Rig Vedic Civilization Chapter 3: Introduction to Terminologies of Vedas

In our world Terminologies play an important role because these make it easy for us to communicate with our colleague with whom we share our space of work or office space. Every Sector has its Terminologies or Terms, in short, to get the job done. Same with the Vedic World. In this article, I will discuss different Terminologies of Vedas.

Let's start with the definition of Terminology.....

Q. What is Terminology?

A:- The body of terms used with a particular technical application in a subject of study, profession, etc.

Examples:- Bandwidth is a Term used in Network Engineering and Treaty is a Term used in International Relations etc.

Now, get into the process of knowing Vedic Terms. And I will start with the previous article where I used a few Sanskrit words but didn't clarify the definition or meaning of those.

I will provide links to those two articles at the end of this article. Just click on those to read them.

So, let's begin...

1. Mantra:- This is the most heard term when someone talks about Vedas. All section of Vedas holds more or fewer numbers of mantras but the Samhita section of Vedas holds most of it; actually, it is a section dedicated to Mantras only. 

                          But before that, I need to explain a little bit of Sanskrit Grammar, there is a concept called 'Dhatu'. Let me define Dhatu first because without understanding Dhatu it would be difficult to understand any Sanskrit Term. So, Dhatu is the root sound in the Sanskrit Language. In Sanskrit Grammar, every meaningful word is called "Padas" and these Padas are categorized into three categories.

Maharishi Panini who wrote the Sanskrit Grammar known as Ashtadhyayi

• Naam ( Name )
• Akhyate ( Famous )
• Aavaya ( Inexhaustible )

These Akhyate Padas are called Kriya Padas or Verbs; and as we all know that Verbs are those which indicate or acknowledge "happening of an Action".

For Example:- रामः पुस्तकं पठति ( Ram Pustakam Pathati ). It simply means Ram reads Book. 

                          Here, Ram is "Karta Pada" or " Noun" and Pustakam is "Karma Pada" or "Action" and Pathati is "Kriya Pada" or Verb. Here, Pathati Kriya pada is acknowledging the Pustakam which is an Action. 

>> Why does the word Pustakam called Action? 

>> It is because, without the existence of the Pustakam, Pathati Kriya pada or Verb has no use in this sentence. It simply means Pathati is depending upon Pustakam.

Now, kindly focus your attention on this Pathati word. In Sanskrit, every Kriya Pada or Verb takes birth because of the combination or conjugation of certain "Dhatu" and a certain kind of "Pratya" or "Upa-swarga" with it. Now it is getting complex with time, so let me simplify this. The Word "Pratya" means Suffix and Word "Upa-swarga" means Prefix and Dhatu is the root sound. So, in the case of the Pathati word Pat is the root sound and Ti is the suffix added to it to create the word Pathati. Now, let me end this Dhatu discussion here else we will start moving somewhere else losing our main topic which is Terminology. Before ending this Dhatu Discussion I just want to inform you that in the Sanskrit Language there is approximately 3356 Dhatu are present.

Now, from the above discussion, we have understood that every verb in the Sanskrit Language has a root sound in it. 

                     So the Term Mantra is constructed by the Dhatu known as "Man" and the suffix used in it was known as "Tra". The Man Dhatu simply means "मनन" (Manan) means "Indulging himself/herself into a deep analysis of" and Tra is the suffix and it means "Three" or "Triple". So, the Mantra means " Indulging himself/herself into Three levels/Triple layers of deep analysis of something ". Here Something is the Subject of the Mantra which is known as Devta. Mantras are categorized into three categories as per their genders or Lingaa. Those are...

• Pung Mantra ( Masculine Mantra )
• String Mantra ( Feminine Mantra )
• Clib/Napungsak Mantra ( Neuter Mantra )     

2. Sloke:- First of all Sloke does not mean Verse. The verse is something that has a rhythmic expression or writing arranged with a metrical rhythm. Sloke has also expressed a particular rhythm but it also has mystical meditative symptoms in it. This means if you don't know any Mantra you can chant or meditated upon a Sloke. That's why Slokas come right next to the Mantra. But the story of the birth of the first sloke in Vedic Literature is really interesting. Allow me to share this...

                                                Once Maharishi Valmiki was walking in the forest near the Tamasa River and enjoying the beauty and freshness of Nature and he found a couple of Kronch Bird (belongs to Crane Family) was expressing love to each other but suddenly he also witnessed a Vyadha ( A specific Tribal community ) short an arrow to that Male Kronch Bird from that couple and that male Kronch fall and yelling in pain and slowly moving towards death and female Bird also started crying in a sad voice near him. After witnessing this incident Maharishi Valmiki became tempestuous and in that emotional state, he pronounced the First ever sloke of the history of Vedic Literature. Which is...

