Vedas and Vedangas PDF

THE
VEDAS AND VEDANGAS
by
Kanchi Kamkoti Peethadheeshwar, His Holiness,
Jagadguru Shankaracharya, Pujya
Shri Jayendra Saraswati Ji Maharaj
Publisher
SRI KAMAKOTI RESEARCH CENTRE
No. 88 Kanchi Sri Kamakoti Peetam Jagadguru

Sri Sankaracharya Swamigal Math St.,
KUMBAKONAM-612 001
Sri Kamakoti Research Centre Publication No: 14
THE VEDAS AND VEDANGAS
Adhisankara Era 2496 Panguni 30(14 4 - 88)
Published by
Sri Kamakoti Research Centre
Kumbakonam
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REPRINTER'S NOTE
This book is a reprint of the original book published in

1988 and is currently out of print. Hence, it was decided to
reprint this book by borrowing the book from the library,
scanning the pages and converting them to english text using
character recognition software available in the local library.
The Sanskrit letters were then typed in manually. It was proof
read by him and his wife.
Nothing has been changed from the original copy

except for formatting and very obvious mistakes mostly
spelling mistakes. The content was changed in one instance -
in Page 72, Line #2, in the table, was changed to
, after consultation with Shri Shriramana Sharma,

as the paragraph above that table talks about the various types
of Chhandas and was a printing error in the
original book.
His Holiness Balaperiyavaa blessed the printing of this

book & its distribution free of cost. Also His Holiness blessed
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE
This revised edition of the book ''Vedas and Vedangas"

is now being released on the occasion of the World Hindu
Conference at Kathmandu in March 1988.
This book contains translations in English of articles on Vedas

and Vedangas published by the Tiruppavai - Tiruvempavai
Committee Mayiladuthurai in the year 1962 when a
conference on Tiruppavai, Tiruvempavai, Vedas and
Vedangas was held.
The articles contained in this book are the original translations

of the lectures delivered by His Holiness Kanchi Sri Kamakoti
Peetadhipathi Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi
Sankaracharya Maharaj in the above conference.
We are confident that the reader can get a clear knowledge of

the various tenets of Hinduism and the multifaceted Dharmic
aspects enshrined in it. In fact, this publication shall prove to
be a boon to those interested in the study of Hindu Dharma.
V. Mahadevan
Kumbakonam for Sri Kamakoti Research Centre

THIS REVISED EDITION PUBLISHED BY
ADYA SANKARA PARAMPARAGATHA SREEMATH

PARAMAHAMSA PARIVRAJAKACHARYA VARYA
KANCHEE SRI KAMAKOTI PEETATHIPATHIGAL
PUJYA SRI JAGADGURU SRI SANKARA VIJAYENDRA
SARASWATHI SANKARACHARYA MAHARAJ.
IN THE WORLD HINDU CONFERENCE
at Katmandu (Nepal)
March 1988.
CONTENTS
PART I
I.THE VEDAS ................................................................ 3
II.THE AGELESS VEDAS .............................................. 19
III.THE KARMA-KANDA PORTION OF THE VEDAS ... 29
IV.THE VEDAS IN THE TAMIL REGION ........................ 31
V.THE BEAUTY OF THE VEDAS .................................. 33
PART II
VI.SHIKSHA .................................................................... 47
VII.VYAKARANAM ........................................................... 51
VIII.CHHANDAS ................................................................ 62
IX.NIRUKTAM ................................................................. 73
X.JYOTISHAM ................................................................ 79
XI.KALPAM ..................................................................... 83
PART I
CHAPTER I
THE VEDAS
It is the definite conclusion of Vedic pandits as well as
Saivite and Vaishnavite saints that the four Vedas are sound
emanation from God Himself.
This world has been created by God and will merge in
Him after millions of years. It remains in the State of Pralaya
or merger for as much period as that for which it was in
existence. After the State of Pralaya is over, it is recreated
again. This process of creation and pralaya goes on
alternately just like day and night. During every Pralaya, the
Vedas also get merged in God. Again, at the time of creation,
by God's grace, the Vedas shine before Brahma and other
Maharishis who do tapasya or penance by the yoga path,
after controlling their senses.
The mantras of the Vedas which are ageless are all the
time present in the ether in the form of sound waves.1 The
Maharishis had the divine power to hear those sounds and
1 Conservative thinkers believe that the Vedas as waves

of sound can always remain in the ether around us. And we
know today that sound waves, once produced, do not die or
merge with one another at all. With our perceptions more
acutely tuned by austerities, we may perhaps be in a position
to listen to these sounds distinctly. Some of the great seers of
old became aware of this phenomenon only through the
acquisition of such superpowers and postulated the theory of
the origin of sound alone before anything else in creation.
Pen books-Indian literatures No. XII. Sanskrit Literature by
Sri K. Chandrasekaran and Sri V. H. Subramanya Sastri, p. 19.
4 THE VEDAS AND VEDANGAS
were able to capture them because of their yogic powers.

According to the yoga-shastras, if the ether in the ear can be
made to become one with the Mahat-akasa or bigger ether
outside, then the person gets the power to recapture and
collect the sound waves in the bigger ether. According to the
Yoga-sutras :
These sounds will be audible to those who have reached

the state of non-duality with the omnipresent or ultimate
reality. Thus, the Vedamantras are sounds captured by the
Maharishis in this manner. As Adi Sankara says in his
Bhashya :
! " #!$%&' $" ()" *
+ " " , -"&. , /
-- "
) 1
) 23 " 3 34 , *
56( % %7"8 9
) , $" ()" /
Sri Sankara-bhashyam, Chap. I, "1
:; < " ...
Srimad Bhagavatam
The Maharishis who are able to capture the Vedic
sounds then got them by heart, and after observing a good
deal of discipline and vratas, they taught them to their sons
and disciples by word of mouth and made them also get them
by heart. If the Vedic mantras are grasped according to the
disciplines and vratas prescribed for the purpose, then
THE VEDAS 5
mantrasiddhi will take place automatically, and the Vedas

will protect the person who recites them as well as the whole
world through him.
Since times immemorial, the Vedas have never been
committed to writing. They have always been taught by the
Guru by word of mouth. Therefore, in the Tamil language,
the Vedas are called Marai, Odu, Ezuthamozhi, Ezhutakilavi,
Cheyyamozhi (unwritten words). Shiksha which is one of the
six limbs of the Vedas clearly says that the Vedas should not
be learnt from books where they have been committed to
writing.
According to our religion, just as breathing goes on in a
man's body without any effort on his part and in an
involuntary manner as long as he is alive, likewise, through
the mouth of God, continuously Vedic sounds are being
transmitted :
In the VedaBhashya, it is said :
$ >? " , (" ( B )
In the three Tamil Nighantus namely Divakaram,
Pingalam and Choodamani also, God is referred to as being
anterior to the Vedas.
All the fourteen worlds which are there constitute a huge
kingdom. This kingdom is ruled by an emperor, and all living
beings are his subjects. The Emperor has no beginning and so
also his subjects. But if there is a kingdom and an emperor
and there are subjects, then surely some law is required to
govern them. If the subjects as well as the emperor are
without any beginning, then naturally the law is also without
any beginning. The Vedas are that eternal law which has had
no beginning.2
The world is first created, then it grows, and then it gets
into the state of Pralaya, again it is re-created, and
2
Cf. Chapter II : The Ageless Vedas
again it grows and undergoes Pralaya, and this cycle

goes on all the time. But the emperor and his law are
eternal.
Although, the Jeevatmas are eternal, they take birth all
the time in the cycle of birth and death. At the beginning of
every creation the emperor creates some Ministers or
Adhikarapurushas and gives them the necessary yogic
powers, by which they can tune the ether in their ears to the
ether in the outer space and bring them into unison, as a
result of which they can get divine ears ; with the aid of these
divine ears, by God's grace, these Ministers or persons
holding positions of power are able to capture the sound
waves moving in the outer space or ether. They are the first
set of people who knew the Vedas; they are the Maharishis
for the various mantras.
Veda-adhyayana or the study of Vedas is a mantra-yoga
actually. Whenever any movement or vibration takes place in
a nadi (nerve), then the chitta or mind undergoes some
transformations. The vibrations in certain nadis are
responsible for the arousing of desire in the mind, the
vibrations in some others are responsible for creating laziness,
feelings of sorrow and so on. In other words, whenever any
desire arises in the mind, there are vibrations in certain nadis,
and similarly whenever pleasures are experienced, there are
certain vibrations in certain other nadis. But when there is
peace and calmness, the face gets a certain radiance, which
arises from the fact that some nadis have got cooled down.
Thus, since mental changes are capable of inducing changes in
the nadis or vibrations in the nadis, so it is possible to make
them induce some coolness in the nadis ; thus, by controlling
those nadis and bringing them under our control, we can
invoke at will desire, anger or peace or calmness or any other
feeling. There is no need for any external objects for this
purpose. Hata-yoga which is based primarily on the science of
Pranayama is a means for bringing the nadis under one's
THE VEDAS 7
control. In the same way, Mantrayoga is another method for

that purpose.
Whenever we pronounce some letter or the sound
represented by some letter, Pranavayu or the life-sustaining
air emanates through the gaps in the various parts of the
body such as the tongue, lips, upper jaw, lower jaw, neck etc.
Then, some vibrations start in those nadis which are
connected with the organs through which Pranavayu moves.
In the Vedic mantras, only those mantras have been
collected which are conducive to the prosperity and welfare of
people in this world as well as to the acquisition of punyas
like moksha which would lead to prosperity in the other
worlds and secure enduring benefits. The other mantras
which may lead to contrary results have been excluded.
It is the duty of all Brahmins to do Japa and Parayana of these
mantras so that repeated vibrations could be produced in the
nadis which would lead to spiritual prosperity and at the
same time secure such benefits not only for themselves but
also for the others through their mantrashakti. This is their
fundamental and basic duty from the time of their birth.
Everyone has a basic and fundamental duty and everyone
should do his duty so that the fruits flowing therefrom may
conduce to the welfare of all. This is the purport of our
shastras.
THE VEDAS ARE ENDLESS
As one Tamil saint Tirumoolar has said, all the Vedas
could be just confined within 50 letters. The fifty letters from
to are all contained in the Vedic mantras. But there is no
end to the Vedas. The Yajurveda itself says that the Vedas are
endless. There is an interesting story in this connection.
Bharadwaja Maharishi studied the Vedas for years, in fact for
thrice the age of a normal human being. His body became
emaciated and weak. At that time, Indra appeared before him
and made three mountains appear before him. He took a

handful of the earth from each of the three mountains and
told the Maharishi Oh, Bharadwaja, whatever you have
learnt is equivalent to these three handfuls of earth only, and
whatever Vedas you are yet to learn are equivalent to the
three mountains which you see before you. So, the Vedas are
endless." (Cf. Yajurveda, Kataka, Prasna 3). The famous
Tamil proverb : Katrathu Kaimmanu alarri, Kallatathu
Malai Alarri (what has been learnt is just a handful while
what has not been learnt is like a mountain; has had its origin
in this Vedic story only.
Each of the four Vedas has further been divided into
various branches. The Rigveda has 21 branches, the
Yajurveda has 101 branches and the Samaveda 100 branches
and the Atharvaveda 9 branches.
THE BRANCHES OF THE VEDAS, THE PLACES WHERE

THEY ARE PREVALENT AND THE DIFFERENCES
IN MODE OF PRONUNCIATION
At present, in the Rigveda, only one branch is in
existence namely the Aitareya branch. The Namboodiris of
the Malayalam speaking area call this Pauzhiyam. Saints like
Nachinarkiniyar refer to it as Pautikam.
In the Yajurveda, three branches are now prevalent,
namely Taittriya, Kanwa and Madhyandina.
In the Samaveda, Chandoga and Talavakara are the only
two branches currently in existence.
In the Atharvaveda, only one branch is in existence in
North India.
The number of pandits belonging to the Talavakara
branch has dwindled down very much and it is now
prevalent only in some families in Kerala and in Thanjavur
and Tirunelveli districts. Among the 63 Saivite saints, Somasi
Mara Nayanar belonging to Idaiyathangudi near Devakottai
belonged to the Talavakara branch only, and he is
THE VEDAS 9
worshipped even today by the people belonging to the

Talavakara branch, who are living now in that area and its
neighbourhood.
There is something special about the Talavakara branch.
Wherever the letter D occurs in the Rigveda, the Yajurveda
uses the letter E in its place.
The letter E which occurs in the Yajurveda and the

Chandoga-Sama occurs in the Talavakara-Sama in the form of
zha (). In the manuscripts and books belonging to the
Talavakara branch which have been printed now also, we
find only this letter zha in use. Thus this letter zha which is
found in the Tamil language has secured a place only in one
branch of the Vedas as a primordial or beginningless sound.
The Vyakarana shastra speaks of two letters called :
FGH 5
7 I and #%MN
The letter found in Tamil has been reckoned as the
Visarga : occurring before and called FGH 5
7 I (that
which is transmitted from the hind part of the tongue),
according to Vyakarana and Siksha which form two of the six
Vedangas.
Similarly, the letter F which occurs in the Arabic
language and also in the European languages can be taken to
be the sound which is called (#%MN ) namely the
Visarga : occurring before O.
There are Siksha and Vyakarana texts which are common

to all the Vedas. (The Tamil grammar Tolkappiyam is
believed to be based on Aindra-Vyakaranam). In addition to
this, there are also special Vyakaranas for each branch of the
Vedas, which speak of certain special things as well. Such
Vyakaranas are called Pratisakhyas, since they speak about
the special characteristics of particular branches. These

