wisdom
of ancient India revolves around the Vedas. Indian tradition
strictly adheres to Gurukula Sampradaya that is, handing
over of knowledge directly from preceptor (teacher)
to disciple (student). Their acts were guided by principles
expressed in the form of slokas, or verses. This universality
and secular vision in all walks of life makes us difficult
to fix a particular time span as the exact period of
a particular school thought. Traditional Indian accepts
Vedas as apaurusheyam (not man-made), but revealed truths
and of eternal validity or relevance.
The Sanskrit word "VEDA" is cognate with Latin
"Videre", old English 'witan', New English
'wit', the German 'wessen' and all these words denote
the sense of knowledge, vision, learning, information
and wisdom.
In sanskrit single words may have more than one meaning.
The word Veda is derived from the root "Vid"
to endure or to stay and this meaning shows the real
eternal nature of the Vedas- to stay for the benefit
of mankind similarly the second meaning is to cognize
or to know i.e., the whole corpus of Knowledge. The
root 'vid' also means examination or inquiry. This signifies
the path of constant enquiry followed by our ancient
seers who tried to unravel the material and the spiritual
truths. The root is having a meaning "Labhe"
that is to gain i.e., Vedic corpus help us to achieve
all the purusharthas or ultimate values of life. This
means Vedas are instrumental in acquiring the material
as well as spiritual gains in one's life.
Traditional
belief about the Vedic corpus is that, there was only
one in the beginning, it was classified into four fold
because of the priestly needs such as religious, rituals
etc, in later period by sage Vedavyasa. Vyasa distributed
the Vedic knowledge to each one of his four disciples,
according to his system of belief.
Paila
- Rigveda
Vaisampayana - Yajurveda
Jaimini - Samaveda
Sumantu - Atharvaveda
RIGVEDA
Rigveda contains 10,552 rks or mantras or stanzas in
1028 suktas, arranged in 10 books or mandalas. Rigveda
is said to have 21/24 sakhas or versions or recensions.
Bahurik is another name for Rigveda because it contains
more rks than other Vedic branches. Sakala, Bashkala,
Asvalayana, Samkhayana and Mandukeya are sakhas mentioned
in Charanavyuha. At present only two sakhas are extant
- Sakala and Baskala. The former recension of the Rigveda
is more popular.
Rigveda
Samhita
Brahmanas Aitareya
Kaushitaki
Sankhayana &
Bashkala
Upanishads - Aitareya & Kaushithaki
Pratisakhya - Saunaka
Dharasutra - Vasishta
Grhyasutras - Asvalayana, Sankhayana and Kaushitaki
Srautasutras - Asvalayana, Sankhayana and Kaushitaki
YAJURVEDA
There are two major schools in Yajurveda.
Taittiriya
Samhita or Krshna Yajurveda or Black School
or Brahma sampradaya.
Vajasaneyi Samhita or Sukla Yajurveda
or white school or Aditya sampradaya.
This
Veda is said to have 101 sakhas or recensions. Vajasaneyi
samhita contains only Mantras for chanting in
rituals & their explanatory passages. The brahmana
portion occurs separately.
In
Taittiriya Samhita, the Mantras and brahmanas are intermixed.
Sukla
Yajurveda has fifteen sakhas, of which only two are extant
Kanva
Samhita
Madhyandina samhita or vajasaneyi samhita
Krshna
yajurveda has 86 recensions grouped into three area wise
divisions.
Uttara
Desiya
Madhya Desiya
Prachya Desiya
Taittiriya
samhita has 7 Kandas, 46 Adhyayas, 13 Anuvachanas and
3091 Mantras that deal with sacrifices like Rajasuya,
Asvameda, Agnishtoma etc.
Yajurveda
Suklayajurveda
-Madhyandinasamhita
Brahmanas -Satapatha brahamana and Kanva
Upanishads -Isavasya and Brhadaranyaka
Pratisakhya - Katyayana
Dharma Sutra - Bodhayana, Apastamba and Hiranyakesi
Grhya Sutras - Manava
Srauta Sutra - bodhayana, Apastamba and Hiranyakesi
Krshna
Yajurvedas
Brahmanas - Taittiriya
Upanishads - Taittiriya, Katha, Svetasvatara, Maitrayaniya
& Mahanarayana
Pratisakhya - Taittiriya
Dharmasutra - Apastamba, Bodhayana & Hiranyakesi
Grhya Sutra - Manava
SAMAVEDA
Samaveda
is said to have 1000 recensions, this text meant to
help the udgatr priest in the sacrificial sessions.
In Samaveda a total of 1504 mantras are from Rigveda,
only about 99 mantras are original in Samaveda. The
three sakhas extant today are
Ranayaniya - (Maharastra)
Kauthumiya - (Gujarat)
Jaiminiya -(Karnataka)
Samaveda
Samhita
Brahmanas - Panchavimsa
Shadvimsa
Samavidhana
Arsheya
Gopatha
Upanishads - Chandogya & Kena
Pratisakhya - Sakatayana
Pushpasutra
Dharmasutra - Gotama
Grhya Sutra - Khadira
Gobhila
Gothama
Srauta Sutra - Khadira
Latyayana
Prahyayana
ATHARVA VEDA
Brahmaveda,
Bhrgvangirasa, Atharvargirsa or nigada or Chhanda are
other names for this veda. As many as 50 recensions are
there of this Veda of which Paippaladasamhita and saunakasamhitha
are presented for our times, of which later appears to
be more complete.
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