Changes

For generations, over thousands of years, वैदिकविद्या || Vedic education was imparted to students in a गुरुशिश्य || guru-shishya parampara, following the traditional system of oral recitation until Maharshi Veda Vyasa’s great contribution of organizing them into a written format.   

For generations, over thousands of years, वैदिकविद्या || Vedic education was imparted to students in a गुरुशिश्य || guru-shishya parampara, following the traditional system of oral recitation until Maharshi Veda Vyasa’s great contribution of organizing them into a written format.   

World's ancient literature, Rig veda, has not undergone any change even in single syllable nor got intermixed with any later texts. Apart from Rigveda, it has yet to be seen if any other such text exists which is so well preserved. Even Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and other Samskrit texts are not free of syllable and content changes<ref>Shastri, Jwalanth Kumar. (2009) ''Ved aur vedarth'' Rajasthan: Sri Ghudhmal Prahladkumar Arya Dharmarth Nyasa</ref>. In the Rigvedic time apart from Rishis, commoners existed in the society. Notably, Vedas were not common knowledge. If we understand the connection of pure lineage or गोत्र || Gotras, the strict disciplinary life in [[Gurukula (गुरुकुलम्)|गुरुकुलम् || Gurukula]], the commitment and austerity of the Rishis’, the cyptic process and symbolism of Vedas mantras, strict adherence to committing them to memory, system of recitation of the mantras - these were all the root causes in protecting the one integral voice of Vedas.

World's ancient literature, Rig veda, has not undergone any change even in single syllable nor got intermixed with any later texts. Apart from Rigveda, it has yet to be seen if any other such text exists which is so well preserved. Even Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and other Samskrit texts are not free of syllable and content changes<ref name=":0">Shastri, Jwalanth Kumar. (2009) ''Ved aur vedarth'' Rajasthan: Sri Ghudhmal Prahladkumar Arya Dharmarth Nyasa</ref>. In the Rigvedic time apart from Rishis, commoners existed in the society. Notably, Vedas were not common knowledge. If we understand the connection of pure lineage or गोत्र || Gotras, the strict disciplinary life in [[Gurukula (गुरुकुलम्)|गुरुकुलम् || Gurukula]], the commitment and austerity of the Rishis’, the cyptic process and symbolism of Vedas mantras, strict adherence to committing them to memory, system of recitation of the mantras - these were all the root causes in protecting the one integral voice of Vedas.

== परिचयः|| Introduction ==

== परिचयः|| Introduction ==

Transmission of texts in the Vedic period was by oral tradition, preserved with precision with the help of elaborate mnemonic techniques. Prodigious energy was expended in ensuring that these texts were transmitted from generation to generation with immaculate integrity, up until a few centuries back, when due to various reasons like foreign invasions and colonization that resulted in the loot and digestion of our knowledge systems and wealth, led to the decline in oral recitation of the Vedas.<ref>Narayanacharya, K. S. (2011). ''Veda Sanskritiya Parichaya, Part I''. Hubli:​Sahitya Prakashana​</ref>   

Transmission of texts in the Vedic period was by oral tradition, preserved with precision with the help of elaborate mnemonic techniques. Prodigious energy was expended in ensuring that these texts were transmitted from generation to generation with immaculate integrity, up until a few centuries back, when due to various reasons like foreign invasions and colonization that resulted in the loot and digestion of our knowledge systems and wealth, led to the decline in oral recitation of the Vedas.<ref>Narayanacharya, K. S. (2011). ''Veda Sanskritiya Parichaya, Part I''. Hubli:​Sahitya Prakashana​</ref>   

== वेदपाठपद्धतिः|| Vedapaatha Paddhati ==

== वेदपाठपद्धतिः|| Vedapatha Paddhati ==

Rishis (Vedic seers) devised means of protecting and preserving the text of Vedas letter by letter, with all their accessories and accents. Vedic mantras have स्वर || Swara (accents) which preserve its original form of word- construction. Memorization of the sacred Vedas included up to eleven forms of recitation of the same text. These texts were subsequently "proof-read" by comparing the different recited versions. This ensured their verbatim preservation through ages of time.     

Rishis (Vedic seers) devised means of protecting and preserving the text of Vedas letter by letter, with all their accessories and accents. Vedic mantras have स्वर || Swara (accents) which preserve its original form of word- construction. Thus Vedas are not just textual written matter but comprise - of intonations, pitch, accents, pronounciation, time duration - of fine nuances of human element which cannot be captured on paper. Hence existence of volumes of printed material is of minimal use as the real authority is vested with those very few scholars, who are remaining, keeping the age old tradition of recitation alive.     

