Shiksha

(“learning”) One of the six Vedangas.
These were the supplemental branches of knowledge connected with the
Vedas, the oldest Hindu religious
texts, and all the Vedangas were associated with the use of the Vedas.
Shiksha was concerned with articulation, proper pronunciation, and the
laws of euphonic combination (sandhi), that is, sounds combined in a certain way to have a pleasant effect.
Although this may sound trivial, it
was a central concern in the cult of
sacrifice laid out in the Brahmana
literature. This was because the
power of these sacrifices was believed
to depend on the proper delivery of
the Vedic mantras, with any mistake
being potentially ruinous. Aside from
shiksha, the other Vedangas are vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar), chandas
(Sanskrit prosody), kalpa (ritual
instructions), nirukta (etymology),
and jyotisha (favorable times for
sacrifices).
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Shiksha