Guest guest Posted February 11, 2003 Report Share Posted February 11, 2003 Dear list members, Dr. Witzel wrote [regarding the mnemonic system for the Taittiriya Samhita] >...the TS system is more like the Samaveda ones I >mentioned: >The TS one was first described by Albrecht Weber around 1850/60 (in >Indische Studien, I think - quoting from old memory, student times) : it >has, (if I remember correctly : writing from home), a system that counts >units of 10 words, and if, say, 5 words exceed that at the end, it will >say: panca ca. (Taittiriya Aranyaka has a slightly different system, >based on 5 words, I vaguely recall). > >Thus clearly meant to check the exact length and the complete recitation of >the sections of the Anuvaka in question. > Several years ago, I was given the details of the TS mnemonic system as follows: ----- every anuvaaka of the TS is, if possible,mechanically subdivided into smaller units of 50 words. If the anuvaaka contains less than 50, the FIRST word is quoted and "ca" is NOT added to the numeral following it. This is what you find in TS 1.1.1, e.g., which section starts with _i.se (= 'i.se) followed by only "43" because that is the total number of words of the section. If, however, the number excedes 50, or a multiple of it, the LAST word (or words) of each unit of 50 is (are) quoted, and the number of words in excess of 50 follows WITH an added "ca". This is repeatedly the case in those parts which you copied the other day. At the end of TS 4.5.1, referred to by you, we find "haste" harking back to the last word of the first unit of 50, "dik.su" to the last of the second, "i.savas" of the third; and after "ubhaabhyaam", which takes up the last of the forth, the numeral that follows indicates the additional 22 words. The difference in intonation of these catchwords, as we might call them, results entirely from the fact that the whole coda is treated independently, as having its own sandhi and accentuation. ----------------------------- regards, Harry Harry Spier 371 Brickman Rd. Hurleyville, New York USA,, 12747 _______________ MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.