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epistemology is the corner-stone of all In numerous sages have accomplished philosophical systems. The method of this feat of strength. They returned to the avasthatraya takes us right to the heart of the waking state with the knowledge that all that problem: All relative knowledge is born from a exists is but the one and only Reality of which contrast, and the knowledge that we have of they had the experience during (total this world is always relative. We are being concentration) in its pure and homogeneous struck by contrasts and, immediately, state. Properly speaking, Atman (or ) complementary notions are springing up in is the only Reality, and all appearances, our mind: light-darkness, heat-cold, etc. The whether internal or external, are nothing but same holds good for the Reality: Because we this Atman-the Self. preserve the memory of the un-real, we are The supreme Consciousness of the Self, conscious of the Real. Thus we will not be able then, is not derived from the experience of the to acquire the total knowledge of the relative manifested: It precedes it-It is an intuition 'a (vyakta) as long as we do not have an priori', and this Consciousness is absolutely experience of a different order, where all un-conditioned (akhanda). The conditioning in relative knowledge is absent. Well then, every time-space-causality is but a simple day everybody is passing through the state of appearance and, for empirical life, this deep sleep, in other words, through the state appearance possesses a value that is relatively of non-manifestation (). real. On the other hand, from the point of view Is there a means to bring about the latter of the Absolute the empirical reality state consciously? Are we capable, of our own (vyavaharika satta) and the illusory reality accord, of 're-creating' the content of deep (pratibhasika satta) are brought into equilibrium sleep? To this question replies: Yes, on the scales of the same balance: The one has such a means exists. Practise ! Control, exactly the same weight as the other. D by an act of will-power, all activity of the mind! (Concluded.) Mother and I 'One day when I went to see Sri , there were many other visitors. Among them was a great Vedantic scholar. The Master said to him, "Let us hear some Vedanta from you." The scholar with great deference expounded on Vedanta for more than an hour. Sri Ramakrishna was very pleased. The people around were surprised at this, but after eulogizing the scholar, the Master said: "As far as I am concerned, I do not like all those details. There is nothing but my Mother and I. To you, knowledge, knower, and known-the one who meditates, meditation, and the object of meditation-this sort of triple division is very good. But for me, 'Mother and I '-that is all and nothing else." These words, "Mother and I," were said in such a way that it made a very deep impression on all present. At that moment all ideas of Vedanta paled into insignificance. The Master's "Mother and I" seemed easier, simpler, and more pleasing to the mind than the three divisions of Vedanta. I realized then that "Mother and I" was the ideal attitude to be adopted.' -Swami Turiyananda, Spiritual Treasures, Pp. llO-lll

V e dan t a K e 5 a r i - 336 - S E PTE M B E R 2 0 0 7 Samaveda-an Introductory Note SWAMI HARSHANANDA

Considered as the source book of the and a rich storehouse of mystic outpourings of the Vedic , the Samaveda is perhaps one of the oldest records of man's quest for mysticism and music. The following article details the various aspects of the Samaveda and also provides an insight into how the Indian classical music is a by-product of spiritual quest. The author is an erudite scholar whose numerous books include Hindu Gods and Goddesses, All about Hindu Temples, An Introduction to Indian Culture among others. He is the President of Ramakrishna Math, Basavangudi, Bangalore and is actively engaged in giving a final shape to his two volume book, Encyclopaedia of .

