History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c24.s1.513

v2.c24.s1.513

We saw above that according to the Tai. Ār. the rules of anadhyāya do not apply to the daily performance of Brahmayajña (i. e. to the repetition of the Vedic texts already learnt). Manu II. 105 says that there is no concern about anadhyāya as to the lores (the aṅgas like grammar, Nirukta &c.) helpful to (understanding of) the Veda, the obligatory svādhyāya (i. e. brahmayajña) and the mantras to be used in homa. Śaunaka⁹⁵⁶ quoted in the Sm. C. says there is no anadhyāya as to repeating the Vedic texts in the obligatory rites and in japa nor in kāmya rites, in sacrifices or in the pārāyaṇa (repeating the Veda already learnt); the anadhyāya rules apply only to the first learning of Vedic mantras and to their teaching. The Smṛtyarthasāra⁹⁵⁷ (p. 10) says that those who have a slippery memory or those who have to commit to memory extensive Vedic texts should study the Vedāṅgas, nyāya (logic), mīmāṁsā and dharmaśāstras on all anadhyāyas except on 1st, 8th, 14th and full moon and new moon days. Some digests quote a verse from the Kūrmapurāṇa⁹⁵⁸ that there is no anadhyāya for the study of Vedāṅgas, of itihāsa, purāṇas, dharmaśāstras and other śāstras; but on *parva* days the study of even these should be dropped. This shows that these *tithis* were the only close holidays on which there was complete cessation of all study, whether Vedic or non-Vedic. That is, these were what are called *nitya* holidays while the rest are naimittika anadhyāyas. Even now these nitya anadhyāyas are observed by vaīdikas and by Pandits in their Sanskrit schools (particularly amāvāsyā).