The Positive Sciences of the Ancient Hindus c6.21

c6.21

Śabara, the Mîmâmsâ doctor, explains massiveness (**महत्त्व**) as due to **नादवृद्धि**, the coalescence of different air-waves, which by their simultaneous impact affect a comparatively large tract of the ear-drum (**यच्चैतत् बहुभिर्भैरीमाध्मानद्भिः शब्दमुच्चारयद्भिर्महान् शब्द उपलभ्यते । न वर्द्धते शब्दः । मृदुरेकेन बहुभिस्तूच्चार्य्यमाणे तान्येव अक्षराणि कर्णशष्कुलीमण्डलस्य सर्वां नेमिं व्यापद्भिः संयोगविभागनैरन्तर्येण अनेकशो ग्रहणात् महान् इव अवयववानिव उपलभ्यते । संयोगविभागनैरन्तर्येण क्रियमाणाः शब्दमभिव्यञ्जन्तो नादशन्दवाच्याः । तेन नादस्यैषा वृद्धिः न शब्दस्य**—Śabara on Jaimini, Sûtra 17, Adhyâya 1, Pâda 1). The Mîmâmsakas, who resolve sounds into air-waves, attribute all differences, whether of pitch, intensity, or massiveness, to differences in the series of conjunctions and disjunctions of air-particles that form the waves (*vide* Vâchaspati's report, **शब्दानां तु संयोगविभागयोनीनां युक्तस्तद्भेदेन रूपभेदः** ; *cf.* also the later Nyâya-Vaiśeṣika, which accepts air-waves as vehicles of sound-waves : **वायोरेव मन्दतरतमादिक्रमेण मन्दादि-शब्दोत्पत्तिः**—Gangeśa, Tattva Chintâmaṇi). It may be noted that the terms **तीव्र** and **मन्द** are occasionally used in a general sense, and applied to express higher and lower degrees of pitch as well as of intensity.