Shakha

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shaka is the name for a theological school in Hinduism that specializes in the study of selected Vedic scriptures . Often the selected scriptures also come under the term Shakha.

etymology

The feminine Sanskrit noun शाखा (śākhā) denotes a branch or a limb . A follower of a certain Hindu school is called śākhin . The term Shaka is also used in Hindu philosophy for advocates of a very specific orthodox doctrine . Shaka is derived from the Proto-Indo- European root * ḱak- meaning branch . The Lithuanian šakà and the Persian šâx come very close to the Sanskrit expression .

Social status

In traditional Hindu society, belonging to a specific school (Shakha) is an important aspect of class allocation. Towards the end of the Rigveda period, the term Brahmin was intended for all members of the priestly class , but these were further differentiated depending on the Shaka. Brahmins who changed schools were even referred to as śākhāraṇḍaḥ , traitors to their śākhā.

Vedic schools

Map of Vedic India during the Iron Age . The supposed distribution areas of the individual Shaka (schools) are shown in green

For the Vedic schools, in addition to the term shaka, there was also the term caraṇa (चरण), which denotes individual behavior and lifestyle . Even if the two terms are often used synonymously, strictly speaking , caraṇa refers to the followers of a school (or sect), whereas śākhā is only oriented towards the respective source texts and their interpretation. The latter is expressed in the phrase śākhām adhite - he recites a special passage (the Vedas) .

The individual schools differ in the way they interpret the Vedic texts, which is evidenced by the term śākhābhedaḥ . Each of the schools specialized in one of the four Vedic Samhita and associated texts such as Brahmanas , Aranyakas , Vedangas such as Shrautasutra and Grhyasutra and Upanishads .

The traditional source for listing the individual Shakas of the four Veda is the Caraṇa-vyūha . There are two very similar versions of this:

Both keep lists of the reviews that were previously available as well as those that still existed at the time of writing . Very few reviews are now available.

Schools of the Rigveda

The written by Saunaka CARANA-vyuha leads five schools for the Rigveda to:

  • Śākala
  • Bāṣkala
  • Aśvalāyana
  • Śaṅkhāyana and
  • Māṇḍukāyana

Today only the first two schools mentioned remain. From the Aśvalāyana-Shaka there is still sutra literature of the Vedanga, a Shrautasutra and a Grhyasutra, both with preserved commentary (vrtti) of the Garga Naranaya. In turn, Garga Naranaya's comment was based on a more detailed commentary (bhashya) edited by Devaswamin in the 11th century.

Śākala school

Bāṣkala school

Schools of Yajurveda

The Yajurveda once followed by the impressive number of 86 schools. In his Cara führta-vyuha , Śaunaka lists 42 or 44 of these schools, of which today only 5 fully and a sixth partially exist:

  • Vajasaneyi Madhandina
  • Kanva
  • Taittiriya
  • Maitrayani
  • Caraka-Katha and
  • Kapisthala-Katha

The Shakhas of Yajurveda are for their part split into two sub-divisions - into white (शुक्ल - shukla) and black (कृष्ण - krishna) schools. The white reviews are characterized by separate Brahmanas, whereas in the black reviews, mantras of more recent origin are inserted between the much older Brahmanas .

The shukla direction includes the Vajasaneyi Madhandina and Kanva schools with the works Vājasaneyi Samhita Madhyandina (VSM) and Vājasaneyi Samhita Kānva (VSK). Both schools also contain their own Shatapatha Brahmana (ShBM and ShBK).

The krishna school includes the Taittiriya, Maitrayani, Caraka-Katha and Kapisthala-Katha schools. The Taittiriya school is based on the Taittirīya Saṃhita (TS) and additionally on the Taittiriya Brahmana (TB). The decisive factor for the Maitrayani school is the Maitrayani Saṃhita (MS), for the Caraka-Katha school the Caraka-Katha Saṃhita (KS) and for the Kapisthala-Katha school the Kapiṣṭhala-Katha Saṃhita (KapS).

About the schools in detail:

Vajasaneyi Madhandina School

The Vajasaneyi Madhandina school, which is part of the white Yajurveda, has specialized in the following texts:

  • Vājasaneyi Samhita Madhyandina (VSM). This samhita is currently being recited by all the brahmins of northern India and the Deshastha brahmins .
  • Madhyandina Shatapata Brahmana (ShBM).
  • Aranyaka. This survived as Shatapatha XIV, 1-8 and is accented.
  • Brihadaranyaka Upanishad . Identical to ShBM XIV, 3–8, also with accents.
  • Ishavasya Upanishad . Identical to VSM 40.

