Essay name: Vasudevahindi (cultural history)
Author:
A. P. Jamkhedkar
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute Pune
This essay is an English study of the Vasudevahindi reflecting cultural history and traditions of the life of people in ancient and medieval India during the 6th century. The Vasudevahimdi is a romantic and religious tale that revolves around the wanderings of Vasudeva (a former Jain monk) and religious teachings in the guise of love stories, a common theme of poetry in Jainism.
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External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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extract incorporating, as the author of the Vh(M) calls
it, summaries from Bharata's treatise on vocal music
(gida-samkheva), instruments of music (aujja-samkheva)
and dance (na峁弓asutta-samkheva) appears in the Vh(M)1.
The context in which this extract appears is when Vasu-
deva gives lessons to princess Muttavali of Vacchagumma
in the arts of dance and music.
2 The author of the Vh(M) in the gidasamkheva
tells us that sounds originate at the navel (nabimulu-
bbhava) and are articulated at various places like the
tongue (jiha), mouth (vayana), nose, teeth and lips.
The seven sara-s, which are basic in music, have parallels
in the cries of birds and animals: all notes have their
parallel in peacock's note; Risabha in kakubha's; Rasabhi
of the grave type in the goose's; Majjhima in Gavelaya's
Pamcama in the cuckoo's%3B Chajjha in Sarasa bird's%; Nisada
in Komca's; and sattama in the roar of an elephant.
Similarly the sounds of instruments are said to be asso-
ciated with sara-a: Se(a)jja with mudimga, Risabha with
gomuhi, Gamdhara with samkha, Majjhima with jhallari,
Pamcama with goviya, Dhevadaya with sadambara and sattama
with mahabheri. Among the seven sara-s, only three,viz.
1. Vh(M), II.209b-2lla.
2. Ibid., II.209b-210b.
