Hindu SamskArAs: Upanayanam, VivAham , Pumsavanam et al

[Guest guest]

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.. "V. Sadagopan"

b.. 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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