Sanskrit Chanting: Practice and Theory

6/13/21

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Sanskrit Chanting: Practice and Theory

All translations by Zoë Slatoffwww.ashtangayogaupperwestside.com

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Vedāṅgas(supplementary parts of the Vedas)

• Śikṣā = phonetics• Chandas = metrical science, prosody• Vyākāraṇa = grammar• Nirukta = etymology• Kalpa = ritual instructions• Jyotiṣa = astrology

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DNds! = Chandas

• √chad / √chand = to please, delight in• metrical science, prosody• a meter, or metrical composition• wish, desire, fancy, will, pleasure• free will• meaning, intention• the Vedas• adj. pleasing, fascinating, inviting, alluring

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Vedic Meter

• Piṅgala’s Chandaḥ Sūtra (600 – 200 B.C.)• 7 meters/birds– Gāyatrī (8x3 or 6x4)– Anuṣṭubh (8x4)– Triṣṭubh (11x4)– Jagatī– Uṣṇi– Bṛhatī– Paṅkti

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Vedic Chanting (Pitch Accents)

• udātta, raised or high pitch (unmarked)

• anudātta, unraised or low pitch ·

• svarita, sounded or falling pitch ?

• elongated svarita šš

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Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1

` s·h na?vvtu, s·h naE? -unKtu, s·h vI·?yR¡ krvavhE,

t·ej·iSv na·vxItmSt·u ma iv?iÖ;a·vhEš.

` zaiNt·> zaiNt·> zaiNt?>.

Oṃ sa·ha nā?v avatu | sa·ha nau? bhunaktu | sa·ha vī·?ryaṃ karavāvahai |

te·ja·svi nā·vadhitam astu· mā vi?d viṣā·vahaiš ||

Oṃ śāntiḥ· śāntiḥ· śānti?ḥ |

May it protect us both together. May it nourish us both together.May we work together with vigor. May our study be illuminating.

May we be free from discord. Oṃ Peace, Peace, Peace!

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Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.1a

z< na?e im·Ç> z< vé?[>, z< nae? -vTvyR·ma, z< n· #NÔae· b&h·Spit?>,z< nae· iv:[?uéé£·m>, nmae· äü?[e, nm?Ste vayae, Tvme·v à·Ty]<· äüa?is,

śaṃ no ? mi ·traḥ śaṃ varu?ṇaḥ | śaṃ no ? bhavatvarya·mā |

śaṃ na· indro · bṛha·spati ?ḥ | śaṃ no · viṣṇu?r urukra·maḥ | namo ·brahma?ṇe | nama?ste vāyo | tvam · eva pra·tyakṣa·ṃ brahmā?si |

May Mitra, the sun god, Varuṇa, god of the oceans, and Aryaman, who presides over the Milky Way, grant us well-being.May Indra, the god of rain, Bṛhaspati, lord of prayer and devotion,

and the far-stepping Viṣṇu, grant us well-being.Salutations to brahman, the eternal Spirit. Salutations to Vāyu, god

of the wind. You alone are the perceptible brahman.

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Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.1b

Tvam·ev à·Ty]·< äü? vid:yaim, \·t< v?id:yaim, s·Ty< v?id:yaim, tNmam?vtu,

tÖ·Ktar?mvtu, Av?t·u mam!, Av?tu· v·Ktarm! š, ` zaiNt·> zaiNt·> zaiNt?>,

tvām · eva pratyakṣa·ṃ brahma? vadiṣyāmi |

ṛ ·taṃ va?diṣyāmi | sa·tyaṃ va?diṣyāmi | tan mām a?vatu |

tad va·ktāra?m avatu | ava?tu· mām | ava?tu· va·ktāram š |Oṃ śānti ·ḥ śānti ·ḥ śānti ?ḥ |

I will declare you alone as the perceptible brahman.I will declare you as divine law. I will declare you as truth.

May that protect me. May that protect the speaker.Protect me! Protect the speaker! Oṃ, Peace, Peace, Peace!

