Vedangas I - Brief on Shiksha and Vyakarana

Prologue on Siksha and Vyakarana

I. Siksha - The Science of Pronunciation

A. Meaning of Shiksha

• Derived from the root word meaning "to acquire knowledge".
• In the context of Vedangas, it signifies the science of pronunciation.
• Focus is on acquiring the knowledge of proper pronunciation.

B. Focus of Shiksha Shastra

• Systematic approach to the art and practice of phonetics.
• Preserving Vedic texts from any form of corruption is the most important aspect.
• Preservation of sound is key, with a focus on proper enunciation of each syllable.
• UNESCO has recognised this as a heritage to be preserved

C. Analysis of Sound (Nada)

• Nada, or sound, is generated by the confluence of air and space in the vocal cord.
• The location in the oral cavity which generates the sound results in different words.
• The smallest component of sound is called a 'varna' (like "a", "i", etc).
• Sounds vary based on contact between parts of the tongue and places of articulation.

D. Places of Articulation

• Nasika: Sounds require nasal cavity involvement (e.g., "hm").
• Murdha: Sounds made when tongue touches the upper palate (e.g., "ta, tha, da, dha, na, ra, sha, rh").
• Osthau: Sounds made using lips (e.g., "u, pa, pha, ba, bha, ma").
• Dantah: Sounds made when tongue hits teeth (e.g., "rh, ta, tha, da, dha, na, la, sa").
• Talu: Sounds made when tongue touches the Palate (e.g., “i, cha, ja, jha, nja, ya, sha”)
• Kanta: Sounds generated from the throat (e.g., "ka, kha, ga, gha, nya, ha, aa").
• These precise observations and classification ensured the preservation of Vedic mantras through the ages.

E. Conclusion of Shiksha

• Shiksha has ensured that mantras are not pronounced differently and the original form is maintained even after thousands of years.

II. Vyakarana - The Science of Grammar

A. Meaning of Vyakarana

• The root word “vya karana” means to divide, separate or analyze.
• It is the science of grammar and the grammar tradition goes far back to the Vedic era.

B. Role of Panini

• Panini (600 BCE) created a structured work of Sanskrit grammar called Ashtadhyayi.
• Ashtadhyayi is known for its brevity, systematization and its widespread use.

C. Function of Vyakarana

• Deals with how a word can be broken down into components.
• Uses a method by which one can generate words by joining components and analyzing them
• Sanskrit grammar, thus, allows for both constructing words and reverse-engineering them.
• Sanskrit grammar uses unambiguous and rule-based methods to construct words.

D. Modern Day Parallels

• Vyakarana features parallels to modern-day data processing:
  • Methods for creating lists based on processing logic.
  • Algorithmic approaches to process language.
  • Application of recursive logic to process data.

E. Conclusion of Vyakarana

• Vyakarana is a Vedanga that brings the syntax and the grammatical dimensions to the language.