An Introduction to the Vedic Sakhas (An Old and Rare Book)

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

The present monograph has its origin in a series of articles that I was directed to contribute in the successive issues of the PURANA-the journal of the All-India Kashiraj Trust. The Chairman of the Trust His Highness Kashi Naresh Maharaja Dr. Vibhuti Narain Singh ji desired these articles to be prepared with special reference to the material and contents of the Puranas which formed and still form the main activity of the Trust.

The Vedic Sakhas were of great cultural, literary and of course religious importance both in the Vedic and the post-Vedic period because they institutionalised the practice of the rituals in the group of people who owed allegiance to one of these. Each Sakha in the beginning had its own Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka, Upanisad and the Sutras-as that a complete set of literature was made available to the followers of the Sakha. In the course of the time much of this literature was lost and irretrievably mixed up so that now many of the original Sakhas do not even exist. However, since the lure of belonging to a special Sakha was strong many new Sakhas were introduced on the basis of particular Brahmanas and even Sutras. These Sakhas often differed from one another only in minor details of the ritualistic mode of performing the religious rites either on special occasions or in daily life. Since it is the bounden duty of an orthodox Hindu to perform his sacramental rites in accordance with the mode prescribed by his own Vedic Sakha, this lent a sort of continuity and life to these. The onslaught of time with consequent changes in life styles has caused many (or most) of these different Sakhas to survive only in name. It is here that the Puranic literature comes to our help since these often refer to the different Vedic Sakhas by their name. They sometimes also refer to the literaturc associated with these individual Sakhas most of which is now not available.

In the preparation of these articles I have drawn freely from the material available in the various editions of the Vedic texts, brought out under the editorship of learned scholars. The commentaries and translations on the Vedic texts prepared by the illustrious academicians of this country as well as abroad have also been used as source material. My indebtedness to these is too deep for a formal acknowledgement. The following books.

Vaidika Vaňmaya ka Itihasa (Vol. I-Vedic Sakhas) by Pt. Bhagavaddatta, India as known to Panini-by V. S. Agrawala

History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature-by F. Max Muller and History of Sanskrit Literature by A. Weber.

have provided very valuable material and I am greatly indebted to the authors of these books. In addition to these I have consulted many books, and articles and I sincerely acknowledge my gratitude to their authors.

The articles before their publications in Purana were thoroоughly revised (and often added to) by the late Dr. V. Raghavan-the then member of the Editorial Board and through this publication I pay my obeisance to his revered memory. My friend and coworker in the Purana department of the Trust, Dr. Giorgio Bonazzoli has helped by preparing the index of this book and he has my gratitude. I also thank, my friend Professor D. K. Rai for encouragement and Sri Vinay Shankar Pandya and his sons Sri Vipin Shankar and Sri Vipul Shankar, the proprietors of Ratna Publications and Ratna Printing Works, Varanasi, for their cooperation in bringing out this book in its present form.

According to the Puranas and other literary records originally there was only one Veda and later on it developed into many branches which were called as Sakhas. For the sake of convenience in learning and performance of sacrifices this one original Veda was arranged into four Vedas. Though the Vedic Sakhas originated first from the original Vedic Samhitas but later on other Vedic literature (such as Brahmanas, Sutras, etc.) also caused the beginning of a new Sakha. For the word Sakha other equivalents are Carana and Bheda.

The word Sakha stands for various sacred traditions preserved in different families of the Brahmanas who are followers of those Sakhas. Sakhas originated from the original Vedas, Primarily the word Sakha denoted a certain group of literary documents which formed the subject of study. That is why we frequently meet with the term sakhamadhite, (he reads the Sakha). In this light it may be said that within the Sakha the Samhita and allied literature was admitted. Mahadeva, a commentator of Hiranyakesin's Grhya Sutra, says that Sakha means a part of Svadhyaya comprising of Mantras and Brahmnas.

Besides the Samhitas, Brahmanas. Aranyakas and Upanisads, the Sakha also includes within itself the Kalpasutras, which were regarded as Vedangas. In this connection the commentator Mahadeva says that as Veda means Svadhyaya along with the Angas a Sakha may include Angas and as such becomes different from another Sakha owing to the difference in Angas.

But contrary to his view Whatever may be the were included in the Here Mahadeva pleads that Angas are to be included in the fold of Vedas as well as of the Sakhas Angas are not included in the Vedas. argument it is certain that the Sutras Sakhas.

From the evidence of Puranas it is clear that the Sakhas are the result of gradual development in the Vedic tradition. The Samhitas are the original literature and the Brahmanas, Aryanyakas and Upanisads are the later productions. Earlier, the schools of the Vedas contained the Vedic Samhitas, but with the lapse of time the priests in Vedic schools also developed various treatises on the performance of sacrifices (the Brahmanas and Sutras) and the speculative thought on the ultimate reality (Upanisads).

Besides the words Sakha, Carana and Bheda, Puranas also refer to the name Anusakha. This shows that some Sakhas are developed from other Sakhas. These subsequent Sakhas are termed as Anusakhas or Upasakhas. This is the view of commentator Sridhara on the passage of Visnu Purana.