Shakala Shaka (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

: शाकल शाखा;

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...

: ''Śākala Śākhā''), is the oldest

shakha A shakha () is a Hindu theological school that specializes in learning certain Vedic texts, or else the traditional texts followed by such a school.V. S. Apte. A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, p. 913, left column.Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-Engli ...

(from skt. ''śākhā'' f. "branch" or "recension") of the ''

Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...

''. The Śākala tradition is mainly followed in

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

and

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

. The

Mahābhāṣya ''Mahabhashya'' (, IAST: '','' , "Great Commentary"), attributed to Patañjali, is a commentary on selected rules of Sanskrit grammar from Pāṇini's treatise, the ''Aṣṭādhyāyī'', as well as Kātyāyana's ''Vārttika-sūtra'', an ela ...

Patañjali Patanjali (, , ; also called Gonardiya or Gonikaputra) was the name of one or more author(s), mystic(s) and philosopher(s) in ancient India. His name is recorded as an author and compiler of a number of Sanskrit works. The greatest of these a ...

refers to 21 śākhās of the ''Rigveda''; however, according to Śaunaka's Caraṇa-vyuha there are five śākhās for the ''Rigveda'': the Śākala, Bāṣkala, Aśvalayana, Śaṅkhāyana, and Māṇḍukāyana, of which only the Śākala and Bāṣkala and few of the Aśvalayana are now extent. The only complete recension of this text known today is of the Śākala School. As far as the ''Rigveda'' is concerned only Śākala Śākhā is preserved out of 21 which existed at one time. There is a claim that Śaṅkhāyana Śākhā is still known to a few Vedapathis in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat but this is not certain. The main

saṃhitā Samhita (IAST: ''Saṃhitā'') literally means "put together, joined, union", a "collection", and "a methodical, rule-based combination of text or verses".

for Śākala Sākhā is the Śākala Saṃhitā and the corresponding brahmana is Aitareya Brāhmaṇa. The main Upaniṣat of the Śākala Śākhā is Aitareya Upaniṣat. The Śrauta Sūtram for Śākala Shākhā is Āśvalāyaṇa Śrauta Sūtra and the Gṛhya Sutra is Āśvalāyana Gṛhya Sūtram. The Āraṇyaka of Śākala Śākhā is Aitareya Āraṇyaka.

Shiksha

Śikṣā as a term for phonetics, is first used in Taittirīya Upaniṣad, which gives its various components which include Varna (individual sounds) and Svara (accent). The Pratishakhyas are among the earlier texts of Shiksha. Pratiśākhya literally means " belonging to each śākhā". In the Rigveda the Pratishakhya available today is ascribed to

Shaunaka Shaunaka (, ) is the name applied to teachers, and to a Shakha of the Atharvaveda. It is especially the name of a celebrated Sanskrit grammarian, author of the , the , the , six Anukramaṇīs (indices) to the Rigveda, and the Vidhāna of the Rig ...

. This is also known as ''Śākala Pratiśākhya'' and belongs to ''Śaiśirīya Śākhā'', a branch of "Śākala Śākhā".

Prominent people

The major āchāryas who belonged to the Śākala Śākhā included: *

Padmanabha Tirtha Padmanabha Tirtha was an Indian Dvaita philosopher, scholar and the disciple of Madhvacharya. Ascending the pontifical seat after Madhvacharya, he served as the primary commentator of his works and in doing so, significantly elucidated Madhva ...

(samadhi 1324 CE), a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

Dvaita Dvaita Vedanta (); (originally known as Tattvavada; IAST: ''Tattvavāda''), is a sub-school in the Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; , ), also known as ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six orthodox (Āstika and nāstika, ''āstika'') trad ...

philosopher, dialectician, the direct disciple of

Madhvacharya Madhvacharya (; ; 1199–1278 CE or 1238–1317 CE), also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' (dualism) school of Vedanta. Madhva called his philosophy ...

and the acharya who is known for spreading

Tattvavada Dvaita Vedanta (); (originally known as Tattvavada; IAST: ''Tattvavāda''), is a sub-school in the Vedanta tradition of Hindu philosophy. The term Tattvavada literally means "arguments from a realist viewpoint". The Tattvavada (Dvaita) Veda ...

outside the Tulunadu region. *

Jayatirtha Jayatirtha (), ''also known as'' Teekacharya () (1345 – 1388), was a Hindu philosopher, dialectician, polemicist and the sixth pontiff of Madhvacharya Peetha from (1365 – 1388). He is considered to be one of the important seers in the hi ...

(1345–1388) - a

philosopher, dialectician, polemicist and the 6th peetha of

Peetha. *

Eknath Eknath (IAST: Eka-nātha, Marathi pronunciation: knath (1533–1599), was an Indian Hindu Vaishnava saint, philosopher and poet. He was a devotee of the Hindu deity Vitthal and is a major figure of the Warkari movement. Eknath is often vie ...

(1533–1599) - a

Vaishnava Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, '' Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along wit ...

saint, scholar, and religious poet of the

Varkari Warkari ( ; Marathi: ; Pronunciation: ; Meaning: 'The one who performs the ''Wari) is a sampradaya (religious movement) within the bhakti spiritual tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with the Indian state of Maharashtra. Wark ...

Sampradaya ''Sampradaya'' (/ səmpɾəd̪ɑjə/,; ), in Indian-origin religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, can be translated as 'tradition', 'spiritual lineage', 'sect', or 'religious system'. To ensure continuity and transmissi ...

Samarth Ramdas Ramdas (c. 1608 – c. 1682), also known as Samarth Ramdas Swami or Ramdas Swami, was an Indian Hindu saint, philosopher, poet, writer and spiritual master. He was a devotee of the Hindu deities Rama and Hanuman. Early life Ramdas or previous ...

(1608–1681) - a

saint and devotee of Lord

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

. * Mahipati (1715–1790), an 18th century

saint. * Manik Prabhu (1817–1865) - a

Advaita saint, philosopher, poet and guru of Dattatreya tradition. * Satyadhyana Tirtha (1872–1942) - a

philosopher-saint, scholar, yogi, mystic, theologian and the 38th peetadhipathi of

Uttaradi Math Sri Uttaradi Math (also written as Uttaradi Matha or Uttaradi Mutt) (IAST:''Śrī Uttarādi Maṭha'') (also known as Uttaradi Pitha), is one of the main monasteries (matha) founded by Madhvacharya with Padmanabha Tirtha as its head to pre ...

References

Bibliography

* * * {{cite book, title = A History of the Dvaita School of Vedānta and Its Literature, Vol 1. 3rd Edition, first = B. N. Krishnamurti, last = Sharma, publisher=Motilal Banarsidass (2008 Reprint) , isbn = 978-8120815759, year= 2000 Vedas