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

: 134 Treatment of Svara
(ii) स्वरलक्षणम्
श्रुत्यनन्तरभावी यः स्निग्धोऽनुरणनात्मकः ॥२४॥
स्वतो रञ्जयति श्रोतृचित्तं स स्वर उच्यते ।
(ii) The definition of svara (tone):
Immediately consequent upon śruti¹, creamy² and
Now the svara is being defined. By the way, the essential difference
between śruti and svara is also implied in this definition. When a string
of the vīṇā is plucked, the very first sound produced is considered to be
śruti and the very next sound following it, which is the resounding of the
śruti is called svara. In other words, whereas śruti is essentially free from
resonance, resonance is the essential characteristic of svara.
The other two essential characteristic features of 'svara' are softness
and self-sustained delightfulness.
There is a slight difference of opinion with regards to the inter-
pretation of this definition of svara; 'K' thinks that since the author has
already established the notes on the vīṇā and defined their śruti-
intervals, here in this context the word śruti means the fourth śruti etc.,
which when manifested resounds subsequently into ṣaḍja etc. In other
words, by śruti is meant that particular śruti which is capable of resound-
ing into a note and which is technically called svarasthāna, i. e., the seat
of a note. However, it is notable that 'S' thinks that the sound produced
by the first string (of the 22-stringed vīṇā) which is devoid of resonance
is called śruti while the subsequent resounding sound is called svara.
It is interesting to compare this verse as translated by M. S.
Ramaswami Aiyar in his edition of the Svaramelakalānidhi as it is borrow-
ed verbatim by Rāmāmātya. He renders it as under:

1. The expression "śruti-anantara-bhāvī" is specifically important
   for it is designed to stress on the one hand the characteristic
   difference between the concepts of śruti and svara, and on the
   other hand, their specific relation as well. Svara, in other
   words is a developed śruti Since śruti here signifies the sound
   produced by striking a vibrating string in the first instant
   which is conspicuous by being free from resonance, svara
   signifies that very sound when it gathers vibrations of
   resonance and thereby becomes sonorous.
2. Snigdha is defined as that (sound) which is soft and is also
   capable of being heard at a distance. Actually the literal
   meaning of the word is 'viscous' and is applied as such to
   liquids only; but here it is used figuratively. In this sense, it
   is a quality of musical sound. The opposite of snigdha is rūkṣa,
   i. e., rough or dry.
   Section 3 : Nāda, Śruti and Svara
   resonating³, the sound⁴ that delights the listeners' minds by
   itself⁵ is called svara⁶. (24c-25b)
   "That is called svara, which is by itself pleasing to the ear and the
   mind; which permeates the śruti-s; and which is tender and
   harmonic."
   It will be noticed that he renders the expression "śrutyanantarabhāvī"
   as "which permeates the śruti-s". Apart from the value of this render-
   ing from a translator's point of view, what is remarkable is the implied
   relationship of svara and śruti in this expression. That svara permeates
   the śruti-s means that, svara-s are involved in śruti-s.
3. Anuraṇana (anu+raṇana lit. the 'post-sound' from raṇ to sound,
   to ring, to tinkle etc.) technically signifies the sound-vibra-
   tions of a string that are produced and that ordinarily follow
   the sound produced in it (by striking) in the very first instance,
   which is called raṇana and is devoid of resonance. The term
   resonance (from resound, to echo, to ring, to go on sounding)
   is generally associated with the resounding of sympathetic
   strings or bodies other than that in which the original sound
   is produced; but anuraṇana differs from this concept in so far
   as it denotes resounding of the sound produced in the same
   vibrating string or body. However, for want of a better word
   it has been rendered as resonance.
4. The pronoun yaḥ is used in the text for it.
5. This is the most important and distinguishing feature of svara,
   viz., that it should have the quality of delighting the mind of
   the listeners by itself, i. e., without the need for any other
   accompaniment or help. 'S' points out that this quality is
   related to the quality of softness attributed to svara.
6. It is notable that, whereas Mataṅga derives the word svara
   from the root rājṛ—to shine, to appear, prefixing sva to it,
   Śārṅgadeva derives it from the root rañj—to delight. Both of
   these derivations are semantic explanations and do not have
   the precision of a grammatical authority. Even so, the diffe-
   rence of approach is significant. Śārṅgadeva seems to have
   been under the influence of Abhinavagupta in his interpreta-
   tion, who stresses the element of resonance (anuraṇana) as the
   most distinguishing feature of the essential nature of svara
   (tone) in contrast with that of śruti, which he says is devoid of
   it. Accordingly, the beauty of a tone depends on the ratio of
   unresonating and resonating sound present in its production.
   Thus every tone has two elements, the unresonating and the
   resonating; if the former is greater in ratio the tone quality is
   the lowest, if both are equal it is medium and if the latter is
   greater it is the best (cf N. S., G O. S. Vol. IV, p. 13).
   This line of thinking emphasises the element of delightful-
   ness that essentially characterises the svara, and this is attribut-
   ed mainly to the element of resonance in it. It is not therefore
   surprising to find Śārṅgadeva defining svara as that which is
   delightful by itself.