By Swami Harshananda
Aṣṭādaśa-vidyās literally means ‘the eighteen sciences’.
The tradition, over the centuries, has recognized eighteen ‘vidyāsthānas’ or ‘vidyās,’ sources of knowledge or sciences. They comprise both the primary and the secondary sources from which we can know ‘dharma,’ righteousness, and the duties and responsibilities. These Aṣṭādaśa-vidyās comprise of four Vedas, six Vedāṅgas, four Upavedas and other scriptures. They are specified as as follows :
- Rgveda
- Yajurveda
- Sāmaveda
- Atharvaveda
- Śikṣā
- Vyākaraṇa
- Chandas
- Nirukta
- Jyotiṣa
- Kalpa
- Purāṇas
- Mīmāiiisā
- Nyāya
- Dharmaśāstras
- Ayurveda
- Dhanurveda
- Gāndharvaveda
- Arthaśāstra
In some reckonings, Sthāpatyaveda and Silpaśāstra (architecture and sculpture) considered as one science, replace Arthaśāstra.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore