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At the end of the age of the Samhitās the deep knowledge in these
books was almost lost; however the texts themselves were carefully
preserved by special methods of recitation known as aşhţa
vikŗti which are in use even today. The loss of vedic
knowledge is mentioned repeatedly in the later books purāņa.
It is said that the Divine Being assumed the incarnation of boar
and recovered the Veda books buried in the depth. This is a
symbolic way of expressing a symbolic fact which we can recognize
if we pay attention to the Sanskrit words. The word for boar is
varāha which also has the meaning of lifting up aroha
that which is sacred vara. This symbolic legend refers to
the attempt at recovering the lost or buried knowledge, buried in
the realms of our subconscient. The brāhmaņa books are the result of the attempts to
recover the lost knowledge. The recovery had two stages. The first
stage was to record the names or details of the hymns of the Veda
Samhita recited at the various steps in the outward ritual
yajna and also to record the various steps of yajna.
This is the content of the initial part of the brāhmaņa
books. The second stage deals with the contemplations and the
philosophical issues, emphasizing the subtle nature of the
yajna. This stage leads to the āranyakās and Upanishads.
We will focus here on the earlier part of the brāhmaņa
books. Recall that every recension of the mantra Samhita
has its associated brāhmaņa book. Thus the Aitareya
brāhmaņa is associated with Rigveda Samhita which has
only one recension. The Vājasaneyi mādhyandina Samhita of
Shukla Yajurveda has Shatapatha brāhmaņa. This brāhmaņa
book contains in itself both the āraņyaka and Upanishad
portions, i.e., of its 14 books kāndās, the last book,
14th, is the āranyaka. Of this book, chapters 4 through 9
constitute the famous Bŗhadāraņyaka Upanishad. This
brāhmaņa gives some details of the rituals in which the
hymns of the corresponding mantra Samhita, i.e.,
Vājasaneyi Samhita are used. It is here we find some detail of
the rituals. For example the kāndās 6 through 9 deal with
the construction of the bird-shaped fire-altar in the so-called
agnichayana rite. These kāndās give a
ritualistic explanation of the mantrās in the adhyāyās or
chapters eleven through eighteen of the vājasaneyi samhita.
It is important to understand that when one reads the original of
these chapters 11 through 18 of the mantra-samhita book,
one barely sees any mention of the fire-altar. As a matter of
fact, the chapters 16 and 18 constitute the famous litany to the
deity rudra or shatarudrīya.
The tenth pravargya of the shatapatha brāhmaņa is
titled agnirahasya or the secret of Agni. This chapter
gives the legends and the contemplations regarding the different
ritual acts associated with the mystic fire Agni. Recall
that these rituals are mentioned in the earlier pravargyās
six through nine. This chapter views the fire-ritual as a model of
the cosmos and its dynamic activities. It sets up a correspondence
between the fire-altar and three planes or worlds namely the world
of the physical matter bhūh, the world of the life-energies
bhuvah and the world of the mental energies suvah.
The correspondence is very detailed. The fire-altar is constructed
of five materials namely stones, the filling earth and three types
of bricks. This 10th chapter gives the correspondences for these
items to those on the three cosmic realms mentioned above.
While placing a particular type of brick during the construction
of the fire-altar, the chapter 16 of the mantra-samhita,
the hymn to rudra, is recited. Before the commencement of
this hymn, it is stated that by this recitation the bricks become
dhenavah, cows. Outwardly such a statement does not make
sense. However as mentioned in the mantra samhita section
dhenavah is a standard symbol for spiritual knowledge.
Hence the above statement interpreted in the context of a symbolic
yajna occurring in the subtle body of the performer makes
sense. In this inner yajna, a symbolic fire-altar is
constructed and the entire altar glows with knowledge.
Thus even though the brāhmaņa books focus on the external
ritual, still there are passages, here and there, to demonstrate
that the deeper meaning of yajna in the inner yajna.
This deeper symbolism of yajna is given in other
brāhmaņa books also. For instance aitareya brāhmaņa
(2.6.3) of the rig veda states, "yajamāna
himself is the fire-altar''. The detailed quotation is given in
later chapters. |
