48. The Vedas, which need special attention in the present state of Veda-Patha, are the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda. The Saman, which is primarily the musical version of some portions of the Rgveda, is valuable also for the history of Indian Music in all its aspects. This Veda is now prevalent in three main schools or styles of chanting: Kauthuma in Gujarat, some villages near Lucknow, Darbhanga, Tamilnad and Karnataka; the Jaiminiya, in some parts of Tamil-nad and to a larger extent in Kerala; and the Ranayaniya in Rajasthan and in Mathura. The styles of Sama-gana differ considerably from one another; even in the same Kauthuma or the Jaiminiya school, the style of rendering in one part of the country differs from that in another.
49. If the tradition of Saman-chanting is gradually becoming more and more limited, that of the Atharvaveda may be said to have al- ready become almost extinct. There are in Saurashtra a few families belonging to the Atharvaveda; in Banaras, there is one Teacher and a line of his pupils who do not belong to the Atharvaveda but who have picked up some of it for ceremonial purposes. It was, however, heartening for this Commission to- have made one precious discovery in the course of its tours that, in some villages of Gujarat and Saurash- tra, namely, Kanvalaya, Lunavada and Bhavanagar, there are a few Vaidika families among Nagar Brahmans who are preserving the Kantha- patha of the Atharvaveda as their sva-sakha.
50. Some of the institutions which we visited, particularly in the South, either had provision for the learning of the Vedas by rote or were exclusive Veda-Pathasalas; but we found that, here too, the strength was meagre. Most of the South Indian Veda-Pathasalas were founded on the charities of wealthy Chettiars, whose assets in Burma, Saigon, etc., have become paralysed after the last war. Local misman- agement was also responsible for the failure of some of the Vedic
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endowments. In Kerala, the Nambudiri community had its own trusts in which all Nambudiri boys underwent Vedic training up to a particular age.
51. In the Chapters on Sanskrit Education and Sanskrit Research, we have laid some emphasis on the study of the Veda. The easy access to Vedic texts which printing has made possible' and the various re- search projects in the field of the Veda which are being carried out 'today should not lead us to think that the preservation of the oral tradition of the Veda is no longer necessary. Apart from the religious and aesthetic effect of Vedic recitals, the actual intonations and accents and the rules of the Siksa-texts, which are all relevant to modern phonetic studies, can be properly studied only from the oral tradition. In modern colleges and traditional Pathasalas, portions of the Veda are prescribed for study and are taught without any idea being given to students of the mode of their recitation. In research institutions also, textual editorial work goes on mostly without utilising what has been preserved orally. To realise fully how valuable the oral tradition is for research purposes also, we would like to quote one of the leading Vedic scholars of Europe, Prof. Louis Renou of Paris University. In his review of Indian Studies, he says: "If we knew how to use these undaunted reciters of the Veda......... we should observe the persistence of certain variants, of certain phonetic or accentual traditions which no manuscript could ever perpetuate......... Oral transmission calls for certain forms of fidelity with which a written text can dispense"'.
52. It was suggested by some witnesses that complete recordings on Tape and Wax should be taken of Vedic recitations according to the different schools2. This is certainly a very good suggestion, and the Commission fully endorses it. Early steps should be taken to prepare a complete set of such recordings from Vedic recitations by representative Vaidikas selected from all over the country. We may rest assured that the money spent on this project will have been well and usefully spent. This must, indeed, be done before it is too late. The original set of these recordings should be preserved in the proposed Central Institute of Indology, and copies should be made available to other institutions, if and when required.
53. It should, however, be clearly realised that the recordings of Vedic recitals can serve archival purposes very well, but they can be no substitute for actual and live preservation by the throat, even as it is the case with music. This Commission, therefore, further recommends that steps should be devised to preserve the oral tradition of Vedic recitals; that young students should be encouraged to learn Vedic hymns by rote with correct intonation and accents according to
2*A few recordings of the Veda have been made and the All India Radio also, we understand, has been interesting itself in this line.
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the different schools; and that the authorities should give a helping hand in setting aright the financial condition of Vedic foundations which are in difficulty. Affluent temples and religious endowments which have been the standing patrons and sustainers of Vedic recita- tions down the ages, as inscriptions testify, should be called upon not to discontinue the practice of providing for these Vedic recitations as part of the daily service in the temples, or of seasonal festivals. Research Institutions and Departments working especially on Veda should enlist the help of Vaidikas who are proficient in the oral tradition of the Veda. We found, during our tours, that in the South especially, and in the Deccan and in Banaras, there were large number of Vaidika families preserving the kantha- patha of the Vedas; some of these families could be very well transplanted in areas in the North where the tradition of Vedic recitation is becoming or has already become extinct. This would be a distinct gain to these parts of the country as also to those Vaidikas who preserve the Vedic tradition but cannot be said to be economically well off; the support that they would get in their new surroundings should prove a great encouragement to them. Such transplantation of the families of Vaidikas was exactly the way in which traditions of scholarship were preserved and propagated in ancient and medieval times; and even in modern times, we found that this method had produced good results, as for 'Instance, in Darbhanga in respect of the Samaveda. The Commission further recommends that special attention should be paid to the resuscitation and propagation of the traditions of the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda.
