सङ्गीतरत्नाकर: प्रथम भाग (शार्ङ्गदेव - स्वरगताध्याय सविस्तार व्याख्या व अनुवाद सहित)

120 Treatment of Svara
(ii) चतुःसारणा
व्यक्तये कुर्महे तासां वीणाद्वन्द्वे निदर्शनम् ॥१०॥
द्वे वीणे सदृशौ कार्ये यथा नादः समो भवेत् ।
तयोर्द्वाविंशतिस्तन्त्र्यः प्रत्येकं, तासु चादिमा ॥११॥
(ii) The fourfold string movement (catuḥ-sāraṇā): 10c-22
For their clear¹ exposition we are to demonstrate them
on a pair of vīṇā-s. Two vīṇā-s with twentytwo strings each,
may be produced similar² in every respect to sound³ alike.
as ṣaḍja-grāma. Thus, there are 9 śruti-s in this view which is attributed
to the flutists who are required to provide appropriate knobs for pro-
ducing all the notes by partial and full openings. Mataṅga also quotes
Bharata to support the threefold classification of notes on which is based
the ninefold śruti. The concept of 9 śruti-s is related to the triad of
notes and not the heptad. Then he puts forward some other views
along with Kohala who says, "some maintain twentytwo as the number
of śruti-s, while others, (in view of three registers) consider it to be
sixtysix, but others think it to be infinite."
We have already dealt with the view of the infinity of śruti-s as
untenable. The number sixtysix is admitted on the ground that there
is a difference in the pitch of the notes of the three registers; and
therefore their śruti-s should also be considered to be different. However,
as 'S' argues, this is not a fundamental or categorical difference as the
notes of the three registers as well as their śruti-s are recognised to be
the same. Thus the view holding twentytwo as the number of śruti-s
hold good and Śārṅgadeva seems to have settled this question once for
all, since after him this number is taken for granted.
To sum up, "śruti is that audible sound which at the conceptual
level is capable of being individually perceived, recognised and repro-
duced and at the perceptual level is free from resonance; such śruti-s are
twentytwo in number, and are the same in all the three registers." This
is the twofold technical meaning of the word śruti apart from which,
the word simply means—'that which is heard', i e., 'the audible'. The
Sanskrit word śruti is rendered into English by some as 'microtone'.

1. The minute śruti intervals are not easily discernible without
   being systematically demonstrated; and since it is difficult to
   do so vocally, vīṇā-s are pressed into service.
2. Similar in every detail of manufacture, and the test of their
   similarity lies in the resulting identity of the sound produced
   by them.
   कार्या मन्द्रतमध्वानो द्वितीयोच्चध्वनिर्मनाक् ।
   स्यान्निरन्तरता श्रुत्योर्मध्ये ध्वन्यन्तराश्रुतेः ॥१२॥
   अधराधरतीव्रास्तास्तज्जो नादः श्रुतिर्मतः ।
   वीणाद्वये स्वराः स्थाप्यास्तत्र षड्जश्चतुःश्रुतिः ॥१३॥
   स्थाप्यस्तन्त्यां तुरीयायामृषभस्त्रिश्रुतिस्ततः ।
   पञ्चमीतस्तृतीयायां, गान्धारो द्विश्रुतिस्ततः ॥१४॥
   अष्टमीतो द्वितीयायां, मध्यमोऽथ चतुःश्रुतिः ।
   दशमीतश्चतुर्थ्यां स्यात्पञ्चमोऽथ चतुःश्रुतिः ॥१५॥
   चतुर्दशीतस्तुर्यायां, धैवतस्त्रिश्रुतिस्ततः ।
   अष्टादश्यस्तृतीयायां, निषादो द्विश्रुतिस्ततः ॥१६॥
   एकविंश्या द्वितीयायां, वीणैकाऽत्र ध्रुवा भवेत् ।
   चलवीणा द्वितीया तु तस्यां तन्त्रीस्तु सारयेत् ॥१७॥
   स्वोपान्त्यतन्त्रीमानेयास्तस्यां सप्त स्वरा बुधैः ।
   ध्रुववीणास्वरेभ्योऽस्यां चलायां ते स्वरास्तदा ॥१८॥
   एकश्रुत्यपकृष्टाः स्युरेवमन्याऽपि सारणा ।
   श्रुतिद्वयलयादस्यां चलवीणागतौ गनी ॥१९॥
   ध्रुववीणोपगतयो रिधयोर्विशतः क्रमात् ।
   तृतीयायां सारणायां विशतः सपयो रिधौ ॥२०॥
   निगमेषु चतुर्थ्यां तु विशन्ति समपाः क्रमात् ।
   श्रुतिद्वाविंशतावेवं सारणानां चतुष्टयात् ॥२१॥
   ध्रुवाश्रुतिषु लीनायामित्यता ज्ञायते स्फुटम् ।
   अतः परं तु रक्तिघ्नं न कार्यमपकर्षणम् ॥२२॥
   The first⁴ string may be so fixed as to produce the lowest⁵
   possible sound, and the second one in order to sound a little
3. 'K' thinks that the string fixed so as to be the nearest in the
   the approach of the player is the first string.
4. Here we are concerned with musical sound and not merely with
   sound. Therefore, the lowest possible sound implies that the
   string should be stretched not only to make an audible sound
   but to make the sound which is the lowest and also capable of
   resounding. As 'S' puts it, the sound thus produced should be
   delightful.