BHAGWAD GITA
The Bhagwad Gita is the most revered spiritual text for Bharat. It was recited by Krishna to Arjuna just before the great Indian war "Mahabharata Yuddha." Just before the war, Arjuna the greatest archer, requested Krishna, to drive his chariot amidst both the warring parties, so that Arjuna could have a look at both the side and to make up his mind and to know with whom he had to fight.When Krishna did so, Arjuna saw his own brethren, elders and teachers and he thought it to be meaningless to fight and kill them.
On that, Lord Krishna convinced him that the fight in the war was the only alternative. This argument of lord Krishna is compiled as the "Gita". It is described as though the Upanishads are like cows and the lord Krishna is milking them for the benefit of Arjuna.
It consists of eighteen chapters or Adhyayas and about seven hundred shlokas. The adhyayas include Samkhya Yoga, Karma Yoga, Gyan karm sanyas Yoga, Sanyas Yoga, Dhyan Yoga, etc. Hence it is regarded by almost all sections of the hindus as the most sacred work and large number of commentaries have been written on it by the adherents of different schools of thought, each of which explained the Gita in its own favor.
Geeta, though part of Epic Mahabharata, is believed to be written about 200 years BC in the compiled form. It is claimedto have some interpolations. Shankaracharya's commentory "Shankar Bhashya" is probably the earliest commentary available so far.He maintains that all duties hold good for us only in
the stage of ignorance and not in the stage of wisdom. When once the right knowledege of identity with brahman dawns and ignorance ceases, all notions of duality which are presupposed by performance of actions and responsibility of them cease.
Anandajnana wrote a commentary on the Gita bhashya called 'Bhagavad-Gita bhashya-vivaran', and Ramananda wrote it as Bhagavad-Gita-bhashya vyakhya. One Yamunacharya has written prose paraphrase of Gita verse. He was vishisthadvaita vadin. Another Yamunacharya in tenth century , teacher of Ramanuja, summarized Gita as Gitartha-sangraha. Nigamanta Mahadesika wrote Gitaartha-samgraha-raksha. In fourteenth century Varavara Muni wrote Gitartha samgraha- dipika.
Ramanuja in eleventh century wrote a commentary on vishisthadvaita lines. Venkatacharya or Vedantacharya wrote subcommentary to it called Tatparya chandrika. Madhvacharya or Anandatirtha in thirteenth century wrote Gita Bhashya which was further commented by Jayatirth in his Prameya-dipika.
Other major commentaries includes Gitavriti, Gitartha-sangraha and Gitartha-vivarana by Raghavendrasvami and Sudhindrea Yati in seventeenth century Kesava Bhatta of Nimbarka school gave Gitatattva prakashika.
Gita bhushanabhasya by Baladeva Vidyabhushama, from Shaiva point of view, Rajanak and Ramakantha wrote Sarvato Bhadra. The most recent commentary advocating not to give up the duty was written by patriotic leader Lokmanya Tilak while imprisoned at Mandalay by British Government early in the 20th century.
SAMA VEDAM
The Samaveda-samhita has been highly extolled in our holy books. However, it is not considered as an independent work. 'Saa' means rik, a mantra of the Rigveda. 'Ama' means various kinds of musical notes. Hence a 'saaman' is a mantra of the Rigveda-samhita set to music. All such mantras of the Rigveda which are useful to the udgaatr-priest, have been brought together in this work.
Though it is said to have 1,000 saakhaas, only three are available now: Kauthuma, Raanaayaniya and Jaiminiyaa.
This Veda is divided into two parts: Aarchikaa and Uttaraarchikaa. The former contains 585 mantras and the latter 964, making a total 1,549. Out of these, except 75 mantras, the rest are taken from the Rigveda-samhitaa. As many as 272 mantras have been repeated twice. If these repetitions are also taken into account, then the number of mantras becomes 1,821. Another recension puts it at 1,875.
Unlike the mantras of the other three Vedas, the mantras of the Saamaveda, known simply as saamans, have seven svaras or musical scales, identical with the seven scales of classical music. It can thus be inferred that the origin of Indian classical music lies in the Samaveda.
There are several varieties of singing the saamans and they are given special names like Rathantara-saama, Brihat-saama and so on. It is a difficult art to learn and needs expert guidance.
Nine Braahmanas are attached to this Veda. Taandya-mahaa-brahmana is the biggest and the most important of them.
Only one Aaranyaka of this Veda is available now:Talavakaara or Jaiminiya Aaranyaka.Two well-known Upanishads, the Chaandogya and the Kena [also called Talavakaaropanishad] are also attached to the Saamaveda.
REFERENCE OF THEATHARVA VEDA
The Atharva-veda-samhitaa has some special features because of which it stands apart from the other three Vedas, specially form the Rigveda-samhitaa. It deals more with the things here and now, than the hereafter, and with the sacrifices which are a means to them.
Major part of this Veda is concerned with diseases and their cure, rites for prolonging life, rites for fulfilling one's desires, building construction, trade and commerce, statecraft, penances and propitiatory rites, as also black magic, though high philosophical ideas much nearer to those of the Upanisads are also found.
Even the literary style is more sophisticated. Hence some scholars believe that this work is chronologically of a later origin and was admitted into the comity of Vedic literature at a later date.
