शिरोव्रतम् नाम किम्?

89 views
Skip to first unread message

V Subrahmanian

unread,
Mar 19, 2018, 11:23:23 PM3/19/18
to BHARATIYA VIDVAT
At the end of the Mundakopanishat occurs this mantra:

तदेतदृचाभ्युक्तम् — 
क्रियावन्तः श्रोत्रिया ब्रह्मनिष्ठाः स्वयं जुह्वत एकर्षिं श्रद्धयन्तः । 
तेषामेवैतां ब्रह्मविद्यां वदेत शिरोव्रतं विधिवद्यैस्तु चीर्णम् ॥ १० ॥ 

This vidya is to be given to those who have performed/observed the 'shirovratam'.  Shankara in his commentary says:  शिरोव्रतंशिरस्यग्निधारणलक्षणम् । यथा आथर्वणानां वेदव्रतं प्रसिद्धम् । यैस्तु यैश्च तत् चीर्णं विधिवत् यथाविधानं तेषामेव वदेत ॥ 

It appears that there is such a vrata mentioned in the Atharva Veda.  It involves bearing fire on the head.  Are any scholars aware of the vrata of this nature in the Atharva Veda?

In the Devi Bhagavatam, Skanda Puranam, etc. there is a 'shirovratam' mentioned but that is different from the one Shankara is referring to:


Sri Appayya Dikshitar too, in his Vaadanakshatra maala, has cited the type of vrata from the Non-Atharva Veda (that Shankara has cited), etc. source, involving reciting the Atharva Shira mantras 'agniriti bhasma, etc.'  

Any information on the above topic is welcome.

Thanks and regards
subrahmanian.v    

   


Sathyawageeswar Subramanian

unread,
Apr 1, 2018, 2:05:40 PM4/1/18
to भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्
namaste,

shri animesh nagar (blog: https://animeshnagarblog.wordpress.com/) writes that the paashupata vrata referred to in the rudra atharva sheersha is also called the shirovrata, and has shared the attached image of a tract therein (which appears to be what the the original post mentions as being quoted by appayya dikshitar). 

The following are some related posts in the advaita list, in case they might have been missed:


There is also this mention - 
तस्मात्सर्वसाधारणं पाशुपतव्रत मेवेह शिरोव्रतम्

in the Śivārkamaṇidīpikā :

https://github.com/gsireesh/CU-SARIT/blob/master/%C5%9Aiv%C4%81rkama%E1%B9%87id%C4%ABpik%C4%81/vol_2/286.txt

bhaTTa bhAskara seems to mention shirovrata in the bhASya on the taittirIya samhitA. This document has it on the second page:

शिरोव्रतस्यातिथ्यस्य नवकपालत्वान् नवधा विप्यूतं परस्परस्यूतं ...

Hope these might be useful!

Humble regards,
Sathya

V Subrahmanian

unread,
Apr 1, 2018, 2:55:30 PM4/1/18
to BHARATIYA VIDVAT
On Sun, Apr 1, 2018 at 10:39 PM, Sathyawageeswar Subramanian <sathy...@gmail.com> wrote:
namaste,

shri animesh nagar (blog: https://animeshnagarblog.wordpress.com/) writes that the paashupata vrata referred to in the rudra atharva sheersha is also called the shirovrata, and has shared the attached image of a tract therein (which appears to be what the the original post mentions as being quoted by appayya dikshitar). 

The following are some related posts in the advaita list, in case they might have been missed:


There is also this mention - 
तस्मात्सर्वसाधारणं पाशुपतव्रत मेवेह शिरोव्रतम्

in the Śivārkamaṇidīpikā :

https://github.com/gsireesh/CU-SARIT/blob/master/%C5%9Aiv%C4%81rkama%E1%B9%87id%C4%ABpik%C4%81/vol_2/286.txt

bhaTTa bhAskara seems to mention shirovrata in the bhASya on the taittirIya samhitA. This document has it on the second page:

शिरोव्रतस्यातिथ्यस्य नवकपालत्वान् नवधा विप्यूतं परस्परस्यूतं ...

