In this paper, I will provide detailed information, supported by numerous quotes from scholars and historical references. Please note that this is for my personal use and future reference. It may be long and possibly tedious, as it contains a lot of information.

To begin, the concept of Scripture as the “Word of God” is irrelevant to us in comparison to the Abrahamic faiths. Our approach to Scripture is fundamentally different. While errors may have occurred during the copying process, most of our Scriptures were written in poetic format, making it difficult for anyone to significantly alter them without violating grammatical rules. However, like many other religious texts, our Scriptures have experienced later additions, and it is challenging to distinguish between the original content and these later insertions. I’ve previously discussed how the Veda has been preserved thanks to oral tradition1, and I’ve also highlighted the critical edition of the Mahabharata.2

Take, for example, the famous Srimad Bhagavad Gita, which has been the subject of debate regarding its origins. There are differing views on whether the Gita was originally part of the Mahabharata or inserted later. I’ve elaborated on this in my paper on the Gita3, but such debates don’t affect my belief in Mukti Veda as the Word of God.

In the Indian context, Hindus don’t subscribe to the notion of “verbatim inspiration.” Hence, when scholars write books that raise questions about the origins of these texts, it doesn’t challenge our faith in their divine inspiration.

Despite later additions, Scripture never loses its authority in the life of an average Hindu. Scriptures, however, don’t play as significant a role in our religious lives as rituals and family traditions do. Nevertheless, it’s incorrect to claim that only Abrahamic faiths are “religions of the book.” While Hinduism and various sampradayas may not be based on a specific scripture, these texts still play a crucial role in shaping doctrine—though it’s often left to the pandits and acharyas to interpret, not the laypeople.

Furthermore, the idea of “textual criticism” never played a major role in determining the authority of Hindu Scripture. Consider the Bhagavad Gita, for example. It is regarded as “The Song of God,” and thus, the entire Gita is considered the Word of God—Krishna Himself. Hindus don’t question how Krishna could have delivered such teachings on a battlefield or who recorded them. Similarly, whether the Gita was originally part of the Mahabharata is a scholarly issue, but not a concern for the average Hindu. In fact, the Gita has become the Hindu scripture, sometimes even replacing the Veda in prominence. Every verse in the Gita is revered as a mantra, with instructions on how it should be chanted to derive spiritual benefits.4

Regarding the Veda, the foundational scripture of Hinduism, each sampradaya may claim that their presiding deity alone spoke the Veda. Yet, according to the orthodox view, the Veda is not even authored by God; it is eternal and “apaurusheya” (authorless).5 Rishis, through meditation, perceived and recorded the Veda, as the word ‘rishi’ means “one who has seen the mantra” (mantra drishtas).6

As I pointed out earlier, the Veda was preserved through oral tradition, leaving no opportunity for changes or additions.7 This is true for many other Hindu scriptures as well, whether they were written or preserved orally. Even today, thousands of folk songs remain unrecorded, passed down orally by Hindus who may not read or write (I hesitate to call them illiterate). My father, for instance, could recite many songs by heart without ever referring to a written text, and I’ve inherited a small portion of that ability myself.

Even when the original texts were lost, they were often recovered through miraculous means, as in the case of the Nalayira Divyaprabhandam.8 Similarly, the *Thevaram* was safely guarded by the Dikshidars at Chidambaram and later recovered with the help of the Chola king, Sekizhar, and the images of the four important Saiva saints—Appar, Sundarar, Jnana Sambandar, and Manikkavasagar—who had contributed to the poems. After a long processional display, the Dikshidars handed over the damaged palm leaves, which were later properly arranged. You can find more detailed information about this event online.9

For Sri Vaishnavas, even though the original Prabhandam was lost, it was later revealed to Nadamuni and recovered, considered the Word of God and even equated to the Veda, hence called ‘Tamil Vedam.’10

Inscriptions of these songs can be found on the walls of temple courtyards and on copper plates, which were used to preserve them. In Mayavaram,11 many such copper plates were discovered during temple renovations, containing songs by Saiva saints. Additionally, in Tirupati, a hidden room was found containing several of Annamayya’s songs, though many of his original compositions—over 30,000 in total—were lost.12 Similar instances of lost originals being recovered, either through miracles or excavations, can be found all over India.

