A P A U R U S H E Y A T V A
Part of a series on
Hindu philosophy
Schools
Samkhya Nyaya
Vaisheshika Yoga
Purva Mimamsa Vedanta
Schools of Vedanta
Advaita Vishishtadvaita
Dvaita
Important figures
Kapila Gotama
Kanada Patañjali
Jaimini Vyasa
Medieval
Adi Shankara Ramanuja
Madhva Madhusudana
Vedanta Desika Jayatirtha
Modern
Ramakrishna Ramana
Vivekananda Narayana Guru
Aurobindo Sivananda
In Hinduism, Apaurusheyatva (IAST: Apauruṣeya), Sanskrit, "being
unauthored", is used to describe the Vedas, the main scripture in
Hinduism. This implies that the Vedas are not authored by any
agency, be it human or divine. Apaurusheya shabda ("unauthored
word") is an extension of apaurusheya which refers to the Vedas.
Apaurusheyatva is a central concept in the Vedanta and Mimamsa
schools of Hindu philosophy. These schools accept the Vedas as
svatah pramana ("self-evident means of knowledge"). These schools
accept that the Vedas were "seen" by the Rishis. However, that the
Rishis "saw" the Vedic hymns does not necessarily mean that the
hymns were composed by them. The Mimamsa school asserts that since
the Vedas are composed of words and the words are composed of
phonemes, the phonemes being eternal, the Vedas are also eternal. To
this, if asked whether all words and sentences are eternal, the
Mimamsa philosophers reply that the rules behind combination of
phonemes are fixed and pre-determined for the Vedas, unlike other
words and sentences. The Vedanta school also accepts this line of
argument.
A R Y A
Arya
This article is about the religious interpretations of the term, for
other uses please see Arya (disambiguation).
Arya is a Sanskrit and Avestan word used by Zoroastrians, Hindus,
Buddhists and Jains, and has a variety of positive meanings, usually
in religious contexts.
Etymology and derived words
"Arya" can also be spelled in the form of any of the following
Sanskrit words:
Arya is related to the Indo-European word "Aristocracy" and was used
in the same context in Vedic tradition, as a designation for moral
and spiritual heroes. [citation needed] Later this term came to
signify anyone of good and noble character.
1. aryá- or aryà- is an adjective meaning "kind", "favorable",
or "devoted".
2. aryáḥ or áryaḥ is a noun meaning "master" or "lord".
3. ā´rya- is an adjective derived from the second of the above
meaning "respectable", "honorable", or "noble"; also "belonging to
the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, or vaiśya varṇas.
4. ā´ryaḥ is a noun corresponding to the adjective above,
meaning "an honorable or respectable man", "a master", "an
owner", "a member of the three highest varṇas" (named above), or
particularly "a Vaiśya."
The two last forms are the most common, and are the subject of this
article.
The important Sanskrit lexicon Amarakośa (ca. 450 AD) defines ārya
thus: "An ārya is one who hails from a noble family, of gentle
behavior and demeanor, good-natured and of righteous conduct.
(mahākula kulinārya sabhya sajjana sadhavah.)"
In Pāli and other Prakrits, ārya developed various forms such as
ariya, ayya, ajja, and aje. The last of these gave rise to the
honorific term -ji, which is used following a proper name, for
example in Gandhiji.
Ārya- was also frequently used as a prefix of honor attached to
names, and sometimes as an integral part of a person's name. E.g.,
Āryāsaṅga is the name of a Buddhist philosopher and author [2],
and
Āryabhaṭa is the name of an Indian mathematician.
In Sanskrit and related Indic languages, however, the sense of ārya
as a distinct ethnic group is either weak or absent; ārya is in
general either a term of approbation or refers to one's standing in
the varṇa system: an arya is a free man and not a member of a lower
caste or a slave. This social standing was not, however, necessarily
related to ethnic, linguistic, or racial identity. At an early
period, the cultural area where the varṇa system was used, along
with the linguistic area where Indic languages were spoken, would
have been nearly the same. This region (northern and central India;
the Indus and Ganges plains) was called Āryāvarta, meaning "abode of
the noble people". At present, these cultural and linguistic spheres
overlap but are quite distinct from each other.
