The Vedas: An Exploration

The Braahmanas

LAKSHMI DEVNATH

(Continued from the November 2018 issue...)

Guide books and manuals - supposedly modern concepts- existed even in the Vedic ages. The Braahmanas – second major division of the Vedas – was primarily that. A cursory reading of the text reveals that the Braahmanas function as a guide to the interpretation of the mantras otherwise called the Samhitas of the Vedas. The word Braahmanas, it may be stressed, has nothing to do with the word Brahmin – one of the four major castes in Hinduism. Maurice Winternitz, an Austrian scholar, explains the Braahmanas as the ‘science of sacrifice.’ Braahmanas means a text that explains each word of the mantra and the practical usage of them in sacrifice or yajna. Interestingly, they represent the earliest attempt to interpret the Vedic mantras. Legends and anecdotes are an intrinsic and interesting part of the Braahmanas. Philosophical speculation, hairsplitting textual interpretations and aphorisms reveal the highly developed intellectual level of the Rishis of yore. It also lists the Vedic karmas or rituals that are to be performed for man’s welfare and are therefore aptly called the Karma Kanda or the action portion of the Vedas along with the Samhita and the Aranyakas. Pertinently, each exposition also specifies the Dakshina or payment to be given to the priests.

The contents of the Braahmanas are technically classified into two categories viz. vidhi – rules and arthavada – fruits of the sacrifice and the adverse effects of sacrifices wrongly performed. While concerned with the arthavada, Braahmanas explain all the aspects of sacrifice namely prayers, formulas, chants, sacrificial act, material and so on with equal importance and discuss it from various points of view that include both legends and history. While the mantras of the Vedas reveal poetic calibre of a high order, the Braahmanas are completely in prose and may be said to mark the beginnings of Sanskrit prose though, it may be remembered that even the Yajur Veda contains some portions in prose. Could it be that it thus contained the seeds of future literary works in Sanskrit? Each of the four Vedas has many Braahmanas. Only a few of them are extant now.

The Rig Veda, presently has two Braahmanas – the Aitareya and the Kausitaki also called as Saankhayana. Both these elaborate the entire sacrificial ritual, in a systematic manner. Curiously, the Aitareya is concerned principally with the Soma sacrifice. Further, the Aitareya details the duties of the Hotr – the officiating priest of the Rig Veda. The mantras however are not explained according to its original sequence present in the Samhita. The 40 chapters of the Aitareya are further subdivided into 8 divisions of 5 chapters each. The Aitareya is an exhaustive text showing scant respect for brevity. Subject matters also include forays into legends. But, the text is easy to understand except for a few parts that draw a thin line between profundity and obscurity. The second Braahmana called the Kausitaki or Saankhayana, with its 30 chapters, appears to be comparatively a better organised

Sayana, the great commentator on the Vedas says that the Braahmanas contain eight classes of topics. They are:

Itihasa – history Purana – legend Vidya – esoteric knowledge Upanishad – philosophy Sloka – verses Sutra – aphorisms Vyakhyana – explanations Anuvyakhyana – elaborations

In the Braahmana period, the supreme God seems to have been Prajapati. The word Braahmana [neuter gender] means primarily an ‘explanation or expression of a learned priest’, a doctor of Sacrificial science on some point of the ritual. The etymology of the word is however, doubtful.

text and, for the major part, covers the entire gamut of sacrificial procedures. Its subject matter is homogenous and the phrase tasya uktam Braahmanam [thus says the Braahmana] frequently appears in this. The tight and comprehensive narrative style of this text with its mnemonic phrases called gatha, however adds to the difficulty in interpretation. Could it be that this factor has resulted in the Kausitaki being less popular than the Aitareya?

Both the above Braahmanas essentially communicate in a common style, bereft of literary ornamentation. Both of them quote the Rig Vedic verse in parts and proceed to the explanations. However, where considered necessary they do not hesitate to cite the whole word. But there is a rapid and bewildering change of subject that throws the reader off gear. (To be continued….)

Some Thoughts on Spiritual Life

Continued from page 41....

Maya, the Lord bestows His grace when the time is propitious.

In the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, we have several references to a conversation between Radha and Yasoda. When Sri Krishna went away to Mathura, Yasoda once visited Radha and found her absorbed in meditation. When she came to outer consciousness, Radha told Yasoda: ‘I am the Primordial Energy. Ask a boon of Me.’ Then, Yasoda prayed: ‘I do not want Brahmajnana; may I see the form of Gopala in my meditation; may I serve God with my body, mind, and speech; may I behold His devotees with these eyes; may I always have the company of Krishna’s devotees; may I always serve the devotees of God; may I always chant God’s name and glories with my tongue; may I meditate on Him with this mind; may I go with these feet to the place where His divine sport is manifested; and may I devote all my senseorgans to His service alone.’

This is the prayer that should be constantly pouring out from our heart.

What is Religion?

Religion is the realizing of God. 1

A thinker once said, “More people have died in history because they gave the wrong

answer to the Religion question. ‘Do you believe in God?’ ‘No.’ Bam! ‘Do you believe in God?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Do you believe in my God?’ ‘No.’ Bam!”

Religion has been the greatest boon of human civilization. Religion also has been the worst curse on mankind! No other idea exalts man to heights of divinity; no other idea regresses man to the depths of devilry!

Religion is indeed an enigma. We can’t seem to live with it, nor can we live without it.

One of the greatest contributions of Swami Vivekananda to modern thought has been his exposition of what religion actually is. We shall try and understand his ideas in this regard, using his own words, as far as possible.

In India, there are said to be three hundred millions of Vedantins. But if there were one in a thousand who had actually realized religion, this world would soon be greatly changed. We are all atheists, and yet we try to fight the man who admits it. We are all in the dark; religion is to us a mere intellectual assent, a mere talk, a mere nothing. We often consider a man religious who can talk well. But this is not religion. ‘Wonderful methods of joining words, rhetorical powers, and explaining texts of the books in various ways — these are only for the enjoyment of the

learned, and not religion.’ Religion comes when that actual realization in our own souls begins. That will be the dawn of religion; and then alone we shall be moral. 2

You must open your heart. Religion is not going to church, or putting marks on the forehead, or dressing in a peculiar fashion; you may paint yourselves in all the colours of the rainbow, but if the heart has not been opened, if you have not realized God, it is all vain. If one has the colour of the heart, he does not want any external colour. That is the true religious realization. We must not forget that colours and all these things are good so far as they help; so far they are all welcome. But they are apt to degenerate and instead of helping they retard, and a man identifies religion with externalities. Going to the temple becomes tantamount to spiritual life. Giving something to a priest becomes tantamount to religious life. These are dangerous and