What is Samaveda? now, though some of these are still in the form The Samaveda or the Samaveda is of manuscripts: the third in the traditional list of the four .:. Madhava Pal)dita (AD.630) . It comprises mostly the ~gvedic .:. GUl)avi~l)u (12th century AD.) (or rks)-1504 to be more specific­ .:. Bharatasvamin (AD.1300) set to the saptasvara system (the seven basic .:. Mahasvamin (13th century AD) notes of Indian music), to be sung at .:. Sayal)a (AD.1315-1387) appropriate places in a sacrifice. It is the udgatr .:. Sobhakara Bhatta (circa AD.1400) (the third of the four major priests) along with .:. Suryadaivajfia (circa AD.1502) his three assistants (prastotr, pratihartr and subrahmal)ya) that does this. Meaning of Sarna It should be noted that this Veda has The etymological meaning of the word been highly eulogized in other Vedas also. sama is 'that which destroys sorrow by its Kr~?l)a, while describing his special aspects, sweetness; a song.' says in the Bhagvadgzta (10.22) that he is the The BrhadaratLyaka Upani;;ad defines the Samaveda among the Vedas. sarna as a rk (~gvedic ) set to various tunes of music (Vide 1.3.25; 1.3.22). Commentators of the Samaveda Thus, samas are those mantras of the The Vedas are difficult to comprehend ~gveda which had been set to tunes as not only because of their archaic but prescribed by the special treatises like the also because of their close association with the Naradiyasik;;a. system of yajfia or sacrifice. Hence, the help However, the same rk can be sung in of bha~yas or commentaries by those scholars different tunes thus producing different samas. who also have an intimate knowledge of the The number of such samas can vary from one Vedic traditions is invaluable. to eighteen! According to one tradition there The following are the commentators on are 1875 rks and 2639 samas in the Samaveda the Samaveda whose works are available even texts available now.

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Sakhas of the Samaveda The rks of these five prapathakas are As in the case of the other three Vedas, known as veyagana or gramagana (or grame Samaveda also has several sakhas (branches or geya), because they are to be sung in gramas recensions). Though some traditional works or villages and towns. The other terms by like the Cara1Javyuha (an appendix to the which they are known are: chandarcika, ) mention that there are a thousand prakrti, prakrtisamhita and rk. sakhas in the Samaveda, only thirteen names These mantras are used more in have been discovered so far. They are the Brahmayajfia (reciting and teaching the Vedas), names of the teachers who were responsible and certain other rituals. Their use for re-editing the text and starting their own in Vedic sacrifices is limited. sakhas. The sixth prapathaka is called Nevertheless, only three such sakhas are Ara1Jyaka1Jeja or Ara1Jyakaparva. These mantras extant now. They are: Jaiminzyasakha, have to be chanted in an aral)ya or forest, since Kauthumasakha and Ra1Jayanzyasakha. The last they are conducive to contemplation. two have many similarities like equal number The ten rks appearing at the end of this of mantras. The first one has 182 mantras less section are known as Mahanamnz. They are than the other two. like an appendix to the Purvarcika. Known also as Sakvarya!:z-their deity is -they Internal Divisions are generally used on the fifth day of the The Samaveda has two sections called sacrifice. Purvarcika and Uttararcika. (Arcika means a Since these mantras are addressed to group of rks.) The Purvarcika has several Indra as God, the mahan (supreme or great), prapathakas or chapters containing a few they have come to be known as Mahanamnz. dasatis (decads, though sometimes the number In the Uttararcika, there are nine of rks is either more or less than ten). The prapathakas. Each prapathaka has several dasatis, again, comprise of rks. khal)qas (like the dasatis of the Purviircika) The Uttararcika has nine prapathakas. which contain the rks. These are divided into khaJ)qas, each of which The chanting or singing of these rks is consists of a large number of rks. divided into two groups: uhagana and In the Purvarcika, the mantras taken from uhyagana or rahasyagana. The basic models the ~gveda have been regrouped according to for these two are, respectively, the gramagana the or deity praised. The first pra­ and the aral)yagana. pathaka contains mantras connected with and hence called Agneyaka1Jcja. Prapathakas 2 Methods of Samagana to 4 are known as Aindraka1Jeja since they are As already stated, there are four groups devoted to Indra, the king of gods. The fifth of samas: gramageya, aral)yaka, uha and uhya. prapathaka contains mantras dedicated to the The first two are the prakrtis (basics) and god -Pavamana and hence called the last two, the vikrtis (derivatives). Pavamanaparva. Most of these mantras have The seven notes of samagana are the been taken from the ninth mal)qala of the equivalents of the seven notes (sapta ) of ~gveda which itself is entirely devoted to that the Indian music as shown in the following deity. table:

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Samasvara Sangita-svara Some rks like puniinaJ; soma dhiirayii 1 pratharna rnadhyarna rna (Samaveda 511) have as many as 61 2 dvitlya gandhara ga samaganas! 3 t]i:lya r~abha ri The samas (mantras of the Siimaveda) 4 caturtha ~aQja sa have been grouped in different ways and have 5 pancarna ni~ada ni been given different nomenclatures. 6 daivata da ~a~tha The pralqi:i (the first two sections of 7 saptarna pancarna pa Purviicikii) has seven types of . They are : While singing the rks as sarna (set to 1) Gayatragana (based on the famous music), certain changes are effected in the Gayatrlmantra); letters of the text to facilitate singing. 2) Agneyagana (containing rks pertaining There are five fundamental steps in the to Agni); singing of every sarna. They are: 3) Aindragana (with rks on Indra in 1. Prastava: This is the beginning of the several metres); mantra. The prastotr priest begins with the 4) Pavamanagana (with rks on Soma­ sound 'hum'. pavamana); 2. U dgita: The main priest udgatr sings 5) Parvatrayagana (containing rks on this, beginning it with ''. Arka (here, Agni) couplets called dvandva and 3. Pratihara: Sung by the main pratihartr, ); this part generally expresses a sense of dedi­ 6) Sukriyagana (with rks on Sukra or cation to the deity to whom it is addressed. sun); and, 4. Upadrava: This is sung by the udgatr 7) Mahiiniimnz (explained already). priest himself. The names of some of the other samas 5. Nidhana: Comprising the last part of are: Amrtasamhita, Ari~tavarga, Pavitravarga, the mantra-sometimes including the Om Skandasamhita, Vinayakasamhita and so on. also-this is sung by all the three priests mentioned above, bringing it to a close. ~~is, Chandas and Devatiis Some more information may now be Anyone wishing to study the Vedic adduced here about the samas for further mantras or even recite them must know three elucidation. things about them. They are: r~i (the sage to The mantras of the Purviircikii are pralqi:is whom it was revealed), chandas (the metre in or basic role models. Each of the rks generally which it is composed) and devata (the deity has only one sarna, though there are exceptions to whom it is addressed.) where the number of samas can go up to 18. Since the mantras of the Siimaveda have All the samas on the rks are already fixed by been taken mostly from the ~gveda, it can be tradition. Some rks may not have any sarna at presumed that the r~i is the first sage to whom all. Again, the rks sung as sarna may be in any the sarna-pattern was originally revealed. of the well-known metres like gayatrl, The following are some of the r~is and anu~tubh, tri~tubh and jagatl. the number of sarna-mantras revealed to them Sometimes, the same rk can be sung as a given in terms of dasatis: (29); sarna in all the four groups beginning with Gotama (20); (13); Kal)va (29); veyagana. Medhantithi (29) Praskal)va (13); Saubhari (18)

