sadagopan
SrI:
Dear AaasthikAs belinging to the Veda Paramparai :
Sixty nine days from today , the SathAbhishEka Uthsavam of Srimath Azhagiya
Singar
will be celebrated at Srirangam with the recitation of the Vedams in Samhitha ,
JaDai ,
Ghanam modes . 500 Vedic Pandits will be taking part in these sacred
recitations .
As a part of the fund raising efforts for preservation and protection of that
Veda
Santhathi by Srimath Azhagiya Singar and other VedAbhimAnis , adiyEn is sharing
these articles on Vedams , Veda BhAghams and Upanishads with you
until the day of SathAbhishEkam .
adiyEn knows that these efforts to share the richness of our Vedic tradition
will bear fruit and we can succeed in raising the necessary funds to support
this gigantic Vedic recitation ( Veda ViNNappam ) before MalOlan and Dolai
KaNNan at the Sri Mantapam at the dhivya kshEthram of Sri Rangam .
Please support generously . Please contact adiyEn about your support
for Vedams and the Vedic tradition .
Today , we will focus on the content of the four Vedams .
NamO Veda PurushAya ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan
sadagopan.org
Vedams & Upanishads
Lord Sri Lakshmi HayagrIvan
The two kinds of Knowledge: Para and apara vidhyAs
The great tradition of the transmission of knowledge thru AchArya Mukham
is recorded in Mundaka Upanishad as a conversation between BrahmA, the creator
and his eldest son, AtharvA about the knowledge of BRAHMAN, the corner stone of
ALL knowledge. AtharvA taught what he had learned from his father to AngirA,
who in turn taught it to SatyavAhA belonging to the clan of BharadvAjA;
SatyavAhA passed that supreme knowledge in succession to Sage Angiras .
SaunakA, the celebrated grahasthA approached Sage Angiras and asked
humbly: ?O Illustrious sage! kasminnu BhagavO vig~nyAthE sarvamidham vig~nAtham
bhavathee ? (What is that by the knowing of which all this becomes known?)
Sage Angiras replied: "two kinds of knowledge needs to be known according
to the knowers of Brahman. They are the higher knowledge (parA) and the lower
knowledge (aparA)"
Sage Angiras explained further that the lower knowledge is the Rig Veda,
the Yajur VedA, the Saama VedA and Atharva VedA, SikshA (phonetics), kalpA
(rituals), vyAkarNam (grammer), NirukthA (etymology), chandas (metre) and
JyOthisham (astronomy); and the higher knowledge is that by which the
imperishable Brahman is attained.
Sage Angiras said:" dhvE vidhyE vEdhithavyE ithi ha sma yadh BrahmavidhO
vadanthi ParA chaivAparA cha "AparA are the four VedAs and their six angAs to
understand the nature of DharmA and the ParA is the knowledge about the
imperishable (akshaya) Brahman, which is the embodiment of DharmA. That
omniscient, Omnipotent, all merciful Brahman has been defined as the
source/origin, sustenance and dissolution of this multifaceted world according
to the second Brahma sUthrA (JanmAdhyasya yatha:). That Brahman is cognized
only through the scriptures, the sources of authoritative knowledge about
Brahman (Saasthra yOnithvAth: Brahma-sUthram 1.3).The next Brahma sUtram goes
on to point out that Brahman is the main purport of all Vedic and upanishadic
texts (tatthu samanvayAth). Thus one can not dismiss the VedAs quickly as apara
vidhyA and jump on to Para vidhyA. Rigorous study of the VedAs reveal to us the
appproach to Brahman, the para VidhyA, the ultimate goal for us all.
The four categories of Knowledge in the VedAs
The four VedAs contain four important categories of knowledge related to
DharmA:
(1) Injunctions and Prohibitions
(2) Valedictory (praise) and deprecatory passages
(3) MantrAs and
(4) Names
All these four are necessary to understand true DharmA or righteous duty
from different angles. Thus an inquiry in to them through the study of the
VedAs becomes an essential pre-requisite in one's journey towards the
comprehension of Brahman (para VidhyA). The authority of the VedAs for us is
supreme and final and hence a proper understanding of them with the help of a
qualified AchAryA sets us on a safe footing to comprehend Brahman and achieve
the parama purushArtham of Moksham. Our tradition is therefore called Vaidhikam
or the one based on the authoritativeness of the VedAs.
The four kinds of Veda SamhithAs:
Atharva SamhithA
Rig, Yajur, Saama and Atharva samhithAs constitute the four VedA
samhithAs. Each of them have more than one branch (SaakA). The oldest VedA is
recognized as Rig Vedam and the youngest is the Atharva Vedam. Latter has nine
branches or rescensions (navadhAatharvaNO veda:). These nine branches are: (1)
PaippalAda (2) Tauda (3) MuNda (4) SaunakIya (5) Jaajala (6) Jalada (7)
BrAhmaveda (8) Devadarsa and (9) ChAraNavaidya. Today, only two of the nine
branches of Atharva Vedam (Saunakha and PaippalAda) are available to us. The
Delhi Vedic trust has recorded the Saunakha sAkA .
The Atharva Veda samhithA has 5977 verses spread over 20 KhAndams
(books/chapters). The khAndams are further subdivided into hymns and they in
turn house a group of manthrAs. Some prefer to catalogue the Atharva Veda Text
(SamhithA)into prapaathakAs (Lessons or lectures). Under this classification,
there are 34 prapAthakAs that house the 5977 verses. Among NammAzhwAr's four
Tamil Prabhandhams, Periya ThiruvanthAdhi is considered as the essence of
Atharva Vedam.
The Delhi Vedic trust has recorded the 20 KhAndhams of Atharva Vedam in
14 audio tapes and lately into MP3 type of condensation .
" In the external plane , Atharva Veda mantrams are known as hymns for
solely performing "Magic" and have incantations as thier goals . Wehn viewed in
the Spiritual plane described below , the Atharva Veda is recognized as
expounding universal truths of the oneness of the Universe , the way to live in
communion with the world of evolved souls , to pray for a healthy life full of
spiritual pursuits and finally reach the Supreme Being ".
Atharva Vedam stays as one of the four Kumbhams in the PraNavAkAra
VimAnam of Sri RanganAtha at Srirangam . The other three Kumbhams represent the
Yajur, Saama and Rig Vedams .
Inview of the misunderstood purport of Atharva Vedam a sbeing connected
to balck magic and cures , adiyEn will devote some time to specific sections of
Atharva Vedam to highlight their grandeur and universal vision .
Rg Veda SamhithA
This ancient Vedam has 1,028 sUkthams (hymns) and contains in all 10,589
verses. These are grouped into either 8 KhAndAs or 10 MandalAs with 85 anuvAkAs
(subsections). There used to be 21 sakAs (redactions) of the Rig VedAs. There
is only one available today. That is Saakala SaakA. IythrEya Upanishad belongs
to Rig Veda SamhithA. NammAzhwAr's Thiruviruttham is consdieres as the Veda
SaarArtham of Rig Vedam.
Veda PrasAr Samithi summarizes this way the purport of the RigVedam : "
In the Rig Vedam , the universal truths propounded explain the universal order
of life in three planes :
(1) Internal ( to the Soul) , (2) External ( to the body inn terms of
dharma or worldly life), and (3) Spiritual ( interms of the Cosmos).
The universal order of life in these three planes is then linked to the
supreme encompassing the three planes . Thus all terms /names mentioned such as
Indhra , Agni , Vaayu etc have exoteric and esoteric significance in each of
the three planes as understood by the individual Soul depending on the
spiritual evolution of the Soul .
There are thus multiple interpretations of the meanings of the Veda
Mantrams .
Yajur Veda SamhithA
This Vedam has 1975 verses grouped under 40 chapters known as adhyAyAs.
The longest chapter has 117 "verses" and the shortest chapter has 13 "verses ".
There are two Yajur samhithAs: Sukla and KrishNa (White and Black) samhithAs.
The White Yajur Veda samhithA is also known as VajasanEyi -MadhyAndina Sukla
Yajur vedam to distinguish it from KrishNa Yajur Veda or Taittiriya SamhithA,
which is generally considered to be more close to a BrahmaNA rather than to a
Sruthi. Most of the people in AndhrA and Tamil Naadu are KrishNa Yajur Vedins.
The two samhithAs have number of recensions in view of their wide
popularity. These variations arose from a variety of textual differences and
their applications in Vedic rituals. The two popular recensions of the Sukla
Yajur Vedam are: MaadhyAndhina and KaaNva; the KrishNa Yajur Vedam has three
recensions: kAtaka, Kapishtala-Kata and MaithrAyaNee.
" The Yajur Veda consists of hymns from the Rig Veda along with other
hymns , which when recited in the performance of a Yaj~naa will enable the soul
or the beneficiaries to understand the universal truths of the Veda in any or
all the three planes of its meanings depending on the individual's stage of
spiritual evolution .Though the Yajur Veda is associated with performance of
Yaj~naa for worldly gains , it is understood that the individual beneficiaries
will ultimately evolve spiritually and subsequently undertake these Yaj~naas
for the spiritual and material benefits of Mankind as a whole".
Sukla & KrishNa Yajur VedAs : Sukla Yajur Veda is popular in the Northern
parts of India , whereas the KrishNa Yajur Veda prevails in the South (DakshiNa
dEsams). Sukla (White) Yajur Vedam is said to have been taught by Surya
NaarAyaNan to Sage Yaj~nyavalkya . It consists of Veda Mantrams and BrahmaNams
( explanatory notes to those mantrams) as seen in Sathapatha BrAhmaNa .
KrishNa Yajur Vedam is known as the "Black " or "dark " Yajur Vedam and
has alsothe Veda Mantrams and BrahmanaNAs mixed together.
Saama samhithA
In its importance in YaagAs and sacredness, Saama Veda SamhithAs rank
next to Rig VedA. The Lord of GeethA however has put this Saama samhithA on the
top of all four SamhithAs with His declaration that He is Saama VedA among the
VedAs. This samhithA consists of hyms chanted by udhgAtri priests at the Soma
YaagAs. Many of the hymns originate from Rig Vedam and have been rearranged
without reference to the original order in the Rig Vedam and set to music. Only
75 verses of the total of 1,875 verses of Saama Vedam are not to be found in
Rig Vedam. The remaining 1,800 verses are essentially the repetitions of Rig
Vedic verses. The important distinction however is that they are sung instead
of being recited. The Rig Vedam deals with knowledge and Saama Vedam deals with
UpAsanA, Worship and DhyAnam.
According to one classification, the Saama samhithA is catalogued under
two sections: PurvArchikA and UttarArchikA. Each archikA is subdivided into
prapaathakAs and adhyAyAs. In another classification, the 1875 verses are
grouped under FOUR categories:
1. PurvArchikA: 585 verses ( 1-585 )
2. AraNya KhAndam : 55 verses ( 586-640 )
3. MahAnAmnyArchikA : 10 verses( 641-650 )
4. UttarArchikA: 1225 verses ( 651-1875)
In singing, the priests of the Yaj~nams follow specific styles through
alteration of prolongation, repetition, modulation, rests et al. These become
the various styles of Saama GhAnams: congregational (GrAma gEya GhAnam), AraNya
ghAnam (Forest song style), Uha ghAnam and Uhya GhAnam.
Saama Vedam had originally 1001 branches. We have very few left now.
NammAzhwAr's celebrated Thiruvaimozhi is recognized as the Saama Veda
SaarArtham.
" The Saama Veda consists of hymns ( many of them common with the Rig
Veda ) , which when combined in the appropriate mannenr will strike a chord in
enabling one to understand the universal truths and order of life depending on
their stage of spiritual evolution . The source of the musical patterns of the
Saama Veda hymns is derived from the vibratioons/sounds of the cosmos . This
reveals that the spiritual evolution can be achieved thru Music ( by hearing as
well as singing )."
Upanishads and Veda Saakaas
Upanishads are found in the concluding sections of the Veda Saakaas and
hence are known as Vedanta or the end of the Vedas. There are four Veda
Samhitas (Rg, Yajur, Sama and Atharva). The Yajur Vedam has two Samhitas known
as the Krishna and Sukla Yajur Vedas. Hence, One can say that there are 5 Veda
Samhitas, if we take into account the 2 Samhitas of Yajur Veda. Each of the 4
Samhitas referred to above has several branches or Saakaas. Each Saaka has a
Karma Khanda dealing with the actions to beperformed and is made up of Mantras
and Btrahmanaas. Latter deals with Upasana or meditation and has Aranyakas
inside them for the benefit of those who have resorted to the quiet habitat of
the forest to pursue their spiritual Quest. The Upanishads are found mostly in
the Aranyaka section of the Vedas.
The traditional view is that Vysa Bhagavan has classified the four Vedas
into 1180 Saakaas and each of these Saakaa is associated with an Upanishad.
Hence, One anticipates 1180 Upanishads. According to this view, there must have
been 21 Upanishads for the 21 Rg Saakaas, 109 for Yajurveda, 1000 for Sama Veda
and 50 for the Atharva Veda. Most of these Saakaas have been lost with the
passage of time and we are left with 108 Upanishads today. The breakdown among
the 108 Upanishads according to the 5 Veda Samhitas are as follows:
1. Rg Veda : 10
2. Sama Veda :16
3. Atharva Veda: 31
4. Krishna Yajur Veda: 32
5. Sukla Yajur Veda: 19
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