Thanks for the response and the references.  The line stated by you in the Bhattabhaskara bhashya is:



Taking it further, in the next page of the pdf is this line:



There is a term 'आतिथ्य' which might have a special meaning in the context of the yajna. This ' आतिथ्य  is stated to be the शिरस्स्थानीय' of the yajna.  It looks like the aatithya is figuratively called 'shirah' being its superior, primary, status in a yajna. Something like 'tarkashiromani' where the scholarship is very high. In the second image we have 'शिरस्स्थानीये आतिथ्ये तेजो दधाति स्थापयति. This appears to mean that 'aatithya' is some vessel or contrivance used in a yajna and agni is placed in it. 

By a stretch of imagination one may connect this to Shankaracharya's commentary:  शिरोव्रतं  =  शिरस्यग्निधारणलक्षणम् । यथा आथर्वणानां वेदव्रतं प्रसिद्धम् । Here we have the word 'shiras' and 'agnidhaaranam'. If by 'shiras' he figuratively meant the aatithyam of the above bhatta bhaskara bhashya, then the dhaaranam of agni in it, sthaapanam as said in the  bhatta bhaskara bhashya, then there seems to be a connection.

Yet, Shankara bhashya says clearly that this ritual is 'prasiddha' among Atharvanika-s. Also Shankara's words give one the feeling of a literal bearing of fire on one's head.  If all these are sorted out, maybe we arrive at a solution. Still, an explicit reference in the Atharvana Veda/samhita/brahmana for Shirovrata with the vidhanam as said in the Shankara bhashya  यैश्च तत् चीर्णं विधिवत् यथाविधानं , then a clear picture will emerge. 

Thanks once again for providing this Tai.Sam. bhashyam reference. Maybe a corresponding Sayana Bhashya for this very same portion will throw up some interesting thing. 

I have also gone through the discussion links you have provided. I also wrote to Sri Animesh privately but have not got a reply yet. 

warm regards
subrahmanian.v  

Sathyawageeswar Subramanian

unread,
Apr 1, 2018, 9:46:05 PM4/1/18
to भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/bvparishat/LuSfcJmCeQ4/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to bvparishat+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to bvpar...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
IMG-20180329-WA0005.jpg

V Subrahmanian

unread,
Apr 1, 2018, 10:10:24 PM4/1/18
to BHARATIYA VIDVAT
Thanks for the attachment that contains the paashupata vratam in the Atharva Shira upanishat. In many prints the words in the fifth mantra appear thus:  'यस्माद्व्रतमिदं पाशुपतं भस्म नाङ्गानि संस्पृशेत्' | I checked in another edition which correctly gives the words as  'यस्माद्व्रतमिदं पाशुपतं भस्मनाङ्गानि संस्पृशेत्'  which alone will give the correct meaning: one should apply bhasma in the various body parts: bhasmanaa angaani sampsprushet. 

It now appears that the term shirovratam appears in at least three known sources: Devi Bhagavatam, Skanda Puranam and the Taittiriya Samhita bhashyam.  The one that is not yet discovered by us is in the Atharva Veda that Shankara alludes to in the Mundaka Bhashyam. While the first two look like usage of bhasma and no fire, the third has use of fire but no bhasma. The Atharva veda source too appears to involve use of agni (and no bhasma).  

regards
subrahmanian.v


R. N. iyengar

unread,
Apr 1, 2018, 10:13:32 PM4/1/18
to bvpar...@googlegroups.com
Dear Sri Subrahmanian,

The Atharva-veda-paris'is.t.a has the following about veda-vrata and s'irovrata.

(Pariśiṣṭa_40. pāśupatavratam)
(AVParis_40,1.1) om atha pāśupatavratādeśo
(AVParis_40,1.2) nāśrotriyāya nācaritavedavratāya nākṛtavapanāya dadīta ||

(Pariśiṣṭa_46. uttamapaṭalam)
(AVParis_46,1.1) atha vedavratasyādeśanavidhiṃ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ ||
(AVParis_46,1.2) sāṃvatsarikaṃ vedavratam ||
(AVParis_46,1.3) kalpānāṃ ṣāṇmāsikam ||
(AVParis_46,1.4) romanakhāni dhārayet triṣavaṇaṃ tu snāyād dhaviṣyam aśnīyān na tu naktam
aṇūn māśān masūrāṃs tu ||
(AVParis_46,1.5) daṇḍamathitam uddhṛtasnehaṃ nāśīyāt ||
(AVParis_46,1.6) daṇḍakamaṇḍaludhāraṇaṃ vāsaś cāthorṇam
(AVParis_46,1.7) śirasvrataṃ ca sāṃvatsarikaṃ vedavratenaiva vyākhyātam ||
(AVParis_46,1.8) atha pramāṇāni vakṣyāmo
(AVParis_46,1.9) yamānāṃ mitrasya mṛgārthasyākṣīrākṣārabhojanam ayugmam āchādanam
anantarhitā śayyā......

