Veda Knowledge Series
A collection of 6 classes on all the theoretical concepts that underpin the practice of Veda chanting. These classes were taught through webinars during the COVID lockdown between April & June 2020. The recordings of these webinars are available for viewing along with the option to download the presentation slides for each class.
How does this course work?
Through this course, you can access 6 Webinars (1 hour each) along with the option to download the presentation slides for each for your reference. We recommend going through not more than one webinar a week. We also highly recommend going through the classes in the same order for effective learning. The following topics are covered:
1. Nomenclature of the Vedas
- Briefly compare the 4 classifications – Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma & Atharva
- How many mantras exist? Some fun facts with numbers!
- Divisions – Saṃhitās, Brāhmaṇas, Āraṇyakas and Upaniṣads
- Important commentaries on the Vedas
2. Principle Veda Concepts – part 1
This session will help the student of Veda recitation understand the following principle concepts of the Vedas:
- Mantras – what are the different types of mantras in the Vedas and their differences?
- Sūktam – etymology of Sūktam & listing of important hymns and basis to their composition.
- Chandas – prosody in the Vedas
- Ṛṣi – The Seers, an overview. How does one become a Seer?
3. Principle Veda Concepts – part 2
This session will help the student of Veda recitation understand the following principle concepts of the Vedas:
- Yagña – The sacred fire ritual of the Vedas and its symbolic meaning
- Devata – The cosmic forces or gods & deities of the Vedas
4. Yoga in Veda
We will examine some of the key concepts of Yoga that appear in the Vedas:
- Śraddha – self-confidence
- Smṛti – memory
- Samādhi – total absorption
- Viveka – discernment
- Dhyāna – meditation
- Īśvara – All knowledge & power
- Physical & mental health
5. Vedic phonetics – a textual introduction
In this session, we will go over a high level introduction to the fascinating texts that define the oral tradition of Vedas with illustrative examples of treatment of syllables and their influence of pronunciation.
- Introduction to Śīkṣa & Prātiśākhyā texts
- How many texts are there? A little look inside these texts.
- Some illustrative Sūtras that define the pronunciation of syllables
- The Veda Studies system of learning!
6. The Semantics of Rig Veda
In this session, we will introduce a high level word assignment method to Veda mantras, in the way I have studied with my teachers Dr.R.L.Kashyap and his research team (lineage of Srī Aurobindo’s work)
- Symbolism in the Vedas
- General principles for word meaning assignments
- A study of mantras with the word “gau” (literally meaning cow)
Course Curriculum
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Introduction
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Nomenclature of the Vedas
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Introduction
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mantra, sūktam, chandas, ṛṣi
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Introduction
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yajña, devatā
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Introduction
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Yoga in Veda
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Introduction
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An introduction to the śīkṣa texts
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Introduction
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The Semantics of Ṛg Veda
Your Course Includes
Recorded webinars
Six recorded webinars, each of an hour.
Downloadable PDFs for your reference
Option to download the presentation slides used for the webinar.
Frequently asked questions
When does the course start and finish?
You may start and stop at any point, completely self-paced.
How long do I have access to the course?
Unlimited !! You can watch the videos any number of times.
Can I have face to face interation with Instructor
No, this is an online self paced course with videos. However, you are free to contact the instructor via our direct messaging system from the member’s area.
If this course good for a complete beginner?
We would not recommend this course to complete beginners. It will make much more sense if you have learnt at least a few short mantras (like mantras for peace) and 1-2 sūktam-s (hymns) which are at the intermediate level.