Ramanisblog

Tag: Apasthamba

  • Eleven Vedic Brahmin Law Makers Of Gotra Smritis

    I have been receiving quite a few mails as to which  procedure to follow in the case of Brahmin Rituals.

    And which Veda is the Authority on these issues?

    Lineage Hinduism
    Gotra, Lineage Hinduism

    The answer is Vedas do not speak of these codes.

    Vedas are the Fundamental truths expressed by the Seers as they grasped them intuitively..

    Vedas have two aspects.

    Gnana Kanda, which talks about The Knowledge of Reality .and the ways of attaining the Reality.

    Karma Kanda deals with the duties relating to various stages of life, that of,

    Brahmacharya,The Celibate,

    Gruhstha, The married,

    Vanaprastha, Retired and meditating Life and

    Sanyasa, relinquishing of everything mundane.

    These stages are called Asramas, Stages of Life……

    All in  pursuit of Reality,Brahman

    But Varna, which is incorrectly translated as Caste, is based on Dispositions.

    They are four.

    Brahmana,

    Kshatriya,

    Vaisya and

    Sudra.

    Smritis, which came later to Vedas codified the Karma Kanda  in conjunction with the Gnana Kanda.

    Relevant portions of the Vedic Duties which would suit the individual’s disposition and also a group with the same disposition were organised and presented as Smritis.

    There are quite a few number of Smritis to be followed .

    Though all the Smritis state from the Vedas, and each one of them is an authority for all the Varnas, it is traditional for some groups to follow a specific Smriti.

    Kashtriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras are to follow Manu Smriti.

    Though Brahmins  are expected to follow Manu Smriti, it is traditional to follow eleven Smritis, including Manu Smriti.

    However in case of a conflict between Manu Smriti and the other Ten Smritis, it is traditional to follow any one of them overlooking the Manu Smriti.

    The reason is that Manu Smriti addresses mostly the issues of the duties of  king and other Varnas,though Brahminical Duties are also detailed.,it does not deal exhaustively with the procedures of Karmas as in the other Smritis.

    The Eleven Smritis Brahmins are expected to Follow are,

    Apasthambha: Apasthambha, a native of Andhra Country, belonged to Krishnayajurveda School. He belonged to fifth century BC. Apasthambha’s teachings are called Apasthambhasutra orApasthambhasmriti.

