literarydiscussions.myfreeforum.org

Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

Date: Sat May 17, 2003 11:25 am
Subject: Can You Name All the Scriptures?

http://www.sulekha.com/chpost.asp...ilosophy&show=0&cid=59491

Someone in a newsgroup challenged me, saying that I probably could
not even name all the scriptures of Hinduism. Of course, they are
correct. When I need such knowledge I must consult with a reference
book or a search engine such as google. My challenger was at a
distinct advantage, since HIS religion has only ONE holy book (and
a very slender book at that). In fact, there are many people in
that religion who practice until they have commited their one sacred
scripture to memory and can recite it from beginning to end. Certain
of their universities require such a memory feat as a prerequisite
for admission.

Jesus said something very wise: "A student cannot be greater than his
teacher."

I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a
messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:16

The above-mentioned holy book was dictated by one "messenger" over a
period of 26 years. His followers try to imitate him in every manner
of dress, diet, grooming, toileting, etc. I think the news events
of the past few years vividly confirm Jesus wisdom that such
followers are no greater than their teacher, attempting to achieve
their ends by violence and concerning themselves only with the carnal
aspect of material existence.
We even see crowds looting, and caches of whiskey uncovered, and
torture chambers and mass graves. Of course, the heaven of such a
religion has rivers of wine, and the hell is a torture chamber, and
the faith is spread by holy war, colonial aggression and, nowadays,
the subtle weapon of overpopulation in an attempt to gain voter
majority.

Jesus also said:

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I
do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do;
because I go to the Father. - John 14:12

For the record, it is Buddhism which holds the world record for
greatest number of religious texts. A complete edition of all known
Buddhist texts, published in Japan, is fifty very large volumes with
very small print (which I am guessing is about 3 or 4 encyclopedia
Britannicas).

I have never been good at reciting from memory things like the Ten
Commandments or the Twelve Apostles or the 50 States However, the
inability to recite from memory such lists is not an indication that
one is ignorant, anymore than is the ability to perform such
recitatations any proof that one has some useful knowledge of such
information or something profound to say about it. Somewhere in the
southern United States is a University with a motto inscribed over
its doors which states: "Half of all knowledge consists in knowing
where to look to find something" (paraphrased).

"Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know
where we can find information upon it." - Samuel Johnson

"The next best thing to knowing something is knowing where to find
it." - Anonymous

"Fifty percent of all knowledge is knowing where to find the other
fifty percent."

And let us NEVER forget that famous saying: "If you want to talk the
talk, you gotta walk the walk."

Were I to labor and study and practice, I could eventually recite all
of what follows from memory. But unless I continued daily to recite
and practice, such rote memory ability would quickly fade away.

Perhaps the greatest tragedy of modern education is the tremendous
emphasis upon the ability to memorize and perform in tests such as
the S.A.T., rather than to emphasize creative, discursive original
thinking by means of oral examinations or essay exams. Of course, it
this industrial revolution of education, this mass production effort,
it is far easier to use computers to score multiple-choice tests than
it is to subjectively evaluate a subjective performance. The best
students are considered to be those who can absorb a fast quantity of
rote learning during a caffien induced "all-nighter" and then vomit
it back the next day in a multiple-choice test, and then promptly
forget it all the next week.

============

Need For A New Law-Code

(By Swami Shivananda, The Divine Life Society, Rishikesh)

It is not possible to follow some of the laws of Manu at present
time. We can follow their spirit and not the letter. Society is
advancing. When it advances, it outgrows certain laws which were
valid and helpful at a particular stage of its growth. Many new
things which were not thought out by the old law-givers have come
into existence now. It is no use insisting people to follow now those
old laws which have become obsolete.

====================

Gita Take-Home Lessons - Page 277

http://www.geocities.com/tulsidas_ramayan/page277.htm

God views ALL BEINGS the same, none is hateful or dear (compare a
verse from a different religions scripture which says "Be thou APES,
despised!")

Although it is also true that though God is the same to all, at the
same time God is very close to His devotee. In the geometry of
Euclidean space, if point A is close to point B, then point B is
EQUALLY close to point A, but in SPIRITUAL GEOMETRY, though God is
EQUALLY close to EACH OF US, it does not necessarily follow that each
of us is equally close to God.

Your own duty or dharma, even though done imperfectly, is far better
than doing the dharma of another, however excellent it might seem to
you... (so if it seems like you are ment to enter the family
business, do your best, and dont pine away to be a movie star... and
if you are a movie star, do your best, dont pine away for the privacy
of the ordinary life, or why you cannot ever be certain if people
really "love you for yourself"....

If I am prompt in my reply, it is because I have enternalized what I
say over a period of years and it has become part of me.

I say that, not to boast, but to point out to those few who might be
interested, that this is our task, if we are to make spiritual
progress.

St. Paul speaks of people being "vessels of clay" (clay pots) in
which God places His treasures of gold.

Whatever path we choose, whatever scripture, whatever Name of God,
with form or formless, we must become the very embodiment of that
scripture, that Name, that Form. It must become as natural as our
breath and it must flow from every pour like our sweat. And when we
pass through a room, our presense and passing should leave that
fragrence of divinity.

If you read "Way of the Pilgrim" by an anonymous Russian author just
before the revolution, you will see how the poor pilgrim, with a
withered arm, who cannot work, becomes literally an embodiment of the
Jesus prayer (Prayer of the heart) which he constantly repeats, and
the Gospels and Philokalia which he constantly reads.

The first 100 pages of Doestoevsky's "Brothers karamazov" describes
that same transformation in the monk Zossima (whose real life model
was the real monk that Doestovsky met at the Optina Pust monastery,
Father Amvrosy). This is the ultimate monastic process, the ultimate
process of sanctification. Of the nine forms of devotional
excellence, Shravana, Kirtana, Smarana, padasevena, Arcana, vandana,
shakya, dasya... the final one is ATMANIVEDANA,... the sacrifice of
self, of ego, upon the alter of bhakti....

If we can achieve that,... then .... as St. Paul said "the old man
has died, but Christ lives in me."

This is the only manner in which there is a "living faith".

As Gandhi once said, "MY LIFE is my message".

=======================

http://www.hinduism.co.za/vedas-.htm

Can You List All Hindu Scriptures?