In India, however, we face a different kind of problem compared to the Abrahamic faiths. While altering a word can change the meaning of a text in those traditions, here, the art of separating words—‘sandhi vicheda’—plays a similar role. Let me illustrate this with three examples:

First, from the Gita. The word *anadimatparam* can be split in two ways: *anadimat + param* or *anadi + matparam*. The former is used by Sankara, who believes that nothing is higher than Brahman, while the latter is preferred by Ramanuja, for whom Krishna is higher than Brahman. This subtle distinction reflects each commentator’s theological stance. Mainkar explains this:

“…But a very subtle point regarding the relation of this Highest Brahman and Krishna is raised by the commentators while commenting on *Anadimatparam* (13:12). Sankara, to whom there is nothing else higher than Brahman, divides the words as *Anadimat* and *Param*, while Ramanuja, to whom Krishna is higher than Brahman, divides them as *Anadi* and *Matparam*, understanding the latter as ‘that in relation to which I am the Supreme.’”13

A similar linguistic issue can be found in Tamil. In the past, Brahmin-exclusive hotels often had signs reading *Brahmanarkal sappitum idam* (“A place where Brahmins can eat”). However, by splitting the words differently, the phrase was accidentally written as *Brahmanar kal sappitum idam* (“A place where Brahmins can drink country wine”), completely altering its meaning.

This word-splitting phenomenon is not limited to Sanskrit or Tamil. Kavi Kalamegam, a famous Tamil poet, was known for his clever wordplay, and many of his verses carry double meanings. In one of his songs, he humorously describes the poor service at an inn, but later reinterprets the verse to praise the inn’s generosity.14

This flexibility in interpretation extends to religious texts as well. Take the songs of Siva Vakkiyar, a Tamil Siddha known for his critiques of idol worship. In one instance, a supporter of image worship altered a single word in Vakkiyar’s verse, completely changing its meaning to defend his own stance.15

“This is not limited to Scripture alone; similar examples can be found in secular songs. For instance, in one Tamil song, the word ‘sari’ (Selai) could be interpreted literally to mean ‘don’t trust women anymore.’ However, according to the song’s editor, ‘Selai’ should be divided into ‘Sel + I,’ meaning ‘one with fish-like eyes,’ which, in this context, refers to prostitutes. Thus, the intended meaning is: ‘If you trust them, you will be in serious trouble and not condemning all women in general.”16

This issue of interpretation is not unique to India. Even in the *Muktiveda* (the Bible), subtle changes in pronunciation or translation can drastically alter the meaning of a passage.17

The authority of scripture in Hinduism operates differently from that in Abrahamic faiths. Rejecting the inerrancy or divine authorship of scripture doesn’t necessarily make one “liberal.” Hindus often embody both orthodoxy and liberalism, maintaining strict personal devotion while accepting a broad range of theological views. If someone diverges from the orthodoxy of their tradition, they are considered heterodox, but not necessarily heretical.18

Personally, I am not disturbed by critiques of textual authenticity. I don’t believe that every word of scripture is divinely dictated. Instead, I believe that the essence or thought behind the words is divinely inspired. As a poet, I understand the feeling of inspiration. Sometimes, the words flow effortlessly, but at other times, I need to edit and refine them to communicate the message clearly. This process doesn’t diminish the inspiration; rather, it reflects the human aspect of conveying divine thoughts.

This leads me to reject the idea that scriptures are verbally inspired down to every last word, punctuation mark, or grammatical nuance. The divine essence is present, but the words are human. This view contrasts with the Islamic understanding of the Quran,19 which is believed to be the direct word of God, dictated to the Prophet by an angel without room for any human intervention. Similarly, Christians who hold to the inerrancy of scripture assert that the Bible was divinely inspired down to the smallest details.

In contrast, Hindus have a much more fluid relationship with their sacred texts. For us, the divine truths expressed in the texts are more important than the specific words used to convey them. Even if there are contradictions or later additions in the texts, this does not disturb the faith of most Hindus. Technically such contradictions were resolved by giving various explanations.20 The stories in the epics and the instructions in the scriptures carry timeless lessons that remain relevant, even if the wording has evolved over time.

When it comes to interpretation, Hinduism has a rich tradition of commentaries. Each commentator, whether from the Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, or Dvaita school, interprets the same text differently based on their philosophical standpoint. This plurality of interpretations is not seen as problematic but rather as a reflection of the complexity and depth of the scriptures. For instance, Sankara, Ramanuja, and Madhva all offer different interpretations of the Bhagavad Gita, but all are considered valid within their respective traditions.

In the Abrahamic faiths, interpretation is often more rigid. There is a tendency to believe that there is only one correct interpretation, and deviations from that are viewed with suspicion or outright rejection. This is not to say that there are no disagreements within those traditions, but the range of acceptable interpretations is often narrower.21

To summarize, the relationship between scripture and the believer in Hinduism is far more dynamic and adaptable than in the Abrahamic faiths. Hindus do not place the same emphasis on the inerrancy or literal accuracy of scripture. Instead, they focus on the underlying truths and principles that the texts convey. This flexibility allows Hinduism to evolve and adapt to changing circumstances without being constrained by rigid interpretations of its sacred texts.

This is one reason why Hinduism has survived and thrived for thousands of years. It is a tradition that respects the past but is not bound by it. Hinduism can accommodate a wide variety of beliefs and practices, making it a highly resilient and enduring spiritual tradition.

Even when we look at historical attempts to standardize and preserve Hindu texts, like the critical edition of the Mahabharata or the oral transmission of the Vedas, we see that Hindus have always valued accuracy but have also recognized the inevitability of change. The texts may have evolved, but the core message remains intact. In this sense, Hinduism embraces the paradox of change and continuity, allowing it to remain relevant while staying connected to its ancient roots.

In conclusion, while the Abrahamic faiths may view their scriptures as the unaltered and eternal Word of God, Hindus have a more nuanced relationship with their sacred texts. For us, it is not the precise wording that matters, but the eternal truths these texts express. Even as we acknowledge the human role in the transmission and interpretation of scripture, we do not see this as diminishing their divine origin. The flexibility of Hinduism in dealing with its scriptures is one of its greatest strengths, allowing it to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world.

1 Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Vedic literature is that it has been orally transmitted with little change to its contents for up to 3,000 years. This accuracy has been enabled by a system of double checking. The texts were learned at least twice: as a continuous recitation, called the samhitapatha, in which the Sanskrit rules for combining words (sandhi) operated, and as the recitation of words without the rules of euphonic combination, called the padapatha.— Flood, Gavin (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996, p. 39. Also see Appendix One

2  See: https://dayanandbharati.in/word-of-god-what-actually-is-it/

3 According to Vempeny there are three views regarding the relationship between Mbh and BG.  The traditional view is that BG is the heart of Mbh.  Those who defend this generally base their argument on the similarity of the two and much common subject matter in both BG and Mbh, viz. dharma.  `…According to Vinoba Bhave, Vyasa, the mythic author of the epic has taken out the cream of the whole Mhb and put it in BG, “Standing in the middle of the epic”, he adds, “BG is like an elevated lamp which throws its light on the whole of Mbh”‘(Thomas, P. M., Thomas, P. M.; 20th Century Indian Interpretations of Bhagavadgita: Tilak, Gandhi & Aurobindo, ISPCK,1987,p 9.  The quote from Vinoba Bhave is from Talks on the Gita, Sarva-seva-sangh Prakashan, Varanasi, 1964, p 1.)  The second view is that BG partially belongs to Mbh  According to this school of thought BG has several authors and the `…Mbh portion of BG is a very small one.'(Vempeny, op. cit., p 26.)   Adherants of the third position `…doubt or deny any substantial relationship of BG with Mbh.’—Vempeny, Ishanand, S. J., Krsna and Christ, Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, Anand, 1988, pp 27-28.)

4 ….’the Bhagavad Gita was not just looked upon as a piece of philosophical literature, it was looked upon as a powerful mantra (chant), and there are several texts available which describe in detail the process of chanting the Bhagavad Gita and the rewards for the chanting of the whole text, particular chapters, and particular verses and even just uttering the word “gita”….’— BHASA. Madhav M. Deshpande, pp. 505-530, in Sushil Mittal & and Gene Thursby, The Hindu World, New York, [2004] Reprint 2018, p. 529

5 …neither the Sages, nor Brahmaa, nor even the Lord (Brahman) himself, compose the Vedas.  The Vedas are pre-existent, their verbal order, accents, sounds, inalienably pre-established.  Ultimately the Vedas reside in the bosom of the Absolute, but they are only promulgated, not authored by Brahman, Brahmaa and the Sages in succession.  Hence the supreme Being is said to have searched them out (aaviskrtya) , while the Sages only `intuit’ (pasyanti) them.  As such the Vedas are `non-personal’ (apauruseya), eternal (nitya), and self-authenticating….— Julius Lipner, HINDUS Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, Routledge, London 1994, p.48

6.. …The seers are mantra drastas.  They had the vision of Reality; they did not attempt an interpretation….— P. Nagaraja Rao, Essentials of Hinduism, Mumbai, Sudakshina Trust, 1978 p.27

7 See Appendix One

8  There was a dark period in the history where the dhivya prabandhams were lost in time after the time of Azhwars. Eventually, it was Nathamunihal who took lots of hardships to locate Azhwar Thirunagari which is the birth place of Nammazhwar and he.– learnt all the 4000 dhivya prabandham with their meanings by the divine grace of Nammazhwar….—see more information about Dhivya Prabhandams:–see,  http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/

9 It is believed that by divine intervention Nambi (Andan Nambi, during the reign of Rajaraja Chola 1) found the presence of scripts, in the form of cadijam leaves half eaten by white ants in a chamber inside the second precinct of the Chidambaram Nataraja temple.—see, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tevaram

10  The presence of non-Brahmins in the community influenced the Shrivaishnav a discourse on society. New concepts like ubhaya Vedanta, that is, dual Vedas; the Tamil Vedas, that is, the Prabandham; and the Sankrit Vedas and prapatti were evolved, which were all inclusive. Tamil came to be emphasized along with Sanksrit…. Devotion and Dissent: The Biographical Process of Ramanuja in Shrivaishnava Tradition and History.  Ranjeeta Dutta, pp 74-97, in, Vijaya Ramaswamy, (ed.) Devotion and Dissent in Indian History, New Delhi, Foundation Books, 2014, p. 89.  Further elaborating on this Narayanan says:

…The Srivaisnava teachers emphasized the auditory and visual modes of revelation in the Sanksrit and Tamil Vedas. They also affirmed the eternity of the Tiruvaymoli, its beginningless and endless nature, which was similar to some earlier notions of the Sanskrit Veda. Thus, neither Nammalvar nor God are authors of the Tiruvaymoli; rather, the words are eternal, following a cosmic sequence and order. The words are preordained, and Nammalvar is no more the author of them than the creator god Brahma is of the Sanskrit Vedas. These notions, however, draw attention away from the humanity of Nammalvar, the exuberance of his devotion, and the passion of his search for a union with the Lord, a passion that is preserved in the drama of his salvation presented in the ritual.—Vasudha Narayanan, The Vernacular Veda: Revelation, Recitation, and Ritual, Columbia, University of South Carolina, 1994 p.137

11 Among the bronze idols unearthed recently in the Sattainathar or Thoniappar temple in Sirkazhi in Mayiladuthurai district are the copper plates with Thevaram hymns inscribed on them.

This is the first-time copper plates with Thevaram hymns are discovered in Tamil Nadu and they have proved to be a testament to stone inscriptions in the Chidambaram temple that talks about the practice of inscribing Thevaram hymns on copper plates.– https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/discovery-of-thevaram-hymns-on-copper-plates-testifies-to-ancient-inscriptions-in-chidambaram-temple/article66752215.ece

12 12,000 Annamayya songs discovered in a Hindu temple after 300 years of oblivion.—see https://musictales.club/article/12000-annamayya-songs-discovered-hindu-temple-after-300-years-oblivion

