Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24
Anūcāna (True Learning), the Vedāṅgas, and Śikṣā: Svara, Sāmavedic Chant, and Gandharva Theory
तृतीय प्रथमक्रुष्टा कुर्वंत्याह्वरकान् स्वरान् । द्वितीयाद्यास्तु मद्रांतास्तैत्तिरीयाश्चतुःस्वरान् ॥ २४ ॥
tṛtīya prathamakruṣṭā kurvaṃtyāhvarakān svarān | dvitīyādyāstu madrāṃtāstaittirīyāścatuḥsvarān || 24 ||
Kumpulan ketiga, bermula dengan Prathama-kruṣṭā, menggunakan nada āhvaraka. Adapun kumpulan kedua—berakhir pada Madrā—bersama tradisi Taittirīya, menggunakan empat aksen nada dalam bacaan.
Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada on technical Vedic recitation)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: none
FAQs
It emphasizes that precise Vedic sound—especially correct svara (accent/intonation)—is a discipline of Shiksha (Vedanga) that safeguards mantra efficacy and supports the seeker’s purity of practice on the path of Moksha Dharma.
While the verse is technical, it indirectly supports Bhakti by teaching that devotional mantra-japa and Vedic chanting are strengthened when pronunciation and tonal accents are preserved according to one’s śākhā (tradition), preventing distortion of sacred sound.
Shiksha (Vedic phonetics): classification of recitational groups/schools and their use of specific svara patterns—here noting āhvaraka tones for one group and a four-svara usage associated with the Taittirīya tradition.