2. Verbal Tradition
Verbal tradition or verbal culture refers to a tradition or culture in which human knowledge is passed down from one generation to the next through spoken word. Verbal tradition has played a significant role in the development of Indian culture.
Verbal tradition traditionally passes down knowledge, science, culture, daily life, art, and literature from generation to generation, not in written form, but it is established in the common people and society as verbal or folklore. It cannot be attributed to the knowledge of any one person or the credit of any one person, but is based on the entire social structure.
If any literature in Indian literature is considered to be the most ancient or a model of ideal literature, then the Vedas are considered. The Vedas are called Shruti granthas. Shruti means to hear. The compilation and writing of the Vedas were done much later, but our Vedas and other literature were preserved verbally in the guru- disciple tradition.
2.1 Examples of Verbal Tradition
Many different styles are included in the verbal tradition. Verbal tradition can be called a type of literature. Verbal tradition includes poems, songs, stories, stories, prayers, plays, lullabies, proverbs, riddles, hymns, kirtans, folk tales, aphorisms, stories, ballads, etc. which are based on the people's own experiences, thoughts, feelings, culture, beliefs, environment, customs and traditions.
Verbal tradition has always been a link between one generation and the next. Even if it is not written to guide and guide the new generation, it has played an important role in keeping it alive for years.
Nalanda University is a glowing example before us. Bakhtiyar Khilji burnt down nearly 90 lakh books in Nalanda University, yet it is said that knowledge has no fear of being stolen or lost. Accordingly, for years,
external invasions were made to destroy Indian culture, books were destroyed, inscriptions were destroyed, but even today it is preserved due to the verbal tradition, the spoken tradition and the guru-disciple tradition.
In Indian culture, we find a description of 64 arts. Today, the knowledge of these arts is not fully available to us in written form. Art is something that is learned through experience and by the guru or by family tradition. The knowledge of these 16 arts of the verbal tradition can be called a prime example of which the father teaches the son or the grandmother or mother teaches her daughter or daughter-in-law, which continues to progress in the same form for years to come.
Thus, we will find many such examples in Indian culture that come under verbal traditions. 16 customs are found in every family and every place in India, but the small traditional beliefs or customs in this custom are different.
The diversity that exists in the dishes that are made, the clothes that are worn, and the songs that are sung to enrich these 16 customs is an example of the verbal tradition. We often hear many sayings or proverbs, by listening to which we understand a lot or understand what the other person wants to say. The reason behind this is experience and verbal tradition. For example, there is a saying that - "Distant mountains are like a mirage".
Now this proverb must be very old and we do not have any proof of who wrote it or where it is written. But this one sentence explains a lot that you cannot fully trust what you see from a distance, because the mountains that look beautiful from a distance can be very adverse if you go and see them. It is meant to say that one should not be tempted or trust something just by looking at it from a distance, but such a big thing is expressed in a few words, then we understand this thing in a few words. So somewhere behind this, our ancestors have given us this knowledge through experience and verbal tradition.
Even today, the influence of verbal tradition can be seen in many aspects of Indian life. Folk songs, folk tales, and proverbs are all repositories of knowledge and wisdom that have been passed down through generations. These traditions provide a valuable link to our past and help to keep our culture alive.
We often hear many proverbs or sayings that allow us to understand a lot or understand what the other person is trying to say. The reason behind this is experience and verbal tradition. For example, there is a proverb that says: "Distant mountains are beautiful." Now, this proverb must be many years old, and we do not have any evidence of who wrote it or where it was written. But this one sentence explains a lot that you cannot fully trust what you see from a distance, because the mountains that look beautiful from a distance can be very inhospitable up close. It is basically to say that you should not be tempted or believe in something just by looking at it from a distance, but proverbs are used to explain such a big thing in a few words, so we can understand this thing in a few words. Somewhere or other, there are words used in our family and the emotional knowledge or thought contained in them can be said to be important.
Often, we feel that our elders are uneducated, that they have no knowledge. They have never studied, they are illiterate. But the scolding they give us tells us a lot. 'Open the tap slowly, someone will come to fetch water. Don't let the food go down the drain, or else the drain will get clogged. Don't eat lying down, or else you will become a crocodile.' We hear many such sayings in our daily lives, but the culture or concern for the environment or deep experience behind them is easily understood by us.
In this way, verbal tradition is not bookish knowledge or limited knowledge or knowledge for a limited time. It is a mythological knowledge, yet it is a knowledge that progresses further and further according to the times and circumstances. It is easily passed on. Ramayana and Bhagavata stories are still organized today. The reason behind this is the verbal tradition, when books are available in every language, because even though there is knowledge in a book, some things said by some people have an impact and that impact plays an important role in bringing about change in society, thoughts and cultures. It is the same sentence, but it also depends on the way it is said and the person who says it, and that is why verbal tradition is so effective. And it is still influential in the modern age.
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