Certificate Courses in Sanaatana Dharma
Vedas - Introduction
In this chapter and next chapter Introduction to vedas, the structure of vedas and the details of the different parts of vedas will be discussed. vedas are apaurusheyas which means that the teachings of vedas are not in written form but were conceived by rushis (during their severe penances/meditation/tapas) spread through oral teachings and are even spread down the line by guru shishya parampara to the common man.
At this point, it may be noted that there is a close relationship between vedas and yoga. By the result of penance great sages could perceive the knowledge of the vedas through darshanas. Thus, the vedas have an important aspect of darshanas and yoga which are essential to be understood by the student along with knowing the aspects of the original samskrut language.
The Global community of scholars always holds vedic literature in highest regard and respect, both in terms of its antiquity and quality. Research Scholars find the roots of all possible subjects such as religion, philosophy, science arts etc. present in the vedic literature. Therefore, we can say that vedic literature is of the nature of an encyclopedia covering all subject’s knowledge systems of human life and beyond.
Even the European Scholars have accepted that the vedic literature starting with rugveda is the oldest and most ancient as well as most comprehensive repository of knowledge reflecting the civilizational history of humanity comprising all societies both bhaarateeya/Indian and European
For ages the bhaarateeya/Indian society has been holding the vedic literature with highest respect as of divine origin or non-human origin or apaurusheya.
The roots of later knowledge systems can be found in the vedas. The philosophical content of the upanishat literature can be also traced back to the vedas. In addition, the darshana literature also has its roots only from the veda.
In addition, modern day scientific research will find some interesting sources of information and knowledge in the veda. For example, the naasadeeya sookta of the rugveda is the first ever scientific theory of cosmology.
The medical systems like aayurveda can be traced back to the vedas. The yoga system can be traced back to vedic literature. The philosophy of vedaanta can be traced back to the vedas.
vedas are the ancient and most available texts in the world literature. bhaarateeya traditions believe that
vedas are apaurusheyas (not composed by human beings). They are called shrutis that which is
heard. The mantras of vedas were seen during their severe penences/tapas by great sages/rushis and they are called mantradrashtas. They were preserved by oral tradition i.e gurushishya parampara which continued father to son and guru to pupil without any break. The word veda primarily means sacred knowledge and siddhaanta
Kaumudi gives 4 meanings namely:
- विद्यते सत्तां गृह्णाति अनेन इित वेदः। That is called veda through which one realises the real nature of things.
- विद्यन्त्योभिः धर्मब्रह्मणी क्रिया ज्ञानमयं ब्रह्म वा इति वेदः | One gets the knowledge of sanaatana dharma or ultimate truth (para-brahma);
- विन्ते विचारयति धर्मब्रह्मक्रिया ज्ञानमयं ब्रह्म वेत्ति इित वेदः। Which discusses or thinks about sanaatana dharma and gives knowledge of parabrahma
- विन्ते विचारयति धर्मब्रह्मक्रिया ज्ञानमयं ब्रह्म वेत्ति इित वेदः। Which discusses or thinks about sanaatana dharma and gives knowledge of parabrahma
- विन्दते स्वरूपं लभन्ते वस्तु अनेन इति वेदः । By knowing which one attains the ultimate truth.
But aapastamba gives one more meaning by saying that मन्त्र ब्राह्मणयोवेद नामधेयम् ।mantras and
braahmanas together are called veda.
vedas are referred to as three ruk, yajus and saama as mentioned in purusha sookta.
Later vedavyaasa recategorized into four vedas – rugveda, yajurveda, saamaveda and atharvaveda.
These vedas are further divided as samhitas (the veda texts), braahmana (the ritualistic commentary),
aaranyaka (transition from ritual to philosophical thinking) and upanishats (philosophical texts).
There are 6 vedaangas – shikshaa, vyaakarana, chandas and nirukta (aimed at protecting the vedas originality from changes) jyotisha and kalpa – These are essential to understand the vedas.
Further there are 4 Upavedas namely
aayus; dhanus; gaandharva; shilpa (sthaapatya)(artha shaatra is also taken as upaveda by some).
Classification of vedas, which includes the basis of classification in to four vedas and further division of each veda into samhita, braahmana, aaranyaka, and upanishat. It also includes the number of shlokas in each veda and its composition or utility to the understanding of the common man.
vedas are in nature, ie in the universe present by themselves, believed to be that they first came out of breath of parabrahma. They are received by rushis when they practice deep disciplined meditation/ penance/tapas and coached to their disciples. Those disciples taught orally to their disciples. This process is called teaching by ‘guru shishya parampara’. And those institutions are called gurukulas. These vedas infinite in number and they have eternal presence in the universe in the form of shabda and can be received any time by any rushi who can practice the tapas of that order.
Those received vedas prior to vyaasa maharshi, were used to be recited by innumerable number of rushis. They were not in a particular order. They were out of reach for the understanding of the common man to be expressed in grantha (book) form. So maharshi krishna dvaiyapaayana, who has been known later as vedavyaasa, sectionalized these innumerable number of vedashabdas as four vedas. Each veda is further sectionalized into branches or shaakhaas. They are as follows:
- Rugveda: 21 shaakhaas
- Yajurveda:101 shaakhaas
- Saamaveda:1000 shaakhaas
- Atharvanaveda: 9 shaakhaas
- Total shaakhaas: 1131 shaakhaas
Each shaakhaa was being practiced by one rushi in his gurukulam and by his shishyas. That was how the vedashabda was protected in letter and pronunciation. In order to protect the pronunciation and letters this learning method is followed even today in 11 different types, ie samhita, paada, krama, jata, maalaa, shikhaa, rekhaa, dhvajaa, dandaa, rathaa, and ghana, so that any wrong pronunciation will be checked and scope of deformation over period of time is also, checked automatically, as any wrong pronunciation will automatically prevent the person, who pronounces wrongly, to proceed further.
