Son's annual veda pariksha ended yesterday. He secured 98% in the exam. few things on what veda pariksha are about. Typically adhyayana of the taitireeya shaakha of krishna yajur veda (to complete till krama) can take anywhere from 7 to 9 yrs +
During these years the student gives a veda pariksha on the completed portion every year. Exam is to test how well the student has memorized the portions. Well, its not blind memorization as there are many finer aspects to keep in mind while doing it +
There will be many lines that repeat and the student has to be aware of what he is saying and pick the correct next line. The examiner will say a complete line in case of the brahmana pariksha and few starting padas in the case of samhitaa parisksha. Student has to finish +
the rest of it without making svara/ucchhaarana or getting deflected to a different part of the text. Marks are awarded based on that. It requires alertness on the part of the student as he is expected to start immediately after the question is posed
Once the student completes the adhyayana, he is supposed to give a poorti pariksha which involves everything he has learnt from day 1 to the final day. This is drastically different from the modern education exam where we are tested based on that final class syllabus
These exams have been going on for many many years and many students/teachers prepare diligently for it. Given the zero support from the society or the govt, these efforts are laudable as it is only aimed at proficiency of veda without expecting anything in return
