Something About Their Scriptures
Hindu religious literature, the most ancient writings in the world, is of two types: primary scriptures (Sruti) and secondary scriptures (Smriti). The Sruti scriptures are of divine origin, whose truths were directly revealed to ancient rishis (sages) in their deep meditations. The Smriti scriptures are of human origin and were written to explain the Sruti writings and make them understandable and meaningful to the general population. Sruti scriptures include the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sãma and Atharva) and the Bhagavad Gîtã, and constitute the highest religious authority in Hindu religion. Smriti scriptures include five distinct groups of writings :
· Itihãsas (History or Epics)
· Purãnas (Mythology)
· Dharma Shãstras Law Codes
· Ãgamas & Tantras Sectarian Scriptures.
· Darshanas Manuals of Philosophy
The Vedas
The Vedas are the ancient scriptures or revelation (Shruti) of the Hindu teachings. They manifest the Divine Word in human speech. They reflect into human language the language of the Gods, the Divine powers that have created us and which rule over us.
There are four Vedas, each consisting of four parts. The primary portion is the mantra or hymn section (samhita). To this are appended ritualistic teachings (brahmana) and theological sections (aranyaka). Finally philosophical sections (upanishads) are included. The hymn sections are the oldest. The others were added at a later date and each explains some aspect of the hymns or follows one line of interpreting them.
The Vedas were compiled around the time of Krishna (c. 3500 B.C.), and even at that time were hardly understood. Hence they are very ancient and only in recent times has their spiritual import, like that of the other mystery teachings of the ancient world, begun to be rediscovered or appreciated even in India. Like the Egyptian teachings they are veiled, symbolic and subtle and require a special vision to understand and use properly.
The great compiler of the Veda and Puranas was Vyasa Krishna Dwaipayana. He was said to be the twenty-eighth of the Vyasas or compilers of Vedic knowledge. He was somewhat older than the Avatar Krishna and his work continued after the death of Krishna. Perhaps he is symbolic of a whole Vedic school which flourished at that time, as many such Vedic schools were once prominent all over India and in some places beyond.
The Upanishads
Upanishad means the inner or mystic teaching. The term Upanishad is derived from upa (near), ni (down) and s(h)ad (to sit), i.e., sitting down near. Groups of pupils sit near the teacher to learn from him the secret doctrine. In the quietude of the forest hermitages the Upanishad thinkers pondered on the problems of deepest concerns and communicated their knowledge to fit pupils near them. Samkara derives the word Upanishad as a substitute from the root sad, 'to loosen.,' 'to reach' or 'to destroy' with Upa and ni as prefixes and kvip as termination. If this determination is accepted, upanishad means brahma-knowledge by which ignorance is loosened or destroyed. The treatises that deal with brahma-knowledge are called the Upanishads and so pass for the Vedanta. The different derivations together make out that the Upanishads give us both spiritual vision and philosophical argument. There is a core of certainty, which is essentially incommunicable except by a way of life. It is by a strictly personal effort that one can reach the truth.
The Upanishads more clearly set forth the prime Vedic doctrines like Self-realization, yoga and meditation, karma and reincarnation, which were hidden or kept veiled under the symbols of the older mystery religion. The older Upanishads are usually affixed to a particularly Veda, through a Brahmana or Aranyaka. The more recent ones are not. The Upanishads became prevalent some centuries before the time of Krishna and Buddha.
The main figure in the Upanishads, though not present in many of them, is the sage Yajnavalkya. Most of the great teachings of later Hindu and Buddhist philosophy derive from him. He taught the great doctrine of "neti-neti", the view that truth can be found only through the negation of all thoughts about it. Other important Upanishadic sages are Uddalaka Aruni, Shwetaketu, Shandilya, Aitareya, Pippalada, Sanat Kumara. Many earlier Vedic teachers like Manu, Brihaspati, Ayasya and Narada are also found in the Upanishads.
In the Upanishads the spiritual meanings of the Vedic texts are brought out and emphasized in their own right.
The Bhagavad Gita
More commonly known as the Gita, is part of the Itihaas scripture Mahabharata. It is an extremely popular scripture.
