The Hindu Article: - Significance of the Vedic chanting

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Date:28/11/2002 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2002/11/28/stories/2002112801460900.htm

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Miscellaneous - Religion

 

Significance of the Vedic chanting

 

 

CHENNAI NOV. 28 Will anyone, who is keen to discard worldly

attractions and shows his anxiety to get salvation, feel hesitant to

adopt the instructions given by God Himself to a lead a life of

virtue? These directives can be followed by anyone and they also

refer to the acts, which he should abjure as they are against ethics.

Also they describe the nature of the Supreme Being and His

compassionate qualities and His eagerness to redeem him from the

problems he encounters.

 

These valuable dos and don'ts constitute the Vedas, which are the

revelations of God and hence form an inexhaustible treasure. They

reflect the cultural and religious life of our ancient land and have

been suitably codified and presented as aphorisms, which in turn have

been interpreted subsequently by sages from their experiences. These

stalwarts enjoyed the presence of the Divine in the glories of the

universe. These Vedic chants have been transmitted orally and refer

to man's duties, his approach to issues and about the significance of

rites, which when performed, will fetch peace.

 

If the Vedas cannot be studied, even listening to their recitation by

those who have mastered them, on occasions, will give solace. The

Divine statements have been presented in four groups, each divided

into two parts of which the "Mantras" consist of prayer and praise

embodied in chanting. All the Vedic writings have been classified

as "ceremonial" (rites) and philosophic speculations. The three

Acharyas — Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa — have rendered their

commentaries on the codified aphorisms.

 

The Mantras, when recited, will bring the desired results, as for

instance, the smoke emanating from the rites conducted with certain

ingredients offered in the flames, will charge the atmosphere so as

to ensure freedom from pollution and impurities. One of the popular

Mantras, included in daily prayers, will be effective to drive away

the corrupting influences from the mind, said Sri V. Nagaraja Sarma,

in a discourse throwing light on the efficacy of Vedic hymns, which

at every stage, bring out God's merciful qualities. There are six

subjects to be studied for reading, understanding and proper

sacrificial employment of Vedas — phonetics or pronunciation

embracing accents, quantity and euphony in general, metre, grammar,

etymology or glossary, astronomy and the ceremonial (rules for the

performance of sacrifices, they being written as pithy aphorisms or

sutras).

 

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