Mundaka Upanishad : Chapter 1: Section 1 : Discussion-5

19/06/2018
Mundaka Upanishad : Chapter 1: Section 1 :  Discussion-5

Mantram -5.

Tatrapara Rg-vedo yajur-vedah
sama-vedo’tharva-vedah siksha
kalpo vyakaranam niruktam chando jyotisham-iti
atha para, yaya tad-aksharam-adhigamyate (1.1.5).

Very interesting! It gives a blow at the very root of our imagination that the Vedas are the highest knowledge. The Rigveda Samhitas, and everything connected to the Rigvedam, such as the Brahmanas, and the Yajurvedam, Samavedam and Atharvavedam, are all lower knowledge only, my dear friend.

There are four Vedas. The Rigvedam consists of hymns, prayers, mantras. The Yajurvedam consists of certain invocations necessary for the performance of sacrifice. The Samavedam is Rig-verses set in music. The Atharvavedam contains such material that may be regarded as a sequel or an appendix to the threefold Vedas—the Rigvedam, Yajurvedam and Samavedam. These four Vedas are not easy to understand. Their language is difficult, their grammar is very hard, and the implications of what they say are so deep that without proper introductory learning, one cannot know what the Vedas speak at all. This introductory training consists of what is called the Vedanga, a sixfold education. The anga, or the limb of the Veda, is sixfold, and we cannot approach the Veda unless we are proficient in these six accessories called the Vedanga. What are these six Vedangas?

"Siksha kalpo vyakaranam niruktam chando jyotisham iti."

Siksha is the science of phonetics, the art of intonation and modulation of the voice in the recitation of a Veda mantram. You might have heard panditas chanting mantras of the Vedam. It has a way of pronunciation, an articulation, a modulation, and a raising of the voice or bringing down of the voice, or keeping the voice in a harmonious manner without raising it or bringing it down. This is the science of giving a special meaning to the mantram.

To be continued ..