Publisher's Synopsis
The Hamburg Atreya Shiksha Codex is a palm leaf bundle containing 36 Shiksha texts. Written in the grantha script with a strong and consistent hand, and preserved in the Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Hamburg, it is a well-curated collection of texts on Vedic phonology from the Taittiriya recension of Krishna Yajur Veda. The complete collection of texts is presented here in the Devanagari script, with an extensive introduction, describing the topics and themes of each text. The Atreya Shiksha is the most famous text in this bundle, discovered by Parameshwara Aithal and described for the first time in his Descriptive Bibliography of Veda Lakshana texts. Together with Pari Shiksha, the Atreya Shiksha presents the details of the varnakrama, or letter-by-letter recitation of the Vedic text. There are altogether 9 texts in this collection named after great seers of ancient times, Atreya, Bharadvaja, Kauhaliya, Lakshmikanta, Paniniya, Pari, Vasishtha, Vyasa and Shambhu. There are seven texts named Shiksha which bring out specific details of Vedic phonology, Aranya Shiksha, Kalanirnaya Shiksha, Sarvasammata Shiksha, Sarvasammata Shiksha Savyakhya, Siddhanta Shiksha, Yohi Prapti Shiksha, and Yohi Bhashya. There are texts which teach the details of Jata and the vikriti modes of recitation, Jatamani, Jatamani Vyakhyanam, Jatavalli and Trikrama Lakshanam. There are four texts teaching the fine points of Vedic accents, Svara Panchashat, Svara Samparki Savyakhyana, Svaravadhana Lakshanam and Uccodarki Lakshana Vyakhya. There are five Baith texts devoted to counting the occurrence of specific features in the Vedic texts, Ravana Baith, Ravana Baith paribhasha, Narada Baith, Narada Baith Vyakhya and Vaidyanatha Baith. There are seven texts devoted to fine points of pronunciation, Antanirdesham, Aruna Shamanam, Pranava Vichara, Shadvimshati Sutra, Shakha Shamana, Visarjaniya Lakshanam and Yamapatti. More than half of the 36 texts presented here have not been published before. The scribe, Cakra, son of Rama Aiyyangar of Uruttiti, who originally wrote the palm leaves perhaps 150 years ago, has collected together the broadest, most comprehensive collection of Shiksha texts available in the world today. The texts in this codex compass both the depth and breadth of insight of the ancient seers of Vedic phonology
