Brahmana (ब्राह्मणम्)

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The Brahmanas (Sanskrit: ब्राह्मणम्, Brāhmaṇa) are a collection of ancient texts with commentaries on the mantras of the four Vedas. They are attached to each Veda and are composed to explain the difficult meaning and secret knowledge of the Vedic Samhitas.

Introduction

The Vedas have been divided into four styles of texts – the Samhitas, the Aranyakas, the Brahmanas and the Upanishads.[1] The Samhitas are sometimes identified as karma-kanda (कर्म खण्ड, action/ritual-related section), while the Upanishads are identified as jnana-kanda (ज्ञान खण्ड, knowledge/spirituality-related section).[1] The Aranyakas and Brahmanas are variously classified, sometimes as the ceremonial karma-kanda, other times (or parts of them) as the jnana-kanda.

Another opinion states: "The Samhitas and the Brahmanas form the Karma-Kanda segment of the Vedas. They are apparently concerned with the ceremonial rites and rituals. The Aranyakas and the Upanishads form the Gyan-Kanda segment of the Vedas. They explicitly focus on the philosophy and spiritualism.[2]

Another learned author says: These are four different modes of expressing the same truths, each as a cross check against others so that misrepresentations are avoided, a method used and valid even today.[3]

Etymology

The word [ब्राह्मणम्] error: {{lang}}: missing language tag (help) Brahmana in neuter gender means Brahmana texts. One wonders why these literary compositions are given this name even though the authors of Brahmanas and their commentators have not offered any definition of this word.

Sayanaacharya has only said in the introduction of his commentary on the Rigveda:

"Which in tradition is not a hymn or a Mantra is a Brahmana and which is not Brahmana is a Mantra".

The term 'Brahmana' has been variously interpreted by the scholars. It comes from the word ब्रह्मन् Brahman which means both the Veda and the Mantra - "Brahma Vai Mantrah." Thus the word Brahmana means 'that which relates to Brahman or the Veda'. It is derived from the root brih 'to grow', 'to expand'.

In other words, the name 'Brahmana' means the explanation of a ritual by a learned priest. Later this word came to mean a collection of such explanations by the priest on the science of sacrifice. The Brahmanas are thus the ritual text-books on the details of sacrifice or Yajna.

Brahmanas lack a homogeneous structure across the different Vedas, with some containing chapters that constitute Aranyakas or Upanishads in their own right. Each Vedic shakha (school) has its own Brahmana. Numerous Brahmana texts existed in ancient India, many of which have been lost. A total of 19 Brahmanas are extant at least in their entirety.

Dating of Brahmanas

The dating of the final codification of the Brahmanas and associated Vedic texts is controversial, which occurred after centuries of verbal transmission.[4] The oldest is dated to about 900 BCE, while the youngest Brahmanas (such as the Shatapatha Brahmana), were complete by about 700 BCE.[5][6][7] According to Jan Gonda, the final codification of the four Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and early Upanishads took place in pre-Buddhist times (ca. 600 BCE).[8]

Discussion

The Brahmanas constitute the second part of the Vedas. With the passage of time, the newer generations found the mantras of the Samhitas difficult to understand. An elaborate explanation of the mantras became necessary. The result was the Brahmanas. The Brahmanas are explanatory in nature. They are mostly in prose.[9]

Brahmanas quote the original texts themselves, and add notes by trying to decipher the basic texts (Smahitas). [10]

The Rig Veda has two Brahmanas – Aitereya Brahmana and Shankhayana Brahmana. The Shat-Patha Brahmana of Yajur Veda is the largest of all the Brahmanas of all the Vedas.[9]

The Brahmanas are primarily a digest incorporating myths, legends, the exposition of rituals in the Vedas and in some cases philosophy.[11][12] For example, the first chapter of the Chandogya Brahmana, one of the oldest Brahmanas, includes eight suktas (hymns) for the ceremony of marriage and rituals at the birth of a child.[13][14] The first hymn is a recitation that accompanies offering a Yajna oblation to deity Agni (fire) on the occasion of a marriage, and the hymn prays for prosperity of the couple getting married.[14] The second hymn wishes for their long life, kind relatives, and a numerous progeny.[13] The third hymn is a mutual marriage pledge, between the bride and groom, by which the two bind themselves to each other, as follows (excerpt),