The Vedas represent the spiritual experiences of the Rishis of yore.
The Rishi is only a medium or an agent to transmit to people the
intuitional experiences which he received. The truths of the Vedas
are revelations. All the other religions of the world claim their
authority as being delivered by special messengers of God to certain
persons, but the Vedas do not owe their authority to any one. They
are themselves the authority as they are eternal, as they are the
Knowledge of the
Lord.

All the works ennumerated below constitute the entirety of Sanskrit
literature- sacred and secular. The Sruti is the root; the Smritis,
Itihasas and Puranas are the trunk; the Agamas and Darsanas are the
branches; and the Subhashitas, Kavyas, Natakas and Alankaras are the
flowers of the tree of India's Culture.

The Smritis, the Itihasas, the Puranas, the Agamas and the Darsanas
are only developments of the Veda. Their ultimate source is the Veda.
Their one common aim is to enable man to annihilate his ignorance and
attain perfection, freedom, immortality, and eternal bliss through
knowledge of God or the Eternal. Their purpose is to make man like
God and one with Him.

Hindu Scriptures Part 1

By Swami Shivananda

The Divine Life Society, Rishikesh

Sanskrit Literature

Sanskrit literature can be classified under six orthodox heads and
four secular heads. The six orthodox sections form the authoritative
scriptures of the Hindus. The four secular sections embody the latter
developments in classical Sanskrit literature.The six scriptures are:

Srutis

Smritis

Itihasas

Puranas

Agamas

Darsanas

The four secular writings are:

Subhashitas

Kavyas

Natakas

Alankaras

The Scriptures

The Srutis

The Srutis are called the Vedas, or the Amnaya. The Hindus have
received their religion through revelation, the Vedas. These are
direct intuitional revelations and are held to be Apaurusheya or
entirely superhuman, without any author in particular. The Veda is
the glorious pride of the Hindus, nay, of the whole world!

The term Veda comes from the root Vid, to know. The word Veda means
knowledge. When it is applied to scripture, it signifies a book of
knowledge. The Vedas are the foundational scriptures of the Hindus.
The Veda is the source of the other five sets of scriptures, why,
even of the secular and the materialistic. The Veda is the storehouse
of Indian wisdom and is a memorable glory which man can never forget
till eternity.

Revealed Truth Without Beginning Or End

The Vedas are the eternal truths revealed by God to the great Rishis
of India. The word Rishi means a seer, from DRIS, to see. The Rishi
is the Mantra-Drashta, a seer of Mantra or thought. The thought was
not his own. The Rishis saw the truths or heard them. Therefore, the
Vedas are what are heard (Sruti). The Rishi did not write. He did not
create it out of his mind. He was the seer of thought which existed
already. He was only the spiritual discoverer of the thought. He is
not the inventor of the Veda.

The Vedas represent the spiritual experiences of the Rishis of yore.
The Rishi is only a medium or an agent to transmit to people the
intuitional experiences which he received. The truths of the Vedas
are revelations. All the other religions of the world claim their
authority as being delivered by special messengers of God to certain
persons, but the Vedas do not owe their authority to any one. They
are themselves the authority as they are eternal, as they are the
Knowledge of the
Lord.

Lord Brahma, the Creator, imparted the divine knowledge to the Rishis
or seers. The Rishis disseminated the knowledge. The Vedic Rishis
were great realised persons (souls) who had direct intuitive
perception of Brahman or the Truth. They were inspired teachers. They
built a simple, grand and perfect system of religion and philosophy
from which the founders and
teachers of all other religions have drawn their inspiration.

The Vedas are the oldest books in the library of man. The truths
contained in all religions are derived from the Vedas and are
ultimately traceable to the Vedas. The Vedas are the fountain-head of
religion. The Vedas are the ultimate source to which all religious
knowledge can be traced. Religion is of divine origin. It was
revealed by God to man in the earliest times. It is embodied in the
Vedas.

The Vedas are eternal. They are without beginning and end. An
ignorant man may say how a book can be without beginning or end. By
the Vedas, no books are meant. Vedas came out
of the breath of the Lord. They are the words of God. The Vedas are
not the utterances of persons. They are not the composition of any
human mind. They were never written,
never created. They are eternal and impersonal. The date of the Vedas
has never been fixed. It can never be fixed. Vedas are eternal
spiritual Truths. Vedas are an embodiment of
divine knowledge. The books may be destroyed, but the knowledge
cannot be destroyed. Knowledge is eternal. In that sense, the Vedas
are eternal.

The Four Vedas And Their Sub Divisions

The Veda is divided into four great books:

The Rig-Veda

The Yajur-Veda

The Sama-Veda

The Atharva-Veda

The Yajur-Veda is again divided into two parts:

The Sukla Yajur-Veda

The Krishna Yajur-Veda.

The Krishna or the Tattiriya is the older book and the Sukla or
Vajasaneya is a later revelation to Sage Yajnavalkya from the
resplendent Sun-God.

The Rig-Veda is divided into twenty-one sections, the Yajur-Veda into
one hundred and nine sections, the Sama-Veda into one thousand
sections and Atharva-Veda into fifty sections.
In all, the whole Veda is thus divided into one thousand one hundred
and eighty recensions.

Each Veda consists of four parts:

The Mantra-Samhitas or hymns.

The Brahmanas or explanations of Mantras or rituals.

The Aranyakas (philosophical interpretations of the rituals).

The Upanishads (The essence or the knowledge portion
of the Vedas).

The division of the Vedas into four parts is to suit the four stages
in a man's life.

The Mantra-Samhitas are hymns in praise of the Vedic God for
attaining material prosperity here and happiness hereafter.

They are metrical poems comprising prayers, hymns and incantations
addressed to various deities, both subjective and objective. The
Mantra portion of the Vedas is useful for the
Brahmacharins (celibate; one who belongs to the first of the four
Asramas or orders of life; one who lives in purity and studies the
Veda; the first 25 years of life).

The Brahmana portions guide people to perform sacrificial rites.
They are prose explanations of the method of using the Mantras in the
Yajna or the sacrifice. The Brahmana portion is suitable
for the householder (Grihastha; one who belongs to the second of the
four Asramas or orders of life; from 25 to 50 years of age).

The Aranyakas are the forest books, the mystical sylvan texts which
give philosophical interpretations of the Rituals. The Aranyakas are
intended for the Vanaprasthas or hermits who
prepare themselves for taking Sannyasa. (Vanaprastha = one who leads
the third stage of life; from 50 to 75 years of age).

The Upanishads are the most important portion of the Vedas. The
Upanishads contain the essence or the knowledge portion of the Vedas.
The philosophy of the Upanishads is sublime,
profound, lofty an soul-stirring. The Upanishads speak of the
identity of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. They reveal the
most subtle and deep spiritual truths. The Upanishads
are useful for the Sannyasins. (Sannyasi or Sannyasin = a monk; one
who has embraced the life of complete renunciation ; one belonging to
the fourth or the highest stage of life; from 75 to 1
00 years of age).

[Note: Although the division of the Vedas into four parts is to suit
the four stages in a man's life, the study of the four Vedas is done
by Brahmacharins or celibate students and the knowledge thus acquired
serves as the basis of the goal of life through all the four stages
of life. The studies of the Vedas continue throughout one's life.
(Refer also to Dharma, Artha, Kama & Moksha). Thus the knowledge of
the Upanishads is not to be confined to the last stage of life. The
mind of the Sannyasin is intensely focussed upon the teachings of the
Upanishads.]

The subject matter of the whole Veda is divided into

Karma-Kanda

Upasana-Kanda

Jnana-Kanda.

The Karma-Kanda or Ritualistic Section deals with various sacrifices
and rituals.

The Upasana-Kanda or Worship-Section deals with various kinds of
worship or meditation.

The Jana-Kanda or Knowledge-Section deals with the highest knowledge
of Nirguna Brahman. (Nirguna = without attributes or forms. Brahman =
the Supreme Reality).

The Mantras and the Brahmanas constitute Karma-Kanda (rituals).

The Aranyakas constitute Upasana-Kanda (worship).

The Upanishads constitute Jnana-Kanda (knowledge).

The Mantra Samhitas

The Rig-Veda Samhita is the grandest book of the Hindus, the oldest
and the best. It is the great Indian scripture, which no Hindu would
forget to adore from the core of his heart. Its style, the language
and the tone are most beautiful and mysterious.

Its immortal Mantras embody the greatest truths of existence, and it
is perhaps the greatest treasure in all the scriptural literature of
the world. Its priest is called the Hotri.

The Yajur-Veda Samhita is mostly in prose and is meant to be used by
the Adhvaryu, the Yajur-Vedic priest, for superfluous explanations of
the rites in sacrifices, supplementing the
Rig-Vedic Mantras.

The Sama-Veda Samhita is mostly borrowed from the Rig-Vedic Samhita,
and is meant to be sung by the Udgatri, the Sama- Vedic priest, in
sacrifice.

The Atharva-Veda Samhita is meant to be used by the Brahma, the
Atharva-Vedic priest, to correct the mispronunciations and wrong
performances that may accidentally be committed
by the other three priests of the sacrifice.

The Brahmanas and The Aranyakas

There are two Brahmanas to the Rig-Veda:

The Aitareya

The Sankhayana

The Satapatha Brahmana belongs to the Sukla Yajur-Veda.

The Krishna Yajur-Veda has the Taittiriya and the Maitrayana
Brahmanas.

The Tandya or Panchavimsa, the Shadvimsa, the Chhandogya, the
Adbhuta, the Arsheya and the Upanishad Brahmanas belong to the Sama-
Veda.

The Brahmana of the Atharva-Veda is called the Gopatha.

Each of the Brahmana has got an Aranyaka.

The Upanishads

The Upanishads are the concluding portions of the Vedas or the end of
the Vedas. The teaching based on them is called Vedanta. The
Upanishads are the gist and the goal of the Vedas. They form the very
foundation of Hinduism.

There are as many Upanishads to each Veda as there are Sakhas,
branches or recensions, i.e., 21, 109, 1000 and 50 respectively to
the four Vedas (The Rig-Veda, The Yajur-Veda, The Sama-Veda and the
Atharva-Veda).

The different philosophers of India belonging to different schools
such as Monism, Qualified Monism, Dualism, Pure Monism, Difference-
cum non-difference, etc., have acknowledged the supreme authority of
the Upanishads. They have given their own interpretations, but they
have
obeyed the authority. They have built their philosophy on the
foundation of the Upanishads.

Even the Western scholars have paid their tribute to the seers of the
Upanishads. At a time when Westerners were clad in barks and were
sunk in deep ignorance, the Upanishadic
seers were enjoying the eternal bliss of the Absolute (God), and had
the highest culture and civilisation.

The most important Upanishads are :

Isa, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Aitareya, Taittiriya,
Chhandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Kaushitaki, and Svetasvatara and
Maitrayani. These are supremely authoritative.

May the fundamental truths of the Vedas be revealed unto you all,
like the Amalaka fruit in the palm of your hand. May Gayatri, the
blessed Mother of the Vedas, impart to you the milk of
Knowledge, the ancient wisdom of the Upanishads.

The Upa-Vedas

There are four Upa-Vedas or subsidiary Vedas:

The Ayurveda (science of life and health)
The Dhanurveda (science of war)
The Gandharva Veda (science of music)
The Arthasastra (science of polity)

The Vedangas

There are six Angas or explanatory limbs, to the Vedas:

The Siksha of Maharshi Panini (Phonetics)
Vyakarana of Maharshi Panini (Sanskrit Grammar)
The Chhandas of Pingalacharya (Prosody metre)
The Nirukta of Yaska (Philosophy or etymology)
The Jyotisha of Garga (Astronomy and astrology)
The Kalpas (Srauta, Grihya, Dharma and Sulba)
belonging to the authorship of various Rishis.

Siksha is the knowledge of phonetics. Siksha deals with pronunciation
and accent. The text of the Vedas is arranged in various forms or
Pathas. The Pada-patha gives each word its separate form. The Krama-
patha connects the word in pairs.

Vyakarana is Sanskrit Grammar. Panini's books are most famous.
Without knowledge of Vyakarana, you cannot understand the Vedas.

Chhandas is metre dealing with prosody.

Nirukta is philosophy or etymology.

Jyotisha is astronomy and astrology. It deals with the movements of
the heavenly bodies, planets, etc., and their influence on human
affairs.

Kalpa is the method or ritual. The Srauta Sutras which explain the
ritual of sacrifices belong to Kalpa. The Sulba, which treat of the
measurements which are necessary for laying out the sacrificial area,
also belong to Kalpa. The Grihya Sutras which concern domestic life,
and the Dharma Sutras which deal with ethics, customs and laws, also
belong to Kalpa.

