sign in sign up
<<
Home , Gopatha Brahmana, Samhita, Shakha, Taittiriya Brahmana

THE HINDU SCRIPTURES Simple

„ Christians have the Bible

„ have the

Actually, it is much more complicated… TIMELINE (written)*

SRUTI

(BC) 1500 800 400 0 400 800 1200 1600 (AD) Note: dates for the Vedas() can vary more than 1,000 years

MAHABHARATA VEDAS &

DARSHANAS *some were orally transmitted prior to this TWO TYPES OF SCRIPTURES

„ SHRUTI (“heard”) „ SMRITI (“remembered”) heard by the - (History or Epics) direct from God -Puranas (Mythology) - - Law Codes …The Vedas -Agamas & Tantras- Sectarian Samhitas, Brahmanas, Scriptures. Arayakas, Upanishads -Darshanas- Manuals of Philosophy

* THE *VEDAS

*Note: “Veda” is used in multiple ways: 1. Referring to the oldest hymn portions (Samhitas) 2. Referring to the collection of samhitas, brahmanas, aranyakas, and upanishads 3. Shaivites and Vaishnavites often include the Agamas by this term 4. Many also include the Gita by this term THE VEDAS (Samhitas)

The Rig Veda 10,552 hymns The Sama Veda 1,875 hymns--mostly Rig Veda repeated The Yajur Veda Vedic sacrificial manuals The Atharva Veda Incantations, spells, mystical poetry Searching for the VEDAS

You want a copy of the Vedas? -you won’t find it in the library -you won’t find it in the bookstores -you might find a concise, edited version -when you find it… When were they written?

„ Nobody knows exactly… -The oldest Veda (Rig) reached its final stage of compilation about 1000 B.C.

-Different dates given Tilak: 6000 B.C. Jacobi: 4500 B.C. Mueller: 1200 B.C. The Rig Veda

„ Rig Veda

Book 3 Hymn 10 1. Thee , God, Imperial Lord of all mankind, do mortal men With understanding kindle at the . 2 They laud thee in their solemn rites, Agni, as Minister and Priest, shine forth in thine own home as guardian of the Law. 3 He, verily, who honours thee with fuel, Knower of all life, He, Agni! wins heroic might, he prospers well. … The Sama Veda

„ “sama” means “song” or “hymn”

„ Rig Veda rearranged for ritual use

„ Usually sung from high to low pitch, never moving between pitches, lulling the mind

„ 1875 making 4000 hymns The Yajur Veda

„ Formulae and verses for „ “Yaj” means “sacrifice” „ The ‘white’ and ‘black’ Yajur Vedas: two different schools of the Yajur emerged: 1) Tattitiya (/black) more prevalent in southern 2) Vajasaneyi Samhita (Shukla/white) clearly demarcates samhita and brahmanas A little more complicated…

Four recensions of Krishna (black) : -taittirīya saṃ hita -maitrayani sa ṃhita -caraka-katha sa ṃhita -kapiṣṭhala-katha sa ṃhita

Two recensions of the (white) Shukla: -Vajasaneyi Madhyandiniya -Vajasaneyi Even more complicated…

„ Each recension has its own version of: Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads

E.g. The Taittiriya (branch): Taittiriya Samhita, Taittiriya Taittiriya Aaranyaka, and the Mahaanaarayana Upanishad. Yajur Veda

6.1.1 (Taittiriya Samhita) [6]. slew Vrtra, he died upon the waters. Of the waters what was fit for sacrifice, pure, and divine, that went out of the waters, and became Darbha grass. In that he purifies (the sacrificer) with bunches of Darbha grass, verily he purifies him with the waters which are fit for sacrifice, pure, and divine. He purifies (him) with two (stalks); verily he purifies him by days and nights. He purifies (him) with three (stalks); three are these worlds; verily he purifies him by these worlds. He purifies (him) with five stalks [7]; the Pankti has five syllables, the sacrifice is fivefold; verily he purifies him by the sacrifice. He purifies (him) with six (stalks); six are the seasons; verily he purifies him by the seasons. He purifies (him) with seven (stalks); seven are the metres; verily he purifies him by the metres. He purifies (him) with nine (stalks); nine are the breaths in man; verily he purifies him along with his breaths. He purifies (him) with twenty-one (stalks); there are ten fingers and ten toes, and the body is the twenty first; he thus completely purifies the man. The Atharva Veda

„ Incantations, charms and spells to counteract evil; marriages and funerals.