The next two hymns of the first chapter of the Chandogya Brahmana invoke deities Agni, Vayu, Kandramas, and Surya to bless the couple and ensure healthful progeny.[13] The sixth through last hymn of the first chapter in Chandogya Brahmana are not marriage-related, but related to hymns that go with ritual celebrations on the birth of a child, and wishes for health, wealth and prosperity with a profusion of milch-cows and artha.[13]

The Brahmanas are particularly noted for their instructions on the proper performance of rituals, as well as explain the symbolic importance of sacred words and ritual actions in the main text.[11] These instructions insist on exact pronunciation (accent),[15] chhandas (छन्दः, meters), precise pitch, with coordinated movement of hand and fingers – that is, perfect delivery.[12][16] Satapatha Brahamana, for example, states that verbal perfection made a mantra infallible, while one mistake made it powerless.[12] Scholars suggest that this orthological perfection preserved Vedas in an age when writing technology was not in vogue, and the voluminous collection of Vedic knowledge were taught to and memorized by dedicated students through Svādhyāya, then remembered and verbally transmitted from one generation to the next.[12][17]

Each Vedic shakha (school) has its own Brahmana, many of which have been lost.[18] A total of 19 Brahmanas are extant at least in their entirety: two associated with the Rigveda, six with the Yajurveda, ten with the Samaveda and one with the Atharvaveda. Additionally, there are a handful of fragmentarily preserved texts. They vary greatly in length; the edition of the Shatapatha Brahmana fills five volumes of the Sacred Books of the East. The Brahmanas were seminal in the development of later Indian thought and scholarship, including Hindu philosophy, predecessors of Vedanta, law, astronomy, geometry, linguistics (Pāṇini), the concept of Karma, or the stages in life such as brahmacarya, grihastha, vanaprastha and eventually, sannyasa. Brahmanas also lack a homogeneous structure across the different Vedas, with some containing sections that are Aranyakas or Upanishads in their own right.

The language of the Brahmanas is a separate stage of Vedic Sanskrit, younger than the text of the samhitas (the mantra texts of the Vedas proper), ca.1000BCE, but for the most part are older than the text of the Sutras. The dating of the Brahmanas is controversial, with oldest being dated to about 900 BCE, while the youngest Brahmanas (such as the Shatapatha Brahmana), were complete by about 700 BCE.[11][19][20]

According to Jan Gonda, the final codification of the four Vedas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and early Upanishads took place in pre-Buddhist times (ca. 600 BCE).[21] Erdosy suggests that the later Brahmanas were composed during a period of urbanisation and considerable social change.[22] This period also saw significant developments in mathematics, geometry, biology and grammar.[23]

List of Brahmanas

Each Brahmana is associated with one of the four Vedas, and within the tradition of that Veda with a particular shakha or school:

Rigveda

  • Shakala shakha
    • Aitareya Brahmana, rarely also known as Ashvalayana Brahmana (AB).[24] It consists of 40 adhyayas (lessons, chapters), dealing with Soma sacrifice, and in particular the fire sacrifice ritual.[25] Parts of the Aitareya Brahmana reads like an Aranyaka.[26]
  • Bashkala or Iksvakus shakha (unclear)[27][28]
    • Kaushitaki Brahmana (also called Śāṅkhāyana Brahmana) (KB, ŚānkhB).[29] It consistes of 30 chapters, the first six of which are dedicated to food sacrifice, and the remaining to Soma sacrifice in a manner matching the Aitareya Brahmana.[25]

Keith has published his translation of Aitereya Brahmana,[30] and the Kaushitaki Brahmana.[31]

