THE HINDU SCRIPTURES

Simple

Christians have the BibleHindus have the Vedas

Actually, it is much more complicated…

TIMELINE (written)*

(BC) 1500 800 400 0 400 800 1200 1600 (AD)Note: dates for the Vedas(samhitas) can vary more than 1,000 years

VEDAS

BRAHMANAS

ARANYAKAS

UPANISHADS

MAHABHARATA

& RAMAYANA

PURANAS

TANTRAS

DARSHANAS

SRUTI SMRITI

*some were orally transmitted prior to this

TWO TYPES OF SCRIPTURES

SHRUTI (“heard”) heard by the rishisdirect from God

…The VedasSamhitas, 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 upanishads3. Shaivites and Vaishnavites often include the

Agamas by this term4. 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 VEDASYou 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 givenTilak: 6000 B.C.Jacobi: 4500 B.C.Mueller: 1200 B.C.

The Rig VedaRig Veda

Book 3 Hymn 101. Thee Agni, God, Imperial Lord of all mankind, do mortal menWith 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 useUsually sung from high to low pitch, never moving between pitches, lulling the mind 1875 mantras making 4000 hymns

The Yajur VedaFormulae 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 India2) 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 BrahmanaTaittiriya 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 daysand 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 hepurifies 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 VedaI, 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- RigMusic and art- SamaArchery and war- YajurMedicine- Atharva

The VedangasThough not shruti, they are important for the study of the

Veda

Siksa- pronunciationKalpa- details of ritualVyakarana- grammarNirukta- etymology of rare wordsChanda- explain and practice verse meterJyotisa- 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

IndraAgniVaruna

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 BrahmanasCirca 600-200 B.C.

Details of ritual and sacrificial rites and duties; commentaries on rituals and prayers on the four vedas (Samhitas)

The BrahmanasRig 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 BasicsWhen?? 400-200 B.C. is the most likely range; some in recent centuriesWho?No one knows. Sages who taught.“Upanishad” = “one who sits near”How Many?12 are most important (acc. to Sankara, 8th century)108 importantmany more-- 240?

UpanishadsTopics:

-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: UpanishadThe Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Chapter 11

(4.5)

SAMPLE: UpanishadChandogya Upanishad

*

Vedas, division of

Karma kanda (ritual)

Jnana kanda (knowledge)

Samhitas and Brahmanas

Aranyakas and Upanishads

Shruti Smriti

DARSHANAS

Exhibitions or philosophical systems developed out of the Vedas by various teachers or schools.

SIX FAMOUS SCHOOLS:

Nyaya Vaiseshika

Sankhya Yoga

Mimansa 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: PuranasSummary from the Siva Purana

AGAMAS: BasicsTexts 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)

MahabharataMythology 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 ManuOther law codes (Arth, Niti, etc.)

RamayanaThe 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 3rd century B.C.other language translations exist with variations