The Pratishakhyas, Padapathas, Kramapathas, Upalekhas, Anukramanis,
Daivatsamhitas, Parisishtas, Prayogas, Paddhatis, Karikas, Khilas,
and Vyuhas are further elaborations in the rituals of the Kalpa
Sutras.

Among the Kalpa Sutras, the Asvalayana, Sankhayana and the Sambhavya
belong to the Rig-Veda. The Mashaka, Latyayana, Drahyayana, Gobhila
and Khadira belong to the Sama-Veda. The Katyayana and Paraskara
belong to the Sukla Yajur Veda. The Apastamba, Hiranyakesi,
Bodhayana, Bharadvaja, Manava, Vaikhanasa and the Kathaka belong to
the Krishna Yajur-Veda. The Vaitana and the Kaushika belong to the
Atharva-Veda.

The Smritis

Next in importance to the Sruti are the Smritis or secondary
scriptures. These are the ancient sacred law-codes of the Hindus
dealing with the Sanatana-Varnasrama-Dharma. They supplement and
explain the ritualistic injunctions called Vidhis in the Vedas. The
Smriti or Dharma Sastra is founded on the Sruti. The Smritis are
based on the teachings of the Vedas. The Smriti stands next in
authority to the Sruti (Vedas). It explains and develops Dharma. It
lays down the laws which regulate Hindu national, social, family and
individual obligations.

The works that are expressly called Smritis are the law books, Dharma
Sastras. Smriti, in a broader sense, covers all Hindu Sastras
(scriptures) save the Vedas.

The laws for regulating Hindu society from time to time are codified
in the Smritis. The Smritis have laid down definite rules and laws to
guide the individuals and communities in their daily conduct and to
regulate their manners and customs. The Smritis have given detailed
instructions, according to the conditions of the time, to all classes
of men regarding their duties in life.

The Hindu learns how he has to spend his whole life from these
Smritis. The duties of Varnasramas (the four stages of life) are
clearly given in these books. The Smritis describe certain acts and
prohibit some others for a Hindu, according to his birth and stage of
life. The object of the Smritis is to purify the heart of man and
take him gradually to the supreme abode of immortality and make him
perfect and free.

These Smritis have varied from time to time. The injunctions and
prohibitions of the Smritis are related to the particular social
surroundings. As these surroundings and essential conditions of the
Hindu society changed from time to time, new Smritis had to be
compiled by the sages of different ages and different parts of India.

The Celebrated Hindu Law-Givers

From time to time, a great lawgiver would take his birth. He would
codify the existing laws and remove those that had become obsolete.
He would make some alterations, adaptations, readjustments, additions
and subtractions, to suit the needs of the time and see that the way
of living of the people would be in accordance with the teachings of
the Veda. Of such law-givers, Manu, Yajnavalkya and Parasara are the
most celebrated persons. Hindu society is founded on, and governed
by, the laws made by these three great sages. The Smritis are named
after them. We have Manu Smriti or Manava Dharma-Sastra (Laws of Manu
or the Institutes of Manu), Yajnavalkya Smriti and Parsara Smriti.
Manu is the greatest law-giver of the race. He is the oldest lawgiver
as well. The Yajnavalkya Smriti follows the same general lines as the
Manu Smriti and is next in importance to it. Manu Smriti and
Yajnavalkya Smriti are universally accepted at the present time as
authoritative works all over India. Yajnavalkya Smriti is chiefly
consulted in all matters of Hindu Law. Even the present day
Government of India is applying some of these laws.

There are eighteen main Smritis or Dharma Sastras. The most important
are those of Manu, Yajnavalkya and Parasara. The other fifteen are
those of Vishnu, Daksha, Samvarta, Vyasa, Harita, Satatapa,
Vasishtha, Yama, Apastamba, Gautama, Devala, Sankha-Likhita, Usana,
Atri and Saunaka.

The Laws of Manu are intended for the Satya Yuga; those of
Yajnavalkya are for the Treta Yuga; those of Sankha and Likhita are
for the Dvapara Yuga; and those of Parasara are for the Kali Yuga.

The laws and rules which are based entirely upon our social
positions, time and clime, must change with the changes in society
and changing conditions of time and clime. Then only the progress of
the Hindu society can be ensured.

Need For A New Law-Code

(By Swami Shivananda, The Divine Life Society, Rishikesh)

It is not possible to follow some of the laws of Manu at present
time. We can follow their spirit and not the letter. Society is
advancing. When it advances, it outgrows certain laws which were
valid and helpful at a particular stage of its growth. Many new
things which were not thought out by the old law-givers have come
into existence now. It is no use insisting people to follow now those
old laws which have become obsolete.

Our present day society has changed considerably. A new Smriti to
suit the requirements of this age is very necessary. Another sage
will place before the Hindus of our days a new suitable code of laws.
Time is ripe for a new Smriti. Cordial greetings to this age.

The Inner Voice Of Dharma

He who is endowed with a pure heart through protracted Tapas
(austerity), Japa, Kirtana, meditation and service of Guru and who
has a very clear conscience, can be guided by the inner voice in
matters of Dharma or duty or moral action. The inner voice that
proceeds from a clean heart filled with Sattva is, indeed, the voice
of God or Soul or Antaryamin or Inner Ruler. This voice is more than
Smriti. It is Smriti of Smritis. Purify your heart and train yourself
to hear this inner voice. Keep your ear in tune with the `voice'.

The Sruti And The Smriti

The Sruti and the Smriti are the two authoritative sources of
Hinduism. Sruti literally means what is heard, and Smriti means what
is remembered. Sruti is revelation and Smriti is tradition. Upanishad
is a Sruti. Bhagavad-Gita is a Smriti. (Bhagavad-Gita forms part of
The Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva, Sections XIII - XLII (also known as
Bhagavad-Gita Parva).
Sruti is direct experience. Great Rishis heard the eternal truths of
religion and left a record of them for the benefit of posterity.
These records constitute the Vedas. Hence, Sruti is primary
authority. Smriti is a recollection of that experience. Hence, it is
secondary authority. The Smritis or Dharma Sastras also are books
written by sages, but they are not the final authority. If there is
anything in a Smriti which contradicts the Sruti, the Smriti is to be
rejected.

