Ritual

Om. Rajasthan, c. 18th century.
Gouache on paper.
106
The doctrine of Sphotavada postulates the inexplicable notion
that there is transcendental sound without vibration of a supersonic
order which is therefore inaudible to the normal range of the
physiological ear. This non-vibratory sound is variously designated
as 'silent sound', 'static sound', 'unstruck sound' or
anahata-dhvani. This postulate leads us to the assumption that
there is no vacuum anywhere. The universe is a continuum of
unfragmented plena, a stage in the vibratory scale which can be
equated with the pre-creative stage of Prakriti. The primary sound
created by a causal stress is known as 'Para-sabda'. The doctrine
also holds that though the ultimate quality of the sound potential is
'silence', at the finite level it generates different degrees of vibration
that create light and dimension. Every vibration has its own
volume and structure which vary in accordance to the density of
sound. Sound is said to become more and more differentiated in
relation to pitch, rhythm, volume, frequency, speed, and
harmony. Hence, if the right chord of the octave of an object is
struck, it can be animated, remodelled or destroyed. It is around
these concepts that techniques and processes of sound syllables and
their visual equivalents are built up in the mantra and yantra rituals.