These vedas consisted of 1131 shaakhaas even at the time of mahaa bhaashyakaara patanjali who wrote bhaashyam for panini’s vyaakarana ie ashtaadhyaayee. Later at the time of aadi shankara too, this number of shaakhaas were known to be 1131. From that time to now due to various reasons the present available shaakhaas are only around 13. Out of these 13, only 7 are being taught in the vedic schools in the system of guru shishya parampara.
Even these 7 shaakhaas contain wealth of knowledge which needs to be explored afresh and to be passed on to the future generations.
Each veda shaakhaa further sub divided in to samhita, braahmana, aaranyaka and upanishats. It appears that this subdivision is based on four aashrama dharmas.
Brahmaacharyaashrama: Living in gurukula– Learns vedas and follows samhita portions of vedas.
Grihastaashrama: Leading the saamasaarika life, performing the yajna, yaaga, kratavas following the portions of braahmanas of vedas.
vaanaprasthaashrama: Relinquishing all saamsaarika jeevan, one does lead life with wife, in forests and does karmas following the portions of aaranyakas of vedas.
Sanyaasaashrama: realising the reality of parabrahma and rejecting all worldly pleasures leads the life of mendicant and does saadhana, in quest of moksha following the upanishat portions of vedas.
That is how the vedas are the guiding principles for leading life in this mundane world in dharmic way, the righteous path.
There is another type of categorization of vedas. That is the first three sections, samhitas, braahmanas and aaranyakas are called karma kaandas and upanishats are called jnaana kaandas.
Some of the major principles/ guiding sootras given to humanity in short as sample are the following:
- Do not gamble/akshaih maa deevya/ अक्षैः मा दीव्य।
- Till the Land/ krushim iti krushasva/ कृषिम् इति कृषस्व ।
- Speak the truth. Follow dharma/ satyam vada, dharmam chara/ सत्यं वद । धर्मं चर ।
- Mother, Father, Teacher/guru, and Guests are to be respected on par with devatas/ maatrudevo bhava, pitrudevo bhava, aachaaryadevo bhava, atithidevo bhava/ मातृदेवो भव। पितृदेवो भव। आचार्यदेवो भव। अतिथिदेवो भव।
- Donot aspire for other’s wealth/ maa grudhah kasyasviddhanam/ मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् ।
- Welfare to us, the human beings and to all the animals/ sham no bhavatu dvipade sham chatushpade/ शं नो भवतु द्विपदे शं चतुष्पदे।
- May not truth and dharma leave me/ satyam dharmashchaitaani maa maahaasishuh/ सत्यं धर्मश्चैतानि मा माहासिषुः।
- Truth, Knowledge, and endlessness is parabrahma/satyamjnaanamanantam brahma/ सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं ब्रह्म।
rugveda, yajurveda, saamaveda, atharvanaveda, itihaasa/puraana/, vyaakarana. shraarddha kalpa(pitrooyam), ganita(raashi), utpaatajnaanam (daivam), nidhishaastra(nidhi), tarkashaastra(vaakovaakyam), neetishaastra(Moral science), nirukta (Etymology), shikshaa, kalpa, chandas, bhootatantra(bhootavidyaa), dhanurvedam(dhanurvidyaa), jyotisham(nakshtravidyaa), garuda vidyaa(sarpa vasheekarana vidyaa) and sangeeta, saahitya, shilpavidyaa(devajanavidyaa) are the various knowledge centers that were being studied in vedic times as told by naarada maharshi that he studied, as told to his guru, brahmamaanasaputra sanatkumara; as given in the following shloka.(chaandogyopanishat-7-1-2)
ऋग्वेदं भगवोऽध्येमि यजुर्वेदं सामवेदमाथर्वणं
चतुर्थमितिहासपुराणं पञ्चमं वेदानां वेदं पित्र्यं
राशिं दैवं निधिं वाकोवाक्यमेकायनं देवविद्यां ब्रह्मविद्यां
भूतविद्यां क्षत्रविद्यां नक्षत्रविद्यां सर्पदेवजनविद्यामेतद्भगवोऽध्येमि ॥ (छान्दोग्योपनिषत्–७.१.२).
rugvedam bhagavoऽdhyemi yajurvedam saamavedamaatharvanam |
chaturthamitihaasapuraanam pannchamam vedaanaam vedam pitryam |
raashim daivam nidhim vaakovaakyamekaayanam daivavidyaam brahmavidyaam |
bhootavidyaam kshatravidyaam sarpadevajanavidyaametadbhgavoऽdhyemi ||(chaandogyopanishat7-1-2)
Since vedas are heard they are also called shrutis. For correct interpretation and for protection of vedashabda, rushis had written; shikshaa, vyaakarana, chandas, nirukta, jyotisha and kalpa, called shadangas/vedaangas. These are explained in more detail in subsequent chapters.
Note:The above is prepared based on the grantha “samskruta vaanjmaya charitra” written br. acharya A Ramulu, Samskruta Professor and HOD, OU, in Telugu.