| The Brahmanas
are specific ritualistic. They are much like the Yajur Veda and its
ritualistic approach but are not as old, nor do they have such an esoteric meaning. Yet
they are more extensive. They show us how to recreate the ritual action of life itself, to
portray the cosmic ritual in a few special actions. Not
all their rituals are of an outward nature. The outer things offered were symbolic of
inner processes. The ritual proceeds primarily through speech, breath and mind. The main
power of the ritual is the mantra or the chant. The chants attune us to the cosmic
vibration and put us in tune with the transformative force of nature. The ritual brings us
into the right action of life. The ritual order or the order of the sacrifice is the
sacred nature and movement of life. Such rituals and chants prepare us for the spiritual
knowledge, make our life and thought a rich field for it to grow. The Brahmanas thereby
lead us to the Upanishads.
Important Brahmanas are the Aitareya, Shatapatha,
Kaushitaki, Taittiriya and Chandogya. They are longer, sometimes much
longer than their respective Upanishads. The rituals were aligned with the seasons and the
equinoxes and were the basis for the calendar the culture followed.
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