The recitation of compositions aloud in their bols, traditionally while keeping the tala with claps and waves. Padhant is both pedagogy and performance: students prove memory and grasp of a piece by speaking it before playing it, and Kathak dancers and tabla soloists recite compositions to the audience before rendering them.
Good padhant carries the composition's zarb — its weight and accent — not just its text. The practice also trains tongue and hands to agree; hesitation in speech reliably predicts hesitation on the drum.