The Itihasas (history)

The Friendly Treatises And the Commanding Treatises

There are four books under this heading:
The Valmiki-Ramayana
The Yogavasishtha
The Mahabharata
The Harivamsa

These embody all that is in the Vedas, but only in a simpler manner.
These are called the Suhrit-Samhitas or the Friendly Treatises, while
the Vedas are called the Prabhu-Samhitas or the Commanding Treatises
with great authority. These works explain the great universal truths
in the form of historical narratives, stories and dialogues. These
are very interesting volumes and are liked by all, from the
inquisitive child to the intellectual scholar.

The Itihasas give us beautiful stories of absorbing interest and
importance, through which all the fundamental teachings of Hinduism
are indelibly impressed on one's mind. The laws of Smritis and the
principles of the Vedas are stamped firmly on the minds of the Hindus
through the noble and marvelous deeds of their great national heroes.
We get a clear idea of Hinduism from these sublime stories.

The common man cannot comprehend the high abstract philosophy of the
Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras. Hence, the compassionate sages
Valmiki and Vyasa wrote the Itihasas for the benefit of common
people. The same philosophy is presented with analogies and parables
in a tasteful form to the common run of mankind.

The well known Itihasas (histories) are the epics (Mahakavyas),
Ramayana and Mahabharata. They are two very popular and useful
Sastras of the Hindus. The Ramayana was written by the Sage Valmiki,
and the Mahabharata by Sage Vyasa.

The Ramayana

The Ramayana, the Adi-Kavya or the first epic poem, relates the story
of Sri Rama. The ideal man. It is the history of the family of the
Solar race descended from Ikshvaku, in which was born Sri
Ramachandra, the Avatara of Lord Vishnu, and his three brothers. The
ideal characters like Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata and Sri Hanuman
that we find in Ramayana firmly established Hindu Dharma in our
minds. The story of the birth of Rama and his brothers, their
education and marriages, the exile of Sri Rama, the carrying off and
recovery of Sita, his wife, the destruction of Ravana, the Rakshasa
King of Lanka, and the reign of Sri Rama, are described in detail in
Ramayana. How a man should behave towards his superiors, equals, and
inferiors, how a king ought to rule his kingdom, how a man should
lead his life in this world, how he can obtain his release, freedom,
and perfection, may be learnt from this excellent epic. The Ramayana
gives a vivid picture of Indian life. Even today our domestic,
social, and national ideals are copied from the noble characters in
the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The great national heroes stand
even today as beacon-lights to guide and inspire the people of the
whole world. The lives of Rama, Bharata and Lakshmana provide a model
of fraternal affection and mutual service. Sri Hanuman stands as an
ideal unique Karma Yogi. The life of Sita is regarded as the most
perfect example of womanly fidelity, chastity and sweetness. The
Ramayana is written in twenty-four thousand verses, by Sage Valmiki.

The Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is the history of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. It
gives a description of the great war, the Battle of Kurukshetra,
which broke out between the Kauravas and the Pandavas who were
cousins and descendants of the Lunar race. The Mahabharata is an
encyclopedia of Hindu Dharma. It is rightly called the fifth Veda.
There is really no theme in religion, philosophy, mysticism and
polity which this great epic does not touch and expound. It contains
very noble moral teachings, useful lessons of all kinds, many
beautiful stories and episodes, discourses, sermons, parables and
dialogues which set forth the principles of morals and metaphysics.
The Pandavas obtained victory through the grace of Lord Krishna. The
Mahabharata is written in one hundred thousand verses by Sage Krishna-
Dwaipayana Vyasa

The Bhagavad-Gita

The most important part of the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad-Gita. It
is a marvelous dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna on the
battlefield, before the commencement of the great war. Bhagavan Sri
Krishna became the charioteer of Arjuna. Sri krishna explained the
essentials of Hindu religion to Arjuna. Just as the Upanishads
contain the cream of the Vedas, so does the Gita contain the cream of
the Upanishads. The Upanishads are the cows. Lord Krishna is the
cowherd. Arjuna is the calf. The Gita is the milk. The wise men are
those who drink the milk of Gita.

The Gita is the most precious jewel of Hindu literature. It is a
universal gospel. The Gita teaches the Yoga of Synthesis. It ranks
high in the religious literature of the world.
Arjuna saw before him his dear relatives and teachers in the
battlefield. He fainted and refused to fight against them. Then Lord
Krishna imparted knowledge of the Self to Arjuna and convinced him
that it was his duty to fight regardless of the consequences.
Afterwards Arjuna gave up his Moha, or delusion. All his doubts were
cleared. He fought against the Kauravas and achieved victory.

The Puranas

The Puranas are of the same class as the Itihasas. They have five
characteristics (Panch-Lakshana):

History

Cosmology ( with various symbolical illustrations of philosophical
principles)

Secondary creation

Genealogy of kings

Manavantaras

All the Puranas belong to the class of Suhrit-Samhitas.

Vyasa is the compiler of the Puranas from age to age; and for this
age, he is Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, the son of Parsara.

The Puranas were written to popularise the religion of the Vedas.
They contain the essence of the Vedas. The aim of the Puranas is to
impress on the minds of the masses the teachings of the Vedas and to
generate in them devotion to God, through concrete examples, myths,
stories, legends, lives of saints, kings and great men, allegories
and chronicles of great historical events. The sages made use of
these things to illustrate the eternal principles of religion. The
Puranas were meant, not for the scholars, but for the ordinary people
who could not understand high philosophy and who could not study the
Vedas.

The Darsanas are very stiff. They are meant only for the learned few.
The Puranas are meant for the masses with inferior intellect.
Religion is taught in a very easy and interesting way through these
Puranas. Even to this day, the Puranas are popular. The Puranas
contain the history of remote times. They also give a description of
the regions of the universe not visible to the ordinary physical eye.
They are very interesting to read and are full of information of all
kinds. Children hear the stories from their grandmothers, Pandits and
Purohits (priests) hold Kathas in temples, on banks of rivers and in
other important places. Agriculturalists, labourers and bazaar people
(common masses) hear the stories.

The Eighteen Puranas

There are eighteen main Puranas and an equal number of subsidiary
Puranas or Upa-Puranas. The main Puranas are:

Vishnu Purana, 2.Naradiya Purana, 3.Srimad Bhagavata Purana,

4.Garuda (Suparna) Purana, 5.Padma Purana, 6.Varah Purana, 7.Brahma
Purana,
8.Brahmanda Purana, 9.Brahma Vaivarta Purana, 10.Markandeya Purana,
11.Bhavishya Purana, 12.Vamana Purana, 13.Matsya Purana, 14.Kurma
Purana,
15.Linga Purana, 16.Siva Purana, 17.Skanda Purana and 18.Agni Purana.
Of these, six are Sattvic Puranas and glorify Vishnu; Six are Rajasic
Puranas and glorify Brahma; six are Tamasic Puranas and glorify Siva.