From the ancient times, nine saakhaas of this Veda are known to have existed, but only two are extant: Pippalaada and Saunaka. It is only the latter that is available in a complete form.
The Atharva-veda-samhitaa is divided into 4 prapaathakas or books, comprising 20 kaandas or chapters. Each kaanda is again subdivided into suktas or hymns, and the suktas into mantras. There are 6,077 mantras, in 736 suktas spread over 20 kaandas in 4 prapaathakas. The last kaanda, i.e., the 20th, has borrowed heavily from the Rigveda-samhita.
This Veda designates God the Absolute not only as Brahman but also by some interesting names like Skambha, Ucchista and Vraatya which are peculiar only to it. The whole universe has emerged out of Him due to His will and is established in Him. He is the Lord of the whole creation.
The sun, called Rohit(the 'Red One') is a symbol of His power. And He is the indwelling spirit of human beings also. Those who realize this, go beyond all fear. This Veda also refers to heaven and hell, as also virtue and sin. The qualities like satya (truth), diksaa (discipline) and tapas (austerity) that help man to attain perfection are also mentioned.
This work gives us an interesting picture of the society of its times. The land in which the people lived, extended from Gaandhaara (Afghanistan) to Magadha (Bihar) and Vanga (Bengal). The varna system had been well-established. The first three varnas were powerful. Trade and commerce were prosperous though agriculture was the mainstay of the people.
Sometimes the braahmanas were harassed by the powerful kshatriya kings. The cow was highly venerated and godaana (gift of a cow) was considered meritorious. The institution of marriage was similar to that in the Rigvedic times.
No Aaranyaka of the Atharva-veda has come to light so far. Only one Braahamana, the Gopatha-braahmana, has been discovered. The three well-known Upanisads-the Prasna, the Mundaka and the Maandukya-belong to this Veda.
Major part of this Veda is concerned with diseases and their cure, rites for prolonging life, rites for fulfilling one's desires, building construction, trade and commerce, statecraft, penances and propitiatory rites, as also black magic, though high philosophical ideas much nearer to those of the Upanisads are also found.
Even the literary style is more sophisticated. Hence some scholars believe that this work is chronologically of a later origin and was admitted into the comity of Vedic literature at a later date.
From the ancient times, nine saakhaas of this Veda are known to have existed, but only two are extant: Pippalaada and Saunaka. It is only the latter that is available in a complete form.
The Atharva-veda-samhitaa is divided into 4 prapaathakas or books, comprising 20 kaandas or chapters. Each kaanda is again subdivided into suktas or hymns, and the suktas into mantras. There are 6,077 mantras, in 736 suktas spread over 20 kaandas in 4 prapaathakas. The last kaanda, i.e., the 20th, has borrowed heavily from the Rigveda-samhita.
This Veda designates God the Absolute not only as Brahman but also by some interesting names like Skambha, Ucchista and Vraatya which are peculiar only to it. The whole universe has emerged out of Him due to His will and is established in Him. He is the Lord of the whole creation.
The sun, called Rohit(the 'Red One') is a symbol of His power. And He is the indwelling spirit of human beings also. Those who realize this, go beyond all fear. This Veda also refers to heaven and hell, as also virtue and sin. The qualities like satya (truth), diksaa (discipline) and tapas (austerity) that help man to attain perfection are also mentioned.
This work gives us an interesting picture of the society of its times. The land in which the people lived, extended from Gaandhaara (Afghanistan) to Magadha (Bihar) and Vanga (Bengal). The varna system had been well-established. The first three varnas were powerful. Trade and commerce were prosperous though agriculture was the mainstay of the people.
Sometimes the braahmanas were harassed by the powerful kshatriya kings. The cow was highly venerated and godaana (gift of a cow) was considered meritorious. The institution of marriage was similar to that in the Rigvedic times.
No Aaranyaka of the Atharva-veda has come to light so far. Only one Braahamana, the Gopatha-braahmana, has been discovered. The three well-known Upanisads-the Prasna, the Mundaka and the Maandukya-belong to this Veda.
YAJUR VEDAM
.The Yajurveda-samhitaa is in two major forms the Krishna and the Shukla, meaning the Black and the White. It is rather difficult to explain why these two major branches got these names. Though a Samhitaa [and hence should have been purely in poetry] the former is a mixture of prose and poetry and hence not pure.
So, it has been called Krishna, the Black one. In contrast, the latter being entirely in poetry, is Shukla, the White one. This is the first explanation. Being more ancient, the former is rather difficult to comprehend and so is Krishna or Black. The latter is of more recent origin and hence easier to grasp. So it is Shukla, the White one. This is the second explanation.
Though the Krishna-Yajurveda-samhita is reputed to have had 85 saakhaas or recensions, only four are available now:
a. Taittiriya;
b. Maitraayaniya;
c. Katha;
d. Kapisthala.
The Taittiriya-samhitaa which is widely prevalent in South India, has 7 kaandas or books, 44 prapaathakas or chapters,and 651 anuvaakas or mantras. It deals mainly with the detailed descriptions of sacrifices like Paurodaasa, Yaajamaana, Vaajapeya, Raajasuya, Darsapurnamaasa and Somayaagas.
