Subjects studied in the Brahmanic Period

In the Brahmanic period the subjects of study were large in number than those of the earlier Vedic age. The different new subjects and the new rules were added to the curriculum. But the earlier subjects were still popular in this age. From the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa we find the detailed syllabus of various subjects. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa mentions that the Vedas including Brāhmaṇa, Āraṇyaka, Upaniṣads remained the main subjects of study. For the continuity of Vedic studies, the students daily recite Ṛk, Yajus, and Sāma. This Vedic study was called the Svādhyāya. With the concentration of mind, every day the students had to study the Vedas^[1]. It was also called Brahmayajña^[2].

Apart from the Vedas, the many other subjects were also included in the curriculum. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa^[3] mentions that Anuśāsana, Vidyā, Vākovākya [Vākovākyam], Itihāsa-Purāṇa, Nārāśaṃsī, Gāthās, Ākhyāna, Anvākhyāna, Anuvyākhyāna, and Vyākhyāna were the important subjects of study during the age.

Sāyaṇa^[4] commenting on this passage mentions that Anuśāsanas were the six Vedāṅgas viz-Śiksā, Vyākarana, Nirukta, Channda, Jyotiṣa and Kalpa or the rules of the Grammar and etymology.

Vidyā was the philosophical systems of Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā and so on. While the other authorities mentioned that it was the special science or the Science of Snakes (Sarpa Vidyā).

Vākovākya [Vākovākyam] was the theological discourses or the art of disputation. Sāyaṇa mentions that it was identical with Brahmodya, where the theologians started discussion about the spiritual matters.

Itihāsa-Purāṇas were the cosmological myths and the stories of old times. The Atharvaveda^[5] first properly mentions these two terms. Later on Brāhmaṇa and Upaniṣad explain the meaning of these two terms. They mentioned that Itihāsa and Purāṇa were the fifth Veda^[6]. But Sāyaṇa^[7] clearly explained that the Purāṇa means the stories of old heroes and heroines like Purūravas and Urvaśī, whereas the Itihāsa means the stories of universe like ‘In the beginning this universe was nothing but water’.

Nārāśaṃsī and Gāthās were the ballads or a kind of memorial hero songs. Sāyaṇa^[8] in the first place takes the two as one meaning i.e., the stanzas telling about men. But later on he refers that Gāthās were such verses about the great Snake driven from the lake and the Nārāśaṃsīs were such verses that telling about men such as Janamejaya and his horses.

Ākhyāna, and Anvākhyāna were the short narrative and supplementary narrative. Anuvyākhyānas were the explanations of mantras and the Vyākhyānas were the commentaries.

These were some important subjects of study during the age. Each and every student tried to specialise in these varied subjects. But these subjects were gradually swelled and became bulky with the inclusion of new subjects. This fact is proved by the dialogue between Nārada and Sanat Kumāra in the Cāndogya Upaniṣad. In the Cāndogya Upaniṣad^[9] Nārada insisted Sanat Kumāra on instructing him, then we find that he mentioned that he had already studied the Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda, the Atharvaveda, the Epic and mythological poem as fifth Veda, Grammar (Vyākarana), Necrology (Pitrya), Arithmetic(Rāsi),Diviation(Nidhi),Chronology (Kāl nirupan Vidyā), Theology (Vākovākya [Vākovākyam]), the doctrine of prayer (Deva Vidyā), Necromancy (Bhūta Vidyā), the art of War (Kṣatravidyā or Dhanur Veda), Astronomy (Nakṣatra Vidyā), Snake charming (Sarpa Vidyā) and the Fine Arts (Deva-Jana-Vidyā). These subjects were very popular subjects of those days. Students studied all these subjects. But in spite of varied subjects Sanat Kumāra mentioned that he was only Mantravit^[10]. So Sanat Kumāra should instruct him about the highest knowledge or Parā Vidyā. The supremacy of the Parā Vidyā was declared during the age.

In the Brahmanic age Parā Vidyā or the knowledge of Absolute was the main subject of study. After getting all the knowledge, the students try to realise the highest knowledge because it was the supreme knowledge. It was the sarva-vidyā-pratiṣṭha^[11]. All the authorities declared that it was the supreme knowledge technically called the Parā Vidyā. Without the Parā Vidyā everything was in words. It was the essential part of education during those days. All the learned persons tried to become a master in Parā Vidyā. In the Upaniṣad we come across several learned scholars, elderly persons approaching famous teacher for this highest knowledge or secret knowledge. In the above we already mentioned that Nārada approached Sanat Kumāra where he admitted that he was only Mantravit and not Ātmavit. He was desirous to become a master in Ātmavidyā from Sanat Kumāra. In the several other examples as found in the ancient Indian scriptures we find that learned persons try to master in Parā Vidyā. In the Cāndogya Upaniṣad^[12], we see that where Śvetaketus’ father himself realised that his son’s education was incomplete because he was not a master in Parā Vidyā. He himself took responsibility to educate his son. Later on Śvetaketu and his father also approached King Pravāhaṇa Jaivali for this highest knowledge because they realised that their education was incomplete^[13]. In the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad^[14] we find that Maitreyi, Gārgī, Ārthabhāga approached Yājñavalkya for this secret knowledge. In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad^[15], Śaunaka, who is described as great scholar also approached Aṅgirasa for this special knowledge. From these above mentioned examples it is clear that besides the other useful knowledge, the Parā Vidyā was the most important part of education during the age. Without this Parā Vidyā anyone was not regarded as a learned person. The Upaniṣad mentioned that Parā Vidyā cannot be gained by mere scholarship. Every individual had to develop his individual personality by rigorous discipline and also by means of controlling his senses and thereby he could be a master in Parā Vidyā. It was a long austerity. Through the eight fold Yoga-Yama (discipline consisting in truthfulness, honesty, chastity, non-injury), Niyama (self-restraint, purity, contentment, study and devotion), Āsana (sitting in the right place and in the correct bodily attitude or Correct posture), Prāṇāyama (regulation of breath), Pratyahāra (suppression of the organs of the sense), Dhāraṇā (concentration of the attention), Dhyāna (meditation) and Samādhi (absorption) one can be able to master in Parā Vidyā^[16].

So in Brahmanic age subjects of study were larger in number than those of the Saṃhitā period and this gradual progress were till continued in Sūtra period.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Aharahaḥ svādhyāyamadhīte tasmāt svādhyāyo, dhyetavayaḥ|Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa XI.5.6.3.

[2]:

Svādhyāyo vai brahma-yajñaḥ |Ibid.XI.5.6.3.

[3]:

Yadanuśāsanāni vidyā vākovākyamitihāsapurāṅgāthā nārāśayaṃsaya sa ya evaṃ vidvānanuśāsanāni vidyā vākovā kyamitihāsapurāṇagāthā……………………………|| Ibid.XI.5.6.7.

[4]:

Anuśāsanānīti|anuśiṣyante vyutpādyamte ebhirityanuśāsanāni vyākaraṇaniruktādīni ṣaḍangāni|nyāyamīmāṃsādayaḥ ‘vidyāḥ’|uktiprayuktirupaṃ prakaraṇaṃ ‘vākovākyam’|Sāyaṇa Bhāṣya. Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa XI.5.6.7. The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa edtd by Maitreyee Despande, Book-4, New Bharati Book Corporation,2008, P. 1526.

[5]:

Atharvaveda XV.6.12.

[6]:

Itihāsa veda.Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa XIII.4.3.12. Pūrāṇam vedaḥ.Ibid.XIII.4.3.13.

[7]:

Āpo ha vā idamagre salilamevāsa ityādikaṃ sṛstipratipādakaṃ brāhmaṇam ‘itihāsa’|urvaśī hāpsarāḥ pururavasamaiṇḍaṃ cakame ityādīni purātanapuruṣavṛttāṃatapratipādakāni ‘purāṇaṃ’| Sāyaṇa Bhāṣya. Ibid.XI.5.6.7.

[8]:

Narā manuṣyāḥ tatprśaṃsāpādakāḥ lokāḥ ‘nārāśaṃsthaḥ’gāthāḥ| Sāyaṇa Bhāṣya.

[9]:

adhīhi bhgava iti hopasasāda sanatkumāraṃ nāradastaṃ hovāca yadvethe tena mopasīda tatasta urdvaṃ vakṣyamīti sa hovāca ||Ṛgvedaṃ bhagavohadhyemi yajurvedaṃ sāmavedamārthavaṇaṃ caturthamitihāsapurāṇaṃ pañcamaṃ vedānāṃ vedaṃ pitryaṃ rāśiṃ daivaṃ nidhiṃ vākovākyamekāyanaṃ devavidyāṃ brahmavidyāṃ bhūtavidyāṃ kṣṭravidyāṃ nakṣatravidyāṃ sarpadevajanavidyāmetad bhagavohadhyemi||| | Chāndogya Upaniṣad VII.I.1.

[10]:

sohahaṃ bhagavo mantravidevāsmi nātmvicachrat taṃ…………. || Chāndogya Upaniṣad VII.I.3.

[11]:

sa brahmavidyāṃ sarvavidyā pratiṣṭāṃ| Muṇḍuka Upaniṣad 1.1.1.

[12]:

Chāndogya Upaniṣad VI.1.

[13]:

Yatheyaṃ vidyeteaḥ pūrvaṃ na kasmiṃścana brāhmaṇa uvāsa tāṃ tvahaṃ tuvyaṃ vakṣyāmi ko hi tvaivaṃ bruvantamarhati pratyākhyātumiti ||Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad VI.2.8.

[14]:

Yadeva bhagvān veda tadeva me bruhīti || Ibid.II.4.3; Ibid III.8.3; 2.13; IV.3-4.

[15]:

Atharvaṇe yāṃ pravadeta brahmāhatharvā tāṃ purovācāṅgire brahmavidyāṃ|Muṇḍuka Upaniṣad I.1.2.

[16]:

tena etasyai devatāyai sāyujyaṃ salokatāṃ jayati || Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad I.5.23.