" mā niṣāda pratiṣthāṃ tvam agamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ | 

yat krauñca-mithunād ekam avadhīḥ kāma-mohitam || " 

   ( Valmiki Ramayanam, Balkand, Dwatiya Swarga, Sloke 15 ) 

Translation:- "Oh! Ill-mined Hunter, by which reason you have killed one male bird of the couple, when it is in its lustful passion, thereby you will get an ever-lasting disrespectful position for ages to come."

Maharishi is cursing the Vyadh

If we buy a copy of Valmiki Ramayan from the market and open it for study then this sloke comes at the 15th position of the Dwatiya Swarga of Balkand but actually, this is the First Sloke took birth ever;  And the evidence is the Valmiki Ramayan itself. In the 17th and 18th Sloke of the Dwatiya Swarga of Balkand of Valmiki Ramayana, Maharishi Valmiki stated this...

" chintayan sa mahaapraaj~naH chakaara matimaan matim |

shishyam cha eva abraviit vaakyam idam sa munipuNgavaH || (17)

paada baddhaH akshara samaH tantrii laya samanvitaH |

shokaartasya pravRitto me shloko bhavatu na anyathaa || (18) "

       ( Valmiki Ramayanam, Balkand, Dwatiya Swarga )              

Translation:- On thinking, he that eminently astute and intellectual sage made up his mind, and he that erudite scholar also spoke this sentence to his disciples, thus as... (17) This utterance of mine has emerged out of anguished annoyance, and it is well- arranged with letters metrically posited, tuneful and rhythmical to be sung with a string instrument, and hence, this shall be known as Sloke, not otherwise. (18)

Before this incident, there were Mantras only. And Mantras are far more complex and highly intellectual compare to that Slokas are simple and easy to understand and meditate and anyone with proper knowledge of complete Sanskrit Grammar can able to make a sloke but Mantra can not be made it all heard by a technique known as Matrayan; which is also a complex process and takes years to learn.

3. Brahmavadini:- These are those women who strive for the highest philosophical knowledge of Brahman. In Rig Ved some Mantras are observed or heard by 27 women scholars known as Brahmavadinis among them Lopamudra, Ghosha, Gargi and Maitreyi are prominent. Some of them did indulge themselves in domestic affairs but some of them also remain unmarried throughout their life like Maharishi Gargi.

Brahmavadinis

4. Sadyovadhu:- These are women whose domestic ideal and dedicate themselves to the welfare of their family.

5. Avatar:- After Mantra and Sloke this is the third most heard term in the Vedic Papampara. There is a word known as "Avatarnika" which means "Stares", it is a Visassaya pada or Proper Noun. This word gave birth to a Kriya Pad or Verb which is "Avataran" and it means "Coming Down". And this or any other Kriya Pada or Verb need a Karta Pada or Noun to execute the Karma Pada or Action and this Avataran Karta Pada gives birth to "Avatar" Karta Pada (Karak). So, Avatar word means someone who comes down. Ava is the Dhatu and Tar is the suffix added to it. "Ava" Dhatu has different meanings like "Avagame" means "Comprehended", "Avapatou" means "Falling/Throwing Down", "Ichayam" means "Desiring within", "Kantou" means "Loveable", "Gatou" means "Movement/ Acceleration", "Triptou" means "Satisfy/Pleasing", "Daanay" means "Donative", "Diptou" means "Excitement/Stimulation" etc. and word "Tar" means "Medium". So, this way the word "Avatar" got its meanings but with a variation.

Dashavatar Of Visnu

6. Avatari:- To whom the Avatar depends to execute the Kriya Avataran is called Avatari.

                                Now, Let me describe these Avatar and Avatari concepts in a storyline. Think about a family. In that family, there is one father, one mother, and one child. They have their own house in a particular location. One day both father and child both were enjoying a sunbath in a winter session at the roof of their house. Suddenly, the mother called that child to come down and help her with some domestic work. And that child came down through stares and helped the mother in her domestic works. This is the story. Now, this house is legally registered in the name of the father but being the child of him that child also has all the authorities of access to everything that resides inside that house. Here this father is the Avatari and his child is an Avatar. That child used those stares to come down to help the mother but because those stares are also part of that house so the father is the only legal owner of that stares until he transfers his legal rights to his child but with his permission or it is because of his love his child can use those stares to goes up or comes down. This is more or less a brief overview of this Avatar and Avatari concept of Vedic Parampara. Because it is one of the complex concepts of Vedic Parampara so few things are missing in this brief description which I will explain in my later articles when this topic will be covered independently.    