The other three saakhaas are not so well-known though they too deal with similar sacrifices. The last of these, the Kapisthala, as available now, seems to be incomplete.Associated with the Taittiriya-samhitaa are the Taittiriya-braahmana, Taittiriya-aranyaka and the Taittiriya-upanisad. The well-known Kathopanisad also belongs to the Krishna-Yajurveda, but to the Katha recension.
The Sukla-Yajurveda-samhitaa, also known as the Vaajasaneyi-samhitaa, is said to have been collected and edited by the famous sage Yajnavalkya. It is entirely in verse and resembles the Rigveda-samhitaa in form. However, three are no suktas in this. Though 17 shakhas of this Samhitaa are said to have existed, only two-the Kaanva and the Maadhyandina-are available now.
The former, more prevalent in the South, has 40 adhyaayas or chapters, 328 anuvaakas or sections, and 2,086 mantras. The latter, more common in the North, has 40 adhyaayas, 328 anuvaakas, and 1,975 mantras.
Like the Taittiriya-samhitaa, this Samhitaa also deals mainly with sacrifices like Agnistoma, Vaajapeya and Raajasuya.The Satapatha-brahmana, the biggest of the Braahmanas, and the Brhad-aranyaka are the Braahmana and the Aaranyaka attached to the Shukla-Yajurveda. Ishaavaasyopanisad and Brahadaaranyakopanisad are the Upanisads of this Veda.
So, it has been called Krishna, the Black one. In contrast, the latter being entirely in poetry, is Shukla, the White one. This is the first explanation. Being more ancient, the former is rather difficult to comprehend and so is Krishna or Black. The latter is of more recent origin and hence easier to grasp. So it is Shukla, the White one. This is the second explanation.
Though the Krishna-Yajurveda-samhita is reputed to have had 85 saakhaas or recensions, only four are available now:
a. Taittiriya;
b. Maitraayaniya;
c. Katha;
d. Kapisthala.
The Taittiriya-samhitaa which is widely prevalent in South India, has 7 kaandas or books, 44 prapaathakas or chapters,and 651 anuvaakas or mantras. It deals mainly with the detailed descriptions of sacrifices like Paurodaasa, Yaajamaana, Vaajapeya, Raajasuya, Darsapurnamaasa and Somayaagas.
The other three saakhaas are not so well-known though they too deal with similar sacrifices. The last of these, the Kapisthala, as available now, seems to be incomplete.Associated with the Taittiriya-samhitaa are the Taittiriya-braahmana, Taittiriya-aranyaka and the Taittiriya-upanisad. The well-known Kathopanisad also belongs to the Krishna-Yajurveda, but to the Katha recension.
The Sukla-Yajurveda-samhitaa, also known as the Vaajasaneyi-samhitaa, is said to have been collected and edited by the famous sage Yajnavalkya. It is entirely in verse and resembles the Rigveda-samhitaa in form. However, three are no suktas in this. Though 17 shakhas of this Samhitaa are said to have existed, only two-the Kaanva and the Maadhyandina-are available now.
The former, more prevalent in the South, has 40 adhyaayas or chapters, 328 anuvaakas or sections, and 2,086 mantras. The latter, more common in the North, has 40 adhyaayas, 328 anuvaakas, and 1,975 mantras.
Like the Taittiriya-samhitaa, this Samhitaa also deals mainly with sacrifices like Agnistoma, Vaajapeya and Raajasuya.The Satapatha-brahmana, the biggest of the Braahmanas, and the Brhad-aranyaka are the Braahmana and the Aaranyaka attached to the Shukla-Yajurveda. Ishaavaasyopanisad and Brahadaaranyakopanisad are the Upanisads of this Veda.
RIGVEDAM
The Rigveda-Samhitaa is the oldest and has a pre-eminent place in the Vedic literature. It is a collection of suktaas or hymns revealed to various rishis or sages at different periods of time. Consequently we can notice a variety of styles of language, grammar, ideas as also historical and cultural factors.
Though it is said to have had 21 Saakhaas, only five are known to be extant:Saakala, Baaskala, Asvalaayana, Saankhaayana and Maandukeya.
Since ancient days, two methods of dividing this Veda are in vogue. In the first, it is divided into eight astakas. Each astaka is again subdivided into vargas, containing mantras. This mode of division has been done obviously with a view to facilitating memorization, since the number of vargas in each astaka and the mantras in each varga are more or less the same. A total of 10,552 mantras are spread over 2,024 vargas, included in the 64 adhyaayas of the 8 astakas.
In the second method, the whole Samhitaa has been divided into ten mandalas. The mandalas are subdivided into anuvaakas, the anuvaakas into suktas and the suktas into mantras. The number of anuvaakas is 85, that of the suktaas 1,028, the total numbers of mantras being, of course, the same.
The latter method seems to be the more ancient one and has universal approval among the modern Vedic scholars.
There seems to be some method and order in the arrangement of the suktas into the ten mandalas. The six mandalas (two to seven) contain suktas revealed to the rishis of the same generic group (vamsa). For instance, if the seers of the suktas in the second mandala belong to the lineage of Gritasamada, those in the third belong to the descendants of Visvaamitra and so on.