Pratisakhyas also indicate how some of the letters change in
particular branches.
One can say that the pronunciation that we meet with in
the Vedas was also prevalent in the different languages which
were vogue in the different countries during the ancient days.
For instance, in North India, 'Vangalam' is called
Bangalam and similarly Yamuna is called Jamuna, Kshemam
is called Khemam and so on. One can say that the reason for
this change in pronunciation is the mode of pronunciation
that one meets within the branches of the Vedas prevalent in
the respective areas.
The Taittriya and Kanwa branches of the Yajurveda have not
been prevalent but the Madhyandina branch alone is
prevalent in those areas. According to the Pratishakhya
relating to the Madhyandina branch, instead of the letters ",
, the letters , G, are in use. The fact that the term

Yoodas (as prevalent in Tamil) is pronounced as Jews, and
the word Yusuf is pronounced as Joseph, which shows that
is pronounced as G in certain Western countries, lends itself

to the inference that perhaps in ancient days in these
countries, the Madhyandina branch might have been
prevalent.
A stone inscription of an agreement, unearthed recently
in Egypt, and which relates to the period 1500 B. C. or so
swears in the name of Mitravaruna, a dual deity referred to
in the Vedas, (Cf. Treaty of Rameses II with the Hittites: See
H. R. Hall: Ancient History of the Near East, p. 364).
Again, from the fact that the Talvakara branch where zha
is used, is prevalent in the Chola, Pandyan and Chera region
or Malayalam area, especially among the Brahmins
called Choziyars and among the Namboodiris it appears that
THE VEDAS 11
this particular branch was prevalent in the olden days in

South India only.
Similarly, in the Telugu region, the Sama Veda is not
prevalent. 99 per cent of the Telugu people are those that
belong to the Taittriya branch of the Yajurveda only. The R
which occurs in the Rigveda and the zha which occurs in the
Talavakara are both pronounced in the Taittriya only as E.
This is perhaps the reason why in Andhradesh, the letter E is

very much prevalent. In the Kannada and the Maharashtra
regions on the west coast, 80 per cent of the people belong to
Rigveda. Since R is specifically prevalent in the Rigveda, in
these parts, the letter R is very much in use. The

predominance of these special letters in the respective areas
will be evident from a few examples given below :
Telugu Tamil Kannada
Pogaduda Pugazhthal Hogaluvathu
Pagadaalu Pavazham Havala
Paadu Pazh Haalu
Koodu Koozh Koolu
Some sounds which are not pronounced in the Sanskrit

language also find expression in the Vedas.
The E which occurs in the Yajurveda is pronounced as R
in the Rigveda, and similarly the S which is pronounced in

the Yajurveda is pronounced in the Rigveda in a new form
which is not found in the Sanskrit language. We also find in
coming usage that the E in the Chandoga-Sama changes over
to zha in the Talavakara branch.
When Poornima comes in the Mrigasirsha star, it is

called Margashirshi in our shastras. It is called
Margazhi-thingal by Andal in her verses. Similarly,
nourishment or Pushti is called Paushtikam, and it is also
pronounced as Pautika or Pauzhiyam. One can say that
these changes are also in accordance with what is found in
the Vedas.
THE KARMAKANDA AND JNANAKANDA PORTIONS

In every branch of the Vedas, we find two divisions
called Karma-kanda and Jnana-kanda. In the Karma-kanda
we find injunctions regarding the pursuit of achara, kriya-
anushtana etc. and their dedication to the Lord, whereby we
may get the grace of the Lord, and the minds may be made
pure by being rid of all the impurities. In the Janana-kanda
we find the exposition of the techniques to concentrate the
mind so purified and increase the devotion to God so that the
mind never wagers or strays away from the thought of God
and is always in contemplation of his form with attributes
and qualities or his form as the imponderable infinite
knowledge-bliss.
Saivite saints like Manickavachagar and Saiva Siddhanta
works characterise the Vedas as a cow and the devotion
which the Jeevatma has towards God as the milk obtained
from that cow. In the Dhyanasloka of the Gita also we find
that all Upanishads are compared to cows from whose
udders we get the milk called the Bhagavad Gita. It is said
there :
"% 4 " T %5 , *
% U "! , (V T) & 3 /
Let us therefore, take earnest steps to ensure that the

THE VEDAS 13
cows called the Vedas which continuously give us

nourishing milk in the form of knowledge and thereby give
strength and sustenance to all of us so that we never become
weak, may be prevalent in their full glory all the time
together with their six angas, without any decay.
From the great works like the Bhagavata, we
understand that our Vedic religion based on the Vedas was
prevalent throughout the world. According to these great
works, in the early days the earth extended from the North
Pole to the South Pole and was divided into seven dweepas
or islands, separated in between by seven oceans. Every
island and every ocean encircled the earth's sphere like a
ring, and was arranged in order from the North to the South.
In every dweepa, the Vedic karmas were being
performed along with worship of the Devatas according to
the Vedic methods.
The earth rotates round itself and it also completes one
revolution round the sun in one year. At some period in
history, the earth's orbit round itself and the earth's orbit
round the sun were in the same plane. At that time, the North
pole of the earth was just below the Pole Star, but now the
positions have slightly changed. That is why the two orbits are
now in slightly in different planes. This is the reason why in
every month there is some difference between the actual time
when a month starts and the day which is aescribed as the
ayana for the particular month in the panchanga or almanac.
According to our astronomical works, the first day of
Chaitra and the first day of Asvina are called the Vishu day.
Vishu has been defined as that day when both day and night-
times have 30 nadikas each, that is, when both daytime and
night-time are of equal duration. It is said :
" 5 W"4)" W"4)" 1 ( , XYZ )
But we know it for a fact that the first day of Chaitra and
the first day of Asvini are no longer the days on which the
day and night are of equal duration. We know that the

equinoxes occur 22 days earlier than these.
Similarly, Dakshinayana as well as Uttarayana also
occur 22 days earlier than the days on which they were
occurring before. The reason for this precession of the
equinoxes is the slight change which has come about in the
earth's orbit in relation to its orbit round the sun.
Suppose we rotate a top very fast. First it rotates round a
vertical axis about half a minute. But afterwards, the axis
ceases to be vertical and starts tilting towards one side; again,
it becomes vertical after some time; and again it starts tilting
towards the other side; again it reaches the original position.
This phenomenon of nutation is something which we see in
our daily experience.
In the same manner, the earth's sphere was rotating
round the vertical axis at some time. At that time, the New
Year's day and the Vishu day were the same. At that time, the
seven islands and the seven oceans (each with its distinct
name and colour and taste) were arranged like rings one after
the other, encircling the earth's sphere, one of those islands
being the Jambudweepa in which we live, our country being
called Bharatavarsha, and therein we live in the area called
Bharatakhanda which is a further division of the same. We
mention all these things at the time we do the sankalpa
before taking a sea-bath.
According to the works on astronomy and also those on
physics, when the earth's sphere rotates, because of the
changes that take place, and the tilting of the axis of rotation,
the oceans and the islands get distorted in shape, and the
oceans also start mixing with each other.
In the Kritayuga and Treta yugas, the Vedic methods of
worship and the Vedic Karmas were prevalent in all the
islands of the world. They started decaying in Dwapara and
Kali yugas to such an extent that today they remain in
existence only in a few parts, so that they can serve as a
THE VEDAS 15
nucleus in the Dharma-yugas to come.

From the stone inscription of an agreement, which has
recently been unearthed and which dates back to about 1500
B.C. and which swears in the name of Mitra-Varuna (Cf.
Treaty of Rameses II with the Hittites: See H.R. Hall: Ancient
History of the Near East, p. 364), it appears that the Devata
called Mitra was known to the people of Persia (or Iran as it
is called these days), in Lydia and also in Rame, at some time
in history.
Abhinash Chandra Das says in his book entitled Rigvedic
India that :
"The God Mitra of the Vedic Aryans was the same as
Mithra of the Iranians and the Medeus of the
Lydians. The worship of Mitra prevailed down to the
4th century in the Roman Empire. Professor A.A.
Macdonell says that from Zoroastrianism was
developed the worship of the Sungod Mithras in
Western Europe. This, introduced into Rome in the
1st century B.C., began to spread very widely
throughout the Roman Empire, before the end of the
First Christian century, by the army, slave
population, and traders as the worship of the Sun
god, the unconquered Mitra. Thus by the end of the
3rd century A.D., it bade fair to become a world
religion. At the beginning of the 4th century several
Roman Emperors were votaries of Mithraism but
after the adoption of Christianity by Constantine who
became Emperor in 326 and made Christianity, the
official religion of the State, Mithraism declined and
disappeared from Rome by the end of the 4th
century". (Vide Rigvedic India, p.94)
In Australia, a picture of an ancient tribe dancing in a
certain dress was recently found. Below that picture was
written 'Siva dance'. There was a third eye to be seen on the
forehead of every one of the dancers. (Cf. Figs. 128 and 129,
p. 621 of the Nature Tribes of Central Australia by Spenser
and Gillen; Macmillan, 1899).
Even now, the Veda mantras are recited in the Bali
island about 2000 miles east of our country. There is
worship of Lord Siva also prevalent there. It is our duty to
preserve this great heritage and expound its truths to our
countrymen as well as to foreigners.
From times immemorial, wise men have said all along
that every great work speaks only about the contents of the
Vedas. Just as all places of pilgrimage are compared to Kashi,
and all rivers are compared to the Ganges, in the same way,
all great works containing great truths have been compared to
the Vedas and have been based on the Vedas actually. The
traditional saying is that the Vedas themselves had incarnated
in the form of the Ramayana :
" , -1 ! [ !N /
It is also said that the Mahabharata is the fifth Veda :
( , %1 " ,
The Vaishnavite saint Nammazhwar has actually

translated the Vedas into Tamil. Tamil scholars say that the
famous work Tirukkural in Tamil also speaks only about the
truths dealt with in the Vedas.
The Vedas are referred to as unwritten sounds of
unwritten speech in the Tamil language (Ezhuthamozhi ;
cheyyamozhi, ezhuthakilavi and so on). In fact, even the
Mohammedans and Christians who have come to our country
have started calling their scriptures as the Vedas. So, it
becomes evident from all this that the Vedas are the great
mines from which we can mine gems of the highest truths.
The details regarding the Tree of knowledge which we
see in the Bible, the scripture of the Christian religion, are
THE VEDAS 17
also in accordance with our own Shastras.3

After seeing the agreement inscribed in stone, recently
unearthed in Egypt and also the various accounts regarding
the worship of Mitra which was prevalent in the Western
countries, we are led to conclude that perhaps the Vedas
which were prevalent in Palestine, the land of the Jews, might
have undergone some distortion, and perhaps it is only those
distorted versions which are now found in the Bible.
It is not the tradition of our Shastras to divide the people
of the world into Caucasians or Aryans or Semitics or
Mongolians or Negroes or Red Indians and so on, based on
their colours and physical features and say that the Vedas
belonged only to the Caucasians. In fact, the Vedas were
prevalent in all the seven dweepas or islands. Further, our
dharma-shastras say that the Chinese who are now called
Mongolians, the Dravidas, the Tartars, and the Persians are
all people belonging to the Kshatriya race : It is said :
+$ W 5 % , G , *
"&4R!" 5 : ;[ 1 /
% Y+ E] , E
+ ] ^W"E , _ G " , , *
( %`", 1 : W , 1 , /
Vrishalatva can be taken to mean agriculture. The word

'Vrisha' denotes God as well as dharma.
Swami Vivekananda who has done yeoman service to
spread our religion throughout the world has condemned the
3
The creation of woman as described in the Bible could be
considered to be a distorted form of the description of woman
referred to in the Aitareya Upanishad as also the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad.
approach of the Western scholars as well as the missionary

priests who, motivated by selfish interests, have created
dissensions in our country as well as in our religion by
saying that the rishis introduced the Vedas into India in the
course of their journey from one country to another, and has
said :
"And what your European Pandits say about the Aryans
swooping down from some foreign land, snatching
away the lands of the aborigines and settling in India
by exterminating them, are all pure nonsense, foolish
talk : Strange, that our Indian scholars too, say Amen
to them ; and all these monstrous lies are being taught
to our boys !"
If we patiently abandon this type of research which
creates dissensions and which makes our mind stray way
into newer and newer paths of pseudo-research, but go
forward in the path shown by our religion, and identify
ourselves with rectitude, then automatically, in due course,
there will be a flash of knowledge which will banish once
and for all these pseudo-researches and bring about real
unity among all the people.
All wise men say that the Vedas are breathed out by
God at the beginning of every Kalpa. The Vedas are the
ageless and eternal literature of the whole world, which it is
the duty of all of us to preserve and nurture.
CHAPTER II
THE AGELESS VEDAS