Samaveda

  • Kauthuma and Ranayaniya shakhas
    • Tandya Mahabrahmana or Panchavimsha Brahmana (Pañcaviṃśa Brāhmaṇa) (PB) is the principal Brahmana of both the Kauthuma and Ranayaniya shakhas. This is one of the oldest Brahmanas and includes twenty five books. It is notable for its important ancient legends and Vratyastomas.[25]
    • Sadvimsha Brahmana (Ṣaḍviṃṡa Brāhmaṇa) (ṢadvB) is considered as an appendix to the Panchavimsha Brahmana and its twenty-sixth prapathaka.[25]
    • Samavidhana Brahmana, and the following Samaveda "Brahmanas" are in Sutra style; it comprises 3 prapathakas.
    • Arsheya Brahmana is an index to the hymns of Samaveda.
    • Devatadhyaya or Daivata Brahmana comprises 3 khandas, having 26, 11 and 25 kandikas respectively.
    • Chandogya Brahmana is divided into ten prapathakas (chapters). Its first two prapathakas (chapters) form the Mantra Brahmana (MB) and each of them is divided into eight khandas (sections). Prapathakas 3–10 form the Chandogya Upanishad.
    • Samhitopanishad Brahmana has a single prapathaka (chapter) divided into five khandas (sections).
    • Vamsa Brahmana consists of one short chapter, detailing successions of teachers and disciples.[32]
  • Jaiminiya shakha
    • Jaiminiya Brahmana (JB) is the principal Brahmana of the Jaiminiya shakha, divided into three kandas (sections). One of the oldest Brahmanas, older than Tandya Mahabrahmana, but only fragments of manuscript have survived.[33]
    • Jaiminiya Arsheya Brahmana is also an index to the hymns of Samaveda, belonging to the Jaiminiya shakha.
    • Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana (JUB) also known as Talavakara Upanishad Brahmana, is to some extent parallel to the Chandogya Upanisad, but older.

Yajurveda

Krishna Yajurveda

  • In the Krishna Yajurveda, Brahmana style texts are integrated in the Samhitas; they are older than the Brahmanas proper.
    • Maitrayani Samhita (MS) and an Aranyaka (= accented Maitrayaniya Upanishad)
    • (Caraka) Katha Samhita (KS); the Katha school has an additional fragmentary Brahmana (KathB) and Aranyaka (KathA)
    • Kapisthalakatha Samhita (KpS), and a few small fragments of its Brahmana
    • Taittiriya Samhita (TS). In addition to the Brahmana style portions of the Samhita,the Taittiriya school has an additional Taittiriya Brahmana (TB) and Aranyaka (TA) as well as the late Vedic Vadhula Anvakhyana (Br.).[citation needed] It includes a description of symbolic sacrifices, where meditation substitutes an actual sacrifice.[33]

Shukla Yajurveda

  • Madhyandina Shakha
  • Kanva Shakha
    • Shatapatha Brahmana, Kanva recension (SBK)
The Satapatha Brahmana consists of a hundred adhyayas (chapters), and is the most cited and famous among the Brahmanas canon of texts.[33] Much of the text is commentaries on Vedic rituals, such as the preparation of the fire altar. It also includes Upanayana, a ceremony that marked the start of Brahmacharya (student) stage of life, as well as the Vedic era recitation practice of Svadhyaya.[33] The text describes procedures for other important Hindu rituals such as a funeral ceremony. The old and famous Brhadaranyaka Upanishad form the closing chapters of Śatapatha Brahmana.[33]

