Kalpa (Vedanga)

Part of a series on
Hindu scriptures
Vedas Rigveda Samaveda Yajurveda Atharvaveda Divisions Samhita Brahmana Aranyaka Upanishads
Vedangas Shiksha Chandas Vyakarana Nirukta Kalpa Jyotisha
Upanishads Rig vedic Aitareya Yajur vedic Brihadaranyaka Isha Taittiriya Katha Shvetashvatara Sama vedic Chandogya Kena Atharva vedic Mundaka Mandukya Prashna
Puranas Brahma puranas Brahma Brahmānda Brahmavaivarta Markandeya Bhavishya Vaishnava puranas Vishnu Bhagavata Naradeya Garuda Padma Vamana Shaiva puranas Shiva Linga Skanda Vayu Agni Kurma Matsya
Itihasa Ramayana Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita)
Other scriptures Manu Smriti Artha Shastra Agama Tantra Sutra Stotra Dharmashastra Divya Prabandha Tevaram Ramcharitmanas Yoga Vasistha Swara yoga Shiva Samhita Samarsar Narpatijacharya Yamalas Goraksha Samhita Panchadasi Vedantasara
Scripture classification Sruti Smriti
Timeline Hindu texts
v t e

Kalpa is one of the six disciplines of Vedanga, treating ritual.

Tradition does not single out any special work in this branch of the Vedanga; but sacrificial practice gave rise to a large number of systematic sutras for the several classes of priests. A number of these works have been passed down, and they occupy by far the most prominent place among the literary productions of the sūtra-period. The Kalpa-sūtras, or rules of ceremonial, are of two kinds: (1) the Śrautasūtras, which are based on the shruti, and teach the performance of the great sacrifices, requiring three or five sacrificial fires; and (2) the Smartasūtras, or rules based on the smrti or tradition. The latter class again includes two kinds of treatises: (1) the Grhyasutras,^[1][2] or domestic rules, treating the rites of passage, such as marriage, birth, namegiving, etc., connected with simple offerings into the domestic fire; and (2) the Dharmasutras, which treat customs and social duties, and have formed the chief sources of the later law-books. Further, the Śrauta-sūtras of the Yajurveda have usually include a set of so-called Shulva-sutras, i.e. rules of the cord, which treat of the measurement by means of cords, and the construction, of different kinds of altars required for sacrifices. These treatises are of special interest as supplying important information regarding the earliest geometrical operations in India. Along with the Sutras may be classed a large number of supplementary treatises, usually called Pariśiṣṭa (परिशिष्ट), on various subjects connected with the sacred texts and Vedic religion generally.

Śrauta Sutras

The Śrautasutras (śrautasūtra) form a part of the corpus of Sanskrit Sutra literature. Their topics include instructions relating to the use of the shruti corpus in ritual ('kalpa') and the correct performance of rituals as such. Some early Shrautasutras were composed in the late Brahmana period (such as the Baudhyanana and Vadhula Sutras), but the bulk of the Shrautasutras are roughly contemporary to the Grhya corpus of domestic sutras, their language being late Vedic Sanskrit, dating to the middle of the first millennium BCE (generally predating Panini).

Grhyasutras

The Grhyasutras "domestic sutras" are a category of Sanskrit texts prescribing Vedic ritual, mainly relating to rites of passage. Their language is late Vedic Sanskrit, and they date to around roughly 500 BCE, contemporary with the Shrautasutras. They are named after Vedic shakhas.

Dharma Sutras

The Dharmasutras are texts dealing with custom, rituals, and law. They include the four surviving written works of the ancient Indian tradition on the subject of dharma, or the rules of behavior recognized by a community. Unlike the later Dharmashastra, the dharmasutras are composed in prose. The oldest Dharmasutra is generally believed to have been that of Apastamba, followed by the dharmasutras of Gautama, Baudhayana, and an early version of Vasishtha. It is difficult to determine exact dates for these texts, but the dates between 500–300 BCE have been suggested for the oldest Dharmasutras. Later Dharmasutras include those of Kasyapa, Brhaspati, and Ushanas.

Shulba Sutras

The Śulbasûtra deal with Shrauta ritual and altar geometries.

Notes

References

• Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press 

See also

• Kalpasutra (Jain) – the Jain Scriptures
• Mimamsa
• Orthopraxy