The Gayatravidhana sutra is one of the minor ancillary works coming under the category of Saman technical literature and as the title indicates, it deals with the rules relating to the chant of Gayatra-saman, a saman based on gayatra metre. It treats the svaras, stobhas, matras and vocalic changes of each bhakti of Gayatrasaman and the manner of its recitation. The Tandya Brahmana, Latyayana Shrauta Stutra and such other major works in saman literature do deal with these aspects of a saman to a great extent, though in a general way, but these works have left out the minute study of some of the minor yet important topics relating to samagana. The commentator, therefore. first questioning the propriety of writing a special treatise for Gayatra-saman alone, concludes his arguement stating that since neither the Tandya Brahmana, which only refers to the Gayatrasaman and says that it should be sung in three-fold, इमे वं लोका गायत्रम् । व्यावृद्गेम् । (Tbr. 7. 1. 1), nor the laksanagranthas give any details that this most important saman chant warrants, a supplementary work, a parishesa as it is called, for dealing with Gayatra-saman in detail has become necessary. He calls this particular work उभवशेष i.e., an appendix to both, the Sama-Brahmanas and the laksana-granthas, since this gana has been described to some extent, though not in detail, in both categories of works.
The ten stutras, viz., Kalpa-, Ksudra, Latyayana-shrauta-, Upagrantha-, Pancavidha, Nidana, Tandyalaksana-, Anupada-, Anustotra and Kalpanupada- of the Samaveda which may be collectively called Samashrauta sutras, treat the subjects relating to shrauta ceremonies, and the metres, bhaktis, gatis, stobhas ete,, relating to saman chants. Yet these works which are mutually dependent, have left out many of the minor topics unexplained or not fully explained. Hence, in course of time, many appendices were added to the saman technical literature in order to make it a comprehensive and complete unit dealing with all aspects of shrauta ceremonies where saman are chanted and of saman techni calities relating to saman chants which are not only highly technical but also complicated in nature. While the sutras such as Arseya Kalpa, Arseya Ksudra Kalpa & c., prescribe the names of samans to be sung in different sacrifices and relevent shrauta ceremonies the sutras such as Pancavidha, Pratihara & c., are mainly concerned with saman chants, their bhaktis, tones etc. Since the sama-gana happened to be the most difficult and complicated Vedic chant with its complexities which are to be accurately recited in its entirety by respective chandoga priests in stages part by part strictly according to the precepts laid down by the authorities, many ancillary works were required to be written for proper guidance of chandogas so that no student of the Samaveda should deviate from the recognised mode of chanting of the saman melodies. The Gayatra-vidhana is just one of such works and figures among the fifty two theological, theoritical and technical treatises, major and minor, in saman literature. Though these works are, to a very great exent, mutually dependent yet some of them, particulary the minor works, it may be said, serve as explanatory notes in detail on some of the topics already discussed or referred to and these minor treatises are collectively called Chandoga-parishisța in saman technical literature.
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