The word Veda in Sanskrit means supreme knowledge. It has always been a mammoth task for historians to identify the exact date when the first Veda- The Rig Veda was written. Several linguistic studies show that the Rig Veda must have been written down around 1500 – 1000 BCE. When we say written down it does not mean that the Rig Veda was first constructed during this time. It is very well established that the Vedas were passed on in the oral tradition of recitation. The practice of Padapātha (reciting the sutras in a specific order) was common since ages that are still unknown. Manu in his time said that- श्रुतिस्तु वेदो विज्ञेय: which means that “Know that Vedas are Śruti“. This has a meaning that Vedas were Śrutis (that which is heard).
The Puranic texts, which were written later to the Vedas, mention several lineages of Kings and Rishis in order of time. If we add the ages of the kings mentioned in the Puranas in linear, then the origin of the Vedas may date back to several millenniums. It is very difficult to reject the mentions of the Puranas, even by historians, considering that many of the names of the Kings and places corroborate with the Vedic texts as well as many other scriptures.
Thus, we can never find the origin of the Vedas. However, we can certainly comprehend the fact that whoever conceived these, they were of intellect far beyond the human capacity. So, it is said that the Vedas were received by the Rishis directly from celestial beings. These were passed by the Rishis to their disciples orally based on the capacity of the student.
So, the Vedas seem to exist since time which cannot be calculated. Also, one more fact adds to the confusion of the authors of the Vedas. Several authors who received the Vedas directly from the Gods have contributed to the organization of the Vedas. Rishis like Gautama, Vishvāmitra, Vāmadeva, Atri, Bhāradvaja and Vashishtha have contributed to the making of the Vedas. However, it is interesting to note here that when we speak about the name of one Rishi it is not just that one Rishi but his entire lineage has contributed spanning several generations. For example, when we speak about the Rishi Vishvāmitra we speak of the Vishvamitra family of Rishis that originated in the lineage of Vishvāmitra. Now, either the family here may mean like the real children or traditionally the students, this is unclear. But this also rests the confusion of the name Vishvāmitra appearing at several scenes in the ancient script. The Vishvāmitra that helped lord Ram may not be the same Vishvāmitra that led the Dāśarājñá yuddhá (the famous battle of the Ten Kings) several centuries after the Rāma, but someone from the lineage of Vishvāmitra tradition.
It is interesting to understand that the Vedas to current historians seems to be a collection of Suktas (Hymns) all which were used to worship different celestial beings. The recitation of the Suktas is often accompanied by a Yajna. Animal sacrifice was done in the beginning ages when the Vedas were under development. It is an injustice to translate the word Yajna as sacrificial ritual altogether. Sacrifice here may mean the sacrifice of temporary pleasure for a higher purpose with the discipline of the ceremony. A Yajna is better termed a ‘ceremony of worship and offering to the Gods’. The tradition of the Yajna is followed even today by the well versed Brahman priests in India. Also, it is an injustice to call the ceremony as a ritual the word which many historians use. For the rituals means a series of religious actions performed in some prescribed order. Often, these rituals elsewhere are the later product of habits than with any associated meaning. However, the Vedic ceremonies have well-defined meaning in its structure. Explaining this is beyond the scope of this article.
It is mentioned in the Vishnu Puran that when the Vedas were handed over to the first Rishis, there were one lakh verses in the Vedas. But in later times the verses could not find a proper classification and many were even lost. During the near end of the Dwapar Yug (approximately 5500 years back), the social values got worsened and the significance of the Vedas was lost. The political situation often reflects the situation of the society. However, in ancient India, the situation was reversed. The righteous Kings were to follow the teachings of the Rishis and act according to Dharma (righteousness and not religion). There was immense pressure on the Kings to act according to Dharma. The society followed the path of the King in general and the King enjoyed a large influence on the value structure of the society.
