OLDEST SACRED TEXTS VEDAS
In Hinduism vedas are very important. The Vedas are among the oldest sacred texts. The Sanskrit term veda as a common noun means "knowledge". It is said that vedas are “apauruṣeya,”; meaning, not of a man or impersonal and also not belonging to a particular author.
When sages are in deep meditation state(Samadhi avastha) they hear these sholka or knowledge from universe. These sages composed hymns and verses of vedas and transferred this knowledge to their disciple who then handed down through generations by word of mouth. . Vedas are also called śruti ("what is heard") literature,
Initialy vedas were vast collection of hymns and verses. Maharshi Vyasa devided these veda in to 4 parts
Each Veda has been sub classified into four major text types
1.Samhitas (mantras and benedictions).
2. Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies such as newborn baby's rites of passage, coming of age, marriages, retirement and cremation, sacrifices and symbolic sacrifices),
3.Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices)
4. Upanishads (text discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge).
Maharshi vyas gave education of of these 4 vedas to his 4 disciples
1.Rigved to rishi Pail
2. Yajurveda to rishi Vaishampayan
3. Samved to rishi Jaimini
4. Atharvaved to rishi sumantu.
Further these Vedas handed down through generations by word of mouth
Each veda is devided in to number of branches ex.
Several shakhas ("branches") of Rig Veda are known to have existed in the past. Of these, Śākala Shākha is the only one to have survived in its entirety.
In yajurveda there are mainly 2 branches
1. Krishna Yjurveda
2. Shukla Yajurveda
Vedanga
. The Vedangas were sciences that focused on helping understand and interpret the Vedas that had been composed many centuries earlier.
The six subjects of Vedanga are
All these ancient sacred text are ocean of knowledge, which guide us how to live our life meaningfully. We should try to experience some drops from this vast ocean of knowledge
ॐ सह नाववतु। सह नौ भुनक्तु। सह वीर्यं करवावहै। तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै।।
(कठोपनिषद -कृष्ण यजुर्वेद)
Shilpa Pandit -Nasik
In Hinduism vedas are very important. The Vedas are among the oldest sacred texts. The Sanskrit term veda as a common noun means "knowledge". It is said that vedas are “apauruṣeya,”; meaning, not of a man or impersonal and also not belonging to a particular author.
When sages are in deep meditation state(Samadhi avastha) they hear these sholka or knowledge from universe. These sages composed hymns and verses of vedas and transferred this knowledge to their disciple who then handed down through generations by word of mouth. . Vedas are also called śruti ("what is heard") literature,
Initialy vedas were vast collection of hymns and verses. Maharshi Vyasa devided these veda in to 4 parts
- Rigveda .
- Yajurveda
- Samveda
- Atharvaveda
Each Veda has been sub classified into four major text types
1.Samhitas (mantras and benedictions).
2. Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies such as newborn baby's rites of passage, coming of age, marriages, retirement and cremation, sacrifices and symbolic sacrifices),
3.Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices)
4. Upanishads (text discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge).
Maharshi vyas gave education of of these 4 vedas to his 4 disciples
1.Rigved to rishi Pail
2. Yajurveda to rishi Vaishampayan
3. Samved to rishi Jaimini
4. Atharvaved to rishi sumantu.
Further these Vedas handed down through generations by word of mouth
Each veda is devided in to number of branches ex.
Several shakhas ("branches") of Rig Veda are known to have existed in the past. Of these, Śākala Shākha is the only one to have survived in its entirety.
In yajurveda there are mainly 2 branches
1. Krishna Yjurveda
2. Shukla Yajurveda
Vedanga
. The Vedangas were sciences that focused on helping understand and interpret the Vedas that had been composed many centuries earlier.
The six subjects of Vedanga are
- Śikṣā….phonetics .
- Chandas…..poetic meter
- Vyākaraṇa…grammar
- Nirukta…etymology and linguistics
- Kalpa…rituals and rites of passage
- Jyotiṣa..time keeping and astronomy
Upaveda
The term upaveda ("applied knowledge") is used in traditional literature to designate the subjects of certain technical work . Lists of what subjects are included in this class differ among sources. The Charanavyuha mentions four Upavedas:
The term upaveda ("applied knowledge") is used in traditional literature to designate the subjects of certain technical work . Lists of what subjects are included in this class differ among sources. The Charanavyuha mentions four Upavedas:
- Archery (Dhanurveda), associated with the Yajurveda
- Architecture (Sthapatyaveda), associated with the RigVeda.
- Music and sacred dance (Gāndharvaveda), associated with the Samaveda
- Medicine (Āyurveda), associated with the Atharvaveda.
Vedant
Last part of Veda is called vedant. The word Vedanta literally means the end of the Vedas and originally referred to the Upanishads . each Veda has different upanishada.
Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from the speculations and philosophies contained in the Upanishads. Vedant contains many subtraditions like dualism, non-dualism etc.
Vedanta philosophy acknowledges the Prasthanatrayi as its three authoritative primary sources. The texts comprising the Prasthanatrayi are the
Last part of Veda is called vedant. The word Vedanta literally means the end of the Vedas and originally referred to the Upanishads . each Veda has different upanishada.
Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from the speculations and philosophies contained in the Upanishads. Vedant contains many subtraditions like dualism, non-dualism etc.
Vedanta philosophy acknowledges the Prasthanatrayi as its three authoritative primary sources. The texts comprising the Prasthanatrayi are the
- Upanishads,
- The Bhagavad gita
- The Brahma Sutra.
All these ancient sacred text are ocean of knowledge, which guide us how to live our life meaningfully. We should try to experience some drops from this vast ocean of knowledge
ॐ सह नाववतु। सह नौ भुनक्तु। सह वीर्यं करवावहै। तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै।।
(कठोपनिषद -कृष्ण यजुर्वेद)
Shilpa Pandit -Nasik
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