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Research Paper

Volume : 3 | Issue : 3 | MarchSanskrit 2014 • ISSN No 2277 - 8179 KEYWORDS : Indian Scriputres, Srutis, Indian Scriptures Part-1 , ,,Agamas,Dars anas

P A Subramanian Research Scholar, Sanskrit, Dept.of Sanskrit, Rajah’s College for Sanskrit & Tamil Studies, Thiruvaiyaru, Thanjavur Pin:13 203. A Short Note on Sanskrit Literature ligions are derived from the and are ultimately traceable to the Vedas. The Vedas are the fountain-head of religion. The - Vedas are the ultimate source to which all religious knowledge thoritativeSanskrit literature scriptures can of be the classified . underThe four six secularorthodox sections heads can be traced. Religion is of divine origin. It was revealed by God embodyand four the secular latter heads. developments The six orthodox in classical sections Sanskrit form literature. the au to man in the earliest times. It is embodied in the Vedas.

The Vedas are eternal. They are without beginning and end. An 1. Srutis ignorant man may say how a book can be without beginning or 2.The Smritissix scriptures are: end. By the Vedas, no books are meant. Vedas came out of the 3. Itihasas breath of the Lord. They are the words of God. The Vedas are not 4. Puranas the utterances of persons. They are not the composition of any 5. Agamas human mind. They were never written, never created. They are 6. Darsanas eternal and impersonal. The date of the Vedas has never been

The four secular writings are: Vedas are an embodiment of divine knowledge. The books may 1. befixed. destroyed, It can never but thebe fixed.knowledge Vedas cannot are eternal be destroyed. spiritual KnowlTruths.- 2. Kavyas edge is eternal. In that sense, the Vedas are eternal. 3. Natakas 4. Alankaras 2. The Four Vedas And Their Sub Divisions The Veda is divided into four great books: The Scriptures 1. The Rig-Veda 1.The Srutis 2. The Yajur-Veda The Srutis are called the Vedas, or the Amnaya. The Hindus have 3. The Sama-Veda received their religion through revelation, the Vedas. These are 4. The Atharva-Veda direct intuitional revelations and are held to be Apaurusheya or entirely superhuman, without any author in particular. The Yajur-Veda is again divided into two parts: 1. The Sukla Yajur-Veda The Veda is the glorious pride of the Hindus, nay, of the whole 2. The Yajur-Veda. world! The term Veda comes from the root Vid, to know. The word Veda means knowledge. When it is applied to scripture, it The Krishna or the Tattiriya is the older book and the Sukla or Vajasaneya is a later revelation to Sage from the resplendent Sun-God. The Rig-Veda is divided into twenty-one setssignifies of scriptures, a book of why, knowledge. even of the The secular Vedas andare the materialistic.foundational sections, the Yajur-Veda into one hundred and nine sections, Thescriptures Veda is of the the storehouse Hindus. The of Veda Indian is thewisdom source and of theis a othermemora five- the Sama-Veda into one thousand sections and Atharva-Veda ble glory which man can never forget till eternity. thousand one hundred and eighty recessions. Revealed Truth Without Beginning Or End into fifty sections. In all, the whole Veda is thus divided into one “Mantradrashtaaraha na thu kartharaha munayaha” The Each Veda consists of four parts: Vedas are the eternal truths revealed by God to the great 1. The - or hymns. of India. The word means a seer, (from the Root-DRIS, to see). The Rishi is the Mantra-Drashta, a seer of Mantra or 3. The (philosophical interpretations of the ritu- thought. The thought was not his own. The Rishis saw the truths 2. als).The or explanations of or rituals. or heard them. Therefore, the Vedas are what are heard (Sruti). 4. The (The essence or the knowledge portion of The Rishi did not write. He did not create it out of his mind. He the Vedas). already. He was only the spiritual discoverer of the thought. He The division of the Vedas into four parts is to suit the four stages iswas not the the seer inventor of thought of the which Veda. existed in a man’s life.

