Part-I A Glimpse of Rig-Veda.

Part-I A Glimpse of Rig-Veda

(Copy right protected by Dr. G.S. Tripathy)

A huge banyan tree of Hinduism has evolved from the original seed of Veda which has four aspects. Out of which the Rig-Veda is the first. Honorific Vedavyasa gathered all the extant Vedic mantras of his times and divided them in to four groups. In the performance of a sacrifice, all the mantras used by the priest were collected together and this had been called Rig-Veda. Each of its mantras is known as an “rc” or “rk”.

Rig-Veda influenced the other three Vedas being the most ancient and basic work naturally. But it is very very difficult to fix a definite date or period for its origin. It is as arduous as mapping the movement of a Bird after it has settled down in its nest for that matter concerning any of the ancient Hindu scripture. For fixation of dates there are many suggestions as given by different scholars in different times who have based their research findings on a few assumptions like the evolution of the language of the Rig-Veda centering round certain astronomical data which may not have been proved beyond all doubts. Beyond all reasonable doubts, none of these dates can be said to be true as a results.

When first Manu came to this earth from the other planet many many lakh years ago with Sanskrit as his mother tongue one can imagine the origin of the Vedas pertaining to that period only.

At the beginning of each cycle of creation Vedas revealed by the creator in accordance with the orthodox traditions and hence Vedas are not confined to books.

That a serious and devoted shady of the Veda is more profitable than such dry polemical discussions which naturally lead to no where.

Methodical Division:

In two different ways, ancient Hindu tradition has divided the Rig-Veda.

One is ASTAKA Method and the second is MANDALA Method. By apportioning more or less equal number of mantras to each sector, Astaka method has been designed to facilitate memorization easily. The subject is more important in the second method.

ASTAKA Method

ASTAKAS Adhyas Vargas Mantras

1. 8 265 1370

2. 8 221 1147

3. 8 225 1209

4. 8 250 1289

5. 8 238 1263

6. 8 331 1730

7. 8 248 1263

8. 8 246 1281

_____ ______ _______ _______

8 64 2024 10,552

MANDALA Method

MANDALAS Aauvaks Sukts Mantras

1. 24 191 2006

2. 4 43 429

3. 5 62 617

4. 5 58 589

5. 6 87 727

6. 6 75 765

7. 6 104 841

8. 10 103 1716

9. 7 114 1108

10. 12 191 1754

_____ ______ ______ _________

10 85 1028 10,552

By oral tradition, the Vedic mantras used to be handed down and that is why it is known “Sruti”. The disciple had to listen attentively and repeat what the Guru would chant.

A wonderful system of orally teaching and learning had been evolved by the Vedic Risis or Vedic sages so that mantras could be preserved very correctly so far the Svaras or intonations care concerned with a view to be transmitted to the posterity.

Even today there are pundits, who are capable of reciting the entire Rig-Veda mantras faultlessly as a result. These mantras are also known as “ghanapatha”, “Samhita Patha”, “Jatapatha”, “Karmapatha”, “Padapatha”.

In their mystical states, Vedic mantras were continually revealed to the great sages who had to be kept in memory for transmitting them orally to the next generation. Endangering the storing and transmission of Vedic wisdom itself, a saturation point was fast approaching. This was aptly realized by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyas who divided the extant material into four groups and taught to his four disciples by name “PAILA”, “Vaisampayana”, “Jaimini” and “Sumantu”.

Into four groups, this was the first division of the Vedic mantras that have come to be recognized as four Vedas- Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda.

Some minor alteration and readjustments had been made subsequently since each of these four disciples had their own disciples also while teaching Vedas they had known from their Gurus. To suit their local or ritualistic modes, this was done mostly by rearrangement of the mantras. Such modified forms came to be known as Sakhas.

It is said there were twenty on Sakhas. But only five survived till date. They are known as “SAKALA”, “BASKAL”, “ASVALAYANA”, “SANKHAYANA” and “MANDUKEYA”.

From the sages of those names such as Sakala and Basakala, their nomenclatures have been derived. By the same process, these five Sakalas got future subdivided. RSI SAKALA created five disciples namely Mudgala, Galava, Vatsya, Saliya and Saisiriya as per the declaration of Vishnu Puran (3, 4, 21, 22).

By the teachers of the other three Vedas this process is adopted.

Divisions Internal

Into two parts, each of the four Vedas has again been subdivided namely Mantra and Brahman.

Adding two more sections namely Aranyaka and Upanishada, this division is raised to four more often.

More commonly, the Mantra section is called the Samhita. To indicate Samhita part only, infact the very word Veda is used. Hence, Rig-Veda Samhita only. By their special names, the other three are being known also. As available today, the following are the names of those sections of the Rig-Veda.

1. Brahman: Aitareya Brahman and Kausitaki Brahman.

2. Aranyaka: Aitareya Aranyaka and Sankhayana or Kautitaki Aranyaka.

3. Upanishada: Aitareya Upanishada.

From the root rs, the word rsi has been derived which has two meanings, namely knowledge and movement.

In order to get spiritual wisdom, the sages were performing severe austerities to please Iswar or God who appeared before them. On his part, this indicates movement is the form of Vedic mantras and he gave that knowledge which they were seeking. As the God himself came and granted that knowledge to them they became sages or Risis.

Without first uttering the name of the risis to whom it was revealed, no Vedic mantra should be recited according to Hindu tradition where the chandas or the mantra in which it is composed and the deity to whom it is addressed.

We find a large number of risis in the Rig-Veda out of which there are thirty women among them by name visvavara, Ghose, Godha, Apala, Juhu, Romasa Sarama and so on.

The original seer of the mantradrasta was one who discovered a mantra and expounded its meaning and significance and the one who used it first in a Vedic sacrifice might deserve that title.

These risis have been classified into various groups by the ancient commentators and compilers of subsidiary Vedic treatises. They are as follows.

1. a. Satarcins: those to whom a hundred rks or more were revealed.

b. Madhyamas: the middlings who got less rsk.

c. Ksudrasuktas: the propagators of small suktas.

d. Mahasuktas: the propagators of longer or bigger of a more mportant suktas.

2. a. Maharsis – the great risis

b. rsis (Sages of second grade) – mostly the sons of the maharsis.

c. rsikis (Sons of the Risis)

d. Srutarsis (Famous Risis)

Especially in the purans, several kulas (Vamsas or lineages) of Vedic Risis have been written. The originators of these kulas are Bhrugu, Angiras, Kasyapa, Atri, Vaasistha, Viswamitra and Agastya.

In later literature, many great sages were the descendants of these seven who became very well known.

Some of them are Jamadagni, Dadhyan, Atharvana, Cyavana, Rsabha, Vamadeva, Garga, Raibhya, Parasara, Vyasa and Devarata.