यजुर्वेदे विश्वासटिप्पन्यः

VAIKHANASA GRUHYA SUTRAM-VOL, I

Commentator:
SRINIVASAMAKHI VEDANTHADESIKA

EDITED BY:

AKULAMANNADU ROMPICHERLA PARTHA SARATHY BHATTACHARYA

T.T.D. Religious Publications Series No. 494

First Edition : 1967

Copies: 1,000 Price: Rs. 49-00

FOREWORD

The Vedas are acknowledged as the fountainhead of our culture and heritage. They have six auxiliaries or Vedangas viz., Siksha, Vyakarana, Chandas, Nirukta, Jyotisha and Kalpasutra. Among them, the Kalpa Sutra occupies a very prominent place as it deals extensively with Yajnas and Yagas and other rituals. The Kalpasutras are further divided into 1. Srauta sutras, 2. dharma sutras and 3. grhya sutras. Unlike other sutras, grhya sutras pertain to the religious rites, daily as well as occasional, to be observed by the householders. Though there are disparate grhya sutras for those who follow different traditions and systems the gṛhya sutras of Sage Sri Vikhanasa are considered more ancient and authoritative. It is said the sage, an incarnation of Lord Brahma codified them at the behest of Sriman Narayana. The grhya sutras of Sri Vikhanasa Maharshi have an added significance at Tirumala. The mode of rituals in the temple of Lord Venkateswara is done in accordance with the Vaikhanasa agamas. As such, the gṛhya sutras of Sri Vikhanasa serve as a useful manual to the archakas for their daily worship. The present publication in two volumes is a reprint of the book published in 1967. The text contains Srinivasa Dikshita’s ‘Sutra Tatparya Chintamani’ as it sets at rest many divergent views with elaborate discussion and cogent arguments. Executive Officer T.T.Devasthanams, Tirupati INTRODUCTION श्री वेङ्कटाद्विनिलयः कमलाकामुकः पुमान् । अभ गुरविभूतिर्गः तरङ्गयतु मङ्गलम् ॥ I The sacred literature of the Hindus according to the famous law giver Yajnavalky a comprises 14 branches of learning namely, the Vedas, the six aux ilaries of the Vedas (Vedangas) and puranas, Nyaya, Dharmasastras and Mimamsa. The Kalpautra is the most important among the six auxilaries; the remaining five being Siksha, Vyakarana, Chchandas, Nirukta, and Jyautisha. The Kalpasutras are devoted to a systematic exposition of the performance of the various rites enjoined in the Vedas and Smrtis. The Kalpasutras have three distinct parts, namely, the Srauta, the Smarta and the Dharmasutras. The Smarta Sutras deal with the rites beginning with impregnation (Nisheka) and ending with funeral rites (Antyeshti). The Srauta Sutra treats the various sacrifices such as Agnishtoma, Caturmasya etc., etc. The difference between the Smarta and Srauta rites lies in that the Smarta rites are to be performed by the householder (yajamana) himself with or without the single consecrated fire known as Aupasanagni, whereas the Srauta rites are to be performed by Rtviks in three or five consecrated fires according to the Sakha to which the householder (yajamana) happens to be a votary. The Dharmasutras are busied in giving a set of rules which regulate the duties of the house holder with reference to the Society and himself and also law, both civil and criminal. A section of the Srautasutra is called Sulbasutra wherein are dealt with the construction and measurements of the alters (Vedis) and fire pits (agnikundams) where oblations are to be offered to the Gods. Likewise a part of the Smartasutra is called Adhyatma sutra devoted to the exposition of the science of self i.e., Adhyatma sastra. The Kalpasutra which possesses all the three parts is called Paripoorna Kalpa Sutra. Mahadeva Pandita the commentator of Satyashadha sutra says only six of the Paripoorna Kalpasutras of the Krishna Yajurveda have been in vouge in his time. The author of the Agnivaisya Kalpasutra mentioned as many as eighteen Kalpasutras. Vaikhanasa Kalpasutra has been counted by both the above authors as one among the Kalpasutras. However as many as forty texts belonging to various Kalpasutras are available nowthough many of them are not complete in the sense in which we have explained the word complete. (Paripoorna) The Vaikhanasa Kalpasutras were composed by Sage Vikhanas who according to tradition is an incarnation of Brahm.a. At the instance of Lord Sriman Narayana he came to Naimisaranya in Bharata Varsha at the very outset of creation. With the powers he was able to gain by his austere penances he found out a new method of worshipping the Lord Vishnu; i.e. in idols. He stressed the need of worshipping God in idols as indispensable and expressed it in unambiguous terms in his Smartasutra. It is also said that he has composed an elaborate manual for the guidance of the devotees for the worship of Lord Vishnu in temples as well as in houses. He gathered a good number of desciples whom he initiated in the new way of worship he has founded and who came to be known as Vaikhanasas (the followers of Vikhanas). Having entrusted the task of propagating the science dealing with the mode of worship to the care of his dear desciples he returned to have manuscripts his original abode. Later, the sages Bhrigu. Atri, Mareeci and Kasyapa spared no pains to propagate this Holy mission propounded by Sage Vikhanas and each of them wrote several elaborate works for the worship of Lord Vishnu in temples and the total extent of the works is said to be four lakhs of Granthas (verses). The total number of works ascribed to the above four sages are twenty eight; but only for eighteen of which complete as well as fragmentary manuscripts have come to light so far. The quintessence of the Vaikhanasa school of thought is that worship of Lord Vishnu (Samurtarcanam) charged with a sense of devotion (Bhakti) is the only means of liberation (Moksha).1

