z:\ ambedkar\vol 04\vol4 04.indd MK SJ YS 23 9 2013/YS 8 11 2013 131
APPENDIX I 131
Coming to the Smritis there are two theories as to the origin of the Vedas to be found in the Manu Smriti. In one place it is said that the Vedas were created by Brahma:
“He (Brahma) in the beginning fashioned from the worlds of the Veda the several names, functions and separate conditions of all (creatures). That Lord also created the subtle host of active and living deities, and of Sadhyas, and eternal sacrifice, he drew forth from Agni, from Vayu, and from Surya, the triple eternal Veda, distinguished as Rich, Yajush, and Saman.”
In another place he seems to accept the story of Prajapati being the originator of the Vedas as would be evident from the following:
“Prajapati also milked out of the three Vedas the letters a, u and m, together with the words bhuh, bhuvah and svar. The same supreme Prajapati also milked from each of the three Vedas one of the (three) portions of the text called savitri (or gayatri), beginning with the word tat …….. The three great imperishable particles ( bhuh, bhuvah, svar ) preceded by om, and the gayatri of three lines, are to be regarded as the mouth of Brahma”.
It is also interesting to note what the Puranas have to say about the origin of the Vedas. The Vishnu Purana says:
“From his eastern mouth Brahma formed the gayatri, the rich verses, the trivrit, the samarathantara, and of sacrifices, the agnishtoma. From his southern mouth he created the yajush verses the trishtubh metre, the panchadasa stome, the vrihat-saman and the ukthya. From his western mouth he formed the saman verses, the jagati metre, the saptadasa-stome, the vairupa, and the atiratra. From his northern mouth he framed the ekavinsa, the atharvan, the aptoryaman, with the annushtubh and biraj metres.”
The Bhagvat Purana says:
“Once the Vedas sprang from the four-faced creator, as he was meditating ‘how shall I create the aggregate world as before?’ …… He formed from his eastern and other mouths the Vedas called rich, yajush, saman, and atharvan, together with praise, sacrifice, hymns, and expiration”.
The Markandeya Purana says :
“From the eastern mouth of Brahma, who sprang by an imperceptible birth from that divided egg, there suddenly issued first of all the Rich verses, 2. resembling China roses, brilliant in appearance, internally united, though separated from each other, and characterized by the quality of passion ( rajas ) . 3. From his southern mouth came, unrestrained, the Yajush verses of the colour of gold, and disunited. 4. From the western mouth of the supreme