Rig Veda samhita was of two divisions. The following forms of recitation are explained using Rig veda mantra (1.1.1) अग्निमीळे पुरोहितम्       

Rig Veda samhita was of two divisions. The following forms of recitation are explained using Rig veda mantra (1.1.1) अग्निमीळे पुरोहितम् |      

* निर्भुज संहिता || Nirbhuja Samhita : Mantras are in true form as in अग्निमीळे पुरोहितम् आर्षी संहिता       

* निर्भुज संहिता || Nirbhuja Samhita : Mantras are in true form as in अग्निमीळे पुरोहितम् | This form is also called as आर्षी संहिता |      

* प्रतृण संहिता || Pratruna Samhita :  

* प्रतृण संहिता || Pratruna Samhita : This is of two types.

**            

*#           पदसंहिता || Pada Samhita : Each word of a Mantra is uttered separately with a pause after each word as in अग्निम् ईडे, पुरःऽहितम् |

==== प्रकृतिपाठः || Prakriti Pathas ====

*#           क्रमसंहिता || Krama Samhita : Each word of a Mantra is uttered along with the next word in a sequence as in अग्निम् ईडे; ईडे पुरोहितम् ; पुरोहितमिति पुरःऽहितम् |<ref name=":0" />

These are three systems for memorizing Mantras most commonly known as:

The above forms of recitation are also called as प्रकृतिपाठः || Prakriti Pathas.  

# पदपाठः || Pada-Patha-   in which each word of a Mantra is separately spoken.

# क्रमपाठः || Krama-Patha-  in which two words of a Mantra are spoken jointly as  Ka-kha, kha-ga.

==== विकृतिपाठः || Vikriti Pathas ====

==== विकृतिपाठः || Vikriti Pathas ====

There were eight ways of memorizing Vedas. These are   

Memorization of the sacred Vedas included up to eleven forms of recitation of the same text. These texts were subsequently "proof-read" by comparing the different recited versions. This ensured their verbatim preservation through ages of time. Based on the क्रमसंहिता || Krama Samhita eight methods of recitation are given by व्याडि ऋषिः Vyadi विकृतिवल्ली<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>जटा माला शिखा लेखा ध्वजो दण्डो रथो घनः | अष्टौ विकृतयः प्रोक्ता क्रमपूर्वा मनीषिभिः | (विकृति वल्ली 1.5)</blockquote>There were eight ways of memorizing Vedas. These are   

# जटापाठः || Jatapatha

# जटापाठः || Jatapatha  

# मालापाठः || Malapatha

# मालापाठः || Malapatha

# शिखापाठः || Shikhapatha  

# शिखापाठः || Shikhapatha  

# रेखापाठः || Rekhapatha  

# रेखापाठः || Rekhapatha (लेखापाठः)  

# ध्वजपाठः || Dhvajapatha

# ध्वजपाठः || Dhvajapatha

# दण्डपाठः || Dandapatha

# दण्डपाठः || Dandapatha

# रथपाठः || Rathapatha,  and

# रथपाठः || Rathapatha,  and

# घनापाठः || Ghanapatha

# घनापाठः || Ghanapatha

Among them Ghanapatha  is most difficult and the longest.

<blockquote>ओषधयः सं, समोषधयः, ओषधयः सम् । सं वदन्ते, वदन्ते सम्, सं वदन्ते । वदन्ते सोमेन, सोमेन वदन्ते, वदन्ते सोमेन । सोमेन सह, सह सोमेन  सोमेन सह। सह राज्ञा, राज्ञा सह, सह राज्ञा । राज्ञेति राज्ञा ।</blockquote><blockquote>यस्मै कृणोति, कृणोति यस्मै, यस्मै कृणोति। कृणोति ब्राह्मणो, ब्राह्मणः कृणोति, कृणोति ब्राह्मणः। ब्राह्मणस्तं, तं ब्राह्मणो, ब्राह्मणस्तम् । तं राजन्, राजंस्तं, तं राजन् । राजन् पारयामसि, पारयामसि राजन्, राजन् पारयामसि । पारयामसीति पारयामसि ॥२२॥<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>Here two words of the mantra are chanted in forward and reverse orders till the end of the Mantra. In Shikhapatha three words of the mantra are chanted in such permutations and combinations.<ref name=":32222">Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamiji, (2000) ''[http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part5/chap5.htm Hindu Dharma (Collection of Swamiji's Speeches between 1907 to 1994)]''Mumbai : Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan </ref> Recitations of the Rekha (line), Dhvaja (flag), Danda (staff), and Ratha (chariot) are further complex recitation methods involving even the padas of the mantra.<ref>Dr. S. Yegnasubramanian, The Vedic Chanting-a perfectly formulated Oral Tradition available at http://www.svbf.org/journal/vol1no2/chanting.pdf </ref>  Among them Ghanapatha  is most difficult and the longest.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":32222" />

