The Vedas have been transmitted orally for thousands of years before being written down.
We believe that Vedas should not be written down. It was transferred to writing only when there was a fear that we may lose the entire Vedic knowledge. The Veda Mantras transmit power by the power of sound.
The power of sound is now accepted scientifically.
The oral tradition of reciting the Vedas has disappeared in most parts of India.
South India has retained and carried forward this tradition. Tamil Brahmins are one of the few communities who have nurtured the oral tradition.
There is a small article about it here.
http://www.svbf.org/sringeri/journal.../chanting.html
UNESCO proclaimed the tradition of Vedic chant a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 7, 2003.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterp...nity#2003_list
The general interest in this tradition was kindled by Frits Staal who organised an Athiratra Yajna at Panjal in Kerala in 1975. The Athiratra Yajna was again performed in 1990.
http://www.venumenon.com/articles/ar...id=13&artid=23Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire Altar by Frits Staal.Hours and hours of Vedic chanting was recorded and preserved. These are now available though expensive.
The tradition of the Tamil Brahmins is different from that of Namboodiris. We have a number of schools here. We also have a number of Veda Patashalas. Shringeri matam, Kanchi Kamakoti matam and a host of others have Veda Patasahalas. Shringeri matam organizes Vedic conferences in different parts of the country where Vedic pundits from different traditions come and recite the Vedas. They are also honored by the matam.
But we have not made any concerted effort in recording the different traditions. Some commercial efforts have been made and cassettes of Ghanapata are available.
You may ask what is the relevance of all this to you.
You can help preserve this tradition in many ways.
1. Buy a cassette of Vedic Chanting (especially Gahanpatam) and listen to it so that you will realise its value and also appreciate the efforts taken by the people learning the Vedas.
2. Contribute your mite for the existing Veda Patashalas.
May be one day we all together will come forward and make a concerted effort to record all the existing schools of recitation of the Vedas.
We believe that Vedas should not be written down. It was transferred to writing only when there was a fear that we may lose the entire Vedic knowledge. The Veda Mantras transmit power by the power of sound.
The power of sound is now accepted scientifically.
The oral tradition of reciting the Vedas has disappeared in most parts of India.
South India has retained and carried forward this tradition. Tamil Brahmins are one of the few communities who have nurtured the oral tradition.
There is a small article about it here.
http://www.svbf.org/sringeri/journal.../chanting.html
UNESCO proclaimed the tradition of Vedic chant a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 7, 2003.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterp...nity#2003_list
The general interest in this tradition was kindled by Frits Staal who organised an Athiratra Yajna at Panjal in Kerala in 1975. The Athiratra Yajna was again performed in 1990.
http://www.venumenon.com/articles/ar...id=13&artid=23Agni: The Vedic Ritual of the Fire Altar by Frits Staal.Hours and hours of Vedic chanting was recorded and preserved. These are now available though expensive.
The tradition of the Tamil Brahmins is different from that of Namboodiris. We have a number of schools here. We also have a number of Veda Patashalas. Shringeri matam, Kanchi Kamakoti matam and a host of others have Veda Patasahalas. Shringeri matam organizes Vedic conferences in different parts of the country where Vedic pundits from different traditions come and recite the Vedas. They are also honored by the matam.
But we have not made any concerted effort in recording the different traditions. Some commercial efforts have been made and cassettes of Ghanapata are available.
You may ask what is the relevance of all this to you.
You can help preserve this tradition in many ways.
1. Buy a cassette of Vedic Chanting (especially Gahanpatam) and listen to it so that you will realise its value and also appreciate the efforts taken by the people learning the Vedas.
2. Contribute your mite for the existing Veda Patashalas.
May be one day we all together will come forward and make a concerted effort to record all the existing schools of recitation of the Vedas.
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