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SEPTEMBER, 1874.]
WORDS AND PLACES IN AND ABOUT BOMBAY.
17. The tála bhedas.
11. The manner of singing the rågas (gána vaikhari).
Further, it is said by the tâla dhâris who are
12. The various musical instruments (vádya acquainted with the Bharata sastra that the bheda). seven tála bhedas, called dhruva, matteya, rûpa
15. Drummers (mardalčkára).
13. The stringed instruments (tantri vádya). ka, jampe, triputi, attě; and eka, and the one 14. Songstresses (gáyaki). hundred and eight tálas, called chańchat puti, chachat puți, shad gita, patrachchhada, samvṛijita, sammita, člě, jombědě, gârhi, dakke, sara karana, pâti karana, pinda karana, krauncha pada, kala hamsa, adi, lalita, matta, mâtañga, phala chakra, âsthâna mantapa, maya mandita, ěkka sara, rachchě, uttara pâni, pañcha pâni, sañkrishta, khanjâkhanja, akhandita, vilambita, kutila, chaturaśra, khanda, vriddha, upavṛiddha, subhadra, sangata, prachchhannâlaya, châru kalyana, goshthi kalyana, dhruva laya, jâmbâyâra, hariņi vishama, vidyâdhara, mâtanga, brahmânandana, sarasvati kaṇṭhâbharaṇa, vimathaya, svara mathayâ, tegadamâna mathayâ, pûrva kañkaṇa, kâmya kañkaṇa, prasasta, kokila priya, simhânandana, simha vikriḍita, simha nada, sapta mudrikâ, jayâla, and so on, are distinguished by the number of six vargas, called bhanga tâļa, upabhanga tâ la, vibhanga tâļa, vitâla, suddha tâla, and anutáļa.
16. The tala kriyes.
Further, the tála is the sakti and the sabala brahma's (i.e. Isvara's) linga. As in this tâla (tálaḥ) the consonant t and the long a together are born of the âkâsa lifiga, and it, therefore, is rudrâtmaka; and as the consonant 1, the a, and the visarga spring from the bindu and are saktyâtmaka, the word tâl a is gauri-sankaradevâtmaka, and the first manifest náda that arises from it is called dhruva. Two dhruvas are called one matre; two mâtres are called one guru; a significant pluta is called viráma matre. Whilst thus the mâtres increase for the moments (nimesha), by the order of present, future, and past of the time of mark (vyanjana, kála), the form of the kriyě becomes manifold, and the origin of the variety of the tâļas occurs. So one has to understand the rise of the tâļas, and to pay regard to the daśa pránas, as the kâla, marga, kriye, añga, jâti, graha, kale, laya, yati, and prastara of the tâla are called.
WORDS AND PLACES IN AND ABOUT BOMBAY. BY DR. J. GERSON DA CUNHA.
Bombay long before its possession by European nations had its own history, its gods, temples, villages, and its geographical and natural divisions, each having its own name, which by process of time have in some instances been rendered meaningless, while in others they remain in their original form.
The attempt now made to unravel the original and historical significations of these words is generally based either on tradition, or on the ancient records of the Hindus, and only in a few instances on the writings of the first European authors, Portuguese and English. The words Walkeshwar, Bombay, and Mazagon are ancient and significant; while others, such as Girgaum and Byculla, probably of modern date, have been subjected to arbitrary meanings.
The text seems to adduce 58 of them.. +Walukesvara Mahatmya, or "the greatness of Walukesvara," is an old Sanskrit manuscript which has not yet
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(Then follow nṛitta bheda, râja bhoga, etc.) Mercara, 5th April 1874.
66
Wâlukesvara, now called Malabar Hill, is derived from two words of Sanskrit origina (valuka) which means sand,' and (iśvara) 'lord;' hence Wâlukesvara signifies lord of sand."
The legend given in the Walukesvara Mahatmyat runs thus :-Râma, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, and king of Ayodhya (modern Oudh), while on his way to Lanka (Ceylon) in order to recover his wife Sîtâ, who had been carried off by Ravana, the king of Lanka, getting wearied of his long journey, halted at the place now called Wâluke svara along with his brother Lakshmana, who was in the habit of providing Râma every night with a new linga of Siva directly from Kâsî (Banâras). The night Râma stayed at Wâln
seen the light of publicity. I am indebted for the perusal of it to Mr. Yashvant Phondba Nayak Danaita. It is sup posed to have been written about five hundred years ago.
