➥ veda and vedagū.

• for veda:
  • scriptural collection
  • Buddhist scriptural collection
  • scriptural knowledge
  • Vedic scriptural knowledge
• for tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ:
  • the three Vedas
• for vedagū:
  • blessed with profound knowledge
  • knowledgeable
• for vedasampanno:
  • endowed with profound knowledge
  • perfect in Vedic scriptural knowledge
• for vedantagū:
  • one who has completed his scriptural education

Veda

Veda means:

1) singular: knowledge or scriptural knowledge

2) plural: the three Vedas (tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ)

The three Vedas: three canonical collections

PED calls the Vedas singular ‘canon.’

• the ‘brahmanic canon of authorised religious teaching.’

Webster’s dictionary calls them plural ‘collections’:

• the ‘canonical collections of hymns, prayers and liturgical formulas that comprise the earliest Hindu writings.’

The three Vedas are:

• The Rig-Veda: the canonical collection of laudatory stanzas in praise of devas.
• The Sama-Veda: the canonical collection of chants for the Soma sacrifice.
• The Yajur-Veda: the canonical collection of chants for sacrificial rites.

Veda: scriptural collections of any religion

We will not call religious scriptures ‘canon,’ which only applies to authorised collections. And although Webster’s calls the Vedas ‘writings,’ texts were not originally written. So we will call them: ‘scriptural collections.’

Although PED says veda stands for ‘the three Vedas’ (tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ), veda means sacred literature of any religion, and vedehi at Snp 792 stands specifically for ‘the Buddhist scriptural collections.’

Vedasampanno and vedagū: the Buddhists

Veda was used by the Buddhists to mean profound knowledge, notably in two words:

1) vedasampanno, ‘endowed with profound knowledge’

2) vedagū, ‘blessed with profound knowledge’

Vedagū defined in terms of yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti

Vedagū is defined in terms of yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti as follows:

• In what way is a bhikkhu blessed with profound knowledge?

Kathañca bhikkhave bhikkhu vedagū hoti?

… When he discerns according to reality the origination of, vanishing of, sweetness of, wretchedness of, and deliverance from the six senses

Yato kho bhikkhave bhikkhu channaṁ phassāyatanānaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti

… In this way a bhikkhu is blessed with profound knowledge

evaṁ kho bhikkhave bhikkhu vedagū hoti. (SN iv 83)

Vedagū defined in terms of vidita

Vedagū is defined in terms of vidita as follows:

• In what way is a bhikkhu blessed with profound knowledge?

Kathañca bhikkhave bhikkhu vedagū hoti?

… Unvirtuous, spiritually unwholesome factors that are defiling, and which lead to renewed states of individual existence, suffering, unpleasant karmic consequences, and future birth, old age, and death are completely understood by him.

Viditāssa honti pāpakā akusalā dhammā saṅkilesikā ponobbhavikā sadarā dukkhavipākā āyatiṁ jātijarāmaraṇiyā.

… In this way a bhikkhu is blessed with profound knowledge.

Evaṁ kho bhikkhave bhikkhu vedagū hoti. (MN i 280)

Vidita: ‘completely understood’

Vidita is the past participle of vindati, meaning ‘known, found (out),’ says PED. Yet in the passage above we translated it as ‘completely understood.’ Rendering it with this stronger meaning is justified because in that passage vindati was used in a play of words to explain vedagū, which can be proved by considering other passages, where stronger verbs are elsewhere linked to vedagū:

1) Vedagū was defined in terms of yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti in a quote above.

2) Vedagū is associated with ‘having understood things through and through’ (parovarā samecca dhammā) in this quote:

• One for whom, having understood things through and through they are destroyed, they have vanished, they do not exist: he is blessed with profound knowledge. He has fulfilled the religious life.

Parovarā yassa samecca dhammā vidhūpitā atthaṅgatā na santi
Sa vedagū vusitabrahmacariyo. (AN ii 6)

Samecca is absolutive of sameti: ‘having acquired or learnt, knowing,’ says PED.

Vedasampanno and vedagū: the brahmans and others

For brahmans these words meant:

1) vedasampanno: ‘perfect in Vedic scriptural knowledge.’

2) vedagū: ‘knowledgeable,’ a synonym of dhīro.

