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VEDAS

“Hegel has rightly observed that a civilisation without philosophy is like a temple without the holy of holies” The life time for Indian civilisation is provided by the philosophic wisdom of the Vedas. Vedas are “apaurusheyas” (not the handiwork of men). Known as Shruti, that which is revealed, Agama, that which is handed down by tradition and Nigama that which offers a panacea to Existential problems, Vedic lore consists of four components, Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvanaveda. Rigveda, supposed to be the oldest of the four is mostly a book of devotional hymns. Yajurveda offers instruction on various rituals for the appeasement of Deities while Samaveda presents chants set to music. Most of these chants are culled out from Rigveda and each is associated with a specific benevolent effect and in accordance with that is relegated a particular context in the conduct of sacrifices. Part of Atharvanaveda is in the form of ethical injunctions while the other part deals with Ayurveda, the science of health and longevity. The thrust of the Vedas focuses on “Atmavichara”

Each form of the Vedas is subdivided into four parts :

1. Samhita :
                    Mantric chants to propitiate deities like Indra, Varuna and Vishnu.
2. Brahmana:
                    Instructions about Vedic rites, sacrifices, yagnas and yagas
3. Aranyaka :
                    Meditational chants to be recited in forest retreats.
4. Upanishads:
                    Philosophic discussion on the nature of Reality and the meaning of existence.

Veda as scripture
By D.Srinivas

“Veda” means wisdom. It is derived from the root “Vid” meaning “to know”, to realise. The text of the Veda is passed on as wisdom to be realised by us. Veda is known as “Sruti”, ‘what is heard’, or ‘revealed by the Supreme being Brahman’. That is why the composers of the hymns are called “Drashtarah”, lit. seers. The Veda is described as ‘apaurusheya’ to emphasise its superhuman, divine origin. According to the tradition of Brahmavidya, Veda consists of Mantram, Brahmanam, Aranyakam and Upanishad. The mantra part is known as Samhita. The Brahmanas elaborate upon the use of the mantra. The Aranyakas lay stress on Upasana and meditation while the Upanishads focus on Jnana. Sometime the ordering of the fourfold Veda is very striking as in Taittiriya Samhita (Krishna or Black Yajur Veda), Taittiriya Brahmanam, Taittiriya Aranyakam, and Taittiriya Upanishad. There are four collections or Samhitas of the Veda known as Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva or Atharvana Veda.

Ranked among the most ancient of the scriptures in the world, the four Vedas have an inner truth about them. The word “Rig” means “Voice uttered”. We utter a word through our voice. “Yajus” means ‘plan’ or ‘work executed’. Whenever we speak, it is for the purpose of explaining, learning, or working out something. Without any meaning or significance, no one goes on speaking. Always we mean something, we want to explain something or listen to something. We call this the meaning of a sentence and also the subject of our conversation. When we read a book, we call it the material or input of the book. “Sama” means ‘the song of breath’ or ‘respiration’. The realisation of the voice uttered as respiration is called Sama Veda. The word “Atharva” means ‘wisdom of lesser importance’. We have an intelligence that works on day to day application. With this intelligence we take up professional activities, we meet each other, we go to the office, come home, get educated, we marry and have children, have a house, a vehicle and many other things. This is what is called Lower Wisdom and what we call Worldly Wisdom. We scientifically call it the applied aspect of wisdom. This wisdom undergoes change over a period of time with change of values.

The four Vedas exist in everyone of us.

H.P. Blavatsky’s cryptic remark in “The Secret Doctrine” hints at the true nature of Veda, the scripture. [ Citing her own words in “Isis”, she comments about on old book” : “It is the only original copy now in existence” (The Secret Doctrine”, XLIII)

By “the only original copy”, she refers to the “I am” consciousness in you. In the nature of things, it is always singular, never plural. So the consciousness in you is called the scripture that exists in the world. This is called the “Only original copy”. Many readers thought of the loss of all copies, leaving behind a rare book in its only form, the one copy existing in the world. When she added that this copy is preserved in a cave temple, people began exploring mountains, caves, and jungles, but in vain. Madame Blavatsky meant, of course, the inner layer of our psychological labyrinth, where we have to delve into the innermost recesses of consciousness to find that copy.

