Part 10 - Prayogas (performance of rituals)

Literaly prayoga means performance. It is the performance of sacrifice, the application of text to perform yajña. Prayoga is referred to have different meanings in different sources like Mīmāṃsa, Nāṭyaśāstra, Vyākaraṇa, Buddhism, Jainism etc. In Mīmāṃsa prayoga refers to “injunction of employment”.^[1] Prayoga refers to the “performance” of songs according to the Nāṭyaśāstra. The performance (prayoga) relates to divine and human beings. In Vyākaraṇa, employment or use of a word in language and literature about which, laying down rules is looked upon as the purpose of grammar (prayogamūlatvād vyākaraṇasmṛteḥ |)^[2]

Here, in the contexts of Kalpasūtras, Prayoga means practical performance of rituals. And books dealing with the practical conduct of rituals (or practical guidebooks) are also called Prayoga granthas. During the late medieval period, in each region of India, many Prayoga granthas came to be written both in Sanskrit and vernacular. There are a huge number of books on gṛhya rituals especially. These works played a pivotal role in ritualising and customizing the society during Dharmaśāstra period.