A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

Vedäægas 200
Vedäægas
(‘limbs of the Veda’)
Six auxiliary sciences to be studied in
order to understand and use the Veda
correctly: ÿik•ä (phonetics and pronunciation);
chandas (verse metres),
vyäkäraæa (grammar), nirukta (etymology,
explanation of obsolete words),
jyoti•a (astronomy), kalpa or ÿrauta
(ritual).
Vedänta (‘end of Veda’)
This can mean both the Upani•ads and
systems of Upani•adic philosophy and
theology. The Upani•ads were the last
portion of the Veda (in the wider
sense) and, according to Vedäntins,
constitute the core purpose of the
Veda, because they teach final emancipation
from the cycle of birth and
death. An attempt was made to systematize
their teaching in the BRAHMA-
SÜTRAS (also called the Vedäntasütras).
The lengthy commentaries upon these
composed by various authors from different
backgrounds gave rise to many
schools of Vedänta. Vedänta in one
form or other has been the major
Hindu philosophy of religion for the
past 1,200 years and has many contemporary
academic and religious
exponents. (See appendix 3, The Ten
Principal Schools of Vedänta.)
Vedänta Deÿika (1269–1370)
The most prolific exponent of ŸRÏ-
VAIÆŒAVISM after RÄMÄNUJA, and
believed to be the AVATÄRA of the bell of
the temple at TIRUPATI. He wrote works
in Sanskrit and Tamil as well as in
Manipraväla, a mixture of the two.
Many of his writings are subcommentaries
on Rämänuja’s commentaries and
are widely used by students of
VIŸIÆfiÄDVAITA. He became the main
authority for the northern school
(VA¥AGALAI) of Ÿrïvai•æavism. His
works include Rahasyatrayasära, Nyäsa
Viƒÿati and Saökalpa Suryodaya.
Vedänta-karikävalï
A short manual of VIŸIÆfiÄDVAITA
Vedänta by the 18th-century scholar
Bucci Venkafläcärya.
Vedänta-paribhä•a
A short manual of ADVAITA Vedänta
written by the 17th-century scholar
Dharmaräja Adhvarin.
Vedänta-sära
A short ADVAITA VEDÄNTA manual written
by Sadänanda, a celebrated Advaitin
who lived in the first half of the 15th
century. He is the author of Vedäntasära,
a concise compendium of Advaita,
much in use even today.
Vedänta-sütra
See BRAHMA-SÜTRA.
Vedärtha-saögraha
(‘the gist of the meaning of the Veda’)
A small work by RÄMÄNUJA, in which
he critiques Advaita understandings of
the Upani•ads and advances his own
from the standpoint of VIŸIÆfiÄDVAITA.
vedi
A Vedic sacrificial altar. The Ÿulvasütras
contain exact rules for the construction
of altars for specific purposes.
The most elaborate was the altar in the
form of a falcon used for the solemn
AGNICAYANA. It consisted of 10,800
bricks (the number of hours in a Vedic
year) in five layers (the five seasons) representing
the year, and with it the universe.
Contemporary scholars believe
they have found correlations between
the dimensions of the altars and the distances
of sun, moon and planets as well
as their orbits.
Vedic civilization
A major dispute has developed about