(AVParis_49,4.11) tatra brahmavede 'ṣṭādaśa vratāni cariṣyan sāvitrīvratam/ vedavratam/
vedottaravratam/ mailavratam/ mailottaravratam/ mṛgāravratam/ rohitavratam/ viṣāsahivratam/
yamavratam/ śāntivratam/ śikhivratam/ gaṇavratam/ śirovratam/ śikhāvratam/ marudvaratam/
adhivratam/ aṅgirovratam/ pāśupatavrataṃ caret ||

AVP seems to define the terms vrata and kalpa by the length of observing the rite.
This is for your information.
regards
RNI

V Subrahmanian

unread,
Apr 1, 2018, 10:19:42 PM4/1/18
to BHARATIYA VIDVAT
Dear Sir,

Many thanks for this information which looks like we are very close to the answer.  If we are able to get at any vyakhyana/bhashya for these portions, if any, then more light may be available.  What is interesting is the word 'paasupatavratam' too included in the list, which is legitimately, as we have seen, is there in the Atharva Shira Upanishat, which Sri Appayya Dikshitar has alluded to.  So, A bhashya, of Sayana or any other, for this portion stated by you would be most helpful, I think.

warm regards
subrahmanian.v  
 
On Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 8:53:23 AM UTC+5:30, V Subrahmanian wrote:
At the end of the Mundakopanishat occurs this mantra:

तदेतदृचाभ्युक्तम् — 
क्रियावन्तः श्रोत्रिया ब्रह्मनिष्ठाः स्वयं जुह्वत एकर्षिं श्रद्धयन्तः । 
तेषामेवैतां ब्रह्मविद्यां वदेत शिरोव्रतं विधिवद्यैस्तु चीर्णम् ॥ १० ॥ 

This vidya is to be given to those who have performed/observed the 'shirovratam'.  Shankara in his commentary says:  शिरोव्रतंशिरस्यग्निधारणलक्षणम् । यथा आथर्वणानां वेदव्रतं प्रसिद्धम् । यैस्तु यैश्च तत् चीर्णं विधिवत् यथाविधानं तेषामेव वदेत ॥ 

It appears that there is such a vrata mentioned in the Atharva Veda.  It involves bearing fire on the head.  Are any scholars aware of the vrata of this nature in the Atharva Veda?

In the Devi Bhagavatam, Skanda Puranam, etc. there is a 'shirovratam' mentioned but that is different from the one Shankara is referring to:


Sri Appayya Dikshitar too, in his Vaadanakshatra maala, has cited the type of vrata from the Non-Atharva Veda (that Shankara has cited), etc. source, involving reciting the Atharva Shira mantras 'agniriti bhasma, etc.'  

Any information on the above topic is welcome.

Thanks and regards
subrahmanian.v    

   



--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to bvparishat+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

V Subrahmanian

unread,
Apr 3, 2018, 6:11:07 AM4/3/18
to BHARATIYA VIDVAT
In the Rangaramanuja bhashya for the Mundakopanishat, for the stated mantra and the term 'shirovratam', the explanation is:


....सिरसि अङ्गारपात्रधारणलक्षणमाथर्वणिकानां वेदव्रतत्वेन प्रसिद्धं..... [From this it is known that there is a ritual where one has to bear the vessel/basin containing fire.] This explanation is close to Shankara's 'शिरस्यग्निधारणलक्षणम्.....




MVSSP AGNI

unread,
Apr 4, 2018, 12:07:42 AM4/4/18
to भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्
is this the reason the shikha (brahma puchham) of traditional sanyasees is closed with cloth . means this is still in practice. does it relate to the activation of sahasrara chakra?


On Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 8:53:23 AM UTC+5:30, V Subrahmanian wrote:
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages