7 Vedāṅgas

Korada Subrahmanyam

Veda

The mass of knowledge, called Veda, is considered to be eternal, i.e. without beginning or end and was discovered by sages. They contain literature that is useful for human beings in terms of Ethics and Spirituality.

The Vedic literature can chiefly be divided into two parts – the former dealing with rituals that would cause transitory results and the latter which deals with Knowledge that causes freedom from the cycle of birth and death.

In order to understand the Indian culture, that is stood on four pillars called Puruṣārthas (the purposes of life), viz. Dharma, Artha (money), Kāma (systematic married life) and Mokṣa (uniting the individual soul with universal soul, whereby the cycle of birth and death is arrested). The term Dharma is untranslatable as it is pregnant with meaning. It can be duty or the right path etc. Veda is described as the text from where Dharma has originated.

The way of life that is advocated by Indian Tradition is called sanātanadharma (eternal Dharma). It is not a Religion, which means “a system acceptable to a group of people”.

“Satyam vada” (speak the truth), “dharmaṃ cara” (live in a way that is not devoid of Dharma), “ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ” (non-violence is the best Dharma) etc. are universals, i.e. applicable to all human beings and not to any group.

So, Sanātanadharma, preached by Veda and its ancillaries that are an integral part of Vedic literature, is meant for a comfortable living of man-kind in terms of Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Mokṣa. Therefore, the translation of the term “Dharma” as “religion” is not faithful. Back-translation, i.e. religion = matam (liked by some people), also fails to prove that religion means Dharma.

What is Dharma?

It is a quintessential system of life, whereby the universe is upheld: ध्रियतेअनेनइध्रत धर्मः, dhriyate anena iti dharmaḥ – dhriyate = being upheld, anena = by this, iti = therefore, dharmaḥ = it is called Dharma.

The insinuation is that in case people neglect or deviate from Dharma, then starts the decay of the universe that will be miserable.

What is Veda?

Vidyā literally means Knowledge. In Indian tradition there are fourteen centers (disciplines) of Knowledge –

पुराणन्यायर्ीर्ाांसाधर्मशास्त्राङ्गध्रर्ध्रिताः।

वेदाः स्थानाध्रन ध्रवद्यानाांधर्मस्यच चतुदमश॥ याज्ञवल्क्यस्र्ृध्रतः१.३ ॥

purāṇanyāyamīmāṃsādharmaśāstrāṅgamiśritāḥ।

vedāḥ sthānāni vidyānāṃ dharmasya ca caturdaśa ॥ yājñavalkyasmṛtiḥ 1.3 ॥

purāṇa = the eighteen Purāṇas authored by Vedavyāsa, nyāya = nyāyadarśanam, mīmāṃsā = Pūrvamīmāṃsā, dharmaśāstra = called Smṛti, aṅga = Vedāṅgas, viz. Śikṣā (Phonetics), Vyākaraṇam (Grammar +), Chandas (Prosody), Niruktam (Semantics and thesaurus), Jyotiṣam (Astrology) and Kalpa (that deals with the practice of rites); vedāḥ = Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda and Atharvaveda, caturdaśa = these fourteen are, sthānāni = abodes, vidyānāṃ = of knowledge, dharmasya ca = and of Dharma.

The four Vedas, supported by eighteen Purāṇas (taken as one), Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā, Dharmaśāstram and the six Vedāṅgas – these fourteen are the abodes of Knowledge and Dharma.

Viṣṇupurāṇam enumerates eighteen abodes of Knowledge by adding four Upavedas (ancillaries of Vedas), viz. Āyurveda (Medicine and Surgery), Dhanurveda (Archery), Gāndharvaveda (Music) and Arthaśāstram (Economy and Administration).