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Sunassepha (17); Vamadeva (36); Vasi~tha (43); Other Upani~ads-considered as minor Visvamitra (29). ones-are: Aru7:zopani;;ad; Jabaladarsanopani;;ad; Though chandas mean the metre, Jabalyupani;;ad; Mahopani;;ad; Vasudevopani;;ad. etymologically speaking, it is interpreted as - something that covers and hence protects, as The Vedangas dealing exclusively with also gives joy. A knowledge of the chandas is the Samaveda can be listed as follows: necessary for the knowledge of the padapatha Paninlya S~a; Naradlya Si~a; Gautama (breaking the words of the sentences and the Si~a; Lomasa S~a; Pu~pasutras; ~ktantra. compound words) which is very important in Nidanasutra of Patafijali and Anupadasutra this Veda. of Gargya deal with the chandas or metres of The following are the Vedic metres used the Samavedic mantras. here: anu~tubh, brhatl, jagatl, pankti, tri~tubh The Srautasutras of Samaveda are: and u~l)ik. Drahyaya7:za Srautasutras; Jaiminzya Srautasutras; Latyayana Srautasutras. Subsidiaries of the Samaveda Gobhila Grhyasutras and Jaiminzya Apart from the Samhita, every Veda has Grhyasutras belong to the grhyasutra group of three more parts: Brahmal)a, Aral)yaka and the Samaveda. Upani~ad. As regards the dharmasutras of the To facilitate its study, the help of Samaveda, the Gautama Dharmasutras is the only the Vedangas is also necessary. A list of ancient work that is available now. these, belonging to the Samaveda may now be Quite a few ancient and medieval works given: dealing with the subjects of the Samaveda are Brahmal)as- also available. 1. Arseya BrahmaJ;za; 2. Devatadhyaya BrahmaJ;za The Philosophy of the Samaveda Since the Samaveda contains only the 3. PraucJha BrahmaJ;za, also known as Ta7:zcJya mantras of the ~gveda set to music, it has no Mahabrahma7:za and Paficavimsa Brahma7:za; philosophy of its own, but that of the ~gveda 4. $acJvirizsa Brahma7:za, itself. However, quite a few of the samas bespeak 5. Samavidhana Brahma7:za; of a high kind of or devotion. Some of 6. Sarizhitopani;;ad Brahma7:za; these sentiments may be summarised as follows: 7. Talavakara Brahma7:za; .:. God is brilliant light. May he light up our 8. Upani;;ad Brahma7:za ; hearts. (Samaveda, 1) 9. Varizsa Brahma7:za. .:. You are our dear friend, respected guest. You Aral)yakas- take us in the path of bliss and auspiciousness. I There is only one Aral)yaka available pray to you. (3) called Talavakara Aral)yaka. It is a part of the .:. May the spiritual aspirant think of the Talavakara Brahma7:za. Supreme Lord, the being of light, in his own Upani~ads- heart, thereby gaining in faith and strength to The Chandogya and the Kena or the do good deeds. (19) Talavakara Upani;;ads are the major Upani~ads .:. God as Agni destroys our sins and ignorance of the Samaveda. and enlightens us. (4)

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.:. 0 God as Agni! The realises your .:. 0 God! Give us all that we need for our welfare greatness through divine wisdom. (9) here and destroy all fear brought about by our .:. 0 Singers of the samas! Praise the all-powerful wrong decisions. (141) God, the destroyer of all sins! We too will .:. May the all-knowing God, the destroyer of eulogise him, the omniscient Lord, the dear our troubles, the indweller in the hearts of all, friend of all! (35) the all-merciful one, lead us in the straight path! .:. 0 effulgent God! The ever-youthful, the (218) brilliant, the compassionate one! Please shine in our hearts! (37) Epilogue ·:·0 Supreme Lord! You have two forms, one of Though the Samaveda is, comparatively brilliant splendour and the other of great peace, speaking, a smaller work than the other Vedas, fit for contemplation ... You are the gracious it has endeared itself to all by its sweet music, protector of the universe. (75) high literary value (as excellent poetry) and •:. We have infinite faith in that creator of the noble sentiments of devotion . world, who is the dispeller of all sorrow, the It is undoubtedly the origin of hoary best of leaders, the eternal, the all-pervading, Indian classical music, though very difficult the giver of light and the great protector as also to master. the omniscient. (91) It definitely needs more effective .:. None can vanquish that devotee of God who propagation, and the samagas--singers of the has surrendered himself to him. (104) samas--greater encouragement. D

True That Ahimsa (Non-injury) is the supremest virtue is no doubt true. But merely professing it by word of mouth is worse than useless; merely refraining from killing animals, as for example, not taking fish or meat, is not Ahimsa. True non-injury can only be practiced when God is seen in all beings, that is, when the Self is realized. The very nature of living necessarily involves at every moment, whether knowingly or unknowingly, destruction of or injury to the lives of countless beings, visible and invisible. The practise austerities by living upon milk, because it is a purely Sattvic food. But to obtain that milk the calf which has its birthright to the whole of its mother's milk, has to be deprived of a part of its natural food. I s this not an act of injury or cruelty? But the more one can live without consciously injuring or harming others, so much the better. However, by the habitual practice of real non-inj ury, one develops love for all beings, the little ego or selfishness disappears, and no distinction is felt between friend and foe. Consequently the heart is purified, and in the pure heart, God is fully reflected.' -Swami Virajananda, 6th President of the Ramakrishna Order, in Towards the Goal Supreme, p.134-135

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