Importance of the Brāhmaṇa literature

In the domain of Vedic literature, the Brahmanical composition occupies special and important space. The Brāhmaṇa texts are generally the manifestation of the rituals and it is the first origin of the sacrificial rites in the history of religion. In the Brahmanical age, the performance of rituals remained as the supreme tasks of human beings. The domain of the rituals was undoubted. Detailed accounts of the rituals as well as the trifling matters of the sacrificial rites are discussed in the Brāhmaṇa texts with great and equal importance.

The main subject matter of the Brāhmaṇa literature is the discussion of the Vedic Sacrifices and the several performances related to it. There are many depreciatory comments on the contents and literary value of the Brāhmaṇas. As on many occasions, while discussing the critical sacrificial rites; the subject matter of the Brāhmaṇa literature has become very dull and disinteresting^[1].

But for this the importance of the Brāhmaṇa literature can never be ignored. The Brāhmaṇas are always given a position of great importance. They not only give us the details of the sacrifices but along with this the Brāhmaṇa literature records our ancient Indian culture and civilization. The picture of the then social condition, the evolution of caste system, the occupation of different classes, the geographical background, education of men and women, marriage system, position of women, agriculture and other economic conditions, music, flora and fauna, coronation ceremony, different types of monarchy, democratic elements in kingship, paramount elements in kingship, paramount sovereignty, political implications of various sacrifices, knowledge of medicine and diseases and various subject matter relating to the day to day life style of the people are meat with in the Brāhmaṇa literature.

The philosophical ideas too are found in some places of the Brāhmaṇa literature, especially in the late Brāhmaṇas. The Brāhmaṇas often speak of the symbolic character of the various ritualistic elements. Not only that the Brāhmaṇas are said to be the forerunners of the thoughts of Āraṇyakas and Upaniṣats. Many philosophical principles are hidden in the Brāhmaṇas which are developed in the later ages. The idea of life after death is repeatedly mentions in the various Brāhmaṇas^[2]. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa mentions that those who perform some rites in the correct way achieve immortal life after death, but those who do not, repeatedly fall victim to death^[3].

The identification of Brahman and Ātman, the main theory of the Upaniṣats, begins to appear in the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa and in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa mentions that–“everything is indeed Ātman”^[4]. The “final reality is summed up as the self, made up of intelligence, with a body of spirit, a form of light and an ethereal nature, which pervades the regions and upholds the universe, though devoid of speech and mental effects”^[5]. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa calls Brahman as ‘self-existent’ (svayambhu)^[6] and connected with sacrifice and the fundamental cosmic order. In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, the fire altar has been identified with the terrestrial world. It is also identified with Prajāpati, the lord of creation“Prajāpati is no other than the fire-altar which is here built up, and what five mortal parts are there were of him, they are these layers of earth; and those which are immortal they are these layers of bricks”^[7]. The making of the fire pan has been identified as the making of the worlds^[8]. Sometimes the construction of the fire altar has been imagined as reconstructing Prajāpati. The Brāhmaṇa texts develop their views regarding the cosmogony, Prajāpati and on other matter also in connection with the Agnicayana ceremony. So, it can be said that Agnicayana gives enough scope for philosophical speculations of life.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Winternitz, Maurice, A History of Indian Literature, Vol-I, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1981, Page-174.

[2]:

Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa-III/11/8/5-“Punarmṛtyu|” Śāṅkhyāyana-brāhmaṇa-XXV/1-“na punar mriyate|”

[3]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -X/4/3/10-“mṛtvā punaḥ saṃ bhavanti|”

[4]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -IV/2/2/1-“Sarvaṃ hy ayam ātmā|”

[5]:

Keith, A.B, RPVU (vol-32), Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1989, Page-467

[6]:

Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa -13/7/1/1

[7]:

Ibid-X/1/3/5, 6/5/3/7, 7/2/4/30-“Sa yaḥ prajāpatiḥ|Ayameva sa yo’yamagniscīyathe’tha yā asya tāḥ pañca martyāstanva āsan netāstāh purisacitayo’tha yā amṛta etāstā iṣṭkā cītayḥ||” “Prajāpatireṣo’gni|Ubhayambetatprajāpatirniruktaśccā’niruktasccā||”

[8]:

Ibid-VI/5/3/3-“Ukhāṃ karoti imāṃstallokaṃ koroti|”