The first and the eighth mandalas contain respectively the suktas of Satarcins and Pragaathas. The suktas of the ninth mandala are all in praise of a single deity-Some Pavamaana-and are classified according to their metres. The last, the tenth mandala, is a miscellany of suktas inclined more towards metaphysical subjects.
The topics death with in the Rigveda-samhitaa fall roughly into three groups. The first group deals with the deities like Agni, Indra, Varuna, and others. The second group is concerned with philosophical speculations like the origin of the universe and the real nature of human beings. The third group deals with several secular subjects like marriage, wars of kings, eulogy of generosity and so on.
The Vedic deities are usually enumerated as 33-8 Vasus, 11 Rudras, 12 Adityas, Indra and Prajaapati. These deities are assigned to the three regions of the earth (prithvi), heavens (dyaus) and the intermediary space (antariksa). Though they appear like personifications of forces of nature, they are all actually facets of Brahman, the Supreme Truth.
The mantra in which the well-known statement, ekam sat,
vipraah bahudhaa vadanti ['Truth is one' sages call It by various names.'] (1.164.46) occurs, is proof enough of this fact. However, it may be noted that Indra, Agni, Varuna and Mitra have been given the pride of place in the hymns.
Coming to the philosophical speculations of this Veda, we find it is the origin and repository of almost all the later ideas of Vedant including jnaana (knowledge) and bhakti (devotion), though some of them are in a seed form. This forces us to concede that it is not a book of laudatory hymns only as some try to make it out.
As already pointed out above, it teaches eka-devata-vaada or monotheism and not polytheism, as is often mistakenly assumed. However, advocacy of sagunopaasanaa (worship of God with form and qualities) is predominant.
God creates this world out of Himself and rules over it is omnipresent omniscient and omnipotent He is ever perfect ( But He is infinitely compassionate ( easily approachable by the devotees He is our dearest friend and grants us immortality
As regards the actual process of creation, we find two streams of thought, creation and evolution, both of which have been found in the later Vedantic literature.
Though the existence of the soul as an eternal entity is accepted and amrutatva or immortality is prayed for, the life here and now is not relegated to the background. Life here and life hereafter have been nicely harmonized.
From the group of suktas dealing with the secular side of life, we can get an inkling into the nature of the society of those times. Social life was permeated by spiritual consciousness. But people strongly believed in samnavaya or harmonizing the life of this world with the one in the next. Satya (truth) and Dharma (righteousness) are extolled and Amartatva (immortality) as the goal of life accepted.
Varna system had already taken roots. Monogamy, polygamy and svayamvara system (that of a bride choosing her husband)-all existed side by side. Agriculture and animal husbandry were the chief means of livelihood. Civilization was well-developed and fine arts encouraged. Priests and kings were powerful. System of sacrifices had evolved to a high degree of perfection.
Hindu tradition strongly advocates a knowledge of the rishi, the devata and the chhandas of any mantra before using it in the religious rites. Then only will it be effective. Rishi is the sage to whom the mantra was revealed; devataa is the deity to whom the mantra is addressed; and chhandas is the metre in which it is composed. According to once calculation the number of rishis exceeds 800 whereas the number of chandas is 19 including the minior variations.
The Braahmanas, Aaranyakas and the Upanisads of this Veda are:
1. Aitareya and Kausitaki Braahmanas;
2. Aitareya and Saakhaayana Aaranyakas; and,
3. Aitareya and Kausitaki Upanishads.
Though it is said to have had 21 Saakhaas, only five are known to be extant:Saakala, Baaskala, Asvalaayana, Saankhaayana and Maandukeya.
Since ancient days, two methods of dividing this Veda are in vogue. In the first, it is divided into eight astakas. Each astaka is again subdivided into vargas, containing mantras. This mode of division has been done obviously with a view to facilitating memorization, since the number of vargas in each astaka and the mantras in each varga are more or less the same. A total of 10,552 mantras are spread over 2,024 vargas, included in the 64 adhyaayas of the 8 astakas.
In the second method, the whole Samhitaa has been divided into ten mandalas. The mandalas are subdivided into anuvaakas, the anuvaakas into suktas and the suktas into mantras. The number of anuvaakas is 85, that of the suktaas 1,028, the total numbers of mantras being, of course, the same.
The latter method seems to be the more ancient one and has universal approval among the modern Vedic scholars.
There seems to be some method and order in the arrangement of the suktas into the ten mandalas. The six mandalas (two to seven) contain suktas revealed to the rishis of the same generic group (vamsa). For instance, if the seers of the suktas in the second mandala belong to the lineage of Gritasamada, those in the third belong to the descendants of Visvaamitra and so on.
The first and the eighth mandalas contain respectively the suktas of Satarcins and Pragaathas. The suktas of the ninth mandala are all in praise of a single deity-Some Pavamaana-and are classified according to their metres. The last, the tenth mandala, is a miscellany of suktas inclined more towards metaphysical subjects.
The topics death with in the Rigveda-samhitaa fall roughly into three groups. The first group deals with the deities like Agni, Indra, Varuna, and others. The second group is concerned with philosophical speculations like the origin of the universe and the real nature of human beings. The third group deals with several secular subjects like marriage, wars of kings, eulogy of generosity and so on.
