Chapter 9.2a - The Nature of Adhyayanavidhi and its Category

According to the obligatory force injunctions have been classified into three categories i.e. apūrvavidhi, niyamavidhi and parisaṃkhyāvidhi. Now, the questions are what is the nature of the ‘adhyayanavidhi’ and to which category of injunctions it belongs?

The verbal urge (śābdī bhāvanā) appears in its potential form in each sentence inculcating the Agnihotra sacrifice, Jyotiṣṭoma sacrifice etc. But this verbal urge is not understood as something to be done (kartavyatvena) in those sentences; for it is the objective urge (ārthī bhavanā) i.e. a person’s inclination to some sacrificial function, that is felt there as something to be done. But the verbal urge is comprehended as something to be done only in the injunction, “svādyāyo’dhyetavyaḥ”^[1] (One’s own Veda should be studied). It can not be said that here also the objective urge is the only thing enjoined, for the objective urge related to the sentence, “svādhyāyo.....” is the verbal urges abiding in all injunctive sentences.

The word ‘adhyetavya’ is derived by adding the suffix tavya in the passive voice to the root iṅ, meaning ‘to study’, prefixed by adhi. In a passive voice the object (karmapadam) becomes predominant. For this reason the word ‘svādhyāyaḥ’ which is the object in the sentence ‘svādhyāyo’dhyetavyaḥ’ becomes predominant. Study of the Vedas is a purifying act subsidiary to the Vedas. It purifies the Vedas as sprinkling purifies the rice grains. The necessity of this ‘svādhyāya’ is to acquire the knowledge of sacrifies, duties of the sacrificers etc. A sacrifice can not be performed without its knoledge. So, ‘svādhyāya’ has its visible result. In the presence of the visible result, the invisible result (heaven etc.) is not postulated. Therefore, ‘svādhyāya’ produces the knowledge of Vedas in the sacrificer. This knowledge is derived from the power of sentences having words with optative suffixes such as liṅ etc. that occur in one’s own Vedas. This knowledge is conducive to performance. The gist of this discussion is that all verbal urges with their three parts, denoted by the optative suffix etc. in the sentences conveying injunction, are prescribed as things to be done by the very ‘svādhyāyavidhi’. The persons having studied their own Vedas with their branches, understand, from the optative suffix etc. occuring in their own Vedas which they have learnt through study, backed by their subsidiary, praiseworthiness (arthavāda), that sacrifices etc. producing results are to be performed, and they should perform them. This is what understood here.

The ‘sādhya’ (thing to be done) of this śābdī bhāvana is the inclination of a person who wants to perform a sacrifice. The ‘sādhana’ of this verbal urge is the knowledge of the optative, suffix etc., known from study. And the knowledge of praiseworthiness comes into relation as the modus operandi.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Taittirīya Āraṇyaka——II.15.VI