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Vedic Chanting
a musical project estimated for end of 2024
stay tuned...
by Manish Vyas © and ℗ 2023
Mantras and texts from different stotras and stutis found in different texts of ancient India, chanted in an innovative musical presentation based on the Vedic feeling of chanting.
The Vedic heritage embraces a multitude of texts and interpretations collected in four Vedas, commonly referred to as “books of knowledge” even though they have been transmitted orally. The Rig Veda is an anthology of sacred hymns; the Sama Veda features musical arrangements of hymns from the Rig Veda and other sources; the Yajur Veda abounds in prayers and sacrificial formulae used by priests; and the Atharna Veda includes incantations and spells. The Vedas also offer insight into the history of Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) and the early development of several artistic, scientific and philosophical concepts, such as the concept of zero.
In Sanskrit, the verses of the Vedas were traditionally chanted during sacred rituals and recited daily in Vedic communities. The value of this tradition lies not only in the rich content of its oral literature but also in the ingenious techniques employed by the Brahmin priests in preserving the texts intact over thousands of years. To ensure that the sound of each word remains unaltered, practitioners are taught from childhood complex recitation techniques that are based on tonal accents, a unique manner of pronouncing each letter and specific speech combinations.
Regarded by Sanātanīs as the primary source of knowledge and the sacred foundation of our Dharma, the Vedas embody one of the world’s oldest surviving cultural traditions.
UNESCO proclaimed the tradition of Vedic chant a Masterpiece of the oral and intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 7, 2008
The Vedas have more than 20000 mantras and each mantra when chanted produces sound vibrations that impact specific neurons of the body. The basic aim of chanting mantra’s is to induce certain sound frequencies that impact our neurons coherently and synergistically.
The key to the right sound rests in the pronunciation of vowels (svar) and consonants (varna). A faulty diction would do more harm than good and that is something we need to be mindful about. Though mantra’s work best when chanted, nonetheless listening is a better bet than getting it wrong.
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