Neophytes or beginners in the spiritual path are puzzled when they go
through Siva Purana and Vishnu Purana. In Siva Purana, Lord Siva is
highly eulogised and an inferior position is given to Lord Vishnu.
Sometimes Vishnu is belittled. In Vishnu Purana, Lord Hari (Vishnu)
is highly eulogised and the inferior status is given to Lord Siva.
Sometimes Lord Siva is belittled. This is only to increase the faith
of the devotees in their particular Ishta-Devata (favourite or
tutelary deity). Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu are one.

The best among the Puranas are the Srimad Bhagavata and the Vishnu
Purana. The most popular is the Srimad Bhagavata Purana. Next comes
Vishnu Purana. A portion of the Markandeya Purana is well known to
all Hindus as Chandi, or Devimahatmya. Worship of God as the Divine
Mother is its theme. Chandi is read widely by the Hindus on sacred
days and Navaratri (Durga Puja) days.

Srimad Bhagavata Purana and the Ten Avataras

The Srimad Bhagavad Purana is a chronicle of the various Avataras of
Lord Vishnu. There are ten Avataras of Vishnu. The aim of every
Avatara is to save the world from some great danger, to destroy the
wicked and protect the virtuous. The ten Avataras are: Matsya (the
Fish), Kurma (the Tortoise), Varaha (the Boar), Narasimha (the Man-
Lion), Vamana (the Dwarf), Parsurama (Rama with the axe, the
destroyer of the Kshatriya race), Ramachandra (the hero of Ramayana,
the son of King Dasharatha; Sri Rama who destroyed Ravana), Sri
Krishna (the teacher of the Bhagavad Gita), Buddha (the prince-
ascetic and the founder of Buddhism), and Kalki (the hero riding on a
white horse, who is still to come at the end of the Kali-Yuga).

The object of the Matsya (Fish) Avatara was to save Vaivasvata Manu
from destruction by a deluge.

The object of Kurma (Tortoise) Avatara was to enable the world to
recover some precious things that were lost in the deluge. The Kurma
gave its back for keeping (supporting) the churning rod when the gods
and the Asuras (demons) churned the ocean of milk.

The purpose of Varaha Avatara was to rescue from the waters, the
earth which had been dragged down by a demon named Hiranyaksha.

The purpose of Narasimha Avatara, half lion and half man, was to free
the world from the oppression of Hiranyakasipu, a demon, the father
of Bhakta Prahlada.

The object of Vamana Avatara was to restore the power of the gods
which had been eclipsed by the penance and devotion of King Bali.

The object of Parasurama Avatara was to deliver the country from the
oppression of the
Kshatriya rulers. Parasurama destroyed the Kshatriya race twenty-one
times.

The object of Rama Avatara was to destroy the wicked Ravana.

The object of Sri Krishna Avatara was to destroy Kamsa and other
demons, to deliver His wonderful message of the Gita in the
Mahabharata war, and to become the centre of the Bhakti Schools of
India.

The object of Buddha Avatara was to prohibit animal sacrifices and
teach piety.

The object of the Kalki Avatara is the destruction of the wicked and
the re-establishment of virtue.

The Tamil Puranas

Lord Siva incarnated Himself in the form of Dakshinamurti to impart
knowledge to the four Kumaras. He took human form to initiate
Sambandhar, Manikkavasagar and Pattinathar. He appeared in flesh and
blood to help his devotees and relieve their sufferings. The divine
Lilas (sports) of Lord Siva are recorded in the Tamil Puranas like
Siva Purana, Periya Purana, Siva Parakramam and Tiruvilayadal Purana.

The Upa-Puranas

The eighteen Upa-Puranas are: SanatKumara, Narasimha, Brihannaradiya,
Sivarahasya, Durvasa, Kapila, Vamana, Bhargava, Varuna, Kalika,
Samba, Nandi, Surya, Parasara, Vasishtha, Devi-Bhagavata, Ganesa and
Hamsa.

Utility of the Puranas

Study of the Puranas, listening to sacred recitals of scriptures,
describing and expounding of the transcendent Lilas (divine sports)
of the Blessed Lord - these form an important part of Sadhana
(spiritual practice) of the Lord's devotee. It is most pleasing to
the Lord. Sravana (hearing of the Srutis or scriptures) is a part of
Navavidha-Bhakti (nine modes of devotion). Kathas (narrative or
story) and Upanyasas open the springs of devotion in the hearts of
hearers and develop Prema-Bhakti (divine love for God) which confers
immortality on the Jiva (individual soul).

[Note: The nine modes of devotion are: Hearing His (God's) names and
glories, singing them, remembering the Lord, worship (service) of His
Feet, adoration with flowers, prostrations, regarding oneself as His
servant, as His friend, and total self-surrender.]

The language of the Vedas is archaic, and the subtle philosophy of
the Vedanta and the Upanishads is difficult to grasp and assimilate.
Hence, the Puranas are of special value as they present philosophical
truths and precious teachings in an easier manner. They give ready
access to the mysteries of life and the key to bliss. Imbibe their
teachings. Start a new life of Dharma-Nishtha and Adhyatmic Sadhana
from this very day.

[Note; Dharma-Nishtha = steadfastness or establishment in Dharma.
Adhyatmic (pertaining to the Inner Self) Sadhana (spiritual
practice)]

The Agamas

Another class of popular scriptures are the Agamas. The Agamas are
theological treatises and practical manuals of divine worship. The
Agamas include the Tantras, Mantras and Yantras. These are treatises
explaining the external worship of God, in idols, temples etc. All
the Agamas treat of :

Jnana or Knowledge
Yoga or Concentration
Kriya or Esoteric Ritual
Charya or Exoteric Worship

They also give elaborate details about entology and cosmology,
liberation, devotion, meditation, philosophy of Mantras, mystic
diagrams, charms and spells, temple-building, image-making, domestic
observances, social rules, public festivals etc.

The Agamas are divided into three sections:

The Vaishnava
The Saiva
The Sakta

The chief sects of Hinduism, viz., Vaishnavism, Saivism and Saktism,
base their doctrines and dogmas on their respective Agamas.

The Vaishnava Agamas or Pancharatra Agamas glorify God as Vishnu.

