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Oppiliappan List Archive Jan 1996Sri:
Dear AasthikAs :

Back in January 1996 , I posted a short article on Kalpa 
SoothrAs dealing with the prayOgam and anushtAnam of
Kalpa Soothrams used in our ancient SamskArAs .
That is attached for your perusal.

During August 2004 , adiyEn had the privelege of 
sponsoring a day long meeting on SamskAraas at 
West Mambalam  Samskrutha VidhyAsAlaa . The occasion was the Golden 
Jubilee Celebrations of that School founded by Sri OzhapakkAm 
RaajagOpAlaAcchAr Swamy with the blessings of Sri SrinivAsAcchAr Swamy
and withfurther  links to Maharishi VaasudEvAcchAr Swamy . 

A series of lectures by authorities in this field along with
TadhiyAradhanam for approximately 300 attendees and sambhAvanais
for the scholars were covered by adiyEn in the context of the centennial
anniversary of my dear father , PoundarIkapuram Bruhaspathy 
Vaikunta Vaasi Sri VaradAcchAr  Swamy . This is the second event in
a series of planned sponsorships , participation in Kaimakryams  from
now on  for adiyEn's revered father's anniversary that falls on 
Iyppasi Mrugaseersham in the year 2005 C.E. The first event in 
this commemorative events fro adiyEn's father was the release of 
the ThrikAla SandhyA Vandhanam discs for Rg, Yajur and Saama Veda
SaakhA adhyAyees with the blessings and direction of PoundarIkapuram
SrImath Andavan Swamy .Other events like support for the release 
of Swamy  Deikan's SthOthra granthams edited by U.Ve Dr.V.N . VedAntha-
Desikan Swamy at the niyamanam of HH SriMath Poundarikapuram 
Andavan , Support for NithyAradhana Kaimkaryam at ThUppul Swamy
Desikan Sannidhi are in plan .   

AdiyEn had requested the organizers to capture the day long sessions 
in the form of DVD Discs to preserve them and make them
available to those , who could not be physically present at West Mambalam
on that day as the participants in this high calibre sessions on the important
Hindu SamskArAs .  adiyEn thanks Sri Srinath , the Secretray 
of the Samskrutha VidhyAsAlA's Golden Jubilee celebrations
committee for acceding to my request and sending me the discs  .  

Great authorities like SoorAdhyAyi , GanapAti PazhavEri SaThakOpAcchAr 
Swamy , Sri SthalasayanAcchAr  Swamy ( Sri Kaaryam  Swamy of 
Ahobila Matam ) , GanapAti Vijaya RaaghavAcchAr Swamy , 
Head of the School for the Vedic SamskArAs at Srirangam and additional
scholars took part during the day long  sessions at West Mambalam  . 
They covered topics from Upanayanam to VivAham/Pumsavanam ,
TarpaNams / SrArddham and all the way to apara kriyaa with
Vedic PramANams and profuse quotations from the Kalpa SoothrAs . 

Each one of them could have carried on a whole day's discussions.
That was the depth of their scholarhip ! It is an amazing experience to
recall the content of the day's presentations .

One thing became crystal clear , when one listens to these 5 DVD
discs on SamskArAs . That is the mantra lObham and KriyA lObham 
by many of the modern day Bruhaspathys and the aasthikAs 
rushing the Bruhaspathis to compress these sacred  observances 
to suit their time pressures while performing  these ceremonies . 

The great scholars on the Sadas took us thru some of 
the SamskArAs and related manthrAs in great detail including
the recitation of Veda Manthrams with the correct Svarams .
My revered father used to insist on the correct pronunciation 
and uccharaNam of these manthrAs along the lines of
his forefathers , who were Bruhaspathys . adiyEn is gald to realize 
that such scholars do exist amidst us and are still training a few 
future Bruhaspathis in the sampradhAyic manner . Our thanks are to 
the West Mambalam Sanskrit School Trustees for choosing 
this topic to remind us of the need to protect and preserve 
the inspired gifts from Maharishis like Aapasthambhar 
and other Kalpa SoothrakArars for the  different Veda SaakhAs .

adiyEn has these five discs with me now and will look into
ways to disseminate them soon to the community of aasthikAs 
in consultation with the West Mambalam Sanskrit School .

