Month: June 2023

The Atharva Veda Tradition in Kashmir

A very old copy of Atharva Veda manuscript (Birch Bark) in the Sharada script found in the then Maharaja’s library was given to a German Indologist.

As early as 1870, searching for Atharvaveda manuscripts Prof. Rudolph von Roth, the German Indologist wrote to the Maharajah asking for the manuscript. The Maharaja however, declined. Prof. Roth then wrote to him asking for a Devnagari version of the manuscript.

The Maharajah then employed some scholars to transliterate the manuscript in Devanagari script from the original Sharada. He sent one copy to Prof. Roth. When Prof. Roth scanned through the contents, he realized that this was one of the rarest manuscripts he had come across and set his heart upon getting it. He approached a senior British official who was the Lt. Gen. of Allahabad then. He in turn entered into a long negotiation with the Maharajah of Kashmir. After several rounds of discussions and offers, the Maharaja parted with the original Sharada manuscript.

Later, the manuscript housed in the Tubingen University library, Germany has been given back to India in form of CD ROM’s.

This significant information implies that Kashmir was once a land of Vedas and that it possessed great scholars well versed in the Atharva Veda also.

Role of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha in protecting Ancient Vedic Tradition of Kashmira desha

Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha’s intense efforts for preservation and sustenance of Vedic traditions is well known.

His Holiness Shri Chandrashekharendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamigal’s (the 68th Jagadguru Acharya of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha) endeavor in protection of Vedas is unparalleled. In the mid sixties (1965) His Holiness after a long search to find a competent traditional teacher belonging to Swashakha Atharva Veda, sent two young South Indian Vidyarthis to study Atharvaveda from Shri Ramanik Lal Pancholi, a great Atharvaveda Scholar in Sinor Village, Vadodara District, Gujarat in the traditional Gurukula way. The two scholars returned back after completion and today, have trained about 200 scholars in South India. Presently efforts are on to spread the knowledge received from the land of Gujarat, to entire country where traditional Atharva Veda study is fast declining.

The Jagadguru Acharyas Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam have ordained for conducting regular Veda Parayanam events to be organized at various places in Kashmir, for universal peace and prosperity. In pursuance of Their directions, Rig samhita homa and Atharva veda Sammelan, Viswa Shanthi Maha Yagnyas and Samskriti Saptahams have been held in Jammu, Srinagar, Leh and such regions.

Sivarahasyam and Krityaratnakara

Kashmir has been a centre for Vedic culture and tradition, birth place of Kashyap Mahamuni and abode of Goddess Saraswathi Devi.

Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Kashmir was a visionary king and seeker of knowledge. He collected many rare manuscripts . “Kritya-Ratnakara,” a 2000-page book was authored under the orders of the Maharaja.

This informative work enlightens us about the significance of each day of the year and provides guidance on observing various Vratas daily for leading a purposeful life. The Krityaratnakara manuscript is preserved in the Raghunath Temple Library, in Jammu. We come to know that “Kritya-Ratnakara” is also kept in the library of the Tunga Sringeri matha.

It is also interesting to note here that in the Krityaratnakara book, a specific reference to Shivarahasyam is found as part of the Uma Maheshvara Puja (vrata).

It is this same Shivarahasyam that talks of the life history of Shankaracharya bringing back the five sphatika lingas from Kailash and establishing them in various places and attaining Siddhi in Kanchipuram, the only Mokshapuri in Southern India.

Maharaja Ranbir Singh also established dharamshalas in Rameshvaram. It is to be mentioned that his charity in the Rameshwara Kshetra clearly was not under the influence of any Acharya in the South but purely as a reflection of the Dharma of the land- the same dharma that the Mahratta Kings of Tanjore and Nattukkottai chettiyars established their chatrams and other Charities in Varanashi.

Image: Paper Manuscript of Krityaratnakara- Quote from Sivarahasyam-Umamaheshvara Vrata

Sri Sankaracharya, who hailed from the southern part of our country had travelled to Kashmir, more than two millenniums ago and spread the vedic message of truth, oneness & harmony.

In the capital Shrinagar, there is a Gopa temple on top of the Gopadri, that later came to be known as Sankaracharya temple. Gwasha lal in his “Short History of Kashmir” says that this temple was built by Sandiman in 2629-2564 CE and later on repaired by Gopaditya (426-356 B CE) and Lalitaditya (699 – 736 CE). It was later renovated by a Muslim King.

Cunningham and Crole in their report, say that “Shankaracharya Temple in Kashmira was built around 220 BCE by the bauddha king ashoka’s son Jaluka who was a Shiva bhakta”. The historical text Rajatarangini narrates the histories of the kings Gopaditya and Jaluka.

The Rajatarangini authored by Kalhana has recorded the existence of a temple in the name of Sri Sankaracharya and its renovation by a Kashmiri King Gopaditya.

Others mention 300 CE as the date of its construction. Whatever be the case, the Sankaracharya Temple and its date of construction cannot be pushed beyond 300 CE thus making the date of Shankaracharya as 788 CE attested by only one Sankarite Institution situated on the banks of Tunga irreconcilable and untenable.

If one accepts the tradition that Shankaracharya visited Kashmir and the Hill and temple constructed in memory of His visit, then they must accept the traditional date of Sri Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya as accepted by Jyotirmatha, Dwaraka matha, Kudali Sringeri Matha and Kanchi Kamakoti Pitha – some of the other institutions established by Sri Sankaracharya.

As ordained by Jagadguru Sri Sankankaracharyas of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Pitha, the Sankara Jayanti Mahotsav has been celebrated at this Shankaracharya Hill every year to commemorate the Great Saint’s contribution to India’s unity in this holy land.

More details : https://connect.kamakoti.org/kashmir