(b) Purana-Patha: 54. The institution of public recital and exposition of the Epics and Puranas has-from very early times, been the most effective medium of popular adult education and significant means of inculcating in the masses the highest truths of the Vedas and the ideals of character and conduct exemplified by Rama, Yudhisthira, Sita, Savitri, etc. That kings of ancient and medieval times set apart special endowments for the public exposition of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata is known from numerous inscriptions not only in India but also in Cambodia. Through poem and play, and song and dance, the epics and myths have been cherished by the people in different Darts of India. as also in various other countries which were culturally related to her, like Burma, Thailand and Indonesia. The institution of public pravacana by the Vyasas of the North, the Kathakas of Bengal and the Pauranikas of the Deccan and the South have served to make the masses, however illiterate they may be, keenly alive to the higher values of life. These expositions have also been one of the regular sources of sustenance for Sanskrit scholars. In the course of our inquiry, we found that this institution was still quite popular, and, especially in the South, there were specialists (Bhagavatars) who were highly successful as exponents of the Ramayana or the Bhagavata; and huge concourses of people gathered to listen to the epics.
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55. Several witnesses stressed before us the points that these epic and Puranic expositions could be effectively utilised for the purpose of cultural propaganda and the moral toning up of the masses; and that, under the Five Year Plans and the schemes for Community Projects and National Extension Service,, these 'gifted exponents of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata could be usefully employed. In fact, the Secretary of the Education Department of the Government of West Bengal told us that the Department had requisitioned the services of one such Bhagavata lecturer'. Similar efforts are being made, on a wider scale and in a more systematic manner, by the Mysore Government which has set up for such work a Cultural Development Department. The Commission feels that such of the Sanskritists, particularly of the traditional type, who have a flair for such entertaining and edificatory expositions, may take to this calling, instead of all of them thinking of the school teacher's line alone as being open to them. To this end, the Sanskrit Pathasalas themselves might usefully organise a course in Itihasa-Purana and popular exposition. Those students who have the further gift of music could become successful performers of Kirtana or Hari-katha. We would recommend that the authorities in charge of Temples, Maths, and Community Projects and National Extension Service should help such Sanskritists as have a gift for this kind of popular expositions of the epics and Puranas, by employing them regularly. In some States there are Devasvam Departments and Religious Endowment Boards directing the activities of Temples, and. we think it is a legitimate duty of the Temples, such as have the necessary means, to employ these Kathakas, Pauranikas and performers of Kirtana and Hari-katha.
(c)Paurohitya: 56. In the present curricula of studies in the Pathasalas, Srauta and Paurohitya are included only to a limited extent. In Baroda, the late Maharaja Sayaji Rao had promulgated the Purohit Act, according to which no one who had not attained a particular standard by passing the Purohita's course in the Baroda Sanskrit College could officiate as priest in his State. In most Christian countries, some qualification in divinity is necessary for one to become a member of the clergy. In Iran. a similar qualification is insisted upon before a person can become an Imam in a mosque. In ancient India, it was the learned public itself which enforced this standard. While today it is not possible for the State to lay down any course or qualification regarding this, the Commission thinks that the traditional Pathasalas should organise regular courses in Paurohitya.2 This might bring them some more
1*At Navadwip, this Bhagavata lecturer gave us a demonstration of his pravacana, interspersed with songs and made lively and interesting by many a reference to contemporary events and present-day problems.
2*In West Bengal, Paurohitya is recognised as one of the subjects for Sanskrit examinations. In Mysore, there has been, for a long time, full provision for Smarta and Srauta examinations. The examinations of the Banaras Government Sanskrit College provide for Veda and Paurohitya. In the Banaras Hindu University, there is a separate Faculty of Theology, which conducts-examinations in these subjects.
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students who could make their equipment readily useful to the commu- nity. As we went round, attended functions and met several Vaidikas, we felt that the community of Vaidikas and Purohitas could be given a better academic grounding, and that, if they became properly qualified in Sanskrit and in disciplines allied to their calling, Vedic studies themselves would get strengthened and enriched.
11. Technical Disciplines 57. As pointed out in Chapter IV, the field of Sanskrit literature is very vast. It embraces the entire realm of knowledge in ancient and medieval India, and comprises many scientific and technical subjects and arts and crafts. It is not, therefore, in pure academic institutions or within the four walls of Colleges and Pathasalas alone that the cultivation of Sanskrit is to be looked for. This. Commission is interested in the all-round growth of Sanskrit as a vehicle not merely of literature, religion and philosophy, but also of the different branches of knowledge including the practical arts and sciences. There are in Sanskrit scientific works on medicine, astronomy, mathematics, etc., and on dance, music, painting, architecture, iconography, etc. In Modern University curricula, only a historical knowledge can be given of these; and we have recommended, in the Chapter on Sanskrit Education, that in different subjects like medicine, mathematics, etc., the University courses should provide, as part of the history of the respective subjects, for the study of the contributions of India to these sciences, as embodied in old Sanskrit texts. The sciences have generally had an arrested growth in India, and they have to be brought in line with the modern scientific advances.