Kanva school

The Kanva school, which is also part of the white Yajurveda, focuses on the following texts:

  • Vājasaneyi Samhita Kānva (VSK). This Samhita is used by the Utkala Brahmins , the Kannada Brahmins and the Karhade Brahmins, as well as by some Iyer .
  • Kanva Shatapata Brahmana (ShBK).
  • Aranyaka. Has survived as Book XVII of the ShBK.
  • Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Identical to ShBK and with accents.
  • Ishavasya Upanishad. Identical to VSK 40.

Taittiriya School

The Taittiriya school forms part of the black Yajurveda and has the following texts:

Maitrayani school

Black Yajurveda:

  • Maitrayani Samhita (MS). Recited by only a few Brahmins in Nashik .
  • Maitrayaniya Upanishad .
  • Aranyaka. These are more or less identical to the Maitrayaniya Upanishad.

Caraka Katha School

Black Yajurveda:

  • Katha Aranyaka . Almost all of the text is from a single manuscript.
  • Kathaka Upanishad .
  • Katha-Shiksha Upanishad . This Upanishad, which is very similar in content to the Taittiriya Upanishad, had been lost and was reconstructed by Michael Witzel .

Kapishthala School

Black Yajurveda:

  • Kapishthala Samhita (KapS). Very fragmentary manuscript, only the first sections are accented. Edited without accents by Raghu Vira.

Schools of Samaveda

The Samaveda once had an astonishing number of more than a thousand schools. In the Caraṇa-vyuha of Śaunaka only 12 schools will be listed. Today there are still three schools, the Kauthuma, the Ranayaniya and the Jaiminiya schools.

Kauthuma School

  • Kauthuma Samhita . The published Samhita is recited everywhere in North and South India. It contains the aranyaka.
  • There are 8 non-accented Brahmanas in total.
  • Chandogya Upanishad .

Ranayaniya school

  • Ranayaniya Samhita . There are manuscripts that are recited by Gokarna brahmins and Deshastha brahmins.
  • 8 non-accented brahmanas.
  • The aranyaka is contained in the samhita.
  • Chandogya Upanishad

Jaiminiya / Talavakara school

  • Jaiminiya Samhita . The published Samhita is recited in Tamil Nadu by Nambudiri and Choliyal . The Samaveda is performed in two different styles, which have been published and partly recorded on phonograms.
  • Jaiminiya Brahmana .
  • Arsheya Brahmana . Both brahmanas are not accented.
  • Talavakara Aranyaka in the version of Tamil Nadu. This corresponds to the published Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana .
  • Kena Upanishad .

Schools of Atharvaveda

Of the original 9 schools of Atharvaveda , two still exist today. The following schools exist (s):

  • Paippalada School
  • Tauda school
  • Mauda school
  • Shaunakiya school
  • Jajala school
  • Jalada school
  • Brahmavada school
  • Devadarsa School and
  • Charana Vaidya School.

The Shaunakiya school is the only Shakha des Atharvavedas that still has printed texts and an oral tradition. However, the texts of the Shaunakiya school as well as those of the Paippalada school are incorrect, so that conclusions can only be drawn about the original Atharvaveda by comparing texts.

Shaunakiya school

  • Shaunaka-Samhita (AVS). Published and recited all over North and South India.
  • Gopatha Brahmana . The fragmentary, non-accented Brahmana has been published and is still in use.
  • Mundaka Upanishad . The Upanishad was published.

Paippalada School

  • Paippalada Samhita (AVP). Only recited as samhita patha by Utkala brahmins . Two manuscripts survived: a largely published manuscript from Kashmir and a non-accented manuscript from Oriya, edited in part by Dipak Bhattacharya and others.
  • A lost Brahmana that resembled the Gopatha Brahmana.
  • Prashna Upanishad .
  • Sharabha Upanishad and others. All the Upanishads were published.

The Paippalada tradition broke down at the beginning of the 20th century. Surviving texts have since been collected. However, some Brahmins from Orissa continue the tradition.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b V. S. Apte: A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary . S. 913, left column .
  2. ^ Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Charles A. Moore: A Source Book in Indian Philosophy . Princeton University Press; Princeton paperback 12th edition, 1989, 1957, ISBN 0-691-01958-4 , pp. 560 .
  3. ↑ AL Basham: The Wonder That Was India: A Survey of the Culture of the Indian Sub-Continent Before The Coming Of The Muslims . Grove Press, New York 1954, pp. 139 .
  4. ^ Monier-Williams: A Sanskit-English Dictionary . S. 1062, right column .
  5. ^ BK Sastry: Catalog of Sanskrit, Pali, and Prakrit Books in the British Museum . Ed .: KP Aithal, Asvalayana Grihya Sutra Bhashyam of Devasvamin, 1983, review. 1876, p. 9 .
  6. ^ M. Witzel: An unknown Upanisad of the Krsna Yajurveda: The Katha-Siksa-Upanisad . In: Journal of the Nepal Research Center . tape 1 . Wiesbaden-Kathmandu 1977, p. 135 .
  7. ↑ Nair, 2008, pp. 84-227