The Vedic deities are usually enumerated as 33-8 Vasus, 11 Rudras, 12 Adityas, Indra and Prajaapati. These deities are assigned to the three regions of the earth (prithvi), heavens (dyaus) and the intermediary space (antariksa). Though they appear like personifications of forces of nature, they are all actually facets of Brahman, the Supreme Truth.
The mantra in which the well-known statement, ekam sat,
vipraah bahudhaa vadanti ['Truth is one' sages call It by various names.'] (1.164.46) occurs, is proof enough of this fact. However, it may be noted that Indra, Agni, Varuna and Mitra have been given the pride of place in the hymns.
Coming to the philosophical speculations of this Veda, we find it is the origin and repository of almost all the later ideas of Vedant including jnaana (knowledge) and bhakti (devotion), though some of them are in a seed form. This forces us to concede that it is not a book of laudatory hymns only as some try to make it out.
As already pointed out above, it teaches eka-devata-vaada or monotheism and not polytheism, as is often mistakenly assumed. However, advocacy of sagunopaasanaa (worship of God with form and qualities) is predominant.
God creates this world out of Himself and rules over it is omnipresent omniscient and omnipotent He is ever perfect ( But He is infinitely compassionate ( easily approachable by the devotees He is our dearest friend and grants us immortality
As regards the actual process of creation, we find two streams of thought, creation and evolution, both of which have been found in the later Vedantic literature.
Though the existence of the soul as an eternal entity is accepted and amrutatva or immortality is prayed for, the life here and now is not relegated to the background. Life here and life hereafter have been nicely harmonized.
From the group of suktas dealing with the secular side of life, we can get an inkling into the nature of the society of those times. Social life was permeated by spiritual consciousness. But people strongly believed in samnavaya or harmonizing the life of this world with the one in the next. Satya (truth) and Dharma (righteousness) are extolled and Amartatva (immortality) as the goal of life accepted.
Varna system had already taken roots. Monogamy, polygamy and svayamvara system (that of a bride choosing her husband)-all existed side by side. Agriculture and animal husbandry were the chief means of livelihood. Civilization was well-developed and fine arts encouraged. Priests and kings were powerful. System of sacrifices had evolved to a high degree of perfection.
Hindu tradition strongly advocates a knowledge of the rishi, the devata and the chhandas of any mantra before using it in the religious rites. Then only will it be effective. Rishi is the sage to whom the mantra was revealed; devataa is the deity to whom the mantra is addressed; and chhandas is the metre in which it is composed. According to once calculation the number of rishis exceeds 800 whereas the number of chandas is 19 including the minior variations.
The Braahmanas, Aaranyakas and the Upanisads of this Veda are:
1. Aitareya and Kausitaki Braahmanas;
2. Aitareya and Saakhaayana Aaranyakas; and,
3. Aitareya and Kausitaki Upanishads.
VEDA BHOOMI
THE word Veda literally means knowledge, the knowledge par excellence or supreme knowledge. The Veda is considered to be the divine truths raveled to the seers (Rishis) from time to time during their long-term penance and samadhi.
Another name of Veda is Shruti, as Veda was directly heard from God (or because of getting traditional method of word of mouth and then learning it by heart).
The Hindus consider Veda as the original and prime source of their cultural life. For them, since the time immemorial, Veda is the word of God. In effect, the thinking and feelings of Hindus are controlled and regulated by the Veda. It is almost impossible to perceive and fully understand the ethos of spiritual and cultural lives of Indians without having an insight into Veda.
The themes appearing in the Vedas are not ephemeral. They are eternal and are relevant to the humanity for all times to come. One can get possessed and spellbound and eventually ecstatic by the articulate illustrations and majestic details of the natural beauty. The magnificent accounts of glorious sunrise, torrential rains and thunder and lightning have no match in other literatures of the world.
According to Veda, a seeker of truth has full freedom to follow his path, provided he is clear in his mind as to what he wants. The word Veda literally means knowledge and then the knowledge par excellence or supreme knowledge. This knowledge was not derived from a particular scripture or prophet but came into being in course of several millennia. This knowledge continued incessantly being transmitted from centuries to centuries from generation to generation by word of mouth. According to tradition, since Veda is revelation, it is apaurusheya, i.e., not of human origin.
The Hindu religious tradition has accorded the Vedas the highest place in its literature. As such, they are revered as the basic scriptures of Hinduism.
It is extremely difficult to fix up the date of the Vedas. The dates assigned by the various scholars vary as widely as 25,000 B. C. to 1000 B. C. However, the general consensus among most of the Indian scholars is to consider the Harappa-Mohenjodaro culture (c. 4000 B. C.) to be a later phase of the Vedic culture. This places the date of the Rig-veda, the earliest of the Vedas, around 10,000 B. C.
For centuries, the Vedas have been handed down to the posterity by oral tradition.
Hence the name sruti, 'what is heard'. And, they have been mainly utilized in the performance of yajnas and yagas (sacrifices), which were the most common form of early Vedic religion. Such utilization of the Vedas in the sacrificial processes naturally led to its division based upon the convenience of the chief priests conducting the sacrifices.
