THE HINDU SCRIPTURES
Simple Christians have the Bible Hindus have the Vedas Actually, it is much more complicated
TIMELINE (written)* SRUTI SMRITI (BC) 1500 800 400 0 400 800 1200 1600 (AD) Note: dates for the Vedas(samhitas) can vary more than 1,000 years MAHABHARATA VEDAS & RAMAYANA BRAHMANAS TANTRAS ARANYAKAS PURANAS UPANISHADS *some were orally transmitted prior to this DARSHANAS
TWO TYPES OF SCRIPTURES SHRUTI ( heard ) heard by the rishis direct from God The Vedas Samhitas, Brahmanas, Arayakas, Upanishads SMRITI ( remembered ) -Itihasas (History or Epics) -Puranas (Mythology) -Dharma Shastras- Law Codes -Agamas & Tantras- Sectarian Scriptures. -Darshanas- Manuals of Philosophy *
THE *VEDAS *Note: Veda is used in multiple ways: 1. Referring to the oldest hymn portions (Samhitas) 2. Referring to the collection of samhitas, brahmanas, aranyakas, and upanishads 3. Shaivites and Vaishnavites often include the Agamas by this term 4. Many also include the Gita by this term
THE VEDAS (Samhitas) The Rig Veda 10,552 hymns The Sama Veda 1,875 hymns--mostly Rig Veda repeated The Yajur Veda Vedic sacrificial manuals The Atharva Veda Incantations, spells, mystical poetry
Searching for the VEDAS You want a copy of the Vedas? -you won t find it in the library -you won t find it in the bookstores -you might find a concise, edited version -when you find it
When were they written? Nobody knows exactly -The oldest Veda (Rig) reached its final stage of compilation about 1000 B.C. -Different dates given Tilak: 6000 B.C. Jacobi: 4500 B.C. Mueller: 1200 B.C.
The Rig Veda Rig Veda Book 3 Hymn 10 1. Thee Agni, God, Imperial Lord of all mankind, do mortal men With understanding kindle at the sacrifice. 2 They laud thee in their solemn rites, Agni, as Minister and Priest, shine forth in thine own home as guardian of the Law. 3 He, verily, who honours thee with fuel, Knower of all life, He, Agni! wins heroic might, he prospers well.
The Sama Veda sama means song or hymn Rig Veda rearranged for ritual use Usually sung from high to low pitch, never moving between pitches, lulling the mind 1875 mantras making 4000 hymns
The Yajur Veda Formulae and verses for sacrifices Yaj means sacrifice The white and black Yajur Vedas: two different schools of the Yajur emerged: 1) Tattitiya Samhita (Krishna/black) more prevalent in southern India 2) Vajasaneyi Samhita (Shukla/white) clearly demarcates samhita and brahmanas
A little more complicated Four recensions of Krishna (black) Yajurveda: -taittirīya saṃhita -maitrayani saṃhita -caraka-katha saṃhita -kapiṣṭhala-katha saṃhita Two recensions of the (white) Shukla: -Vajasaneyi Madhyandiniya -Vajasaneyi Kanva
Even more complicated Each recension has its own version of: Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads E.g. The Taittiriya Shakha (branch): Taittiriya Samhita, Taittiriya Brahmana Taittiriya Aaranyaka, Taittiriya Upanishad and the Mahaanaarayana Upanishad.
Yajur Veda 6.1.1 (Taittiriya Samhita) [6]. Indra slew Vrtra, he died upon the waters. Of the waters what was fit for sacrifice, pure, and divine, that went out of the waters, and became Darbha grass. In that he purifies (the sacrificer) with bunches of Darbha grass, verily he purifies him with the waters which are fit for sacrifice, pure, and divine. He purifies (him) with two (stalks); verily he purifies him by days and nights. He purifies (him) with three (stalks); three are these worlds; verily he purifies him by these worlds. He purifies (him) with five stalks [7]; the Pankti has five syllables, the sacrifice is fivefold; verily he purifies him by the sacrifice. He purifies (him) with six (stalks); six are the seasons; verily he purifies him by the seasons. He purifies (him) with seven (stalks); seven are the metres; verily he purifies him by the metres. He purifies (him) with nine (stalks); nine are the breaths in man; verily he purifies him along with his breaths. He purifies (him) with twenty-one (stalks); there are ten fingers and ten toes, and the body is the twenty first; he thus completely purifies the man.
