Gotram, Sutram, Veda

[Srikrishna Ghadiyaram]

Hari Om !!

I found the following information in Bhakti List:

------------------

Apasthambha & other Kalpa Sutras
From: V. Sadagopan (75041.3037 at compuserve.com)
Date: Thu Jan 04 1996 - 18:55:10 PST

Next message: V. Sadagopan: "Correction et al"
Previous message: V. Sadagopan: "AACHAARAM"
Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [
author ]
Two of our members had asked for Information on these
Sutras. I had  written
about them earlier in a special issue of Tattvaloka
Journal on the 40 Hindu
Samskaras.
Here is an elaboration on that  article focussing more
on the Sutras as opposed
to the
Samskaras they deal with.

The Sixth limb (Anga ) of the Vedas is Known as
Kalpam.
It is considered as the Hands of the Vedas, since it
deals with
doing Karmas prescribed by the Vedas. Those Karmas and
the fruits thereof
should be offered to the Supreme being at the end of
their performance.

The Kalpams  provide details on who should do what and
at what stage of one's
life.
They elaborate on the mantras to be recited, the
Samagriyas to be assembled,the
Rtviks
to officiate at these rituals and prescribed
functions.

The Kalpa Sutrams have been given to us by various
Sages . In the south, Krishna

Yajur Vedam is dominant or popular. Six rishis --
Aapasthambhar, BodhAyanar,
VaigAnasar, SatyAshaadar,Bharadvajar and Agnivesar--
have written Sutras for the

practioners of Krishna Yajur Veda Saakhaa. These
Rishis have written both the
Sroutha and  Gruhya Sutrams  for the Saakaas.

Two sages have written Sutras for Rg Vedam. The
popular one is by Asvlaayanar.
The other  not so prevalent is that by SaankAyanar.

Sage Kaatyayanar has written Sutras for Sukla Yajur
Vedam

For Sama Veda Saakas, Laatyayanar has written for
Kouthuma Saakaa.
For RaaNaaaneeya Saakaa , Diraahyayanar has written
Sroutha Sutrams. The
Grihya Sutrams for this Saakaa has been written by
Gopilar .
Sage Jaimini has  written sutrams for the Talavakaara
Saaka of Sama Vedam.

Atharva Vedam is not so prevalent. No Kalpa Sutram is
available today.

>From Garbha Dhanam (placement of the seed) to
Antimeshti (Ultimate Ishti or
Yaga , the cremation ceremony in which the body is
offered as Havis in the
Sacred fire),
there  are 40 Samskaras for a Hindu. There  are  a
subset for women among the
40. For
instance, they do not have the Upanayanam ceremony.
Either  the Sroutha or the
Gruhya Sutra
covers these 40 ceremonies. Among the 21 Yajnas -- 7
Paka, 7 Soma, 7 Havir
Yajnas--, Sroutha
Sutras cover the 7 Soma and 7 Havir Yajnas. The Gruhya
Sutras cover the 7 Paka
Yajnas and the
rest of the 19 Samskaraas.

Gruhya Yajnas/Samskaaraas  are smaller in scope than
the Sroutha Yajnas, which
need major
effort. The former are done at home mostly
(Gruham).Theothers are done at
special sites
outside the home. When we say Abhivaadhanam, we
referer  to the Sroutha Sutram
associated with one's Veda Saakaa.Aapasthabhar has
written Sroutha and Gruhya
Sutras.
Hence  we recite Aapasthambha sutra:
Yajussaakaadhyaayi, there is no
complication. In
contrast, One  who belongs to RaaNaaneeya Saakaa of
Sama Veda can not quote
Gopilar
in his Abhivaadhanam, but has to mention the sage
Diraahyayanar alone. Latter
wrote
the Sroutha Sutram and Gopilar wrote only the Gruhya
Sutrams for this Saakaa.

There is a subdivision of Sroutha Sutras known as
Sulpa Sutras. These deal with
more
 details on Yajnas. Kaatyayanar, Hiranyakesar and
Bodhaayanar have given us
these
Sulpa Sutras.

In addition to the ways of conductance of the
Samskaras and Yajnas, these
 Kalpa Sutras also decribe the Sikhai (Urdhva Sikhaior
Poorva Sikhai ) , Pundram
to be worn and other  details on Karmaanushtaanam.

My father was an expert on Apasthambha Sutras  and I
have some moth eaten
remnants of Apaasthambha Prayogas that are interesting
to say the least to
study. Kaanchi Periyavaal has commented extensively
on Kalpa Sutras in the chapters on Vedas and their Six
Angaas.

Sadagopan
-------------------

Om Namo Narayanaya !!

Srikrishna
--- Rajesh Sarin <Rajesh_Sarin at RIL.COM> wrote:
> Gotra is a method of linking ourselves to our
> ancestors
> (pitra) upto the link to particular Rishi from whom
> our
> clan started !
>
> I think in Vishnu Puran it is mentioned that upto
> the Sapta
> Rishis the pro-creation was by thought (Manas Putra)
> and they were entrusted the task for populating the
> mother
> earth ! Beyond these Sapta Rishis the creation of
> offsprings
> is through a female and male -- and hence when we
> offer
> prayers, we provide reference about the time, place
> and by whom
> the puja is offered. Gotra provides the link to the
> Rishi
> from whom our vansha started !
>
> I would like to know about the Sutram and Veda !


__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos
http://launch.yahoo.com/u2