Knowledge of the Vedas in the Śiśupālavadha

The great poet Māgha was not only great by the definition of poet. He had limitless knowledge about ancient Sanskrit literature. The poet Māgha displayed his philosophical knowledge too in the versatile deed Sanskrit epic the Śiśupālavadha. Knowledge of scriptures such as the knowledge of the Veda, Vedāṅgas, Dharma, philosophy, grammar, Āyurveda, Sāṅkhaya, Yoga, Nātyaśastra, astrology, geography, alaṃkāra, metre, kāmaśāstra etc. are scattered here and there in his epic. From these we come to know about the multitalent of Māgha. There is no proof whether the great poet Māgha has written any other books. But there is no disagreement about the fact that he has made an impeccable assemblage of every scripture in his creation the “Śiśupālavadha”. We can see that poet Māgha was well aware of the total Vedic literature.

A person who has immense Knowledge about scriptures and takes no pride in it and takes decision by discussing virtue or faith with persons of different faiths, is worshiped and become famous.

All these are seen in poet Māgha. The meaning of the word Veda is absolute knowledge.

In this context it is said—

“pratyakṣeṇānumitya vā yastūpāyo na vudhyate |
etaṃ vidanti vedena tasmād vedasya vedatā ||”^[1]

Sāyana quoted the above quotation in many places of “Taittirīya saṃhitā and Aitareya Brāhmaṇa.’

Beside this Sāyanācārya said about the Bhāṣya introduction of both saṃhitā—

“iṣṭyaprā—tyaniṣṭa parihārayoralaukikamupāyaṃ ye grantha vedayati sa vedaḥ |”

Sāyana said in his Ṛgveda bhāṣya—

“mantravrāhmaṇayorvedanāmadheyam |”

Manu said about the Veda:

“vedo'khilo dharmamūlam” || 2.6 ||^[2]

In this context winternitz said about Veda—“The word ‘Veda’ means ‘knowledge’. Then “the knowledge par excellence”, i.e. “the sacred, the religious knowledge”—It does not mean one single literary work, as for instance the word ‘koran’, nor a complete collection of a certain number of books, compiled at some particular time, as the word ‘Bible’ (the “book par excellence”), or as the word ‘Tripitaka’ the ‘Bible’ of the Buddhists.

But a whole great literature which arose in the course of many centuries,—

“Veda or Vedic literature” Consists of three different classes of literary works; and to each of these three classes belongs a greater or a smaller number of seperate works of which some have been preserved, but also many lost.”^[3]

Macdonell said about the significance of the Veda that the Veda is sacred and holy knowledge.

At last he said that the Veda is sacred book.

“For ‘veda’ primarily signifying ‘knowledge’ (From vid, ‘to know’), designates ‘sacred lore’ as a branch of literature. Beside this general sense, the word has also the restricted meaning of ‘sacred book’.”^[4]

Māgha was well versed in Karmakāṇḍa and jñānakāṇḍa of the Veda.

We may get this proof in the Śiśupālavadha. The Veda is not created by any man. So it is called Apauruṣeya.

This Veda is described in the third canto of the Śiśupālavadha as a literature uttered by Brahmā.

prajā ivāṅgādaravindanābheḥ śambhīrjaṭājuṭataṭādivāpaḥ |
mukhādivātha śrutayo vidhātuḥ purānnirīyumurajidadhvajinyaḥ || 3.65 ||^[5]

Poet Māgha displayed in his epic Brahmā as vedanidhi (depository of the Veda).

He also said about indestructible of this vedanidhi (depository of the Veda) in the advice of the Veda in the Śiśupālavadha.

“sadopāyoge'pi gurustamakṣayo nidhiḥ śrutīnāṃ—dhanasampadāmiva |”1.28 ||^[6]

The Veda is universal and indestructible. For uttering of the Veda it is important to have Knowledge about vaidic svara. (accent). Due to lack of knowledge of vedic svara (accent) there may be fault in vedic pronounciation.

Lack of proper application of vedic svara (accent) it is changed the meaning of vedic word.

It is said in the Mahābhāṣya.

“duṣṭaḥ śavdaḥ svarato varṇato vā mithyā prayukto na tamarthamāha |
sa vāgvajro yajamānaṃ hinasti yathendraśatruḥ svarato'parādhāt ||”^[7]

The knowledge of Māgha’s vedic accent is reflected in his epic the Śiśupālavadha.