The Atharva Veda Incantations, charms and spells to counteract evil; marriages and funerals. 20 books or kandas; 750 hymns, 6,000 verses
SAMPLE: Atharva Veda I, 23. Leprosy cured by a dark plant. 1. Born by night art thou, O plant, dark, black, sable. Do thou, that art rich in colour, stain this leprosy, and the gray spots! 2. The leprosy and the gray spots drive away from here-- may thy native colour settle upon thee--the white spots cause to fly away! 3. Sable is thy hiding-place, sable thy dwelling-place, sable art thou, O plant: drive away from here the speckled spots! 4. The leprosy which has originated in the bones, and that which has originated in the body and upon the skin, the white mark begotten of corruption, I have destroyed with my charm. *
Upavedas Secular texts connected to the Vedas Political- Rig Music and art- Sama Archery and war- Yajur Medicine- Atharva
The Vedangas Though not shruti, they are important for the study of the Veda Siksa- pronunciation Kalpa- details of ritual Vyakarana- grammar Nirukta- etymology of rare words Chanda- explain and practice verse meter Jyotisa- planetary astrology The memorization of the Vedas was very precise: memorization of them in multiple ways (e.g. forward and backward), recited in a particular pitch, along with precise movements of the arm and fingers.
Vedic Gods Agni Indra Varuna
Vedic Gods Surya Soma
THE VEDAS (entire) In addition to the oldest portion, the hymns, there are three other portions: (The Samhitas) The Brahmanas The Aranyakas The Upanishads
The Brahmanas Circa 600-200 B.C. Details of ritual and sacrificial rites and duties; commentaries on rituals and prayers on the four vedas (Samhitas)
The Brahmanas Rig Brahmanas The Aitareya Brahmana Kaushitaki or Sankhayana Brahmana Sama Brahmanas 8 Brahamanas Yajur Brahmanas Shatapatha Brahmana (white)100 lectures Taittiriya Brahmana (black) Atharva Brahmanas Gopatha Brahmana
The Aranyakas Circa 400-200 B.C., Spiritual/mystical interpretations of rituals and ceremonies. Called forest texts as they were from ascetics of the forest
The Aranyakas Each Aranyakas is associated with a Brahmana, sometimes having more than one; the Atharva has none.
The Upanishads Those who sit near - the teachings of gurus to their students Doctrines of caste, karma, and reincarnation are more fully developed in these writings
UPANISHADS Inversion of Influence- older texts of the Veda are not as influential as the later philosophical portions (the Upanishads)
Upanishad Basics When?? 400-200 B.C. is the most likely range; some in recent centuries Who? No one knows. Sages who taught. Upanishad = one who sits near How Many? 12 are most important (acc. to Sankara, 8 th century) 108 important many more-- 240?
Upanishads Topics: -states of consciousness -dreams, meditation -the world within the mind and soul -self-realization (that you are divine) -the unity of all things
The Four Great Vedic (Upanishad) Statements 1. TAT TVAM ASI (You are *that). (Sama Veda Chandogy Upanishad) 2. AHAM BRAHMASMI (I am Brahman). (Yajur Veda Brhadaranyak Upanishad 3. AYAM ATMA BRAHMAN (This Self is Brahman). (Atharva Veda Manduky Upanishad) 4. PRAGNANAM BRAHMAN (Brahman is consciouness). (Rig Veda - Aitarey Upanishad) * that is the Upanishadic way of referring to the ultimate, yet indescribable Reality
SAMPLE: Upanishad The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Chapter 11 (4.5)
SAMPLE: Upanishad Chandogya Upanishad *
Vedas, division of Karma kanda (ritual) Samhitas and Brahmanas Jnana kanda (knowledge) Aranyakas and Upanishads
Shruti Smriti
DARSHANAS Exhibitions or philosophical systems developed out of the Vedas by various teachers or schools. SIX FAMOUS SCHOOLS: Nyaya Sankhya Mimansa Vaiseshika Yoga Vedanta
PURANAS A.D. 400-1500 18 major books and 18 minor books relating to the Trimurti- Brahma, Vishnu, & Shiva Popular mythology that is well-known by the common people of India POPULAR HINDUISM TODAY
SAMPLE: Puranas Summary from the Siva Purana
AGAMAS: Basics Texts of the Trimurti -Siva Agamas (28) -Vishnu Agamas (108) -Devi Agamas (Tantras) (77) Shiva Vishnu Parvati
TANTRAS A.D. 500-1100 Numerous writings (mainly in dialogue form) between Shiva and his consort, Parvati (Durga) Belief that true power resides in the feminine aspect of deity, worship of the mother goddess, from which Shakti or power comes.
TANTRAS Two forms of tantrism: right-handed (symbolic) left-handed (literal/sexual) Three schools: Kaula (taboo breaking) Mishra (external and internal mixed) Samaya (meditative)
EPICS (itihasa) 1. MAHABHARATA (Gita)
Mahabharata Mythology of the war between two families (cousins), Pandavas v. Kauravas The longest epic poem Contains the Bhagavad Gita perhaps the most popular scripture
EPICS 2. Ramayana
Dharma Shastras Code of Manu Other law codes (Arth, Niti, etc.)
Ramayana The life of a noble king, Ram while in exile, his wife, Sita is abducted by the evil king, Ravana. Hanuman (the monkey god) and other cohorts help Ram rescue Sita. written by Valmiki in 3 rd century B.C. other language translations exist with variations