Thread by @Iamthestory_

Vedas - The greatest source of knowledge and the creation of the greatest knowledge and poetry in the history of the Mankind

वेद - ज्ञानस्य महान् स्रोतः तथा मानवजातेः इतिहासे महत्तमं ज्ञानं काव्यं च सृष्टिम्

#Thread

#Veda #Sanskrit #Knowledge #Literature #India #Upnishda… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

1. The Vedas are the source of integral wisdom, science, tradition, and culture of a remarkable civilization. They are oral compilations of the distilled wisdom of cosmic knowledge that survived from time immemorial. They are not only identified as scriptures but also as the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

2. Meaning of the word 'Veda'
The word 'Veda' means 'knowledge' and is derived from the Sanskrit root 'vid', which means 'to know'. It does not refer to one single literary work but indicates a huge corpus of literature, which arose in the course of many centuries and has been… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

4. According to Indian traditional thoughts 'Veda' is regarded as revealed scripture, self-evident, and self-authoritative. It is not composed by any human authors. The Vedic hymns (Suktas) or verses (Mantras) are seen and only spoken by the seers (Rishis). These seers are… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

5. The Vedas are classified into four volumes: the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda, and the Atharva Veda, with the Rig Veda serving as the principal text. The four Vedas are collectively known as “Chathurveda, ” of which the first three Vedas--Rig Veda, Sama Veda, and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

6. Each Veda has been subclassified into four major text types or four portions.
The Samhitas, the most ancient layer of text in the Vedas, consisting of mantras, hymns, prayers, and benedictions which have, in literary terms, put together or joined the other three texts;
The… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

7. The Vedic philosophy regards the Vedas as Apaurusheya, meaning not of a man or impersonal. According to the Vedanta and Mimamsa schools of philosophy, the Vedas are considered Svatah Pramana (In Sanskrit, meaning “self-evident means of knowledge”).
Some schools of thought even… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

8. Vedic scriptures span fourteen fields of knowledge (vidya) and four complements to the Vedas (unpaved). The fourteen fields are the four Vedas (Rik, Yajur, Sama, Atharva), the six Vedangas (meter, etymology, phonetics, grammar, astrology-astronomy, rituals), and the four… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

9. Another method is to classify all scriptures into six categories:
1) scriptures that have been divinely revealed,
2) scriptures that have been composed,
3) sacred epics,
4) sacred legends and history,
5) manuals of divine worship, and
6) the six philosophical systems.

#Veda… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

10. Two parts of Veda's - Shruti and Smriti:
Shruti means “heard”, i.e. divinely revealed scriptures. The shrutis are also known as Prabhu-Samhitas (“Commanding Treatises”).
They refer to the four Vedas only.
All religions trace their scriptures to the revelation given by God to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

11. Smriti was the most important part of the Vedic education system. It was the main tradition of learning and propagating Vedic knowledge by the Rishi and their students.

#Veda #Sanskrit #Knowledge #Literature #India #Upnishda #Bhagwatgita #hinduism

12. Smritis
Smriti means “remembered”. These are the secondary scriptures, of human composition.
A. The Four Upavedas (“Subsidiary Vedas”)
1) Ayurveda (“Science of life and health”), associated with the Rig Veda:
Charaka Samhita by Charaka.
Susruta Samhita, by Susruta, on the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

13. Rig Veda
It was revealed to Paila Rishi and dedicated to Agni, the fire god. It is presided by the planet Guru (Jupiter).
It is divided in ten books (mandalas), made of 1028 hymns (suktas), which comprise 10,552 mantras in total. The Rig Veda originally had twenty-one… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

14. Yajur Veda
It was revealed to Vaishampayana Rishi and dedicated to Vayu, the wind god. It is presided by the planet Shukra (Venus). It is divided in 40 parts (skandas), which comprise 1975 mantras in total. It is divided in: 1) the Krishna (“Black”) Yajur Veda book (the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

15. Sama Veda
It was revealed to Jaimini Rishi and dedicated to Aditya, the sun god. It is presided over by the planet Mangal (Mars).
It is divided in:
1) Purvarcika, made of four parts (skandas), containing 585 mantras.
2) Uttararcika, made of 21 parts (skandas), containing 964… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

17. Atharva Veda
It was revealed to Sumanthu Rishi and dedicated to Aditya, the sun god. It is presided by the planet Budha (Mercury).
It comprises:
1) Purvadha (“first half”), made of various discourses.
2) Uttarardha (“second half”), comprising the critical appreciation of… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