‘भक्त्या भगवन्तं नारायणमर्चयेत् तद्विष्णोः परमं पदं गच्छतीति विज्ञायते’ T

प्रश्ने. ४. खंड : १२ -spa.com .. ‘अग्नी नित्यहोमान्ते विष्णोनित्याच सर्वदेवार्चा भवति । ‘गृहे देवायतनं वा भक्त्या भगवन्तं नारायणमचये ’ दिति विखनसा सूत्रे समासेनोक्तम्. तस्यार्चने श्रुति: ’ प्रवः पान्तमन्धसो घियायते महे शूराय विष्णवे चार्चत’ (ऋक् संहिता. २२ - २६) घृतोर्ध्वपुण्ड्र : परमेशितारं नारायणं पूजयति स्म भक्त्या | अर्ध्यादिभिः dicagcaazâ: diangganfgoqqa agrear’ gearfa !
मरीचिविमानार्चनकल्पे प्रथमपटले । in The Vaikhanasa Kalpasutra and the Vaikhanasa Sastra (Agama) have their votaries mostly in the Andhra, Dravida and Karnataka regions of Southern India. The followers of the Vaikhanasasutra are exclusively devotees of Lord Vishnu (Vaishnavas). We do not find the worship of Siva or Sakti as the Supreme Deity among them (Para Devata); but on that account they do not decry the worship of Deities other than Vishnu. The Vaikhanasas form a distinct sect by themselves. They do not possess any kind of relationship with the followers of other Kalpasutras. Even in the matter of dining they do not mix with others. They have never entertained the idea of admitting the votaries of the other faiths to their own faith from very early times. The Vaikhanasas alone are performing worship (as it is generally called Archakatvam) in the world famous temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara at Tirumala from the very remote past. The exclusive worship of Vishnu in idols (both domestic and congregational) is not mentioned in any Kalpa Sutra other than Vaikhanasa Kalpasutra. The Vaikhanasa agama texts lay down that only the followers of Vaikhanasa Sutra are eligible to conduct worship on the lines of Vaikhanasa Agama and this accounts for the fact that Vaikhanasa archakas are invariably followers of Vaikhanasasutra. The Vaikhanasa Kalpasutra is the ancient of its class and the other Sutrakaras have approved the views of Sage Vikhanas in the matter of Srauta and Smarta rituals. The name of Vikhanas and the derivative Vaikhanasa are mentioned in the Vedas. Western scholars consider second or third century A. D. as the date of Vikhanas. Some of the might have belonged to a very remo Kalpasutra as it exists now cannot be assigned to a very ancient period as there are clear evidences of interpolations in the text. But it is hoped that the Vaikhanasa Kalpasutra in its original opine that Vaikhanas agc. The Vaikhanasaiv form free of all interpolations might come to light on some day in the future." The Vaikhanasa Kalpa Sutra is a full fledged Kalpa Sutra (Paripoorna Sutra) with all the three parts as mentioned above. The Srautasutra consists of twenty one chapters (prasnas), the Smartasutra, seven chapters and the Dharmasutra, three chapters or Prasnas. Thus the whole of the Vaikhanasa Sutras are embodied in thirty two chapters including the Pravara Sutra. The hymns and verses employed in the various Smarta rites are collected in the form of a book called Vaikhanasa mantra samhita or mantraprasna in four chapters. In a similar manner the hymns applied to the worship of Vishnu in idols, in temples and houses, in Vaikhanasa Agama have been collected in the form of a book known as Vaikhanasa Daivika mantraprasna in four chapters. Thus the Vaikahanasa mantraprasna Of mantrasamhita falls under two broad divisions namely Smarta and Daivika, each in four chapters. The later collection forms the basis of the Vaikhanasa agama works composed by the four sages Bhrigu, Atri, Mareeci and Kasyapa which elaborately deal with the temple worship in all its aspects.