    ( *  Apasthamba came from the Lineage of Viswamitra and codified the Smriti by taking some practices from Tamil Culture and incorporated in his Smriti, Like Thalli or Mangal Sutra which is not found in the Vedas and Thaali is a Unique concept of the Tamils)
         Baudhayana: Baudhayana also belonged to Krishnayajurveda School and was an inhabitant of Andhra Country. Baudhayana’s teachings are called Baudhayanasutra or Baudhayanasmriti.
         Brihaspati: Brihaspati was probably the first jurist to make a clear distinction between civil and criminal justice. Yajnavalkya referred to Brihaspati.  However, Brihaspati is considered to belong to 200-400 AD.  Brihaspatismriti has a lot of similarities with Dhammathats of Myanmar (Burma).
       Gautama: Gautama was the most ancient sage of all Brahmin lawgivers. He was quoted by Baudhayana and belonged to Samaveda School.  Gautama’s teachings are called Gautamasutra orGautamasmriti.
        Harita: Baudhayana and Vasishta in their Dharmasutras quote Harita.  Haritasmriti or Haritasutra is an extensive work.
       Katyayana: Yajnavalkya mentions Katyayana. Katyayanasmriti is quoted in several works of Viswarupa, Mitramisra etc.  Smriti Chandrika cites 600 verses of Katyayanasutras. He may belong to the same period as Narada and Brihaspati.
        Manu: Manu is a mythical personality and is the ancestor of the entire humankind.  Manu received the code from Brahma, and communicated it to ten sages and requested Bhrigu rishi to repeat it to the other nine.  This code of conduct recited by Bhrigu is called Manusmriti.  For convenience, the British took Manusmriti as the paramount law of the Indian Continent.Manudharma is not only revered by Brahmins and Hindus, but also by Buddhists in Java, Siam and Myanamar.  Manusmriti was composed around 200 BC, around which time a revival of Brahminism took place under the rule Sungas in the North India.
       Narada: Sage Narada was probably a native of Nepal around first century AD.  Naradasmriti is the first legal code unhampered by the mass of religious and moral teachings. Some authors think that Narada belonged to Gupta period when there was a distinct revival of Brahminism and Sanskrit literature.
        Vasishta: Vasishta belonged to 3rd century BC and a native of North India. Vasishta’s teachings are called Vasishtasutra or Vasishtasmriti.
        Vishnu: Vishnu belonged to 1st or 2nd century AD. Vishnu’s teachings are called Vishnusutra or Vishnusmriti.
       Yajnavalkya: Yajnavalkya belonged to Suklayajurveda School.  He was a native of Mithila City in North Bihar and probably lived anywhere from few centuries before Christ to 200 AD.  However, some scholars think he belonged to first or second century AD.  Yajnavalkya Dharmasmriti has been subject of numerous commentaries. The most celebrated of all the commentaries ofYajnavlkyasmriti is Mitakshara and is practically the beginning of the Brahmin law and the so-called Hindu law.  Passages from Mitakshara have been found practically in every part of the Indian Continent and became an authority.  The Yajnavlkyasmriti is concise, more systematic and better arranged than the Manusmriti. From early times, commentators like Viswarupa, Vijnaneswara, Apararka, Sulapani, Mitramisra etc., from every part of India selected the Yajnavalkyasmriti as the basis of their commentaries.  Passages from Yajnavalkyasmiriti appeared in Panchatantra. ‘

    Even among these ten, one has to follow what one’s family has been following as our ancestors had taken into account the Brnch of the Vedas, Pravaras into consideration and followed a specific Smriti.”

    • Gotras are after the Saptha Rishis, The Seven Seers.

    Please read my article on Rishis, Gotras.

    Reference and Citation.

    http://www.vedah.net/manasanskriti/Brahmins.html

     

     

     

     

  • How Vedas Sanatana Dharma Tamil Quote Each Other

    How Vedas Sanatana Dharma Tamil Quote Each Other

    I received a comment for my Post Brahmin Migration 8000 years ago, DNA Proof.

    Scroll down for Video.

    This is it.(in Facebook)

    “Hey, I visit this page often. The one posted here is quite confusing. There is a sentence,”Tamil quotes the Vedas and they quote Tamil.”… what does this mean exactly? Does it mean Vedas are classified in Tamil language? Does these Samhitas, Upanishads etc are in Tamil not in Sanskrit. If this is true then, Vedavyasa would be knowing Tamil, then he is a Dravidian. But he is born on the banks of river Yamuna a fisher woman and Parashara, son of Vasishta. The article talks about Rama’s ancestors, who are Dravidians migrated to North; this again implies many of north Indians are Dravidians. Then this disapproves the theory of migration of Aryans to Northern Indus region….quite confusing article. If meticulously read, it confuses still more.”

    Well, the mistake is mine,

    Vedas were not written by the Brahmins
    Vedas

    It was remiss of me not to have written a Post on the subject of Tamil and Vedas quote each other.

    The same is the case with Ramayana and Mahabharata.

    To clear the readers question ,

    Tamil langauge does not have Vedas.

    Vyasa was not born in the South.

    The Aran Invasion is a Myth.Please read my Post on this

    Now coming to Vedas and Tamil quoting each other.

    The Vedas do not refer to Tamil  language directly, but it mentions the produce of Tamil Region, Sandalwood,Elephant Tusks,Pearls,special wood being used to kindle Homa Fire.

    Vedic Rishi, Viswamitra banished his son to Dravida Desa and their descendant Apasthamba ,compiled the Apasthamba Sutra, combining the best of Vedic practices and Tamil Practices.

