r/IndusValley

ira (earth, water, speech, refreshment) jaba (mantra) vasha (authority, control, power) radha (prosperity, success) nara (human, man) raha (solitude, loneliness, deserted place) jaha (to leave/abandon) jada (inert, dull, senseless, cold/frigid), anana (face, mouth), anva (atom, molecule) anha (day) ana (breathing, inhalation) jasa (honor, glory, fame, splendor) o udraga udraha mudra raga

According to the Indus script corpus website (https://indusscript.net), the longest inscription was only 17 symbols. I decided I would check if my interpretation would generate a coherent message.

I was really surprised Google AI said all of the words in the top line were part of the ancient practice of Vedic chanting (jasa o udraga udraha mudra raga)

I included the entire process (according to Google) below:

“In the specific context of Vedic chanting, particularly within the musical systems of the Sama Veda (the Veda of melodies and chants) and ancient phonetic texts called Shikshas, these terms transition from general Sanskrit vocabulary into precise technical concepts.

Here is how each term functions within the tradition of Vedic recitation:

1. Udraha (उद्रह) and Udraga (उद्रग)

In the musical structure of the Sama Veda, a chant (Saman) is not sung as a continuous block. Instead, it is divided into five to seven specific structural parts or phases (Bhaghas).

• Udraha (or Prastava): This is the introductory or rising phase of the chant. The term literally implies "lifting up" or "drawing out." It signifies the exact moment the chanting priests elevate their pitch from the baseline to start the main body of the mantra.
• Udraga (or Udgitha): This is the principal, loud melodic movement of the Vedic chant, typically sung by the chief priest (Udgatri). The term refers to the high, resonant, and expansive vocalization that forms the emotional and spiritual core of the hymn.

2. Mudra (मुद्रा)

In Vedic chanting, a Mudra is a physical hand gesture used to physically map out pitch accents.

• Because the Vedas were preserved purely through oral tradition, priests developed visual hand movements to maintain accuracy.
• When chanting, specific fingers are moved or touched to track the three primary Vedic accents (Swaras): Udatta (high/acute accent), Anudatta (low/grave accent), and Svarita (fallback/circumflex accent).
• These hand Mudras act as a physical score, ensuring the chanter does not alter the mandatory phonetic pitch.

3. Raga (राग)

While the structured concept of a Raga (melodic framework) belongs to later classical Indian music, its earliest evolutionary roots are found in Vedic chanting.

• The Sama Veda introduced the Sapta Swaras (seven musical notes). Ancient texts like the Naradiya Shiksha directly map the chanting notes of the Vedas (Prathama, Dvitiya, etc.) to the musical notes we use today (Ma, Ga, Ri, Sa...).
• In this sense, the pitch-shifts in Vedic chanting are considered "proto-ragas"—the foundational, sacred sound frequencies that eventually evolved into classical music scales.

4. Jasa / Jasaḥ (जस)

In the rules of Vedic grammar (Vyakarana), which is one of the six foundational limbs (Vedangas) required to correctly pronounce and understand the Vedas:

• Jas is a technical grammatical suffix from Panini’s rules.
• It is applied to words within a Vedic text to denote the nominative plural case.
• Correctly identifying a word ending in the Jas suffix ensures that the chanting priest knows exactly which deity or subject is being addressed in the plural form, preventing errors in mental intent (Bhavana) during a ritual”

The fact that the top line is an ancient Vedic chant I didn’t know existed lends support to my research. I’m still worried I’ll need to translate the other 3691 inscriptions to conclusively prove the Indus Valley symbols were the predecessors for Vedic Sanskrit letters and syllables. I'm not sure how much more research I'll need to post to earn the $1,000,000 prize.