Vide George Buhler, Sacred Books of the East, 25 Vol. introduction Page XXVII.

The Vaikhanasa Kalpasutra has extracted the labour of a host of commentators and I give below their names and their works.

Sri Narasimha Vajapeyin
Sutrabhashyam (available for Smarta Sutra.)
Sutradarpanam
Sri Sundararaja - Prayogavritti,
Sri Vasantayajin. - Prayogavritti,
Sri Sanjeevayajin. - Prayogavritti,
Sri Venkatayogin. - Prayogavritti,
Sri Ramasuri. Pitrmedhasutravyakhya only.
Sri Varadaraja suri. - Vrtti.
Sri Gopanabhattacharya. - Vrtti.
Sri Vishnu chitta. - Vrtti.
Sri Kodandaramacharya pakayajin. - Vrtti.
Bharadvaja Krishnamacharya. - Adhanasaptaka. Srauta Prayoga.
Bhaskara bhattacharya. Commentary.
Sri Ramadesika. Ahnika.
Sri Srinivasa Dixita. - Sutra Tatparyacintamani (Present commentary).

Of these the Bhashya of Sri Nrsimhavajapeyin is available for the whole of Smarta sutra and only to the first three prasnas Dharmasutra.

The Tatperyacintamani mentioned last in the above list is now published for the first time. It is very elaborate in the first six chapters and is very brief and full of small omissions in the seventh chapter. The commentary of the other chapters is lost for ever. The author Sri Srinivasa Dixita is an erudite scholar. He had performed a good number of Srauta and Smarta sacrifices. He had consulted all the authoritative works for writing this commentary. From the nature of the commentary, it seems the author did not have sufficient time to execute the task of commenting as he has originally planned it. It is also possible to consider that he did not endeavour to publish the commentary in his life time. As such, manuscripts of the commentary are available only with the members of the families of his descendants. It is significant to note that all the available manuscripts of the commentary contain identical mistakes and omission of same passages. Even the spelling mistakes are identical. Fr m all this we can safely conclude that the original manuscript self contained the texual lapses. We may also legitimately infer at the author had jotted in the form of notes with a view to elaborate than in the form of a well balanced commentary later; but unfortunately owing to scarcity of time he could not materialise his original plan.Inspite of these shortcomings the commentary has got its own value. Several points of dispute the author has settled with cogent arguments and has pronounced the final verdict in clear and forcible language. As such, the commentary has to be taken as an infallible authority on the Vaikhanasasutra.

The author does not quote or refer to authors of more recent times; but in one instance he mentions-the Karikas on the Vaikhanasa Smartasutra composed by his maternal grandfather Sri Srinivasa Dixita.3

Our author has composed a brief commentary (vritti) on the Srautasutra the first three chapters. of which are available.

He has commented upon the seventh chapter of Vaikhanasa mantra samhita known as Paramatmika prasna and this voluminous work has been published already in three different editions.

He has mastered the Dharma sastra also and has written the famous work known as Tithinirnayakarika which was published in 1876 in the first instance and has undergone a recent edition also.

He has also written a commentary on the Badarayana’s BrahmaSutras in accordance with the Vaikhanasa school of thought and he is revered as Bhashyakara by Vaikhanasas.

In his Uttama-brahma vidya he has established that worship of Vishnu in idols (Samurtarcanam) is the only way for attaining liberation (Moksha) and an essence of this great work namely Uttamabrahmavidyasara has been published already. There he maintains that the word Brahmavit can refer only to the performer of Acts i.e. Worship of Vishnu in idols.

cf. Prasna 3, Khandam 17 (p. 464)

·cendi qa qzura a faaı 41 faganû 1 311918119192 af forenser fareqigurų 11’ श्रीविष्णुपुराणम् १-१०-१९. ‘क्रियायोगं समाचक्ष्व भवदाराधनं विभो’ । श्री भागवतं ११-२७-१ इत्यादि । ‘आत्मक्रीड आत्मरतिः क्रियावानेव ब्रह्मविदां वरिष्ठः ’ ।

मुण्डकोपनिषत् ३-४. vii

He has also written another work ‘Sri Vaikhanasa mahima manjari’ wherein, as the title indicates, he has extolled the greatness of the followers of Vaikhanasa Kalpasutra.

As in the case of most of the Sanskrit writers, we do not know about our author regarding his life and other allied details. But from the concluding verses of his Tithinirnayakarika we come to know that he was an archaka of Sri Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh and he was the son of Sri Govindacharya who belonged to Kausika Gotra and master of all branches of learning. 5

Our author is not to be confused with his namesake Srinivasayajvan, son of Tirumalacharyayajvan who has written the reputed commentory on Kalidasa’s Abhijnana Sakuntala who also hailed from Tirupati."

