Digest Number 593

[Guest guest]

Dear shri Arvind,

 

Here is what I found on chandas...

 

Chandas : Though the word chandas also means vedas themselves, the

meaning here refers to the meter of vedic poetry. Rig and Sama vedas

are fully in the form of verses, whereas, Yajur Veda has prose and

poetry. A sloka or veda mantra is generally a quartet with four

quarters or paada . Depending on the number of syllables in each of

the paadas, we have different meters – anushtup (8 syllables),

brihati (9), pankti (10), trishtup (11), ushnik (4 paadas of 7

syllable each = 28 syllables) – like that up to even 26 syllables to

a paada. (Any meter beyond 26 syllables to a paada, is called

dandakam.) The well known Gayatri Mantra has three paadas of 8

syllables each; the meter itself is known as gayatri since it has 24

syllables; however, when people perform japa, they recite it only as

a 23 syllabled meter ( instead of ), and so is called nicrut gayatri

chandas.

 

Chandas helps us to ensure the form of the Mantra (by meter count).

No alteration to this can be attempted since it would disturb the

spiritual significance of the mantra itself!

 

Each mantra is dedicated to a Devata, has a specific chandas and has

a Rishi who brought it to the world. That is the reason why we touch

our head as we recite the name of the Rishi (symbolically placing his

feet on our head), touch the nose when we recite the chandas (the

guardian for the mantra is meter and so there is no life of the

mantra without it; in the same way, there is no life without breath);

touch our heart when reciting the name of the devata (to meditate

upon the deity in our heart)

 

http://www.sibf.org/sringeri/journal/vol1no3/vedas.html

 

you can also access

http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part8/chap1.htm

for a full coverage on this subject.

 

Hari Aum!

[Guest guest]

>

> http://www.sibf.org/sringeri/journal/vol1no3/vedas.html

 

The correct url is

http://www.svbf.org/sringeri/journal/vol1no3/vedas.html