The Saiva Agamas glorify God as Siva and have given rise to an
important school of philosophy known as Saiva-Siddhanta, which
prevails in South India, particularly in the districts of Tirunelveli
and Madurai.

The Sakta Agamas or Tantras glorify God as the Mother of the
Universe, under one of the many names of Devi (Goddess).

The Agamas do not derive their authority from the Vedas, but are not
antagonistic to them. They are all Vedic in spirit and character.
That is the reason why they are regarded as authoritative.

The Vaishnava Agamas

The Vaishnava Agamas are of four kinds:

The Vaikhanasa

Pancharatra

Pratishthasara

Vijnana-lalita

The Brahma, Saiva, Kaumara, Vasishtha, Kapila, Gautamiya and Naradiya
are the seven groups of the Pancharatras. The Naradiya section of the
Santi Parva of the Mahabharata is the earliest source of information
about the Pancharatras.

Vishnu is the Supreme Lord in the Pancharatra Agamas. The Vaishnavas
regard the Pancharatra Agamas to be the most authoritative. They
believe that these Agamas were revealed by Lord Vishnu Himself.
Narada-Pancharatra says: "Everything from Brahma to a blade of grass
is Lord Krishna". This corresponds to the Upanishadic declaration:
"All this is, verily, Brahman-Sarvam, Khalvidam Brahma".

The following extract is from The Mahabharata, Santi Parva

Section CCCXL

Bhishma continued: Narada also, endued with great energy, having
obtained the high favour that he had solicited, then proceeded with
great speed to the retreat called Vadari, for beholding Nara and
Narayana. This great Upanishad, perfectly consistent with the four
Vedas, in harmony with Sankhya-Yoga, and called by him by the name of
Pancharatra scriptures, and recited by Narayana Himself with His own
mouth, was repeated by Narada in the presence of many listeners in
the abode of Brahma (his sire) in exactly the same way in which
Narayana (while that great God had showed Himself unto him) had
recited it, and in which he had heard it from his own lips.

____________________________________

There are two hundred and fifteen of these Vaishnava texts. Isvara,
Ahirbudhnya, Paushkara, Parama, Sattvata, Brihad-Brahma and
Jnanamritasara Samhitas are the important ones.

The Saiva Agamas

The Saivas recognise twenty-eight Agamas, of which the chief is
Kamika. The Agamas are also the basis of Kashmir Saivism which is
called the Pratyabhijna system. The latter works of Pratyabhijna
system show a distinct leaning to Advaitism (non-dualistic
philosophy). The Southern Saivism, i.e., Saiva Siddhanta, and the
Kashmir Saivism, regard these Agamas as their authority, besides the
Vedas. Each Agama has Upa-Agamas (subsidiary Agamas). Of these, only
fragmentary texts of twenty are extant. Lord Siva is the central God
in the Saiva Agamas. They are suitable to this age, Kali Yuga. They
are open to all castes and both the sexes.

The Sakta Agamas

There is another group of scriptures known as the Tantras. They
belong to the Sakta cult. They glorify Sakti as the World-Mother.
They dwell on the Sakti (energy) aspect of God and prescribe numerous
courses of ritualistic worship of the Divine Mother in various forms.
There are seventy-seven Agamas. These are very much like the Puranas
in some respects. The texts are usually in the form of dialogues
between Siva and Parvati. In some of these, Siva answers the
questions put by Parvati, and in others, Parvati answers, Siva
questioning.
Mahanirvana, Kularnava, Kulasara, Prapanchasara, Tantraraja, Rudra-
Yamala, Brahma-Yamala, Vishnu-Yamala and Todala Tantra are the
important works. The Agamas teach several occult practices some of
which confer powers, while the others bestow knowledge and freedom.
Sakti is the creative power of Lord Siva. Saktism is really a
supplement to Saivism.
Among the existing books on the Agamas, the most famous are the
Isvara-Samhita, Ahirbudhnya-Samhita, Sanatkumara-Samhita, Narada-
Pancharatra, Spanda-Pradipika and the Mahanirvana-Tantra.

The Six Darsanas

These are the intellectual section of the Hindu writings, while the
first four are intuitional. And the fifth inspirational and
emotional. Darsanas are schools of philosophy based on the Vedas. The
Agamas are theological. The Darsana literature is philosophical. The
Darsanas are meant for the erudite scholars who are endowed with
acute acumen, good understanding, power of reasoning and subtle
intellect. The Itihasa, Puranas and Agamas are meant for the masses.
The Darsanas appeal to the intellect, while the Itihasas, Puranas,
etc., appeal to the heart.

Philosophy has six divisions (Shad-darsana). The six Darsanas or ways
of seeing things, are usually called the six systems or six different
schools of thought. The six schools of philosophy are the six
instruments of true teaching or the six demonstrations of Truth. 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 put
them in short aphorisms or Sutras

The Sutras are terse and laconic. The Rishis have condensed their
thoughts in the aphorisms. It is very difficult to understand them
without the help of commentaries by great sages or Rishis. Hence,
there arose many commentators or Bhashyakaras. There are glosses,
notes and, later, commentaries on the original commentaries.

The Shad-Darsana (the six schools of philosophy) or the Shat-Sastras
are:

The Nyaya founded by Gautama Rishi

The Vaiseshika by Kanada Rishi

The Sankhya by Kapila Muni

The Yoga by Patanjali Maharshi

The Purva Mimamsa by Jaimini

The Uttara Mimamsa or Vedanta by Badarayana or Vyasa

The Darsanas are grouped into three pairs of aphoristic compositions
which explain the philosophy of the Vedas in a rationalistic method
of approach. They are:

The Nyaya and the Vaiseshika

The Sankhya and the Yoga

The Mimamsa and the Vedanta

Each set of Sutras has got its Bhashya, Vritti, Varttika, Vyakhyana
or Tika and Tippani.

Sutra

A Sutra or an aphorism is a short formula with the least possible
number of letters, without any ambiguity or doubtful assertion,
containing the very essence, embracing all meaning, without any stop
or obstruction and absolutely faultless in nature.