The Western interpretation of ārya as the name of a particular race
became known in India in the 19th century and was generally accepted
by Hindus and Hindu nationalists, though combined with religious
self-identification. Vivekananda remarked: "...it is the Hindus who
have all along called themselves Aryas. Whether of pure or mixed
blood, the Hindus are Aryas; there it rests." (Vivekananda, Complete
Works vol.5)
Iranian airiia
The interpretation of the Sanskrit words in Europe was influenced by
the cognate words in Avestan:
airya meaning "nobly born" and "respectable", but
also "Iranian"
airyana or "Iranian"
"Iranian", as used above, refers to all the speakers of the Iranian
languages, at the time not yet differentiated from each other at the
time of the composition of the Zoroastrian Yashts texts, where
Zarathustra is described to have lived in Airyanem Vaejah
meaning "Expansion of Aryans". The word "Iran" (Ērān) itself comes
from Proto-Iranian *Aryānām "(land) of the Aryas (Iranian)". Airya
was distinguished from anairya, non-Iranian, and is clearly to be
understood as the name of a self-identified nation, ethnic group, or
linguistic group. The word and concept of Airyanem Vaejah is present
in the name of the country Iran (lit. Land of Aryans) which is a
modern-Persian form of the word "Aryana" (lit. Country of Aryans).
[1]
The word "arya" (in the form āriyā, آریا), in
the modern Persian
language, also means "noble", "Aryan", or "Iranian" The word is both
related to language and ethnicity and is found in various forms of
boys' and girls' names. "Aryan" is also commonly used as a boy's
name in various Indic languages.
Religious uses
The term ārya is often found in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain texts. In
the Indian spiritual context it can be applied to Rishis or to
someone who has mastered the four noble truths and entered upon the
spiritual path. The religions of India are sometimes called
collectively ārya dharma, a term that includes the religions that
originated in India (e.g. Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma), Buddhism,
Jainism, Sikhism).
Hinduism
In the Vedas
The term Arya is used 36 times in 34 hymns in the Rig Veda.
According to Talageri (2000, The Rig Veda-A historical
analysis) "the particular Vedic Aryans of the Rigveda were one
section among these Purus, who called themselves Bharatas." Thus it
is possible, according to Talageri, that at one point Arya did refer
to a specific tribe.
In the Epics
Arya and Anarya are primarily used in the moral sense in the Hindu
Epics. People are usually called Arya or Anarya based on their
behaviour.
Ramayana
In the Ramayana, the term Arya can also apply to Raksasas or to
Ravana, if their behaviour was "Aryan". In several instances, the
Vanaras and Raksasas called themselves Arya. The monkey king
Surgriva is called an Arya (Ram: 505102712) and he also speaks of
his brother Valin as an Arya (Ram: 402402434). In another instance
in the Ramayana, Ravana regards himself and his ministers as Aryas
(Ram: 600600512).
In the Ramayana (202901512) Rama describes a Suta as Arya and the
Raksasa Indrajit even calls Rama an Anarya (Ramayana: 607502112). [2]
The Ramayana describes Rama as: arya sarva samascaiva sadaiva
priyadarsanah, meaning "Arya, who worked for the equality of all and
was dear to everyone."
Mahabharata
In the Mahabharata, the terms Arya or Anarya are often applied to
people according to their behaviour. Dushasana, who tried to disrobe
Draupadi in the Kaurava court, is called an "Anarya"
(Mbh:0020600253). Vidura, the son of a Dasi born from Vyasa, was the
only person in the assembly whose behaviour is called "Arya",
because he was the only one who openly protested when Draupadi was
being disrobed by Dushasana. The Pandavas called themselves "Anarya"
in the Mahabharata (0071670471) when they killed Drona through
deception.
According to the Mahabharata, a person's behaviour (not wealth or
learning) determines if he can be called an Arya [3]. [4]
Modern uses in Hinduism
According to Swami Vivekananda, "A child materially born is not an
Aryan; the child born in spirituality is an Aryan." He further
elaborated, referring to the Manu Smriti: "Says our great law-giver,
Manu, giving the definition of an Aryan, "He is the Aryan, who is
born through prayer". Every child not born through prayer is
illegitimate, according to the great law-giver: "The child must be
prayed for. Those children that come with curses, that slip into the
world, just in a moment of inadvertence, because that could not be
prevented - what can we expect of such progeny?..."(Swami
Vivekananda, Complete Works vol.8)
Swami Dayananda founded a Dharmic organisation Arya Samaj in 1875.