Collection of all the musical chants, especially those associated with the Soma group of sacrifices, and to be sung by the udgatr-priest, the singer, was named as Sama-veda. The reset, a sort of miscellaneous appendix and addenda became the Atharva-veda and was assigned to the brahma-priest, considered as the supervisor over the whole sacrificial process.
As per the annals of the Hindu orthodoxy, the great sage Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa is said to have effected this division by collecting all the mantras extant during his time, and editing them into four groups: Rig, Yajus, Saman and Atharvan. He taught them to his four chief disciples: Raila (Rig-veda), Vaisampayana (Yajur-veda), Jaimini (Sama-veda) and Sumantu (Atharva-veda). This is how these four Vedas took shape.
DIVISION OF VEDAS
The Vedas are divided in another way too: Mantra and Brahmana Samhitaa is the name given to the collection of the Mantras. The Brahmana includes in itself two more sections, the Aranyaka and the Upanisad. If the Mantras comprise the hymns, the Brahmanas contain liturgies in prose. The Aaranyakas teach about meditations based on symbolical interpretations of the liturgical rites. The Upanisad may roughly classified as philosophical treatises dealing with the ultimate problems of life.
Conventionally speaking, it is the Samhitaa that is indicated by the word Veda. For instance, Rig-veda means only the Rik-samhitaa or the Rik-veda-samhitaa. The Braahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanisads of the Rig-veda have different and independent names and are considered more like its appendages.
These Samhitaas, in course of time, branched off, leading to the formation of Sakhaas or recensions. The origin of these sakhaas probably lies in the fact that each of the principle sages like Paila or Vaisampaayana had several disciples. These disciples or their successors might have done some editing and readjustment of the Vedic mantras to suit the needs of the rites which they had to perform and upon which local culture too might have exerted its influence.
Another name of Veda is Shruti, as Veda was directly heard from God (or because of getting traditional method of word of mouth and then learning it by heart).
The Hindus consider Veda as the original and prime source of their cultural life. For them, since the time immemorial, Veda is the word of God. In effect, the thinking and feelings of Hindus are controlled and regulated by the Veda. It is almost impossible to perceive and fully understand the ethos of spiritual and cultural lives of Indians without having an insight into Veda.
The themes appearing in the Vedas are not ephemeral. They are eternal and are relevant to the humanity for all times to come. One can get possessed and spellbound and eventually ecstatic by the articulate illustrations and majestic details of the natural beauty. The magnificent accounts of glorious sunrise, torrential rains and thunder and lightning have no match in other literatures of the world.
According to Veda, a seeker of truth has full freedom to follow his path, provided he is clear in his mind as to what he wants. The word Veda literally means knowledge and then the knowledge par excellence or supreme knowledge. This knowledge was not derived from a particular scripture or prophet but came into being in course of several millennia. This knowledge continued incessantly being transmitted from centuries to centuries from generation to generation by word of mouth. According to tradition, since Veda is revelation, it is apaurusheya, i.e., not of human origin.
The Hindu religious tradition has accorded the Vedas the highest place in its literature. As such, they are revered as the basic scriptures of Hinduism.
It is extremely difficult to fix up the date of the Vedas. The dates assigned by the various scholars vary as widely as 25,000 B. C. to 1000 B. C. However, the general consensus among most of the Indian scholars is to consider the Harappa-Mohenjodaro culture (c. 4000 B. C.) to be a later phase of the Vedic culture. This places the date of the Rig-veda, the earliest of the Vedas, around 10,000 B. C.
For centuries, the Vedas have been handed down to the posterity by oral tradition.
Hence the name sruti, 'what is heard'. And, they have been mainly utilized in the performance of yajnas and yagas (sacrifices), which were the most common form of early Vedic religion. Such utilization of the Vedas in the sacrificial processes naturally led to its division based upon the convenience of the chief priests conducting the sacrifices.
Collection of all the musical chants, especially those associated with the Soma group of sacrifices, and to be sung by the udgatr-priest, the singer, was named as Sama-veda. The reset, a sort of miscellaneous appendix and addenda became the Atharva-veda and was assigned to the brahma-priest, considered as the supervisor over the whole sacrificial process.
As per the annals of the Hindu orthodoxy, the great sage Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa is said to have effected this division by collecting all the mantras extant during his time, and editing them into four groups: Rig, Yajus, Saman and Atharvan. He taught them to his four chief disciples: Raila (Rig-veda), Vaisampayana (Yajur-veda), Jaimini (Sama-veda) and Sumantu (Atharva-veda). This is how these four Vedas took shape.
DIVISION OF VEDAS
The Vedas are divided in another way too: Mantra and Brahmana Samhitaa is the name given to the collection of the Mantras. The Brahmana includes in itself two more sections, the Aranyaka and the Upanisad. If the Mantras comprise the hymns, the Brahmanas contain liturgies in prose. The Aaranyakas teach about meditations based on symbolical interpretations of the liturgical rites. The Upanisad may roughly classified as philosophical treatises dealing with the ultimate problems of life.
Conventionally speaking, it is the Samhitaa that is indicated by the word Veda. For instance, Rig-veda means only the Rik-samhitaa or the Rik-veda-samhitaa. The Braahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanisads of the Rig-veda have different and independent names and are considered more like its appendages.
