The Mundaka Upanishad : Post-5. Swami Krishnananda.

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Saturday, April 02, 2022. 19:30.

Post- 5.

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Chapter-1. Section-1. Mantram-5. 

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"Tatrapara Rg-vedo yajur-vedah 

sama-vedo'tharva-vedah siksa 

kalpo vyakaranam niruktam chando jyotisam-iti, 

atha para yaya tad aksaram adhigamyate." (1.1.5). 

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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 Rigveda, such as the Brahmanas, and the Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda, are all lower knowledge only, my dear friend.

There are four Vedas. The Rigveda consists of hymns, prayers, mantras. The Yajurveda consists of certain invocations necessary for the performance of sacrifice. The Samaveda is Rig-verses set in music. The Atharvaveda contains such material that may be regarded as a sequel or an appendix to the threefold Vedas—the Rigveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda. 

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?

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siksa kalpo vyakaranam niruktam chando jyotisam-iti :  

Siksha is the science of phonetics, the art of intonation and modulation of the voice in the recitation of a Veda mantra. You might have heard panditas chanting mantras of the Veda. 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 mantra.

You may be wondering what the great point is in intonating the mantra. “O God, protect me.” I can say that in any way I like. Why should I sing it in a particular tone? The reason is, the Veda mantras are composed in such a way that different intonations give them different suggestions. Even when we speak, our mode of speaking gives a special significance to the words. We can utter a sentence with different voice formations which may mean different things depending on the different ways of expression. Sometimes we gesticulate, and sometimes we change the tone of voice by raising, lowering or modulating it in such a way that conveys different meanings. For instance, when we say something when we are happy or unhappy, or when we are angry or want to abuse somebody, we know how our voice changes. Likewise, a special kind of technique has been adopted by the science of Siksha, attributed to Panini, the great grammarian, which instructs us in the art of the correct intonation and pronunciation of a Veda mantra, especially the first three Vedas—the Rigveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda.

 Kalpa :

Kalpa means the performance of a ritual connected with a specific injunction of the Veda, especially of the Brahmanas. We have seen acharyas, purohitas performing a havana. While chanting they put something here, something there, such as darbha grass here, water there. They will do acharanam, wash their hands, put some rice grains there, and so many other things. These are certain techniques of ritual which are elaborately described in the Kalpa Sutras.

The Kalpa Sutras are of four types : 

Shrauta Sutras, Grihya Sutras, Dharma Sutras and Shulba Sutras. The Shrauta Sutras describe the manner of the performance of sacrifices according to Vedic injunctions. The Grihya Sutras are connected with sacrifices and performances to be undertaken in one's own house, and not in some big yajnashala. The Dharma Sutras give us the rules and regulations of social and ethical life, such as Varnashrama dharma, etc. The Shulba Sutras describes the length, measurement, etc., of certain articles that are to be used in Vedic sacrificial methods. These are the four types of Kalpa Sutras.

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Next - Mantram-5 : Vyakaranam :

To be continued .....

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