18. Division of the Vedas - A revision
Each Veda comprises four parts:
a) The mantra-samhitas: hymns of praise to deities to attain material prosperity in this world and happiness in the next.
b) The brahmanas: manual for the performance of sacrificial rites.
c) The aranyakas:… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

19. The kalas - The 64 Books of knowledge
According to the Vamakeshvara Tantra, there are 64 books called kalas.
There are various lists of these 64 “arts”. One such list is as follows:
1. Vocal music
2. Instrumental music
3. Dance
4. Acting
5. Painting
6. Making emblems
7.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

20. The Six Vedangas (“Organs of the Vedas”) 
According to tradition, these are to be mastered before the study of the Vedas.
The Vedangas (limbs of the Vedas) are six: siksha, kalpa, vyakarana, nirukta, chhandas and jyotisha. By using the name Vedanga the human origin of these… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

21. Eighteen texts of dharma shastra
Out of 18 Dharm Shastra, 3 are most important
Manu Smriti (“The Laws of Manu”) (150 B.C.E.), meant for the satya yuga.
Yajñavalkya Smriti (“The Laws of Yajñavalkya”), meant for the treta yuga.
Parashara Smriti (“The Laws of Parashara”), meant… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

22. Puranas (Sacred Legends and History)
Often described as the “magnifying glass of the Vedas”, tradition ascribes them to Sage Vyasa. By definition, the Puranas must deal with the following five topics (Pancha-lakshana): 1) History; 2) Cosmology; 3) Secondary creation; 4)… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

23. Shad-Darshana (Six Philosophies), also known as Upa-Vedangas
Each school has developed, systematized and correlated the various parts of the Veda in its own way. Each system has its sutrakara, i.e., the one great Rishi who systematized the doctrines of the school and The six… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

24. Additional texts on yoga:

Hatha Yoga Pradipika: The first systematic exposition on the much-misunderstood science of Hatha Yoga.
Gheranda Samhita: The classic tantric text on yoga in the form of a dialogue between the sage Gheranda and an inquirer.
Shiva Samhita: A detailed… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

25. Additional Texts on Shad Darshana
Uttara (or sharirika) mimamsa: also known as Vedanta Vedanta concerns itself with the realization of the Truth, and was founded by Sage Vyasa: Vedanta Sutras by Sage Bhadrayana. 
Brahma-Sutras by Sage Vyasa: 555 aphorisms presenting the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26. Additional texts on Vedanta: the Upanishads.
The word Upanishad is derived from upa, “near;” ni, “;” and Shada, “to sit by the side [of the guru]”. It also means, “that which brings one to God’s side.”
Composed from 1450 B.C.E. onward, there are 108 authoritative Upanishads,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

27. Subhashitas - The Vedic Wisdom Tales
This category includes wise sayings, instructions, fables, and stories, either in poetry or in prose. Some of the most famous are:
Three Centuries of Verses by Bhartrihari
Subhashita-Ratna-Bhandagara, Katha-Sarit-Sagara by Somadeva Bhatta,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

28. Kavyas - The Poetry

These are highly refined compositions in verse, prose, or a combination of the two.
1. Famous works in verse
Raghuvamsa and Kumara-sambhava by Kalidasa, the greatest in his category.
Kiratarjuniya by Bharavi
Shisupalavadha by Magha
Naishadha by Sri… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

29. Nataka - The Dramas
Classical dramas in Sanskrit must embody nine moods (rasas): 1) esthetics (sringara), 2) bravery (vira), 3) compassion (karuna), 4) astonishment (adbhuta), 5) humor (hasya), 6) fear (bhayanka), 7) disgust (bibhatsa), 8) terror (raudra). It is said that… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

30. Three ways of reading Veda
Samhita-Patha –   in which Mantra remains in its true form.
Pada-Patha-   in which each word of a Mantra is separately spoken.
Krama-Patha-  in which two words of a Mantra are spoken jointly as  Ka-kha, kha-ga.

#Veda #Sanskrit #Knowledge… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

31. The eight Vikritis (ways) of memorizing Vedas. These are:
Jatapatha
Malapatha
Shikhapatha
Rekhapatha
Dhvajapatha
Dandapatha
Rathapatha
Ghanapatha

#Veda #Sanskrit #Knowledge #Literature #India #Upnishda #Bhagwatgita #Hinduism twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

32. Thank you so much for taking time out for reading and support the knowledge of Sanatan culture.
Please spread it by sharing further. We need to create awareness about the beauty and power of Sanatan knowledge and our Vedic heritage.

Blessings from Shri Krishna
Radhe Radhe

PS - If I did miss anything, please feel free to advise and add. Knowledge is like flowing water. It charts its own path unstoppably.

Radhe Radhe