Kalpa
(2) (“proper,” “fit”) One of the six
Vedangas, auxiliary branches of knowl-
edge connected with the Vedas, the old-
est Hindu religious texts. The Kalpa
section prescribes the rites connected
with the Vedic rituals and gives rules for
performing ceremonial and sacrificial
acts. The other Vedangas are vyakarana
(Sanskritgrammar), chandas(Sanskrit
prosody), nirukta(etymology), shiksha
(correct pronunciation), and jyotisha
(auspicious times for sacrifices).
Kalpa Sutras
(“aphorisms on sacred law”) An impor-
tant class of smrtior “remembered [lit-
erature].” The Kalpa Sutras were first
composed around the sixth century
B.C.E. The sutras were collected to pro-
vide a unified religious and legal world-
view. According to the general scholarly
consensus, the theory used to associate
these sutras imposed an appearance of
conceptual order on what was more
likely an organic development of Hindu
religious law. The Kalpa Sutras are all
attributed to famous sages. In theory
each Kalpa Sutracontains three sepa-
rate parts: prescriptions for Vedic rituals
(Shrauta Sutras), prescriptions for
domestic rites (Grhya Sutras), and pre-
scriptions for appropriate human
behavior (Dharma Sutras). The real pic-
ture is far more complex since only three
sutras contain all three parts and are
attributed to a single author. The three
surviving Kalpa Sutras are attributed to
the sages Apastamba, Baudhayana, and
Hiranyakeshin and are all associated
with the same school, the Black Yajur
Ve d a. There are many other collections
that have one or another of these parts,
but not all three. Each of the Kalpa
Sutras is also theoretically connected
with one of the four Vedas, the earliest
Hindu religious texts. However, it is likely
that this claim was made to give author-
ity to the collection.
Kalpataru
(“wishing-tree”) Extensive collection of
writings on matters relating to religious
law, compiled by the scholar
Lakshmidharain the middle of the
twelfth century. The Kalpataruis one of
the earliest examples of commentarial
literature known as nibandhas(“collec-
tions”). The nibandhas were collections
of Hindu lore, in which the compilers
drew references on a particular theme
from the Vedas, dharma literature,
puranas, and other authoritative reli-
gious texts. Then they compiled these
excerpts into a single volume. Each of
the Kalpataru’s fourteen volumes is
devoted to a particular aspect of Hindu
religious life, including daily practice,
worship, gift-giving (dana), vows, pil-
grimage, penances (prayashchitta),
purification, and final liberation of the
soul (moksha). As one of the earliest
nibandhas, the Kalpataru formed
a model for later writers and was also
an important resource for them.
Lakshmidhara’s writing is unusual
because he used very few sources for his
work—primarily the epic Mahabharata
and a few of the sectarian collections
known as puranas. Unlike later
commentators, he does not cite the
Vedas, the earliest Hindu religious texts,
or the prescriptions found in the dharma
literature. His text also consists mostly
of these excerpted passages with very
little commentary of his own, whereas
later nibandha writers often give
voluminous explanations.Kalpavas
(“residence for a kalpa”) Strict religious
vow taken during the annual Magh
Melafestival in the city of Allahabad
during the lunar month of Magh
( January–February). Allahabad is locat-
ed at the confluence of two sacred
rivers, the Gangesand the Yamuna.
The festival’s primary religious act is
bathing (snana) at this confluence.
Although most people stay at this festi-
val only a brief time, kalpavasis, or peo-
ple taking the kalpavas vow, do not leaveKalpavas