If the Upanishads can be compared to the cow, the Gita is their milk. It is in the form of a dialogue between Lord Sri Krishna and the mighty Shri Pandava warrior Arjuna.
Its place of origin is the battlefield of Kurukshetra. There it teaches the meaning of true self, renunciation of work, the true nature of karma, the three qualities, the true nature of God, the definition of a true devotee and so many other things. The book has profoundly influenced many generations of Hindus and still plays a significant role in moulding the lives of many modern day Hindus. The central message is that one should discharge one's duty however hard and unpleasant it be - bravely and with selfless dedication.
Every one of us has to perform his or her duty designated as Svadharma to please God, to serve the world and to repay one's debt to the society. Svadharma implies ambition commensurate with one's capacity and the necessary inclination as also the drive to achieve it. Our well-being lies in performing our Svadharma. Paradharma, duty suitable for others but not for us, will positively harm us if chosen by us.
The Itihasas
Along with the Puranas or books of mythology, are the Itihasas or books of legend. The word Itihas means history. Hindus believe that most of the events in the Itihasas did actually take place. While like the Puranas Itihasas contain myths and legends but their predomination differs. Two main epics exist, the Ramayana, the epic of Lord Rama and Sita, and the Mahabharata, by far the longest of all these teachings, which is mainly the story of Lord Krishna.
Lord Rama is also mentioned in the Persian literature along with the God Vayu (the Wind). Hanuman, the monkey God and Rama's companion was also the God of the Wind. His wife Sita is the Goddess of the Earth, the furrowed ground, from the Rig Veda.
The story of the life of Lord Krishna is the most dwelt upon subject in the Puranas and Mahabharata.
These are not ordinary legends but refer to the lives of avatars or incarnations of God.
The Agamas
The Agamas are treatises on the greatness of Lord Shiva. These sectarian scriptures deal with the worship of a particular aspect of God and prescribing detailed courses of discipline for the worshipper.
The Agamas, also known as Tantras are the sectarian scriptures of the three major theological traditions of Hindu dharma, namely, Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shaktism. The Vaishnava-Agmas adore the Ultimate Reality as Vishnu, the Shiva-Agmas revere the Ultimate Reality as Lord Shiva, and the Shakti-Agmas venerate the Ultimate Reality as Devine Mother of the universe.
Each Agama consists of four parts. The first part includes the philosophical and spiritual knowledge. The second part covers the yoga and the mental discipline. The third part specifies rules for the construction of temples and for sculpting and carving the figures of deities for worship in the temples. The fourth part of the Agamas includes rules pertaining to the observances of religious rites, rituals, and festivals.
The Puranas
The Puranas are the richest collection of mythology in the world. Most of them attained their final form around 500 A.D. but they were passed on as an oral tradition since the time of Krishna (c. 1500 B.C.). They are perhaps the most important or commonly used scriptural texts of the Hindus. Guidebooks for the whole of life and society.
The total number of puranas are many, but there are eighteen major Puranas and a few minor ones. Each is a long book consisting of various stories of the Gods and Goddesses, hymns, an outline of ancient history, cosmology, rules of life, rituals, instructions on spiritual knowledge. Hence the Puranas are like encyclopedias of religion and culture and contain material of different levels and degrees of difficulty.
The most important Puranas are the VISHNU PURANA, SHIVA PURANA and MARKENDEYA PURANA (to the Goddess). The BHAGAVATA PURANA is important to the worshippers of Krishna. Other Puranas are the Vayu, Agni, Skanda, Kalki, Linga, Matsya Purana, Padma Purana, Naradiya Purana, Varaha Purana, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana, Devi Purana.
The Puranas are a strange combination of mythology and history freely inter mixed. They form the smriti tradition, that is those, which are remembered. They are essentially narrative accounts of various gods, sages and ancient kings of immense repute. They also describe the process of creation and the struggle between the good and evil forces of the universe. Though for a student of history they may not present an accurate picture of the true events of the ancient past, for a student of religion they offer profound information and insight into the background of Hindu religion.
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