Preservation of the Vedas (वेदपरिरक्षणम्)

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. 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 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

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.

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. 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 |

• 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 : This is of two types.
  1. पदसंहिता || Pada Samhita : Each word of a Mantra is uttered separately with a pause after each word as in अग्निम् ईडे, पुरःऽहितम् |
  2. 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 |

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

1. संहितापाठः || Samhita-Patha –   in which Mantra remains in its true form.
2. पदपाठः || Pada-Patha-   in which each word of a Mantra is separately spoken.
3. क्रमपाठः || Krama-Patha-  in which two words of a Mantra are spoken jointly as  Ka-kha, kha-ga.

विकृतिपाठः || Vikriti Pathas

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

जटा माला शिखा लेखा ध्वजो दण्डो रथो घनः | अष्टौ विकृतयः प्रोक्ता क्रमपूर्वा मनीषिभिः | (विकृति वल्ली 1.5)

There were eight ways of memorizing Vedas. These are   

1. जटापाठः || Jatapatha
2. मालापाठः || Malapatha
3. शिखापाठः || Shikhapatha  
4. रेखापाठः || Rekhapatha (लेखापाठः)  
5. ध्वजपाठः || Dhvajapatha
6. दण्डपाठः || Dandapatha
7. रथपाठः || Rathapatha,  and
8. घनापाठः || Ghanapatha

An example of a few of these pathas are given below

• Mantra :

ओषधयः सं वदन्ते सोमेन सह राज्ञा । यस्मै कृणोति ब्राह्मणस्तं राजन्पारयामसि ॥२२॥ (Rig Veda 10.97.22)

• पदपाठः || Pada Patha :

ओषधयः । सं । वदन्ते । सोमेन । सह । राज्ञा । यस्मै । कृणोति । ब्राह्मणः । तं । राजन् । पारयामसि ॥२२॥

• क्रमपाठः ||

ओषधयः सं । सं वदन्ते । वदन्ते सोमेन । सोमेन सह । सह राज्ञा । राज्ञेति राज्ञा । यस्मै कृणोति । कृणोति ब्राह्मणः । ब्राह्मणस्तं । तं राजन् । राजन् पारयामसि । पारयामसीति पारयामसि ॥२२॥

• जटापाठः || Jatapatha

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 ।

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॥

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. Recitations of the Rekha (line), Dhvaja (flag), Danda (staff), and Ratha (chariot) are further complex recitation methods involving even the padas of the mantra. Among them Ghanapatha  is most difficult and the longest.

• घनापाठः || Ghanapatha

Purvartha

Backwards to Forwards : राज्ञेति राज्ञा ।सह राज्ञा । सोमेन सह । वदन्ते सोमेन । सं वदन्ते । ओषधयः सं ।

Forwards to Backwards : ओषधयः सं । सं वदन्ते । वदन्ते सोमेन । सोमेन सह । सह राज्ञा । राज्ञेति राज्ञा ।

Uttarartha

Backwards to Forwards : पारयामसीति पारयामसि । राजन् पारयामसि । तं राजन् । ब्राह्मणस्तं । कृणोति ब्राह्मणः । यस्मै कृणोति ।

Forwards to Backwards : यस्मै कृणोति । कृणोति ब्राह्मणः । ब्राह्मणस्तं । तं राजन् । राजन् पारयामसि । पारयामसीति पारयामसि ॥२२॥

Without the use of writing, a fool-proof method,where each Mantra was chanted in various patterns and combinations to prevent any errors creeping into the Vedas continued through ages. The modes of chanting prescribe the basics like how much time one has to take for reciting a word, how to regulate breathing while reciting so that required vibrations are produced in the specific parts of the body which will yield pure word-sound. That preservation of the vedas was the aim of different pathapaddhatis is given by many scholars, according to Dr. Bhandarkar

"The object of these different arrangements is simply the most accurate preservation of the sacred text."(Indian Antiquary, 1874)

In Rigvedic India by Shri Avinash Chandra Das,

"These hymns, however, were not committed to writing on papyrus, palm-leaves, or baked clay-bricks, but to human memory carefully cultivated for the purpose and were handed down from generation to generation without the loss of even a single word or syllable."

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, similarly number of chandas, words 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. Shaunakanukramani, Katyayananukramani, Anuvakanukramani, Suktanukramani, Arshanukramani, Sarvanukramani, Brhadevata, Pratishakhya sutras etc are available texts in this context. 

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

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.

Chaturdasha vidyas included the study of Vedas, Vedangas, Upavedas, Upangas (Vaidika Vangamaya) which was considered as holistic education. This was the goal of Acharyas and Gurus who in earlier days imparted education in Gurukulas.

