Talk:Scripts:Other Notable Aspects of Siksa

By Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swami

The general rule is that the sound of the Vedas must never be altered. Their pronunciation, accent, and intonation are to be preserved exactly as they have been handed down. At the same time, the Śikṣā Śāstra recognizes certain limited variations that arise among the different Vedic recensions (śākhā-s) and permits them according to established rules.

Minor variations in accent are therefore accepted. For example, in certain hymns of the Ṛgveda, the sounds a and e are prolonged more than in the other Vedas. Likewise, some recensions pronounce a simple ṃ (anusvāra), whereas others pronounce gṃ in the same position. Such differences do not generally concern the letters themselves but rather their accent, intonation, and tonal expression.

Since sound occupies such a central place in the Vedic tradition, it is essential that proper attention be given to its preservation. For this reason, Śikṣā is regarded as the organ of breath (prāṇa) of the Veda-Puruṣa.

The fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet are themselves derived from Vedic sound. If jña is included, the total becomes fifty-one. These letters are collectively known as the Mātṛkā-s.

The word Mātṛkā has more than one meaning. Most importantly, Mātṛ or Mātā means Mother, referring to Ambā, the Divine Mother of the universe. The fifty-one letters together constitute Her very form. Ambā, the Supreme Śakti (Parāśakti), is regarded as the embodiment of these sacred sounds.

If the entire cosmos is the creation of the Supreme Devī, and if creation itself came into existence through primordial sound, then it naturally follows that Ambā is the living embodiment of these fifty-one letters.

According to the Śākta Tantra-s, each of the fifty-one letters corresponds to a particular limb of the Divine Mother. Likewise, the fifty-one Śakti Pīṭha-s are traditionally associated with these sacred letters, each representing one aspect of Her cosmic body.

Thus, while Śikṣā is revered as the organ of breath of the Veda-Puruṣa, its glory is further enhanced because it illuminates the sacred science of the fifty-one Mātṛkā-s, which together personify Ambā herself.