Scripture confusion

[caleb]

How are the scriptures classified? Are Upanishads part of the Vedas? I heard that there were four types of Vedas OTHER than Rip, Sama ...

Is smitri and sruti both written works, or is one oral teaching? What is an Agama?

What is the Srimad Bhagavatam? Is it somebody's commentary of something else? What is the Brahma Sutra? How is it classified?

[satay]

Namaste Caleb,
Welcome to the forum. Please use the 'search' function of this forum to find basic answers to your questions. After you have spent time researching, if you have any follow up questions you will get prompt responses.

Thanks,

[Arjuna]

How are the scriptures classified? Are Upanishads part of the Vedas? I heard that there were four types of Vedas OTHER than Rip, Sama ...
Is smitri and sruti both written works, or is one oral teaching? What is an Agama?
What is the Srimad Bhagavatam? Is it somebody's commentary of something else? What is the Brahma Sutra? How is it classified?

In brief,

1. All scriptures are basically divided into Shruti (revelation) and Smriti (interpretation), the first being more authorative and considered inspired by God/gods.
Shruti consists of Vedic (Nigama) and Tantric (Agama). Vedic is general (sAmAnya) and exoteric (laukika), while Tantric is specific to each tradition (visheSha) and esoteric (kaulika).
Vedic Shruti consists of 4 Vedas (collections of hymns, each Veda has several versions, Samhitas), Brahmanas (ritualistic manuals), Aranyakas (teachings for ascetics) and Upanishads (secret spiritual teachings).
Tantric Shruti is divided into Shaiva and Vaishnava. Shaiva Agamas are divided into Siddhanta and Bhairava/Kula, the latter being more esoteric and important. Kula Agamas are the base of Shakta trend in Shaivism. Vaishnava consists of Pancharatra and Vaikhanasa.
Smriti includes Sutras (like Apastamba- or Ashvalayana-), Darshana-shastras, Dharma-shastras (like Manu-smriti), Puranas (18 main and many sectarian Upapuranas), Itihasas (4 in number: Mahabharata, Ramayana, Yogavasishtha and Harivamsha) and various commentaries.
Several texts of Smriti are at times considered as equal to Shruti: Bhagavadgita, Lalita-sahasranama, Devi-mahatmya.
BOTH Shruti and Smriti initially were ORAL, and later they were written down. This is not true for each and every text, but in general it is.

2. Bhagavata-purana is one of 18 Mahapuranas. However original Mahapurana is considered to be lost, while two sectarian versions of it are available at present: Shrimad-bhagavatam (Vaishnava version) and Devi-bhagavata (Shakta one). Vaishnava version is somewhat earlier, but Devibhagavata seems to be more close to the lost original.

3. Brahma-sutra is a darshana-shastra of Vedanta school and is a part of its Prasthana-trayi, triple canon.

[yajvan]

Hari Om
~~~~~



1. All scriptures are basically divided into Shruti (revelation) and Smriti (interpretation), the first being more authorative and considered inspired by God/gods.

Namaste Arjuna (et al.)
Let me offer this small piece for ones consideration...

smṛti स्मृति - is remembrance , reminiscence , thinking of or upon.
Typical smṛti scriptures are considered the vedāṅgas ( or limbs of the veda), itihāsas some write ithihāsas or the epics (iti +hā+āsa = so it was) we would call it history or his+story, plus Purānas and Dharma-śāstras.


śruti श्रुित- is what is heard. Now this 'heard' is not from teacher to student. It is what is cognized in consciousness. As the Vedas were cognized by the ṛṣi’s (rishi) called out in the Vedas. They were not the originators, but through direct cognition, some call it revelation, or the divine word. This śruti is eternal, it is ajāta (birthless) it resides in akṣara, the imperishable, immutable.


Now after the kavi (another name for ṛṣi - the term is used as 'poet'; kavi is from kū, to sound) the ṛṣi sounded out the Reality of their cognition of the Truth, it was then by this method others came to learn the veda. The teacher-to-student method of passing on wisdom.
Yet consider śruti as the original cognition.



pranams

[yajvan]

Hari Om
~~~~~

How are the scriptures classified? Are Upanishads part of the Vedas? I heard that there were four types of Vedas OTHER than Rip, Sama ...