Jainism
The word Arya is also often used in Jainism. The word occurs
frequently in the Jain text Pannavanasutta.
Buddhism
The word ārya (Pāli: ariya), in the sense "noble" or "exalted", is
very frequently used in Buddhist texts to designate a spiritual
warrior or hero, which use this term much more often than Hindu or
Jain texts. Buddha's Dharma and Vinaya are the ariyassa
dhammavinayo. The four noble truths are called the catvāry
āryasatyāni (Sanskrit) or cattāri ariyasaccāni (Pali). The
noble
eightfold path is called the āryamārga (Sanskrit, also
āryāṣṭāṅgikamārga) or ariyamagga
(Pāli). Buddhists themselves are
called ariyapuggalas (Arya persons). In Buddhist texts, the āryas
are those who have the Buddhist śīla (Pāli sīla, meaning
"virtue")
and follow the Buddhist path. Those who despise Buddhism are often
called "anāryas".
In Buddhism, those who spiritually attain to atleast "stream entry"
and better are considered Arya Pudgala, or the Arya people.
In Chinese Buddhist texts, ārya is translated as "sheng", while in
Japanese texts the term is translated as "sei".
The spiritual character of the use of the term ārya in Buddhist
texts can also be seen in the Mahavibhasa and in the Yogacarabhumi.
The Mahāvibhasa [5] states that only the noble ones (āryas) realize
all four of the four noble truths (āryasatyāni) and that only a
noble wisdom understands them fully. The same text also describes
the āryas as the ones who "have understood and realized about the
[truth of] suffering, (impermanence, emptiness, and no-self)" and
who "understand things as they are". [6]. In another text, the
Yogācārabhūmi (Taishō 1579, vol. xx, 364b10-15), the
āryas are
described as being free from the viparyāsas (misconceptions).
Several Buddhist texts show that the "ārya path" was taught to
everybody, including the āryas, Dasyus, Devas, Gandharvas and
Asuras. The Bhaiṣajyavastu (from the
Mūlasarvāstivādavinaya)
describes a story of Buddha teaching his Dharma to the Four Heavenly
Kings (Catvāraḥ Mahārājāḥ) of the four
directions. In this story,
the guardians of the east (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) and the south
(Virūḍhaka)
are āryajatiya (āryas) who speak Sanskrit, while the guardians of
the west (Virūpākṣa) and the north (Vaiśravaṇa) are
dasyujatiya
(Dasyus) who speak Dasyu languages. In order to teach his Dharma,
Buddha has to deliver his discourse in Aryan and Dasyu languages.
This story describes Buddha teaching his Dharma to the āryas and
Dasyus alike.[7] The Karaṇḍavyūha (a Mahāyāna
sūtra) describes how
Avalokiteśvara taught the ārya Dharma to the asuras, yakṣas and
rakṣasas. [8]
See also
Indo-Iranian languages and Indo-European languages.
Indo-Aryan languages
A S H R A M
Ashram
An Ashram (Pronounced 'aashram') in ancient India was a Hindu
hermitage where sages (See Rishi) lived in peace and tranquility
amidst nature. Spiritual and physical exercises, such as the various
forms of Yoga, were regularly performed by the hermitage residents.
Other sacrifices and penances, such as Yajnas were also performed.
Many Ashrams also served as Gurukuls or residential schools for
children. The word ashram is derived from the Sanskrit 'aashraya',
which means 'protection'. (In the pronunciation of 'aashraya', the
ending 'a' is not lengthened to 'aa'.)
Ashrams have been a powerful symbol throughout Hindu history and
theology. Most Hindu kings until the medieval ages are known to have
had a sage who would advise the royal family in spiritual matters,
or in times of crisis, who was called the rajguru (Literally 'royal
teacher'). A world-weary emperor going to this guru's ashram, and
finding solace and tranquility, is a recurring motif in many
folktales and legends of ancient India.