13  ‘Thus Samkara, in the interpretation of passages where the word Brahman occurs, has been faithful, only where his doctrine is not involved, and when these passages seem to affect his doctrine, he does not hesitate to change the context affecting big passages, to interpret the word as Sannyaasa, or justify an archaic test by the lame excuse of slokapuurana {old sloka}.  Ramanuja’s interpretation may not appear as altogether satisfactory; but it will have to be accepted that in certain places, Samkara agrees with him, and where they differ, Samkara’s interpretations affect the text and the context, while his do not.  The spirit of the poem therefore is better reflected in his comments than in those of Samkara.’— T.G. Mainkar, A Comparative Study of The Commentaries On The Bhagavadgita;; Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, (2nd Edi), 1969.p. 25

14 கத்துகடல் சூழ்நாகைக் காத்தான்றன் சத்திரத்தில்

அத்தமிக்கும் போதி லரிசிவரும்-குத்தி

உலையிலிட வூரடங்கு மோரகப்பை யன்னம்

இலையிலிட வெள்ளி யெழும்.- காளமேகப் புலவர்

தனிப்பாடல் திரட்டு,உரை கா. சுப்பிரமணிய பிள்ளை, சென்னை, நல்லறப் பதிப்பகம், 2007, முதல் தொகுதி, ப. 148

“In the inn of Kakan at Nagai (where free meals will be served for travelers), only in the evening rice starts to come; before cooking, the whole town will have already gone to sleep; before serving the food, it would become dawn.”

15″Is it not foolish to worship a planted stone as a god, offering it flowers and circumambulating while muttering mantras? Will that stone ever speak when the Lord is within you? How can both a pan and a spoon know the taste of a dish while using them to prepare it?”15

 நட்ட கல்லை தெய்வமென்று நாலு புட்பம் சாத்தியே

சுற்றி வந்து முணுமுணு வென்று சொல்லும் மந்திரம் ஏதடா

நட்ட கல்லும் பேசுமோ நாதன் உள்ளிருக்கையிலே

சுட்டசட்டி சட்டுவம் கரயுச்சுவை அறியுமோ—சிவவாக்கியர்,

16 ஆல கால விடத்தையும் நம்பலாம்

    ஆற்றையும் பெருங் காற்றையும் நம்பலாம்

கோல மாமத யானையை நம்பலாம்

    கொல்லும் வேங்கைப் புலியையும் நம்பலாம்

கால னார்விடு தூதரை நம்பலாம்  

    கள்ளர் வேடர் மறவரை நம்பலாம்

சேலை கட்டிய மாதரை நம்பினால் 

    தெருவில் நின்று தியங்கித் தவிப்பரே—15 Viveka Sindamani Mulamum Uraiyum, Chennai, Aruna Publications, 2015, p. 88,பாடல், 108, ப. 88

சேல் + ஐ + அகட்டிய – கண்ணால் பேசும் விலை மகளிரை

“One can trust the poison of Alakala, 

One can trust the river and the strong wind, 

One can trust the majestic elephant, 

One can trust the fierce tiger that kills, 

One can trust the messenger of Death, 

One can trust the deceitful appearance of the deceivers, 

But if one trusts a woman dressed in a sari [Selai Sel + I], 

One will only suffer, standing on the street—Song 108, p. 88

17 ‘…. Sometimes accidental mistakes were made not because words looked alike, but because they sounded alike.  This could happen, for example, when a scribe was copying a text by dictation—when one scribe would be reading from a manuscript and one or more other scribes would be copying the words into new manuscripts, as sometimes happened in scriptoria after the fourth century. If two words were pronounced the same, then the scribe doing the copying might inadvertently use the wrong one in his copy, especially if it made perfectly good (but wrong) sense.  This appears to be what hap-(p. 92)pened, for example, in Rev. 1:5, where the author prays to “the one who released us from our sins.”  The word for “release” (LUSANTI) sounds exactly like the word for “washed” (LOUSANTI), and so it is no surprise that in a number of medieval manuscripts the author prays to the one “who washed us from our sins.”’— Bart D. Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, San Francisco, Harper, 2002, pp. 92-93

