Ayur Veda is upaveda of Rig Veda (His Holiness' lecture)

[Guest guest]

Dear group:

 

Researching without knowing the authencity of the sources is in

vain. It is important to research things by going to the original

sources rather than relying on " translations " and " discussions " with

persons whom " we " consider as experts....This blinkered approach to

research is the bane of this internet era.

 

I am giving the lecture of Jagatguru whose views should clarify this

matter once and for all......

 

This is the lecture of His Holiness Shri Chandrashekara Saraswathy

Swaamigal (an untainted Saint and widely respected all over the world

who was the earlier Pontiff of the Kaanchi Mutt - His Holiness Reign

was untained unlike the present days.....) This what His Holiess

says.....It speaks of what are all Divine Sciences.....Reference to

Ayurveda is in the second Paragraph.......

 

 

Adherence to the Sastras

According to our tradition, there are fourteen branches of knowledge

which are common to both general education and dharma. They are

described as the sources of vidya and dharma. (Vedaah sthaanaani

vidyaanaam dharmasyacha chaturdasa - the fourteen (chaturdasa vidyaas

are, the four Vedas, the six Vedaangaas and the four Upaangaas. The

six angaas (limbs) of the Vedas are: siksha vyaakaranam, cchandas,

niruktam, jyotisham and kalpam). The Tamil expression, sadangu is

derived from shadanga or six angaas. The four Upaangaas are: the

puraanaas, which illustrate Vedic truths through stories-projecting

the truths as if through a magnifying lens-nyaaya, meemaamsa and the

smritis. The smritis deal with the Dharma Saastra portion of the

Vedas. Between the vedaangaas and the Upaangaas, almost all branches

of knowledge are covered. The jyotisha saastra, one of the

Vedaangaas, covers the entire field of astronomy, astrology and the

technique of prediction. A detailed study of this saastra will prove

that our ancient Rishis had perfected what is now known as higher

mathematics, long before the science of mathematics, was developed in

the West. The Tamil expression saangopaangamaha i.e., with angaas and

upaangaas, used to denote a work well done, is very significant. It

coveys to us the idea that a job has been done correctly and well,

without forgetting even the minutest details.

From the travel records written by Fa Hian and Huen Tsang, from the

various records available in China and from archaeological

excavations, we know the manner in which the ancient universities of

Taxila and Nalanda had been functioning. It is seen that though these

universities flourished in the heydays of Buddhism, all students were

required to study first the chaturdasa vidyaas which included the

Vedas also. Studies pertaining to Buddhism, of course, followed. I am

mentioning this to show how these fourteen branches of knowledge have

been regarded as basic for any education worth its name and for

dharma.

 

Besides these chaturdasa vidyaas, there are four other branches of

knowledge, known as upavedas, in the scheme of general education.

Thus the number of branches of knowledge included for study in the

scheme of general education becomes eighteen. These upavedas are:

Ayurveda, science of medicine and surgery, which is stated to have

originated from the Rig Veda; Dhanurveda, including physical culture

and military science, originating from the Atharva Veda; Gandharva

Veda, which is a term used for all fine arts, including music,

dancing, painting, and sculpture, originating from the Sama Veda; and

Artha Sastra: the science of politics and administration, having its

origin in Yajur Veda.

 

Sri Harsha, in his Naishadha, has punned on the word, chaturdasa,

when describing the education of Nala. He says:

Adhiti bodha aacharana prachaaranaih

Dasaaschatasrah pranayan upaadhibhih

Chaturdasastvam kritavaan kutasvayam

Navedmi vidyaasu chaturdasasvayam

 

