A two-day National Vedic Conference on Brahmana literature was organised by the Academy of Yoga and Oriental Studies (AYOS) in the SC ST RTI conference hall here on April 12 and 13. In his inaugural address Prof AC Sadangi, former Vice-Chancellor of Sri jagannath Sanskrit University, Puri said Brahmanas are an indispensable portion of the Vedas though ritualistic in nature. The socio-cultural aspect of the ancient Indian civilisation is mirrored in the significant social and cultural milieu of those bygone days.
Former Vice-Chancellor of Sri Jagannath Sanskrit University Prof Nilakanth Pati opined that the importance of Brahmanas lay in the assertion that they provide scriptural injunctions, ie, the do’s and the don’ts of life. The Brahmanas vary in numbers from Veda to Veda and it has nothing to be confused with the Brahmin caste, Prof Pati clarified.
The scholars deliberated on topics like ‘Swadhyaya in Brahmin literature,’ ‘Significance of different legends and myths in the Brahmanas’, ‘nature and science of Brahmana literature’, ‘Encyclopedic nature of the Brahmanas’, “The concept of Samvatsara in Brahmanas’, ‘Importance of Rig Vedic Brahmanas’, ‘A study on Aswini Kumar’ and the Brahmanas’ and ‘Musicology in the Brahmanas.
The speakers comprised eminent scholars from most of the Indian universities like Shantiniketan in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura. Connoisseurs, lovers and exponents of Sanskrit literature also shared the deliberations on this hidden treasure of the Vedas and presented their papers of much value and interest. Prominent among them were noted Sanskrit scholars S Sundara Rajan, Taradatta and Akhil Ota.
The person behind the events’ success story was none but AYOS Director Dr Indulata Das, who caught the attention of the scholars by her critique of reason and brilliant repartee. Mihir Kumar Mishra anchored the two-day event.