(a) Ayurveda: 58. Of all these sciences, the most important is the science of indigenous medicine called Ayurveda, which is still alive and widely practised in the country. Ayurveda is suited to the constitution of the Indians and has cheap remedies which are readily available and which form part of the general knowledge of the people. During our enquiry, we met many successful Ayurvedic practitioners, proficient in the Sanskrit texts, who said that they and their knowledge were in good demand. The Commission also saw that there were many Ayurvedic establishments, particularly in the North, which had many manufac- tories provided with mechanical equipments for preparing medicines on a large scale. In some parts of the country, the traditional style of Sanskrit education included instruction in Ayurveda as a special course for a Diploma awarded by the local Universities.
59. One of the questions which naturally arises in connection with Ayurveda is its position vis-a-vis the science of modern medicine. There are advocates of modern medicine who are opposed to Ayurveda as an outmoded and unscientific system; on the other hand, there are the
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enthusiasts for Ayurveda who are prepared to prove to the hilt the scientific nature and superiority of Ayurveda; and there are still others of a third type who advocate an integration of the two systems. At present, the courses of studies in the Ayurvedic side of the traditional Colleges do include the necessary quantum of modern anatomy and minor surgery. Many advocates of Ayurveda told us that they did not want any integration beyond this. We also learnt that some of the socalled integrated medicine courses were mostly allopathic in character and cut at the very root of Ayurveda. Strong opposition was voiced against the policy of some States which thus "allopathised" their Colleges of indigenous medicine. In this connection, the Commission would like to refer to the views which a leading medical authority of the country, the present Vice-Chancellor of the Madras University, expressed before the Commission., Dr. A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar was not in favour of any such integration; but he was for the fully qualified allopathic or Ayurvedic doctors critically studying the other system and picking up from it such elements as they found useful. It is this kind of integration at higher levels which we have recommended in other fields also as most healthy and fruitful.
60. It is necessary that the Ayurvedic wings of Sanskrit Pathasalas have the full complement of beds, herbarium, manufactory, dispensary, research section, etc. Ayurveda cannot be taught merely through books. This Commission would recommend that Ayurveda should be made a Degree subject in the modern Universities, so that all the advantages of upgrading which a University status conferred could accrue to this subject. It would also be desirable if the Universities had. in their Research Departments, sections devoted to Ayurveda where investigations in the higher and less known aspects of that science could be carried out. There is also the need to fix exactly the identity of Ayurvedic drugs which are known by common Sanskrit names, but are differently understood in different areas. Similarly, up-to-date text-books in Sanskrit have to be prepared on various branches of Ayurveda for all-India use, like Gananath Sen's Pratyaksa-Sarira, the Siddhanta-nidana, the Rasa-jalanidhi and the more recent Svastha-vrtta and Padartha-Vijnana from Bombay and Poona.
61. Several persons connected with Ayurvedic studies represented before the Commission that the State policy in connection with the indigenous system should be changed substantially if Ayurveda was to have an all-round development. Recently, there has been some change, and Governments are giving some block grants to different centres for the development of Ayurveda. This is a matter for the Ministry of Health and the Planning Commission. Our country is vast and the demand for doctors and medical treatment cannot be adequately met by modern allopathy. Allopathy involves costly colleges and even costlier treatment and medicines, and unfamiliar diet-recipes, etc.
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Adequate allotments should, therefore, be made for the widespread use of the easy and congenial indigenous system, particularly in the rural areas. As part of this recognition and upgrading, there should be set up an All-India Council of Indigenous Medicine, and also a Central Institute of Research in Indigenous Medical System, including Veteri- nary Science'. Advanced research in indigenous medicine is at present being carried out only in an extremely small number of centres. We know that foreign medical libraries, like the Wellcome Medical Historical Library, London, have large collections of manuscripts of Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian medical treatises, and foreign laboratories are carrying on investigations in Indian drugs and their potency for modern diseases. It is but proper that Indian scholars receive substantial help from the authorities concerned for the adequate exploitation of indigenous medicinal lore, resources and material.
(b) Jyotisa 62. Astronomy is taught in many Pathasalas, and the classes in some institutions are equipped with some modern aids also. In the Banaras Sanskrit College, attempts are made to study Indian Astronomy with the help of modern astronomical instruments. This science, like Medicine, has had an arrested growth in India. Here, too, there are advocates who plead for bringing the ancient texts abreast of modern knowledge, and there are others, Pandits as well as some Professors, who strive to maintain unchanged the old Jyotisa-Sastra. Normally, the students of Jyotisa in the Pathasalas obtain much vogue as astrologers and cannot be said to suffer from want of employment. But this Commission is of the view that in Indian Astronomy and Mathematics there is much scope for research, and that those, who are proficient in modern astronomy and mathematics and who also know Sanskrit should be encouraged to take to research in Joytisa, so that they might bring to light hidden texts and correlate and evaluate their contributions.