18..’ …renouncers, certain monists, and some of the bhakti sects tended to be more orthodox than ortho-prax, and those movements that challenge Brahmins, the Veda, and the values of class and caste are generally called heterodox, or even heretical (pashanda or pakhanda).  The Hindu concept of heresy was thus applied to some people within the Hindu fold, though more often to Buddhists and Jains.— Wendy Doniger, The Hindus An Alternative History, New Delhi, Penguin/Viking. 2009, p. 46 and ‘…Heresy-hunting, the favourite game of many religions, is singularly absent from Hinduism.— The Hindu View of Life, Radhakrishnan, New Delhi, HarperCollins Publishers India, (1927), 1998, Fourth impression, p.24 ‘…In India, by common consent again, neither atheism: nor ‘religious schism’ was unknown.  What was unknown and remains unknown to this day is the notion of “heresy” as understood in the religious traditions of the West.  Without “truth”, there can be no heresy either.— S.N. Balagangadhara, The Heathen in His Blindness, Asia, the West and the Dynamic of Religion, New Delhi, Manohar, 2005, p.364

19 Ramachandra Guha. Gandhi Before India, New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 2014 , London, Alle Lane, 2013, p. 525

20 See Appendix Two

21 …When the pauranikas wise knew the received text disappeared, scholars were left with only the recorded text, which has become our sole text. Simply reading the recorded text in a linear order, with- out the training in performing it, scholars found a number of irresolvable contradictions@ and discontinuities, not to mention a plethora of scribal errors. But if the early scholars had actually studied the Purāņa in performance and learned how the trained performer constructed and presented a Purāņa in each performance, we would have an entirely different kind of Purana scholarship today. Instead of suspecting the panditas, the agents of transmission of this tradition from generation to generation, if the early scholars had striven to understand the nature of this text culture, a whole different way have emerged. of asking questions would have emerged.(p. 114)

…The textual activities of this culture- production, transmission, performance, and reproduction, which includes the training of the pauranikas, the principles and methods of text creation they employed, and the rules governing such activities-need to be properly understood. In the absence of such an understanding, texts collected from their original locations and stacked in the air-conditioned rooms of libraries and studied in isolation could only give a distorted picture. The Purana culture where hundreds and even thousands of paurāņikas served as silent authors without claiming individual recognition-all speaking in the voice of the revered Vyasa over such a long period of time in the history of India awaits to be properly understood.—p. 115 [Indologist, Purana, text]

Appendix One: Preserving Veda

…The language of the ancient scriptures was increasingly becoming archaic, and a large percentage of the vocabulary and grammar of the ancient language did not survive in the newer forms of  Sanskrit. Similarly, the time-gap, the migrations, and the cultural and ethnic contacts and mergers changed the pronunciation significantly, so that a number of features like the accents of the ancient language were lost in the later forms of Sanskrit.  Under such conditions, the maintenance of the form and the understanding of the ancient texts became increasingly precarious.  The beginning of such concerns is already manifest in the late Vedic texts.  We have already seen such concerns regarding origins of words and the recitation with proper accents.  By the end of the late Vedic period, we already see the beginning of some formal efforts to deal with this situation. It is manifested in the creation of multiple forms of recitation.  There was the original undivided texts of the scriptures that was handed down by the tradition orally.  This text was called Samhita, the joined unbroken form of recitation.  A new form of word-by-word (padapatha) recitation was now created, and an understanding of word combinations was developed.  This subsequently led to the development of the traditions of Sanskrit grammar, etymology, and phonetics.

Samhita: (abedefg…)

agnimilepurohitamvajnasyadevamṛtvijam… (Rg Veda 1.1.1)

Padapatha: (a/b/c/d/e/f/g/…)

agnim/ ile/  purah-hitam /yajñasya devam/rtvijam… (p. 512)

Kramapatha (ab/be/cd/de/ef/fg/….)

agnimile/ilepurohitam / purohitamyajñasya…

Jäpätha: (abbaab/bccbbc/cddccd/deedde/effeef/fggffg/…) agnimililegnimagnimile/ tlepurohitampurohitamilaiepurohitam…

Ghanapatha: (abbaabccbaabe/ bccbbcddcbbed/ cddccdeedccde/….)

ageimilailegnimagnimilepurohitampurohitamilegnimagnimilepurohitam! Ilepurohitampurohitamilailepurohitamyajnasyayajnasyapurohitamilailepurohitamyajnasya/…

