Svadhyaya

Abstract

Svadhyaya in Vedic ritual is the recitation of previously memorized texts, outside the context of yajna, but constituting in itself a ritual which bestows merit on the practitioner. It is described in the Brahmanas, in Manu and elsewhere, in terms which present it as a virtual performance of yajna. The claim that the merit gained by svadhyaya equals or even surpasses that gained by yajna is analogous to claims made for temple worship or for Vedantic knowledge of brahman. Svadhyaya, by separating the recitation of texts from the context of yajna which is the primary purpose of the Veda, ensured the survival of the Veda when yajna became rare or obsolete. This decontextualization helps to explain how the Veda could be transmitted orally and yet remain a stable text, despite the general view that oral texts are by nature fluid.

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