The poet says in this verse that Nala made the chaturdasa vidyas into

chaturdasa. Dasa, in the second chaturdasa, has to be given the

meaning, " stage " . The verse says that Nala's education in all the

fourteen branches of knowledge was in four stages, namely adhiti

(study), bodhah - (understanding), aachaarana- (adoption or practical

use), and praacharana- (propagation). Pracharana, in this context,

does not mean propaganda, as that word is ordinarily understood. It

means, giving knowledge to person or persons tested and found fit to

receive instruction. Propaganda is pressed into service mostly when

the result aimed at is reaching a large number, for statistical

purposes. In proselytisation, for example, the emphasis is on the

number of converts, and not on the fact that conversion was secured

only after those who were converted had understood, believed, and

accepted particular tenets preached to them. In this process the

truth of what we wish to propagate may be lost sight of. Our ancients

were particular that truth and right understanding should be

preserved. So, they were against propaganda in respect of both

religion and knowledge. They believed that the seed of knowledge

should germinate only in proper soil, in order that the fruit that it

will yield later may be good and not forbidden fruit. Therefore, they

laid down that the person receiving knowledge must be proved pakvi,

fit to receive it and benefit from it. This was specially necessary

in the case of mantras, whose literal meaning was " protects by

repetition " mananaat traayate. As physical exercises strengthen the

muscles by constant practice, mantraas strengthen the internal nerves

by constant repetition. In the process, the mind is cleansed, so that

the residence of God within us becomes pure. Mantraas can be studied

and repeated beneficially and preserved only by those who are found

fit for such study by their conduct and daily anushtaanaas.

 

When a person, by his study, observation and experience, comes to

certain conclusions on problems which he considers beneficial to all,

it is desirable that he should either record those conclusions in

writing, or communicate them to those who are capable of appreciating

the same, so that the benefit of his opinion may not be lost to the

world. It may be that some of his views are not accepted immediately,

or acted upon. But if it benefits even one kindred soul, it will be

enough. Bhavabhuti dealing with this points sasys:

 

Ye naama kechidiha nah prathayanti avajnaam

Jaananti te kimapi taan pratinaisha yatnah

Utpatsyatesti mama kopi samaana dharmaa

Kaalohyayam niravadhih vipulaa cha prithvee

 

The substance of this verse is: " Time is eternal and the world is

wide. Some where or at some time a kindred soul may be born who will

appreciate what I have written, even though, for the moment, some may

deride it as useless " .

 

I was reminded of this verse when I read Mr. Hilton Brown's article

in The Hindu wherein he has given the answer to the question, " why do

I live in India " . Here is a foreigner who is appreciative of the

Hindu dharmic ideals and practices and finds in this country a peace

and satisfaction which he could not obtain elsewhere.

 

We must realise the basic principles expounded by our saastraas and

model our lives accordingly. The only lasting thing is our endeavor

for the elevation of soul. Realising this, let us conduct ourselves

in the proper manner.

 

Previous Quick jump Acharya's Call : Acquisition Of Jnana

(Knowledge) ... Adherence To The Sastras (Ancient Sc ... Advaita

Vedanta ... Chaaturmasyam Of Sanyasins ... Concept Of Maya ...

Detachment ... Devotion to Bhavani ... Divine Mother ... Divine

Mother's Kataksha ... Divine Mother, Bestower of Prosperity ... God

Is One ... Guru Bhakti ... Importance Of Bhakti (Devotion) ... Many

Paths To Same Goal ... Meditation on God ... Mental Discipline ...

Mother Annapoorna ... Nature Of The Vedic Religion ... Nature of True

Bhakti ... Need to worship the Divine Mother ... One Supreme

Being ... Path Of Self-Control ... Preservation of the Vedas ...

Sarada Navarathri ... Soundarya Lahiri ... Study Of The Puranas ...

Study Of The Vedas ... Surrender to Divine Mother ... Surrender To

God ... The Age Of Vedas ... The Doctrine of Surrender ... The

Sanctity Of Sastras ... The Teaching Of Vedanta ... The Way Of

Knowledge ... The Way to Eternal Bliss ... Uma Paramatma Swaroopa ...

Value of Bhakthi ... Value Of Prayer ... Vyasa and Vedic

Religion ...

