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[Full title: A study of the Vratas in the 骋补峁単腻箩补濒补 II with particular reference to the Vratas practised in 碍腻尘补谤奴辫补]

Researchers both orientalists and occidentalists find it difficult to assert an accurate date to the Vedas. In this regard, M. Winternitz鈥檚 view is worth mentioning. We hold that the probable date of the beginning of the Vedas is 2500-2000 B.C.E and the end of it is between 750-500 B.C.E.^[1] The presant study has focused partly on the Post Vedic period. In this regard M. Krishnamachariar has stated that, the 厂奴迟谤补 literature may rightly be called the connecting link between the Vedic and Post Vedic i.e., Classical Sanskrit literature.^[2] This 厂奴迟谤补 literature does not belong to Vedic literature as it is a kind of literature authored by human beings. It is therefore, 厂奴迟谤补 literature that consists of six 痴别诲腻峁単补蝉 are said as the literature of Post-Vedic period. The 碍补濒辫补蝉奴迟谤补, the second among the six 痴别诲腻峁単补蝉 consists of four literatures viz., 艢谤补耻迟补, 骋峁沨测补, Dharma and 艢奴濒惫补. While the 艢谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补s explain the minuite details of sacrifices revealed in the Vedas, the 骋峁沨测补 rituals deal with the rules and regulations of householder who had to follow there in their day to lives. 顿丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补蝉 on the other hand, deal exclusively with the law and custom formulated by the authors of 顿丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补蝉 or 顿丑补谤尘补艣腻蝉迟谤补.^[2] Thus a 辫谤腻测补艣肠颈迟迟补 蝉奴迟谤补 (that deals with the atonement or expiatory rites), 艣谤腻诲诲丑补办补濒辫补 (that deals with ancestral sacrifices) are nothing but the outcomes of the g峁沨ya蝉奴迟谤补 for better understanding.^[3]

In later times, after the 厂奴迟谤补 period (till the 18^th century CE) there is noticed a class of sacred literature under different heads-such as Prayoga, Paddhati, 碍腻谤颈办腻, 碍补耻尘耻诲墨, Tattva, Bh膩sakara etc., under 厂尘峁泃颈苍颈产补苍诲丑补 class. Here it should be kept in mind that the 厂尘峁泃颈蝉 are the base of 蝉尘腻谤迟补, a literature and the 蝉尘腻谤迟补 school is a conglomeration of the regulations of the g峁沨ya蝉奴迟谤补s in association with the religious codes of Dh.s奴. There are found some other complete works also such as 骋补峁単腻箩补濒补 and 笔奴谤峁嘺肠补苍诲谤补 in the Kamarupa School of Dharmashastra dealing elaborately with the religious regulations of different rites, which are already discussed in the chapter I of the present work.

Regarding the practice of religious festivals in India, Henry C. Brook who was the first scholar to make an attempt on the date of the Veda in 1805 CE while he was writing seriously on the Hindu religious festivals in vogue in India during his stay in India,^[4] may be referred to.

It is worthy to mention here that, Hindu religious festivals are being treated as indispensable parts of the Vratas.^[5] In a broad sense the Vratas and other pertinent festivals owe their origin to the 碍补濒辫补蝉奴迟谤补s, but they are primarily associated with the g峁沨ya蝉奴迟谤补s followed by respective 辫补谤颈艣颈峁ａ弓补蝉 of the concerned Vedas. The dharma蝉奴迟谤补s, the third branch of 碍补濒辫补蝉奴迟谤补s also play a vital role in the growth and development of the vratas and festivals (besides other aspects-the 蝉补峁僺办腻谤补蝉 beginning from the conception of a child to its funeral rites). Therefore the two above aspects are domestic in nature and due to their close-proximity with the household affairs, they prove their association with the g峁沨ya蝉奴迟谤补s in a manner complementary to each other.

Now, focusing upon the Vratas dealt with in the 骋补峁単腻箩补濒补, more precisely the 骋补峁単腻箩补濒补 II, it is obscrved that Damodara Misra has discussed about thirty five Vratas in equal number of sections in the first pariccheda of the same book called Vrataviveka, immediately after the completion of the deliberation on 迟颈迟丑颈辫谤补办补谤补峁嘺. In fact, the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 are the store houses of the Vratas and related festivals, a good number of which are still in practice throughout the length and breadth of our country.