NamO Veda PurushAya 
Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

An excellent article on the West Mambalam School ,
the key people
and its history can be accessed at the following URL:

http://www.rediff.com/news/1004/sep/13spec.htm
 
Aapasthamaba Sutraas & other Kalpa SutrAs 
*************************************************************************** 
  a.. From: "V. Sadagopan" 
  b.. Date: 04 Jan 96 21:55:10 EST 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two of our members had asked for Information on these Sutras. I had written
about them earlier in a special issue of Tattvaloka Journal on the 40 Hindu
Samskaras.Here is an elaboration on that article focussing more on the Sutras 
as opposed
to the Samskaras they deal with.

The Sixth limb (Anga ) of the Vedas is Known as Kalpam.
It is considered as the Hands of the Vedas, since it deals with 
doing Karmas prescribed by the Vedas. Those Karmas and the fruits thereof 
should be offered to the Supreme being at the end of their performance.

The Kalpams provide details on who should do what and at what stage of one's
life.They elaborate on the mantras to be recited, the Samagriyas to be 
assembled,the Rtviks 
to officiate at these rituals and prescribed functions. 

The Kalpa Sutrams have been given to us by various Sages . In the south, Krishna
Yajur Vedam is dominant or popular. Six rishis -- Aapasthambhar, BodhAyanar, 
VaigAnasar, SatyAshaadar,Bharadvajar and Agnivesar-- have written Sutras for the
practioners of Krishna Yajur Veda Saakhaa. These Rishis have written both the 
Sroutha and Gruhya Sutrams for the Saakaas. 

Two sages have written Sutras for Rg Vedam. The popular one is by Asvlaayanar.
The other not so prevalent is that by SaankAyanar.

Sage Kaatyayanar has written Sutras for Sukla Yajur Vedam

For Sama Veda Saakas, Laatyayanar has written for Kouthuma Saakaa.
For RaaNaaaneeya Saakaa , Diraahyayanar has written Sroutha Sutrams. The 
Grihya Sutrams for this Saakaa has been written by Gopilar .
Sage Jaimini has written sutrams for the Talavakaara Saaka of Sama Vedam.

Atharva Vedam is not so prevalent. No Kalpa Sutram is available today.

>From Garbha Dhanam (placement of the seed) to Antimeshti (Ultimate Ishti or
Yaga , the cremation ceremony in which the body is offered as Havis in the
Sacred fire),there are 40 Samskaras for a Hindu. There are a subset for women 
among the 40. For instance, they do not have the Upanayanam ceremony. Either 
the Sroutha or the
Gruhya Sutra 
covers these 40 ceremonies. Among the 21 Yajnas -- 7 Paka, 7 Soma, 7 Havir
Yajnas--, Sroutha 
Sutras cover the 7 Soma and 7 Havir Yajnas. The Gruhya Sutras cover the 7 Paka
Yajnas and the 
rest of the 19 Samskaraas.

Gruhya Yajnas/Samskaaraas are smaller in scope than the Sroutha Yajnas, which
need major
effort. The former are done at home mostly (Gruham).Theothers are done at
special sites
outside the home. When we say Abhivaadhanam, we referer to the Sroutha Sutram 
associated with one's Veda Saakaa.Aapasthabhar has written Sroutha and Gruhya
Sutras.
Hence we recite Aapasthambha sutra: Yajussaakaadhyaayi, there is no
complication. In
contrast, One who belongs to RaaNaaneeya Saakaa of Sama Veda can not quote
Gopilar
in his Abhivaadhanam, but has to mention the sage Diraahyayanar alone. Latter
wrote
the Sroutha Sutram and Gopilar wrote only the Gruhya Sutrams for this Saakaa. 

There is a subdivision of Sroutha Sutras known as Sulpa Sutras. These deal with
more
details on Yajnas. Kaatyayanar, Hiranyakesar and Bodhaayanar have given us
these 
Sulpa Sutras. 

In addition to the ways of conductance of the Samskaras and Yajnas, these
Kalpa Sutras also decribe the Sikhai (Urdhva Sikhaior Poorva Sikhai ) , Pundram
to be worn and other details on Karmaanushtaanam. 

My father was an expert on Apasthambha Sutras and I have some moth eaten 
remnants of Apaasthambha Prayogas that are interesting to say the least to
study. Kaanchi Periyavaal has commented extensively
on Kalpa Sutras in the chapters on Vedas and their Six Angaas.

Sadagopan 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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