Use of printed books is the only visible technological advance in what is otherwise an unbroken lineage of oral recitation going back at least thirty five thousand years. More far-reaching changes in the social context that frames such recitation, however, have significantly impacted vedic study in less immediately visible ways. The boys who attend today’s Brahmin schools to memorize veda come from communities radically transformed by modern developments. Such developments have altered the hopes and expectations of Brahmin elders , who respond to the very different careers now available, and in turn significantly changed the study settings to which elders send their children. In addition, the changed relations between Brahmin and non-Brahmin communities in modern India, especially those served by today’s secular government school system, have radically altered the way boys at traditional vedic schools approach their studies.

a. Family & Community