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Classical Meter (Stress Accents)

• padya = verse• 4 pādas = quarters• vṛtta = a stanza which is regulated by the

number and position of syllables in each pāda– sama-vṛtta: all pādas are similar– ardha-sama-vṛtta: alternate pādas are similar– viṣama-vṛtta: pādas are all dissimilar

• jāti = regulated by the number of mātrās(syllabic instants where short syllable = 1 mātrāand a long syllable = 2 mātrās)

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Rāmāyaṇa 2.13

tt> ké[veidTvadxmaeR=yimit iÖj>,inzMy édtI< ³aEÂIimd< vcnmävIt!.

tataḥ karuṇa-veditvād adharmo ‘yam iti dvijaḥ |niśamya rudatīṃ krauñcīm idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||

Then, from this feeling of compassion,The brahmin thought, “This is wrong.”Hearing the crying female krauñca bird,

He spoke these words:

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Rāmāyaṇa 2.14

ma in;ad àitóa< Tvmgm> zañtI> sma>,yt! ³aEÂimwunadekmvxI> kammaeihtm!.

mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāṃ tvam agamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ |yat krauñca-mithunād ekam avadhīḥ kāma-mohitam ||

“Oh hunter! You will not attain the glory of eternal years,

Since you killed one from this pair of krauñca birds, While infatuated by desire.”

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Rāmāyaṇa 2.17

padbÏae=]rsmStNÇIlysmiNvt>,zaekatRSy àv&Äae me ðaekae -vtu naNywa.

pāda-baddho ‘kṣara-samas tantrī-laya-samanvitaḥ |śokārtasya pravṛtto me śloko bhavatu nānyathā ||

Bound in quarters, with an equal number of syllables,Capable of melting the strings of the heart.

This utterance that came forth when I was afflicted with sorrow,Shall be called poetry, and nothing else.

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Rāmāyaṇa 2.38

tSy iz:yaStt> svRe jgu> ðaekimm< pun>,muhumuRhu> àIymana> àahuí -&ziviSmta>.

tasya śiṣyās tataḥ sarve jaguḥ ślokam imaṃ punaḥ |muhur muhuḥ prīyamāṇāḥ prāhuś ca bhṛśavismitāḥ ||

Then all of his students, Sang that verse again.

Being delighted and greatly surprised, They said over and over:

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Rāmāyaṇa 2.39

sma]rEítui-RyR> padEgIRtae mhi;R[a,sae=nuVyahr[ad! -Uy> zaek> ðaeekTvmagt>.

samākṣaraiś caturbhir yaḥ pādair gīto maharṣiṇā |so ‘nuvyāharaṇād bhūyaḥ śokaḥ ślokatvam āgataḥ ||

“Sung by the great seer in four quarters, With equal syllables,

That grief (śoka) - from repeated utterance –Has become poetry (śloka).”

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Rāmāyaṇa 2.40

tSy buiÏiry< jata vaLmIke-aRivtaTmn>,k«TSn< ramay[< kaVymId¯zE> krva{yhm!.

tasya buddhir iyaṃ jātā vālmīker bhāvitātmanaḥ |kṛtsnaṃ rāmāyaṇaṃ kāvyam īdṛśaiḥ karavāṇy aham ||

Then of Vālmīki, purified by meditation, This idea was born:

“I will compose an entire poem, Called the Rāmāyaṇa, just like this.”

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Devanāgarī Alphabet - Vowels

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Words

• ym = yama• inym = niyama• Aasn = āsana• ramay[ = Rāmāyaṇa• mha-art = Mahābhārata• nmSte = namaste• iv-Uit = vibhūti• p&iwvI = pṛthivī

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Akṣara = Syllable

• Must have one and only one vowel• Must start with a consonant unless it is at

the beginning of a line (or after sandhi)• Make the syllable as long as possible• l" laghu = light – must end in a short vowel • gué guru = heavy – all others

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Śloka (Anuṣṭubh) Meter

ðaeke ;ó< gué }ey< svRÇ l"u pÂmm!,iÖctu:padyaeÿRSv< sPtm< dI"RmNyyae>.

śloke ṣaṣṭhaṃ guru jñeyaṃ sarvatra laghu pañcamam |dvi-catuṣpādayor hrasvaṃ saptamaṃ dīrgham anyayoḥ ||

In ślokameter, the sixth is to be known as always heavy,And the fifth syllable as light.

The seventh is short in the second and fourth pāda,And long in the others.