“tadīśitāraṃ cedīnāṃ bhavāṃstamavamaṃsta mā |
nihantyarīnekapade ya udāttaḥ svarāniva ||” 2.95 ||^[8]

Māgha said that as udātta accent dominates anudātta and svarita (accent). Similarly Śiśupāla could also demolish his enemies.

In this context there is a Pāṇinīan law, that is:

“anudāttaṃ padamekavarjam” |

In the ninty fifth verse the second canto poet (mentioned above) Māgha says about the application of the Pāṇinīan laws. It is not possible for a person to read the Veda who has no proper knowledge about vedic svara. (accent).

Poet Māgha said about this in his epic—

“nānāvidhāviṣkṛtasāmajasvaraḥ sahasravalartmā capalairduradhyayaḥ |
gāndharvabhūyiṣṭhatayā samānatāṃ sa sāmavedasya dadhau valodadhiḥ ||”12.11 ||^[9]

The beautiful description of Agnihotra sacrifice in the morning is described by Māgha. According to the śāstras (scriptures) agnihotra lights a fire through enchanting mantra with udātta svara (accent). After this ghṛta is offered to Agni (fire).

We find this nice description in forty first verse of the eleventh canto of the Śiśupālavadha.

“pratiśaraṇamaśīrṇa jyotiragnyāhitānāṃ—
vidhivihitavirivdhaiḥ sāmidhenīradhītya |
kṛtaguruduritoghadhvaṃsamadhvaryavaryyurhutamayam—upalīḍhe sādhu sānnāyyamagniḥ ||”11.41 ||^[10]

Knowledge of grammar is necessary for the knowledge of vedic svara. Otherwise the expected meaning of vedic word will be changed.

Māgha says—

“saṃśayāya dadhatoḥ sarupatāṃ dūrabhinnaphalayoḥ kriyāṃ prati |
śavdaśāsanavidaḥ samāsayorvigrahaṃ vyavasasuḥ svareṇa te ||” 14.24 ||^[11]

Poet Māgha applied some vedic words like yājyā, anuvākyā etc., which remind us about the rules of the Pūrvamīmāṃsā.

The priests, who had knowledge about Mīmāṃsāśāstra can invite gods like Indra etc. offering ghee in the sacrificial ceremony uttering welcome verses. The above matter stands to proof Māgha’s Knowledge of Mīmāṃsāśāstra.

It is seen in the Śiśupālavadha.—

“śāvditāmanapaśavdamutccakairvākya lakṣaṇavido'nu vākyayā |
yājyayā yajanakarmmiṇotyajan dravyajātamapadiśya devatām ||” 14.20 ||^[12]

In this canto Poet Māgha used some technical terms like Kuśamaya, Kuśundikā etc. words of Pūrvamīmāṃsā.

“vaddhadarbhamayakāñcidāmayā vīkṣitāni yajamānajāyayā |
śuṣmaṇi praṇayadādisaṃskṛte terhavīṃṣi juhavāmvabhūvire ||”14.22 ||^[13]

Rājasūya sacrifice is described in fourteenth canto of the Śiśupālavadha and advice of sacrificial ceremony is described in the one hundred seventh verse of the second canto.

“amṛtaṃ nāma yatsanto mantrajihveṣu juhvati ||
śobhaiva mandarakṣavdhakṣubhitāmbhodhivarṇanā” || 2.107 ||^[14]

It proves that Māgha was well versed about vedic Karmakāṇḍa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Yogiraja Basu: Veder Parichaya, p.1.

[2]:

Manabendu Bandyopadhyay: Manusaṃhitā., p.251

[3]:

Maurice winternitz: Op.cit., Vol.I, pp. 52-53.

[4]:

Arthur A. Macdonel: A History of Sanskrit Literature, p. 24

[5]:

Haridasa Siddhantavagisha: Op.cit., p. 138.

[6]:

ibid., p.17.

[7]:

Damadara Ashram, (Ed.): Mahābhāṣya, p. 65.

[8]:

Haridasa Siddhantavagisha: Op.cit., p. 92.

[9]:

ibid., p. 475.

[10]:

ibid., p. 453.

[11]:

ibid., p.559.

[12]:

ibid., p. 557.

[13]:

ibid., p. 558.

[14]:

ibid., p. 97.