The Six Vedangas - Brief Discussion on Vedangas

The Vedangas are the last treatises in Vedic literature, which were designed to help people understand the Vedas properly. They are auxiliary disciplines of Hinduism. The Vedangas may have developed towards the end of the Vedic period, close to or after the middle of the 1st millennium BCE. As per the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, it is an integral part of the Brahmanas (Vedic texts). These disciplines were born with the codification of the Vedas during India’s Iron Age. They appeared as the language of the Vedic texts composed many centuries earlier became too archaic for the people to understand.

 

Paniniya Shiksha contains 2 verses that dwell on the importance of the Vedangas. They describe the Vedas as a Purusha having 6 limbs. These 6 limbs are the Vedangas. His 2 feet are Chandas, his two arms are Kalpa, his eyes are Jyothisha, Nirukta is his ears and Shiksha is his nose, while Vyakarana is his mouth. The oldest record of their names is in the Mundaka Upanishad, and they are as follows:

 

Shiksha – phonetics/pronunciation

Kalpa – ritual

Vyakarana – grammar

Nirukta – etymology

Chandas – meter

Jyothisha – astronomy

 

Shiksha

‘Shiksha’ means ‘instruction’, especially in reciting, with proper pronunciation and accentuation of the Samhita texts. Later, it referred to works that contained rules for the proper pronunciation of Sanskrit texts. The Shiksha Sutras are treatises on phonetics. They are related to the Samhita and are almost as ancient as the Kalpa-Sutras.

 

Shiksha establishes the rules of phonetics, like the sounds of syllables and of pronunciation. Its role is to establish the parameters of Vedic words. Phonetics has great importance in the Vedic language, as changes in sound can cause changes in effect and results. Hence, Shiksha, or Vedic phonetics, is the most important of all the 6 Vedangas.

 

People had to chant the Mantras in a lucid manner, unblurred, and unfaded. One should not sing them too loudly, utter them casually or in staccato tones.

 

Kalpa

Kalpa (ritual) is the second Vedanga, the arms of Veda Purusha. Kalpa aids in the proper application of Vedic texts. It was the ritual (Kalpa), the main content of the Brahmanas, which were first systematically treated in the Kalpasutras. They comprise the rules in the Sutra style, referring to sacrifices, excluding all things not immediately connected to the ceremony. They are more practical in nature and crucial for studying Vedic culture and society.

 

Kalpa is like a handbook that explains how to perform rituals, the roles of Brahmacharis, Grihastas, and Sanyasis, which Mantra, Devata, and materials one should use in a ritual, how many priests should perform a ritual, and what vessel, shape, and size one should use, etc.

Many sages like Apasthamba, Bhodayana, Vaikhanasa, and others wrote the Kalpa sastra (sutra). 

 

There are 4 kinds of Kalpasutras:

Shrauta-sutras – deal with Shrauta sacrifices

Grihya-sutras – deal with domestic ceremonies

Dharma-sutras - deal with social and religious laws

Shulba-sutras - deal with the rules of measurement of the fire altars, etc.

 

Vyakarana

Vyakarana, or grammar, is essential for understanding the Veda. It is the mouth of Veda Purusha. The ancient texts on Vyakarana were lost, and Ashtadhyayi (meaning 8 chapters) of Panini from a later period is the only surviving representative of this Vedanga. It is also the most renowned book of grammar. Though not associated with any Vedic school, it has great merits, and one can say that Panini surpassed all those who came before him, whose works have perished.

 

The origin of the Panini Sutras makes for a fascinating story. Lord Nataraja (a form of Siva) clicked his damaru (drum) 9 times and 5 times at the completion of the Cosmic Dance (14 times). Sanaka and other rishis were also present at the dance. Due to his “divya dhrushti,” Sage Panini could also see the dance. Shiva created the Vyakarana sutras or Maheshwara sutras using the 14 sounds made by his damaru. They comprise the foundation of grammar.

 

The main subject of grammar is the formation of the word. It discusses a word's root (Prakriti) and suffix (Pratyaya) to analyze its meaning. Panini’s Vyakarana exists in the form of sutras or aphorisms.

 

Sage Patanjali wrote Maha Bhashya, a commentary on the Vyakarana. Other comments were the contributions of Vararuchi. The Vyakarana, along with the two comments, are important writings in the Vyakarana Sastra. 

 

Nirukta

Nirukta constitute the ears of Veda Purusha. ‘Nirukta’ means etymology. It’s also called the Kosa or Vedic dictionary. Kosa breaks down a word into syllables and offers the root from whence the word derives its meaning. It explains the reason for using a specific word. The Nirukta of Yaska is the only work that has survived as a specimen of this Vedanga etymology. It is a commentary on ‘Nighantu,’ which is a list of words found in the Vedas. It is also ascribed to Yaska. The Nighantus comprise 5 lists of words further divided into 3 sections. The first section has 3 lists in which Vedic words are collected under some main ideas. Section 2 contains a list of ambiguous or difficult words of the Veda. Section 3 provides a classification of the deities as per the 3 regions: earth, sky, and heaven. In the 12 books that followed, Yaska explained these lists.

Nirukta is important for many reasons. Without knowing the etymology of a word, one cannot understand the precise meanings of the Vedic stanzas.

 

Chandas

Chandas is the feet of Veda Purusha. Chandas refers to the meter of Vedic poetry. Each Mantra of the Vedas has a special Chandas, just as it has a presiding deity or Devta. Chandas comes from the root word ‘Chad’, meaning ‘to cover.’ Meter is called Chandas as it covers the Mantra’s sense. Chandas aids in securing the proper reading and reciting of Vedic texts. Chandas helps one in maintaining the Mantra’s shape (by metre count). It is not possible to change this, as it would compromise the spiritual value of the Mantra. The literature dealing with this Vedanga is scanty. They include Rikpratishakya, Shankhayana Shrauta-sutra, Nidana-sutra of Sama Veda, and Pingala’s Chandas-sutras.

 

Jyothisha

Jyothisha, the last Vedanga, is the ‘eye’ of Veda Purusha. It deals with Vedic astronomy and astrology. It was created to help people find the most auspicious time for performing Vedic rituals, taking into account the influence of Grahas, nakshatras, tithis, etc. It requires precise mathematical calculations including the movements of planets and other factors. It also gives rules for calculating and fixing the times of the sacrifices. 

 

The Skandha Trayaatmakam is one of the 3 components of Jyotisha sastra. (‘Skandha’ refers to the main branch of a tree’s trunk.) The 3 components are:

 

1. Siddhanta skandham(Ganita) – It deals with trigonometry, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, etc.

2. Hora skandham: It deals with the movement of the planets and their influence on people.

3. Samhita Skandham - It deals with the location of subsurface waterways, housing design and construction, omens, etc.

 

Gravity, the earth’s rotation, and other topics are also covered in Jyotisha sastra.

 

Except for a small textbook called Jyotisha in verses, there is no work at present that deals with Jyotisha in the Sutra style. According to some accounts, the author of this book is Maharshi Lagadha. It is a very difficult text, which offers no clarity on many points. Renowned scholars like Aryabhatta, Varahamihira, and Bhaskaracharya wrote many works on astronomy and mathematical calculations in Sanskrit in later years. They were familiar with these scientific subjects and the principles they established are still used today.

 

Conclusion

The 6 Vedangas or Sastras form the limbs of the Vedas. The ancient Rishis of India, who did a great service to humanity by coming up with a way to decipher the Vedic Mantras so that people could benefit from them, deserve our gratitude.