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.
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