“ Risheenam punaraadyaanaam vaachamarthonud- The Mantra-Samhitas are hymns in praise of the Vedic God haavathi” for attaining material prosperity here and happiness hereaf- Rishis. The Rishi is only a medium or an agent to transmit to ter. They are metrical poems comprising prayers, hymns and The Vedas represent the spiritual experiences of the incantations addressed to various deities, both subjective and of the Vedas are revelations. All the other religions of the world objective. The Mantra portion of the Vedas is useful for the Brah- claimpeople their the intuitional authority asexperiences being delivered which heby received.special messengers The truths - of God to certain persons, but the Vedas do not owe their au- or orders of life; one who lives in purity and studies the thority to any one. They are themselves the authority as they are macharins (celibate; one who belongs to the first of the four As eternal, as they are the Knowledge of the Lord. TheVeda; the first 25 years of life). Lord , the Creator, imparted the divine knowledge to the Rishis or seers. The Rishis disseminated the knowledge. The Ve- portions guide people to perform sacrificial dic Rishis were great realised persons (souls) who had direct in- suitablerites. They for arethe householderprose explanations (; of the one method who belongs of using to the tuitive perception of or the Truth. They were inspired secondMantras of in the the four Asramas or the or sacrifice. orders ofThe life; Brahmana from 25 to portion 50 years is teachers. They built a simple, grand and perfect system of reli- of age). gion and philosophy from which the founders and teachers of all other religions have drawn their inspiration. The Vedas are the The Aranyakas oldest books in the library of man. The truths contained in all re- which give philosophical interpretations of the Rituals. The Ara- are the forest books, the mystical sylvan texts IJSR - INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 337 Research Paper nyakasVolume are : 3 |intended Issue : 3 | forMarch the 2014 Vanaprasthas • ISSN No 2277 or hermits - 8179 who pre- Brahmanas. The Tandya or Panchavimsa, the Shadvimsa, the pare themselves for taking . ( = one who Chhandogya, the Adbhuta, the Arsheya and the Upanishad Brah- leads the third stage of life; from 50 to 75 years of age). manas belong to the Sama-Veda. The Brahmana of the Atharva- Veda is called the Gopatha. Each of the Brahmana has got an The Upanishads are the most important portion of the Vedas. . The Upanishads contain the essence or the knowledge portion of the Vedas. The philosophy of the Upanishads is sublime, pro- 5.The Upanishads found, lofty an soul-stirring. The Upanishads speak of the iden- The Upanishads are the concluding portions of the Vedas or the tity of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. They reveal end of the Vedas. The teaching based on them is called . the most subtle and deep spiritual truths. The Upanishads are The Upanishads are the gist and the goal of the Vedas. They form useful for the Sannyasins. (Sannyasi or Sannyasin = a monk; one the very foundation of . who has embraced the life of complete renunciation ; one be- longing to the fourth or the highest stage of life; from 75 to 100 There are as many Upanishads to each Veda as there are Sakhas, years of age). branches or recensions, i.e., 21, 109, 1000 and 50 respectively to the four Vedas (The Rig-Veda, The Yajur-Veda, The Sama-Ve- [Note: Although the division of the Vedas into four parts is da and the Atharva-Veda). The different philosophers of India to suit the four stages in a man’s life, the study of the four - Vedas is done by Brahmacharins or celibate students and ism, Dualism, Pure Monism, Difference-cum non-difference, the knowledge thus acquired serves as the basis of the etc.,belonging have acknowledgedto different schools the supreme such as Monism,authority Qualified of the Upani Mon- goal of life through all the four stages of life. The studies shads. They have given their own interpretations, but they have of the Vedas continue throughout one’s life. (Refer also to obeyed the authority. They have built their philosophy on the , , & ). Thus the knowledge of foundation of the Upanishads. Even the Western scholars have the Upanishads is not to be confined to the last stage of life. paid their tribute to the seers of the upanishads. At a time when The mind of the Sannyasin is intensely focussed upon the Westerners were clad in barks and were sunk in deep igno- teachings of the Upanishads.] rance, the Upanishadic seers were enjoying the eternal bliss of the Absolute (God), and had the highest culture and civilisation. The subject matter of the whole Veda is divided into 1. -Kanda The most important Upanishads are : 2. Upasana-Kanda Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Aitareya, 3. Jnana-Kanda. Taittiriya,Chhandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Kaushitaki, and Svetas- vatara and Maitrayani. These are supremely authoritative. May The Karma-Kanda or Ritualistic Section deals with various the fundamental truths of the Vedas be revealed unto you all, like the Amalaka fruit in the palm of your hand. May Gayatri, the blessed Mother of the Vedas, impart to you the milk of Knowl- Thesacrifices Upasana-Kanda and rituals. or Worship-Section deals with various edge, the ancient wisdom of the Upanishads. kinds of worship or meditation. 6.Upa-Vedas The Jana-Kanda or Knowledge-Section deals with the highest There are four Upa-Vedas or subsidiary Vedas: knowledge of Nirguna Brahman. (Nirguna = without attributes 1. The (science of life and health) or forms. Brahman = the Supreme Reality). 2. The Dhanurveda (science of war) 3. The Gandharva Veda (science of music) The Mantras and the Brahmanas constitute Karma-Kanda 4. The Arthasastra (science of polity) (rituals). 7.The The Aranyakas constitute Upasana-Kanda (worship). 1. The Siksha of Maharshi Panini (Phonetics) The Upanishads constitute Jnana-Kanda (knowledge). 2.There Vyakarana are six Angas of Maharshi or explanatory Panini (Sanskrit limbs, to Grammar)the Vedas: 3. The Chhandas of Pingalacharya (Prosody metre) 3.The Mantra Samhitas 4. The of Yaska (Philosophy or ) The Rig-Veda is the grandest book of the Hindus, the 5. The Jyotisha of Garga (Astronomy and astrology) oldest and the best. It is the great Indian scripture, which no 6. The Kalpas (Srauta, Grihya, Dharma and Sulba) belonging to Hindu would forget to adore from the core of his heart. Its style, the authorship of various Rishis.] the language and the tone are most beautiful and mysterious. Its Siksha is the knowledge of phonetics. Siksha deals with pro- it is perhaps the greatest treasure in all the scriptural literature - ofimmortal the world. Mantras Its priest embody is called the greatestthe Hotri. truths of existence, and ous forms or Pathas. The Pada-patha gives each word its sepa- ratenunciation form. The and Krama-patha accent. The text connects of the theVedas word is arranged in pairs. in vari The Yajur-Veda Samhita is mostly in prose and is meant to be Vyakarana is . Panini’s books are most fa- mous. Without knowledge of Vyakarana, you cannot understand used by the Adhvaryu, the Yajur-Vedic priest, for superfluous the Vedas. Rig-Vedicexplanations Mantras. of the rites in sacrifices, supplementing the The Sama-Veda Samhita is mostly borrowed from the Rig-Vedic Chhandas is metre dealing with prosody. Samhita, and is meant to be sung by the Udgatri, the Sama- Ve- Nirukta is philosophy or etymology. be used by the Brahma, the Atharva-Vedic priest, to correct the mispronunciationsdic priest, in sacrifice. and Thewrong Atharva-Veda performances Samhita that may is meantacciden to- Jyotisha is astronomy and astrology. It deals with the move-