The word-by-word (padapatha) version of the Vedic texts increasingly came to be viewed basic text from which the normal text of the Vedas, continuous recitation, was deemed to be constructed by applying rules of morphophonemic combinations.  By using various permutations and combinations of the words of the padapatha, numerous other versions of the Vedic texts were produced and have been kept alive in the recitational tradition till today. The recitational preservation of these various permutations and combinations was perceived to be a sure way of preserving the original Vedic text and protecting it from even the slightest change.  Even the slightest change in the original would lead to hundreds of changes in the permutations and combinations, and hence if the permutations and combinations were fixed, the original could always be restored, in case of doubt.  This way, the body of the Vedic text came to be preserved with a great degree of accuracy, especially when the tradition was passed down entirely in oral transmission.— BHASA. Madhav M. Deshpande, pp. 505-530, in Sushil Mittal & and Gene Thursby, The Hindu World, New York, [2004] Reprint 2018, op. cit. pp. 512-513

Appendix Two Resolving Contradiction

Hinduism addressed contradictions in Scripture in its own unique way.  Let me quote verbatim from Deshpandy, op. cit. :

However, Yäska represents only one side of the debate. He also refers to an opposing view, that of Kautsa. Kautsa claimed that the science of etymology as a tool for comprehending the meaning of the scriptural texts was worthless because the Vedas had no meaning at all. Kautsa claims that the words of the scriptures, unlike those of contemporary Sanskrit, were fixed in order. If the words of the cited Vedic passages were meaningful, the Brähmaņas would not have offered their explanations. The Vedic passages, if understood as meaningful utterances, often seem to be contrary to facts of experience and contradictory to each other. Therefore, it is better to accept that they are completely meaningless, and there is a suggestion that their main utility lies in their value as magical sounds and not as meaningful linguistic utterances. Thus, in the opinion of Kautsa, the scriptural texts have been reduced to nonlinguistic magical sounds. This is indeed one direction in which some later traditions deal with sacred utterances. Yäska, on the other hand, insists on the etymological efforts to find out the meaning of scriptural words. The grammarian Patanjali and the Mimämsä author Jaimini later support Yäska’s stand.  However, this debate makes certain points quite clear. The preserved ancient texts of the Vedas have become at least partially (p. 514) unintelligible due to language change. The texts are no longer considered as human- authored words but as a unitary body of words which are of some divine origin or completely uncreated and ideally should not contradict each other.—pp. 514-515

…However, there is a more conservative approach in other texts. If a smrti text is explicitly-contradicted by a known Vedic text, then the Vedic text overrides the smrti text. However, if a smrti text is neither contradicted nor supported by a known Vedic text, one assumes that there must have been a supporting Vedic text which is now lost (anumitaśruti). Thus, in theory, all smrti texts that are accepted as authoritative are supported by Vedic texts, whether attested or assumed. Such a notion of assumed Vedic texts, which are now presumed to be lost, is a legal fiction, which becomes possible because of the traditional conception of the infiniteness (ananta) of the original Vedas and the finiteness of the Vedas known to human beings….—p. 518

By the time we come to the classical philosophical systems, one more assumption is made by almost all Hindu systems, that is, that all the Vedas together form a coherent whole. The human authorship of the Vedic texts has long been rejected, and they are now perceived either as being entirely uncreated or created by god. Under the assumption that they are entirely uncreated, their innate ability to convey truthful meaning is unhampered by human limitations. Thus if all the Vedic texts convey truthful meaning, there cannot be any internal contradictions. If the Vedas are created by an omniscient god, who by his very (p.521)nature is compassionate and beyond human limitations, one reaches the same conclusion that is, there cannot be any internal contradictions. The traditional interpretation of the Vedas proceeds under these assumptions.  If one observes seeming contradictions in Vedic passages, the burden to find ways of removing those seeming contradictions is upon the interpreter. We see contradictions because of our limitations and not because of any inherent problems with the texts themselves. Such a fundamental belief led to the emergence of many sophisticated ways of explaining away the seeming contradictions found in the Vedas.—pp. 521-522