== अनुक्रमणिकाः || Anukramanikas ==

 

Another step in the preservation of Vedas was to prepare treatises known as अनुक्रमणिकाः || Anukramanis in which the names of ऋषि || Rishi, देवता || Devata, छन्दः || Chandas  are mentioned in reference to each hymn of the Vedas. Chandas (meter) a characteristic of veda mantras, also helps in avoiding loss of content by enforcing number of syllables.<ref>Introduction to Vedas ([http://vedicheritage.gov.in/introduction/ Vedic Heritage Portal])</ref><ref name=":42222">Gopal Reddy, Mudiganti and Sujata Reddy, Mudiganti (1997) ''[https://archive.org/stream/SAMSKRUTAKAVIJEEVITAMULUByMALLADISURYANARAYANASASTRIGARU/SAMSKRUTA%20SAHITYA%20CHARITRA%20BY%20MUDUGANTI%20GOPALA%20REDDI%26SUJATA%20REDDI%20#page/n33/mode/2up Sanskrita Saahitya Charitra] (Vaidika Vangmayam - Loukika Vangamayam, A critical approach)'' Hyderabad : P. S. Telugu University</ref>    

 

 

=== अनुक्रमणिकाः || Anukramanis ===

Another step was to prepare treatises known as अनुक्रमणिक || Anukramanis in which the names of ऋषि || Rishi, देवता || Devata, छन्दः || Chandas  are mentioned in reference to each hymn of the Vedas. Chandas means meter which also helps in avoiding loss of content by enforcing number of syllables.    

That these methods have been effective, is testified to by the preservation of the most ancient Indian religious text, the Rigveda, as redacted into a single text during the Brahmana period, without any variant readings within that school.   

That these methods have been effective, is testified to by the preservation of the most ancient Indian religious text, the Rigveda, as redacted into a single text during the Brahmana period, without any variant readings within that school.   

== वैदिकसंविधानम् || Vedic Structure ==

== वैदिकसंविधानम् || Vedic Structure ==

Understanding the way in which the vedas are organized into a definite pattern, gives us an insight as to how integral the learning system was and how it worked impeccably over such a long period of time.  

Understanding the way in which the vedas are organized into a definite pattern, gives us an insight as to how integral the learning system was and how it worked impeccably over such a long period of time. In addition to the veda pathapaddhati, knowledge in Vedangas are essential to understand the vedic language, meaning and their usage and the yajnas expounded in Vedas.  

 

A question may be, "all the मन्त्र || mantras, सूक्त || suktas, and अनुवाक || anuvakas that are being recited now did they exist then"?  To answer the non-believer and non-discerning the example of the पुरुष सूक्त || Purusha suktas and other works can be used which makes it clear that the yagna related suktas were not in the same form as presently available but were available in another form. Also, notable is the fact that a यज्ञ || Yagna would not take place unless there was one Rik, one Yajasva and one Sama. The Rik must have expanded over time just as trees give us more flowers and fruits as time goes yet belonging to same species.  We see that the many vedas have the Rig mantras at the foundation, laying layers of expansion of concept as the Vedas progressed to Atharvana. 

 

Similarly, for posterity, the later Rishis invoked the new suktas or mantras based upon their vision (Mantra drastha) which then became a part of ऋक || Rik, यजस्व || Yajasva and साम || Sama Vedas. As they came more into usage they were integrated with the existing Suktas, so the foundational meaning remains as in the Vedas. Over different time periods the देव || Devas nor the क्रिया || kriyas (rituals) did not change their integral meaning. This is the nature of the the सम्प्रदाय || Sampradaya style of गुरु शिष्य || Guru sishya learning (disciplined succession).  This phenomenal system helped disseminate and retain knowledge widely without much difficulty.   

