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Vedangas
 Vedanga literally means "limbs of the Vedas," and refers to the six disciplines connected
with studying the Vedas, the ancient Indian spiritual writings.
 Both yoga and Hinduism were founded on these teachings.
 The study, preservation, and interpretation of the Vedas can all be aided by these six "limbs"
working together.
 They were created in ancient India to offer students of the Vedas a comprehensive and
complete grasp of the literature.
 Although the exact date of the compilation of the six Vedangas is unknown, it is most likely
around the middle of the first millennium B.C.E.
 They may have been essential since the older Vedas' language would have been outdated
and difficult to grasp for experts at the time.
 The Vedangas provide insight into the Vedas' meters, structure, language, and meaning, as
well as other post-Vedic works and parts of Hindu and yogic philosophy.
 The six Vedangas are as follows:
o Shiksha or phonetics or pronunciation
o Kalpa or ritual
o Vyakarana or grammar
o Nirukta or etymology
o Chandas or metre
o Jyotisha or astronomy

Shiksha
 Shiksha literally means 'teaching in reciting,' i.e., precise pronunciation, accentuation, and
so on of the Samhita texts.
 Later, it was a moniker given to writings giving guidelines for correctly pronouncing Vedic
literature.
 Thus, the Shiksha-Sutras are phonetic treatises. They are linked to the Samhita and so
virtually as old as the Kalpa-Sutras.
 Shiksha establishes the norms of phonetics — the sounds of syllables and pronunciation.
 The Shiksha's job is therefore to fix the parameters of Vedic words. Phonetics is especially
significant in the case of the Vedic language, because changes in sound lead to changes in
consequences and effects.
 Shiksha, or Vedic Phonetics, has therefore been regarded as the most significant of the six
Angas (organs) of theVedaPurusha.

Kalpa
Kalpa
 The second Vedanga is Kalpa (ritual), which is known as the Veda Purusha's arms.
 It is designed specifically for the right use of Vedic scriptures.
 The earliest Kalpa Sutras are those whose contents are intimately related to the Brahmanas
and Aranyakas.
 The ritual (Kalpa), the main topic of the Brahmanas, was the first subject to systematic
treatment in the manuals known as the Kalpa Sutras.
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 They include the regulations in Sutra form, relating to sacrifices, with the elimination of any
items not directly related to the ceremony.
 They are more practical than the Brahmanas, who are mostly concerned with spiritual,
historical, mythical, etymological, and theological debates.

Vyakarana
Vyakarana
 Vyakarana, or grammar, is the third Vedanga, and it is required for interpreting the Veda.
 It is known as the Veda Purusha's mouth. The original Vedanga texts on Vyakarana are now
completely gone.
 Some grammatical words may be found in the Aranyakas.
 The Ashtadhyayi of Panini, which dates to a later age, is the only representative of
this Vedanga. It is, undoubtedly, the most well-known grammar textbook.
 It is unrelated to any Vedic school. Because of his outstanding merits, it is reasonable to
infer that Panini surpassed all of his predecessors, whose works have since vanished.
 Grammar is primarily concerned with word-formation. It examines the root (Prakriti) and
suffix (Pratyaya) of a word to determine its meaning.
 Vyakarana by Panini is written in the form of sutras or aphorisms. The fourteen Sutras are
referred to as the Maheswara Sutras in this context.
 They were inspired by Nataraja's damaru sound. They are said to be the foundation of
grammar.
 Vararuchi has penned a lengthy critique on Vartika. Patanjali, the sage, produced a
commentary or Bhashya on it.

Nirukta
Nirukta
 Nirukta Vedanga is known as the Veda Purusha's ears.
 'Nirukta' means 'etymology,' and it explains why a specific term has been employed, i.e., the
meaning of use.
 The Nirukta of Yaska is the sole work that has survived as an example of this Vedanga
'etymology.'
 It is a commentary on Nighantu, a Vedic 'catalogue of words.' Yaska is also credited with
creating the Nighantu, according to legend.
 The Nighantus are five-word lists, each broken into three portions.
 The first segment is made up of three lists that group Vedic terms together according to
certain fundamental principles.
 The second half offers a collection of Veda's ambiguous and exceptionally difficult
terminology, while the third section categorises the deities according to the three areas,
earth, sky, and heaven.
 Yaska elaborated on these lists in the twelve publications that followed.
 The most fascinating element of the Nirukta is the discussion that spans the whole first book
and a portion of the second, as well as the seventh book, which served as an excellent
introduction to the study of the Veda.

Chandas
Chandas
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 Chandas Vedanga is considered as the Veda Purusha's feet. The Vedas' body is supported by
the Chandas, which are shaped like feet.
 Each Vedic Mantra has its own Chandas, as well as a governing Devata. The term Chandas,
according to Nirukta, is derived from the root Chad (to cover).
 The metre is known as Chandas because it encompasses the essence of the Mantra.
 The Chandas are intended to ensure correct reading and recitation of Vedic literature.
Vedanga's metrics literature is similarly limited.

Jyotisha
Jyotisha
 The last Vedanga Jyotisha is known as the Veda Purusha's eye — the organ of seeing.
 The goal of Jyotisha Vedanga is not to educate astronomy, but to impart knowledge of the
celestial bodies essential for determining the days and hours of Vedic sacrifices.
 Study of the movement of the Sun, the Moon, the Star, and planets helped determine the
time of the day and night, the day of the week and fortnight, the period of the seasons, the
month and the year, besides the influence of each heavenly object on the events of the
world and the lives of the people.
 It lays forth some guidelines for estimating and scheduling sacrifices.
 There are many allusions to astronomical issues in the Brahmanas and Aranyakas, and even
in the hymns, indications that show a significant improvement in moon observation.

Importance of Vedangas
Importance of Vedangas
 Over a long period of time, the Vedangas played a vital role in conserving and defending the
Vedic legacy.
 They codified the processes and techniques for executing numerous Vedic rites and rituals,
as well as providing authoritative sources of reference enabling future generations to
execute Vedic ceremonies and rituals with minimal uncertainty and fear of violation.
 The Vedangas were sciences that aimed to assist people to comprehend and interpret the
Vedas, which had been written many years before.
 Individually, these supplementary fields of study may be traced back to the 2nd millennium
BCE, and the Vedangas are cited by the 5th century BCE scholar Yaska.
 However, it is unknown when or when a list of six Vedangas was initially conceived.
 Vedangas arose as a supplement to the Vedas, but their discoveries on meters, sound
and language structure, grammar, linguistic analysis, and other areas affected post-Vedic
studies, arts, culture, and diverse schools of Hindu philosophy.
 The Vedangas ensured the purity of language and expression, defined and enforced,
through moral fear, the social and religious conduct expected of men belonging to different
social strata.
 Established well-defined ground rules for moral, ritual, and spiritual behavior of men
involved in the performance of rituals.
 Many principles and practices of the Vedangas were taken up by other religious traditions
such as Buddhism and Jainism which relied upon Sanskrit as their medium of
communication and included in their education systems and religious practices.