Devta:- Most used and most confusing word in the Vedic parampara. In the Samhita section of Vedas each Suktas/Suktams is dedicated to one Devta/Devata. There are 33 Devtas in the Vedic Parampara. Evidence for this statement is present in the Rig Ved, 1st Mandala, 139th Sukta,11th Mantra; which says...

ये देवासो दिव्येकादश स्थ पृथिव्यामध्येकादश स्थ ।

अप्सुक्षितो महिनैकादश स्थ ते देवासो यज्ञमिमं जुषध्वम् ॥११॥

Pronunciation:- yé devāso divy ékādaša sthá pṛthivyā́m ádhy ékādaša sthá | apsukṣíto mahináikādaša sthá té devāso yajñám imáṃ juṣadhvam ||

Translation:- With certainty there are eleven devtas in the heaven, with certainty there are eleven devtas on the land; With certainty, there are together eleven davtas in both skies and waters, Oh you all devtas consider my Yagya as my gratitude.

Meaning:- O divinities, brilliant and generous powers of the Divine, existing and active by your great power and potential, ten pranic life energies and the individual soul, abiding in the heavenly regions of light, and the same eleven existing on the earth, and the same eleven abiding in the waters and the skies, may all these universal powers come and join this yajna of our life, and help us to extend it wide and high. ( This meaning is described by Dr. Tulsi Ram, M.A., Ph.D.(London) in the Arsh Sahitya Prachar Thrust, Rig Ved Samhita English Translation. )

                                                                This Sukta/Suktam is dedicated to Vishvedeva, Mitra-Varuna, Ashvins, Indra, Agni, Maruts, Indragni, Brhaspati,Vishvadeva Devata/Devta. And the name of the Rishi is Paruchhep Daivodasi. I'm not going to explain this mantra else it will make this article complex and lengthy so, in short, Devta means "Karak Tatwa" of this Creation. Now, a question arises.....

Q:- What is Karak Tatwa?

A:- According to Sanskrit Grammar which is directly or indirectly or traditionally related to/with the Kriya, is called Karak. And "Tatwa" means Theory/Concept/Subject of Study. Let's consider an example...

Example:-  "हे मनुष्याः! नरदेवस्य पुत्रः जयदेवः स्वहस्तेन कोषात् निर्धनेभ्यः ग्रामे धनं ददाति।"

Pronunciation:- "Hey Manushya! Naradevasaya Putra Jaidev Swahastayna Koshat Nirdhanayvhyam Gramay Danam Dadati"

Translation:- Oh people! Jaidev the son of Naradev himself donates money to the poor people in the village. 

                               In Sanskrit Grammar, there are Six Karaks and if I use this above sentence to identify those six then those will be like Jaidev is the Karta Karak, Dhanam is Karma Karak, Swahastayna is Karanam Karak, Nirdhanayvhyam is Sampradanam Karak, Koshat is Apadanam, Gramay is Adhikaranam Karak. So, Same with these Devtas different types of devtas are identified independently with different types of Concepts related to Physical and Meta-physical, and Spiritual. For Example, Dhanam means Money or Wealth which is embraced by Dhana Laxmi a Devi or Female Devta. Each Devta or Devi has unique characteristics and these characteristics define their Tatwa or Concepts and Practical Applications of Those Tatwa in the Real World.

 7. Upasana:- Generally, this word translated as "Worship" in English. But, Upasana doesn't mean Worship rather "Upa" is a prefix added to the word "Asana" and "Upa" indicates "Sheltering" and "Asana" means "Seated in Particular Poster"; So "Upasana" means "Seated in a Particular Poster under Someone's Shelter or Shelter of Something". Because, during Worship, the worshiper takes shelter of his/her deity so worship is a form of Upasana but not the exact meaning of this word.

8. Sukta/Suktam:- Collection of Mantra in the Samhita section of the Vedas.

9. Patal Lok:- Generally, this word translates as Hell but "Patal" actually means "Under the feet" and "Lok/Loke" word means " Surface/ Membrane ". So, Patal Lok means Surface or Membrane under the feet, So, if anyone is standing somewhere in the Himalaya, so for that person all the land beneath the Himalaya will consider as Patal Lok. In the Vedic Parampara because the diagram of this Cosmos is presented vertically so, in that presentation Hell which is known as "Narak" located at the bottom position of that diagram so, normally common people identify Patal Loke as a synonym of the word Narak or Hell which is not cent percent right as per the concept.

                                        This is End of this Article, the rest of the Terms I will discuss in my next article.

Thank You🙂🙏    

Important Links: 

1. Rig Vedic civilization Chapter 1     

2. Rig Vedic civilization Chapter 2