Ashrams were usually located far from human habitation, inside
forests or mountainous regions, amidst refreshing natural
surroundings conducive to spiritual instruction and meditation.
Sometimes, the goal of a pilgrimage to the ashram was not
tranquility, but instruction in some art, especially warfare. In the
epic Ramayana, the protagonist princes of ancient Ayodhya, Ram and
Laxman, go to the Rishi Vishvamitra's ashram to protect his Yajnas
from being defiled by emissary-demons of Ravana. After they prove
their mettle, the princes receive martial instruction from the sage,
especially in the use of enchanted weapons, called Divyastras
(Sanskrit Divya: Enchanted + Astra: Missile Weapon. The Sanskrit
word 'astra' means missile weapon, such as an arrow; as opposed
to 'shastra', which means a hand-to-hand weapon, such as a mace.) In
the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna, in his youth, goes to the ashram of
Sage Sandiipanii, to gain knowledge of both intellectual and
spiritual matters.
Sometimes, the word is used as a synonym of matha, but mathas are
generally more hierarchical and rule-bound than ashrams, belonging
to ancient orders of Hindu sadhus (Renunciants who are still
searching for realization, as opposed to Rishis who have found it.)
Today, the term ashram is used to refer to an intentional community
formed primarily for spiritual upliftment of its members, often
headed by a religious leader or mystic.
A number of Ashrams have been founded in India in the 20th century
as well, most notably the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad which served
as Mahatma Gandhi's headquarters during the long struggle for
India's independence and Aurobindo Ashram, founded in Pondicherry by
the Bengali revolutionary-turned-Hindu-mystic Aurobindo Ghosh.
The world-famous Karar-Ashram in Puri, in the state of Orissa, India
was founded by Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri in 1903. Up to this day, the
ashram is maintained and, having had such illustrious heads as Swami
Satyananda Giri, and Paramahamsa Hariharananda, its monastics are
still teaching Kriya Yoga which became very popular in the western
world through Paramahansa Yogananda. At present the Karar Ashram is
being headed by Swami Yogeswarananda Giri, the self realised master
and foremost disciple of Paramahansa Hariharananda. Swami
Yogeswarananda is also a master of Cosmic astrology profounded by
Sri Yukteswar. He is a living a example of highest state of self
realisation possible in this physical body. Swami Yogeswarananda
continues to teach as per his Guru tradition that self realisation
is the birth right of every individual irrespective of caste, creed
and religion.
See also
Varnashrama dharma
A S T I K A
Astika
Astika (Sanskrit:Āstika, "one who acknowledges") is a term used in
Hinduism to refer to a person or philosophical school that accepts
the Vedas. The term Astika is sometimes loosely translated as theist
while Nastika as atheist. This may not be entirely accurate as the
belief concerned is in the Vedas as a revealed scripture. It is
notable that within the Astika schools of Hindu philosophy, the
Samkhya and the early Mimamsa school do not accept a God in their
respective systems (see Atheism in Hinduism). However, the other
four schools namely, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Yoga and Vedanta as well as
the later Mimamsa (Seshvara Mimamsa) school accept a God in their
respective philosophical systems.
Elaborations
The terms astika and nastika are a traditional classification of
Indian schools of thought. Astika refers to those schools that
accept the revealed authority of the Vedas as supreme scripture.
This includes the four major sects: Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism
and Smartism. It does not have to be just these sects, it can be
any, including a Hindu worshipping their ancestors as Hinduism
points out there is no difference between worshipping God and
worshipping a great devotee of God. Nastika refers to all traditions
that reject and deny the scriptural authority of the Vedas. This has
included in the past Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, the Charvaka
materialists and others. However Sikhs, Jains and the first devotees
of the Buddha were indeed Astika as they were Hindus.
See also
Nastika
HINDU PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPTS
wiki
***************************************************************************
Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg
Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia
***************************************************************************
__________________________________________________________________________
Mohon Perhatian:
1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik)
2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari.
3. Reading only, http://dear.to/ppi
4. Satu email perhari: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
5. No-email/web only: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
6. kembali menerima email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