Some modern research scholars are attempting to lay
down the age of the Vedas just as an astrologer recasts the lost
horoscope of a person. But since their conclusions are at
variance with each other, one cannot come to any definite
conclusion based on their researches.
The Western scholar Dr. Jacobi and our great Lok Manya
Bal Gangadhara Tilak have said in their research works that
the Veda mantras might have come into existence about 6000
years ago from today. Abhinashcandra Das of Bengal (Cf.
Rigvedic India) and Dhirendranath Upadhyaya are of the
opinion that the Veda mantras must have come into existence
about 25,000 years ago. Max Muller and Winternitz and
others feel that the Vedas must have been compiled about
2000 years ago. An Indian research scholar, by name Kizhar,
says that the period of the Ramayana itself was about 9000
years ago from today. It is not yet known to the people on
what basis these scholars have arrived at these conclusions in
regard to the period of the Vedas. Even the Buddhists and
Jains who were outside the pale of the Vedas and who existed
about 2000 years ago have not said who wrote the Vedas
which were anterior to them. The Jains have accepted in some
of their works (See Trishashti Sthalaka Purusha Charitra, 1-
VI-244, 248, 256) that the Vedas are divine scriptures without
any beginning. If we generally see the approach of the
different scholars who have reckoned the age of the Vedas
and arrived at different periods, we find that they have
adopted different types of reasoning, and different arguments
to sustain their conclusions.
Tilak and Jacobi have taken as their basis the
astronomical data contained in the Vedas themselves.
Tilak has got two works in this connection. In his book,
Orion, he has taken the astronomical data in the Vedas as the

basis, and in his book entitled The Arctic Home of the Vedas,
he has taken as the basis some aspects concerning geological
structures. Abhinashchandra Das and Dhirendranath
Upadhyaya have taken only the geological structures as their
basis. Scholars like Max Muller have reckoned the age of the
Vedas in the light of the style of the language used in the
Vedas. They have fixed the period of the Vedas in an
arbitrary manner and say the Vedas must have existed at such
and such a time before, and they have proceeded on the
theory that just as the English and French languages have
undergone some changes in their form from century to
century, in the same way, the style of the language contained
in the Vedas must also have undergone some changes till it
has reached the form of the present Sanskrit language; hence
taking the yardstick of the period of changes in European
languages, they have arrived at the age of the Vedas also.
Their opinion is that the Vedic rishis entered this country
from other countries while still compiling the Vedas. Based
on this arbitrary reckoning of time only, the theory is
advanced that the newly excavated archaelogical pieces
namely the clay seals from the Sind area, especially in the
Harappa and Mohenjodaro areas which are supposed to date
back about 5000 years ago, are anterior to the Vedas
themselves. The fact that they have fixed an arbitrary period
for the change in the style of the Vedic literature only proves
that their conclusion is not the last word on the subject and is
not final. It is just like reckoning the age of a vessel which is
cleaned daily by scrubbing and which developed holes in
course of time and then determining on that basis the age of a
vessel which is used only once a year and which suffers lesser
wear and tear in the process.
The Western languages of the present day have been spoken
by crores of people of different types, and they have also
found expression in writing, in speeches and in so many other
THE AGELESS VEDAS 21
ways.
But the Vedic mantras have been learnt for 12 years
continuously from a guru by a disciple who has had the
ceremony of Upanayanam performed for him, and have been
recited only at auspicious and holy periods and not on
inauspicious or unholy occasions, and these have been
protected with great care by quite a few Brahmins. Even the
method of pronunciation of the Vedic sounds have been
specifically laid down in the three limbs of the Vedas called
Siksha, Vyakaranam and Chhandas.
These Vedangas say that the Vedic sounds should be
pronounced with as much care as a tigress displays while she
carries her cub between her teeth, holding it firmly between
the teeth and at the same time ensuring the cub does not
suffer any wound thereby and does not fall down. For
instance, in the Naradeeya Siksha, it is said:
U b 3 %) '] 6( 1 %E *
( % ( c d "[ - G /
e" "[ , - V , V 1 % E *
(2nd -% g, 8th kYE , 30, 31)
In the various works illustrating the beauty of the

Vedas, there is one particular technique called Varna-Krama
which has been prescribed. According to this, for every
letter/sound in the Vedas, eight special characteristics have
been laid down, and they are:
(1) M" , (2) $U (3) [ (4) - ! , (5)
(6) $" (7) " (8) G
In fact, the Vyasa-Shiksha says :
M" , $U 1 [ - ! , 5 $" , *
" G , e s
+ "[ , 9 , W"1 [+, /
The time interval or matra of each sound, the place

where the sound originates in the body, the main as well as
the subsidiary organs which take part in the production and
transmission of that sound, the efforts required to produce the
respective sounds, the different types of swaras, the manner in
which the sound is breathed out in the different types of
swaras, the affinity between the musical sounds and the
sounds in the Vedas, the affinity between these sounds and
the sounds of the peacock, the bull (especially belonging to the
Gandharadesa), the Krauncha bird, the cuckoo, the horse and
the elephant, etc., have all been explained in this work. It is
also laid down there that if one sound or one letter or one
swara is changed in the mantras, then the result gets affected
very seriously. It is said :
3 , $" "[ " *

6 t - V
) U 3 /
" T"u G 23 k$ *
U^ :) $" v% /
Thus, the Veda mantras have been protected with such

great care and with so many rules and regulations, solely with
this object that they should remain changeless and eternal
right from the time of creation up to the time of the pralaya. It
is only when some language exists which does not decay after
constant usage that we can preserve in the world, the modes
of worship of God adopted by great souls in the
Shudha-sathwa-yugas with great devotion, the methods of
performance of sacrifices or yajnas in order to worship God as
well as the Devatas and the methods by which they shared

their experiences of truth. Therefore it becomes a laughing
matter if people determine the age of the Vedas as well as the
age of our civilisation on the basis of the arbitrary yardstick
adopted by them for determining the age of the various
languages.
For instance, in the clay seal found at Harappa, we see a

branch cut off from a Pipal tree, a woman standing and
catching hold of a goat, and so many others standing along
with them in a line. (Cf. Plate VI (g) in Prehistoric
Civilization of the Indus Valley, Sir William Meyer Lectures,
1925, University of Madras).
It is the time-honoured tradition of our country that a
branch can be cut off from a pipal tree only for use in
sacrifices ordained by the Vedas, and at other times, it is a sin
to cut off the branch of a pipal tree.
The scene described in this clay seal is the preliminary
scene in a Yajna shala, where we see the Yajamana and his
wife, Ritviks, the sacrificial goat and finally the branch cut off
from a Pipal tree. Having found it difficult to interpret
properly this clay seal because of the arbitrary fixation of the
age of the Vedas and the consequent inference that the
Harappa civilisation anterior to the Vedas, and having,
therefore, found it necessary to excavate further the Harappa
site, the Director-General of Archaeology says as follows :
"This deity is represented in an interesting seal from
Harappa in which a tree is shown as issuing out of
her womb. It is reasonable to suppose the
representation of a Goddess, which is found in more
than one tablet, as standing on a bifurcated branch
of a pipal tree is indentical with the same mother
Goddess. The worshipper in the latter case appears
to bring a goat probably with a view to sacrifice,
while a number of people in a row are standing in
the lower register as if taking part in the sacrifice

[Plate VI (g)]. The sanctity of the Pipal tree has
descended to the present day, but its association
with the Mother Goddess has not continued to the
same extent." (Vide p. 33 of the Prehistoric Civi-
lisation of the Indus Valley referred to above).
Because this clay seal was interpreted to mean the
sacrificing of a goat before a village deity, therefore, it was
not possible for these scholars to explain clearly the presence
of the branch of the pipal tree in the seal.
The monthly magazine called Kalyan published by the
Gita Press, Gorakhpur, brings out every year a special annual
number. The annual number for the year 1950 consists of 800
pages and about one lakh copies of the same were printed.
The whole of this annual number contains articles about the
ancient civilisation of India. At page 137 of that annual
number, we find the picture of a seal excavated from
Mohenjodaro which contains the following : a tree, two birds
sitting perched on it, one bird carrying a fruit in its beak, and
the other bird not having anything in its beak.
In the Mundaka Upanishad belonging to the Atharva
veda we have a mantra which says :
d %
[ G
)
"& %w 4$"G *
, W%x%5 $" dy -
z { 6(1 / (3, 1, 1)
It says : 'There are two birds living in friendship on a

pippala tree. One of them eats the Pippala fruit. The other
does not eat anything and is always shining with effulgent
knowledge. The author of that article in the annual number of
the Kalyan says therein that it is the opinion of some
archaeologists that it is only the meaning of that Vedic mantra

which has been portrayed in that clay seal.
Again, if one sees the description of the beginning of the
creation of the world, as given in the Old Testament of the
Christian religion, one is led to conclude that perhaps the
details contained in the Upanishads only have been described
there in a distorted form. Adam and Eve were the first man
and woman who had been created and they were standing
under a Pipal tree and they had been forbidden to eat the
fruits of that tree. The tree was called the tree of knowledge.
The temptation to eat the fruit came first to Eve. According to
our Upanishads, the two birds on the tree are compared to
the Atma and the Jeeva. In accordance with the fruits of his
actions, the Jeeva goes on enjoying the fruits. But the Atman
does not enjoy the fruits of the actions but remains self-
effulgent all the time.
Thus, we find that the term Adam in the Bible and the
term Atman in the Upanishads agree not only in shape and
sound but also in their meaning. Similarly, the word Eve
occurring in the Bible agrees with the word Jeeva in the
Upanishads in shape and sound and also in meaning. In the
original language of the Bible, namely the Hebrew language,
the term 'Eve' is written as Havvah which means living,
which agrees with the term Jeeva found in the Upanishads.
The tree is called Pippala in the Upanishads. According
to the Sanskrit Nighantu, Pippala is also called Bodhidruma
which means the tree which gives knowledge. This is what is
called the Pipal tree or the Aswattha tree. Buddhists would
say that Buddha got enlightenment while sitting under this
tree. The Amarakosha says :
| ^ s5 5: W%x%5: )G : >!U,
Our dharma-shastras also prohibit the eating of the fruits

of this tree.
"Z"& >!U | !U 5
O5 1 *
"G } "1 * - W"9 >
("+~ U ? , $N& V
) O5- YE)
The reason that Lok Manya Tilak advances for his
computation which is based on astronomy is as follows :
During the spring season, the duration of the day and night is
equal on the day when the sun is in the Uttarashadha star.
This day is called Vishu (or vernal equinox). The vernal
equinox shifts from year to year. The sun takes 852 years to
move from one star to another. From the Vedas, we
understand that Vishu had occurred when the sun was in the
Mrigasirsha star. By arithmetical computations, one can
conclude that that day must have occurred about 6500 years
ago from now. This is a clear computation. Tilak also says that
there are some evidences of a general nature regarding the
occurrence of the vernal equinoxes on the day when the sun
was in Punarvasu star. (See Arctic Home of the Vedas, p. 420).
Again, that period occurred about 6000 years ago from now.
But even this computation of the period is not correct.
Nobody can say that such changes of the vernal equinox days
occurred only once.
For, time is without any beginning, and according to our
shastras, the present creation started 195,58,85,000 years ago,
and during this period, such changes in the vernal equinoxes
must have happened many times.
Although the scriptures of the Western religions say that
world was created only about 6000 years ago, yet the period
which is inferred by the geologists almost tallies with what is
indicated by our shastras. It is the opinion of research scholars
that the period which has elapsed, according to physicists and
geologists, from the time when this earth was a ball of fiery
liquid till the time it cooled down to such an extent that men
could start living on it, almost tallies with the time that has
elapsed from the time of creation up to this day, according to
our shastras.
But it is not proper to reckon the period of the birth of the
Vedas or the beginning of the Vedas based on these pieces of
evidence. According to mathematics, the vernal equinoxes
process from one star to another until they come back to the
same star after 25695 years. Merely on the basis of
mathematical reasoning one cannot conclude definitely that
the evidences in regard to the stars found in the Vedas
indicate the exact number of times after which the vernal
equinoxes has occurred on those particular stars.
Tilak arrived at a certain period based on geological
research also. He argues : The descriptions that we find in the
Vedas in regard to sunrise, moon-rise, arunodaya or the dawn
of day, could refer only to things that could have happened in
the North Pole; therefore the rishis must have lived in the
North Pole at the time when the Vedas came into existence.
Nowadays, the Arctic pole is covered so much with snow that
human beings cannot live there. According to geological
research, this snowy state where even animals could not live
there came about in that region about 8000 years ago.
Therefore, Tilak concludes that the Vedas must have came
into existence about 8000 vears ago.
Dhirendranath Upadhyaya and Abhinashchandra Das of
Bengal say that the descriptions given of the Himalyas and the
regions south of it, as described in the Vedas, indicate that
those portions of the earth which are now land masses were
oceans in those days and those portions which were oceans in
those days have now become mountains. They prove that
such a state of affairs, according to geological research, could
have existed only about 25,000 years ago.
In the whole of the earth consisting of the seven dweepas,

in the previous yugas, the Vedas were very much prevalent
along with the performance of the various anushatanas
prescribed by them. According to our shastras which say that
the Vedas are basic texts or scriptures for the whole world, it
is no wonder if the Vedas describe the events that took place
in the North Pole.
Since changes in land and water, and also changes in
climate of a piece of land mass could take place frequently due
to the tilting of the axis of rotation (or nutation) of the earth's
sphere, therefore, this method of determining the age of the
Vedas based on geological research is also not a proper one.
CHAPTER III
THE KARMA-KANDA PORTION OF

THE VEDAS
The Karma-Kanda portion of the Vedas has been
described by certain sages as those texts which transform the
mind and make it develop great bhakti towards God.
When Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada was about to go back to
Mt. Kailas after fulfilling the purpose for which he had
incarnated, the disciples requested him to give them his
teachings in a condensed form, and Adi Sankara obliged them
by reciting the Sadhana-panchakam, the first of which reads
thus:
" ! ) $"
)
$ W" %61 , $! *
%%X
+ , %w 7 ("
4v )
!N " G 3
& .7[8 W" /
Here, he has clearly pointed out that all the rituals and
karmas prescribed in the Vedas are only modes of worship of
Parameshwara. Further, all the karma anushtanas are also
dedicated to God, because when we perform them we say
Parameshwara-preetyartham, Janardana-Preetyartham or
Bramharpanam Astu and so on. That devotee is the best
among all devotees of God who performs all the actions
prescribed in the shastras and dedicates them to God.
Suppose a master has two servants. Suppose one of them
is standing before him all the time and going on praising his
master all the time, while the other servant performs the
duties which he has been ordered to do and those which his

master desires him to do, by getting an inkling of the same,
and does it also with great faith and devotion. Then surely
that servant who does the actions desired by his master, with
great devotion, is the better of the two. From this also it would
be clear that Karma-kanda is itself Bhakti-kanda in reality.
Further, in the Sree Rudram portion occurring in the Yajur
Veda, namaskara is performed before Lord Rudra, saying
Namo Namah 300 times. There have been great Saivite
saints who have done so and who have thereby attained
communion with Lord Siva. It is the Vedas themselves which
have taken shape in the Tamil language in the form of Saiva
and Vaishnava Prabandhas which are based mainly on soul-
stirring bhakti. Thus, the Vedas of which they are only
expressions, are also devotional literature.
Some Saivite and Vaishnava saints have sung in great
ecstasy about God being Nayaka and Jeevatma being Nayaki
and given expression to their internal experiences of bhakti.
As a basis for this imagery, we find in the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad a description of the happiness that comes as a
result of the union of the Jeevatma and the Paramatma
without any distinctions between them. The Kaiwalya
Upanishad which centres round intensity of Shraddha, a good
measure of bhakti and constant remembrance of God called
Dhyanam has actually identified the love of God with bhakti.
CHAPTER IV
THE VEDAS IN THE TAMIL REGION

