मार्गदेशीविचारः १

The evolution of the categories of mārga and deśī has interested me for some time now, so I will post some relevant sources. Incidentally, it demonstrates that the idea of a “vernacular” is actually one of considerable antiquity in Sanskrit śāstric discourse (more on this later).

Here is what remains of the first chapter of the Bṛhaddeśī of Mataṅgamuni, as reedited by Prem Lata Sharma assisted by Anil Bihari Beohar, IGNCA, New Delhi 1992. Sharma’s text is occasionally heavily, and in my opinion unnecessarily, emended (no new MS evidence was used) to remove any trace of Purāṇic or Aiśa syntax, sandhi etc. Therefore I add the TSS 92 readings on the lines immediately following. The missing opening section might have contained a formal definition of what Mataṅga understood by mārga. Click for more...

prathamo ’dhyāyaḥ

...lacuna of one folio...

deśīprakaraṇam

[mataṅga uvāca]

nānāvidheṣu deśeṣu & jantūnāṃ sukhado bhavet
tataḥ prabhṛti lokānāṃ & narendrāṇāṃ yadṛcchayā
deśe deśe pravṛtto ’sau & dhvaner deśīti saṃjñitaḥ

[granthakṛt]

mataṅgasya vacaḥ śrutvā & nārado munir abravīt

[nārada uvāca]

nanu dhvanes tu deśītvaṃ & kathaṃ jātaṃ mahāmune ?
amūrtatvāc ca tasyeti & satyaṃ me vaktum arhasi
TSS: amūrtatvāc ca teṣāṃ hi & iti me vaktum arhasi
mataṅga uvāca

yathādeśānubhūtatvād & dhvaneḥ sthānānugatvataḥ
TSS: yathānubhūtadeśāc ca & dhvaneḥ sthānānugād api
...lacuna?...
tato bindus tato nādas & tato mātrās tv anukramāt
varṇas tu mātṛkodbhūtā & mātṛkā dvividhā matāḥ
svaravyañjanarūpeṇa & jagajjyotir ihocyate
svaryate deśabhāṣāyāṃ & kādikṣāntaṃ yathāvidhi
TSS: svaryate deśabhāṣāyām & ādikṣāntaṃ yathāvidhi
tena svarāh samākhyātā & anye ṣaḍjādayaḥ svarāḥ
vyañjanatvaṃ tu sarveṣu & kādivargeṣu saṃsthitam
TSS: vyañjanatvaṃ tu sarveṣāṃ & kādivargeṇa saṃsthitam
śaktyabhivyaktimātreṇa & vyajjanaṃ śivatām gatam
padavākyasvarūpeṇa & vākyārthavahanena yat
varṇayanti jagat sarvaṃ & tena varṇāḥ prakīrtitāḥ
TSS: varṇā yatra jagat sarvaṃ & tena varṇāḥ prakīrtitāḥ
varṇapūrvakam etad dhi & padaṃ jñeyaṃ sadā budhaiḥ
padais tu nirmitaṃ vākyaṃ & kriyākārakasaṃyutam
tato vākyān mahāvākyaṃ & vedāḥ sāṅgā hy anukramāt
vyaktās te dhvanitah sarve & tato gāndharvasaṃbhavaḥ
dhvanir yoniḥ parā jñeyā & dhvaniḥ sarvasya kāraṇam
ākrāntaṃ dhvaninā sarvaṃ & jagat sthāvarajaṅgamam
dhvanis tu dvividhaḥ prokto & vyaktāvyaktavibhāgataḥ
varṇopalambhanād vyakto & deśīmukham upāgataḥ

iti deśyutpattiḥ

[deśīmārgalakṣaṇam]

abalābālagopālaiḥ & kṣitipālair nijecchayā
gīyate yānurāgeṇa & svadeśe deśir ucyate
TSS: gīyate sānurāgeṇa & svadeśe deśir ucyate
nibaddhaś cānibaddhaś ca & mārgo ’yaṃ dvividho mataḥ
TSS: nibandhaś cānibandhaś ca & mārgo ’yaṃ dvividho mataḥ
ālāpādinibaddho yaḥ & sa ca mārgaḥ prakīrtitaḥ
TSS: āplāpādinibandho yaḥ & sa ca mārgaḥ prakīrtitaḥ \var{or: \conj alpālāpanibaddho yaḥ}
evaṃprakārā deśīyaṃ & jñjātavyā gītakovidaiḥ
TSS: evaṃprakāro deśī yaḥ & jñātavyā gītakovidaiḥ
evam etan mayā proktaṃ & deśyā utpattilakṣaṇam

iti deśīlakṣaṇam