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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>[[File:1665 CE manuscript copy, Dasatayi Pratisakhya Saunakacharya 11th century BCE Rigveda, Schoyen Collection Norway.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Dasatayi Pratisakhya of Saunakacharya, related to the ''Rigveda'' (Schoyen Collection Norway).]]<br />
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'''Pratishakhya''' ({{lang-sa|प्रातिशाख्य}} ''{{IAST|prātiśākhya}}''), also known as '''Parsada''' (''{{IAST|pārṣada}}''), are [[Vedic|Vedic-era]] manuals devoted to the precise and consistent pronunciation of words.{{sfn|Hartmut Scharfe|1977|p=127}} These works were critical to the preservation of the Vedic texts, as well as the accurate ritual recitations and analyses of the [[Veda]]s, particularly when isolated words interact after they have been joined in ''sandhi'' procedures. Each Vedic school (''parisad'', or ''parsad'') and geographic branch (''sakha'') developed their own manuals, explaining why they have come to be called ''parsada'' or ''pratisakhya''.{{sfn|Hartmut Scharfe|1977|p=127}}{{sfn|J.F. Staal|1967|pp=17–26}}<br />
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They manuals are parts of the [[Shiksha]] [[Vedanga]]: works dealing with the [[phonetic]] aspects of the [[Sanskrit]] language used in the [[Vedas]]. Each Veda has a ''pratishakhya'' for each school. Many ''pratishakhyas'' have survived into the modern age, and, according to Hartmut Scharfe, all except one (''Taittiriya pratisakhya'') are based upon "recitation of isolated words".{{sfn|Hartmut Scharfe|1977|pp=127–129}} Pratishakhyas begin with word-for-word recitation, and then supply rules for the continuous recitation of texts.{{sfn|Hartmut Scharfe|1977|pp=127–129}} Though all the manuals have the same basic goal, they differ significantly in how each achieves that goal.{{sfn|Hartmut Scharfe|1977|pp=127–129}} They were composed centuries before the work of [[Pāṇini]], but there is evidence in these manuals that many ''pratisakhya'' evolved and were revised over time by the respective school to their regional preferences.{{sfn|Hartmut Scharfe|1977|pp=127–129}}{{sfn|John Duncan Martin Derrett|1973|pp=129–134}} The few manuscripts of the ''pratisakhyas'' that have survived into the modern era are likely from the 500 to 150 BCE period.{{sfn|J.F. Staal|1967|p=17}}{{sfn|John Duncan Martin Derrett|1973|pp=129–134}} The phonetic aspects of ''Vajasaneyi Pratisakhya'' is closest to those found in the classic Sanskrit grammar work of Pāṇini.{{sfn|Hartmut Scharfe|1977|pp=129–132}}<br />
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==Rig Veda==<br />
One of the Pratisakhyas treats of the phonetic aspects of the [[Rig Veda]]. The work is generally ascribed to [[Shaunaka]], an ancient [[rishi]] (sage). It has been translated into [[German language|German]] by [[Max Müller]]. A [[French language|French]] translation done by M. Regnier is also available, as is an English translation by Mangal Deva Shastri.<ref>Shastri (1922), Shastri (1931), Shastri (1937)</ref><br />
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==Yajur Veda==<br />
There are two treatises dealing with phonetic and related aspects of the [[Yajur Veda]]. The first, commonly known as the ''Krishna (Black) Yajur'', is known as ''Taittriya Pratisakhya''. Its English translation done by Professor Whitney is also available,<ref>Whitney (1973)</ref> and the same has been published in the Journal of the [[American Oriental Society]]. The second treatise is commonly called the ''Shukla (White) Yajur'', and is known as ''Vajasaneyi Pratisakhya''. The later is believed to have been written by Katyayana. Its translation done by Weber is available.<br />
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==Atharva Veda==<br />
The treatise pertaining to the phonetic and other aspects of [[Atharva Veda]] is also ascribed to the sage [[Saunaka]], and derives its name from him: the ''Saunakiya Chaturadhyayika'', which means the Book having four chapters by Saunak. Whitney has translated the work into English.<br />
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==Sama Veda==<br />
The name of the pratisakhya belonging to Sama Veda is Rk Tantra. Most of the mantras in Sama Veda are either from the Rk Veda or adapted from it, though sung differently. Hence the name Rk Tantra.<br />
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A critical edition of a ''Samaveda pratisakhya'' was published by Surya Kanta Shastri in 1933.<ref>S S Shastri (1933), [https://archive.org/details/rktantram/page/n1 Rktantram: A Pratisakhya of the Samaveda], Mehar Chand Lachhman Das, Lahore</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[Shiksha]]<br />
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==Notes==<br />
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==References==<br />
*{{cite book|author=John Duncan Martin Derrett|title=A history of Indian literature: Scientific and technical literature, Part II. Dharmaśāstra and juridical literature |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3EQIAQAAIAAJ |year=1973|publisher=Harrassowitz|isbn=978-3-447-01519-6}}<br />
*{{cite book |first=Surya |last=Kanta |title=Atharva Pratishakya |location=Lahore |publisher=Mehar Chand Lachhman Das |year=1939 |url=https://shaivam.org/sanskrit/ssk-atharvana-veda-pratisakhya.pdf }}<br />
*{{cite book|author=Hartmut Scharfe|title=Grammatical Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2_VbnWkZ-SYC |year=1977|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|isbn=978-3-447-01706-0}}<br />
* {{cite book |first=Mangal Deva |last=Shastri |title=The Rg-vedapratisakhya with the Commentary of Uvata. Part of the Introduction|publisher=Oxford University Press |location=London |year=1922 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.382673/page/n5 |language=en}}<br />
* {{cite book |first=Mangal Deva |last=Shastri |title=The Rg-vedapratisakhya with the Commentary of Uvata. Volume ii: Text in Sutra Form and Commentary with Critical Apparatus |language=sa |publisher=The Indian Press |location=Allahabad |year=1931 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.284197}}<br />
* {{cite book |first=Mangal Deva |last=Shastri |title=The Rg-vedapratisakhya with the Commentary of Uvata. Volume iii: English Translation of the Text, Additional Notes, Several Appendices and Indices |publisher=Moti Lal Banarsi Das |location=Lahore |year=1937 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283680/page/n1}}<br />
*{{cite book|author=J.F. Staal|title=Word Order in Sanskrit and Universal Grammar|url= https://archive.org/details/wordorderinsansk0000staa |url-access=registration|year=1967|publisher=D Reidel, Holland |isbn=978-90-277-0549-5}}<br />
*{{cite book |first=William D. |last=Whitney |title=The Tattirīya-Prātiśākhya: With its Commentary the Tribhāshyaratna: Text, Translation and Notes |publisher=Motilal Banardisidass |location=Delhi |year=1973 |orig-year=1863 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.61160/page/n3}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
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{{hinduism-stub}}<br />
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[[Category:Hindu texts]]<br />
[[Category:Phonetics]]<br />
[[Category:History of linguistics]]</div>>Monkbot