Dighanikaya 3.256

3.256

Ajjhāyakoti idaṃ – ‘‘na dānime jhāyanti, na dānime jhāyantīti kho, vāseṭṭha, ajjhāyakā ajjhāyakā tveva tatiyaṃ akkharaṃ upanibbatta’’nti, evaṃ paṭhamakappikakāle jhānavirahitānaṃ brāhmaṇānaṃ garahavacanaṃ. Idāni pana taṃ ajjhāyatīti ajjhāyako. Mante parivattetīti iminā atthena pasaṃsāvacanaṃ katvā voharanti. Mante dhāretīti mantadharo.

“Reciter of hymns”: this was a term of reproach in the time of the first aeon for brahmins destitute of absorption, thus: “‘Now they do not meditate, now they do not meditate,’ Vāseṭṭha, and so the third designation ‘non-meditators’ (ajjhāyakā) arose.” But nowadays, they use it as a term of praise in the sense of: “he studies (ajjhāyati), so he is a reciter (ajjhāyaka)—he repeats the hymns.” “One who retains the hymns” means one who memorises the hymns.