Vedams & our Vidhika- SampradhAyam: Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear Followers of SanAthana Dharmam :

 

It is my deep pleasure and distinctprivelege

to share some thoughts with you on the four Vedams

and their six angAs , which are distilled in

the four prabhandhams ( Tamizh MaRais )

of NammAzhwAr and the the six Veda angams

that are considered to be cvlose to the six

prabhandhams of Thirumangai AzhwAr .

 

I am so glad that Sriman A. Krishnan of

Srirangam and his fellow trustees of the

Delhi Vedic Trust have painstakingly recorded

the Shukla Yajur Vedam ( KaNva and Madhyandina

sAkhAs ) , Rg Vedam ( Shakala SaakhA) ,

Yajur Vedam ( Shukla and KrishNa samhithAs ),

Sama Vedam ( Ranayaniy, Jaimini and Kouthuma SakhAs)

and Atharva Vedam ( Saunaka SaakhA ).

 

Sriman Mani Varadarajan has brought our attention

to the availability of these high quality audio

tapes from Sri A.Krishnan , a permanent resident

of Srirangam and one of the trustees of the Delhi

Vedic Trust , who will be in this country until

June of this year . He can be reached by e-mail,

dvt regarding the acquisition of

these outstanding audio casettes and

more than that the bringing in of the sacred

Veda Dhvani that is enshrined there into your

homes and temples .

 

All the members of the Bhakthi list with links

to their local temples could perhaps render a great

service to their communities by persuading the temple

executives to purchase for their temple's use these

tapes for use in the daily , seasonal pujA and

special festivals . I am thinking here

especailly of Sriman TatachAr of Cincinatti

temple , Sriman M.G. prasad of Balaji Temple

of Bridge water and links to MahA Ganapathi templeat Queens , NY , Sri

Vijayaraghavan of Buffalo temple ,

Sriman Krishnamachari of Aurora temple , Sriman

Murali Rangaswamy of MahA Lakshmi temple ,

Sriman ParthA of Houston MeenAkshi Temple and

others .

 

As many of you know , there are

special passages of VedAs recommended for EkAdasi

( achithram and AsvamEdham ) and other sacred days.

These tapes could be an invaluable source and resource

to help the children learn about the ancient and

illustrious Vedic roots of our tradition .

 

This will be an one time ivestment

that is not much for the temples .

The Veda Dhvani can thus be enhanced

in this country . In this context , Jaimini's

Purva MeemAmsa SutrA (1.VI.11) says:

 

vruddhisccha karthrubhUmnAasya

 

( Meaning ) : Also because a multiplicity

of persons uttering the WORD( veda manhtram)

bring about an increased magnitude ( in the

word Sound /Veda Dhvani ) .The auspicious effects of

that dhvani and their sound vibrations have

a profoundly purifying and calming effect on one's

mind and body . This has been well studied .

 

The Sanskrit and the Tamil VedAs help us

in Nithya SamyOgam with the Veda Purushan

celebrated in the Purusha Sooktham , which is

found in all the four VedAs .The skambha sooktham dealing

with creation and the Ucchishta Brahmam (Atharva

Vedam ) and many ohter passages are profound

reflections of these timeless tresaures

passed onto us in the guru-sishya mode

by aural means alone .

 

This ancient & sacred tradition of passing on the Vedic

inheritance has been referred to by another Sutram

of Purva MeemAmsam : Tulyamja sAmpradhAyikam

( 2nd PadA .first AdhikaraNam, sUtram 8) .

 

Why do we repeat the Veda mantrAs with purity of

Svarams ? Why do we learn it at all ? Jaimini

points out two reasons among many :

 

AakAlikEpsA (Purva Meemsa SoothrAs 1.2.14 )

and guNArhthEna puna: sruthi: ( SoothrA 1.2.41)

 

The first of the above two soothram says that

one recites because there is a desire for

immediate good ; the next one states that

the repeated recitation is for the purposes of

qualification .There is a major hint here about the

purification of oneself for the two great

journeys , which are referred to at the

beginning of Jaimini's Purva MeemAmsa and

BaadarAyaNA's Uttara MeemAmsa SoothrAs :

 

athAthO Dharma jig~yAsA ( Jamini 1.1.1)

athAtho Brahma Jig~yAsA ( BaadharAyanA 1.1.1)

 

The first Soothram deals with the invitation

towards the inquiry into the nature of our Duty.

This one deals with the Karma KhAnda (work-portion )

of the VedAs , which have been sometimes

dismissed as ephemeral and limited .

 

Therefore , the first of the Brahma Soothrams

shifts gear and invites us to the inquiry

about the knowledge of Brahman , who

is eternal and infinite .

 

After preparation from the study of VedAs

( SvAdhyAyaa ), one starts with the inquiry

into Brahman to realize eternal and unlimited

fruits (i-e) Moksham . The study of VedAs

thru a Guru ( AchArya mukhEna ) is a prerequisite

for the inquiry into Brahman .

 

The connection between Dharmam and Vedam

( Vaidhika Dharmam ) as well as between

Dharmam and Brahman as the complimentary

step is pointed out by Sage Jaimini in

his MeemAmsa Soothram 1.3.1:

 

dharmasya sabdhamUlathvAth asabdham

anapEksham syAth

 

( Meaning ) : DharmA having the VedAs for its

sole basis , that which is not VedA should be

disregarded . The sole authority of the VedAs

over all else including sruthis is indicated here.

