Trailer: Panini: How many types of Swara are there? Students: स्वराः are of three types based on the time taken to utter them. 1. ह्रस्वस्वराः Hrasva Swara 2. दीर्गस्वराः Deerga Swara & 3. प्लुतस्वराः Plut Swara ह्रस्वस्वराः एकमात्राकालेन उच्चार्यमाणाः स्वराः ह्रस्वस्वराः इत्युच्यन्ते। They (ह्रस्वस्वराः) need one मात्रा (moment) for their utterance. दीर्घस्वराः द्विमात्रेण कालेन उच्चार्यमाणाः स्वराः दीर्गस्वराः। They (दीर्गस्वराः) need two मात्रे (moments) for their utterance. प्लुतस्वराः त्रिमात्रेण कालेन वा तस्मादधिककालेन वा उच्चार्यमाणाः स्वराः प्लुतस्वराः। They (प्लुतस्वराः) need three or more मात्राः (moments) for their utterance.
Today we will look a little more into the letters of the Sanskrit language. Previously we have seen the basic form of वर्ण classification which are the स्वरा: अयोगवाहा: and व्यञ्जनानि. But Maharshi Panini was not satisfied with just the letters. In the grand scheme of things, he envisioned the need to create different groups for the letters for different purposes.
Read more about Sanskrit Alphabets.
Let’s start with the स्वरा: first.
When Maharshi Panini got all the letters and numbers together he realised that certain स्वरा: had to be called out longer. So, he decided to notate some of these differently for ease of use.
For example, let’s look at अ. The time taken to utter अ is only as much as it takes to blink our eyes. This duration is called a मात्रा. So, any स्वर: which is uttered for a duration of one मात्रा is called ह्रस्व: स्वर: (short vowel). If the duration of utterance is twice that of a मात्रा then the स्वर: is called a दीर्घ: स्वर: (long vowel). And if the duration is thrice as long then the स्वर: is called a प्लुतस्वर:
Check this post to know fruits name in Sanskrit.
So, when Maharshi Panini calls out to अकार then अ marks his attendance. When he calls अ for a duration twice as long then अ२ (we’ll notate it this way for the time being) comes forward. Anyways he soon realised that it’s better to give these दीर्घस्वरा: their own identity.
He decided to give the ह्रस्वस्वरा: the opportunity to model the दीर्घस्वरा: on themselves. So, he gave them all a curved stick hoping that they would place it on top of their शिरोरेखा. But things didn’t go quite as planned. See for yourself.
Scene 1 – When अकार gets the curved stick…
Scene 2 – When इकार gets the curved stick…
Scene 3 – When उकार gets the curved stick…
Scene 4 – When ऋकार gets the curved stick…
The remaining 4 दीर्घस्वरा: were not so lucky. Maharshi had enough of it. Decided to take things in his own hands.
The misadventures with the दीर्घस्वरा: led to the प्लुतस्वराः being simply notated as अ३, इ३, उ३, ऋ३, ॡ, ए३, ऐ४, ओ३ and औ४ with the exception of ॡ which did not get a दीर्घ form and hence was duly compensated.
Also read story based approach to learn about Sanskrit numbers.
In short, the स्वराः were classified in the following manner:
| ह्रस्वस्वराः | दीर्घस्वराः | प्लुतस्वराः |
| अ | आ | अ३ |
| इ | ई | इ३ |
| उ | ऊ | उ३ |
| ऋ | ॠ | ऋ३ |
| ऌ | _ | ॡ |
| _ | ए | ए३ |
| _ | ऐ | ऐ४ |
| _ | ओ | ओ३ |
| _ | औ | औ४ |
।।शुभमस्तु।।
