Makaranda Madhukar Anand Mahendale Festshrift

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 12

Kampa-pronunciation in रथानां न ये रा: RV 10.78.4
P. D. Navathe
Kampa; which means tremor, is a peculiar kind of pronunciation which frequently occurs in the traditional recitation of the Ṛgveda (RV). According to a rule in the Rgveda-Prātiśäkhya', it takes place when an independent, circumflex (i. e., svarita of four kinds, namely jātya, abhinihita, kṣaipra and Praśliṣṭa) is followed by an acute or another independent circumflex.
The same conditions for the occurrence of kampa are laid down in a kärikā cited by Bhattoji Dīkṣita in the Praudha Manorama (PrMan) on his Siddhanta Kaumidi (SK) on the sutra | Аstādhyāyi 1. 2. 32. This kārikā, which is ascribed to Śakalya2, further states that, having uttered the first half of the independent circumflex with an acute accent the remaining half, which is grave, should be uttered with a tremor.
The Upalekhasutra3, a school manual, states that when the said circumflex is on a short vowel the kampa is said to be short and when it is on a long vowel it is said to be long.
According to the tradition of the Ṛgveda, if the preceding independent circumflex is on a short vowel, the figure is placed after it, e. g.,
if RV 2.6. 4; RV 2. 10. 1d etc., and the figure if it is on a long vowel, e. g., ha fag. RV 2.4.2: RV 2. 10. 5d etc. As may be noticed, these figures have vertical accent marks above and horizontal accent marks below them. In the former case, the pronunciation of the syllable is known as ekakampa and in the latter as trikampa. This pronunciation is a sort of analysis of the independent circumflex into its component parts.