इति कौशिकगोत्रेण गोविन्दाचार्यसूनुना । श्रीवेङ्कटेशपादाब्जसमाराधनकारिणा ।। तद्दत्तवेदवेदान्तदेशिकाख्येन धीमता । सर्वतन्त्र स्वतन्त्रेण गर्भचक्राजन्मना || श्रीवखानसनिष्ठन श्रीनिवासाख्ययज्वना । रचिता परिपूर्ण तिथिनिर्णयकारिका ॥ वैखानसान्वयपयोधिमृगाङ्कमूर्तिः तिथिनिर्णयकारिकासमाप्तौ । श्री कौशिको विजयते स हि तिर्मयाख्यः । श्रीवेङ्कटेशचरणाम्बुजनित्यपूजा- पूताकृतिर्गुणनिधिमंहितो मनीषी || तस्य पुत्रोऽस्ति विद्यानां स्वयंवरपतिः कविः । व्याख्याता नाटकादीनां श्रीनिवास इति श्रुतः ॥ यं श्रीनिवासमखिनागमसारसिन्धु- कुम्भोद्भवं बुधजानाः परिकीर्तयन्ति । सोऽहं विचार्य भरतादिमुनिप्रणीतं शास्त्रं कवीन्द्ररचितानि च नाटकानि ॥ न्यायं फणीन्द्रफणिति कपिलस्य तन्त्र काणादतन्त्रमथ जैमिनिमा कृतञ्च । टीकां करोमि विदुषां परितोषणाय शाकुन्तलस्य वृषशैमपतेः प्रसादात् ॥viii

The following works of the Vaikhanasa Kaplasutra literature have been printed so far.

Text of the Kalpa Sutra first 11 prasnas with valuable notes in grantha script at Kumbhakonam in the year 1919.
Text first 10 prasnas only (critically edited) in Devanagari script by the Asiatic society of Bengal, Calcutta in the year 1921.
English rendering of the above text by the above society in the year 1929.
Text of Srautasutra of remaining 21 prasnas (critically edited) in Devanagari script by the above society in the year 1941. 5. Text of the Kalpa sutra first 11 prasnas in Telugu script at Edlapalle in the year 1943.
Vaikhanasa Dharmasutra, (text) printed in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series, Trivandrum.
Vaikhanasa Dharmasutra, English translation at Vijayanagaram.

Lists of the sources of passages cited and authors and works referred to in the commentary are very essential for the reader as the commentary abounds in citations. But owing to shortage of time and other causes it is not possible for me to include these in this edition. In due course I will try my best to publish them along with a valuable and detailed introduction in sanskrit by Sri Vedantam Jagannathacharya the Asthana vidvan of Sri T. T. Devasthanams who has kindly promised to write the same.

I am greatly indebted to the following individuals for having readily and ungrudgingly placed the manuscripts in their possession at my disposal and thus contributed not a little to the success of the editon.

Sri R. B. Srinivasa Bhattacharyulu, Manager, Vaikhanasa Vidyanilayam, Akulamannadu, Krishna District.
Archakam late Peddinti Srinivasa Dikshitulu, Tirupati.
Bhishagraja Sri Deevi Venkatanarasimhacharyulu, Editor, Sri Vaikhanasa Bhagavacchastra Granthamala, Nalluru, Guntur District.

I have to record my sincere thanks to the authorities of Sri Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams for the kind patronage and help they have extended to me in the successful publication of this work. The authorities of the T. T. Devasthanams have always evinced a keen interest in the publication of Vaikhanasa literature. But for the patronage of the T. T. Devasthanams the important Vaikhanasa works namely Vimanarcanakalpa of Mareeci, Samurtarcanadhikaranam of Atri. Jnanakandam of Kasyapa and the Kriyadhikaram and Khiladhikaram of Bhrgu would not have seen the light of day.

I once again thank the authorities for affording me the opportunity to publish this book in print and place it before the world of scholars.

I am extremely indebted to Sri K. Satakopacharya of S. V. O College, Tirupati, for patiently reading through the proofs and offering valuable suggestions to me then and there. My sincere thanks are duejo Sri N.S. Ramanujacharya of Sri Kendriya Sanskrita Vidyapeetha for preparing the list of contents. It is also my duty to express my gratitude to Sri V. Swaminathan of Sri Kendriya Sanskrita Vidya Peetha and Sri K. Srinivasacharya, S. V. Arts College for helping me in writing this introduction.

I find it difficult to give adequate expression to my greatefulness for the T. T. D. Press and especially to the Superintendent of the Press for the neat printing and the fine get up of the book. fort:estrena mentorfærura fæedsforarą i siègefaarana sifaciena zrgerą 11

Tirumala,
R. PARTHASARathi BhattaCHARYA,
19-8-1967.
Agamacharya, T.T.D.