The Sutrakara or the composer of the aphorisms is said to be as happy
as one would be while getting the first male child, if he is but able
to reduce one letter in his abstruse Sutra of far-fetched words and
ideas. The best example of the greatest, the tersest and the most
perfect of Sutra literature is the series of aphorisms called the
Ashtadhyayi composed by Panini. Panini is the father of all
Sutrakaras from whom all others seem to have borrowed the method of
composition. The Sutras are meant to explain a big volume of
knowledge in short assertions suitable to be kept in memory at all
times. The six Vedangas and the six systems of Hindu philosophy form
the twelve sets of Sutra literature of the world. In addition to
these, there are later compositions like the Narada-Bhakti Sutras,
the Sandilya-Bhakti Sutras, etc., which also wish to assume an equal
form with the famous Sutras mentioned above.

Bhashya

A Bhashya is an elaborate exposition, a commentary on the Sutras,
with word by word meaning of the aphoristic precepts, their running
translation, together with the individual views of the commentator or
the Bhashyakara. The best and the exemplary Bhashya in Sanskrit
literature is the one written by Patanjali on the Vyakarana (grammar)
Sutras of Panini. This Bhashya is so very famous and important that
it is called the Mahabhashya and its celebrated author is specially
called the Bhashyakara. Patanjali is the father of Bhashyakaras. The
next important Bhashya is the one on the Mimamsa Sutras written by
Sabara-Swami who learnt the art from Patanjali's commentary. The
third important Bhashya was written by Sankara on the Brahma Sutras,
in close following with the Sabara-Bhashya. The Bhashyas on the six
sets of aphorisms dealing with Indian philosophy were written by
Vatsyayana, Prasastapada, Vijnanabhikshu, Vyasa, Sabara and Sankara.
On the Vedanta or Brahma Sutras, there are about sixteen Bhashyas,
like those of Ramanuja, Madhava, Vallabha, Nimbarka, etc.

Vritti

A Vritti is a short gloss explaining the aphorisms in a more
elaborate way, but not as extensively as a Bhashya. An example is
Bodhayana's Vritti on the Brahma Sutras.

Varttika

A Varttika is a work where a critical study is made of that which is
said and left unsaid or imperfectly said in a Bhashya, and the ways
of making it perfect by supplying the omissions therein, are given.
Examples are the Varttikas of Katyayana on Panini's Sutras, of
Suresvara on Sankara's Upanishad-Bhashyas, and of Kumarila Bhatta on
the Sabara-Bhashya on the Karma-Mimamsa.

Vyakhyana or Tika

A Vyakhyana is a running explanation in an easier language of what is
said in the original, with little elucidations here and there. A
Vyakhyana, particularly of a Kavya (poetry and prose), deals with
eight different modes of dissection of the Sloka, like Pada-Chheda,
Vigraha, Sandhi, Alankara, Anuvada, etc. This forms an important
aspect in the study of Sanskrit Sahitya Sastra (science of Sanskrit
literature). An Anu-Vyakhyana- like the one written by Sri Madhava-
is a repetition of what is already written, but in greater detail. An
Anuvada is merely a running translation or statement of an abstruse
text of the original. Tika is only another name for Vyakhyana. The
best Vyakhyanas are of Vachaspati Misra on the Darsanas, especially
on Sankara's Brahmasutra-Bhashya.

Tippani

Tippani is just like a Vritti, but is less orthodox than the Vritti.
It is an explanation of difficult words or phrases occurring in the
original. Examples are Kaiyata's gloss on the Mahabhashya of
Patanjali, Nagojibhatta's gloss on Kaiyata's gloss, or Appayya's
gloss on Amalananda's gloss on the Bhamati of Vachaspati Misra.

Other Scriptures

The Tevaram and the Tiruvachakam which are the hymns of the Saiva
saints of South India, the Divya-Prabandham of the Alvar saints of
South India, the songs of Sant Kabir, the Abhangas of Sant Tukaram
and the Ramayana of Sant Tulasidas- all of which are the outpourings
of great realised souls- are wonderful scriptures. They contain the
essence of the Vedas.

The Secular Writings

The Subhashitas

The Subhashitas are wise sayings, instructions and stories, either in
poetry or in prose. Examples are Bhartrihari's three centuries of
verses, the Subhashita-Ratna-Bhandagara and Somadeva Bhatta's Katha-
Sarit-Sagara or Kshemendra's Brihat-Katha-Manjari. The Pachatantra
and the Hitopadesa also belong to this category.

The Kavyas

These are highly scholarly compositions in poetry, prose or both. The
greatest of poetical Kavyas are those of Kalidas (The Raghuvamsa and
Kumara-sambhava), Bharavi (The Kiratarjuniya), Magha (The
Sisupalavadha), and Sri Harsha (The Naishadha). The best prose Kavyas
in the whole of Sanskrit literature were written by Bhattabana (The
Kadambari and Harshacharita), the great genius in classical Sanskrit.
Among those containing both poetry and prose, the Champu-Ramayana and
the Champu-Bharata are most famous. These are all wonderful
masterpieces which will ever remain to glorify India's literary
calibre.

The Natakas (dramas)

These are marvelously scholastic dramas embodying the Rasas
(expressions, mostly facial) of Sringara (decorate or beautify), Vira
(brave), Karuna (compassion), Adbhuta (astonishment), Hasya (laugh),
Bhayanka (fearsome), Bibhatsa (disgusting or loathsome) and Raudra
(terrible). It is told that none can write on the ninth Rasa, viz.,
Santi (peaceful). It is attainable only on final Liberation. The best
dramas are written by Kalidasa (Sakuntala), Bhavabhuti (Uttara-Rama-
Charita), and Visakhadatta (Mudrarakshasa).

The Alankaras

These are grand rhetorical texts, treating of the science of
perfection and beauty of ornamental language and of effective
composition with elegance and force, both in poetry and in prose.
These are the fundamentals of Sanskrit Sahitya (literature), even
superior to the Kavyas and the Natakas. The best Alankara Granthas
(Granthas = volumes) are those of Mammata (Kavyaprakasa) and
Jagannatha (Rasagangadhara).

Conclusion

These constitute the entirety of Sanskrit literature- sacred and
secular. The Sruti is the root; the Smritis, Itihasas and Puranas are
the trunk; the Agamas and Darsanas are the branches; and the
Subhashitas, Kavyas, Natakas and Alankaras are the flowers of the
tree of India's Culture.
The Smritis, the Itihasas, the Puranas, the Agamas and the Darsanas
are only developments of the Veda. Their ultimate source is the Veda.
Their one common aim is to enable man to annihilate his ignorance and
attain perfection, freedom, immortality, and eternal bliss through
knowledge of God or the Eternal. Their purpose is to make man like
God and one with Him.

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