[Advaita-l] {भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्} Question on why "vedadhyayana"?

[Raghav Kumar Dwivedula]

Namaste Krishna Kashyap ji
Thank you for articulating a sincere question from a vedic student.

I can see that your questioner is only asking about the need to "memorize"
the veda to preserve their authenticity and accuracy of pronunciation etc
., given alternative digital media to perform the same function.

I too have observed that many students in veda pAThashAlas do not know
sufficient Sanskrit to understand the meanings of the mantras, nor are they
expected to. However, even that (their lack of knowledge of the meaning)
cannot  be held against them or even this system of vedic padapATha, krama
pATha etc., where the focus is, by design,  on shikShA and memorization.

1. We note that "svAdhyAyOdhyetavyaH" is a traditional vedic (mImAmsA
shAstra) assertion. It is premised on the idea that "Vedas are a pramANa in
the domain of atIndriya viShayas". Assuming your ward/student accepts that
veda-prAmANyam as axiomatic, then it follows that those who dedicate their
life to veda mantrAdhyayana (memorization and daily chanting) are serving
Dharma, serving Ishvara. Amongst all brAhmaNas, they are amongst those who
are much better aligned with their svadharma - a privilege and opportunity
which is very rare today. Although such a vaidika lifestyle is laden with
huge challenges and I do empathize with those who may find the challenges
overwhelming.*

2. The very chanting of the veda with proper training produces an adRShTa
(puNya) phala for those who do the chanting, as well as those who support
it. It can be termed an important mode of seva to Ishvara. And gadgets
cannot be substitutes for such chanting. ( Perhaps he can parallelly try
and develop a better degree of understanding of the mantras he has already
learnt, then the effect of veda ghoSha is enhanced, says the upaniShad. But
even otherwise, it has intrinsic worth and meaningfulness.)

This the secular function of preservation of the sounds, the chants etc.,
is not the only purpose of traditional veda pAThashAlas.

Om
Raghav

P. S. Apart from financial challenges, a ghanapAThi once mentioned that, in
many vaidika families, the boys learn the Vedas in a gurukula but the girls
are sent off to convents and modern schools. This tragic dissonance has
lead to a situation where these pAThashAla boys are unable to get married
since even vaidika family daughters do not relate to the merits of leading
a vaidika lifestyle; they prefer laukika grooms pursuing the usual
professions of IT, business etc.








On Sat, 22 Jun, 2024, 4:39 pm Krishna Kashyap via Advaita-l, <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> I must add that the student who asked this question knows Sanskrit only at
> a basic level. (finished some 4 sanskrit exams) has not studied deep
> vyakarana, tarka and even several kavyas or natakas. He said he only passed
> 4 exams, like the Sanskrit Bharati or sura-sarasvathi sabha exams.
>
> *Best Regards,*
>
> *Krishna Kashyap*
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Jun 22, 2024 at 4:36 PM Krishna Kashyap <kkashyap2011 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Namaste Sundareswaran Ji,
> >
> > I am unable to read some sanskrit stuff you have written at the end of
> > your email. is it because I don't have some fonts in my computer? can
> > others see the text or see some gibberish like what I see?
> > ******** see below ********
> > *.e. ब्रह्मयज्ञ, is a purifier par excellence which, caused purification
> > of even fire the universal purifier. Thus स्वाध्याय  has got the efficacy
> > to purify even gods.*
> >
> > *+ÏMxÉ ´Éè VÉùÉiÉÆ {ÉÉ{¨ÉÉ VÉOÉɽþ iÉÆ näù´ÉÉ +ɽÖþiÉÒʦÉ&
> > {ÉÉ{¨ÉÉxɨÉ{ÉÉPxÉxÉ +ɽÖþiÉÒxÉÉÆ ªÉYÉäxÉ ªÉYɺªÉ nùÊIÉhÉÉʦɮÂú
> > nùÊIÉhÉÉÉxÉÉÆ ¥ÉÉÀhÉäxÉ ¥ÉÉÀhɺªÉ UôxnùÉäʦɶUôxnùºÉÉÄ º´ÉÉvªÉɪÉäxÉ
> > +{ɽþiÉ{ÉÉ{¨ÉÉ º´ÉÉvªÉɪÉ& näù´É{ÉÊ´ÉjɨÉÂ**
> > *Further it is stated that स्वाध्याय  brings immense pleasure for पितृ
> -s *
> > *For more details and interesting information, one may refer to my
> article
> > on पञ्च महा यज्ञ -s*
> >
> > *Best Regards,*
> >
> > *Krishna Kashyap*
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Jun 22, 2024 at 2:40 PM Sundareswaran N.K. <nkswaran at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> It is interesting. The questioner has completed the Adhyayana of 74
> >> prasna-s out of 82 in the Taittiriya sakha.
> >> When he set out the adhyayana, what was the objective that prompted him
> ?
> >> Maybe the ardent persuasion/direction from the elders in the family. Or
> >> else the keen interest to keep up the tradition. Whatever it be, the
> query
> >> raised now is worthy one and sincere.
> >> The preservation of Vedas intact, may not be seen as the
> >> intention behind  the fervour to keep the oral tradition alive, which is
> >> reflected in the insistence of traditional adhyayana. The vikruti
> patha-s
> >> can be as the measures envisaged and employed for the preservation. This
> >> position is usually held by modern scholars.
> >>
> >> Now there is this stricture in. the tradition: ब्राह्मणेन निष्कारणं
> >> षडङ्गो वेदोध्येयो ज्ञेयश्च. What is the objective behind? This question
> is
> >> natural and logical, as far as a modern student is concerned. However it
> >> would be really surprising to know that this question was asked during
> the
> >> Vedic times itself.
> >>
> >> The Svadhyaya Brahmana of Taittiriya Aranyaka  answers this question.
> >> *It extols the efficacy of स्वाध्याय to remove all kinds of sins by
> >> narrating a story. ‘Agni’ was afflicted by sin, right at his birth. Then
> >> gods removed it by offerings (आहुति). The impurities of the offerings
> were
> >> removed by दक्षिणा . दक्षिणा in turn was purified by Brahmins. Brahmins
> >> were purified by the Veda-s (vedamantra-s). The vedamantra-s were
> purified
> >> by ritualistic (daily) recitation – i.e. स्वाध्याय. Thusस्वाध्याय , i.e.
> >> ब्रह्मयज्ञ, is a purifier par excellence which, caused purification of
> even
> >> fire the universal purifier. Thus स्वाध्याय  has got the efficacy to
> purify
> >> even gods.*
> >>
> >> *+ÏMxÉ ´Éè VÉùÉiÉÆ {ÉÉ{¨ÉÉ VÉOÉɽþ iÉÆ näù´ÉÉ +ɽÖþiÉÒʦÉ&
> >> {ÉÉ{¨ÉÉxɨÉ{ÉÉPxÉxÉ +ɽÖþiÉÒxÉÉÆ ªÉYÉäxÉ ªÉYɺªÉ nùÊIÉhÉÉʦɮÂú
> >> nùÊIÉhÉÉÉxÉÉÆ ¥ÉÉÀhÉäxÉ ¥ÉÉÀhɺªÉ UôxnùÉäʦɶUôxnùºÉÉÄ º´ÉÉvªÉɪÉäxÉ
> >> +{ɽþiÉ{ÉÉ{¨ÉÉ º´ÉÉvªÉɪÉ& näù´É{ÉÊ´ÉjɨÉÂ**
> >> *Further it is stated that स्वाध्याय  brings immense pleasure for पितृ
> >> -s *
> >> *For more details and interesting information, one may refer to my
> >> article on पञ्च महा यज्ञ -s*
> >>
> >>
> >>
> https://www.academia.edu/41853226/The_concept_of_Pa%C3%B1ca_mah%C4%81yaj%C3%B1a_Origin_and_transformation
> >>
> >>
> >> ------------------------------
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Fri, Jun 21, 2024 at 7:29 AM Krishna Kashyap <kkashyap2011 at gmail.com
> >
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Namaste,
> >>>
> >>> I found some answers to this question on the internet:
> >>>
> >>> Why do vedadhyayana?
> >>>
> >>> the answers I found were:
> >>>
> >>> 1) Oral tradition was the only way these Vedas could be preserved. The
> >>> lack of printing technology made it inevitable for the older Vedic
> pundits
> >>> to establish oral tradition.
> >>>
> >>> 2) One had to be ready with all the mantra portions for Vedic karmas.
> >>> Hence they only practiced the portions used for yajnas and yagas. Now,
> >>> other than for 16 karmas like jata karma, upanayana, and so on, there
> is no
> >>> need to learn Vedas. most people do not do any yagas anyway.
> >>>
> >>> In general, I get the idea that because of a lack of technology, the
> >>> ancient lineage of Rshis developed the oral tradition to protect the
> Vedas.
> >>> Now, we have good technology and AI to preserve these Vedas. Hence
> there is
> >>> no need to commit to memory the Vedas.
> >>>
> >>> Now, why should we do Vedadhyana?
> >>>
> >>> this question was asked by a young person who has completed 95 percent
> >>> of vedadhyayana of Yajurveda and he is 20 years old. (ie. he has
> completed
> >>> 74 khandas out of 82 (ashiti-dvaya)) Yajurveda. He practices it every
> day
> >>> in addition to doing a bachelors degree in finance)
> >>>
> >>> What should I tell him?
> >>>
> >>> *Krishna Kashyap*
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
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> >>> <
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bvparishat/CANkLSMkQiHnvOwKk7iREdCYcW805qyVG9BCd8HJTSc-C-Y5mDg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer
> >
> >>> .
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> N. K. Sundareswaran,
> >> Professor , Department of Sanskrit,
> >> University of Calicut,
> >> Kerala - 673635
> >> INDIA
> >> https://universityofcalicut.academia.edu/SundareswaranNK
> >>
> >> --
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> >> <
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bvparishat/CAB_6t-LgJjDX0Wzgi8igZTGM1P_82TEJ2BP7WaOq6%3Dr8Z9w64g%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer
> >
> >> .
> >>
> >
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