Sunday, December 27, 2009

Chaturveda Basic Consept

Vedas were compiled in such a way that the prayers (suktas) have specific purposes to be used in a Yajna. Rigveda is to invite deities to the Yajna venue, it has prayers for this purposes, and is the oldest collection of mantras. Once the deities are arrived as guests, the hosts (Yajamanas, the priests) have to receive them and please them with songs. That is what Samaveda for. 95% of mantras in Sama veda are from Rigveda only, but chanted in musical tones. The yajna itself is giving donations, havis to the deities. That needs several things like different instruments to prepare havis, somam (the juice of soma plant), Yajna venue, measurements of the vedi (stage), homakundam etc. These information together with mantras to pour havis in agni is the content of Yajurveda. Again a good part of the mantras in Yajurveda is from Rigveda, but with "swaha" at the end when pouring the havis in agni.Adharva veda deals with the health of the priests, how the venues are to be prepared, the astrological good and bad timings etc. More over, it has mantras to keep evils away from the yajna venue, which were used later on for black magic purposes. There is nothing mysterious in this veda, but mantras for removing deceases and evils from a sick man or a place. That is why ayurveda is inherently a part of Adharva veda. Since its content is more materialistic than spiritual, Adharva veda is considered lower to the other three.

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