These Samhitaas, in course of time, branched off, leading to the formation of Sakhaas or recensions. The origin of these sakhaas probably lies in the fact that each of the principle sages like Paila or Vaisampaayana had several disciples. These disciples or their successors might have done some editing and readjustment of the Vedic mantras to suit the needs of the rites which they had to perform and upon which local culture too might have exerted its influence.
ANCIENT BHARAT
Apart from the Vedas and Vedic litarature, which have been dealt with separately, the ancient literature encompasses many texts. Around the period of Aranyaka etc. two Epics Ramayan and Mahabharata were composed by Valmiki and Vyas respectively. These two epics set standards for poetry in Sanskrit (as is done in Greek by Eliad of Homer).
Many works in poetry and plays are based on the stories or parts of the stories from the two epics. Subsequently many more additions in these epics are found and many more editions of them were to be written in Sanskrit and other languages.
Around the same time, Pali and Ardhamagadhi canons describing religious literature in Budhist and Jain religion were formed. Poetics (Alankar shastra) has been cultivated in
Though it was meant for dramatists to give guidance in dramatic performance, it covers vast field such as mimicry, dance, music and song,hence it represents dramatic poetry. The older school of poetics are represented by three rhetoricians, Bhamah, Dandi and Vamana.
Prosody is as old as poetics. The most important work on prosody is Chandasutra of Pingala (about 150 BC). Gupta dynasty is considered to be the golden era of court poetry. The great poet Kalidasa lived during 350-413 AD. Epics Kumarasambhava and Raghuvansa, dramas Shakuntala and Vikramorvashiya and the lyric Meghdoot were the important works of this era etc.
GAYATRI MANTRA
"Om Bhoor Bhuvaha Swaha Tat Savitur Vareniyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodayat"
Gayatri Mantra is a Mantra(vedic hymn) which inspires righteous wisdom. Its meaning is.."May the Almighty God may illuminate our intellect which may lead us to righteous path". This is the most important teaching. All the problems of a person are solved if he is endowed with the gift of righteous wisdom.
Having been endowed with far sighted wisdom, a man is neither entangled in calamity nor does he tread wrong path. Righteous wisdom starts emerging as soon as a methodical recitation of this Mantra is performed. Gayatri is a Sanskrit word. Ga means to sing. Yatri means protection. Gayatri is not a new or independent goddess. She is the supreme power (Shakti) of Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Rama and Krishna.
Gayatri means those who "worship her, get protected". "Mantra" is a scientifically composed verse in Sanskrit language, mostly in two lines with specific information for invocation of divine powers, Mantra is defined as a 'Man tarati san Mantrah' meaning .... which uplifts and protects one is Mantra. Secondly it is a combination of letters which are sounds, or an arrangement of words with specific spiritual potentialities.
Additionally, these potentialities unfold themselves in the physical body as a result of awakening the power centers in the body because of the sound waves released by the repetition of the letters of the Mantra. The real power of Mantra lies hidden, and is in the form of syllables which is awakened by uttering the Mantra repeatedly.
Mantra contains powers and deep philosophical meaning and its singing reapeatedly benefits mental, physical, and spiritual health. The above mentioned Gayatri Mantra when translated means, "O God, Thou art the giver of life, the remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of happiness; O Creator of the Universe, may we receive thy supreme, sin-destroying light; may Thou guide our intellect in the right direction."
The meaning of each word is as follows - OM (Almighty God), BHOOR (embodiment of vital or spiritual energy), BHUVAHA (Destroyer of suffering) SWAHA(Embodiment of happiness), TAT (That; indicating God), SAVITUR (Bright, luminous, like sun), VARENIYAM (Supreme, the best),BHARGO (Destroyer of sins),
DEVASYA(Divine), DHEEMAHI(May receive), DHIYO (intellect), YO(Who), NAHA(Our), PRACHODAYAT(May inspire) Om stands for "The Almighty God". He pervades in all the worlds viz. Bhulo-lok, bhuvah-lok and swah-lok. He is omnipresent.
All this Creation. World, universe or cosmos is physical manifestation of God who pervades in each and every particle. That I am seeing Him everywhere. I should always remain aloof from evil thoughts and evil deeds and perform true worship of God by extending cooperation in promoting happiness, peace and beauty in this Universe which is His creation.
This(tat) i.e: God is extremely bright(savitur) choicest (vareniyam) devoid of sin (bhargo) and divine(devasya). I am assimilating such God within me, in my conscience,. By such assimilation, I am also becoming bright, virtuous, sinless and divine. Every moment these virtues are developing in all the pores and particles of my mind, brain and body.
I am becoming one with these virtues, these characteristics of God. That God may inspire (prachodayat) our(nah) intellect (dhiyo) and lead us on the righteous path. May our intellect become pious. May he lead us to righteous path. On getting the righteous wisdom we may be able to enjoy celestial bliss in this life and make our life successful. We should contemplate and meditate on these three determinations slowly and gradually pausing for a moment on each word and an imaginary picture of that word should be drawn in the mind.
The man gets enriched in divine elements by contemplating and meditating on this meaning of Gayatri. These sentiments are extremely powerful, encouraging, righteous and elevating. One should contemplate these feelings daily for some time. By such contemplation, the meaning of Gayatri Mantra is fully assimilated in the heart of the person.
