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Re: ARTICLE : SBG, shruti and smR^iti
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Subject: Re: ARTICLE : SBG, shruti and smR^iti
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From: "Jaldhar H. Vyas" <jaldhar@braincells.com>
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Date: Sat, 7 Sep 1996 00:50:07 GMT
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Apparently-To: soc-religion-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Newsgroups: soc.religion.hindu
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Organization: Consolidated Braincells Inc.
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References: <ghenDwuyny.s9@netcom.com> <5077j4$rd8@news.ececs.uc.edu> <ghenDx7vos.54M@netcom.com> <ghenDx9t0o.Bq0@netcom.com> <ghenDxBv3B.4A2@netcom.com>
dchakrav@netserv.unmc.edu (Dhruba Chakravarti) wrote in article
<ghenDxBv3B.4A2@netcom.com>...
> Dear Jaldharji:
>
> Thank you for elaborating your views on this. Let us put this statement
> to a test, if we may.
>
> None of the Vedas have a verse that restrict them in any way to anybody,
> but in society, yAGYic brahmins declare that veda-adhikAra is restricted
> to people born in a brAhmin family, would you say that they give
> precedence to samhitA? Would you say that it is a Vedic practice or one
> that is sanctioned by the Vedas?
>
Your argument is confused. First you're assuming Veda = Samhita. No
Indian prior to the 19th century has ever thought that. The Veda consists
of Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads. None of these are
superior or inferior to the others in any way. In fact the distinction
between what belongs where though fixed since time immemorial is somewhat
arbitrary. The Ishopanishad is the 40th chapter of the Vajasaneyi
Samhita. The Shatapatha Brahmana contains several Yajus which should
theoretically be in the Samhita portion and the very name of the
Brhadaranyakopanishad speaks for itself.
Secondly what is important to Dharmik people is not the division into
samhita etc. or even into shruti and smrti but the threefold Mimamsak
division of vidhi (command) , nishedha (prohibition), and arthavada
(description). In the Veda there are descriptions of different vidhis for
which different adhikaras are given. Not just to Brahmans. For instance
the Ashvamedha yagna could only be performed by a King. A king who had
defeated all enemies at that. There is a yagna called Vaishyastoma which
as the name suggests is only for Vaishyas. Other rites such as Agnihotra
can be performed all the three Dvija varnas. The Veda gives the nishedha
that during a yagna the yajamana should avoid contact with Shudras. From
this we can safely assume Shudras are not to perform yagnas. (unless you
think they can somehow avoid being in contact with themselves.)
Similiarly by the fact that the Veda mentions Brahmans performing the
yagnas we infer the priestly duty is theirs. The duty of teaching the
Veda is also solely theirs. Most of the passages in the Veda are in
masculine gender so we infer they are for men. We know the masculine
gender is not being used in a generic sense because there are some rites
mentioned which are specifically said to be for women or for men and
women.
Thirdly, all this is also confirmed by Smrti and by Shishtachara or
tradition. All three of these are of equal importance in determining
Dharma. We cannot countenance groups such as the Arya Samaj that take one
narrow part of the shastras and attempt to draw a false conclusion from
them.
--
Jaldhar H. Vyas [jaldhar@braincells.com] o- beable .-_|\
Consolidated Braincells Inc. / \
http://www.braincells.com/jaldhar/ Perth Amboy-> *.--._/
"Witty quote" - Dead Guy finger me for PGP key v McQ!