It is the conclusions of theist research scholars that the
Vedas which were prevalent in the whole of the world
consisting of the seven dweepas including the Jambudweepa
in the previous yugas is now prevalent in the Kaliyuga, in the
Bharata-khanda, to serve as a nucleus in the future good
yugas that are to follow.
Although the Vedas are supposed to have many branches,
yet these branches are not found to the same extent in other
parts of the country as in Tamil Nadu. Similarly, Tamil Nadu
has become the centre of Siva temples as well as Saiva-
shastras and Vishnu temples. As the Bhagvata says:
(W"B k [% [ , "61 "61 *
3 G ^W"E4) 1 (7w , /
- (( " , 11-5, 38 & 39)

At some places, people are born who have devotion to
Narayana, but these people are found more in Tamil Nadu.
Similarly, the Vedas which form the basis for Paramatma-
tattwa in which the Siva-tattwa as well as Vishnu-tattwa both
get merged, are prevalent more in the Tamil area than in other
parts of the country. Just like Siva temples and Vishnu
temples, Brahma-vaastu is the temple for the Vedas also.
The Tamil poet Vedanayakam Pillai, although a Christian,
yet a philosopher interested in bringing about reconciliation
between the various religions, who brought about a
renaissance in Tamil literature says the following about the
greatness of Tamil Nadu in the present century:
"Everyone is agreed on the fact that this Tamil Nadu

where there are countless number of temples and
choultries, which is full of fertile lands, and which is
rich with water resources, and where activities are
performed with discipline and achara, is a better place
as compared with the other parts of the country, and
similarly the Tamil language is also one of the best
languages.
The Tamil queen had her birth from the mouth of Sage
Agastya, grew on the lap of the Aryans, developed
friendship with Telugu and other languages, found
expression through the mouths of the poets belonging
to the Sangam period of Tamil literature, played on the
tongues of wise men, and ruled like the sole express
on the whole of Dravidadesa. Can anyone afford to
insult her now ?
It was Tamil which gave birth to us ; it was Tamil which
brought us up ; it was Tamil which sung lullabies and
put us to sleep ; it is through Tamil that we lisp and
please our parents ; the first words that were
pronounced by us in our younger days were also
Tamil words only ; and again it was Tamil with which
our parents fed us along with milk."
The immortal Tamil poet Bharati, who of course did not
follow our traditional customs, but who stood at the forefront
of all national poets, sang this very theme in his prayer to the
'Tamil Mother', when he sung :
Vedam Nirainda Tamil Nadu
The branches of the Vedas like Pauzhiyam, Talavakara,
Chandogya, Taittriya and Kanwa are prevalent more in
Tamil Nadu than in any other part of our country.
CHAPTER V
THE BEAUTY OF THE VEDAS
9 [ [ - 9 W% ) ^ *
-9 W% ! 9 M (
- " /
[ , % V , *
$ % 3$ [ $ (G /
It has been accepted by one and all that the Vedas have
come down to us ever since creation, and they are being
studied by everyone without any change, and they are thus
capable of giving us prosperitv here as well as in our future
lives. The term 'Veda' is appropriate, because the Vedas teach
us things which are not directly cognisable by our senses.
They also teach us dharma by pursuing which we achieve the
desired fruits. If only we pursue steadfastly the dharmas
mentioned in the Vedas, we are sure to achieve the fruits
desired by us.
The Vedas have six angas or limbs like Shiksha,
Vyakaranam, Chhandas, Niruktam, Jyotisham and Kalpam
whose purpose is to protect the Vedas from its enemies, to
protect them from any possible distortions or changes, and to
preserve their content as well as the dharmas mentioned
therein.
Just as the hands and feet of a person protect him from his
enemies, and just as the eyes and nose are there to protect the
beauty of the individual, in the same way, Chhandas and
Kalpam which are like the hands and feet, and Shiksha and
Jyotisham which are like the nose and eyes, and Vyakaranam
and Niruktam which function like the mouth and ears of the
Vedas protect the beauty of the Vedas and protect them from
possible distortions.
The first and most important among these six limbs is
Shiksha. For the Vedas, this is like the breathed air, and it is
useful for protecting the Vedas in two ways. Vyakaranam etc.
are designed to protect the words which are in current usage
in the world, and they also contain certain special rules in the
case of the Vedic words and thus protect them from change.
But Shiksha is like the Praanavayu, the life-giving air, which
is breathed in, which protects a person without expectation of
any reward, and thus Siksha is closely associated with the
Vedas.
If the Vedas are changed either in their swaras or in their
aksharas or letters or the method of their combination, or the
mind, eyes and hands of the person who studies them depart
from the rule in any way, while reciting the Vedas, then that
would mean the greatest disservice to the Vedas. If the swaras
and varnas are changed, then entirely undesirable results
follow, just as would come from enemies.
For instance, Twashta became angry with Indra and did
austere penance, and he wanted a son who could kill Indra.
But because of a slight change in the swara which he recited,
he got a son who could be killed by Indra. Shiksha protects
the Veda from such dangers. Just as a person, whose prana is
very strong lives happily and in comfort, in the same way, one
who knows the Vedas is able to obtain specially good results.
If a person does not know the Vedas properly, then he is like a
person who does not know the value of a gem and hence
enjoys its delight only to a very small extent.
Once, two rishis by name Nigumedar and Paruchchepar
entered into a competition to ascertain who knew the Vedas
more. So, both started producing fire out of a wet log of wood.
The first of them could only produce some smoke. But the
THE BEAUTY OF THE VEDAS 35
second one could produce fire with an excellent flame. Thus,

by knowing the Vedas well, we can get greater results.
The special greatness of the Vedas is to make us even
accomplish things that we feel that we cannot accomplish.
Shiksha tells us the means as well as the necessary concepts. If
only we study well what is taught by Shiksha, and practise it
well, then we shall be able to get all our desires fulfilled.
Today, we are enjoying only the fruits of what our ancestors
had done after their study of Shiksha. If we also try to
understand the things and practise them properly, we shall
definitely get immense prosperity.
Music which is sung with srutilaya after understanding
the subtleties and niceties of the science of musicology, is very
pleasant to hear and gives us happiness; otherwise, it only
generates hatred and contempt. It is the Vedas which are the
principal source for the important swaras in music. Therefore,
if a person knowing the Vedas speaks, we get a lot of
happiness and peace of mind.
Shiksha is that work which helps us to obtain the full
results of the Vedas. It is found that there are about 35 of
them. Some of them are known only in name. Some of them
are common to all the Vedas while some are meant for
particular Vedas. For instance, Vyali-shiksha is meant for
Rigveda, Vyasa-Shiksha is meant for Yajurveda,
Yajnavalkya-Shiksha is meant for Shukla-Yajurveda and
Narada-Shiksha is meant for Samaveda. Panini-Shiksha,
Parashari-Shiksha, and Amoghanandini-Shiksha are common
to all the Vedas.
These are called the beauty-features of the Vedas. Now, let
us consider briefly what these texts say about the Vedas:
(1) They first tell us how Vedas should be learnt. Of
course, all of us know how to read from books. Of course, the
Vedic texts have been printed by many printing presses in the
Grantha script as well as in the Devanagari script. But it is
very wrong to learn it by ourselves without the help of a guru.

The word 'Veda-adhyayana' means learning the Vedas
from a guru. Therefore, the Vedas should be learnt only from a
guru. Then only the appellation sruti would be appropriate.
'Sruti' means something which gets into a person's mind
through his ears. Having grasped it by our ears, we have to
get it by heart. The teacher who teaches it should be a person
of good conduct and character, and should be knowing well
the Veda lakshanas and their meaning and who would be
capable of expounding the meanings clearly, who should be
contented and who should have faith in the Vedas. The
disciple also should be a person of good conduct and
character, should have no laziness and should have faith in
the Vedas as well as in his guru. This is a very important rule
to be observed in the matter of learning of the Vedas.
(2) There are certain restrictions in regard to the time at
which the Vedas should be recited. In the morning, they
should be recited like the roaring of a tiger, from the heart; in
the afternoon, like the sound of the Chakravaka bird, from the
neck, and in the evening, like the sound of a peacock or a
cuckoo, from the head region. (moordha) When we do the
recitation by ourselves, we should be very fast; while reciting
them in the midst of some karmas, we should do so at
medium speed; and when teaching it to disciples, we should
do it at a slow speed. If this speed is changed, then the results
that may flow would also be different. For instance, while
doing a karma, if the recitation is very fast, it would only
mean that the person has been reciting it for him self for the
purpose of assimilating it into himself, and, therefore, the
fruits of the karma would not flow.
(3) There are also rules laid down regarding pronunciation

of varnas and swaras. They should not be pronounced in a
musical way, or very fast, or with shaking of the head, or with
any doubt or with any sense of fear, or through the nose like
the crying or cawing of a crow, or without clarity of the letters
or with too much clarity as if one is grinding one's teeth, or
without showing the udatta swaras etc. on the fingers or with
the mind diverted to other things. But the recitation should be
done in a sweet manner, so that it may be sweet to hear for us
as well as for others, with clarity of pronunciation, with the
padas suitably divided, with correct swaras, with great
courage and strength, with one-pointed devotion, and at the
same time, also showing the swaras like udatta etc. by means
of the rekhas or lines on the fingers.
For instance, the Vedas should be recited with that care
observed by a person who carries milk for abhisheka for the
deity who takes care to reach the temple in time and at the
same time also sees to it that the milk does not curdle up on
the way, and similarly also with that care of fear and love,
which is observed by a tigress which carries her cubs between
her teeth in such a way that there is no pressure of her teeth
on the cubs and at the same time there is sufficient enough
pressure to see that the cubs do not fall down. If the Vedas are
recited with this much care, then they are capable of
conferring on us immense benefits.
(4) The letters from to have become 63, 64, 66

because of differences due to the Shiksha.
(5) The origin of the Vedic letters is also explained. When

an intelligent person wants to say something, first he stirs up
the thought in his mind. The mind then attacks the Jaataragni
(G g ) very fiercely. That fire spurs the air in the navel
region to motion. When this air reaches the heart region, it
produces a sound called mantra, and from there, it goes to the
head (moordha) and then it returns; while it returns, it gets
associated with the tongue, lips, the inner parts of the cheeks,
the bottom portion of the teeth and also the tip of the teeth,
the upper lip, the upper part of the mouth and so on, and in
this process, the sounds from to are produced.
(6) The letters thus generated have eight characteristics

or
attributes, namely: Dhwani, (M" ), $U , [ , - ! ,,
5, $" , " , G
(that is, sound, location, means of generation, effort,
duration, tonal quality and loudness, Devata or deity and
caste).
Now, we shall consider briefly the characteristics of some
of these lakshanas or features.
(1) First, let us take up dhwani: (M" ) (M" ) Dhwani is of
three types: ( ) Nada is produced when there is

constriction of the neck and sound is produced with very little
of external effort. Shwasa z" is produced when the neck
expands and the external effort is very great. Hakara (3 ) is

the sound which is produced in the middle neck with medium
effort. All varnas ("[) are produced out of these three sounds
only.
(2) Sthanam: $U These are the neck, the inner parts

of the cheeks, the head (moordha), the bottom portion of the
teeth, the tip of the teeth, the upper lip and so on. These
remain stationary and are responsible for the production of
the various aksharas.
(3) Karanam: [ Unlike the sthanas, these also take

part in the generation of the sounds or the pronunciation of
the letters. For instance, these are the lower lip, the tip of the
tongue, the hind part of the tongue, the middle part of the
tongue etc.
The sthanakaranas are also called Pratidhwanisthanas,
(- M" $U )
(4) Prayatnam : (- ! ) This represents the effort made

internally: these are : $%&', 4!$%&', " , (W"" )
touching, slightly touching, closing and opening etc.
(5) Kaalam : ( 5 ) The fifth aspect is the duration. The
duration is matrakalam ( 5 ) the duration for which

each varna is to be pronounced.
The duration of a short letter ($") is 1 matrakala. The
duration of a long letter ( X) is 2 matrakalas. The duration

of consonants is matrakala. When two or more consonants
are joined together, these consonants have all got, excepting
the last one, matrakalas. The duration of a x5 is 3
matrakalas ; the duration of a x5 is 4 matrakalas.

