Vedadhyayanam

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Rajagopalan :

 

Thanks very much for your note .

 

PaNini's ashtAdhyAyi is the condensaton of Vedic sage's insights on

Grammar and a build up on that infra structure to mkae sure that

the Vedic way of speech is preserved . PaaNIni lived around 4th Century B.C

in what is today modern day Pakistan on the bank of Indus . His great Text for

Grammar written in Brahmi script during the post-Vedic period has 3959 SoothrAs

(Aphorisms) . Adhi Sanakra in his Bhaja Govindham used to make fun of an old man

in VaraNAsi , who was learning AshtAdhyAyee ( na hi nahi rakshathi DukkunkaraNE ,

Bhaja Govindham instead ) . Panini in his master work refers to 10 grammarians

before him . His exactitude and rigor has not been seen its match in the grammars of Greek -Latin ,

Hebrew and semantic languages . Today the formal language of Computers are trying

to study AshtAdhyAyi ( Ref: ongoing CDAC work ) from a computational linguistics

point of view (Does PaaNIni SoothrAs amenable for expalnation using a meta Language etc )..

 

PaNini 's work deals with the phenomes , Morpheme and the root to derive the rules

of Sanskrit Morphology . It is a limb of VedAs in that context .

 

Sage Patanjali , who wrote the MahA BhAshyam commented on the 8 chapters of

PaaNIni ( AshtAdhyAyee) around 200B.C and the VaartikAs of KaatyAyana dealing

with AshtAdhyAyee .

 

VyAkaraNa Saasthram is taught in MadhurAnthakam School of Ahobila Matam and

elesewhere today . For some , it may be a very dry subject .

 

Personally , the Bhakti approach and SaraNAgathi approach is more appealing to me than

the esoteric but essential subjects like VyAkaraNam , For a well rounded person ofcourse intersted

in studying great Sri Sookthis like Sri Bhaashyam of AchArya RaamAnuja , Tarkam and VyAkaraNam

are a must .

 

Hanumaan's recognition as Nava VyAkaraNa PaNdithar is linked to his Mastery of

nine kinds of Grammar . The meaning of Nava representing a new kind of grammar

does not apply here .

 

In answer to your other question , JyOthishanm is another vast Vedic angam .

It will take years to master that limb of VedAs as well .

 

Best Wishes ,

V.Sadagopan

-

 

Rajagopalan

Sadagopan

Wednesday, April 27, 2005 10:04 AM

Re: Vedadhyayanam

 

Dear Sri Sadagopan.

 

Well It is amzing that u hv a web site with so much information and it would take quite a time for a person like me to even go thru' needless to say the time it might take to understand an iota of it.

 

Still, I hv doubt regarding Vykarnam. You hv mentioned Ashtadyayi of Sage Panini. I hv also heard about Dasadyayi. Is it also part of it, if so who has done it. Further In Ramayana Sri Rama has referred to Hanuman as 'Nava

Vyakarna Panditha". Now nava can be referred to as new as in navaneetham or nava can also mean 9 different Vyakanas. Am I right? Of couse I still hv doughts on Jyothisha too. I shall refer to it later. A person like me needs time to grasp all at once---Warm Regards-- V.S.RajagopalanSadagopan <sgopan wrote:

> Swamins,> It is understood that Veda has to be learnt with 6 angas> namely Chands, Niruktham, Kalpam, Vyakarnam, Tharkam and Jyothisham> In this Tharkam, Vyakarnam,Jyothisham and Chandas is known to many.> But what is Kalpam and Niruktham. Where does Mimass fit in this> category. And are these 6 angas is common for all the four Vedas.> Incidentaly I am a Bharadaji and Sama Vedin- I would be glad if> any one u learned scholers enlighten a person like me-> Dasan> V.S.RajagopalanDear Sri Rajagopalan :I am very happy to know about your interests in learning about the VedAs .Here is a brief introduction . You will find details inhttp://www.sadagopan.orgPlease go to the section on Vedas . There are number of articles aboutthe VedAs there . You can refer to article 9 on general overviewand article 2 on Kalpa SutrAs .Now coming back to your question , There are four VedAs . Each ghavethree sections : Mantra/Samhita , BrahmaNaas and Upanishads .This constitutesthe body of the VedAs . Like the human body has limbs (angAs) , the Veda Purushanhas limbs or angams . In your list , you had included Tarkam as an angam . It is notone of the angams .The VedAs have the following six angams or limbs :(1) Siksha : Science of Pronunciation and Phonetics; Proper articulation of the Vedic phenomes .(2) Chandas: Science of Poetic Meter ( Gayathri , UshNik , anushtup et al )(3) VyAkaraNa : Science of Grammar ( PaaNini's AshtAdhyAyi)(4) Nirukta: Etymology and Lexicology ( Created by Yaksha)(5) JyOtisha : Science of astronomy & astrology This is considered as the eye of the Vedas since it permits one to see across murky time.(6) Kalpa : Science of Rituals and observations on Vidhi. This angam is considered as the hands of the Vedam .Siksha & Chandas deal with how to recite (speak) Veda .Nirukta & VyAkaraNa deal with the understanding of the meaning of the VedAs .Kalpa and JyOthishA deal with how to use the VedAs .There are 4 Upaangams for the 6 angams of the Four VedAs .The UpAngams are : (1)( Tarkam )or Nyaaya (2) MeemAmsa (3) Dharma Soothramsand (4) PurANams .Saanga-UpAnga ahdyayanam of the VedAs are recommended .This then is a quick introduction .VedAs are ocean like in sweepand are delightful to delve into .V.Sadagopan