The Upa(subsidiary) Vedas and the Veda angas(limbs)

The Upa(subsidiary) Vedas  and the Veda angas(limbs)

By

P.R.Ramachander

Upa (Subsidiary)  Vedas

  There are  four  subsidiary Vedas viz  Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Gandharva  Veda and Artha sastra .

  Ayurveda   deals  about clinical  aspect of Vedas ,

  The Dhanurveda  deals  about  the science of was ,

  Gandharwa  Veda  , the science of love   and 

   Artha Sastra  is economics.

Though  the initial information about these  aspects are meager ,  these  4 upa Vedas  were  further  developed   along with the Sasthra(science)  and Ithihasa(history)  branches  of study.

Vedanga (Limbs  of Vedas-ancilliary  sciences) 

   There are six angas(limbs)  to Vedas . They are 

Siksha(Teaching of phonetics ),

Vyakarana (grammar) ,

Chandhas( meter) ,

Niruktha(etymology) ,

Jyothisha(  astronomy  and astrology) and

Srautha Kalpas(the formula  of living)

1.Siksha –Since  Veda depended on oral teaching  , there needed  a  science for pronunciation    as well   as accent of every letter  and every word .The teacher  who taught this  , also needed  a feed back so that he can check   whether the student has understood    what he has taught. To make  the understanding thorough, the teacher  used to recite  his lessons  in words, two words joined together . Repeated  in reverse  way etc

2,Vyakarana-  Ot is in essence   the Grammar  of the language  .The  Vyakarana  (grammar) of   the Sanskrit language   as formulated  by  Panini   is most famous. The book by Panini has   eight   chapters and was   called  Ashta Adhyayi. But Panini’s grammar  is a later  day work than Vedas  .To some extent Rig Veda    tells us about   study of Grammar  and structure  of the language.

3.Chandas(meter)

Every poem  or prose  of Vedas   as well  as Sastras   are governed by Chandas .The most famous book on this  is written by  Pingaacharya .This is needed  because  the meter  in which a text is recited   would completely   change the meaning. One of the  most famous Chandas  is “Gayatri” in which the famous Gayatri  manthra is written.

4.Niruktha(Philology or Etymology) .

It  means” Uttered  ,and pronounced “ and  is the study  concerned with correct interpretation   of words in  Vedas 

5.Jyothisha  

    is astronomy  and astrology  and deals with movement of heavenly bodies.. This Vedanga was further expanded by Puranas  and put on firm footing  by people  like Arya Bhata. From India  it went to  middle eastern countries and from there to Greece  and is  the universal basis of the modern science .

6Kalpa  suthras(Formulae of life)

–This is the detailed account  of  the rituals  of the hindus

 Srautha Suthras  detail  the  sacrifices

Sulabha Suthras  tell about measurement  of the Sacrificial ground

Grihya suthras   tell us about  the rules and rituals  of  individuals  and families

Dharma  Sutras deal with law to be followed by  society

Aswalayana   , Sambhavya and SAnkhyayana   wrote the Suthras  of  Rig  Veda

Mashaka,Latyayana, Drahyayana, Ghobhu and Kadhira  wrote   the suthras  of Sama  Veda

Kathyayana and Parashara   wrote suthras of  Shukla Yajur Veda

Apasthambha , Hiranyakesi , Bodhayana, Bhadra dwaja and Manava  Wrote that of Krishna  Yajur Veda

Vaithana  and kaushika   wrote Suthras  of Atharvana  Veda

Woman from point view of Man

Woman  from point  view of Man

By

P.R.Ramachander

Every man  knows   extremely   well ,

That  he cannot   live  in this    world  ,

Without a woman to look after   him,

Atleast without   the mother who nurtured him.

He  may   at times  think  that all  women are fools ,

Who are  inefficient   managers  of life ,

And who  are spendthrifts , spending money,

Needlessly , on dresses   as well  as ornaments.

Every man thinks   that  , all women ,

Who are  extremely pretty and  ,

Who all the time dresses  and decorates  herself ,

Will  fall   for him, though he is not pretty, strong or wise .

Every man   though  he refers  to her, who is his,

AS his  better  half, thinks    within himself ,

That It is a wrong word  , for  how can  a foolish girl,

Who thinks that he is  her everything  be better  than him.