At some places, according to some special rule, even
consonants have a duration of 2 matrakalas.
As an example of 1 matra duration we have the duration
for which the forefinger is rubbed on the thumb to produce a
sound, the duration for which a raven or wild crow caws ; As
in example of two matrakalas, we have the duration for
which the country crow or domestic crow caws, for three
matrakalas, the duration for which a peacock cries, and for
matrakala, we have the duration for which the mongoose
cries.
(6) Swara : In the Yajurveda, there are four main swaras,

namely ; # ., ) ., $"w , -1
Swarita is of seven types ; the rest are of one type only. All
these swaras are only for the vowels. The consonants get
swara only when they are joined with vowels ; otherwise,
they have none.
There are some special things to be noted in regard to the
swaras like udatta, etc. ;
Udatta is of the nature of sathwa. This is signified by the
thumb touching the line in the middle joint of the forefinger of
the palm side. The body should be wide ; the neck hole should
be soft. This is harsh sound. This is just like the bleating of a
goat. This is responsible for the gandhara sound in music. This
has its origin in the moordha. Its devata is Bhoomi, and its
caste is Brahmin caste.
Anudatta : This is of two types, short and long.
$" ) . is Tamoguna. This is signified by the bottom

line on the little finger. The body contracts, the neck becomes
hard, the sound is very soft. This sound is like the sound of a
bull. This is responsible for the Rishaba sound in music. This
has its origin in the heart. Its Devata is Agni, and it belongs to
the Kshatriya caste.
X ) . Its sound is like that of a peacock. It is

responsible for the Shadjaswara in music. The rest are as in
the case of $" ) .
For prachaya (-1 ) we have tamoguna ; this is signified

by the middle line at the middle joint of the middle finger. The
body etc. is as in the case of the udatta with slight changes. Its
sound is like that of a Krauncha bird. It is responsible for the
Madhyama swara in music. Its Devata is Surya. It belongs to

the Shudra caste.
Swarita ($"w ) is of seven types, namely :
1. ! 4. - 3 7. % "&.
2. -
+ 5. -kz5'
3. 6( 23 6. +
Of these, ! , -
+ , 6( 23 have rajoguna. They are
signified by the tip line of the ring-finger. These are generated
by the mixture of udatta and anudatta. They sound like the
sound of an elephant. They are responsible for the
Nishadaswara in music. They are generated from the root of
the ears. The effort required is very firm and strong. The
Devata is the moon. It belongs to the Vaishya caste.
-kz5' , - 3 have sounds like those of a cuckoo. They

are responsible for the Panchamaswara in music. The effort
required is very very soft. The rest of the features are as in the
case of the other swaritas.
% "&., + sound like the neighing of a horse. They

are responsible for the Daivataswara in music, and the effort
required is very very small. The rest of the features are as in
the case of other swaritas.
The varnas which have these swaras and which have
other characteristics like dhwani etc. also have got their own
Devatas and jatis or caste, as shown below :
"[ "
, , e, , 1, Z, , %, , " )
}, , e, , , g, U, O, , 4
#, , , , G, E, , , 5, (76
, , +, X, ( ), S, , (, ", 3 1^
, , , [, , , R, 7
"[ G
, , }, , #, , e, , , , , + : ;[
, 1, Z, , %, , , g, U, O : ;[
, G, E, , , X, ( ),S, , (
, , [, , , , , 5, " "+z
, 4, , 3, R, ^
7
Further, there are changes when swaras and vowels are

joined together. Similarly, when consonants are joined, the
first letter gets doubled. When a consonant comes after ,
, X, according to the rule of %7" , there is an extra

letter. Similarly, at places like Agni, there is generation of the

letter and at places like &B[, there is an extra varna called
6( . These have to be understood properly and

pronounced accordingly.
There are detailed exposition about $" (6V, $) " ,

W"| etc. which tell us to which earlier or later part the
consonants belong. There are also special rules regarding
how , % become , [ and also rules regarding -3, X8,
$", x5 etc.
Lastly, in the chapter called # [O5 for every three
letters, one [ has been mentioned, and for each [ special

results have been mentioned. That gana should be kept first
which will produce good results and the ending gana should
also be at auspicious places. In - [ like Sri Rudram, one
should not stop in the middle.
Thus, Shiksha tells us many such countless rules, and thus
protects the Vedas, and helps us to increase our knowledge
and attain the maximum benefit out of the Vedas. Shiksha
occupies the same status as Pranas or life-energy of the body.
Hence, before starting Vedic recitation and also at the time of
concluding it, the Pranava should be pronounced along with
the word 'Harih'. If we do not recite it at the beginning, then
the Vedas would slip away from us, and if we do not recite it
at the end, then the Vedas would get destroyed and we would
forget them.
In order to protect the Vedas, therefore, rules have been
mentioned regarding the combination, and sequence of
words, their structure etc. For instance, there are rules
regarding GZ , % , X , etc. If we pronounce the Jati

properly, then we get the fruits arising out of the protection of
the respective castes.
Yajurveda is said to have red eyes, a thin waistline, a
broad neck, broad cheek, black feet and copper-coloured hue,
and it belongs to Kashyapagotra. One who knows this
lakshana gets immortal Brahmananda and attains all
prosperity in this world like Indra.
PART II
CHAPTER VI
SHIKSHA
The Vedas which form the basis of our Vedic religion are
called angi, that is, having different limbs or parts. The word
angi means a thing which has one or more limbs or parts.
Atman is called dehi, that is, that which has a body. The same
is true of the Vedas also.
A person whose body has not been formed properly
cannot do his actions properly. Besides, he is also given some
nickname associated with his deformity. Thus, if a person
cannot see anything at all, he is called blind. If a person cannot
hear, he called deaf. If a man does not have a nose which is
well formed, he is called a noseless man or he is a man with a
snub nose, and if the nose is ill-formed, we call him a flat-
nosed man and so on.
The Vedapurusha has got six different organs or limbs,
namely : (1) Shiksha, (2) Vyakaranam (Grammar) (3)
Chhandas (science of prosody), (4) Niruktam (Science of
etymology), (5) Jyotisham (Astronomy and astrology) (6)
Kalpam.
All books which refer to the Vedaangas always say :
[ ,
% [
Thus, they all give first place to Shiksha. There is a special

reason for this. If Veda is considered as masculine, then it is
called Aamnaya or Vedapurusha. If it is regarded as feminine,
then it is called Srutih or Trayee or Vedamata. The use of
words like Bhagawati Srutih by great saints are examples of
this.
Just as a man who has no eyes etc. suffers from some
defect, similarly the Veda also suffers if it does not have these
different organs or parts.
When we refer to any person, even ordinary people would
normally say that so-and-so has got a fine nose and beautiful
eyes. From this, it is clear that if a person does not have a well-
formed nose, then he is having some defect.
There are nine pradhana-sikshas and nine upashikshas or
secondary shikshas. The nine primary or pradhana-shikshas
are as follows: (1) Lakshmi-shiksha, (2) Bharadwaja-shiksha,
(3) Aranya-shiksha (4) Vyasa-shiksha (5) Shambhu-shiksha
(6) Apishali-shiksha (7) Panini-shiksha
(8) Gauhadeeya-shiksha (9) Vasishtha-shiksha
The nine secondary shikshas, are: (1) Yajnavalkya-shiksha
(2) Atreya-shiksha (3) Naradeeya-shiksha (4) Gautamashiksha
(5) Lomashee-shiksha, (6) Kaundinya-shiksha
(7) Plakshayana-shiksha (8) Agastya-shiksha (9) Vyali-shiksha.
The first among the primary shikshas is Vyasa-shiksha
and it deals mostly with pada, krama, jata, swara, and all
aspects of the letters of the alphabet such as sthana, karanam,
prayatnam, dhwani, devata, jati, angabhava, ganam, and
virama.
Although this work concerns itself mostly with the
Taittriya- shakha only, yet aspects like dhwani etc. are of a
general nature. Similarly, each of the other eight primary
shikshas also deal mainly with one particular part of the
Vedas, and yet they also explain certain general aspects.
SHIKSHA 49
Among the secondary shikshas, the first one, namely

Yajnavalkya-shiksha originated mainly for the purpose of
Shukla-Yajurveda. Some of the shiskhas contained therein are
of a rare type. The special greatness of this shiksha is that it
teaches character and conduct to those who study it.
Similarly, Naradakshiksha which had its origin mainly in
connection with the Samaveda also contains many general
shikshas.
The main purpose of all the shikshas generally is to
protect the Vedas and to strengthen them so that nobody may
tamper with the swara or letter or add or change any swara
or letter.
Our shastras say that Shiksha is the nose of the Vedas. It
is said:
b[ " $
) [ $N&
So, the reason for mentioning Shiksha as the first among
the different organs of the Vedas is this namely that in the
very beginning itself, they considered shiksha or the nose as
the index of the beauty of the Vedas.
In the case of some people, for all external appearances the
nose may be all right, but it may be defective inside. This can
be understood from the dampened tonal quality of their
speech which would have a nasal touch. In the case of shiksha
also, the external shape as well as the internal structure are
both required to be without any defects.
Wherever Shikska-shastra resides in the mouth of a
person, there the external beauty of the Vedas also is clearly
visible. Along with this, if a proper understanding of the
shastras and their meanings is also there, the internal structure
of the nose can be considered also as being very pure.
This is how the supremacy of the shiksha has been
established.
In the Shanti-pata of the most important Upanishad,

namely the Taittriya-Upanishad, it is said :
$ , * "[$" , * 5 *
, /
This is how the Veda-purusha himself describes his own
limbs.
Shiksha also means in colloquial parlance the training of a
person on a particular subject without any blemish. If the
singing of a musical pandit is pure, then we say that he has
received good shiksha. Similarly, if a person does not have
good habits, we say that he had not been given good shiksha
in his gurukula.
From all this, it is clear that pronunciation and character
are both taught by Shiksha. The Shiksha-shastra also helps us
precisely in the same manner.
Some Shikshas confine themselves to merely giving
shiksha in pronunciation only, while others inculcate good
character and conduct also in us.
Shiksha thus removes the bad effects which may arise out
of wrong pronunciation, and helps us in having our desires
fulfilled by teaching us the correct pronunciation. Hence, the
Shiksha-Shastra is a great treasure for our Vedic religion.
CHAPTER VII
VYAKARANAM
It is said that :

" k "W%
) " *
$N , , ""[+, - ! , /
It is a well known thing that everybody wants happiness.
Since that happiness is generated through dharma, therefore,
people of all castes should pursue dharma with great effort.
Before pursuing dharma, we have to know clearly what is
dharma and what is adharma. How are we to know this ? Can
we know it directly by our senses ? Or is it possible to do so
by means of inferences ? The firm reply to these questions by
our shastras is that it is impossible to do so. Therefore, with
the aid of our senses or having some such thing as the basis
for our argument and inference, we cannot understand
dharma. So, the question remains how we are to know what
dharma is.
Bhagwan Jaimini who expounded the Mimamsa-shastra
says that Dharma is what we understand from the Vedas as
things to be performed. This dharma can be known only with
the aid of Vedas, which have shabda or sound as their
pramana, which are shabdapramana and not through any
other means. This is the definite and final conclusion of our
shastras.
We can know dharma through the dharma-shastras

written by Manu, Yajnavalkya etc. Still, since these were
written by particular individuals during certain definite
periods, it follows that they must have known the dharma
before writing their works, and hence it becomes necessary to
search for some basis for their writings.
If we start thinking about the basis of the dharma-shastras
which would be free from defects and which could form the
fundamental base for dharma-shastras, we find that it can
only be the Vedas which have been accepted as the basis by
the followers of the Hindu religion without any distinction,
the Vedas about which it is not possible to say with any
certainty or definiteness that a particular group of people had
founded them and at a particular time.
Thus, the Vedas which teach dharma not only to men but
to all classes of beings and tell them how to enjoy the delights,
big as well as small, were thus created by the Creator, namely
God Himself. Therefore, some people say that the Vedas
existed even before the world was created, while according to
some others, the Vedas were eternal like God, even though the
world was being created and destroyed all the time, and were
thus indestructible.
Thus, because the Vedas are very ancient and very great,
all the shastras and puranas, are all based on the Vedas only.
As everyone knows, no religion has been able to thrive in
India which has been against teaching of the Vedas.
We are all aware that within a few minutes of the writing
of a work, it is subjected to so many corrections, additions and
omissions. The different versions of the stanzas in the
Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. and other such old works are
proof of this. The question may arise whether in the same
manner in the Vedas also such additions, changes and
corrections could not have been made. If that be true, then
dharma will not be the same at all times but will be subject to
VYAKARANAM 53
change. If Dharma which is the main purport of the Vedas

changes, then how can we attain happiness with its help?
Since not only the activities referred to in the Vedas but even
the sounds of the Vedas also represent Dharma, and since
Mantras and also the activities like yajna (sacrifice) homa etc.
have to come down to us from time to time without any
change, and have to continue to go down to the succeeding
generations without any change, therefore, with this idea, just
as there are body-guards for the kings and important State
officers, likewise, for the King called Veda, six limbs or
body-guards have been set up, namely Shikshas,
Vyakaranam, Chhandas, Niruktam, Jyotisham, and Kalpam.
Everyone should learn these six subjects properly and
understand their meaning. Even if one of them is not known
properly, it would be difficult and almost impossible to know
the real truth of the Vedas.
Now, let us examine how these six bodyguards protect the
Vedas.
Even in the other works like the Bible and the Koran
which are considered as the Vedas for their respective
religions by followers of other religions, no changes in the
terminology are permitted, even though the content may be
kept intact. The reason is that not only the content but even
the words have been invested with a holy significance. When
that is the case with scriptures of other religions, how can the
greatness of the words used be diminished by any means ?
Therefore, the contents of the Vedas as well as the words
therein are both equally important have to be preserved and
protected.
The first three of the limbs or parts referred to above have
been designed to remove the defects in the terminology of
Vedas when they are passed on from mouth to mouth. The
first is shiksha. This deals with the alphabets which are the
basis of words, their origin, the parts of the body which
participate in the emission of the respective sounds, the time
for which each should be pronounced, their degree of

loudness, such as udatta, anudatta, svarita, the methods for
pronouncing them and so on. The clue for this is found in the
Vedas themselves.
For instance, in the Shikshavalli of the Taittiriya
Upanishad, in the very first anuvaka, it is said:
$ , * "[ $" , * 5 *
, /
Thus: varnam, swaram, maatra, balam, saama (that is,
balanced pronunciation) santana, sequence etc. constitute
Shiksha.
Many great maharishis have written works on Shiksha
which deal with things like Varna, such as Panineeya Shiksha,
Vyasa Shiksha, Naradeeya Shiksa etc.
Among these, Paniniya Shiksha is general and is not
confined to any one particular Veda or any particular shakha
or branch.
Vyasa shiksha and Narada Shiksha etc. have been based
primarily on the Yajurveda, Samaveda etc.
Panineeya Shiksha deals with the following:
1. The number of letters and their details (63 or 64)
2. The general origin of the letters of the alphabet.
3. The five parts of a letter, namely swara, kaala, sthana,
prayatna, anupradana and their details.
4. The rules of pronunciation such as :
b U 3 d! '] c 1 %E *
( % ( c dd[ - G /
VYAKARANAM 55
(Just as a tigress catches hold of its cubs between her teeth

