Pravachana

Pravacana () is a term for any exposition of a doctrine or treatise, or to the recitation of a scripture or text in Jainism and Hinduism traditions.Monier Monier Williams
Sanskrit English Dictionary with Etymology
Oxford University Press, page 690 It particularly refers to the tradition of ''Pravacanakara'' (monks, scholars or saints) presenting their teachings or explanations of spiritual ideas before a gathering of householders or general public in the Indian traditions. ''Pravacana'' is an ancient tradition, whose earliest mentions are found in the Vedic texts but one that is also found in post-Vedic Shastra and Sutra texts of Hindus and Jains.

Buddhism

''Pravacana'' refers to ninefold dhamma in Buddhist texts, and its recitation. It was adopted from the Vedic tradition, and sometimes referred to as Pavachan.

Hinduism

''Pravacana'' (Sanskrit: प्रवचन) refers to "exposition, expounding, reciting, orally explaining, speaking or talking" about a spiritual idea or doctrine or treatise in Hinduism, particularly eloquently or excellent expression. The term is found with this sense of meaning in the ''Rigveda'' verses 10.35.8 and 4.36.1, in the sense of recitation of Vedic texts in the ''Yajurveda'', in various Brahmanas, Gryhasutras, the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata'', various sutras, as well as the Puranic literature such as the ''Bhagavata Purana''. The term typically refers to discourse, verbal discussion or a recital, but also refers to a textual genre of Indian literature that study a doctrine across texts, propound or synthesize ideas. A speaker is called ''Pravacanakara''.

According to Rangaswami, while ''pravacana'' is teaching or recital of scriptures, it can also refer to self-recital of a text. The tradition has remained popular in contemporary times, but regionally spelled differently. For example, in Kerala, a ''pravacana'' is spelled ''pathakam'', and generally refers to spiritual and moral-filled folklore recital such as Purana-pravacana, according to Raghavan.

Jainism

The word ''pravachan'' is widely used by Jains. In Jainism, the word ''śrāvaka'' is used for the householders. The word has its roots in the word ''śrāvana'', i.e. the one who listens (the discourses of the saints).

The ''pravachan'' by Jain saints could be on Jain principles or Jain scriptures (''Shastra Pravachan'').

During the four-month rainy-season period, when the mendicants must stay in one place, the chief ''sadhu'' of every group gives a daily sermon (''pravacana'', ''vyakhyana''), attended mostly by women and older, retired men, but on special days by most of the lay congregation. During their eight months of travel, the ''sadhus'' give sermons whenever requested, most often when they come to a new village or town in their travels.

Some Jain texts use the term ''Pravacana'' in their title, such as the '' Pravacana-sara'' by Kunda-kunda.H. W. Bailey (1937)
Review: The Pravacana-sāra of Kunda-kunda Ācārya. Vol. I. by Barend Faddegon
Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, Cambridge University Press,
Vol. 9, No. 1 (1937), p. 228

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References

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Hindu texts
Hindu traditions
Jain traditions
Sanskrit words and phrases