 

== गुरुकुलम्॥Gurukulas ==

== गुरुकुलम्॥Gurukulas ==

Gurushishya parampara was the main foundation that preserved Sanatana Dharma since ages. From upanayana or initiation until the age of 20, Brahmachaaris study vedas, conducting yagnas and yagas, collecting the samidhas (thus they learn Plant Sciences), raising and domestication of cattle (they learn Animal Sciences) and different ashrama dharmas (they learn Human Sciences) and living harmoniously with nature.  

Gurushishya parampara was the main foundation that preserved Sanatana Dharma since ages. From upanayana or initiation until the age of 20, Brahmacharis study vedas, learning by rote the procedures to conduct yajnas and yagas, collecting the samidhas (thus they learn Plant Sciences), raising and domestication of cattle (they learn Animal Sciences), different ashrama dharmas (they learn Human Sciences) thus living harmoniously with nature. Once they enter the grihastha ashrama they actually perform the yajna karmas. They practice what they studied and by the way of Brahma yajna they further study and teach the vedas that have been handed down to them.   

Pandavas and Kauravas in Mahabharata, were educated by the renowned Guru Dronaacharya, in a gurukula system. So did Bhagavan Srikrishna and Balarama under the aegis of Guru sandeepani.     

Pandavas and Kauravas in Mahabharata, were educated by the renowned Guru Dronaacharya, in a gurukula system. Srikrishna and Balarama were educated under the aegis of Guru Sandeepani.     

The Vedas, Vedic rituals and its ancillary sciences called the Vedangas, were part of the curriculum at ancient [[Bharatvarsha|Bharata]] universities such as at Taxila, Nalanda and Vikramashila.   

The Vedas, Vedic rituals and its ancillary sciences called the Vedangas, were part of the curriculum at ancient [[Bharatvarsha|Bharata]] universities such as at Taxila, Nalanda and Vikramashila.   

#  त्रिवेदी || Trivedi: three Vedas

#  त्रिवेदी || Trivedi: three Vedas

# चतुर्वेदी || Chaturvedi: four Vedas.

# चतुर्वेदी || Chaturvedi: four Vedas.

These remain now as surnames of people in India. पण्डित || Pandits (priests) or people who perform pujas or rituals either in the temple, home or workplace offer mantras, called मन्त्र पुष्प || mantra pushpa (a collection of all the four Vedas). This clearly reveals that the four Vedas co-existed and not as the diabolical Indologist claimed, one after the other.  The very fact that same mantras are available in different vedas in different formats indicate the oneness of all vedas. 

These remain now as surnames of people in India.  

== Translation of Vedas  ==

== Translation of Vedas  ==

== संवादः ||Discussion ==

== संवादः ||Discussion ==

Computers and modern digital techniques revolutionized the way vedic knowledge is read and disseminated in the present day. Many works have been compiled lately as an attempt to reconnect our Vedic heritage to our people from which we have been disconnected since the 800-year foreign domination (first by the Arabs and then by the Anglo-Saxons) of our land. As many acharyas say unless our people give up the Asuric principles of Western economists and return to the Vedic path, no progress is possible in social,political, economic and spiritual spheres. 

 

 

 

 

Computers and modern digital techniques revolutionized the way vedic knowledge is read and disseminated in the present day. Many works have been compiled lately as an attempt to reconnect our Vedic heritage to our people from which we have been disconnected since the 800-year foreign domination (first by the Arabs and then by the Anglo-Saxons) of our land.    

We need to revitalize our civilization like the call of Swami Dayananda post-independence to counter the

We need to revitalize our civilization like the call of Swami Dayananda post-independence to counter the Indologists' narrative of Caste system, idolatry, untouchability, all types of superstitions and slaughtering of animals in the sacrifices, the नर-मेध || Nara-medha (human sacrifices), all of which are the results of wrong Vedic interpretations, for which a heavy price is being paid by us since the last 300 years.

Indologist’s narrative of Caste system, idolatry, untouchability, all types of superstitions and slaughtering of animals in the sacrifices, and even the नर-मेध || Nara-medha (human

sacrifices), results of wrong Vedic interpretations, many such things that Hindus had to pay heavily for since the last 300 years.

The central importance of the new-age Vedic translations is that it presents the Vedas from its primary sources, especially in a context where knowledge systems are directed by propaganda from Internet sources and social media and not evidence-based facts. 

The central importance of the new-age Vedic translations is that it presents the Vedas from its primary sources, especially in a context where knowledge systems are directed by propaganda from Internet sources and social media and not evidence-based facts. 

== References ==

== References ==