Recitational Permutations of the Saunakiya Atharvaveda

This is a critical edition of the Kramapatha and Jatapatha forms of recitational permutations of several sections of the Saunakiya Atharvaveda available in six rare manuscripts found in Pune, India. Such recitational variations for the Atharvaveda are no longer available in the surviving oral tradition in India, and hence the texts, critically edited here, provide rare access to these materials. Some of these recitational variations are defined in the ancient text, Saunakiya Caturadhyayika, which was recently published in a critical edition in Harvard Oriental Studies (vol. 52, 1997).

The texts offered here allow scholars to compare the recitational tradition of the Atharvaveda with those of other Vedas, which are still available in the surviving oral tradition. The edition has a detailed introduction that investigates the historical origins, development, and significance of these recitational permutations.