श्री गणेश मंदिर - शिक्षा वाणी :: Vol - 23
Sri Ganesh mandir - Serene
Sunday Reflections
6th October 2019 :
Four Vedas
KEYWORDS:: Vedas, Rig, Sama, Yejur, Adharva
After briefly following
an Introduction on Vedas, now we shall reflect on Four Vedas.
The most important texts are; the Vedas are divided into four groups; the earliest
of those - Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and
Atharvaveda; these are the oldest four collections (Samhitas).
The Rig-Veda Samhita - is Verses of
Rishis or visionaries when in a sense of intimate
communion of adoration to the nature; The Rigvedic deities and the elements. It has
1,028 hymns and 10,600 verses, organized into ten books (mandalas) by Sages and
poets from different priestly groups compiled between 2000 – 900 BCE around Punjab
(Sapta Sindhu), India.
Rigveda also
contains variety of subjects varying from procedure of wedding to the folly of
gambling. Two-thirds of Rigveda is about gods Agni (Fire) and Indra (Ruler of
the gods). Other Rigvedic gods include Rudra, the two Ashvins, Savitar and
Surya, Varuna, the Maruts and the Ribhus. Elements like divine creeper, the
Soma, whose juice was an energizer and animals like horses, some rivers, and
even some implements (like mortar and pestle) were deified. People in the times
of the Rigveda had a settled home, definite mode of life, developed social
customs, political organizations, and even arts and amusements.
The Yajur-Veda
("Veda of sacrificial formulas") consists of short prose passages
concerned with rituals. Mostly archaic prose mantras and also in part of verses
borrowed from the Rig-Veda. Yajur Veda is a practical text, each mantra with an
action in sacrifice, offering in Agni (Fire) including the Soma offering. There
are two Yajur Vedas; Sukla and Krishna.
Shukla (White) Yajur-Veda contains only the verses and sayings necessary
for the sacrifice, while explanations exist in a separate Brahmana work. Krishna
(Black) Yajur-veda, has explanations in the work itself, often immediately
following the verses. Explains rituals and matters of phonology and accent.
The Sama-Veda
is the metrical hymn "Veda of chants", “song of praise” or
"Knowledge of melodies". It has 1875 verses
in 1549 stanzas, taken entirely (except 78) from the Rig-Veda. The udgat
("singer" priest); in rituals (ud-gai) by singing the chant hymns from the Sama-Veda is
similar to a cantor. The styles of chanting are important to the liturgical use
of the verses. The hymns were to be sung according to certain fixed melodies; musical
ragas, specifically indicated melodies using the seven svaras (notes) – Samagana.
According to Patanjali, Samaveda
had 1000 rescensions (Shakhas); but at present there are only three vailable – (1) Kauthuma (2) Jaiminiya (3) Ranayaniya.
Samhita of Kauthumas, consists of two parts, Archika (offering) and gana (song).
The Archika is also separated in two – Purva-Archika (First Adoratona) and
Uttar-Archika (Later Adoration). Here verses are sung for the three gods Agni
(Fire), Indra (King of Gods) and Soma (Energizing Herb). [http://vedicheritage.gov.in/samhitas/samaveda-samhitas/]
Atharvaveda - Veda of the
Wise and the Old - is a later compilation that
includes incantations and magic spells. It is also
called Atharva-Angirasa, associated with the name of the ancient poet Atharvan
(The Wise Old One) and with a rishi, Angiras. Atharvaveda reveals a more
primitive culture than the Rigveda. The custom is to enumerate Yajurveda and
Samaveda after the Rigveda, and mention Atharvaveda last. Atharvaveda contains
about 6 thousand verses forming 731 poems and a small portion in prose. About
one seventh of the Atharvaveda text is common to the Rigveda.
Atharvaveda contains first class
poetry coming from visionary poets, much of it being glorification of the
curative powers of herbs and waters. Many poems relate to diseases like cough
and jaundice, to male and female demons that cause diseases, to sweet-smelling
herbs and magic amulets, which drive diseases away. There are poems relating to
sins and their atonement, errors in performing rituals and their expiatory
acts, political and philosophical issues, and a wonderful hymn to Prithvi or
Mother Earth. [https://www.tokenrock.com/explain-vedas-165.html]
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