Vedāṅgas (Veda + aṅga = Vedāṅga)

The word aṅga means a limb. If we consider Veda as a person (Knowledge personified) then the aṅgas are limbs. The relation between Veda and Vedāṅgas is called aṅgāṅgibhāva or the relation of constitute and constituents. Śāstram is a synonym of Vedāṅga. Pāṇinīyaśikṣā, a popular work on Phonetics describes the above aspect –

छन्दः पादौ तुवेदस्यहस्तौ कल्कपोऽथ पठ्यते।

ज्योध्रतषार्यनांचक्ुःध्रनरुक्तांिोत्रर्ुच्यते॥

ध्रशक्ा घ्राणांतुवेदस्यर्ुखांव्याकरणांस्र्ृतर््।

तस्र्ात्साङ्गर्धीत्यैवब्रह्मलोकेर्हीयते॥

chandaḥ pādau tu vedasya hastau kalpo’tha paṭhyate ।

jyotiṣāmayanaṃ cakṣuḥ niruktaṃ śrotramucyate ॥

śikṣā ghrāṇaṃ tu vedasya mukhaṃ vyākaraṇaṃ smṛtam ।

tasmātsāṅgamadhītyaiva brahmaloke mahīyate ॥

vedasya tu = of a person called Veda, chandaḥ = chandaḥ śāstram is, pādau = two feet, kalpaḥ

=  Kalpaśāstram is, hastau = two hands; atha = afterwards, jyotiṣāmayanaṃ = the one which deals with the movement of stars and planets, i.e. jyotiṣam is; cakṣuḥ = two eyes; niruktam = niruktam, ucyate = is being described as, śrotram = two ears; śikṣā = śikṣāśāstram is; ghrāṇaṃ

=  nose; vyākaraṇaṃ = Vyākaraṇaṃ is; mukhaṃ smṛtam = described as the mouth; vedasya = of Veda; tasmāt = therefore; adhītya = having studied; sāṅgam eva = the Veda along with aṅgas only; mahīyate = is respected; brahmaloke = in the world of brahman.

The term Vedāṅga suggests that just like recitation of Veda, which is ordained as Nityakarma (a rite to be performed regularly) by Veda, the study of Vedāṅgas is also a Nityakarma.

1. Sikṣā

This is the basic Vedāṅga that explains as to how the letters are born, how to pronounce letters, the time for pronouncing short, long etc. letters, how to read/speak, different accents (useful in Vedic recitation), qualities of good and bad reader and the general mistakes committed by speakers etc. Pāṇini in his Śikṣā (25) shows the perfect way of pronunciation offering a simile:

व्याघ्री यथा हरेत्पुत्रान्दांष्ट्राभयाांतुपीडयेत्।

भीता पतनभेदाभयाांतद्वद्वणामन्प्रयोजयेत्॥

vyāghrī yathā haretputrāndaṃṣṭrābhyāṃ na tu pīḍayet । bhītā patanabhedābhyāṃ tadvadvarṇān prayojayet ॥

yathā = it is how; vyāghrī = a tigress; putrān = cubs; daṃṣṭrābhyām = with its two jaws; haret = carries; na tu = but does not; pīḍayet = cause pain; bhītā = having had fear; patanabhedābhyām

=  from falling and cutting of cubs; tadvat = like that; varṇān = letters; prayojayet = one should employ.

It is how a tigress carries its cubs with two of its sharp jaws but without causing pain. It is also afraid of the cubs falling in case of a loose grip and of cutting the cubs body in case of too tight a grip. Like that, one should pronounce the letters.

Eight place of pronunciation are mentioned by Pāṇini:

अष्टौ स्थानाध्रन वणामनार््उरः कण्ठः ध्रशरस्तथा।

ध्रजह्वार्ूलांचदन्ताश्च नाध्रसकोष्ठौ च तालुच॥

aṣṭau sthānāni varṇānām uraḥ kaṇṭhaḥ śirastathā। jihvāmūlaṃ ca dantāśca nāsikoṣṭhau ca tālu ca ॥

varṇānām = for letters; aṣṭau = eight; sthānāni = places are there; uraḥ = chest; kaṇṭhaḥ = throat; śiraḥ = head; tathā = like that; jihvāmūlaṃ ca = the root of the tongue; dantāśca = teeth as well; nāsikā = nose; oṣṭhau ca = also both the lips; tālu ca = also the palate.

There are eight places where the letters are born – the chest, throat, head, the root of the tongue, the teeth, the nose, the lips and the palate.

There are Prātiśākhyas for each Veda and they are akin to Śikṣā 2. Vyākaraṇam

Literally it means an instrument that separates perfect Śabdas imperfect ones. The bottom line is that the sages of Indian origin wished to achieve Dharma even through the use of Śabdas.

