When1: -1500
When2: -1200
What: writer
Where: India
works\ Vedas [-1500 to -1200: in four parts]; Rig-veda or Rgveda [-1500: 1000 mantras or hymns about yoga, healing, meditation, mantras, rituals, and sacrifices, in ten books or Mandalas. Samhitapatha applies Sanskrit Sandhi rules for recitation. Padapatha has each word isolated in pausa form for memorization.]; Yajur-veda [-1500 to -1200: based on the Rig-veda. Shukla or White has hymns about sacrifices and rituals, including Ashvamedha or horse sacrifice and Purushamedha or human sacrifice. Krishna or Black has hymns and prose comments, including Shri Rudram Chamakam and Shaivaite Tryambakam.]; Sama-veda or Veda of Holy Songs [-1500 to -1200: from the Rig-veda. Purva-Archika or First Adoration and Uttar-Archika or Later Adoration have hymns to Soma or Energizing Herb, with some to Agni and Indra, sung using the seven svaras or notes.]; Atharva-veda or Aggvana or Ahavana Veda [-1200: spells and incantations composed by the Angirasa and Bhrigu or Atharvan fire priests, with some by Kaushika, Vasishtha, and Kashyapa priests]
Detail: Vedas are in Sanskrit, describe Vaidika or Vedic religion, and emphasize nature and joy of living. Veda means knowledge. Vedas are the revealed texts {sruti, text}. Vedic philosophy demonstrates connections {bandhu} among astronomical, physiological, and spiritual. Universe is infinite. Knowledge can be about objects and paradoxical or about perceiving subjects with no paradoxes.
Hymn {sama, hymn} {saman} or hymns {samagana} is the basic format. Fire priests {Atharvan} sang incantations. Vedas have mantra sections. Vedas have older hymns and ritual texts {Samhita}. Brahmanas and Upanishads are later.
In the Manu Samhita, Manu was father of humans and founded Vedic culture between the Sarasvati and Drishadvati rivers. Gheranda Samhita is about yoga. Dakshinamurti Samhita is about the mantra {shri vidya} of the Goddess Tripurasundari or Lakshmi. Charaka Samhita [-400 to -200], Sushruta Samhita [-400], Ashtanga Sangraha [-400 to -300 by Vagbhata] and Ashtanga Hridayam [-400 to -300 by Vagbhata] are about Ayurveda.
Traditional Indian epics {Mahakavyas} including Mahabharata and Ramayana, fables or stories {Puranas}, laws {Dharma Sastras}, aphorisms {Sutras}, philosophies {Agamas} including Mantras, Tantras, and Yantras, philosophies {Dyasanas} including Vedanta, science texts, and grammar texts are "what is remembered" {smriti} {human writings}, which includes everything not in Vedas {divine writings}. The eighteen main Smritis are Manu Smriti {Laws of Manu} written by Manu, Yajnavalkya Smriti written by Yajnavalkya of Mithila, Parasara Smriti, Vishnu Smriti, Daksha Smriti, Samvarta Smriti, Vyasa Smriti, Harita Smriti, Satatapa Smriti, Vasishtha Smriti, Yama Smriti, Apastamba Smriti, Gautama Smriti, Devala Smriti, Sankha-Likhita Smriti, Usana Smriti, Atri Smriti, Saunaka Smriti.
Arthaveda, Nitishastras, or science of statecraft is Upaveda in Rig Veda. Most important is Kautiliya's Arthashastra [-300], stating kshatriya rule and society doctrine.
In Indian tradition, Paila collected the Rig-Vedic hymns as directed by Vyasa. Vyasa wrote the Rig-Veda Samhita.
Sarasvati River is a river in many hymns. Dravidians or Dasa were enemies of Vedic Aryans.
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Date Modified: 2022.0224