Vedanga

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Hindu scriptures
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Vedas
Rigveda · Yajurveda
Samaveda · Atharvaveda
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Aranyaka  · Upanishad
Upanishads
Aitareya · Brihadaranyaka
Isha · Taittiriya · Chandogya
Kena · Mundaka
Mandukya · Prashna
Shvetashvatara
Vedanga
Shiksha · Chandas
Vyakarana · Nirukta
Jyotisha · Kalpa
Itihasa
Mahabharata · Ramayana
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Bhagavad Gita · Purana
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The Vedanga (IAST vedāṅga, "member of the Veda") are six auxiliary disciplines for the understanding and tradition of the Vedas.

  1. Shiksha (śikṣā): phonetics and phonology (sandhi)
  2. Chandas (chandas): meter
  3. Vyakarana (vyākaraṇa): grammar
  4. Nirukta (nirukta): etymology
  5. Jyotisha (jyotiṣa): astrology and astronomy, dealing particularly with the auspicious days for performing sacrifices.
  6. Kalpa (kalpa): ritual

The Vedangas are first mentioned in the Mundaka Upanishad as topics to be observed by students of the Vedas. Later, they developed into independent disciplines, each with its own corpus of Sutras.


[edit] Literature

  • Moritz Winternitz: Geschichte der Indischen Literatur, Leipzig, 1905 - 1922, Vol. I - III. English translation: History of Indian Literatur, Motilal Barnarsidass, Delhi, 1985, Vol I - III

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.