The Vedas are intended to serve a different purpose. They have to be learnt by heart, understanding the correct way of pronouncing the mantras by listening to the rendering of the mantras by the guru (teacher). The Veda mantras so learnt should become the guide in our daily life, in our Karmaanushtaana, Tapas, Isvara aaradhana, etc. If, in India, the Vedas retain their original vitality even today, it is because these hyms are being continuously repeated by students and teachers of the Vedas, and the purity of the sounds and accents of the words are retained in that process. It is only by practising the Vedic injunctions that we can obtain the grace of God, both for our individual welfare and for the welfare of the whole world. That is why the mere preservation of the Vedas in well-bound volumes cannot secure us the benefits for which they are intended.
Veda adhyayana, without knowing the meaning thereof is like preserving the body without the soul.
Veda Mantraas uttered with a knowledge of their meaning will lead to Paapa-parihara(expiation of sins), and Arishtasaanti(liquidation of evil), and pave the way to Brahma-saakshaathkaara(God realisation).
The Vedas are the roots of our religion. All other Paraphernalia, like feast and festivals, are like the leaves and fruits of that tree, depending for their sustenance on the Vedic roots. Though imbedded in mud, the internal core of the roots is as fresh and fragnant as the fruits and flowers on the top. It is no use feeling gratified that the Vedas have been written down, printed and published by Western Scholars. To us, Veda adhyayana and their employment in the sacraments of our daily life are important. For that purpose it is necessary to learn them by heart, understand their meaning, and recite them in the prescribed manner.