The term ‘Śabda’ is untranslatable as it denotes many things, viz. varṇa (phoneme), prakṛti / pratyaya (morpheme), pada (word), vākya (sentence), avāntaravākya (sub-sentence), mahāvākya (discourse), parā, paśyantī, madhyamā (sphoṭa), vaikharī, dhvani (sound) etc. Śabdānuśāsanam is a synonym of Vyākaraṇa and the system deals with the form of Śabda but not “artha” (meaning). Niruktam deals with meaning.

There have been nine Vyākaraṇas and the one authored by Pāṇini, considered to be the most genius person on earth, is the best of them.

Śabdas can be put under two headings – Vaidika (that are there in the Vedas) and Laukika (secular). So far as the meaning is concerned there is no difference between Vaidikaśabdas and Laukikaśabdas. Svara (accent) is important in Vedic literature and there can be slight difference in the form of certain Vaidikaśabdas when compared with their secular counterparts.

Earlier to Pāṇini, people used to refer to Prātiśākhyas (a combination of Śikṣā and Vaidikavyākaraṇam) for the analysis of Vaidikaśabdas and Vyākaraṇas for Laukikaśabdas.

It was Pāṇini, who authored the unparalleled work called Aṣṭādhyāyī (consisting of eight chapters), that is a nutshell for the analyses of both Vaidikaśabdas and Laukikaśabdas. Aṣṭādhyāyī consists of roughly 4,000 sūtras (elliptical sentences, with economy of letters, and terse). There are Vārtikas (amendments in the form of sentences) authored by Kātyāyana et al. Patañjali authored a great and profound treatise called Mahābhāṣyam. As a result, it is called “trimunivyākaraṇam” (a grammar compiled by three sages, viz. Pāṇini, Kātyāyana and Patañjali).

“Grammar” is a rough translation of “Vyākaraṇam”. Grammar deals with parts of speech etc., whereas Vyākaraṇam, besides dealing with different parts of speech, prescribes Śabdas to be employed. The fact is that Śabdas (the perfect ones) fetch Dharma whereas Apaśabdas (that area not sanctioned by Vyākaraṇam, but in use) accrue Adharma (that causes sin). “Bheda” is a Śabda, whereas – “bhedha”, “bedha”, “beda” etc., used in the same sense are Apaśabdas. Naturally, language undergoes change due to several factors. It is only “saṃskṛtam” (the language that has got the “saṃskāra” or refinement of Vyākaraṇam) that has been protected through ages. Thus the association of Saṃskṛtam with philosophy made the language unique and the only suitable to computers.

Patañjali, with his acumen, achieved Vyākaraṇam a place among Darśanas, such as Vedānta, Yoga etc. Darśanam means one which exhibits the noumenon (tattvam), viz. Brahman, which means attaining Mokṣa.

Vyākaraṇam is described as the mouth of Vedapuruṣa, thereby suggesting that it is the most important among Vedāṅgas. All the Vidyas are based on Vyākaraṇam. प्रयोगशरणांव्याकरणर्् (prayogaśaraṇaṃ vyākaraṇam) is the norm. vyākaraṇam = Vyākaraṇam has got, prayogaśaraṇam = usage as its base. In other words, the Śabdas already used are being analysed and registered.

3. Chandas

The term “chandas” is used to mean Veda and “the discipline related to prosody”. Here it is the latter. The Vedāṅga, chandas, is described as the feet of Vedapuruṣa. Piṅgalācārya, the author of “Chandaśśāstram” is considered as a popular authority on “chandas”. There are seven chief meters called “bṛhacchandāṃsi” available in Veda – gāyatrī, uṣṭnik, anuṣṭup, bṛhatī, paṅktiḥ, triṣṭup and jagatiī. The Chandaśśāstram also discusses Laukika (secular) meters along with Vaidika meters. Piṅgala picks up the origin of chandas from Veda – “triṣṭubhā yajati” (he is performing the sacrifice with triṣṭup), “bṛhatyā gāyati” (he is singing with bṛhatī), “gāyatryā stauti” (he is praising with gāyatrī) etc. There are eight gaṇas (each gaṇa consists of three letters), ya, mā, tā, rā, ja, bhā, na and sa.