Every man thinks that   he is the  one   who is strong,

And it is his feeling that  he only  can bear   anything,

But poor  one, if  at any time  he has   to bear ,

One by hundredth  of  the pain that she  bears, he  will break in to pieces.

Every man thinks  that he is the  one  who can manage,

Any problems or  inconveniences  in life  without bother,

But  if he  were   to face  those  three  days in a month,

With a   smiling face , he would possibly  change his view.

Every man thinks   that  he  is the only person of the house,

Who works   for the sake  of his wife , kids  and family,

But  if we think of her, who cooks for him, looks  after his children,

Goes  to office  and keep on doing  many more sundry works, is he not wrong?

Sanathana Dharma , the ancient banyan tree

Sanathana Dharma ,  the ancient banyan  tree

Trancreated  by

P.R.Ramachander

(Based  on a Malayalam  whatsapp   write  up.Thanks  to original  tree

There  was  a huge  and ancient  Banyan tree,

One day  a climbing plant   started   growing near it,

The tree allowed it to grow and within a  very short time ,

The climbing plant   covered  the  entire  banyan tree.

The climbing  plant  became  extremely  proud and told,

“Old tree, One day  I heard a man laughing at you ,

And he said, This plant  which started  growing  the other day,

Has completely   covered, this tree  which is  several  thousand years old”

The Banyan tree   which has  watched  several  climbing  plants ,

Several times   covering  it fast  and dying  equally   fast, told,

“Brother, I am indeed  very old, and I have  seen  ,

Several plants like  covering  me  and dying  very fast.”

Our Sanathana Dharma  is  that  very ancient tree ,

And many religions  which wanted  to cover it completely ,

Are  those  climbing  plants , which   are  very proud,

And all those plants became small bushes after their big growth.

Our complaints to the God who never complained

Our complaints  to the God  who never complained

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

(When I   read this in Malayalam I cried for never  ever thinking how sad a  life our  darling Krishna lead?)

There   was one person  , who made  ,

His parents sad   , about  his future  birth,

Even on   the day of their  marriage  and ,

Who was the cause  of death of his seven brothers

There was   a person   born on useless  ,

Eighth  phase  of the moon as eighth child,

Who  cruelly moved away   from  his mother ,

Immediately   after he was born, for several years.

There was a person  , who when he was a baby,

When he ought   to have been  fondled and cherished,

Was   attempted  to be killed  by not  one or two,

But  very many persons of very great  strength.

There was a person    who fell in love   with a girl,

When he was a teenager , but was forced  to leave her,

Forever , one day   suddenly  telling her  ,

That He would  never   be able to meet her ever.

There   was a person  who was  known  all over ,

As the killer  of his own maternal uncle  and who.

Became notorious   as the thief of   Syamanthaka  gem,

Who was also  known as stealer  of a girl Rukhmani from her father.

There was a man who got released  sixteen thousand  women,

From the jail  of a king and gave   them all position of queens .

But who was  blamed as the most lecherous  person by all,

And who  fearing enemies  had to shift  his home to an island later.

There  was a person   who had to see  all his family,

Die quarreling with themselves but in spite ,

Of all this   that person never ever  shed a drop of tear,.

Except possibly  when he shed tears of joy on meeting his  friend Kuchela.

No where  it has been told    that    this person,

Was ever off his mood   or was greatly worried.

And all  that we know  is  that this person ,

Smilingly and courageously  faced  all his problems.

Imagine a day  , when  with our   extremely silly wants,

We who do not have  any problems   at all  at any time,

Are  standing  in front  of  his   temple    and crying ,

And imagine  that God inside  can come out and speak.

He will come  out   and   give us all  a slap  in our face ,

And tell “ Do you not know , what a   tragic life  with a smile,

That I lead , which has been written  in all  languages ,

For all of you to understand  and still have you  come here with complaints?

Vedas –the material and its sub divisions

Vedas –the material   and its sub divisions

Compiled  by

P.R.Ramachander

The Vedas  (came  from root  word VId meaning  knowledge)   are called  Sruthi(what is heard) /Amnaya(what is remembered)  , because  initially  for several thousands of years , it was not written down but only taught orally  by teacher to student.This  method was adopted possibly because

a.        There were  no script to their language /there  were no material to write

b.      The language   depended on  difficult pronunciation, which  even today cannot be recorded in writing

The Vedas  were revealed  by  God in to the mind  of Rishis(Those who can see –sages) and they  are possibly the oldest collection of knowledge  which was made  available to human beings .The Vedas were  divided  in to 4 books  -Rig veda, Yajur Veda(two versions-Krishna and Shukla)  , Sama Veda   and Atharvana Veda

The Rig veda  is divided in to 21 sections, Yajurveda in to 109 sections, , The Sama  Veda in to 1000  sections  and Atharva  Veda   in to fifty sections.

Sections  of Vedas 

Each of the above  Vedas has four parts  viz,

Manthra  samhithas (collection of hymns  praying Vedic Gods) –Useful to those   who  intend to pray Gods-Brahmacharis meaning those who are  going in search of Brahma

Brahmanas   -the  description   of rituals(community as well as domestic)-Useful to  Grahasthas( householders )who should live a life of rituals and  carry out communal rituals so that  the community can live well

Aranyakas- The books of the forests-Useful to Vana  Prasthas(Those who decide  to live society  and live in forest, living a very spiritual life)

And Upanishads – Mostly books of philosophy  .Some of them  do describe rituals –These are essentially books of philosophy and knowledge .Mainly needed by sages who have left off the common man’s life

 Another  classification of  the material in Vedas

Karma  Khanda –Ritualistic section

Upanishath Khanda-  Philosphical portion

Jnana Khanda-  The knowledge section which helps   you in search of Ultimate   truth

     The sage called  Vyasa(compiler) , the son of Sage Parasara , was the first one to  compile  all available  information   about Vedas   and was called Veda Vyasa(Compiler of knowledge)

   I would try  to continue .God bless all of you

Wo(men) in life of men

Wo(men)  in life  of men

By

P.R.Ramachander

(Celebrating  international   women’s day)

Every male is born to a female-his mother,

She gives her milk   as food for him,

Struggles lots and lot to  keep him clean,

And till her death she is worried about his health.

That male is indeed   greatly  blessed  ,

If we had grand mothers   on both sidesliving,

Who will spoil him by fulfilling all his wishes,

And shower him  with all  the yummies that he likes

Some males are  indeed    blessed   with more  than one mother ,

In the form  of     sisters   of their mother and father,

For the inexhaustible   affection that  they shower on him,

Would make  him lead   a  life in heaven always

Some  lucky males  are blessed   with a sister,

Who is younger  or elder or born with him,

She loves  him most in the world  ,

After their  mother. Without any selfishness

Most   of the males   , when they  grow up,

Find a lady   to  marry  and to be called his wife ,

Who satisfies  him   in all possible  ways we can imagine,

And with great pain, gives  him children to love  and look after.

Only    the  lucky  males are blessed  by A daughter  by God,

Who  loves  him a lot  , showers all  her affection  on him,

Gets sad   when he is  sad,       from any cause   whatsoever,

And   sacrifices   all her   wants, so that he is  cared in old age..

Tweet by ADG PI –Indian army

Tweet by  ADG PI –Indian army

(from  https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/hours-after-airstrike-in-pakistan-indian-army-tweets-poem-on-being-powerful-1465170-2019-02-26 )

Quotation from

Hindi poet

Ram dhaman singh  Dhinkar

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

'क्षमाशील हो रिपु-समक्ष
तुम हुए विनीत जितना ही,
दुष्ट कौरवों ने तुमको
कायर समझा उतना ही।

Kshama Sheel  ho Ripu SAmaksh,

Thuum hooey viniteeh  jithna hi

Dushta  Kauravom ne   thumko

Kaayr samajja  uthanaa hi

All  enemies  are  generally patient,

And you became   that much more modest.

The evil  Kauravas  thought  you ,

Were   cowards   as  they thought  that you were modest

सच पूछो, तो शर में ही
बसती है दीप्ति विनय की,
सन्धि-वचन संपूज्य उसी का जिसमें शक्ति विजय

Sach poocho  , tho sar may hi  ,

Basthi ho  deepthi vinay  ki,

SAndhi vachan  sampoojya,

Usikaa   jisme   sakthi vijay

If you ask us the truth ,

Only in the  arrows  live.

The luster  of  modesty ,

for

The  words of  treaty  are complete.

When the   strength  points to victory