without biting them and at the same time without allowing
them to fall down, in the same way, the letters have to be
pronounced without too much stress and at the same time in
such a way that they can be understood clearly).
5. The rise and fall of sounds while pronouncing the
letters.
6. The rules regarding the method and the time for
which certain letters have to be pronounced loudly or in low
tone.
7. Chhandas form the lotus-feet of the Vedas, Kalpam its
hands, Jyotisham its eyes, Niruktam its ears, Shikska its nose
and Vyakarana its mouth.
Thus, to understand the Vedas in their totality, one has to
study all these six parts. Otherwise, it would be a case of the
blind men seeing the elephant.
8. The details regarding how to indicate udatta and other
swaras in the fingers.
9. This has to be learnt from a good teacher and in the
proper and right way. It is also emphasised that it should not
be learnt from a bad teacher or a teacher with evil traits, in the
wrong way.
10. The greatness of Panini's knowledge.
The other Shikshas also have been written in the same
way. Having learnt the details regarding letters, now let us
consider what is called pada which consists of many letters
and which has an independent meaning of its own.
The science of Vyakaranam which deals with this is the
second limb of the Vedas, and it has properly obtained the
second place in the scheme of things. Vyakaranam means
grammar, that is, that which tells us about the parts of a word,
the method of breaking it up into its different parts, its
structure and termination or ending or pratyaya. That is why

it is also called pada-shastra.
There is a reference to Vyakarana in the Yajurveda, in the
Taittriya Upanishad, in the 6th Kanda, 4th Prasna and 7th
Anuvaka.
The Devas requested Indra to write down Vyakaranam,
and accordingly Indra wrote down the Vyakaranam text.
According to Aupadevas Muktabodha, we understand that
this grammar was written by eight persons in the beginnings :
Indra Chandrah Kashakritsnaapishali Shakatayanah.
Paniniamara Jainendrah Jayantyashtati Shabdikah.
} ^1 ^, &!$ W% 5I Z , *
% [ G+ ^ G k ' k , /
Further there are many other grammars which are still in
vogue such as :
%
+ " [ , $" [ ,
G+ [ , [ ,
%
+ [ ,
Yet, many of these do not deal with the Vedic words but
mainly with the words in current usage, and hence they are
not considered as Vedangas. But since Panini's Vyakaranam is
a grammar which deals with Vedic sentences as well as the
language in current use, hence, it has been regarded as a
Vedanga in our country from times immemorial. Panini
Maharishi had written it with the grace of God. Since it
contains eight adhyayas or chapters, it is also called
Ashtadhyayi.
VYAKARANAM 57
Katyayana has written a varttika or commentary on this,

and explained its meaning and so also Patanjali has written a
great bhashya or commentary by way of commentary on this.
Of these two, it is the mahabhashya which stands as the base
for all works on grammar.
In his Mahabhashya, Patanjali explains the utility of the
study of grammar as follows :
1. Protection of the Vedas (Raksha) ( )
2. Ooham (Inference) (3)
3. Aagamanam ( )
4. Laghu (5X))
5. Removal of doubts
Besides these, there are also other utilities :
1. The word which may be currently used may appear in
the Vedas in a different form. A person who does know
grammar will consider it as wrong and try to correct it.
But one who knows grammar knows that it is right
according to the rule of exception and thus he is able to
protect the Vedic words from being tampered with by
the ignorant people.
2. We find that in the Vedas a particular mantra denotes a
particular Devata. But then the Vedas themselves order
us to worship some other Devatas with the same
mantra. At that time, it becomes necessary to make
certain changes in the mantra. If the change is made in
the wrong way, then the whole yajna that we perform
becomes fruitless and may indeed produce undesirable
results. Therefore, according to the necessity of the
occasion, grammar helps us to make the necessary
changes in the mantras. This is called ooham

(inference).
3. Grammar is absolutely essential to understand the
words clearly and easily. Therefore, it is necessary to
learn grammar.
4. The Vedas themselves say that Vyakaranam must be

learnt, without expecting any rewards therefrom; it
must be learnt as a matter of duty.
5. The same word is capable of signifying two different

things. Unless we fix it up, we cannot bring it into
current usage. It is with the help of grammar that we fix
up the meaning of the word. A person ignorant of
grammar will find it difficult to fix up the meaning.
This is also another reason why grammar should be
learnt.
Among all these reasons, the protection of the Vedas has
been mentioned as the first reason. In other words, grammar
is like a bodyguard for the Vedapurusha.
Then comes Chhandas, the third anga, or third limb. This
is a work which deals with metre or vritta or prosody. Since
Chhandas or vritta is formed by the combination of many
words, therefore, it has found a place in grammar as well. The
number of letters and the duration of the sounding of the
letters (long or short) that appear in a metre are well laid
down according to definite rules. Therefore, it is impossible to
change the structure of a sentence in the Vedas in an easy
manner.
We have already remarked that the special greatness of the
Vedas is the greatness of its words. Therefore, it is important
that the mantra should be used after knowing its full details,
that is, its letters, its words and its metre. It is said :
VYAKARANAM 59
[ : ;[ 4 +" W"~
G M % c v| *
e c " "W" ? ("k *
$U [) "1 " %! - "
%% _" W"9 /
If a person uses a mantra without knowing all these
details, even though he may do many sacrifices, he will
commit many grievous mistakes.
Further, the word Chhandas means that which hides.
Since the Devas were hidden by Chhandas, therefore, they
were saved from death at the hands of Yama. In the same
manner, one who knows the truth of the Chhandas is covered
by it and thereby freed from death. So, it is said :
$N " 6( !& (
) ",
$!" " " 6(, /

This idea is found in the Taittriya Samhita, 5. 6. 6.
The science of Chhandas deals with the metre, its
classification and its characteristics. Pringala Naka was the
first to write this work. This is a very small piece of work.
Besides the Vedic metres and their characteristics, the metres
which occur in Kavyas and their names have been indicated
through short aphorisms. Following this, a work called
#% has been written. Nobody knows who the author of
it is. This deals with Samaveda, and hence it is considered as
belonging to the Samaveda. In Katyayana's Sarvanukramani
also ( "
) [ ) there is a portion called Chhandas.
Generally, these deal with all metres, hence all of them can be
considered as works on prosody.

Chhandas is of fourteen types as follows :
1. 24 letter 8. G 52 letter
2. #kB[ 28 9. " 56
3. '
) ) % 32 10. " 60
4. 3
& 36 11. |' 64
5. %V 40 12. ! |' 68
6. ') % 44 13. & 72
7. G 48 14. & 76
These metres differ by four letters successively. For
instance, the Gayatri metre has 24 letters, and the list goes on
increasing by four letters at a time until we end with the
& metre having 76 letters.
If in the Gayatri metre, some letters disappear, it is called

Nichrit Gayatri 1&! . If it contains more letters, then
it is called Purit.
According to some people, the letters increase by one at
time, and thus we have 26 types of Chhandas, and they say :
c !% + "| ,+ *
% +V 9 $ , 4kE" /
( G )
Thus, Shiksha, Vyakaranam, and Chhandas protect the
sound form of the Vedas.
VYAKARANAM 61
The other three angas or parts protect the other part of the
Vedas namely the meaning form of the Vedas : It is said :
W4 +" : ;[ U8 $" W% *
W" !" -
) YZ # /
CHAPTER VIII
CHHANDAS
1^ ^ $&! 9 *
) W"-[ 6 U /
The Vedas tell us how to attain happiness by following the
path of dharma in accordance with our capacities and get
liberation from the sorrows of the world. The Vedas are
without any beginning. At the time of Pralaya, it was in God
in a subtle form, and at the time of creation, it emerges out of
the Lord without any effort as if it is the air which is breathed
out.
God who wanted to create the world first created Brahma
and blessed him with the knowledge of the Vedas. Just as a
sculptor before starting his work learns everything regarding
his sculpture first from the science of sculpture, similarly,
Brahma also understood through the Vedas everything about
the world in all its ramifications, and then created it.
The Vedas have remained always in the same place at
every place and at all times. There is no such thing as
additions to the Vedas. The Vedic texts have had no additions
as for instance we find in the case of the Ramayana, and the
Mahabharata where we have differences in the versions.
Even though research workers have had to specify some
period for the Vedas as part of their effort to fix some period
for everything, yet no one has been able to show that any
portion has been added to the Vedas at any time. Nor has
anyone of them been able to establish that what preached
dharma at one time preached adharma at some other time.
Therefore, everyone accepts the fact that the Vedas have
CHHANDAS 63
remained changeless all the time.

The Vedas are called sruti also. Just as we learn it from the
guru, likewise, Brahma also learnt from his guru, Vishnu, by
word of mouth. Even today, there are very great Ghanapatis,
who know ghana, varnakrama etc. but who cannot sign but
can only affix their thumb-prints. This shows that the Vedas
have come down to us in the same form by word of mouth
throughout the ages. If the Vedas could be recited without any
change in the letters or swaras or matras, we shall attain
immense prosperity thereby. Even if there is a slight change, it
produces contrary results. If any such change takes place,
while performing a yajna or sacrifice, then the longevity, the
children, cattle etc. of the person who performs it get
destroyed. To prevent such a thing, the six Vedangas or limbs
of the Vedas have been brought into existence, namely
Shiksha, Vyakaranam, Chhandas, Niruktam, Jyotisham and
Kalpam.
The Vedas are called also the Vedapurusha. These six
Vedangas form his six organs as it were. Just as the limbs of
the body help to protect the body, in the same way, these six
Vedangas also protect the Vedas. Chhandas forms the feet of
the Vedas. This determines the extent and duration of
pronunciation of the aksharas or letters of the Vedic mantras.
Kalpam forms its hands. This tells us the use of the various
mantras in sacrifices. Jyotisham forms its eyes. This tell us
about the timings at which various Vedic karmas have to be
performed and also about the longevity etc. of the person who
does these karmas. Niruktam forms the ears of the Vedas. It
explains the meaning of the very strange words found in the
Vedas. Shiksha forms the nose of the Vedas. It tells us about
the method of pronunciation of the various sounds.
Vyakaranam forms the mouth of the Vedas, and it tells us in
detail the aksharas, swaras etc.
Thus, these six limbs help to preserve and protect the
Vedas from any possible distortions.
If we learn the Vedangas properly and learn the Vedas

thereafter in the proper manner, then surely the Vedapurusha
will bless us with his grace and make the whole world
prosperous.
Now, to come back to Chhandas, everyone who does
karma has to understand this properly. When we do our
Sandhyavandana, before we recite any mantra, we must know
first the rishi, the Chhandas and the Devata of the mantras. It
is no use reciting mantras without knowing these details.
Some people even today recite Rishi, Chhandas and Devata
even for mantras like % 23 which is recited at the time of
Sandhyavandana.
At the time of Sandhyavandana, we also say :
#kB[ '
) )% 3
& %V ') % G ! , ? *
-["$ W4:; " , % !N " *
W" W4W"> 6 , 1& , W" " *
But many people do not know the significance of these

things.
Chhandas signifies those mantras which are specified by
the number of letters contained therein. They are mostly to
be found in the Rigveda and Samaveda. They are very few
in number in the Yajurveda. There are mantras which have
letters ranging from 24 to 104. Their total number is 21.
However seven Chhandas are important from the point of
view of usage. These are the Chhandas like Gayatri etc.
CHHANDAS 65
The distribution of letters in the different padas (quarter)

of the various metres are as follows :
No. Name of Total No. No. of Distribution of
metre of letters padas letters in the
different padas
1. 24 3 8-8-8
" " 4 6-6-6-6
2. #kB[ 28 3 8-8-12
)( " 28 3 8-12-8
%) " " 3 12-8-8
#kB[ " 4 7-7-7-7
3. '
) )% 32 4 8-8-8-8
12-8-12
(The number of
letter is smaller
W%% 65- in the middle
32 3 part, as in the
M '
) )% case of the ants
body. This is
found in Rig &
Sama Vedas).
(The pada with 8 letters is called and the

chhandas is named, depending upon whether this occurs in
the middle, end or beginning).
No. Name of Total No. No. of Distribution of

metre of letters padas letters in the
different padas
%) $ 32 3 8-12-12

'
) )%
M " " 12-8-12

'
) )%
#%w ' " " 12-12-8
"
(So, there is one '

) ) % metre with 4 padas and 4 with 3
padas).
CHHANDAS 67
No. Name of Total No. of Distribution of

metre No. of padas letters in the
letters different padas
4. 3
& 36
%~ 3
& 36 4 8-8-12-8
%) $ ! 3
& " 4 12-8-8-8
# 3
& " " 8-12-8-8
#%w ' ! 3
& " " 8-8-8-12
" " " 4 9-9-9-9
3
& " 3 12-12-12

5. %6V 40 5 8-8-8-8-8
? W"' -
" 4 12-8-12-8
%6V
$ %6V " 4 8-8-12-12
-$ %6V " " 12-12-8-8
$ %6V " " 12-8-8-12
W"' %6V " " 8-12-12-8
%6V 20 " 5-5-5-5
% %6V 25 5 5-5-5-5-5
(While doing Panchaksharjapa, we say %6V ,)

