Samayasara

Author(s): A Chakravarti
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

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SAMAYASARA
vidya of the Upanisads is quite opposed to Vedic ritualism based upon sacrifice. The question therefore arises, "How could this theosophic speculation be logically connected with the Vedic form of ceremonialism?" Many important passages in the earlier Upanisads supply us with a clue. Thus in the Chandogya we find five learned Brahmins requesting one Oudgalya to instruct them concerning the Atman; he confessing inability takes them to Asvapati Kaikeya to whom all the six appeal for initiation into the Atmavidya. Again in Bṛhadaranyaka the famous scholar Gargya offers to expound the knowledge of Brahman to the king Ajataśatru of Kāśī. But his explanation is rejected by the king as erroneous whereupon the Vedic scholar presents himself as a disciple to the king to be instructed in the knowledge of Atman. The king does accordingly prefacing his exposition with the remarks that it is a reversal of the rule for a Brahmin to enter himself as a pupil under a Ksatriya in order to have Brahma knowledge expounded to him. Again in the Chandogya, a king figures as the teacher to a priest whom he addresses as follows :-"Oh Gautama! This doctrine has never upto the present time been in circulation among the Brahmins. Therefore in all the world the Government has remained with the warrior caste." From these passages scholars like Deussen and Garbe conclude with a very high degree of probability that the doctrine of the Atman standing as it did in such sharp contrast to all the principles of Vedic ritual was taken up and cultivated primarily not in the Brahmin but in the Ksatriya circle and was adopted by the former in later time. As against this view it is contended that Brahma vidya had its origin in the earlier Vedic literature itself and that the Brahmins themselves had as much to do with it as the Ksatriyas. In order to understand the full significance of this controversy we have to remember certain important and relevant facts.
Even earlier than the Upanisadic period, in the period of Brāhmaṇas we have traces of rivalry between Brahmins and Ksatriyas. We need not go back to the legendary period of Viśvāmitra vs. Vasistha, when the former asserted his equality of status with the latter. What is contained in the Brahmaṇa literature is much more historical than such legendary anecdotes. We have a reference to an Aryan tribe in the countries of Kaśi, Kosala, Videha and Magadha. The term Kāśī is used in plural to denote the people thereof. The Kāśīs and the Videhas were closely related because of their proximity. Sometimes the Videhas were clubbed with the Kosalas. These were always considered by the Kurupāñcālas as a hostile group. It is a fair conclusion that between these two groups of people there did exist some political conflict, probably based upon some difference of culture. The Satapatha Brahmana in which occurs the story of the advance of Aryan civilisation over Kosala and Videha, preserves a clear tradition of its time and furnishes a piece of evidence that in the Kuruparcala country lay a great centre of Brahmana cult. From these it appears to have been brought to the countries of Kasi and Kosala probably by the settlers of a later date. It is probable that the Eastern Countries were less Aryan than