CHALĀKṢARA CODE in the SĀMAVEDA SAṀHITĀThese are code letters (ve, khā, bī, ṭhau etc.) which are found at the end of the khaṇḍas of thepūrvārcika and at the end of the sūktas (group of ṛcas) of the uttarārcika. For the pūrvārcika theconsonant contains the information about the number of syllables marked with 2ra (svarita) andthe number of syllables marked with 2u (udātta). The vowel contains the information about thenumber of syllables which are not marked with any numeral (dhārī). Unmarked syllables at theend of a line are not counted. For the uttarārcika the consonant contains the information about thenumber of syllables which are not marked with any numeral (dhārī) and the number of syllables
marked with 2u (udātta). The vowel contains the information about the number of syllables
marked with 2ra (svarita).
u5
sv5/dh5

12

3

4

50

1
2
3
4
5

kc
ṭt
pkhch
ṭḥ
thphgjḍ
dbghjh
ḍḥ
dhbh

ṅ
ñṇnmh
yr
lv

i
3

ī
4u5

ū
6e
7ai
8

a1

ā
2(pūrvārcika/uttarārcika)o9au
10/0(dh10/sv10)

sv5/dh5/u5: number of svaritas/dhārīs/udāttas in the last group of five each.
dh10/sv10: number of dhārīs/svaritas in the last group of 10 each.
sv/dh/u: number of svaritas/dhārīs/udāttas.
sv5/dh5/u5
1
45

sv/dh/u1, 6, 11, 16, 21 etc.
4, 9, 14, 19, 24 etc.
5, 10, 15, 20, 25 etc.

dh10/sv10
1
910/0

dh/sv
1, 11, 21, 31 etc.
9, 19, 29, 39 etc.
10/0, 20/0, 30/0 etc.

The code does not give exact numbers. To compensate this uncertainty the Saṁhitā mentions togetherwith the chalākṣara code the exact numbers of svaritas, udāttas and dhārīs.

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Examples pūrvārcika (adhyāya.khaṇḍa):1.1 (sv 10!, u 0, dh 37) (ve)agnedignagasaḥ: dik (10), na (0), ga (3) saḥ (7)(see appendix: Sāmalakṣaṇadīpikā)sv = 10 = (5) (5); the last group contains 5 svaritas => sv5 = 5
u = 0 = (0); the last group contains 0 udātta => u5 = 0
dh = 37 = (10) (10) (10) (7); the last group contains 7 dhārīs => dh10 = 7

a2gna3 ā1 yā2hi vī3ta1ye2 gṛṇā3no2 ha3vya1dā2taye |ni1 hotā2ra satsi ba3rhi1ṣi2 || 1 ||tva1ma2gne ya3jñā2nā3ṁ ho2tā3 vi1śve2ṣāṁ hi3ta2ḥ |de3ve2bhi3rmā1nu2ṣe3 ja1ne2 || 2 ||a3gni2ṁ dū3ta1ṁ vṛ2ṇīmahe3 ho1tā2raaṁ vi3śva1ve2dasam |a3sya1 ya3jña1sya2 su3kra1tu2m || 3 ||a3gni2ravṛ3trā1ṇi2 jaṅghanaddraviṇa3syu1rvi2pa3nya1yā2 |sa1mi2ddhaḥ śu3kra1 āhu2rataḥ || 4 ||pre1ṣṭha2ṁ vo3 a1ti2thiṁ stu3ṣe2 mi3tra1mi2va pri3ya2m |a2gne3 ra2tha3ṁ na1 vedya2ram || 5 ||tva1ṁ no2 agne3 ma1ho2bhiḥ pā3hi1 viśva2rasyā3 a1rā2teḥ |u3ta2 dvi3ṣo1 martya2rasya || 6 ||e2hyū3 ṣu1 bravā2raṇi3 te1 'gna2 i3tthe1ta2rā3 gi1ra2ḥ |e3bhi1rva2rdhāsa3 i1ndu2bhiḥ || 7 ||
ā1 te2 va3tso1 mano2ra yamatpara3mā1cci2tsa3dha1sthā2t |a2gne3 tvā1ṁ kā2maye gi3rā2 || 8 ||tvā1ma2gne3 pu1ṣka2rā3da1dhyatha2rarvā3 ni1ra2manthata |mū3rdhno1 viśva2rasya vā3gh1ata2ḥ || 9 ||a2gne3 vi1va2sva3dā1 bha2rā3sma1bhya2mū3ta1ye2 ma3he2 |de3vo1 hyasi2ra no dṛ3śe2 || 10 || (sv 10, u 0, dh 37, ve)2https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.485400/2015.485400.Saamvedsanhita#page/n19/mode/2up