    The Rig Veda Talks of Dasa and Dasyus.

    ‘Equating Dasyu with Manu is extremely significant. If Manu in this context were to represent the figurehead from whom all Arya descended, than this one statement, clearly seeks to differentiate origins of the Dasyu from the Arya. Since we know that Nahusa is a descendant of Manu and therefore the oft mentioned five tribes of Nahusa would also have descended from Manu, does this one statement then establish that the Dasyu, whoever else they may have been, were not people that belonged to the five tribes?

    We have already seen above that the Dasa were a tribe and that they were “subdued” by the Arya. The question that remains to be answered is, were they one amongst the five tribes of Nahusa or distinct from the five tribes?

    Verse RV 6.022.10 suggests that they were not one amongst the five tribes

    RV 6.022.10
    Give us confirmed prosperity, O Indra, vast and exhaustless for the foe’s subduing.
    Strengthen therewith the Arya’s hate and Dasa’s, and let the arms of Nahusas be mighty.

    Why would the “arms” of Nahusa become “mighty” if one of its own constituents were subdued? The only plausible explanation therefore is that the Dasa tribe was not one of the five tribes.

    Reaffirmation that the Dasa were a tribe (viz) may be found in Mandala II – RV 2.011.04. Indeed, the suggestion is that the Dasa were a collection of tribes.

    RV 6.011.04
    We who add strength to thine own splendid vigour, laying within thine arms the splendid thunder-
    With us mayst thou, O Indra, waxen splendid, with Surya overcome the Dasa races (viz).

    Based on the evidence we have considered so far, it seems clear that the Dasa were a collection of tribes, distinct from the five tribes of Nahusa. While we can say for sure that the Dasyu were a people not part of the five tribes, whether they too were a distinct tribe or somehow related to the Dasa is not yet clear.’

    Based on the present available evidence it may be stated that the Dasyu were not a part of the basic five tribes of the Rig Veda,

    This could denote those who did not worship Agni, Fire, who were treated as Heretics.

    This description fits the people of Dravida Desa, who did not worship Agni but Shiva.

    This also confirms that the Shiva worship was in the South , they did not worship Fire,and were treated as outsiders by the Rig Veda.

    But  other practices of the Vedas were followed by the Dravidas, Tharpana, Yagas and Yagnyas.

    Sage Agasthya who composed Rig Vedic Hymns is credited, along with Lord Shiva, as the Founder of the Tamil Language.

    “When we look at the Vedic Rishis, and their mantras, associations with later Siddha and Natha traditions, and their powers in the Epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata, we begin to see how they are much like the Nathas and Siddhas of later times also.

    Agastya for example, teaches Rama the Solar-King in the Ramayana text in the science of Brahmastra (the weapon chant). These astras are found everywhere in Vedic texts, especially in the texts such as Mahabharata, where the mentors of the Aryan cousins, Kauravas and Yadavas are taught these by Drona, Bhishma and Karna.

    These arte part of the Vedic martial arts systems, which are traced back to Parshurama, historically, Rama Jamadagni, the son of Vedic Rishi Jamadagni of the Bhargava (Brighu) Seer family. Interestingly, in southern regions such as Kerala, he and his Vedic martial arts traditions are still honoured.

    The Rig Vedic Maruts appear to have had this science, as per their description as Seer-warriors, as also the Dhanurvidya (martial science) is described as a Vedic science in the early Upanishads, such as Brihadaranyaka.

    The Vedic Gods, such as the Ashwins, the founders of Ayurveda or Vedic Medical Science, are also portrayed like Siddha or Nathas of later times, with their mystical, almost yogic powers.

    One verse of the Rig Veda (VII.67.5) asks the Ashwins to assist us in battle with their powers (shaktis) and actually refers to them as Shachipatis or Lords of the Shakti or Power.

    The Shakti is the yogi’s power in later Hinduism, and here seeing it appearing as a feminine term also shows it’s importance in relation to the Vedic Gods, and the siddhis (mystical yogic powers), since the Ashwins perform many feats through it.