4. Niruktam

ध्रनश्शेषर््अथमःउच्यतेअनेनइध्रत ध्रनरुक्तर््- niśśeṣam arthaḥ ucyate anena iti niruktam. anena = by this, arthaḥ = meaning is, niśśeṣam = exclusively, ucyate = being notified, iti = therefore it is called, niruktam = niruktam.

Niruktam is described as the ears of Vedapuruṣa. Yāska, the author of Niruktam, available today, declares that Niruktam is supplementary to Vyākaraṇam. The origin of Thesaurus / Dictionary is found in Niruktam, by the name Nighaṇṭu.

Yāska puts the gamut of Śabdas under four headings – nāma (noun), ākhyāta (verb), upasarga (prefix) and nipāta (words used in a specific sense). According to Niruktam, the verb in a sentence is important rather than the noun. The most important aspect discussed in Niruktam is “constant change of everything”. Yāska asserts that there are six stages for a thing, viz. jāyate (is born), asti (exists), vipariṇamate (undergoes change), vardhate (increases), apakṣīyate (decays) and vinaśyati (perishes). The above are called “ṣaḍbhāvavikārāḥ” (the six variations of existence). The rest of changes are to be included in these six variations.

5. Jyotiṣam

Also called Jyautiṣam and Jyotiśśāstram, it is described as the eyes of Vedapuruṣa. The term Jyotiḥ means a star or a planet. The description which deals with the movement of stars (nakṣatrāṇi) or planets (grahāḥ) and related matters is called Jyotiṣam.

The auspicious or suitable time for the performance of Vedic rites is prescribed by Jyotiṣam. The Śāstram is divided into three Skandhas (parts) – Muhūrtaskandha (dealing with fixing auspicious time), Jātakaskandha (dealing with predictions) and Siddhāntaskandha (dealing with preparation of a Pañcāṅgam or Almanac). In India, Pañcāṅgams authored by different Siddhāntis (one who is a master in Siddhāntaskandha and prepares a Pañcāṅga), that deal with Muhūrta and Jātaka, are available every year and the rituals are held as per the time prescribed therein on a day to day basis.

Lagadhācārya, a great Astrologer, compiled three works, each called Vedāṅgajyotiṣam – Ārcajyotiṣam (related to Ṛgveda), Yājuṣajyotiṣam (Yajurveda) and Ātharvaṇajyotiṣam (Atharvaveda). It may be noted that Ṛgveda, when recited with Gānam (music), is called Sāmaveda. The Bhacakram (zodiac) which is of 3600, is divided into twelve equal parts called Rāśis (signs), viz. Meṣa (Aries), Vṛṣabha (Taurus) etc. There are nine planets useful for the system, viz. Ravi (Sun), Candra (Moon), Kuja (Mars) etc. Twenty seven nakṣatras (stars) are taken in this system – aśvini, bharaṇi kṛttikā etc. A year consists of twelve months such as Caitra, Vaiśākha etc. and each month is named after a star with which the Moon is associated on the full moon day (Pūrṇimā).

The horoscope is nothing but a chart that gives an idea of both the good and bad Karmas, one has to face during the present lifetime. Mathematics of Gaṇitaśāstram is considered as an integral part of Jyotiṣam.

6.Kalpa

Kalpyate = samarthayate (being suggested), prayogaḥ (the action to be performed) for Mantras), iti (therefore it is called) Kalpaḥ. In other words, while the Mantras for a rite are provided by Veda the practical part is explained by Kalpa. Kalpaśāstram can be put under two headings – Śrautasūtram (the sūtras dealing with yāgas or sacrifices) and Gṛhyasūtram (the sūtras dealing with saṃskāras such as Vivāha or marriage). Śulbasūtram (Śulbam = rope; a rope was being used for measurements) is a part of Śrautasūtram and the same is useful for measuring yajñaśālas (the cottages where sacrifice is performed – geometry). Dharmasūtram or Dharmaśāstram, as it is popularly called, is a part and parcel of Gṛhyasūtram and prescribes Dharma in line with Veda.

Summary

All the four Vedas have got different Kalpas. The final result of all the Karmas (rites) is attaining Mokṣa through “cittaśuddhi” (cleansing the mind).