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Re: chanda:



On 15 Dec 1995 23:44:32 GMT, r0m6887@tam2000.tamu.edu (Ravisankar S.
Mayavaram) wrote (and very neatly, too):

>Many of the sanskrit hymns I am reading mention that it is sung
>according a particular chanda. For instance, in Sandya Vandana, I have come
>across many like anushtup, gAyatri, and so on.
>Can someone explain, how exactly to chant according different
>chandaas. Even if you can give good reference it is more than
>adequate. Are there any audio cassettes to teach the exact way to
>chant? 
Chanda is the metre that is used, and can be derived from the sequence
of "long" (guru - heavy) and "short" (laghu - light) syllables.  So
for instance, anushtup (or anushtubh) chanda is in four lines
(A=any, S=short, L=long)
A A A A S L L A / A A A A S L S A
for each half of the verse.  There are permitted variations.
The Vrttaratnakara ("Treasure chest of metres"(?)) by Kedara is a
pretty classic definition of all these.  Fascinating in that each
verse is set to the chanda that it is describing!!!
To start with though, try Teach Yourself Sanskrit by Michael Coulson.
It has a half chapter and an appendix devoted to metre which is quite
readable for anyone familiar with Sanskrit.  It is also a fairly
comprehensive introduction to Sanskrit, though I got lost in the
grammar.

WRT the "exact" way to chant.  I would respectfully offer that it
seems to me that every brahmin is going to say that their way is "the"
way (or at least "a" way).  ie there is no exact way.  (eg you listen
to how the Namboudiri brahmins sing "the classics").  
I'd imagine though that some would be happy to show you how some
things are sung, though there are many things I think they'd deem
innapropriate to be sung by a non-brahmin.  But heck, go and ask one.

Andrew

______________________________________________________________
Andrew Purdam          Canberra, Australia               apurdam@pcug.org.au

"Do I contradict myself?         Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes)."      Walt Whitman (1819–92),



References: