Re: [nukkad] Rig Veda - 1

["Dr.M.C. Gupta" <>]

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Q--What is the number of syllables important for?

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ANSWER--

Vedas are very ancient. Printing was not known in those days. Manuscripts
were written on palm leaves etc. Different manuscripts could vary, each
being written individually, often by a different writer / lexicographer.
Chances of alteration were high. This was avoided by a unique system of
maintaining purity of text by writing the text as per very rigid rules of
grammar and poetry [verses were written as per strict meter, maintaining a
particular rhythm, a crude parallel being the iambic pentameter in English
sonnets]. This system ensured that the whole Veda was committed to and
recited, as per memory, by scholars. This might be, very peripherally,
compared to Quran, as regards the fact that madassas train students to
commit Quran to memory. The big difference is that often Quran is recited by
these madrassa pupils without understanding it. In any case, Quran is not
known for its elaborate metric verse, to the best of my knowledge. In case
of Vedas, the scholars studied the vedas as a very deep and scholarly study
of Sanskrit language, with special emphasis on grammar, and the learning and
recital of vedas was no rote learning but, rather, scholarly learning. Its
memory by an individual scholar and passage of that memory and knowledge
from generation to generation was made possible through the composition of
vedas in perfect metrical verses. This is true not only of Vedas but also of
other great Hindu scriptures like Gita and Mahabharat. That is why Vedas are
known as Shruti. The word Shruti means that which is heard. Vedas, for long,
long years, were maintained in their pristine pure form through this unique
system comprising of two main ingredients: ONE, their existence in the form
of metric verse as per strict rules of meter and grammar; TWO, the Hindu
practice of maintaining and transmitting this knowledge from generation to
generation through lyrical recitation.

In the above background, it is easy to see the importance of syllables.
Metric verse cannot be written without syllable counts. Not only the number
of syllables, but also their placement / sequence within the verse is also
of paramount importance, because that defines the meter. In other words,
metric verse is much more than mere syllabic counts.

M C Gupta
26 March 2008

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On 26 Mar 2008 07:31:49 +0100, Anna Morawska  wrote:
>
> [...]
> > are altogether 432,000 syllables. ''
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> What is the number of syllables important for?



Anna.

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Prof. M C Gupta
MD (Medicine), MPH,  LL.M.,

Advocate & Health and Medico-legal Consultant

mcgupta44@gmail.com
www.writing.com/authors/mcgupta44
http://mcgupta44.blogspot.com/

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