|
This
Kāņda has 5
Prapāţhakās, each having eleven
anuvākās totalling to 55 anuvākās.
The last anuvāka of all
Prapāţhakās have only
mantrās. Otherwise most of the other
anuvākās are mainly
brāhmaņa passages. There are some
anuvākās having both mantra and
brāhmaņa. This
Kāņda has more information on the New
and Full Moon Sacrifice discussed in TS (1.1) and the
Soma-sacrifice dealt with in TS (1.2)-TS (1.4).
We give here some
highlights from the point of view of the spiritual-psychological
understanding of the Veda.
Since
yajňa is the subject matter of the
entire Veda, there are many references to it. The symbolism of
yajňa is referred to in many verses:
Vişhņu
is sacrifice, (3.5.1, 3.1.10),
Yajňa
is the sacrificial body of Indra,
(3.37),
Prajāpati
is yajňa, (3.2.3),
Yajamāna
is the āhavanīya fire, (3.1.3),
Gods perform
yajňa, (3.3.2).
The TS clearly
states that, "yajňa should be
harmless' (3.1.9).
There are several
passages indicating the role of prāņa
such as (3.1.4), (3.1.7), (3.2.3), (3.5.2), (3.5.9); (3.5.10)
states, “prāņa moves towards
yajňa, vāmadevya
sāman energises
prāņa, prāņa energises the
yajňa''.
There are several
indications for the role of metres, chanting,
udgīta etc., in (3.1.2), (3.1.6), (3.1.7),
(3.2.9).
There are several
philosophical passages such as, “the concept of
ŗtam (Truth in movement)
(3.3.5)'', "the concept of Beyond, (3.3.6)'', “medha
mantrās, (3.3.1)'', ‘beauty, (3.3.8)',
"Soma is generated for whole world, (3.2.8)'', "making offerings
to Gods expecting the fulfilment of desires is not right,
(3.2.8)'', “speech from silence, (3.2.5)'', fourth realm,
(3.4.2)'', “existence and non-existence, (3.5.8)''.
In the Veda,
Gandharvās and
Apsarasās are not their counterparts in the
Purāņās. The entire
anuvāka (3.4.7) describes their dual
role as the Puruşha-Prakŗti pair.
The symbolism of
Gods is given in several places such as (3.5.8). “Prajāpati
is all the deities, (3.5.9)''. The anuvāka
(3.4.10) describes the role of Vāsţoşhpati
who is the deity of journey and the house in the Veda.
(3.4.6) and (3.4.8)
mention the role of kingdom and that which supports the kingdom (rāşhţrabhŗt).
There are anecdotes
involving ŗşhīs in (3.1.7), (3.1.9)
and the conflict between Gods and Asurās
in (3.4.6). |