प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

VI] HIGHER LITERARY EDUCATION 147
THE AGE OF THE UPANISHADS AND THE
SŪTRAS
(First millennium B. C.)
VEDIC STUDIES; METHOD CHANGED: The
Vedic literature began to be universally regarded
as revealed in this period and that honour was gradually
extended to the Brāhmaṇas¹ and the Upanishads
also. Vedic schools had to perform the onerous task
of preserving this great and growing literature. The
art of writing was known by this time, but its aid
was not taken for this purpose, as it was believed that
it would be irreligious to do so². The theory that the
slightest mistake in the recitation of the Vedic hymns
would not only prevent the realisation of the expected
reward, but would also bring about a disaster on the
reciter³, gained ground in this period and necessitated
the devotion of a large part of the energy of the rising
generation to the task of the accurate memorising
of the Vedic literature. Extraordinary precautions
were taken to prevent the corruption of the Vedic text
by devising the pada-pāṭha,⁴ krama-pāṭha, jaṭā-pāṭha

1. The prose literature devoted to the task of explaining the
   rituals, legends and knotty points about the sacrifices enjoined in the
   Vedic hymns was known by this name. It should not be mistaken
   with the members of the Brahmana caste.
2. Cf. वेदानां लेखकाश्चैव सर्वे निरयगामिनः ।
3. मंत्रो हीनः स्वरतो वर्णतो वा मिथ्याप्रयुक्तो न तमर्थमाह ।
   स वाग्वज्रो यजमानं हिनस्ति यथेन्द्रशत्रुः स्वरतोऽपराधात् ।
4. The pada-pāṭha required the students to memorise each
   word in the Vedic hymns separately after restoring it to its original
   form. Supposing a, b, and c were the three opening words of a hymn,
   the krama-pāṭha recited them as ab, bc, etc., the jaṭā-pāṭha as ab, ba,
   ab, etc., and the ghana-pāṭha as ab, ba, abc, cba, abc. The reader will
   now get some idea of the onerousness of the task of memorising
   these pāṭhas.