Chandonushasan

SR No.: 090113
Original Sutra Author: Hemchandracharya
Author: H D Velankar
Publisher: Singhi Jain Shastra Shiksha Pith Mumbai
Publication Year: 1961
Total Pages: 444
Language: Sanskrit, Hindi
Classification: Book_Devnagari & Literature
File Size: 9 MB

Page 25

छन्दोऽनुशासनम् । means a Pañcamātra according to the Kavidarpana. The same is true of ca and pa. The author of the Jānāšrayi, on the other hand, defines a few metres, which mostly appear in Prākrit poetry, though they are illustrated with Sanskrit stanzas by him. For defining these he makes use of the Caturmātras, and very rarely mentions even the Pañcamātras in their general form, calling them both by the technical term Gaņa at 1.38–39. But otherwise, he employs them both in their definite forms which amount to the Akşara Gaņas, in defining both the Varņa as well as the Mātrā Vrttas, which latter he consistently calls Jātise. The mention of the Pancamātra Gaņas with their implied divisions, clearly stated by the commentator at Jānāšrayi 1.39, is obviously done under the influence of Prākrit prosody where their employment is quite common.
8. As regards the graphic representation of a short and a long letter, we may note that Virahāńka at Vrttajātisamuccaya 1.14, Jayadeva at Jayadevachandas 1.3-4, Jayakīrti at Chandonusāsana 1. 3, Hemacandra at Chandonusāsana 1.4-5 and Kavidarpana 1.4 lay down that a short letter shall be represented by a straight line (rju) and a long letter by a bent one (vakra), bent at both ends as specifically explained by Virahāńka, though others do not make this point explicit. The length of this straight line should be nearly an inch or so and the space between two such symbols should be equal to one angula, i.e., about ths of an inch as Virahānka states. Nearly the same instructions are given at the Jānāsrayi 1.16-17:- Their separation is to be like that of r and g; that is to be done at the distance of one Angula each'. This means that a short letter is to be represented by the symbol consisting of the letter r and the long lettter by that consisting of the letter g, and that the space between the two should ordinarily be one Angula. This very much resembles the directions of Virahānka, and Jayakirti says almost the same thing: "A Guru should be known by the name ga, should have two Mātrās (as its syllabic content and should be bent (on either side) like the letter ga in the Nāgari alphabet; a Laghu should be known by the term la, should have one Mātrā, should be straight and resemble a raised finger'. Probably even Pingala must have known 8 For the distinction between the Jātis and the Vrttas and a discussion about
the use of these names by different writers on Prosody see Kavidarpaņa, published in the Rajasthan Puratan Grantamala, Jodhpur, 1960, Intrduction Para 15.