1.2 (sv 6, u 2, dh 52) (khā)
namorasanetramaraḥ: rasa (6), netra (2), ma (5) raḥ (2)
1.3 (sv 9, u 2, dh 57) (the)agniṁ grahadvamāsaḥ: graha (9), dva (2), mā (5) saḥ (7)
1.4 (sv 9, u 3, dh 83) (di!) (instead of dī)
yajñadhā pāvakatryaśītiḥ: dhā (9), pāvaka (3), tryaśītiḥ (83)
1.5 (sv 15!, u 6, dh 72!? pā! (instead of ṣā) (dh 72 instead of 71)
enātithi caikasaptatiḥ: tithi (15), ca (6), ekasaptatiḥ (71)
1.6 (sv 11, u 2, dh 57) (khe!) (instead of kha)devo rudranamāsaḥ: rudra (11), na? (0), mā (5) saḥ (7)3

1.7 (sv 15, u 8, dh 104) (bī)ājukāmavasunavam: kā (1) ma (5), vasu (8), [ya (1)] na (0) vam (4)1.8 (sv 13, u 1, dh 60) (ṭau)
abodhiyalaiko na? ṣaṣṭiḥ: ya (1) la (3), ekaḥ (1), na? (0) ṣaṣṭiḥ (60)
1.9 (sv 14, u 7, dh 51) (tha)agnalokamarunmāyaḥ: loka (14), ma (5) run (+2?), mā (5) yaḥ (1)2.1 (sv 10, u 4, dh 46) (bhū)
2.4 (sv 8, u 5, dh 44) (ṇī)
2.6 (sv 12, u1, dh 40) (cau)
3.8 (sv 10, u 3, dh 77) (be!) (instead of ve)
3.11 (sv 18, u 4, dh 86) ḍhū! (instead of lū)
4.1 (sv 5, u 2, dh 45) (phu!) (instead of pu)
4.4 (sv 10, u 2!, dh 62) (phā!) (instead of khā)4.10 (sv 7, u 2, dh 47) (chā!) (instead of ṣṭhā)5.2 ( sv 11, u 0, dh 49) (ho)5.10 (sv 8, u 3, dh 46) (ḍū!) (instead of ṭha)Examples uttarārcika (adhyāya.sūkta):
3.12 ( dh 20!, u 2, sv 5) => (dh5 = 5, u5 = 2, sv10 = 5) (phu)tvā1middhi havā2ramahe sā3tau1 vāja2rasya kā3ra1va2ḥ |tvā2ṁ vṛ3tre1ṣvi2ndra3 sa1tpa2ti3ṁ na2ra3stvā2uṁ kāṣṭhā3sva1rva2taḥ || 1 || ( 809)
sa1 tvaṁ na2raścitra vajrahasta dhṛṣṇu3yā2 ma3ha1 sta2vā3no1 a2drivaḥ |gā1maśva2raṁ ra3kathya2ramindra3 sa1ṁ ki2ra sa3trā2u vāja3ṁ na2 ji3gyu1ṣe2 || 2 || (810)