• But if, by one’s own reckoning, one were knowledgeable and wise, then none among ascetics would be a fool.

Atha ce sayaṁ vedagū hoti dhīro na koci bālo samaṇesu atthi. (Snp 890)

Vedantagū: completed one’s scriptural education

Vedantagū means ‘reached the end of scriptural knowledge,’ but reads better as ‘completed one’s scriptural education,’ as here:

• One who has submitted to inward taming, completed his scriptural education, fulfilled the religious life.

damasā upeto vedantagū vusitabrahmacariyo. (Snp 463)

➥ vedehi: (main article see: veda)

Illustration: vedehi, Buddhist scriptural collections

A person attached to perception who undertakes religious practices of his own [conception] arises in various [states of individual existence].

Sayaṁ samādayaṁ vatāni jantu uccāvacaṁ gacchati saññāsatto

But one who is insightful, having understood the nature of reality through the [study of the] Buddhist scriptural collections, does not arise in various [states of individual existence]. He is one of extensive wisdom.

Vidvā ca vedehi samecca dhammaṁ na uccāvacaṁ gacchati bhūripañño. (Snp 792)

➥ vedāni: (main article see: veda)

Illustration: vedāni, scriptural collections; veda, scriptural knowledge; vedagū, one who is blessed with profound knowledge

Having investigated the entire scriptural collections,

Vedāni viceyya kevalāni

Both of the ascetics and the Brahmanists

Samaṇānaṁ yānidhatthi brāhmaṇānaṁ

Free of attachment to all sense impression,

Sabbavedanāsu vītarāgo

Gone beyond all scriptural knowledge, he is blessed with profound knowledge

Sabbaṁ vedamaticca vedagū so. (Snp 529)

➥ vedānaṁ: (main article see: veda)

Illustration: vedānaṁ, the Vedas

The brahman Doṇa said of himself

• I am a scholar [of the sacred texts]

ajjhāyako

• I know by heart the sacred texts

mantadharo

• I am a master of the three Vedas

tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū. (AN iii 223)

➥ vedagū: (main article see: veda)

Illustration: vedagū, one who is blessed with profound knowledge

Through completely understanding seven things one is blessed with profound knowledge.

sattannaṁ bhikkhave dhammānaṁ viditattā vedagū hoti.

1) the view of personal identity is completely understood

sakkāyadiṭṭhi viditā hoti

2) doubt [about the excellence of the teaching] is completely understood

vicikicchā viditā hoti

3) adherence to observances and practices is completely understood

sīlabbataparāmāso vidito hoti

4) attachment is completely understood

rāgo vidito hoti

5) hatred is completely understood

doso vidito hoti

6) undiscernment of reality is completely understood

moho vidito hoti

7) self-centredness is completely understood

māno vidito hoti

Through completely understanding these seven things one is blessed with profound knowledge.

Imesaṁ kho bhikkhave sattannaṁ dhammānaṁ viditattā vedagū hotī ti. (AN iv 145)

COMMENT:

On rendering vidita as ‘completely understood’ see Introduction.

➥ vedasampanno: (main article see: veda)

Illustration: vedasampanno, perfect in Vedic scriptural knowledge

Even if one obtained a hundred lifetimes repeatedly amongst human beings, all of them as a brahman, and was fully versed in Vedic scriptural knowledge, perfect in Vedic scriptural knowledge,

Yo ca jātisataṁ gacche sabbā brāhmaṇajātiyo
Sottiyo vedasampanno manussesu punappunaṁ.

And was a scholar [of the sacred texts], a master of the three Vedas, one would not deserve a fraction of the respect that is due [to Venerable MahāKassapa].

Ajjhāyako pi ce assa tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū
Etassa vandanāyetaṁ kalaṁ nāgghati soḷasiṁ. (Tha 1170-1)

Illustration: vedasampanno, endowed with profound knowledge

Formerly I was Brahmā’s offspring, today I am a true Brahman, a master of the three final knowledges, endowed with profound knowledge, fully versed in profound knowledge, spiritually cleansed.

Brahmabandhu pure āsiṁ ajjamhi saccabrāhmaṇo
Tevijjo vedasampanno sottiyo camhi nahātako ti. (Thi 251)