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Śloka (Anuṣṭubh) Meter

ślo-ke-ṣaṣ-ṭhaṃ-gu-ruj-ñe-yaṃsar-va-tra-la-ghu-pañ-ca-mam |dvi-ca-tuṣ-pā-da-yor-hras-vaṃ

sap-ta-maṃ-dīr-gha-man-ya-yoḥ ||

– – – – ˘ – – –– ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ – ˘ –˘ ˘ – – ˘ – – –– ˘ – – ˘ – ˘ –

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Gaṇeśa Mantra

` v£tu{f mhakay sªyRkaeiq smà-,inivRß< kué me dev svRkayRe;u svRda .

Oṃvakra-tuṇḍa mahā-kāya sūrya-koṭi samaprabha |

nirvighnaṃ kuru me deva sarva-kāryeṣu sarva-dā ||

O Gaṇeśa, god with the curved trunk, of great stature,Whose brilliance is equal to ten million suns,

Grant me freedom from obstacles,In all things, at all times.

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Gaṇeśa Mantra

vak-ra-tuṇ-ḍa-ma-hā-kā-yasūr-ya-ko-ṭi-sa-map-ra-bha

nir-vigh-naṃ-ku-ru-me-de-vasar-va-kār-ye-ṣu-sar-va-dā

– ˘ – ˘ ˘ – – ˘ – ˘ – ˘ ˘ – ˘ ˘– – – ˘ ˘ – – ˘– ˘ – – ˘ – ˘ –

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Bhagavad Gītā 1.1

xmR]eÇe kué]eÇe smveta yuyuTsv>,mamka> pa{fvaíEv ikmkuvRt s<jy.

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ |māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva kim akurvata saṃjaya ||

In the field of justice, in the field of the Kurus,Come together, desiring to fight.

My sons and indeed the sons of Pāṇḍu,What did they do, O Sañjaya?

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Bhagavad Gītā 1.1

dhar-mak-ṣet-re-ku-ruk-ṣet-re sa-ma-ve-tā-yu-yut-sa-vaḥ |

mā-ma-kāḥ-pāṇ-ḍa-vāś-cai-vaki-ma-kur-va-ta-saṃ-ja-ya ||

– – – – ˘ – – –˘ ˘ – – ˘ – ˘ –– ˘ – – ˘ – – ˘˘ ˘ – ˘ ˘ – ˘ ˘

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Rāmāyaṇa 2.14

ma in;ad àitóa< Tvmgm> zañtI> sma>,yt! ³aEÂimwunadekmvxI> kammaeihtm!.

mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāṃ tvam agamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥyat krauñca-mithunād ekam avadhīḥ kāmamohitam

“Oh hunter! You will not attain the glory of eternal years,

Since you killed one from this pair of krauñca birds, while infatuated by desire.”

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Rāmāyaṇa 2.14

mā-ni-ṣā-da-pra-tiṣ-ṭhāṃ-tvama-ga-maḥ-śāś-va-tīḥ-sa-māḥ

yat-krauñ-ca-mi-thu-nā-de-kama-va-dhīḥ-kā-ma-mo-hi-tam

– ˘ – ˘ ˘ – – –˘ ˘ – – ˘ – ˘ –– – ˘ ˘ ˘ – – –˘ ˘ – – ˘ – ˘ –

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Gaṇa = Group

• y ya ˘ – –• r ra – ˘ –• t ta – – ˘• - bha – ˘ ˘• j ja ˘ – ˘ • s sa ˘ ˘ –• m ma – – –• n na ˘ ˘ ˘

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Vasantatilakā

• 14 syllables per pāda• t ta – – ˘• - bha – ˘ ˘• j ja ˘ – ˘ • j ja ˘ – ˘ • g ga –• g ga –

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Abhijñānaśākuntala 5.2

rMyai[ vIúy mxura<í inzMy zBdan! pyRuTsukI-vit yTsuiotae=ip jNtu>,t°etsa Smrit nUnmbaexpUv¡ -aviSwrai[ jnnaNtrsaEùdain.

ramyāṇi vīkṣya madhurāṃśca niśamya śabdānparyutsukī-bhavati yatsukhito ‘pi jantuḥ |tac cetasā smarati nūnam abodha-pūrvaṃ

bhāva-sthirāṇi jananāntara-sauhṛdāni

Seeing exquisite beauty, hearing sweet sounds,even a happy person, becomes restless.

For he remembers with his heart, loves from former lives, fixed in his heart, without his knowing.

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Abhijñānaśākuntala 5.2

ram-yā-ṇi vīkṣ-ya-ma dhu-rāṃ-śca ni-śam-ya śab-dānpar-yut-su kī-bha-va ti-yat-su khi-to-pi jan-tuḥtac-ce-ta sās-ma-ra ti-nū-na ma-bo-dha pūr-vaṃbhā-vas-thi rā-ṇi-ja na-nān-ta ra-sau-hṛ dā-ni

– – ˘ – ˘ ˘ ˘ – ˘ ˘ – ˘ – –– – ˘ – ˘ ˘ ˘ – ˘ ˘ – ˘ – –– – ˘ – ˘ ˘ ˘ – ˘ ˘ – ˘ – –– – ˘ – ˘ ˘ ˘ – ˘ ˘ – ˘ – –

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Mandākrāntā

• 17 syllables per pāda• m ma – – –• - bha – ˘ ˘• n na ˘ ˘ ˘ • t ta – – ˘• t ta – – ˘• g ga –• g ga –

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Amaruśataka 105

àasade sa idiz idiz c sa p&ót> sa pur> sapyR»e sa piw piw c sa tiÖyaegaturSy,

ha ha cet> àk«itrpra naiSt me kaip sa sasa sa sa sa jgit skle kae=ymÖEtvad>.

prāsāde sā diśi diśi ca sā pṛṣṭhataḥ sā puraḥ sāparyaṅke sā pathi pathi ca sā tad-viyogāturasya |

hā hā cetaḥ prakṛtir aparā nāsti me kāpi sā sāsā sā sā sā jagati sakale ko ‘yam advaita-vādaḥ ||

She is in the palace and she is in all the directions. She is behind and she is in front,She is on the sofa and she is on every path,

for one who is tortured by separation from her.Oh! My heart! There is no other woman for me but she, she, she, she, she, she.

In this entire world, what is this talk of non-duality?

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Amaruśataka 105

prā-sā-de sā-di-śi di-śi-ca sā-pṛṣ-ṭha taḥ-sā-pu raḥ-sāpar-yaṅ-ke sā-pa-thi pa-thi-ca sā-tad-vi yo-gā-tu ras-ya |

hā-hā-ce taḥ-pra-kṛ ti-ra-pa rā-nās-ti me-kā-pi sā-sāsā-sā-sā sā-ja-ga ti-sa-ka le-ko-ya mad-vai-ta vā-daḥ ||

– – – – ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ – – ˘ – – ˘ – –– – – – ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ – – ˘ – – ˘ – –– – – – ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ – – ˘ – – ˘ – –– – – – ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ – – ˘ – – ˘ – –

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Triṣṭubh

• 11 syllables per pāda• t ta – – ˘• t ta – – ˘• j ja ˘ – ˘ • g ga –• g ga –

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Closing Mantra

` SviSt àja_y> pirpalyNta< Nyayen magRee[ mhI< mhIza>,gaeäaü[e_y> zu-mStu inTy< laeka> smSta> suionae -vNtu.

` zaiNt> zaiNt> zaiNt>,

Oṃ svasti prajābhyaḥ paripālayantāṃnyāyena mārgeṇa mahīṃ mahīśāḥ |

go brāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubham astu nityamlokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu ||

Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ |

May the rulers of the earth protect the well-being of the people,With justice, by means of the right path.

May there always be good fortune, for cows, brahmins and all living beings.May the inhabitants of all the worlds be full of happiness.

Oṃ Peace, Peace, Peace!

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Closing Mantra

svas-tip-ra jā-bhyaḥ-pa ri-pā-la yan-tāṃnyā-ye-na mār-ge-ṇa ma-hīṃ-ma hī-śāḥ |

go-brāh-ma ṇe-bhyaḥ-śu bha-mas-tu nit-yamlo-kāḥ-sa mas-tāḥ-su khi-no-bha van-tu ||

– – ˘ – – ˘ ˘ – ˘ – –– – ˘ – – ˘ ˘ – ˘ – –– – ˘ – – ˘ ˘ – ˘ – –– – ˘ – – ˘ ˘ – ˘ – –

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Sanskrit Chanting: Practice and Theory

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