The Rig Veda was recited using a special method of recitation which is akin to modern error correction and detection codes. This feature has allowed it to be passed on from generation to generation for many millennia without the introduction of errors
The rishis had focused on developing methods of chanting which can detect any errors in chanting of a mantra, such as omitting a syllable or replacing one syllable by another. For each mantra, there are several different methods of chanting, each method capable of detecting one type of error. For illustration, consider one half of the famous gayatri mantra of the seer Vishvamitra. The standard method of recitation involving conjunction is called Samhita patha (given below).
Samhita Patha
tatsaviturvarenyambhargodevasyadhimahi
Separate all compound words into their constituents and number the words:
In the kramapatha chant, use a text obtained by combining two neighboring words according the rules of sandhi, resulting in six words.
1+22+33+44+55+66+6
rama Patha
A Krama patha expert chants the krama-version of all the verses.
To understand its error detecting capability, divide the chant into syllables so that the syllable ends with an vowel a, i, u etc. Both the third syllable and sixth syllables are same namely vi. Suppose we commit an error and chant the third syllable as va. According to the krama chanting, the sixth syllable should be same as the third syllable. He would pronounce it as vi, since we are assuming he will make only one error. Then he notices that an error has taken place since va is different from vi. An error has obviously occurred, but he does not know which is correct, va or vi? There are other methods which detect these errors and also methods that show how to correct them.
The various forms of chanting are called as vikratis and there are eight of them.
The rishis had focused on developing methods of chanting which can detect any errors in chanting of a mantra, such as omitting a syllable or replacing one syllable by another. For each mantra, there are several different methods of chanting, each method capable of detecting one type of error. For illustration, consider one half of the famous gayatri mantra of the seer Vishvamitra. The standard method of recitation involving conjunction is called Samhita patha (given below).
Samhita Patha
tatsaviturvarenyambhargodevasyadhimahi
Separate all compound words into their constituents and number the words:
| tat | savituh | varenyam | bhargah | devasya | dhimahi |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
1+22+33+44+55+66+6
rama Patha
| tatsavituh | saviturvarenyam | varenyambhargah | bhargodevasya | devasyadhimahi | dhimahiti dhimahi |
A Krama patha expert chants the krama-version of all the verses.
To understand its error detecting capability, divide the chant into syllables so that the syllable ends with an vowel a, i, u etc. Both the third syllable and sixth syllables are same namely vi. Suppose we commit an error and chant the third syllable as va. According to the krama chanting, the sixth syllable should be same as the third syllable. He would pronounce it as vi, since we are assuming he will make only one error. Then he notices that an error has taken place since va is different from vi. An error has obviously occurred, but he does not know which is correct, va or vi? There are other methods which detect these errors and also methods that show how to correct them.
The various forms of chanting are called as vikratis and there are eight of them.