We must know how to understand these great books. They teach only about one book: Always you are the only “I AM” i.e., singular. In Sanskrit, “Aham” means “I am”. According to Yogasastra, “so” means ‘objectivity’, “something different from yourself”. In Sanskrit “so” means “He”, “Aham” means “I (AM)”. We are expected to practice through respiration the idea that he is myself and I am himself. Inhale with the sound “so” and breathe out with the sound “ham” and meditate upon the idea that objective air within is the same as subjective air without. To utter the word I AM, we use the same air as when we utter HE IS. Respiration links objectivity and subjectivity. These are called the original forms of scriptures and if you remove S and H sounds from "SOHAM", you get "OM" - the mystic sound which is common to everyone. Madame Blavatsky called it the Universal Affirmative and Lord Krishna called it I AM.

On this basis, let us try to understand the meaning of the Scriptures. A Scripture never means any book existing somewhere or any book on any religion. A religion owns this original book. All the scriptures of various religions explain this one book only. Whenever any book is written about this one existence, that book is called a Scripture. If any book is written about something else it is called an ordinary book. This book of wisdom is there within you not outside and this is exactly the esoteric and original meaning of the word Veda. If a scholar speaks of Veda as books, he does not know what it means esoterically. But if a Master of Wisdom speaks about Veda, he is speaking about the ONE who is speaking as well as listening in everybody.

Our speech passes through four stages. The first is our respiration. The next is our voice which comes out of respiration and then when we are breathing, we have mind and this mind is called Yajur Veda or existence as mind. So we have respiration, voice, the mind and the application. The respiration which is called Sama Veda is without our intention or knowledge but we are only conscious of ourselves after breathing. The Bible says " first there was the word, the word was with God and the word was God." These are the three stages after that the word is there with us and we are here ourselves, different from the word. The Vedas explain and discuss these things. That is why the subject of discussion is called Veda, and not the book. The Bible or Bhagavad Gita, mean not the paper or ink or the print, but the content and we have to understand "Veda" in the same sense.

These are the four Vedas or the four topics that are to be studied in the name of scripture. If you approach an orientalist, he will be able to give the number of mantras in the Vedas , how they are translated , how they are printed etc. This is all exoteric work which is important but if you stop there, it has no significance. So there is something higher which is intended and we are expected to go into in the next stage of our existence. This is the reason why we are asked to read the scriptures.

The Secret of Veda

Veda is the modulation of the melodious cosmic rhythm through the human voice. It is given to man to inculcate a spiritual outlook in him and to lead him towards the goal of self realisation. Its sacred potency lies hidden to be tapped only through its correct pronunciation and its use of the correct intonation (“Swara”). The cosmic melody is bound by the laws of harmonious rhythm in nature known as “Chandassu." (Metre)

The principles of chandassu are revealed in the secrets of the mathematical science expounded by Pythogoras.

When cosmic movement adheres to laws a stable wave length for sound will be established in our biosphere. At that time cosmic matter will concretise in a regulated pattern.

This symmetry is referred to by the seer Plato as the Geometrical science of the universe. It has to be realised that all forms, from that of a crystal of salt to that of the amazingly dextrous human body, are etched by the same master sculptor-God. He is verily the Viswakarma celebrated in the scriptures as the sculptor of devas. What is the ultimate goal of the vedas that revealed themselves to man? It is to explain that this whole universe is an expansion of the primordial sound “Omkara”. This sound-matter synthesis Omkara first divided itself into three sound-forms. From these three sound forms were derived the seven vowels. These seven vowels later descended to earth as seven swaras or tunes. After that they emerged as musical notes formed by the integration of these swaras. Thus it was said that the vedic chants originated from the first triad of manifested sound. The concretisation of these sounds into chants was achieved by the utterance of consonants. Then after union with defined forms and meanings these sounds collectively crystallised into this manifested universe. To one who has the power to visualise, such an utterance of Sound is verily the materialisation of the advancing pace of Goddess Saraswathi in the form of mantra.