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Vedic Chanting



The Vedic Chanting is the expression of hymns from the Vedas, an ancient Hindu scripture that dates back at least 3,000 years. It’s probably the oldest continuous vocal tradition in the world. The Vedas are a vast corpus of Sanskrit poetry, philosophical dialogue, myth, and ritual incantations composed by the Aryans over 3,500 years ago. In Hinduism, the Vedas are regarded as the primary source of knowledge and a sacred basis of their religion. The Vedas provide insight into the history of Hinduism, and the early development of several artistic, scientific, and philosophical concepts. For example, the concept of zero may have been developed by the Vedas.

In Vedic literature, the earliest collection of hymns is the Rigveda. It contains more than 1,000 syllables and is chanted in syllabic style, which is heightened speech with one syllable to one tone. Three levels of pitch are used. A basic tone is recited and then embellished by neighboring tones. These accents are used to emphasize grammatical accents within the text. There are hymns in the Rigveda which are the basis for the later collection, the Sāmaveda ("Veda of the Chants"). These hymns are written in a style that is more florid, melodic, and melismatic (one word to two or more notes) than syllabic, and the range of tones is extended to six or more notes. The four tones used in Vedic chanting are Udatta (middle tone), Anudaatta (lower tone), Svarrita (high tone), and Deergha Svarrita (high tone extended). Intuitive svara marks are usually used for these - an underline to denote a lower tone, a small vertical line above the letter to express a higher tone, and two vertical lines to denote Deergha Svarita. A numerical, simple system of notation, when combined with an oral tradition that stresses perfect precision in text, tone, and bodily gestures, serves to perpetuate and ensure consistency throughout all parts of India.

Traditionally chanted during sacred rituals and recited daily in Vedic communities, the verses of the Vedas were derived from classical Sanskrit and are expressed in the Vedic language. The value of this tradition lies in the richness of its oral literature as well as the inventive techniques the Brahmin priests used to preserve the texts for thousands of years. To ensure the sound of each word remains unaltered, practitioners are trained since childhood on complex recitation techniques. These techniques include tonal accents, unique ways of pronouncing each letter, and specific speech patterns. Although the Vedas continue to be relevant in contemporary Indian life, only thirteen of more than one thousand Vedic recitation branches have survived. Furthermore, four renowned schools - in Maharashtra (central India), Kerala and Karnataka (southern India), and Orissa (eastern India) - are considered to be under imminent threat.

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