History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c51.116.4

v3.c51.116.4

The chant has a fixed extent and is sung on a ṛk verse. In order to effectuate that chant resort is made to change of letter (as in 'ognāyi' for 'agna' in 'agna āyāhi vītaye), to *stobha* and the other devices stated below²⁶⁰⁸. Since the ṛk verses are sung to a certain melody the ṛks are the skeleton, the notes of the melody are the flesh that clothes the bare bones, they are super-imposed over the ṛk, and the stobhas are embellishments or flourishes like the hair on one's body. This very apt and happy figure is employed by the Sāmavidhāna Brāhmaṇa to illustrate the relationship of the ṛks, the notes and the stobhas.²⁶⁰⁹ Each sāman chant is primarily connected with certain verses, e. g. when we speak of Rathantara without more the verses meant are Ṛg. VII. 32. 22-23 *abhi tvā śūra* &c. = S. V. II. 1. 1. 11 (Benfey) and S. V. vol. III. pp. 83-84 (B. I. series); and when one refers to the Vāmadevya sāman without further qualification the verses intended are Ṛg. IV. 31. 1-3 (*kayā naścitra ābhuvat*) = S. V. II. 1. 1. 12 (Benfey) and S. V. vol. III. pp. 87-89 (B. I.). These are called the own (*svakīya*) verses of the respective sāmans (vide com. on Drāhyāyaṇa II. 1. 1) and that one verse occurring in the pūrvārcika part of the Sāmaveda, which is the first in the sāman as set out in the Uttarārcika portion, is called the *yoni* of the sāman (Jai. VII. 2. 17 and Śabara thereon). But the verses that are the own verses of a sāman can be sung to another melody. Tāṇḍya XV. 10.