„ 20 books or kandas; 750 hymns, 6,000 verses SAMPLE: Atharva Veda

„ I, 23. Leprosy cured by a dark plant. 1. Born by night art thou, O plant, dark, black, sable. Do thou, that art rich in colour, stain this leprosy, and the gray spots! 2. The leprosy and the gray spots drive away from here-- may thy native colour settle upon thee--the white spots cause to fly away! 3. Sable is thy hiding-place, sable thy dwelling-place, sable art thou, O plant: drive away from here the speckled spots! 4. The leprosy which has originated in the bones, and that which has originated in the body and upon the skin, the white mark begotten of corruption, I have destroyed with my charm. * Upavedas

„ Secular texts connected to the Vedas

Political- Rig Music and art- Sama Archery and war- Yajur Medicine- Atharva The

Though not shruti, they are important for the study of the Veda

Siksa- pronunciation - details of ritual Vyakarana- grammar - of rare words Chanda- explain and practice verse meter Jyotisa- planetary

The memorization of the Vedas was very precise: memorization of them in multiple ways (e.g. forward and backward), recited in a particular pitch, along with precise movements of the arm and fingers. Vedic Gods

Agni Indra Vedic Gods

Surya THE VEDAS (entire)

In addition to the oldest portion, the hymns, there are three other portions: (The Samhitas) The Brahmanas The Aranyakas The Upanishads The Brahmanas

Circa 600-200 B.C.

Details of ritual and sacrificial rites and duties; commentaries on rituals and prayers on the four vedas (Samhitas) The Brahmanas

Rig Brahmanas The Kaushitaki or Sankhayana Brahmana Sama Brahmanas

8 Brahamanas Yajur Brahmanas

Shatapatha Brahmana (white)100 lectures (black) Atharva Brahmanas

Gopatha Brahmana The Aranyakas

Circa 400-200 B.C., Spiritual/mystical interpretations of rituals and ceremonies. Called “forest texts” as they were from ascetics of the forest The Aranyakas

Each Aranyakas is associated with a Brahmana, sometimes having more than one; the Atharva has none. The Upanishads

“Those who sit near”- the teachings of to their students

Doctrines of caste, karma, and reincarnation are more fully developed in these writings UPANISHADS

„ Inversion of Influence- older texts of the Veda are not as influential as the later philosophical portions (the Upanishads) Upanishad Basics

„ When? ? 400-200 B.C. is the most likely range; some in recent centuries „ Who? No one knows. Sages who taught. “Upanishad” = “one who sits near” „ How Many? 12 are most important (acc. to Sankara, 8th century) 108 important many more-- 240? Upanishads

„ Topics: -states of consciousness -dreams, -the world within the mind and soul -self-realization (that you are divine) -the unity of all things The Four Great Vedic (Upanishad) Statements

1. TAT TVAM ASI (You are *that). (Sama Veda – Chandogy Upanishad) 2. AHAM BRAHMASMI (I am ). (Yajur Veda – Brhadaranyak Upanishad 3. AYAM ATMA BRAHMAN (This Self is Brahman). (Atharva Veda – Manduky Upanishad) 4. PRAGNANAM BRAHMAN (Brahman is consciouness). (Rig Veda - Aitarey Upanishad)

* “that” is the Upanishadic way of referring to the ultimate, yet indescribable Reality SAMPLE: Upanishad

The , Chapter 11 (4.5) SAMPLE: Upanishad

Chandogya Upanishad

* Vedas, division of

„ Karma kanda (ritual)

Samhitas and Brahmanas

„ Jnana kanda (knowledge)

Aranyakas and Upanishads Shruti Smriti DARSHANAS

Exhibitions or philosophical systems developed out of the Vedas by various teachers or schools.

SIX FAMOUS SCHOOLS: Nyaya Vaiseshika Sankhya Mimansa PURANAS

A.D. 400-1500

18 major books and 18 minor books relating to the - , , & Popular mythology that is well-known by the common people of India …POPULAR TODAY SAMPLE: Puranas Summary from the Siva Purana AGAMAS: Basics

„ Texts of the Trimurti -Siva Agamas (28) -Vishnu Agamas (108) -Devi Agamas (Tantras) (77)

Shiva Vishnu Parvati TANTRAS

A.D. 500-1100

Numerous writings (mainly in dialogue form) between Shiva and his consort, Parvati (Durga) Belief that true power resides in the feminine aspect of deity, worship of the mother goddess, from which ‘Shakti’ or power comes. TANTRAS

Two forms of tantrism: right-handed (symbolic) left-handed (literal/sexual) Three schools: Kaula (taboo breaking) Mishra (external and internal mixed) Samaya (meditative) EPICS ()

1. (Gita) Mahabharata

Mythology of the war between two families (cousins), Pandavas v. Kauravas

The longest epic poem

Contains the …perhaps the most popular scripture EPICS

2. Ramayana Dharma Shastras

„ Code of Manu

„ Other law codes (Arth, Niti, etc.) Ramayana

The life of a noble king, Ram while in exile, his wife, Sita is abducted by the evil king, . (the monkey god) and other cohorts help Ram rescue Sita. written by Valmiki in 3rd century B.C. other language exist with variations