The result is that in a few days his mind gets diverted from evil deeds and he starts taking enthusiastic joy in righteous thinking and good actions. Howsoever little this tendency maybe in the beginning, it is almost certain that if it persists, the innerself of sadhak becomes spiritually advanced day by day and ultimate aim of life appears to have come closer and closer.
As mentioned by Sri Sriram Sharma Acharya."The Gayatri Mantra does not belong to any particular sect of worship. It is not restricted to any community. It is Universal. It contains in it the culture not of any particular society, but the culture of humanity. The Gayatri Mantra is a treasure and heritage that belongs to the whole of humanity without exclusion."
Gayatri Mantra is a Mantra(vedic hymn) which inspires righteous wisdom. Its meaning is.."May the Almighty God may illuminate our intellect which may lead us to righteous path". This is the most important teaching. All the problems of a person are solved if he is endowed with the gift of righteous wisdom.
Having been endowed with far sighted wisdom, a man is neither entangled in calamity nor does he tread wrong path. Righteous wisdom starts emerging as soon as a methodical recitation of this Mantra is performed. Gayatri is a Sanskrit word. Ga means to sing. Yatri means protection. Gayatri is not a new or independent goddess. She is the supreme power (Shakti) of Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Rama and Krishna.
Gayatri means those who "worship her, get protected". "Mantra" is a scientifically composed verse in Sanskrit language, mostly in two lines with specific information for invocation of divine powers, Mantra is defined as a 'Man tarati san Mantrah' meaning .... which uplifts and protects one is Mantra. Secondly it is a combination of letters which are sounds, or an arrangement of words with specific spiritual potentialities.
Additionally, these potentialities unfold themselves in the physical body as a result of awakening the power centers in the body because of the sound waves released by the repetition of the letters of the Mantra. The real power of Mantra lies hidden, and is in the form of syllables which is awakened by uttering the Mantra repeatedly.
Mantra contains powers and deep philosophical meaning and its singing reapeatedly benefits mental, physical, and spiritual health. The above mentioned Gayatri Mantra when translated means, "O God, Thou art the giver of life, the remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of happiness; O Creator of the Universe, may we receive thy supreme, sin-destroying light; may Thou guide our intellect in the right direction."
The meaning of each word is as follows - OM (Almighty God), BHOOR (embodiment of vital or spiritual energy), BHUVAHA (Destroyer of suffering) SWAHA(Embodiment of happiness), TAT (That; indicating God), SAVITUR (Bright, luminous, like sun), VARENIYAM (Supreme, the best),BHARGO (Destroyer of sins),
DEVASYA(Divine), DHEEMAHI(May receive), DHIYO (intellect), YO(Who), NAHA(Our), PRACHODAYAT(May inspire) Om stands for "The Almighty God". He pervades in all the worlds viz. Bhulo-lok, bhuvah-lok and swah-lok. He is omnipresent.
All this Creation. World, universe or cosmos is physical manifestation of God who pervades in each and every particle. That I am seeing Him everywhere. I should always remain aloof from evil thoughts and evil deeds and perform true worship of God by extending cooperation in promoting happiness, peace and beauty in this Universe which is His creation.
This(tat) i.e: God is extremely bright(savitur) choicest (vareniyam) devoid of sin (bhargo) and divine(devasya). I am assimilating such God within me, in my conscience,. By such assimilation, I am also becoming bright, virtuous, sinless and divine. Every moment these virtues are developing in all the pores and particles of my mind, brain and body.
I am becoming one with these virtues, these characteristics of God. That God may inspire (prachodayat) our(nah) intellect (dhiyo) and lead us on the righteous path. May our intellect become pious. May he lead us to righteous path. On getting the righteous wisdom we may be able to enjoy celestial bliss in this life and make our life successful. We should contemplate and meditate on these three determinations slowly and gradually pausing for a moment on each word and an imaginary picture of that word should be drawn in the mind.
The man gets enriched in divine elements by contemplating and meditating on this meaning of Gayatri. These sentiments are extremely powerful, encouraging, righteous and elevating. One should contemplate these feelings daily for some time. By such contemplation, the meaning of Gayatri Mantra is fully assimilated in the heart of the person.
The result is that in a few days his mind gets diverted from evil deeds and he starts taking enthusiastic joy in righteous thinking and good actions. Howsoever little this tendency maybe in the beginning, it is almost certain that if it persists, the innerself of sadhak becomes spiritually advanced day by day and ultimate aim of life appears to have come closer and closer.
As mentioned by Sri Sriram Sharma Acharya."The Gayatri Mantra does not belong to any particular sect of worship. It is not restricted to any community. It is Universal. It contains in it the culture not of any particular society, but the culture of humanity. The Gayatri Mantra is a treasure and heritage that belongs to the whole of humanity without exclusion."
Give Me Strength
This is my prayer to thee, my lord---strike,
strike at the root of penury in my heart.
Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.
Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.
Give me the strength never to disown the poor
or bend my knees before insolent might.
Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.
And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.
strike at the root of penury in my heart.
Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.
Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.
Give me the strength never to disown the poor
or bend my knees before insolent might.
Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.
And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.
With great concern to Sri R.B.Tagore
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