Namaste caleb,
IN addition to what Arjuna pointed out, please consider this HDF post, it will help you with groupings:
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1946

Also take a look at the Dharma Lexicon folder... some good info can be gleaned there.

hope this helps...

pranams

[Arjuna]

Thanks Yajvan, i forgot to mention vedangas.

BTW do U know whether Brahma-sutra is deemed Shruti or Smriti?

[yajvan]

Hari Om
~~~~~


Thanks Yajvan, i forgot to mention vedangas.

BTW do U know whether Brahma-sutra is deemed Shruti or Smriti?

Namaste arjuna,
Wondered if you could go deeper and wider on which agamas are dual and non-dual views... possible?

and re: Brahma-sutra as Shruti or Smriti. IMHO since Vyasa is commenting on existing Upanishads, I think it would be qualified as smṛti. That said, I am open to reason on why it would not be. I will go look and see if I get any hints on this.

thank you and pranams

[Arjuna]

Wondered if you could go deeper and wider on which agamas are dual and non-dual views... possible?

Namaste Yajvan,

In theory 28 Siddhantagamas are dualistic while all Bhairava- and Kulagamas are monistic. I am not sure this is correct in every case if we take texts as they are leaving aside authoritative interpretations, but in general tendency is that.
Among monistic (acc to Tradition) early Agamas prominent are Siddhayogeshvari, Jayadratha-yamala, Brahma-yamala, Manthanabhairava, Tantrasadbhava, Vamakeshvara, Rudra-yamala (which is NOT the same as published text of this name), Kularnava, Malinivijayottara etc.
28 Siddhantagamas are well known, such as Kirana and Kamika. There are also Upagamas related to them, such as Mrigendra.

[sm78]

brahma sutra / vedanta sutra should be considered as shruti just as bhagavad gita is regarded as shruti. I don't think any of the prasna-trayi can be regarded as smriti whose main purpose is to provided day to day guidance, rules, laws and clarification on shruti vakya.

The many commentaries written on the vedanta sutras may be regarded as smritis ??

Anyway, what's there in the classification. Prasna-Trayi is the foundation of vedanta and VS is one of them.

[Arjuna]

brahma sutra / vedanta sutra should be considered as shruti just as bhagavad gita is regarded as shruti. I don't think any of the prasna-trayi can be regarded as smriti whose main purpose is to provided day to day guidance, rules, laws and clarification on shruti vakya.

The many commentaries written on the vedanta sutras may be regarded as smritis ??

Anyway, what's there in the classification. Prasna-Trayi is the foundation of vedanta and VS is one of them.

Gita IS NOT formally regarded as Shruti, though some ascribe to its equal to Shruti authority.
Most probably Brahma-sutra isn't Shruti as well, since it is a darshana-shastra. However this i am not 100% sure of.

Finally, proper spelling is Prasthana-trayi or Prasthana-traya (not Prasna).

[caleb]

thank you so very much. i am going to save Arjunas reply and copy it so i can remember, a basic outline you know. the equivalent in the Christian scripture would be knowing that there is an Old Testiment and a New. cool cool cool

[Arjuna]

thank you so very much. i am going to save Arjunas reply and copy it so i can remember, a basic outline you know. the equivalent in the Christian scripture would be knowing that there is an Old Testiment and a New. cool cool cool

Perhaps i can add that among Vedic texts only Upanishads have real influence at present, and almost only philosophical. The "high" Hinduism is based mainly upon Agamic tradition (be it Shaiva or Vaishnava) both in a sense of doctrine and ritual. The folk Hinduism is more connected with Puranas and Itihasas.