Fwd: Bharatiya historiography: role of Ramayana and Mahabharata

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akandabaratam , kalyan97 <kalyan97 wrote:

 

Bharatiya historiography: role of *Ramayana* and *Mahabharata*

 

 

 

Bharatiya historiography cannot be straight-jacketed in the present-

day

contexts or meanings of 'history' as a chronicle, a chronology or

narration

of human progress.

 

 

 

Bharatiya historiography is founded on brahma yajna and many

manifestations

of knowledge represented by this aadhyaatmika journey of the

practitioner,

the aatman. Bharatiya historiography is an integral inquiry into

phenomena

and in relation to one's station in life and the dharma to be

performed for

attaining nihs'reyas and abhyudayam.

 

 

 

Brahma yajna is a process of knowing about the cosmos and includes

many

facets of learning through many sources.

 

 

 

In the context of brahma yajna, *Taittiriya Aranyaka* notes:

 

 

 

*Somaahutibhir yad atharvaangiraso madhvaahutibhir yad

braahman.aaneetihaasaan puraan.aani kalpaan gaathaa naaraas'amseer

medaahutitirbhirava tad devas tarpati ta enam truptaa aayushaa tejasaa

varcasaa s'riyaa yas'asaa brahma varcasena annaadyena ca tarpayanti*

(2.10)

 

 

 

Chandogya Upanishad (7.1.4) brackets itihaasa and puraan.a with the

Veda:

 

 

 

*Mimaamsate ca yo vedaan s.ad.bhiangaih savistaraih*

 

*Itihaasa puraan.aani sa bhaved veda paragah*

 

 

 

(One who studies thoroughly the Veda along with it's six limbs and the

itihaasa and puraan.a becomes a true knower of the Veda)

 

 

 

The list of history related terms are: braahman.a, itihaasa, puraan.a,

kalpa, gaathaa naaraas'amsee, aakhyaana

 

 

 

All these terms are in plural. There are many itihaasa, many

puraan.a. The

tradition holds the Ramayana and Mahabharata to be itihaasa.

 

 

 

The compound, iti-ha-aasa means 'so indeed it was'.

 

 

 

Puraan.a means 'belonging to ancient times'.

 

 

 

Aakhyaana means 'narrations, recitation of historical narrations'

(S'rimadbhagavatam 1.9.28); aakhyaayika means 'anectode'.

 

 

 

Itivrtta means 'kaavya' or literary works or lores, and can be in

three

forms: naat.aka, nr.tya, keertana.

 

 

 

kalpa is a cycle of creation. For example, kalpa sutra in the Jaina

tradition includes the narrations of the lives of Mahavira and other

tirthankara.

 

 

 

Gaatha are meditations. One group of 17 sacred texts called Gaatha in

the

Avestan tradition, referring to the holy songs of Zarathushtra. In

Rigveda (

1.167.6, 9.11.4), the term, gaatha is used as a reference to a song.

In some

contexts, gaatha also refers to poetry of legends or aakhyaana (e.g.,

S'unahs'epa aakhyaana, Supran.a aakhyaana) or to a metrical part of

the

Bauddha utra.

 

 

 

Naaraas'amsee gaathaa means 'songs in praise in the Rigveda'. Some

also

interpret the term as a reference to anecdotes gleaned from the Veda.

(For

example, in Brihaddevataa, adhyaaya 2, naaras'amsi, pavamaana and

jaatavedas

are grouped together as songs to divinities including pavamaana soma,

personified material; divinities of Rigveda also include tanoonapat

and

naaras'amsi who are divinities of the apri rica-s indicating idhma as

a form

of agni; divinities of Rigveda 1.14-15 include tanoonapat,

naaras'amsi,

il.aa, barhis).

 

 

 

S'ivagita is included in the uttarakanda of Padma Purana. " The Siva

Gita

begins with episode from the Ramayana epic, where Rama is despondent

over

the loss of Sita. At this time, Rama is visited by Sage Agastya, and

Sage

Agastya prescribes to Rama that he should observe a special vow called

the *Pasupata

vrata*. By observing this vow Agastya promises that Rama shall have a

vision

of Lord Siva, and will receive the Pasupata arrow without which Ravana

cannot be defeated. Rama performs the vow and at the end of four

months

receives a divine vision of Siva. Siva presents Rama with the Pasupata

arrow, and Rama in turn asks Lord Siva a series of questions. The

dialogue

between Sri Rama and Lord Siva makes up the bulk of the Siva Gita. "

 

 

 

Some excerpts have been cited from this text of S'ivagita:

 

 

 

 

I am the Rg Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sâma Veda, the

Atharvana, full

of sacred mantras, and similarly the distinguished Angiras all

originate

from Me. ||16||

 

I am the Itihâsas, the Purâòas, I am the kalpa (cycle of creation),

and the

performer of the rituals. I am the Narasamsi (hymn of Rudra); I am

the Gâtha

(hymn praising Vedic ritual). I am meditation and the secret wisdom.

||17||