Vedas or Śruti

Vāsudevavijaya is composed to illustrate the grammatical rules of Pāṇini in order to make a better understanding in their application level. Being a Vyākaraṇaśāstrakāvya, there should have the grammatical elements necessarily. It is known from the poetry that Vāsudeva was well equipped in Sanskrit grammar. At the same time, when think about the disciplines other than grammar they also have found room in Vāsudevavijaya The author has acquired knowledge in the other sastraic works also. There can be found many references for different branches of Knowledge in Vāsudevavijaya and these references can be arranged under several heads viz. Vedas, Vedāṅgas, Dharmaśāstra and Darśanas. Besides these, quotations from Bhāgavata, grammatical treatises other than Pāṇini etc. are seen referred to in Vāsudevavijaya

Now, in this section an attempt is made to bring forth the sastric elements found in Vāsudevavijaya.

The impact of Śruti or Veda can be found throughout in Vāsudevavijaya Vāsudeva incorporates the names of some rituals like Rājasūya, Pākayajña etc. as well as Agniṣṭoma, Vājapeya etc. in the verses^[1]. The names of these sacrifices are mentioned when describing the rituals performed by Nanda for the relief from the misfortune caused by the unfavourable position of the planets upon the son.

Besides, there are some quotations from the Vedic texts to justify certain statements or usages. The word rathacakracinmukhān is used in the verse^[2] for qualifying the word Agnior fire. The expansion of the word is given as rathacakravaccīyataiti saṃjñaiṣā |^[3]. To justify the meaning of this word Vāsudeva quotes a hymn from the Taittirīyasaṃhitā of Kṛṣṇayajurveda rathacakracitaṃcinvītabhrātṛvyavān |^[4].

Likewise, another context in which Vāsudeva quotes Vedic hymn is the praising of Kṛṣṇa. Here the author depicts the lord as the one who is not spoiled by the tamas or māyā. In this context the word tamas is placed for avidyā or ignorance.

To substantiate this meaning Vāsudeva quotes a line from Śruti as tamasastvapāra and

avidyāsyetyavidyāyāmevāvasitvā prakalpyate |
brahmapādatvavidye'jñeyaṃ na kathañcana yujyate ||^[5]

In the sixth canto there are so many references for rituals and Vedic performances.

Vāsudeva gives the meaning of the word pitrādīnāṃ^[6] as jāyamānaḥ ityadiśrutyuktānām; here the line from Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad is relevant i.e.,

sa vā ayaṃ puruṣo jāyamānaḥ śarīramabhisampadyamānaḥ^[7]

Thus it can be said that Vāsudeva was well equipped in the Vedic literature. The quotations and usages of Vedic hymns etc. shed light to the awareness of Vedic tradition of the author. He uses the events related to Veda as the objects of comparison.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

rājasūyike pākayājñike ṣātvaṇatvike pāśuketathā |
saupataiṅakāretaiṣṭikārcikacchāndasāṅgavidyādike'pi ca ||
dāyena vājapeyikyādakṣiṇāyādhanasya ca |
tenāgniṣṭomikādyasya svadharme'mādināsthitam ||
  Vāsudevavijaya of Vāsudeva with Padacandrikā commentary, Prof. Vijayapal Sastri,v.4.65, 6.62

[2]:

vipraiḥ surāvikriyāṇāṃ viropibhiścinvadbhiragnīn rathacakracinmukhān |
ādṛtyakarmā yadi so'nyabhuvyabhūttasyādhikurmaḥ kṣayamañjasoṣṇakāḥ || (ibid, v.3.67)

[3]:

ibid, p.68

[4]:

Taittirīyasaṃhitā, 5.4.11

[5]:

Quoted in Paramārthasāra of BhagavanĀdiśeṣa with the commentary of Raghavananda,T.Ganapatiśāstri.p.26. Here it is quoted by saying taduktaṃ bṛhadvārtike | (It cannot be traced the work and its details.)

[6]:

pitrādīnāmṛṇād baddhaṃ prajādyaiḥ svaṃ vipāśya saḥ |
ninye'yāthākathācānāṃ rāyāṃ dānena vāsarān || Prof.Vijayapal Sastri.op.cit.v.6.3.

[7]:

Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad, 14.3.8