Atharvaveda

  • Shaunaka and Paippalada Shakhas
    • The very late Gopatha Brahmana probably was the Aranyaka of the Paippaladins whose Brahmana is lost.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 A Bhattacharya (2006), Hindu Dharma: Introduction to Scriptures and Theology, ISBN 978-0595384556, pages 8-14
  2. ↑ http://indianscriptures.50webs.com/partveda.htm, 6th Paragraph
  3. ↑ Insights Into the Taittiriya Upanishad, Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya, Published by Kautilya Institute of National Studies, Mysore, Page 75 (Glossary)
  4. ↑ Klaus Klostermaier (2007), A Survey of Hinduism, Third Edition, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791470824, page 47
  5. ↑ Brahmana Encyclopædia Britannica (2013)
  6. ↑ Michael Witzel, "Tracing the Vedic dialects" in Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes ed. Caillat, Paris, 1989, 97–265.
  7. ↑ Biswas et al (1989), Cosmic Perspectives, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0521343541, pages 42-43
  8. ↑ Klaus Klostermaier (1994), A Survey of Hinduism, Second Edition, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791421093, page 67
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 http://indianscriptures.50webs.com/partveda.htm, 6th Paragraph
  10. ↑ Insights Into the Taittiriya Upanishad, Dr. K. S. Narayanacharya, Published by Kautilya Institute of National Studies, Mysore, Page 75 (Glossary)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Brahmana Encyclopædia Britannica (2013)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Klaus Klostermaier (1994), A Survey of Hinduism, Second Edition, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791421093, pages 67-69
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named maxmullercb
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120814684, page 63
  15. ↑ The pronunciation challenge arises from the change in meaning, in some cases, if something is pronounced incorrectly; for example hrA, hrada, hradA, hradya, hrag, hrAm and hrAsa, each has different meanings; see Harvey P. Alper (2012), Understanding Mantras, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120807464, pages 104-105
  16. ↑ Max Muller, A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature at Google Books, page 147
  17. ↑ Gavin Flood (Ed) (2003), The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism, Blackwell Publishing Ltd., ISBN 1-4051-3251-5, pages 67-69
  18. ↑ Moriz Winternitz (2010), A History of Indian Literature, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120802643, pages 175-176
  19. ↑ Michael Witzel, "Tracing the Vedic dialects" in Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes ed. Caillat, Paris, 1989, 97–265.
  20. ↑ Biswas et al (1989), Cosmic Perspectives, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0521343541, pages 42-43
  21. ↑ Klaus Klostermaier (1994), A Survey of Hinduism, Second Edition, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791421093, page 67
  22. ↑ Erdosy, George, ed, The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity, New York: Walter de Gruyter, 1995
  23. ↑ Doniger, Wendy, The Hindus, An Alternative History, Oxford University Press, 2010, ISBN 978-0-19-959334-7, pbk
  24. ↑ Theodor Aufrecht, Das Aitareya Braahmana. Mit Auszügen aus dem Commentare von Sayanacarya und anderen Beilagen, Bonn 1879; TITUS etext
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 Moriz Winternitz (2010), A History of Indian Literature, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120802643, pages 176-178
  26. ↑ Paul Deussen, The Philosophy of the Upanishads at Google Books, pages 4-6
  27. ↑ Michael Witzel, The Vedic Canon and its Political Milieu, Harvard University Press, pages 320-321
  28. ↑ KB Keith, Rigveda Brahmanas, Harvard Oriental Series, pages 22-45
  29. ↑ ed. E. R. Sreekrishna Sarma, Wiesbaden 1968.
  30. ↑ KB Keith, Rigveda Brahmanas: Aitereya, Harvard Oriental Series, pages 105-344
  31. ↑ KB Keith, Rigveda Brahmanas: Kaushitaki, Harvard Oriental Series, pages 345-540
  32. ↑ "Vedic Samhitas and Brahmanas – A popular, brief introduction".<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 Moriz Winternitz (2010), A History of Indian Literature, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120802643, pages 178-180

References

  • Arthur Anthony Macdonell (1900). "Brāhmaṇas" . A History of Sanskrit Literature. New York: D. Appleton and company.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
  • Arthur Berriedale Keith, Rigveda Brahmanas (1920); reprint: Motilal Banarsidass (1998) ISBN 978-81-208-1359-5.
  • A. C. Banerjea, Studies in the Brāhmaṇas, Motilal Banarsidass (1963)
  • E. R. Sreekrishna Sarma, Kauṣītaki-Brāhmaṇa, Wiesbaden (1968, comm. 1976).
  • Dumont, P. E. [translations of sections of TB 3 ]. PAPS 92 (1948), 95 (1951), 98 (1954), 101 (1957), 103 (1959), 104 (1960), 105 (1961), 106 (1962), 107 (1963), 108 (1964), 109 (1965), 113 (1969).
  • Caland, W. Über das Vadhulasutra; Eine zweite / dritte / vierte Mitteilung über das Vadhulasutra. [= Vadhula Sutra and Brahmana fragments (Anvakhyana)]. Acta Orientalia 1, 3–11; AO II, 142–167; AO IV, 1–41, 161–213; AO VI, 97–241.1922. 1924. 1926. 1928. [= Kleine Schriften, ed. M. WItzel. Stuttgart 1990, pp. 268–541]
  • Caland. W. Pancavimsa-Brahmana. The Brahmana of twenty five chapters. (Bibliotheca Indica 255.) Calcutta 1931. Repr. Delhi 1982.
  • Bollée, W. B. Sadvinsa-Brahmana. Introd., transl., extracts from the commentaries and notes. Utrecht 1956.
  • Bodewitz, H. W. Jaiminiya Brahmana I, 1–65. Translation and commentary with a study of the Agnihotra and Pranagnihotra. Leiden 1973.
  • Bodewitz, H. W. The Jyotistoma Ritual. Jaiminiya Brahmana I,66-364. Introduction, translation and commentary. Leiden 1990.
  • Gaastra, D. Das Gopatha Brahmana, Leiden 1919
  • Bloomfield, M. The Atharvaveda and the Gopatha-Brahmana (Grundriss der Indo-Arischen Philologie und Altertumskunde II.1.b) Strassburg 1899

External links

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