The 痴谤补迟补办辞艣补, although draws criticism from P.V. Kane, has recorded 1622 vratas.^[6] In comparison to the Vratas of the above works D膩modara Mi艣ra has selected some vratas many of which have pan-Indian importance and only a few that highlight local customs to a great extent. The Vratas that bear the pan-Indian features have been grouped in general class and those representing local customs the particular class. The prevalence of the second group of Vratas in 碍腻尘补谤奴辫补 can be assummed from the royal inscriptions and notifications of the respective kings. For example, the Borg膩on grant of king Ratnap膩la refers to 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫补诲墨蝉补峁僰谤腻苍迟颈 (sa峁僰r膩ntau vi峁ａ箛upady膩帽ca pa帽cavi峁兣浤乥dar膩jyake), Howr膩gh膩t plate of king Valavarma refers to 艢补办谤辞峁�峁�丑腻苍补 [艢补办谤辞迟迟丑腻苍补?]; (艣补办谤辞峁�峁�丑腻苍别惫颈诲丑颈苍补惫谤蝉补尘诲补迟迟补), Nag膩on plate of king Valavarma refers to fasting (ann膩艣ana vidhin膩 v墨rastejas墨). The Copper plate inscription of the Devighar dated 1705 艣补办补

era of king Gaur墨n膩th 厂颈峁僪补 refers to Goddess 顿耻谤驳腻 (产丑补驳补惫补迟测腻诲补艣补产丑奴箩补测辞耻蝉谤颈诲耻谤驳腻诲别惫测补丑), M膩gh墨sa峁僰r膩nti, Vai艣膩khasa峁僰r膩nti, 碍腻谤迟颈办补蝉补峁僰谤腻苍迟颈, 艢颈惫补肠补迟耻谤诲补艣墨, 顿奴谤产腻峁ａ弓补尘墨 [顿奴谤驳腻峁ａ弓补尘墨?], 顿辞濒测腻迟谤腻 [顿辞濒补测腻迟谤腻?] are referred to in the copper plate inscription of 顿颈谤驳丑别艣飞补谤墨 temple of king Sivasi峁僪a (1661 艣补办补), the land grant copper plate inscription of the 厂颈诲诲丑别艣惫补谤补 temple (1645 艣补办补) issued by king 艢ivasi峁僪a refers to 惭腻驳丑墨蝉补峁僰谤补苍迟颈, 痴补颈艣腻办丑墨, 础艣辞办腻峁ａ弓补尘墨, 艢颈惫补谤腻迟谤墨 etc. besides four 贰办腻诲补艣墨蝉 and 顿辞濒测腻迟谤腻 [顿辞濒测腻迟谤腻?]. These inscriptional records indicate that, different Vratas and related festivals were in practice in those days and these are still in vogue in Assam.

Out of them thirty five Vratas, only fourteen vratas are taken up here for elaboration in an alphabetic order in two groups鈥�(a) general (b) particular.

The General vratas are鈥�

1. 础驳补蝉迟测腻谤驳丑测补,
2. 叠丑墨峁�m腻峁ａ弓补尘墨,
3. Ekabhakta,
4. Nakta,
5. 厂补辫迟补尘墨,
6. 鲍辫补惫腻蝉补,
7. 驰耻驳腻诲颈.

Particular vratas are鈥�

1. 础尘产耻惫腻肠墨,
2. 叠丑奴尘颈诲腻丑补,
3. Caitra Madana Trayoda艣墨,
4. 贬补濒补惫腻丑补苍补-苍颈峁�e诲丑补,
5. 艢补办谤辞峁�峁�丑腻苍补 [艢补办谤辞迟迟丑腻苍补?],
6. 艢补测补苍腻诲颈.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Winternitz, M., A History of Indian Literature, Vol-I., p. 288

[2]:

Krishnamachariar, M., History of Classical Sanskrit Literature, Introduction, p.xii

[3]:

Majumdar, R.C., The Vedic Age, pp. 479, 481

[4]:

Sarma, Thaneswara, Sanskrit S膩hityar Itib峁泃ta, p.78

[5]:

Catuevedi, Purusottam, Bh膩rat墨ya Vratotsava, p.252

[6]:

Hosingha, Jagannath Sastri, 痴谤补迟补办辞艣补, P. 323