गुरुकुलम्॥Gurukulas

Gurushishya parampara was the main foundation that preserved vedas and 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. 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 Bharata universities such as at Taxila, Nalanda and Vikramashila.

The titles for scholars who mastered the Vedas were:

1. द्विवेदी || Dwivedi: two Vedas
2. त्रिवेदी || Trivedi: three Vedas
3. चतुर्वेदी || Chaturvedi: four Vedas.

These remain now as surnames of people in India.

 Translation of Vedas

Translation in the ancient अर्ष || Arsha tradition as done by authentic Vedic scholars is factual and done without prejudice and with no extraneous motive or for an academic agenda. Vedam is verily the भगवत्वाणी || Bhagavatvani (Words of Brahma) revealed in scientific Vedic Language which is samskrit free from local color and historical acts, therefore Vedic language is to be interpreted and understood according to its own laws and structure, and the only key available for such interpretation is the निरुक्तम् || Nirukta of Maharshi Yaska and the grammar of Panini & Patanjali.

A literal translation of the Vedas creates confusions and contradictions as the English language is insufficient to express the deep inner meaning embedded in Vedas. A good commentator, should be adept in languages, carefully choose words, and explain with derivatives to analyse the hidden nuances of meaning within their context but not always can it be understood by the reader.

For example, the literal meaning of the verse,

सुमित्रिय न आप ओषधयः सन्तु || (Yaju. Veda. 36.23)

Meaning : May the waters, vital forces of life, and herbs be friendly to us and may they be enemies to those who hate us and whom we hate.

The literal meaning is incomprehensible and meaningless. The contextual meaning of this mantra is:

"May waters, tonics, pranic energies and medicinal herbs be good friends of our health system and immunity and let the same waters, tonics, pranic energies herbal medicines act against those ailments, diseases and negativities which injure us, which we hate to suffer and which we love to destroy, moreover let them have no side effects because side effects too help the negativities and injure us".

It becomes a powerful prayer for the well-being of an advanced society, and very logically the next Mantra expounds a prayer for a full hundred years and more of life and health.

तच्चक्षुर्देवहितम् पुरुस्तत् ||" (Yaju. Veda. 36.24)

नव्य वेदाध्ययन विधानम्|| Modern Vedic Education

The Vedas were likely written down for the first time around 500 BC. However, all printed editions of the Vedas that survive in the modern times are likely the version existing in about the 16th century AD.

Due to the ephemeral nature of the manuscript material (birch bark or palm leaves), surviving manuscripts rarely surpass an age of a few hundred years. The Sampurnanand Samskrit University has a Rigveda manuscript from the 14th century; however, there are a number of older Veda manuscripts in Nepal that are dated from the 11th century onwards. However, one of the important reasons for the loss of manuscripts is that during the Westerner's rule, many such were stolen and taken to repositories in Western countries, a process that is continuing till date and involves loss of precious specimens of archeological and sculptural wealth that belongs to timeless Bharatiya samskriti.

With the discovery of paper and through the centuries improved stationery material, was the main means of preserving the vedic literature. Western Indologists have generated volumes of their interpretation of vedas and took many manuscripts from India to other places like Germany. However, the main drawback was the non-availability of a voice preservation method since early 18th century. Vedic language which primarily depends on the accents and pronunciation, was not preserved and thus many shakas have been lost with those learned scholars since few centuries. Today many manuscripts and valuable literary treasures can be found in remote corners of the world.

संवादः ||Discussion

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 yajna 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 || Yajna would not take place unless the four chief priests presided over it. The Rig mantras 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.

पण्डित || Pandits (priests) or people who perform pujas or rituals either in the temple, home or workplace offer mantras, called मन्त्र पुष्प || mantra pushpa. These mantras clearly reveals that the four Vedas co-existed and not as the diabolical Indologists 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.

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, यजस् || Yajus and साम || Sama Vedas. As they came more into usage they were integrated with the existing Suktas, without a change in 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. All Acharyas accept that studying the Vedas is mandatory for understanding the integral meaning of Vedas.

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 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. Swami Dayananda wrote in the post-colonized context after independence whereupon he called upon his countrymen "to go back to the Vedas" for eradication of social evils as he opined that the cause of degradation and slavery of Indian nation was the ignorance of true Vedic teaching on which our culture was based and also thrived. It is true that we became independent in 1947, but then we got freedom and not independence. We continue to function as an Anglo-Saxon cultural satellite mainly as a market for its ideology through the English language and a nursery to train a new generation of sepoys and Coolies.

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.