https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.485400/2015.485400.Saamvedsanhita#page/n75/mode/2up
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3.13 ( dh 16, u 0, sv 3) (hi)3.15 ( dh 12, u 1, sv 0) (cau)ya2ste3 ma2do3 va1re2ṇya3ste1nā2 pava3svā1ndha2sā |de3vāvī1ra2ghaśaṁsa3hā2 || 1 || (815)ja1ghni2rvṛ3tra1ma2mi3tri2ya3ṁ sa2sni3rvā1ja2ṁ di3ve1di2ve .
go1ṣā2tiraśva3sā1 a2si || 2 || (816)sa1ṁmi2ślo aru3ṣo1 bhu2vaḥ sūpa3sthā1bhi3rna2 dhe3nu1bhiḥ2 .
sī1da2ṁ cchye3no2u na yoni3mā2 || 3 || (817)
3.17 ( dh 36, u 3, sv 4) (gī)
6.4 ( dh 21, u 1, sv 9) (ko)20.5 (dh 7, u1, sv 3) (ci)a2gne3 ta2ma3dyā2ṣva3ṃ na2u stomai3ḥ kra2tu3ṃ na2 bha3dra1ṃ hṛ2di3spṛ1ṣa2m .
ṛ3dhyā1mā2 ta3 o1hai2ḥ || 1 || (1777)
a2dhā3ka hya2ragne3 kra1to2rbha3dra2sya3 da1kṣa2sya sā3dho2ḥ .
ra3thī2rṛ3ta1sya2 bṛha3to2 ba3bhū1tha2 || 2 || (1778)
e3bhi1rno2 a3rkai1rbhavā2ra no a3rvā1ṅksvā23ऽrṇa1 jyoti2raḥ .
a2gne3 vi1śve2bhiḥ su3ma2nā3 a1nī2kaiḥ || 3 || (1779)

APPENDIX
SĀMALAKṢAṆADĪPIKĀśrīgurucaraṇāravin!dābhyāṁ namaḥgururūpaṁ guhaṁ natvā procyate sāmaśākhināmlakṣaṇaṁ dīpikākhyaṁ vai tannāmnā sāhacaryataḥ 1rāvaṇena kṛtaṁ pūrvaṁ baiṇṇāmnā lakṣaṇaṁ tu yattatpūrvaṁ kvacitspaṣṭamatra tu spaṣṭameva hi 2svaśśidhā tritvasaṁkhyānāṁ saṁjñārthaṁ vacanena tu
svaritaṁ śivakaṁ dhāri krameṇaiva vidurbudhāḥ 3dīrghākāre hrasvake ca pakārāṇāṁ tu saṁjñayāādyudāttamavagrāhyaṁ padaṁ caiva prakīrttitam 4ādyudātto bin!dumuṁdrāścānārthatastulla eva hidīpamānām udghanaṁcorekākṣaramudāhṛtam 55

dīrghaparvāvasānaṁ ca mātrodghātavinārthakāḥṛcāṁ padānāṁ sāmnāṁ tu prakṛtyādi yathākramam 6gaṇyate svaritānāṁ tu sālatāsaṁjñakaṁ budhāḥ
śivakaṁ procyate samyak rageyakramaśa sphuṭam 7
dhārisaṁkhyāmahaṁ vakṣye gaṁdhanācamudāhṛtam 8iti paribhāṣā 1
oṁ kanakam |vakṣamāṇa tu sūtrāṇi dṛṣṭānīti gṛhyatām ||tatkarāraḥ | agnedignagasaḥ |agne is the pratīka of khaṇḍa 1 of adhyāya 1 of the pūrvācika. The number of svaritas (2ra) is dik(10); the number of udāttas (2u) is na (0); the number of dhārīs (not marked with a numeral) isga (3) saḥ (7) according to the kaṭapayādi system.
namorasanetramaraḥ | agniṁ gra!hadvamāsaḥ | yajñadhā pāvakatryaśītiḥ | enātithi caikasaptatiḥ |devo rudranamāsaḥ | ājukāmavasunavam | abodhiyalaiko na ṣaṣṭiḥ | agnalokamarunmāyaḥ |athottaraṛcā dhāriśivasvaritasammatam 2------------------------------------saptaviṁśatiḥ | nakṣatram | ṛkṣam | mam | tārā | tākā | uḍuvā | revatī | yogam | vijaya |aṣṭāviṁśatisaṁkhyā ārabhya ekatriṁśatparyaṁtaṁ saṁkhyā nāsti | dvātriṁśat lakṣaṇam | abdam |hāyanam | varṣam | śarat | ṣaṣṭi | samāḥ | catuṣṣaṣṭiḥ | līlāḥ |dhārisaṁjñā tathā proktāṣṣathasāvaḥ prakīrttitāḥ
śivakasya tu saṁkhyā tu bisatā iti menire 1
svaritaṁ tu tathā proktaṁ yaramākamitīritam
samūhīkṛtya saṁkhyānāṁ trayāṇāṁ tu davānapaḥ 2
dīrghasthāne tu dhārī syātparvasthāna udāttakam
mātrāsthāne tu svaritamuttarāyā ṛca smṛtaḥ 3sāmalakṣaṇadīpikā samāptā
Reference:“Sāmalakṣaṇadīpikā,” in C.K. Raja and K.M.K. Sarma, Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Adyar
Library, Volume I: Vedic, Adyar Library and Research Center: Madras, 1942, Adyar D I 1069 (33 D 12 = 73239),and Adyar D I 1070 (33 E 7 = 75254).

http://vedicreserve.miu.edu/shiksha/samalakshanadipika.html
http://vedicreserve.miu.edu/shiksha/samalakshanadipika.pdf

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Svaras (accents) in the Sāmaveda Saṁhitā
Accents are marked with a numeral (1, 2, 3), or numeral and letter (2u, 2ra, 2ka), above thesyllable:udātta (1), svarita (2), anudātta (3)svarita (2) – pracaya – anudātta (3) – udātta (1)anudātta (3) – anudātta – udātta (1) (only at the beginning of a line)

Special markings:udātta (2) – anudātta (3); at the end of a line: anudātta (3) – udātta (2) |udātta (1) – udātta – svarita (2ra)udātta (2u) – udātta – anudātta (3)anudātta (3ka) – svarita (2ra)svarita (2) – 3 (ऽ) – udātta (1) (Kampa)

Examples:tvā1middhi havā2ramahe sā3tau1 vāja2rasya kā3ra1va2ḥ |tvā2ṁ vṛ3tre1ṣvi2ndra3 sa1tpa2ti3ṁ na2ra3stvā2uṁ kāṣṭhā3sva1rva2taḥ || 1 || ( 809)
u-u-u-u-s-p-p-a-u-u-s-p-a-u-s |u-a-u-s-a-u-s-a-u-a-u-u-a-u-s-p ||u(1)-u-u-u-s(2ra)-p-p-a(3)-u(1)-u-s(2ra)-p-a(3)-u(1)-s(2) |u(2)-a(3)-u(1)-s(2)-a(3)-u(1)-s(2)-a(3)-u(2)-a(3)-u(2u)-u-a(3)-u(1)-s(2)-p ||e3bhi1rno2 a3rkai1rbhavā2ra no a3rvā1ṅksvā23ऽrṇa1 jyoti2raḥ |a2gne3 vi1śve2bhiḥ su3ma2nā3 a1nī2kaiḥ || 3 || (1779)a-u-s-a-u-u-s-p-a-u-s-u-u-s |u-a-u-s-p-a-u-a-u-s-p ||a(3)-u(1)-s(2)-a(3)-u(1)-u-s(2ra)-p-a(3)-u(1)-s(2)-3(ऽ)-u(1)-u-s(2ra) |u(2)-a(3)-u(1)-s(2)-p-a(3)-u(2)-a(3)-u(1)-s(2)-p ||7

References
Satwalekar S.D. (Ed), (1939), Sāmavedasaṁhitā, Svādhyāya Maṇḍala
https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.485400/2015.485400.Saamved-sanhita#page/n0/mode/2up
Explanation of the code:
https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.485400/2015.485400.Saamved-sanhita#page/n13/mode/2up
Pataskar, Bhagyalata, Ekākṣarī Baiṭhaparibhāṣā, Adarsha Sanskrit Shoda Samstha, 2014
(Introduction, pages x-xii)
http://vedicreserve.miu.edu/shiksha/samalakshanadipika.html
http://vedicreserve.miu.edu/shiksha/samalakshanadipika.pdf
https://sites.google.com/view/vedalakshana
Last update by Detlef Eichler : 23 August 2023

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