CHHANDAS 69

6. ') % 44 4 11-11-11-11
BN -
" 4 12-12-12-8
') %
') % " 5 8-8-8-8-12
7. G 48 4 12-12-12-12
" " 5 8-8-8-12-12
" " 6 8-8-8-8-8-8
8. W" Z:-
e% W" Z 10 1
2d% W" Z 20 2
% W" Z 30 3
1 B% W" Z 40 4
W" Z 33 3 11-11-11
There are also beyond these. They are 14 in

number and belong to two types & contain letter ranging from
52 to 104, as follows:
No. Name of metre No. of letter
W" & 52
" 56
|' 60
! |' 64
3, 68
w 72
_ 76
? ) 80
655 84
_, 88
Kagarum 92
[", 96
%, 100
^
) , 104
Mahaperiyavaa Thunai
CHHANDAS 71
There are also metres smaller than the Gayatri as follows:

No. Name of metre No. of letter
& 4
-& " 8
& " 12
6(& " 16
Starting from 22 letters and going up to 102 letters, we

have 21 metres. They are of three types.
Similarly, starting from 24 letters and increasing the
number of letters at the rate of 4 at a time and going up to 104
letters, we have 21 metres. These are all generally called
Krittachhandas. In the dice used for playing the dice game, on
one face there are four dots, and that is called Krita.
Since that is famous, these chhandas have been named
accordingly.
Thus, starting from 24 letters and going up to 104, by
increasing the number of letters by four at a time, we have 21
chhandas, and similarly by starting from 22 and going up to
102 we have 21 metres. Starting from 4 letters and increasing
by 4 letters at a time, we have four metres. Starting from 2, we
have 5 metres, and we have one Virat metre with 10 letters, so
that the total number of metres is 52.
But, generally, the number used practically is only seven.
If in any one of the metres, one letter is dropped, then the
metre is called Nichritchhandas, and in case one letter is
added it is called Purik. For instance, the Gayatrimantra that
we recite while doing japa is Nichritgayatri since it contains
only 23 letters.
Besides, we have also got Deva, asura, Prajapati, Rishi

Chhandas. In the Devachhandas, the number of letters goes on
increasing by 1 at a time. If we go down below 15 letters, then
we have asurachhandas; if we start from 8 letters and go on
increasing by 4 at a time, then we have Prajapatichhandas. If
all the three are joined, then we have Rishichhandas.
Thus, we have:
No. Name of metre No. of letters
1 (This is the metre
1 "
for -[")
2 15
3 -G % " 8
4 W4 " 24
5 " G 7
6 G 9
7 -G % G 32
8 W4 G 48
The metres that we are using are Rishichhandas. The

maharishis have explained to us, the Chhandas, their
characteristics and goals, so that none may tamper in any way
with the Vedas. Those who understand the true nature of the
Chhandas obtain Saulokya and moksha. In the Samaveda, out
of the 10 sutras, in the Nidansutras, the last two chapters, 7
kandas expound about these in great detail.
CHAPTER IX
NIRUKTAM
The word Niruktam means explain. The science of

Niruktam came into existence in order to explain the
meanings of the padas or words and sentences or vakyas in
the Vedas. At many places, the Vedas themselves explain the
meaning of the padas or words.
Take, for instance, the word navaneetam. While
explaining the meaning of this term, the Veda says It
contained a new property.
In this way, if we understand the meaning of the words a
little more deeply and more clearly, then the true meaning of
the words will become clear to us. Niruktam has mainly this
object in view, namely to explain the true meaning of the
Vedic words.
Further, since the mantra portion of the Vedas is in the
form of verse, it is difficult to grasp their meaning. There are
some words in the Vedamantras which are not in common
parlance in the world. To determine their meaning is itself
difficult. Further, some of the words in common usage in the
world, when they are found in the Vedas, are found with
additional letters. For instance, the word 1
^, is found in
the form $ ^,.
The word & 7 [ which is in worldly use is found

without the in the Vedas, and is found in the form :
7 [.
Further, we find other changes also such as addition of
letters, change of letters, distortion of letters, and

disappearance or dropping of letters (varna-agama, varna-
viparyaya, varna-vikara, and varna lopa) It is said:
"[ "[W"% s d + 1 % + "[W" + *
$ U $ ) %1W" V /
Therefore, it is only with the help of Niruktam that we can
determine the meaning of the Vedic words.
Further, the word ,+ is found in the Vedas at several

places. Does it have the some meaning at all these places, or is
there any difference in its meaning in the different places ?
This has to be determined very clearly. With one word having
different meanings, and with different words having the same
meaning occurring at different places, this process of the
determination of their meaning becomes extremely complex
and difficult.
It is only when we can determine the purport of the
mantras properly that we can determine the meaning of the
words associated with them and then understand the meaning
of the Vedas clearly and without any doubt. Niruktam came
into existence mainly as an instrument to help in this effort.
Yaska who wrote the Niruki which is a part of the Vedas
or which is a Vedanga, says that the Maharishis who were
very fortunate in having a direct vision of the substance of the
Vedas knew about it well through their penance, and out of
compassion for the succeeding generations of people like us
who are not rishis, they have bequeathed them to us through
their various works, so that we also may understand the
meaning of the Vedas clearly.
Therefore, Niruktam is that work which classifies the
words in the Vedas and determines their meaning and
especially at those places where the determination of the
NIRUKTAM 75
meaning is not very easy, and thus helps in explaining the

meaning of the Vedamantras.
Fourteen Maharishis have written the Nirukta-granthas,
and they are :
(1) %
+ " (2) Z
+ [ (3) " 4% [
(4) T (5) [ (6) %7[ (7) [
+ "(
(8) 2+ ZW (9) 5" (10) $U 5
+ ' W" (11) '
+ ) W
(12) $U (13) !+ (14) $
Among them Yaska, Galava, Gargya, Sakapuni, and
Thaitigi are very famous. All these works were written in
order to determine the meaning of the Vedic words.
Therefore, they had some common codes between themselves,
and, therefore, their religion was called the Nirukta religion.
When they explained the meaning of mantras, naturally, they
gave explanations or meanings in accordance with their
religions.
At present, it is only Yaska Niruktam which is extant.
Now, let us analyse the contents of Yaska-Niruktam. There are
three divisions or kandas in this, namely:
X
+ YZ , + , +"
In +XYZ the meaning is explained in various ways. In
+ 6 , many Vedic words, whose meaning is so difficult

to understand, have been quoted and their meanings have
been explained.
In the " YE the names of the Devatas have been

mentioned. Yaska himself has written an elaborate
commentary on the Nirukta texts with its three divisions or
kandas; in the commentary also, there are three kandas like

X
+ YZ , + , +" .
In these, the words as found in the respective kandas in
the main sutras are taken, and by giving examples of the
Vedic mantras, these are explained in great detail. There is
also a %w '- [ a supplementary chapter called
$ . There also, the Vedic mantras have been explained.
The three kandas in the main sutras are divided into five
chapters. The three kandas which are the explanatory part are
divided into 12 chapters. The portion called $ is just
one chapter.
Now, let us analyse the contents of the three kandas of the
Mulasutras.
In the Mulanaighantuka-Kanda, the following have been
dealt with :
(1) Words denoting : %&6U" , 23 Y , w , [,

kz , , , #4 , 3 , X, " , # , ,
z", '% G
(It has meaning only when joined with another word)
(2) Roots of verbs which give the meaning of the word
"5
(3) Words denoting : " 5 , , %! , )B ,, ,

6) 5
(4) Transitive verb roots like (Karmadhatu) k

NIRUKTAM 77
(5) Words denoting . , { , 5, ,
(6) Words denoting , ? -, k ,
(7) Verbs denoting : , " , ez" 8
(8) Words denoting : , $" , 3 , 3

&
(9) Transitive verbs (Karmadhatus) like %w %
(10) Words denoting :

, %, - $ , !
(11) Transitive verbs like %z
(12) Words which have the meaning : "% ,

#%
(13) Karmadhatus or transitive verbs like : 1
(14) Words denoting : ", $ , 9, k!"
(15) Verbs which have the meaning : -, ,

M 4[ , $"W%
(16) Words denoting : 7%, $ ,, 7
(17) Words denoting : %) [, " , ~ " %&6U"

So far, we have dealt with the Naighantuka-kanda.
In the next kanda, namely the Naigamika-kanda, many
Vedic words have been chosen for being explained.
In the Daivata-kanda, words denoting Devatas starting
from Agni to Devapatni have been chosen.

The 12 chapters that follow discuss in detail the meaning
of the words chosen and illustrate them with the aid of Vedic
mantras which contain them, and explain their meanings
clearly.
Here, only some of the words taken in the Naighantuka,
Naigamika, and Daivata-kandas are explained and
illustrated. This itself becomes a detailed text.
Before explaining in detail the Vedic words, the words in
the Vedas are divided into four groups, namely, Nama,
Akhyata, Upasaka and Nipata ( , , #% ,
% )
Then, the significance of Nama etc. is explained in detail
Yaska also establishes that without the aid of Nirukta it is
impossible to determine properly the meaning of the Vedas.
Although Nirukti is itself so voluminous, yet Yaska
himself says that it cannot be treated as a complete
explanation for the thousands of mantras in the Vedas, but it
can at best be used as a guide, and based on it, we have to
infer the meanings of the other mantras.
CHAPTER X
JYOTISHAM
#% $ ,
The above sutra is the very first sutra in the first pada of
the first chapter of the Jaimineeyasutras, written by Jaimini, a
work connected with Jyotisha-shastra.
This is the 5" 1 at the very commencement of the

work. Its meaning is as follows :
(1) #% = Oh, Parvati, = Jyotisham, the science of

astronomy, which is important for the prosperity of the world,
$ , we shall explain in detail.
(2) #% = at the feet of Sankara, = This Jyotisham which
is so beneficial for the whole world, $ , we shall

narrate.
(3) #% z }! %
) , The Hora-shastra, which gives an
insight into the good as well as the bad fruits of our actions in
the previous births, $ , we shall explain in detail.
In his work called Naradasamhita, Narada Maharishi

mentions the names of all the maharishis who expounded this
science and threw light on it. He says :
:; 1 "? , ,) % 5
+ $! +
61 , z + + (& ,)
" " , z %s % ,
' + _ , $-" ,
Further, great poets like Varahamihira, Kalyanavarma,
Mantreswara, Kalidasa etc. have also written many great
works like the Brihatjataka, Saravali, Phaladeepika,
]yotirvyakaranam etc. vhich have as their main theme the
contents of the Samhitas expounded by the Maharishis.
JYOTISHAMA VEDANGA
The six main limbs of the Vedas are Shiksha, Vyakaranam,
Chhandas, Niruktam, Jyotisham, Kalpam. About these, the
shastras say : Vyakaranam is the mouth of the Vedas,
Niruktam its ears, Kalpam its hands, Shiksha its nose,
Chhandas its lotus-feet, and Jyotisham its eyes.
Thus, the Jyotisha-shashtra forms the eyes of the Vedas.
This is divided into Ganita-skandha and Hora-skandha. With
the aid of Ganita-skandha one can make computations
regarding years, ayanas, Ritus or seasons, months, pakshas
(fortnights), stars, tithis, vara and upraga or eclipses of the
sun as well as the moon, and many other details regarding
time. In the light of this, we perform our daily activities, the
sacrifices to be done in the various seasons like the spring,
agricultural activities, the activities to be done in the house,
upanayanam, marriages and other such auspicious activities.
With the aid of the Hora-skandha, and horoscopes, one
JYOTISHAM 81
can predict events regarding the happiness and sorrow, the

strong yogas which give house to a person, the age of the
person, and many other things regarding non-moving things
like trees, plants, creepers, ponds, as well as moving things
like cow etc.
Further, as everyone is aware, it is only with the aid of the
Skandhatwa-rupa Jyotisha-shastra that every year, we
undertake activities like manufacture of new ploughs,
ploughing of the land, harvesting of crops, collection of grains
and other each agricultural activities at the appropriate
auspicious times.
Indians, Mohammedans and even Europeans are having
resort to Jyotisha-shastra. Further, at many places, at
enormous expenditure, huge offices have been set up which
announce through the radio and through the newspapers,
changes in the world's weather etc.
The nine planets or grahas like the sun, Moon, Mars,
Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Kethu are
themselves cognizable with the aid of this shastra. According
to this shastra, these very nine planets become the agents for
the besowal of fruits. They stay in the sky and they can be
seen with our eyes, and they are watching the whole world all
the time. Among them, the sun is the chief planet from our
point of view.
THE SUNPRIMARY SOURCE OF POWER FOR EARTH
It is said :
7 !N G $ $U)4s
G , For the moving beings $U)4s for stationary

things like tree, plants, creepers etc.
7 , !N the sun becomes the Atma, that is:

$ G -
That is, there is no end to the things that we can cognise
with the aid of Jyotisha-shastra.
In the Vedas, in the first prapataka called Kataka ( g)

we find-detailed expositions regarding Shuklapaksha, the
period from Prathama to Paurnami, and similarly about
Krishna-Paksha, the period from Prathama to Amavasya, the
different muhurtas in a day, and their characteristics and so
on.
Similarly, in the first Ashtaka, in the fifth Prapataka, we
find detailed expositions about stars like Ashwati, early
morning, sangavakala and other periods, rasis like Mesha,
movement of the sun etc. Further, the sun is the means for
conducting our daily life in the world and also for the path of
liberation or moksha. This subject is dealt with in great detail
in the Chhandogya Upanishad.
Thus, it is very clear the Jyotisha shastras is extremely
useful and beneficial to all. It is said :
$N 2dG+ M !%)Y 3$ % 1 !" *
4 ". $ U 5( s /
Therefore, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras
and others should learn this shastra from a proper guru.
One who learns this shastra which would give great
punya, and represents the greatest truth and the greatest
secret, would live long with dharma, artha, kama and moksha
and kirti (fame), and ultimately attain moksha also.
CHAPTER XI
KALPAM
It is well known that the Vedas together with its six