However, by the end of the Dwapara Yug, the several immoral Kings appeared in the scene weakening the social structure. But, it was a boy that was born in the family of Rishi Parāshar and Satyavati who was to revive the Vedas once again in the society. The name of the boy was Krishna Dvaipāyana (not lord Krishna). He was named so because of his dark complexion (Krishna) and born on an island in the river Yamuna called Badrāyana near Kalpi in today’s Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh.
Krishna Dvaipāyana was born to Parāshar and Satyavati before Satyavati married to the King Shāntanu, the famous Kuru king of Hastināpur, and an important figure in Mahabharata. Parāshar Rishi is the great-grandson of the Vasishtha Rishi. Rishi Vasishtha is considered one of the Saptarshis born from Brahma. The lineage of Vasishtha has been the hereditary priests to the Surya Vanshis (Solar Dynasty) of Ayodhya for years.
Satyavati is known by many names in the Puranas. These include Dāseyi, Gandhakāli, Gandhāvati, Kāli, Matysyagandhā, Satyā, Vasavi and Yojanagandha. Satyavati was born to King Uparichar Vasu, the great king of the Chedi dynasty which originally belonged to the Pauravas of the Chandra Vansha (Lunar dynasty). Vasu was the son of Sudhavan the youngest son of King Kuru of the famous Kuruvansaha of the Kurukshetra war (Mahabharata). It is said that Satyavati was born to Vasu and Adrika (a fish). She was later handed over to fishermen who raised her and had the smell of a fish (Matsyagandha). Thus, Satyavati belongs to the Kuruvansha. Whereas, Parashar was the son of a Brahman. This shows that the marriage between Brahmans and Kshatriyas was common in those days since there was a class system but not a caste system.
Satyavati along with Krishna Dvaipāyana mostly lived in the forests, where Dvaipāyana came in touch with several hermits who taught him Vedas orally. Dvaipāyana always showed ascetic tendencies and in some time in the past decided to leave his mother and stayed at the banks of river Saraswati. Here, he became a great teacher of Vedas. However, he realized that the Vedas were not very well organized and had lost their sheen in the society. It is by this time that this great teacher of the Vedas became compiler of the Vedas and gave a clear classification of the Vedas as they are known today viz. the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sāma Veda and the Atharva Veda. Since he was the first to organize and classify the Vedas he was given the title ‘Veda-Vyās’. It is this Veda-Vyās that for the first time in the history of the Vedas brought down the Vedas in the written form. Also, he authored the great Puranas. In the next two and a half years he was to author one of the greatest epics ever written in the history of mankind- The Mahabharata.
Thus the age of the great Ved-Vyās marks a prodigious event in the history of the Vedas. If it were not for Vyās, probably we could have lost the Vedas forever. It was Vyās who also structured the Vedas as we know them today. We owe a lot to this great Rishi and shall remain indebted to him forever.
It is again interesting to note here that to Vyās were born Dhritarāshtra (father of the Kauravas) and Pandu (father of the Pāndavas) of Hastināpur. Vichitraveerya, the son of Satyavati from King Shantanu, a contemporary of Uparichara Vasu (father of Satyavati), died early. Vichitraveerya had two wives- Ambikā and Ambalikā. However, he had no children, which meant no heir to the throne.
To this, Satyavati commanded Vyās on the advice of Bhishma to provide an heir to the Kuru dynasty through Ambikā and Ambalikā. The tradition of Niyoga (levirate) was common in the era. Vyās agreed to the command and Dhritārashtra and Pandu were born. Vyās had foretold Satyavati that Dhritarāshtra will be born blind and that Pandu would die prematurely.
Thus, after Krishna, the history of Mahabharata equally revolves around this great compiler (Vyās) of the Vedas. It is the same Ved-Vyās to whom we dedicate the festival of Guru Purnima also called as the Vyās Purnima. History must remember Vyās as it remembers Krishna since it is Vyās who preserved the Vedas from being destroyed and pushing the society again towards universal knowledge.
(In the Part-2 of the blog, we will see how the Vedas are organized and structured.)
The Eye Opener 