Introduction to Brāhmaṇa Literature

The Brāhmaṇas form a part and parcel of the vast Vedic literature and are generally designated as later Vedic literature. The term Veda comprises both the Mantra and the Brāhmaṇa. Veda is the name given to Mantra and Brāhmaṇa jointly.^[1] Sāyaṇācārya, in the introduction to his commentary on the Ṛgvedasaṃhitā, observes—the name Veda is given to the vast body of literature made up of Mantra and Brāhmaṇa jointly.^[2] ‘Mantras’ or ‘Saṃhitās’ which are collections of hymns, prayers, benedictions, incantations, sacrificial formulae called Nivids and Litanies.

‘Brāhmaṇas’ stands for a huge mass of prose texts which contains speculations on the mantras, precepts for the application of mantras in different sacrifices, details of sacrificial paraphernalia and theological, philosophical, grammatical, etymological and metrical speculations.^[3]

The term Brāhmaṇa has been variously interpreted. It has come from the word Brahmaṇ which means both the mantra and the brāhmaṇa or the priestly class who are versed in the Veda.

Jaimini, the author of the Pūrvamīmāṃsā, gives the definition—

śeṣe brāhmaṇa-śabdaḥ,^[4]

Which means, “Besides the mantras the remaining bulk of the Vedic literature is called brāhmaṇa.”

Āpastamba defines Brāhmaṇas as–

karma-codanā brāhmaṇāni,

i.e. “Brāhmaṇas are injunctions for the performance of sacrificial rites”.

Āpastamba further elucidates the term Karmacodanā by giving a detailed characteristics of the Brāhmaṇas.

According to him, the Brāhmaṇas deal with the following six topics—

1. Vidhi,
2. Arthavāda,
3. Nindā,
4. Praśaṃśā,
5. Purākalpa and
6. Parakṛti.^[5]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

mantra-brāhmaṇayorvedanāmadheyam | Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra, 24-1-31.

[2]:

mantra-brāhmaṇātmaka-śabdarāśirvedaḥ | Sāyaṇācārya in his Ṛgvedabhāsyabūmikā

[3]:

Basu, Jogiraj, India of the age of the Brāhmaṇas, p.2

[4]:

Pūrvamīmāṃsāsūtra, 2.1.33

[5]:

Basu, Jogiraj, India of the age of the Brāhmanas, p.7