Vedangas are the fundamental scriptures of the Vedic religion.
The writers of Vedic sutras (aphorisms) and Smritis, like
Manu etc have given expression to this at many places.
Apastamba Maharishi has also given expression to his
Dharmsutras as follows :
4E " , , % [ *
4 V W"61 /
Apastamba has mentioned the six angas in this particular
order while some others mention them in a different order, as
for instance :
[ , V 4 U %s
4E
Thus, it is clear that their relative order is not definite and
is avivakshita (not expressed).
Apastamba refers to Kalpam when he refers to ,

%. Kalpa tell us the methods of practice along with its
several aspects (sakalakalaapasahita) ( 55 % 23 )
Vyakarana helps us in understanding the Vedas by

analysing the words and their meanings.
Jyotisha is based on the Jyotis Lord, namely the sun. This
tells us the proper timings for the performance of various
Vedic rituals.
Niruktam gives a detailed exposition about the Vedic
words and their meanings.
Shiksha tells us about the various aspects of letters, such
as sthana, prayatna etc. (place of origin, effort required etc.).
Chhandas tells us about the various metres like Gayatri,
Trishtup etc.
For the Vedapurusha, Vyakaranam is the mouth, Jyotisha
the eyes, Niruktam the ears, Chhandas feet, Shisksha nose and
Kalpam its hands. It is said :

) [ $ 4 ) *
V ) ' W"61 , % *
b[ " $ 3$ % -1 /
The Chhandogasruti also classifies Vedangas like Kalpa
by the term Brahmavidya. For the word 'Brahmavidyam' :
Adi Sankara says the following in his commentary ; on the
following words :
T" ( " vM 6
:;[, = T G), $
W"~ = :;W"~
% s $ ,
Thus, Shiksha, Kalpa, Chhandas are Vidya relating to
Brahman in the form of Rig, Yajur and Samavedas.
THE MEANING OF KALPA
The word Kalpa means the performance or practice of
KALPAM 85
something. It tells us the method of practising the various

sacrifices and other Karmas mentioned in the Vedas. The
word Kalpa has been used with this meaning in the Vedas at
many places. For instance, in the [
- [ as
part of the Vaishravana sacrifice "+ "[ 9 the word Kalpa
is used ; four mantras are recited and then the words
% v #M"8 are recited.
In the Brahmayajna also we use the words :
} 3 , %) [ , %
Bhatta Bhaskara says that Kalpa means Prayoga
(Application),
In the Sayana Bhashya also we find the phrase:

) W" : ;[%,
In the words :
$ % "[ % ,
Apastamba gives the same meaning, for this word.
In the Mimansa, in the portion relating to Kalpasutras
called Kalpasutra-Adhikarana, Jaimini calls Kalpa as
Prayoga-shastras.
KALPASUTRAS
There are three types of yajnas or sacrifices expounded in
the Vedas, namely Nitya, Naimittika and Kamya, along with
the mantras relating to them. The Vedas themselves expound
how these mantras should be recited and how the karmas are
to be performed. Thus, for all karmas beginning with
Darsapurnamasa ( %7[ ) the Vedas themselves indicate
the Kalpa also.

For the sake of our convenience, and for enabling us to
understand them more easily, Maharishis like Apastamba
have collected them in the Kalpasutras. They have collected,
arranged and codified the performance scattered at different
places in the Vedas and have also added certain other useful
parts. These Kalpasutras are also included in the Vedanga
called Kalpa.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF KALPASUTRAS
Kalpasutras are of different types.
Yajurveda describes the prayoga of the mantras to be
recited by the Ritviks and the Adhvaryus. Therefore, it is
called Adhvaryu-shakha. ( M" ) ). For the Yajurveda,
Apastamba, Bodhayana, Katyayana, Satyashada, Vaikhanasa,
and Bharadwaj have written Kalpasutras, which are in use
even now.
The fact that many rishis have written Kalpasutras for the
Yajurveda only points to the fact of there being slight
differences in the Mantraprayoga depending upon the
differences in the branches of the Yajurveda.
In the same way, the Rigveda mentions the
Mantraprayoga to be done by Hota (3 ) in a sacrifice, and,
therefore, it is called (3 & ). Aswalayana ( >5 )

has written Kalpasutra for this. Samaveda refers to the
Mantraprayoga to be done by the Udgata # in a
sacrifice. The Samaveda is called (# & ) Drahyayana,

and Latyayana have written Kalpasutras for this.
In the prayoga at the time of yajna, all the three Vedas
have been very closely intermingled ; a sacrifice will have
KALPAM 87
completion only when all the three are joined together. The
three Vedas by themselves do not have any pravritti. That is
why the three together are called Trayee, ( )
THE STATE OF THE ATHARVAVEDA

The Athrvaveda does not have any connection with the
Trayee. It has no reference to prayoga at the time of yajna.
Atharvaveda mentions many things like :
k , % |+ ', 6(1 etc.
Rishis like Kaushika have written Kalpasutras for this.

Among the four persons taking part in a sacrifice, one is
called Brahma, and he has to do some mantraprayoga.
Atharvaveda has slight reference to this. Therefore, Kaushika
has written Kalpasutras in this connection. Yet, Brahmatva
has to be grasped by the adherents of the other three branches
of the Vedas as mentioned only in the Trayee; the prayogas
mentioned in the Atharvaveda are not to be accepted for this
purpose. The sruti itself says very definitely:
1+" 3 W G)4 M" !"

:;!" W ?
W"~ :7
SRAUTAKALPA AND GRIHYAKALPA SUTRAS
Just as Apastamba etc. have written Kalpasutras for
activities like sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas, which are
being practised even today, similarly, there are also
Grihyasutras which deal with Samskara ceremonies in the
house, such as Garbhadhana, upanayana, Vivaha, Aupasan
etc. ( ( , #% , W"" 3, %
+ etc.) which are all
part of the Varnashramadharma.
For these karmas, no rules are found directly in the Srutis.

Since good people like Manu have practised these things and
have ordained that others also should practise these things, it
has been definitely said that these karmas also have their roots
or origin in the Vedas only. In the light of the practice of Manu
and others, the basic Sruti is inferred. Therefore, authority or
validity has been given to the Grihyasutras. It is called
anumitasruti ( 6) ) )
Apastamba himself says:
U [ 1 ~
&
He also says:
4 !) %{ , % g , - )
Since certain basic or fundamental srutis have been lost, it
is only by means of the prayogas that these have to be inferred
and accepted. Thus, although there is no direct authority for
the Grihyasutras in the Vedas, yet since there is inferred sruti
for them, they have also their origin in the Vedas. This is the
concept of the Vedic religion.
Therefore, Apastamba and others have in their
Srauta-sutras added the Grihyakalpasutras also. If, however,
there is any contradiction or conflict between the
Srauta-kalpasutras and the Grihyakalpasutras, the former
also get prominence and they shall prevail. It is said:
W"- 4 ) 5 [ 5I ,
The Srauta and Grihyasutras are both mutually
dependent. A person who does a sacrifice should have had
upanayanam and vivaha. Further, Saucha, achamana etc.
( 1
+ , 1 ) are essential for Srautakarma also. These
have to be obtained from the Grihyasutras only. Therefore,
KALPAM 89
the Grihyasutras act as the supplement of the Srautasutras.
Kalpas like Agama etc. ( % ,)

Just like Srautakalpasutras, there are also many other
kalpas like Agamakalpa, Mantrakalpa, Shantikalpa
mentioned in the Vedic religion.
Agamakalpa sutras relate to Puja, archana in the houses,
method of installation of deities or idols, archana etc. in the
temples and so on.
Many Shantikalpas and Mantrasadhanakalpas etc. have
been written by Rishis and great men who had the status of
rishis and who have been accepted as authorities by the
followers of the Vedic religion. Although these are not a direct
part of the Vedangakalpa, yet they have their place of
importance in the Vedic religion.
It is said in the Vedic religion that:
-? U "
) ! U8 W"5 [ *
W% 1 %
+ 4 " !N) " " *
AUTHORITY OF KALPASUTRAS
In the Mimamsa, there is a portion called
Kalpasutra-adhikarana. The importance of Kalpasutras has
been discussed there. According to one school, since
Kalpasutras are based mostly on srutivakyas, they are also
independent authorities like the Srutis. But according to
another school of thought, since in the Kalpasutras, many
vakyas, have been added by rishis, therefore they have the
authority of inferred sruti only.
THE PROMINENCE OF KALPASUTRAS
In the Mimamsa, Jaimini illustrates the Kalpasutras of
Apastamba etc. Some people said that where there was
difference of opinion between Kalpasutras and Mimamsa, the

Kalpasutras had superiority. But some people say that where
there is difference between Kalpasutra and Sruti, both
alternatives are possible, because of tulyabalanyaya
(
5 ) or the rule of equal validity. This is clear from
the Kutuhalavritti, or the commentary called Kutuhala.
() 3
7 5 "&.)
Arthajnana is not Karmaanga.
( U9 )
In the matter of knowledge of the meaning of the Vedas,
that is, understanding the purport and meaning of the Vedas,
there is difference of opinion as between the Mimamsa and
the Kalpasutras.
According to Mimamsa, only that person who has
knowledge of the meaning of mantras is eligible to do Karma.
But the Kalpasutra people do not agree to this. They say that
even an ignorant man has got eligibility to do karma. The
propagators or expounders of the Vedic religion have also
accepted only the Kalpasutra view and not the Mimamsa
view. In his commentary on the Chhandogya Upanishad, Adi
Sankara says :
1 W" 4
) , [ | ,, 4
+ $! YE
W" 4
) W% k!"
Anandagiri also says :
$N W" 4
) vW% [ | ,
This is explained also in the commentary on the
4
+ $! %
KALPAM 91
In the Vedic religion, the Mimamsa view that the

knowledge of the meanings is part of Karma has not been
accepted.
Study of Kalpasutras
B [ 4E " v3 9 s
By the above Srutivakya, the importance of the study of
Kalpasutras has been stressed, and in fact, it has been
ordained. In Shukla Yajurveda, vedas have to be studied, and
in Krishna Yajurveda, vedangas have to be studied.
Kalpasutras do not describe merely the Vaidika-prayogas.
They also tell us many worldly truths, such as Nyaya,
instructions for achara or conduct in social life of man, the
dharmas to be pursued by the four castes, here and now
political principles, social principles, the dharma to be
followed by women, sankara-ajidharmat etc.
Since all the concrete aspects of the Indian people and
their great civilisation have been expounded through the
Kalpasutras, therefore they are our great treasures. Therefore,
it is necessary to propagate them and to give prominence to
the Kalpasutras. Besides studying them, we should also take
steps to print and publish them. It is an irony that only
foreigners have taken steps to print and publish our Vedas
and their branches. Although there are hundreds of religious
institutions in our country whose sole object is to propagate
Vedic religion, yet they have shown not much interest in this
aspect. Let us pray to God that at least hereafter they will take
steps to remove this shortcoming.

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THE

VEDAS AND VEDANGAS

SRI KAMAKOTI RESEARCH CENTRE

No. 88 Kanchi Sri Kamakoti Peetam Jagadguru

THE VEDAS AND VEDANGAS

Adhisankara Era 2496 Panguni 30(14 4 - 88)

This book is a reprint of the original book published in

Nothing has been changed from the original copy

, after consultation with Shri Shriramana Sharma,

His Holiness Balaperiyavaa blessed the printing of this

This revised edition of the book ''Vedas and Vedangas"

This book contains translations in English of articles on Vedas

The articles contained in this book are the original translations

We are confident that the reader can get a clear knowledge of

Kumbakonam for Sri Kamakoti Research Centre

ADYA SANKARA PARAMPARAGATHA SREEMATH

IN THE WORLD HINDU CONFERENCE

I.THE VEDAS ................................................................ 3

II.THE AGELESS VEDAS .............................................. 19

III.THE KARMA-KANDA PORTION OF THE VEDAS ... 29

IV.THE VEDAS IN THE TAMIL REGION ........................ 31

V.THE BEAUTY OF THE VEDAS .................................. 33

1 Conservative thinkers believe that the Vedas as waves

were able to capture them because of their yogic powers.

These sounds will be audible to those who have reached

Sri Sankara-bhashyam, Chap. I, "1

:; < " ...

mantrasiddhi will take place automatically, and the Vedas

again it grows and undergoes Pralaya, and this cycle

control. In the same way, Mantrayoga is another method for

and made three mountains appear before him. He took a

THE BRANCHES OF THE VEDAS, THE PLACES WHERE

worshipped even today by the people belonging to the

uses the letter E in its place.

The letter E which occurs in the Yajurveda and the

Visarga : occurring before O.

There are Siksha and Vyakarana texts which are common

the special characteristics of particular branches. These

, the letters , G, are in use. The fact that the term

is pronounced as G in certain Western countries, lends itself

this particular branch was prevalent in the olden days in

This is perhaps the reason why in Andhradesh, the letter E is

these parts, the letter R is very much in use. The

Some sounds which are not pronounced in the Sanskrit

in the Rigveda, and similarly the S which is pronounced in

When Poornima comes in the Mrigasirsha star, it is

THE KARMAKANDA AND JNANAKANDA PORTIONS

Let us therefore, take earnest steps to ensure that the

cows called the Vedas which continuously give us

" 5 W"4)" W"4)" 1 ( , XYZ )

day and night are of equal duration. We know that the

nucleus in the Dharma-yugas to come.

The Vaishnavite saint Nammazhwar has actually

also in accordance with our own Shastras.3

Vrishalatva can be taken to mean agriculture. The word

approach of the Western scholars as well as the missionary

THE AGELESS VEDAS

Orion, he has taken the astronomical data in the Vedas as the

(2nd -% g, 8th kYE , 30, 31)

In the various works illustrating the beauty of the

The time interval or matra of each sound, the place

3 , $" "[ " *

Thus, the Veda mantras have been protected with such