What is Śruti?
Q: What is Śruti?
A: Śruti (Devanagari श्रुति, "what is heard") are the collection of vedic literature in Hinduism. It is a canon of Hindu sacred texts that span across the entire history of Hinduism and contain some of the earliest known Hindu texts.
Q: How was Śruti preserved?
A: Śruti was preserved through oral tradition and eventually written down in Sanskrit. Traditionally it was not read, but chanted according to extremely precise rules of grammar, pitch, intonation and rhythm. This allowed for its preservation over thousands of years without alteration by means of oral instruction from guru to shishya, generation after generation.
Q: Who wrote Śruti?
A: Śruti has no author; rather it is divine recording of the "cosmic sounds of truth", heard by rishi. It is said to be apaurusheya, or "suprahuman".
Q: What are mantras drawn from?
A: Most mantras are drawn from Śruti and used for rites of worship, both public and domestic, as well as personal prayer and japa.
Q: What does studying Sruti involve?
A: Studying Sruti involves philosophical discussion, study and commentary which has given rise to countless schools of thought. It also involves deep study and meditation in order to realize the wisdom contained within oneself.
Q: How did students learn each verse?
A: Students were required to learn each verse in eleven different ways including backwards in order to preserve it over time without alteration or distortion.
Q: What effect does hearing these holy scriptures properly chanted have on a listener?
A: Hearing these holy scriptures properly chanted has a magical effect upon the soul of the listener because word and meaning are so closely aligned in this sacred language
