंयोगाद्यथा नार्या विभूषणम्। वर्णस्य चैवालङ्कारो विपर्यस्तोऽतिगर्हितः ।। २५.

Just as a woman's ornament, when combined in various ways, is inappropriate if misplaced, so too is the embellishment of a syllable, if misplaced, greatly censured.

न पादे कुण्डले दृष्टे न कण्ठे रसना यथा। एवमेव ह्यलङ्कारो विपर्यस्तो विगर्हितः ।। २५.

Just as earrings are not seen on the feet, nor a necklace at the waist, so too is an embellishment, if misplaced, to be condemned.

क्रियमाणोऽप्यलङ्कारो रागं यश्चैव दर्शयेत्। यथोद्दिष्टस्य मार्गस्य कर्त्तव्यस्य विधीयते ।। २५.

Even when an embellishment is being made, it should display the proper mode, and should be applied according to the prescribed path and method.

लक्षणं पर्य्यवस्थापि वर्णिकाभिः प्रवर्त्तनम्। याथातथ्येन वक्ष्यामि मासेद्भवमुखोद्भवे ।। २५.

I shall now describe, as it truly is, the definition, the proper application, and the practice by singers, not arising from mere oral tradition.

त्रयोविंशत्यशीतिस्तु तेषामेतद्विपर्ययः। षड्जपक्षोऽपि तत्त्वादौ मध्यो हीनस्वरो भवेत् ।। २५.

The reversal of these is said to be eighty-three in number; at the beginning, even the ṣaḍja group, if lacking, becomes the middle or lower note.

षड्जमध्यमयोश्चैव ग्रामयोः पर्य्यपस्तथा। मानोयोत्तरमन्द्रस्य षडेवात्राविकस्य च ।। २५.

And in the two tonal systems of ṣaḍja and madhyama, the reversal is likewise; the measure of the higher and lower registers is to be known for ṣaḍja and āvika as well.