The Science of Vedic Communication

The process of communication and its intermingled chemistry with

science is not a new concept. Communication started with the need
of message transmission in Indian Vedic age. The Vedic period
(1500BC - 600BC) got its name from the four Vedas written during
this period.

The Vedic age recorded amazing advancement in mathematics,

literature, engineering, logical analysis through employing
communication as a weapon of progress. The Aryans had excellent
communication skills and it can be proved by their Sanskrit scriptures
which they had created to convey complex metaphysical philosophy
to simple daily rituals. In fact, the word “Sadharanikaran” is
equivalent to the concept of ‘communication’ in West. Use of
“Sadharanikaran” can be traced in works of fifth to second century
B.C. Kashmiri philosopher Avinavagupta, a critique on “Natya
Shastra” by profession was the person to coined the word
“Sadharanikaran”. He described it as a situation where the audience
and the actors become one. In his own words, “Sarbasamajikanam
eko ghawnota”. Again from “Natya Shastra” only we get the word
‘Sahridaya’, which mean common compassionate emotion through
the process of ‘Sadharanikaran’.

Types of communication in Vedic ages merely meant different

methods of message transmission. Initially verbal method was the
prime mode of message transmission. Slowly written methods were
employed, beginning with signs and symbols it took the form of
manuscripts. Yet oral communication remained as the most
commonly utilized message transmission method. It was mainly
prevalent in different stratums of group communication.
As I already said communication is all about message transmission
and in Vedic era it was mostly verbal. This verbal concept was mainly
dominated by Smriti and Sruti. It means to listen and to learn
something based on memory without having any written document.
Vedic communication was standing on a strong fabric of oral
message transmission methods in different layers of society. It
consisted of prayers, hymns and daily rituals apart from
conversations.

Group communication concept was well in use alongside Dyadic

communication practices because society mainly had harmonious
structural foundation that dwelt on the unison of varied social
groups.

According to Brihad-aranyka Upanishad (1-4-11 to 14), social groups

started to emerge as a form of worker group. This group consisted of
only workers and no one else. Being too homogenous it did not help
the society to flourish. Even when there was a two group syndrome,
one of workers and another of traders this pertinent problem
continued to exist. Then the third group, the brave group of the
soldiers came to join and create three social groups in society.
Finally, the fourth group entered to play the role of pedagog to other
groups. These four groups came to be known as Chatur Varnasram
Now the society was on a full swing of development. All the different
forms of communications were now utilized by these groups. From
verbal to non verbal, from written text to drama everything was a
part of communication, a part of reaching out to people. Among the
branches of particular cults discussions were held. As per
Shasthratha two types of approach were taken during discussions.
They are- Jalpa, the constructive friendly method of conversation
and Vitanda, the destructive or hostile method of debate.
Another popular method of communication was non verbal
communication through sophisticated gesticulations. The proof can
be specially derived from ‘Natya Shastra based on older Gandharva
Veda, which is an appendix to Sama Veda. In the 8th chapter of
‘Natya Shastra’ use of lower parts of the body, in 9th chapter and 10th
chapter use of limps and hands, in the 13th chapter stage walk of
characters were described. Even some of the elegant gestures known
as mudra are still valid today in Kathakali dance form. Mukulam,
mrigaseersham, oornanabham, sarpasirassu, sukathundam and
pataka are few of the twenty four mudras.

In the advent of written signs, symbols and characters Sanskrit

scriptures took the front row. Sanskrit was a living language for more
than a period of 1000 years with a collection of rich and elegant
literature of its own. Vedic texts are available in the form of four
‘Samhitas’, the ‘Rigveda’ with 1,028 hymns and 10,552 verses
classified in ten ‘Mandals’ or eight ‘Astakas’ and ‘Adhyayas’. Each
‘Astaka’ contains eight Adhyayas. ‘Yajurveda’ or ‘Vajasaney Samhita’
has forty chapters and 1,975 verses. The ‘Samveda’ is divided into
two books. ‘Purvacika’ has 585 verses and ‘Uttaracika’ has 1,290
verses. Total numbers of verses were 1,875. In the ‘Atharvaveda’ we
have 20 chapters with 5,987 verses in all. There were 17 ‘Brahmanas’
out of which 3 are not available. Out of 10 ‘Kandas’ of ‘Satpath
Brahmana’ the first five are associated with construction of the fire-
altar. In the 10th Mandala of Rigveda there is a mention of ‘Samvada
Sukta’. It is a conversational form of particular Shlokas. ‘Yama-Yami
Samvada’, ‘Pururava-Urvasi Samvada’ are some of the Suktas. There
are two types of hymns in the Vedas pertaining to Society. The first
type of hymns indicates social organizations like, Sabha and Vidhata,
which are political and religious assemblies as per Rig Veda.1-91-20.
These hymns also cover class structure based on four Varnas and
about their divine professions. The second type of hymns guides the
society towards perfection and relates to Dharma, Rta, nishkam
Karma or selfless action based on enlightened liberalism "nothing for
self all for society". The Vedas describe this type of selfless action
with words “Idd Nan Mmam".

