Word

Ghanapada

Sanskrit

गणपाठ

IAST

gaṇapāṭha

In General

Veda is transferred from generation to generation by aural tradition. The Rishies were very particular about protecting the Samhita, the collection of revealed mantras. Ghanapatha is a method of chanting and protecting the mantras to its original form.

Veda

The Ghanapatha is more difficult than all other. There are four types in this method. Here, the words of a mantra are chanted back and forth and there is a system of permutation and combination in the chanting.

Ghana is an advanced method of chanting Veda mantras. In Ghana recitation single syllable is recited 13 times. The pattern is

1-2, 2-1, 1-2-3, 3-2-1, 1-2-3 ।

2-3, 3-2, 2-3-4, 4-3-2, 2-3-4।

3-4, 4-3, 3-4-5, 5-4-3, 3-4-5।..... For eg. Gayatri mantra is chanted in Ghana Path in this way:

ॐ तत् सवितुस् सवितुस् तत् तत् सवितुर् वरेण्यं वरेण्यं सवितुस् तत् तत् सवितुर् वरेण्यम्।

सवितुर् वरेण्यं वरेण्यं सवितुस् सवितुर् वरेण्यं भर्गो भर्गो वरेण्यं सवितुस् सवितुर् वरेण्यं भर्गः।

वरेण्यं भर्गो भर्गो वरेण्यं वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य देवस्य भर्गो वरेण्यं वरेण्यं भर्गो देवस्य।

भर्गो देवस्य देवस्य भर्गो भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धीमहि देवस्य भर्गो भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि।

देवस्य धीमहि धीमहि देवस्य देवस्य धीमहि धीमहि इति धीमहि।

धियो यो यो धियो धियो यो नो नो यो धियो धियो यो नः।

यो नो नो यो यो नः प्रचोदयत् प्रचोदयत् नो यो यो नः प्रचोदयत्।

नः प्रचोदयत् प्रचोदयत् नो नः प्रचोदयत् प्रचोदयत् इति प्रचोदयत्॥

Thus a 24 syllable Gayatri becomes such long in this Ghana Path. It helps both in memorization and preservation of Vedas.