Next

 

 

 

© Copyright Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham

No part of this web site may be reproduced without explicit

permission from the Peetham. Some material put up on this web site

are protected by individual copyrights of the concerned

organisations.

The search feature is powered by Google™ Freesearch. Google™ is a

Trademark of Google Inc.

vedic astrology , " abhishekpotti "

<abhishekpotti wrote:

>

> Hello group:

>

> Ayurvedic doctor would have probably studied in some Indian

> University where we read distorted version of our own history with

> controversies.......I honestly feel that this issue need not have

> been raked up. I repeat...there are enough scholars here in this

> very forum.....The Ayurvedic Doctor from this forum also said what

> the " scholar " that Lalith has consulted said.....He also confessed

> that it was what was taught to them in their college....The scholar

> that Lalith refers to also will also obviously say the same thing

> that he learnt during his first year of college!

>

> I have already written in the group that Rig Vedic Scholars who

have

> done adhyayanaa in the traditional form from Kerala have also

studied

> Ayur veda as their upa vedaa. I leave it to the group to decide

> whether they are going to go by the version of the so called

scholar

> who would have doubtless been following what has been taught to him

> by his University for 5 years or by the version of Vedic Scholars

> who come from a long line of vedic experts of the particular veda

and

> spend all their life in mastering their subject. I think if there

is

> a doubt regarding my house, my version should hold good!

>

> More importantly, Shri Chandrasekara Saraswathy - the revered

> Paramaachaaryaa (many senior members of this group will definitely

> remember the Great Sage of Kaanchi) - a scholar of many subjects

and

> a Saint has clearly stated in his lectures that Ayur Veda is the

Upa

> Veda of Rig Veda.

>

> I would prefer such " researches " and enquiries to " self-certified "

> scholars be kept to concerned members themselves because they are

> patently wrong. I am sorry. I do not mean to enter into

> controversy, but even after my clarifying the point, the point has

> been raised. Writing a book is not a fool-proof indicator of

> scholastic abilities; nor does practising a subject mean that the

> person knows ALL about his subject's history. I mean no offence to

> anyone here. My only intention is that the group should not be

> mislead.

>

> Please do not treat this as an egoistic exchange between Lalith

> Mishra and myself....no......He stated his views based on his

limited

> experience and by approaching the person who is the best person

whom

> he could contact as he is a software engineer and does not know

vedic

> traditions or paatashaalaas. Whereas I am an old keraleeya Brahmin

> from an orthodox Rig Vedic family (Rig Veda is my veda and I come

> from a line of ayurvedic practitioners), and had access to Veda

> Paatashaalaas where they REALLY teach vedas in pristine form, and

> also the Great Saint of Kaanchi who obviously must know what He was

> speaking with all his siddhis and shastraic knowledge!

>

> Let the Group decide whether they are going to follow the Jagat

> Guru's version or the modern doctor's version. I am no one to

> comment on this anymore.

>

> Blessings to everyone.

>

> Abhishek.

>

> vedic astrology , " litsol " <mishra.lalit@>

> wrote:

> >

> > Hi Group,

> >

> > There was a discussion on Upvedas, particularly, related to

Atahrva

> > Veda, I contacted an scholar Dr.Thrigulla Saketh Ram,Hyderabad,

he

> > has written following, He is a Ayurved Doctor too.

> >

> > regards,

> > Lalit.

> >

--

> -

> >

> > Namaskar, I think I can answer the first question.

> >

> > Ayurveda is Upaveda of Atharvaveda and not Rigveda. All the

Ayurved

> > Samhitas-Charaka, Susruta and Vagbhata clearly state that

Ayurveda

> is

> > upveda of Atharvaveda. Purnas Like Brahmavaiarta, Vishnu purnana

> also

> > confirm the same.

> >

> > With Regards

> >

> > Dr.Thrigulla Saketh Ram

> > Ayurvedacharya(BAMS), Ayurved Vachaspati(MD)

> > Hyderabad

> >

>