Written characters were used in ritual science and exegesis, not in

religion itself. Prayers were offered by chanting religious hymns and
mantras. Performing rituals was an important part of their daily
duties. These works are written in the so-called sutra style, in terse
and condensed rules and statements, which were meant to be learnt
by heart. Many details are excluded from the text and left to the
training given by the teacher. With these details it is important to
note that while the main lines of the ritual have been more or less
static, the society has enormously changed during the many
centuries which have elapsed since the codification of the ritual
Sutras, and this is reflected as modifications and additions in ritual.
All these texts relate to social and physical sciences, medical
prescriptions, divine nature, cosmic laws of necessity, soul, spirit,
formless and ineffable Supreme Soul and many other subjects.

Long standing grammatical and philosophical traditions of Sanskrit

have survived to be in use till date. To understand the ancient
communication of Vedic era Sanskrit proves to be a sophisticated
pedagogic tool. For example, Rig Veda provides us with words like-
Songgocchodhom, songobodhom, songo monagsi janiotam….somano
montro, samiti samani, samanong mono; saga chittam esham.
Samanaong mantram obhi montroyey woh. Samanneno who hobisha
yuhomi. Samani who akuti samana hridoyani woh, samanonh ostu
who mono yatha woh susahasati. In English it means ‘Assemble,
speak with one another; let your minds be of one accord, may your
aim be common; your assembly common, common be the mind and
thoughts of these united. A common purpose do I lay before you;
common be your aim and your hearts united; your mind be one so
that all may live together.
As per J.S. Yadav’s observation there were a few doctrines of
communication during the Vedic era. The first doctrine is Shridaya,
the homogeneous heart. It was believed that better recognition
procedures guaranteed better communication. This makes sharing
an instrument to influence or to inspire. Sharing is the second
doctrine known as Sadharanikaran. The third doctrine is Rasa, the
aesthetic pleasure. It has two phases. One is Uthpatti which means
production or creation. Another is Aswadan or consummation of the
rasa.

Interestingly the Vedic ages also speaks of research methodologies of

science. Vachaspati Misra has written a commentary on ‘Sankhya
Karika’ titled ‘Sankhya Tatwa Kaumudi Tika’, It gives guide lines on
how one should go about investigating the various theories and
propositions before reaching on any conclusion. The research
method proposed by him includes 5 stages. The first is called ‘Taram’
where one is required to study the whole issue under a bonafide
‘Guru’ – the teacher. Next is ‘Sutaram’ which specifies that the
researcher must understand the terminology very clearly. In the third
stage of ‘Tartaram’ requires collection of data and analysing them
critically. The fourth step was named ‘Ramyak’. It means that the
results of the analysis should be discussed in a seminar with other
experts in the field or at least with the teacher. When all the doubts
have been cleared and the questions have been answered then one
can present his findings in the final form. This fifth step is named as
‘Sadmuditam’. Though this was specially prescribed for the students
of ‘Ayurveda’ which emerged as the medical science par excellence
by about the 6th century B.C., it still bears a significance and validity.
But surely the Vedic era talks very little about the part of the cult
connected with king and government. Most of the text related to
them are either lost or destroyed in the path of time. Hence, it is
really hard to talk about the official process of communication. Yet it
is assumed through various images that there was no postal system
at that age so people communicated through birds, runners etc. The
kings did not communicate to his subjects directly but he used his
royal court to speak to them.

After evaluating all the aspects of Vedic Communication mentioned

above it is evident that grammarians of Vedic era used a simple
method to analyze sentences and the action done it in an instantly
recognizable style. Interestingly Sanskrit has been found to bear an
uncannily supportive algorithmic manner of paraphrasing identical in
essence with Artificial Intelligence. For last twenty years NASA has
been conducting a research on this issue.