Sushmajee
Ved
| Ved | |
| 12-Ved, Yajur-1 |
See also Vaidik Devtaa; One of the four Ved. Ved are most ancient scriptures of Hindu religion. Each Ved consists of a Sanhitaa which is the main book and attached to it are several ancillary books classified as Braahman, Aaranyak, and Upanishad. Yajur Ved Sanhitaa consists of hymns to be used for Yagya. Unfortunately, unlike Rig Ved, its text has differed from priest-family to priest-family. Each different text is called a Rescension. However these rescensions can be classified into two groups, called Shukla Yajur Ved and Krishn Yajur Ved. Shukla Yajur Ved is also known as Vaajsaneyee Sanhitaa. Its Madhyaandini Rescension is more popular among the North Indian priests; while its Tattireeya Sanhitaa of Krishn Yajur Ved is more popular with South Indian priests. Among many
worshippers of Shiv, the Rudra Prashn, as given in Taittireeya Sanhitaa
is very popular throughout India. Many Hindu people have memorized it.
It is especially chanted on Shiv Raatri day. About Yajur Ved
Yagya means where the Havishya is offered is called Yagya. The ceremonies which encompass the personal or social activities which are performed for the good for an individual or a society in extensive form are called Yagya. For example imparting knowledge, imparting sight, giving charities, food grains, right directions, helping a helpless, relieving a sufferer from his suffering, serving a diseased person. That is why in action-oriented Yajur Ved, while on one side there is a description of Yagya and ways to perform them; on the other side there is a mention of social practices and process of the creation of the world, what is Dharm and what is not Dharm; duty and non-duty etc etc. Characteristics of knowledge and science and science are described in the Rig Ved; how to make use of those qualities of different things is described in Yajur Ved so that we can derive the best and maximum benefits of those things. One meaning of Yajuh is Yagya and worship also. A Purohit named Adhwaryu is the leader of the Yagya. He has an important role to play in the Yagya. In Braahman Granth he is called Yajush. Yajush means who has speed and is forceful, thus he reflects the dynamism. This Ved talks about not only speed (and nature) of sense of knowledge and senses of action (all 10 Indriyaan), but also the speed of Man (mind). In this way the Yajur Ved is called the Ved of movement, dynamism of life.
Two Branches of Yajur Ved (1) Taittireeya Yajur Ved or Krishn Yajur Ved, This is the most popular Rescension (version) of Krishn Yajur Ved is called (1) Taittireeya Sanhitaa and is the original one. Its other branches are (2) Maitreyaani, (3) Kathak, and (4) Kapishthalakath./font>
Krishn Yajur Ved is both in prose and poetry and hence considered "not pure".
Krishn Yajur Ved which had 85 Shaakhaa before, now has only four available.
(2) Vaajsaneyee Sanhitaa or Yaagyavalkya Sanhitaa or Shukla Yajur Ved.
Only two Shaakhaa are now available for Vaajsaneyee Sanhitaa - The Kaanv and
Madhyaandin.
Contents of Shukla Yajur Ved (Vaajsaneyee Sanhitaa)
Its 4th to 10th chapters contain Mantra related to Raajsooya and Vaajpeya Yagya.
Its 13th chapter, comprising 58 Mantra tells about the right conduct of men and women.
The 33rd chapter, 90 Mantra, Vaishwaanav Vidyaa
Part 1 - Mantra are related to Amaavasyaa (Darsh), Poornmaas, Raajsooya, Vaajpeya and Agnishtom Yagya Yagya
Yajur Ved has
several one-syllable prayers - Om, Shreem, Hreem, Bhoo, Bhuvah etc. Words
such as "Aagneya Swaahaa", "Indraaya Swaahaa" are used
in Yajur Ved. The Yajur Ved ("Wisdom of the Sacrifices") is a liturgical collection that was made to meet the demands of a ceremonial religion. They contain sacred formulas, invocations and spells used by the Hindu priests who performed the sacrificial rites. The Yajur Ved serves as a guidebook for the priests who execute sacrificial acts muttering simultaneously the prose prayers and the sacrificial formulae ('yajus'). The Yajur Ved consists of two recessions, both of them are written partly in prose and partly in verse and both contain roughly the same material but differently arranged. They contain sacrificial formulas (in Sanskrit it is called "Yagya", means "sacrifices"). This Ved was used by the Adhwaryu, priests who recited appropriate formulas from the Yajur Ved while actually performing the sacrificial rites. There are six complete recessions of Yajur Ved - Madhyaandin, Kanva, Taittireeya, Kathak, Maitreyanee and Kapishthalaa. Yajur Ved consists of two schools or traditions making a Sanhitaa each: Krishn Yajur Ved and Shukla Yajur Ved. Krishn Yajur Ved follows the Brahm Sampradaaya (the school of Brahm) and is said to be famous in the Southern parts of India. It was supposed to be having 82 Shaakhaa (branches) out of which only 4 are available now. While Shukla Yajur Ved follows the Aaditya Aampradaaya (the school called Aaditya) and is prevalent in the Northern India. Out of the 17 Shaakhaa in this school, only 2 are available to the mankind now. Yajur Ved is more concerned with the actual methods of rituals. It involves invocations to the sacrificial instruments themselves which were believed to symbolize aspects of Brahm. Gods in Yajur Ved
At times, not in Karm Kaand but at other places, their meanings are different. For example Agni is not only Fire but also is Paramaatmaa, Indra is used for Indra Devtaa, Paramaatmaa and lightening too, Soorya is for the Sun also for Brahm in Soorya form. Ashwa has been used to Fire, scholars and Yagya also. Isht is used for Yagya Saamagree which is used to attain Isht result or bricks of Vedee. In its 24th chapter, animals are connected to gods.
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Created by Sushma Gupta on 3/15/06
Contact: sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on 03/20/13