on human affairs. 4.Thetally be Brahmanas committed byand the The other Aranyakas three priests of the sacrifice. ments of the heavenly bodies, planets, etc., and their influence There are two Brahmanas to the Rig-Veda: 1. The Aitareya 2. The Sankhayana of the ismeasurements the method or which ritual. are The necessary Srauta for layingwhich outexplain the the ritual of sacrifices belong to Kalpa. The Sulba, which treat The Satapatha Brahmana belongs to the Sukla Yajur-Veda. concern domestic life, and the Dharma Sutras which deal with TheKrishna Yajur-Veda has the Taittiriya and the Maitrayana ethics,sacrificial customs area, andalso laws, belong also to belong Kalpa. toThe Kalpa. Grihya Sutras which

338 IJSR - INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH Research Paper

The Pratishakhyas, Padapathas, Kramapathas, Upalekhas, Drahyayana,Volume Gobhila : 3 and| Issue Khadira : 3 | March belong 2014 to • ISSNthe Sama-Veda.No 2277 - 8179 The Anukramanis, Daivatsamhitas, Parisishtas, Prayogas, Paddhatis, Katyayana and Paraskara belong to the Sukla Yajur Veda. The Karikas, Khilas, and Vyuhas are further elaborations in the ritu- Apastamba, Hiranyakesi, Bodhayana, Bharadvaja, Manava, Vai- als of the Kalpa Sutras. khanasa and the Kathaka belong to the Krishna Yajur-Veda. The Vaitana and the Kaushika belong to the Atharva-Veda. Among the Kalpa Sutras, the Asvalayana, Sankhayana and the Sambhavya belong to the Rig-Veda. The Mashaka, Latyayana,

REFERENCE Various Sanskrit classics, History of Sanskrit literature, Various inter Various Sanskrit classics, History of Sanskrit literature, Various internet sources, Maharshi Mahesh University site etc.. net sources, Maharshi Mahesh Yogi University site etc.. | Subham bhooyath

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