If two passages seemed contradictory, one way was to argue that one of those passages was to be taken literally, while the other one was only metaphorical. Perhaps, the two seemingly contradictory passages refer to customs followed by people in different regions or time-spans. It is sometimes pointed out that one of such passages was meant to provide only a provisional, nonfinal answer, while the other passage was meant to provide a final conclusion. After trying all possible ways of removing a seeming conflict between two statements, if one cannot find any viable solution, then, and only then, the two seemingly contradictory passages are accepted as providing an option. Such rules of textual interpretation were perfected by the ritualists and were widely accepted by the legal tradition and by the philosophers belonging to different schools of Vedanta, which tried, each in its particular way, to reconcile (samanvaya) the various scriptural texts and to construct a systematic philosophical doctrine out of otherwise seemingly discordant Vedic texts.—p. 522

Appendix Three: retrieving lost Scriptures:

 Tevaram or Thevaram indicates the initial seven volumes of the Tirumurai, a twelve volume compilation of Shaivite devotional poetry in Tamil. All of the seven volumes are devoted to the literary works of the 3 most renowned Tamil poets who belonged to the 7th century, namely, Nanacampantar (Campantar), Tirunavukkaracar(Appar) and Cuntarar (Sundarar). In Tamil, Teva means God and Aram means garland. The Tevaram is still sung in many temples of Lord Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu which is still sustained as a hereditary practice. There are a total of almost 796 songs which contains more than 8,200 stanzas. The 3 Tamil poets engaged in depicting their individual devotion to Lord Shiva, as well as involved a community of devotees with their songs. Tevaram is one of the most significant sources of Tamil Bhakti movement, which inspired and motivated the agricultural community.

History of Tevaram
During the 10th Century AD, in the reign of Rajaraja Chola I, a compilation of such songs were abandoned and later found in the Chidambaram temple. These were found with other religious literary works that were assembled by Nambi Andar Nambi. Tamil Shaivism matured during the Chola period and Tevaram was canonized along with its corpus of texts on theology, rituals and philosophy. In the Tevaram, 276 temples are venerated through the verses that are known as Paadal Petra Sthalam. There are another 276 locations that contain temples of Lord Shiva which are unceremoniously stated in the poetry. These are categorized as Vaipu Sthalam. The traditional Sanksrit devotional texts were dislocated in treatment by Nalayira Divya Prabandam for Vaishanvism and Tevaram for Shaivism. The custom of singing Tevaram poetry in temples by qualified people, known as Odhuvars, is continued in most of the prominent temples of Lord Shiva in Tamil Nadu. This traditional ritual is still followed in the present age.

There are 3 phases in the evolution of Tevaram, the initial phase is the mark of Lord Shiva as the ultimate deity during 7th century – 9th century; the second phase involved Chola kings commencing the collection of all the hymns and establishing the images of the 3 Tamil saint poets during 10th century to 11th century; and the final phase has been identified with the restructuring made by the pontiffs of the mathas (monasteries), who included the hymns into Shaiva Siddantha canon during the 13th century. The influence of the hymns was recognized with the Shaivities who identified the Tevaram as Tamil Marai which means Tamil Veda. Although there are many influences of century in Tevaram, the stringent conventions were usually not adopted. The verses in Tevaram were oriented to folk conventions, which was conveniently available to the public.– https://www.indianetzone.com/58/tevaram.htm

Among the bronze idols unearthed recently in the Sattainathar or Thoniappar temple in Sirkazhi in Mayiladuthurai district are the copper plates with Thevaram hymns inscribed on them.

This is the first-time copper plates with Thevaram hymns are discovered in Tamil Nadu and they have proved to be a testament to stone inscriptions in the Chidambaram temple that talks about the practice of inscribing Thevaram hymns on copper plates.– https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/discovery-of-thevaram-hymns-on-copper-plates-testifies-to-ancient-inscriptions-in-chidambaram-temple/article66752215.ece

• It is believed that by divine intervention Nambi (Andan Nambi, during the reign of Rajaraja Chola 1) found the presence of scripts, in the form of cadijam leaves half eaten by white ants in a chamber inside the second precinct of the Chidambaram Nataraja temple.

Tevaram

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tevaram