Originally Posted by
nrao
I just posted something on Jat history group and thought I would share. The context is that Ved, Puran, Mahabharat were created and written in 3rd - 5th century CE during Gupt kaal. But Indian history has a much better at recording and referencing these texts than we give them credit and all these examples record Ved, Puran and Mahabharat apart from numerous other fields of study:
Arthashastra (commonly accepted as dated about 2400 years before present)
अशा-०१.३.०१
साम.ऋग्.यजुर्.वेदास् त्रयस् त्रयी ॥
अशा-०१.३.०२
अथर्व.वेद.इतिहास.वेदौ च वेदाः ॥
अशा-०१.३.०३
शिक्षा कल्पो व्याकरणं निरुक्तं छन्दो.विचितिर् ज्योतिषम् इति च_अङ्गानि ॥
Chapter III
THE three Vedas, Sama, Rik and Yajus, constitute the triple Vedas. These together with Atharvaveda and the Itihasaveda are (known as) the Vedas.
Siksha (Phonetics), Kalpa (ceremonial injunctions), Vyakarana (grammar), Nirukta (glossarial explanation of obscure Vedic terms), Chandas (Prosody), and Astronomy form the Angas.
Griha Sutra (dated about 2500 years before present)
ADHYAYA III KANDIKA 4.
1. He satiates the deities: 'Pragapati, Brahman, the Vedas, the gods, the Rishis, all metres, the word
Om ...
2. 4. 'Sumantu, Gaimini, Vaisampayana, Paila, the Sutras, the Bhashyas, the Bharata, the Mahabharata, the teachers of law ...
Chandogya Upnishad (commonly accepted as dated to about 2800-2700 Before Present)
Fourth Khand
Om,’ superior to the three Vedas, the immortal refuge
1.Om! One should reverence the Udgītha as this syllable, for one sings the loud chant [beginning] with ‘Om.’
The further explanation thereof [is as follows].—
2. Verily, the gods, when they were afraid of death, took refuge in the threefold knowledge [i.e. the three Vedas]. They covered (acchādayan) themselves with meters. Because they covered themselves with these, therefore the meters are called chandas.
3. Death saw them there, in the Ṛic, in the Sāman, in the Yajus, just as one might see a fish in water. When they found this out, they arose out of the Ṛic, out of the Sāman, out of the Yajus, and took refuge in sound.
4. Verily, when one finishes an Ṛic, he sounds out ‘Om’; similarly a Sāman; similarly a Yajus. This sound is that syllable.1 It is immortal, fearless. By taking refuge in it the gods became immortal, fearless.
5. He who pronounces the syllable, knowing it thus, takes refuge in that syllable, in the immortal, fearless sound. Since the gods became immortal by taking refuge in it, therefore he becomes immortal.
Seventh Prapathak
First Khund
1. Om! ‘Teach me, Sir!’ — with these words Nārada came to Sanatkumāra.
To him he then said: ‘Come to me with what you know. Then I will tell you still further.’
2. Then he said to him: ‘Sir, I know the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sāma-Veda, the Atharva-Veda as the fourth, Legend and Ancient Lore (itihāsa-purāṇa) as the fifth, the Veda of the Vedas [i.e. Grammar], Rites for the Manes, Mathematics, Augury (daiva), Chronology, Logic, Polity, the Science of the Gods (deva-vidyā), the Science of Sacred Knowledge (brahma-vidyā), Demonology (bhūta-vidyā), Military Science (kṣatra-vidyā), Astrology (nakṣatra-vidyā), the Science of Snake-charming, and the Fine Arts (sarpa-devajana-vidyā).
This, Sir, I know.
3. Such a one am I, Sir, knowing the sacred sayings (mantra-vid), but not knowing the Soul (Ātman). It has been heard by me from those who are like you, Sir, that he who knows the Soul (Ātman) crosses over sorrow. Such a sorrowing one am I, Sir. Do you, Sir, cause me, who am such a one, to cross over to the other side of sorrow.’
To him he then said: ‘Verily, whatever you have here learned, verily, that is mere name (nāman).
4. Verily, a Name are the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sāma-Veda, the Atharva-Veda as the fourth, Legend and Ancient Lore (itihāsa-purāṇa) as the fifth, the Veda of the Vedas [i.e. Grammar], Rites for the Manes, Mathematics, Augury (daiva), Chronology, Logic, Polity, the Science of the Gods (deva-vidyā), the Science of Sacred Knowledge (brahma-vidyā), Demonology (bhūta-vidyā), Military Science (kṣatra-vidyā), Astrology (nakṣatra-vidyā), the Science of Snake-charming, and the Fine Arts (sarpa-devajana-vidyā). This is mere Name. Reverence Name.
Apart from above, I thought this was interesting as well from Arthashastra where students are advised to study lipi:
अशा-०१.५.०७
वृत्त.चौल.कर्मा लिपिं संख्यानं च_उपयुञ्जीत ॥
Having undergone the ceremony of tonsure, the student shall learn the alphabet (lipi) and arithmetic.