Although Smrithi has its basis in the VedAs ,

it should be discared , if it has any discrepancy

with the VedAs according to Sage Jaimini and

his intrepreters , KumArila BhattA , PrabhAkarA

et al .

 

The relation between Dharmam and Brahman is

saluted by NigamAntha MahA Desikan in his

DasAvathAra Slokam associated with Sri RamachandrA

as the embodiment of Dharmam :

 

" sarvAvastha sakruth prapanna-

janathA samrakshaNika vrathee

DHARMO VIGRAHAVAAN adharma-

viratheem dhanvee sa tanveetha na:"

 

The Lord is Dharnma SvarUpee; He has the avowed

dheekshA to protect any one , who has sought His

refuge/protection even once . That is His Dharmaam

and Swami VedAntha Desikan prays to this embodiment

of Dharmam to give us the strength not to lapse into

Adharmam , anything discarded by the VedAs . The samyOgam

(connection ) of the VedAs and Dharmam is thus indissolvable.

 

In the third adhyAyaa , first paadham , Jaimini

starts with Sesha -Seshee relations.In the first

sUthram , he decalres the subject matter of

the adhyAyam : AthAtha: sEsha LakshaNam .

sEshA stands for anga and aasrithA and a

subsidiary of the primordial,the principal ,

the Ucchishta Brahmam .Jaimini goes onto

say in the next Soothram : " sEsha: ParArhtathvAth ".

He defines "sEsha" to mean a subsidiary thing ,

which exists because of the principal , the nithya

vasthu , the nigamAntha vasthu . The Sesha-sEshi

relationship has been elaborated at great length

for our benefit by the Foundation-thinker of

Sri VisishTaadhvaitham , AchArya RaamAnujA and

his successors .

 

Veda manthrAs are thus very important for us .

They are the root of the tree of DharmA .

These manthrAs have been classified under

three heads : Rg , Yajus and Saama . Atharva VedA

has its own place for the approach of the Brahman

thru tantrA and other rituals . Rg vedam

thru prayer and intellectual pursuits;

Yajur Vedam thru invocation of Agni

for transprting the message enshrined in

hymns to the Sureme . Saama Vedam thru

rendering of those hyms of Rg and Yajur

vedams in music or singing .

 

I will conclude this posting with Jaimini's

defenition of the three VedAs and their

charactrestrics this way :

 

thEshAm Rg YathrArthavasEna pAdhavyasthA (JS :1.12.35)

 

(Meaning ) : The name Rg (rik ) is applied to

those manthrAs that are divided into paadhAs

( feet ) , that is , certain well defined

parts , each of which consists of a defenite

number of syllables ; and are called on that

account by such prosodial names (chandas)

like GayathrI(24 syllables), Trishtup (44) ,

Bruhathi (36) ,Anushtup (32) Asthi (64) ,

Jagathi (48 ) et al .

 

Saama Vedam is defined as the one given to music ,

where the mantrAs are sung in different styles

of music like RathantarA , Brihath and the like .

These different methods of singing are followed

precisely . Bruhath sAman is sung for instance

with force and loudly in contrast to RathAnthara

saaman ( geethishu SamAkhyA : JS 1.12.36).

 

Yajur Veda mantrAs are defined as those

not having metres (paadhams ) or associated

with singing ( sEshu yaju: sabdha: ). If there

are any metrical portion in Yajur vedam ,

they are considered by some under the above

strict definition as comparitively modern .

 

The two kinds of hymns are further dividable across

the four vEdAs as SthOthrAs and SaasthrAs :

 

sthuthasasrayOasthu samskArE

yAjyaAvadhyEvatA abhidhAnathvAth - Js: 1.5.13

 

SthOthrAs and SaasthrA hymns bring about santification like

YaajyA hymns , because they distinctly signify deities

( which are sEshAs to the SEshi ) .

 

SthOthrAs are the name of those hymns that

consist of manthrAs capable of being set to

music and sung ,- as distinct form the SaasthrA

hymns consisting of manthrAs not sung .

 

I will conclude this posting about Bhagavdh SvarUpam of

the VedAs with the famous Bhagavadha SlOkam

the Lord , who is Sarva manthra SvarUpi ,

sarvAntharyAmi an din the form of Sarva Krathus

( Yaj~nams ). He is present in the form

to be worshipped with Bhakthi and Detatchment

( VairAgyam ) by PrapannAs . May my Salutations

be to this Dharma Vigraha , Veda Moorthy ,

Yaj~na VarAhan with the four rthviks

at his feet ( ChathurhOthArangrou ).

 

namO namasthE akhila manthra devathA

dravyAya sarvakrathavE kriyAthmanE I

vairAgya bhakthyAthmajayAnubhAvitha

Jn~Aya VidhyA guravE NamO Nama: II

---Srimadh Bhagavatham : 3.13.39

 

Sri Veda PurushAya nama:

Sri Jn~Ana GuravE nama:

 

DaasAnu Daasan

Oppiliappan koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan