Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: meaning of invocation

  1. #1
    Join Date
    October 2009
    Location
    malaysia
    Posts
    134
    Rep Power
    0

    meaning of invocation

    dear all,
    i want some help here.

    in the first line of the invocation :
    om bhadram karnebhih shrunuyaama devaah

    why is the grammar KARNEBHIH and not KARNAABHYAAM.
    i understand vedic grammar is different from the regular Sanskrit grammar but can anyone explain this to me.
    thanks in advance

  2. #2
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: meaning of invocation

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    Namasté renuka,

    First let me say I cannot answer your question to your level of satisfaction ( or for that matter, to my level of satisfaction ) as I continue to study this great language and consider myself a student (śiṣya) at best.

    The answer to your question lies in the rules offered by the grammarian Pāniṇi-muni. There are rules of adjacent sounds that influence their outcomes and pronunciations. They are lopa, vikāra and āgama (deletion, modification and addition respectively).

    The process is known as sandhi and employs ~ 43 sigla-s ( from 'sic' - sprinkles or drops + 'la' cuts ). This sandhi is really written as saṃdhi which means 'containing a conjunction or transition from one to the other' and 5 areas/kinds of saṃdhi are identified - vowel (svara), consonents (vyañjana), etc. and the 5 include visarga and anusvāra.

    So your question becomes one of the proper use of visarga (aspirated breath) depicted by in the mantra you offer vs. the anusvāra or the after-sound , the nasal sound which is marked by a dot , and which always belongs to a preceding vowel depicted as .


    This is the mantra you have offered in your post...
    oṁ bhadra karnebhi sṛṇuyāma devā

    Both anusvāra and visarga appear in the mantra, based upon specific rules of closure, transition and adjacent sound rules as mentioned. If I try and explain, I cannot not do it simply, which tells me I do not have a full handle on the rules as yet ; simple = comprehension for me, and I am not there yet.


    For those interested, this invocation (āvāhanaṃ&#185 is the opening line of the śāntipāthaḥ (peace invocation) found in 3 upaniṣads: the māṇḍūkya upaniṣad, muṇḍaka upaniṣad and the praśna upaniṣad.
    oṁ bhadraṁ karnebhiḥ sṛṇuyāma devā

    It says the following:
    (oṁ) may we with our ears hear that which is auspicious O devā (O gods, devatā)
    Or said anther way,
    (oṁ) the auspicious O devā (O gods, devatā) may we hear with our ears

    This is not the sum total of the śloka as it contains 4 full lines + the final closure of peace, oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

    praṇām
    • āvahana आवहन is to bring near. We can also consider āvāha आवाह inviting , invitation
      • Hence the 'invocation' is considered/called āvāhanaṃ which is sending for , inviting, calling.
        And who are we calling ? - usually the devatā being addressed in a pūjā perhaps.
    Last edited by yajvan; 31 October 2009 at 10:52 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  3. #3
    Join Date
    October 2009
    Location
    malaysia
    Posts
    134
    Rep Power
    0

    Re: meaning of invocation

    dear sir,
    thank you for your reply
    renuka karthikayan

  4. #4

    Re: meaning of invocation

    Quote Originally Posted by renuka View Post
    dear all,
    i want some help here.

    in the first line of the invocation :
    om bhadram karnebhih shrunuyaama devaah

    why is the grammar KARNEBHIH and not KARNAABHYAAM.
    i understand vedic grammar is different from the regular Sanskrit grammar but can anyone explain this to me.
    thanks in advance
    The vedmantra is.bhadram karnebhih shranuyam DEVAH bhadram pashyem akshabhiryajatrah .

    It is receiving , so tritiya bibhakti is used . Devah is bahuvachan , so karnebhih and akshabhih is used and not karnabhyam or akshabhyam .

  5. #5
    Join Date
    October 2009
    Location
    malaysia
    Posts
    134
    Rep Power
    0

    Re: meaning of invocation

    dear Guptaji,
    thanks a million

  6. #6
    Join Date
    October 2009
    Location
    malaysia
    Posts
    134
    Rep Power
    0

    Re: meaning of invocation

    now since you cleared my doubt i can see clearly now hence i want to ask you this.
    Is Karnebhih/Aksabhih used because its the Plural for 3rd Vibhakti (counting all the ears and eyes of the reciters?)

  7. #7

    Re: meaning of invocation

    As science uses receivers and transmitters , similarly in Sanskrit tritiya vibhakti and pancham vibhakti is used .

    When a bird flies with two wings , then bhyam is used , see..

    Ubhabhyam pakshabhyam pakshih gati now you can use prapyate and if plural or pakshinah. gati prapyante .

    It has been a lapse of 40 yrs. , time when I studied Sanskrit . This time I have no any grammar book .

  8. #8
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: meaning of invocation

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~


    Namast kd gupa,

    Quote Originally Posted by kd gupta View Post
    As science uses receivers and transmitters , similarly in Sanskrit tritiya vibhakti and pancham vibhakti is used .
    Are you offering here the sentence structure of subject and object? That in this language it is 'subject-object-verb' structured.

    praṇām
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  9. #9

    Re: meaning of invocation

    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post
    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    Namast kd gupa,



    Are you offering here the sentence structure of subject and object? That in this language it is 'subject-object-verb' structured.

    praṇām
    Namaste Yajvanji

    I have requested Arya Samaj forum to start a basic sanskrit grammar topic , see if they agree ..

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •