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पञ्चमहाशब्द (paJcamahAzabda)

 
Indian Epigraphical Glossary
English
pañca-mahāśabda (IE 8-2
EI 30
CII 3, 4
SITI
CITD
BL), refers to the privilege of enjoying the sounds of five
musical instruments, or five titles beginning with mahat
five
official designations or musical instruments mentioned in con-
nection with feudatories
five official designations beginning
with the word mahā in the North and five kinds of musical
instruments in the South
in South India, it was the same as
pañca-mahānināda, i. e. the sounds of the five great musical ins-
truments called the pañca-mahāvādya enumerated by some as a
horn, a tabor, a conch-shell, a kettle-drum and a gong
in
some parts of North India, the expression indicated five
official designations with the prefix mahā.
(CII 3), sounds of five musical instruments, the use of
which was allowed to persons of high rank and authority
usually a title of feudatories
cf. tat-pradatta-pañcamahāśabda (IE
8-2), used in respect of feudatory rulers who received the right
of enjoying the pañca-mahāśabda from their overlords
rarely
used in the South by independent monarchs. Cf. pañca-vādya (EI
4) and pañca-mahāvādya. See Samadhigata-pañcamahāśabda, etc.
Cf. pañca-māśattam (SITI), the five musical instruments,
to the use of which a nobleman was entitled
sometimes enu-
merated as ceṇḍai, timilai, śegaṇḍi, cymbals and kāhaḻam or as
tattaḻi, maddaḻi, karaḻikai, cymbals and kāhaḻam.
(SII 11-1), cf. grant of 40 mattars of land to a piper for
arranging to play the five musical instruments.