2025, Vol. 11, Issue 6, Part C

This paper examines Vāgyajña, the Vēdic sacrificial practice of speech, comprising svādhyāya (recitation) and pravacana (interpretive understanding). Svādhyāya externalizes latent knowledge through the articulation of sentences, sounds, and Vēdāksharas, while pravacana internalizes these expressions, encompassing both literal and inner meanings. Together, they enable mantras to become śruti, dependent on svara (intonation) to return to the practitioner and manifest spiritual efficacy.
Phonetic analyses reveal that svādhyāya embodies life, energy, effort, and orientation toward the manifest Absolute, whereas pravacana integrates the individual, mind, and knowledge to generate the Dēvatā-principle necessary for comprehension and realization.
Each Vēdic sentence is itself a mantra, and its recitation constitutes a yajña. Approaching the Vēda as yajña fosters spiritual growth, as exemplified in practices such as japa-yajña (mantra repetition) and nirguṇa-dhyāna-yajña (meditation on the attributeless), positioning Vēdic recitation and interpretation as an integrated, transformative practice.