    They make cripples walk (I.117.19) and the blind to see (VIII.68.2), and put together the body of the Seer Shyava that was sliced in three (II.118.24)
    and restore the head of Seer Dadhyak’s with that of a horse (I.117.24), in the Rig Veda.

    The Queen, Vispala is given a golden left by the Ashwins, after hers is cut off in battle (RV.I.118.8). She is then able to fight again.’

    Tamil On Vedas.

    அறு வகைப் பட்ட பார்ப்பனப் பக்கமும்
    ஐ வகை மரபின் அரசர் பக்கமும்
    இரு மூன்று மரபின் ஏனோர் பக்கமும்
    மறு இல் செய்தி மூ வகைக் காலமும்
    நெறியின் ஆற்றிய அறிவன் தேயமும்
    நால் இரு வழக்கின் தாபதப் பக்கமும்
    பால் அறி மரபின் பொருநர்கண்ணும்
    அனை நிலை வகையொடு ஆங்கு எழு வகையான்
    தொகை நிலைபெற்றது என்மனார் புலவர்.   — Tolkkappiyam 2.16

    The Dweeling Place of the Brahmins in the south, Agrahara is described in the  Perumpaanatupadai, a Sangam work, which is dated around 3000 years ago.

    This is from Tholkaapiyam ,the earliest Tamil work, dated around 3000-5000 Years back.

    This could be older.

    This poem describes the Brahmin presence in Tamil Nadu, then Dravida Desa.

    Tamil Grammar assigns Gods for each of the five landmass, Kurinji, Marutham,Mullai, Neydhal and Palai.

    Vedic Gods in Tholkaapiyam.jpg
    Vedic Gods in Tholkaapiyam.

    I shall be writing on how Ramayana , Mahabharata quote Tamil and how Tamils quote them.

    Citation.

    https://www.quora.com/When-was-Vedic-Hinduism-and-Brahminism-introduced-to-the-Tamil-society

    http://www.arogyayurvedichealth.com/vedic__hindu_articles/the_siddha-nathas_and_the_dravida-vedic_connection

    https://ramanisblog.in/2015/07/12/what-is-agrahara-list-of-agraharams/

    Vedic Gods In Tamil Grammar Tholkaappiyam

  • The Aryan Dravidian Myth.-Video.


    1.Arya means ‘pure’,’Blemishless’;it has no racial connotation.
    2.Dravida indicates ‘from South’;those from south of Vindhya and Sathpura ranges are called Dravidians.
    3.Great Agasthya who is mentioned in Puranaas is from South.
    3.Evidence in Mahabharata states that a Chera King Perunchotruudiyan Neduncheralaathan fed both the armies of Kauravas and Pandavas during Mahabharata war and he was reported to have performed Srardha or obsequies for those killed in Mahabharata war.In fact his name is a non de plume ;it means on who fed many stomachs.
    4.Vedas mention Dravida in many places, praising their culture.
    5.Many Gods worshiped in India are purported to be Dark/Black.In fact Krishna means ‘Black’

    6.Children of Viswamitra were banished into exile into Dravidan territory, which those, in those times assumed ‘was populated by aborigines without culture.But they found , instead, a culture,if not superior ,that was equal to them.Hence they adopted the best of Dravidian culture , blended it with those of the North and thus came Apasthamba Sutra which is followed by people of South.Wearing of Thaali or Mangal sutra by women on marriage, is a Dravidian Concept.So is ‘Madisar’ a special way of wearing the saree by women.
    7.Of the Gods mentioned in Vedas,Subramanya, Ganesa,Vishnu,Devi(Kotravai),Indra,Varuna were worshiped in South as well.
    8.Sri Adi Sankara praises Gnana Sambandhar as ‘Dravida Sisu’ or son of South in Soundarya Lahari.
    9.Lord Rama worshiped in Rameswaram.
    There are proofs galore about Indian culture being one.Propaganda by vested interests can not change facts.