Error - free Methods of chanting the Vedas

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Dear Maharajas Prabhus and Matajis,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

Sometimes a person puts forward the argument that errors have crept into the

Vedas and that they are no longer accurate. I counter that the keepers of

the Vedic tradition had a way of preserving the Vedas exactly. This of

course doesn't discount that while this prevents the Vedas from being

tampered with the problem does arise that when the keepers of the Vedas die

out then problems arise. However, the Vedas are eternal and are like the Sun

even if we can't see the Sun it doesn't mean it ceases to exist, it will

again appear in our vision at a later date (the next day). Similarly the

Vedas appear and disappear at different times. The number of Vedic mantras

is much more than is presently accounted for. That is because in different

planetary regions larger number of Vedic mantras are known. An interesting

incident that is described in the 12th canto of the SB illuminates this

point.

 

Once Yajnavalkya angered his guru Vaisampayana Rsi who told him to give back

everything he had given him. Yajnavalkhya then vomited up all the Vedic

mantras (Yajur Veda) he had gotten from his guru. All the other disciples of

Vaisampayana then changed themselves into partridges (tittiri) and ate up

all those mantras. Henceforward those mantras became known as the

Taittairiya Samhita of the Krsna Yajur Veda.

 

Then Yajnavalkya did tapas and after some time Surya appeared to him in the

form of a horse. Surya asked what benediction he wanted. Yajnavalkya

responded that he wanted to receive Vedic mantras not yet heard in the world

of men. Surya agreed and from the mane of the horse mantras emanated and

entered into Yajnavalkya. From that point on that group (samhita) of mantras

became known as the Vajasenaya (horse mane) Samhita of the Shukla Yajur

Veda. The point being that the Rsi wanted Vedic mantras not yet known to

men. Since the Vedic mantras are aupurusaya having no (material) author they

are endless in number. Hence for more Vedic mantras to appear (or disappear

as some have--there are some Brahmanas--explanations of Vedic mantras--that

refer to Vedic mantras that no longer exist only the commentary exists) is

not strange. We also hear from authorities that while the Mahabharata of

martyaloka has one lakha slokas, the Mahabharata of Svargaloka has one crore

slokas.

 

So we should not think that what ever little we know is all in all. A

Brahmana once told me the historical incident of a learned Brahmana who by

his punya went to Svarga loka. He was a little proud and boasted to Lord

Indra that he knew all the four Vedas including their Samhita, Brahmanas,

Aranyakas and Upanishads; as well as the Shad Vedangas and Upavedas, the

Puranas (Maha and Upa) etc etc he was listing all the sastras he knew. In

this way he thought he would impress Lord Indra. After reciting the whole

list of sastras that he knew Lord Indra picked up a handful of sand and let

the grains fall from his hand and stated "This is what you know." And of

course it should be stated that in a similar fashion the Vedic knowledge in

Svargaloka is not as much as in the lokas above it and so on upward.

 

Nor should we lament or worry that Vedic knowledge is being "lost." It may

temporarily disappear from our sight like the Sun but is never lost because

it is eternal and will reappear at the right time to persons who have the

qualities necessary to receive them.

 

I have digressed more than I had intended, below is text that explains how

the learned Vedic Brahmanas preserved the accuracy of the Vedas.'

 

yhs

Shyamasundara Dasa

 

www.ShyamasundaraDasa.com

 

 

Excerpt:

 

 

Error - free Methods of chanting

( Extract from "The Vedas" published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan )

 

Without resort to writing, our forefathers had devised many ways to prevent

even a very small error to creep into the Vedas. The fullest benefit from

the Vedic mantras can result only if no word is changed; no unauthorised

upward or downward drift in the note occurs in the recitation. Hence the

numerous safeguards. How much time it should take to utter each word is

indicated by resort to the notation by "maatras"-the time it takes to

pronounce a short vowel. How to regulate breathing so that the vibrations

can occur at what part of the body to give birth to the pure word sound is

also laid down in the Vedanga Seeksha. The Taitreeya Upanishad, for e.g.,

begins with Seeksha thus:

 

Seeksham Vyakyaa syaamah - Varna Swarah - Maatrabalam - Saama Santaanah

Seeksha deals with Varna, Swara, Maatra, Strength, Saama and Santaanah

 

A fool-proof method is to chant each mantra in various patterns and

combinations known as

Vaakya, Pada, Krama, Jata, Maala, Sikha, Rekha, Dhwaja, Danda, Ratha, Ghana,

etc.

 

Some learned pandits are called "Ghanapaatis". This means that they are

learned in the Vedas to the extent of chanting of the Vedas in the pattern

called "Ghanam". When we listen to a Ghanapaati reciting Vedas in Ghana

form, we note that he repeats the in various ways back and forth and in

different patterns. This would be pleasant to the ears and creates a sense

of happiness within. It would seem that the natural grandeur of the Veda

mantras is heightened, as it were. So would be the effect of recitation in

the other prescribed patterns of Kramam, Jata, Sikha, Maala, etc. But the

main object of reciting them is to make no mistake in the original meaning

and sound pattern of the words.

 

Vaakya Paatha or Samhita Paatha is to recite the mantras in a sentence

straight. When mantras come in sentences, some of the words therein have to

be conjoined in chanting. To recite the Veda mantras, pada by pada or word

by word, instead of joining the words and stringing them together is Pada

Paatha. Pada Paatha occurs after Samhita paatha. In pada paatha the sentence

is broken down to "words" or pada. This gives the student of the Vedas the

knowledge of each word in a sentence.

 

In Krama Paatha, the first word of the mantra is added to the second, the

second to the third, the third to the fourth and so on, until the whole

sentence of the mantras is completed. This paatha or method of recitation

helps the student understand not only the individual words but also how two

words can be combined in recitation and what modification occurs in swara in

such a combination.

 

In certain ancient edicts, notably gift deeds, at the end of the name of

some illustrious persons, there would be a suffix "Krama Vit". Like "Veda

Vit", "Krama Vit" means that the person is well versed in reciting the Vedas

by the Krama Paatha methods.There are many such edicts in South India.

 

In Jata Paatha, the first word and the second are first recited together and

then the words are recited in a reverse order and then again in the original

order. Whereas in the Krama type of recitation the order of words is 1-2 ;

2-3 ; 3-4 ; 4-5 and so on, in the Jata Paatha, the order will be

1-2-2-1-1-2, 2-3-3-2-2-3, 3-4-4-3-3-4, 4-5-5-4-4-5 and so on. Just as two

words are repeated forwards and backwards in the Jata Paatha, the Sikha

Paatha three words to be so linked.

 

In Ghana Paatha the combination will be:

 

Click on the link to continue (scroll down the page about 2/3).

 

 

http://www.ahista.com/vedchant/