|
What are the Vedas?
By
Atma-tattva dasa
“The
Vedic scriptures of ancient India are written in Sanskrit.
They comprise a huge collection of material and spiritual
knowledge. The expression "Vedic" is derived from the
Sanskrit word VEDA, which means knowledge or revelation.
According to the Vedic history, they were written down about
5000 years ago, although this date is not accepted by modern
Indology. The date, however, is not very important because,
without a doubt, the knowledge contained in these scriptures
was existing a long time before it was written down.
The Veda
may be understood by simply accepting what the Veda says
about itself. Since the Vedic self-understanding may be
amazing or even unbelievable to the modern reader, it seems
important to dedicate a few sentences to the clarification
of probable misunderstandings. The different opinions about
the origin and history of the Vedic scriptures are due to
the fundamental difference of world-views between the
followers of the Veda and modern mundane scholars.
According
to the indological world-view, such a thing as "Vedic
scripture" doesn't even exist. The collection of books
mentioned in the beginning of this article is not a
consistent body of knowledge--modern Indology says--but a
mere accumulation of texts from different sources, written
over a long period of time, starting about 1000 or 1500
B.C., after the hypothetical Aryan invasion into the Indian
Subcontinent. Only then, a "Vedic" culture was formed
through the mixture of tribes. If we believe this scenario,
then it is natural to think that the Indian scriptures are
nothing but a mass of unsystematic mythological texts.
Needless
to say that the Vedic scriptures themselves maintain a
completely different version. They refer to very ancient
cultures, timeless revelations and divine incarnations. They
also say that the entire body of Vedic knowledge has a
systematic structure and a clearly defined goal, being
compiled by the great Vedic Rishis (seers and sages),
headed by Vyasadeva, about five thousand years ago. This
knowledge was then systematically put into a written form in
order to prevent it from being lost during in the upcoming
age, which was foreseen as the Kali-yuga, the Iron Age, the
most fallen in the cycle of ages.
The
structure of the Vedic scriptures can be compared to a
staircase with many steps, with specific scriptures
corresponding to each step. The Vedic scriptures describe
both the goal and the steps leading up to this goal. They
are non-sectarian because they respect people of all
"steps"; they simply encourage everyone to progress up to
the next step. There is no question of converting or
pushing, because everyone has to walk for himself or
herself. Or, as the Vedic saying goes, "Even in a flock of
birds, each bird has to fly for itself."
The
individual evolution is not limited to one single life. The
Vedic understanding is based on the concept of
reincarnation, which declares that the steps of this
symbolical staircase can also be understood as lifetimes. In
other words, the almost proverbial "Hindu" tolerance is
originally based on a solid philosophical understanding and
shouldn't be confused with the attitudes of merging,
indifference, or "Everything is one."
From a
superficial point of view, the Vedic scriptures may appear
to be unsystematic and even contradictory, but this
impression can easily be reconciled by finding out how each
step is connected with the goal.
The four
Vedas: The scriptures of this category are generally labeled
as the original Vedic scriptures. These four Vedas are known
as Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. Rig means ritual, and it
contains mainly hymns and prayers (Mantras) in the
worship of the universal forces called the demigods. Yajur
means ceremony, and it mainly describes how to perform the
rituals. Sama means singing; the scriptures of these
categories contain many other mantras as well as
strict rules how to chant these mantras according to
mystic vibrations. Atharva means a priest who knows
the secret lore; these scriptures describe many different
kinds of worship and invocations. In a broader sense, many
other scriptures of material knowledge are also counted in
the Atharva, like the Ayurveda (pharmacological sciences and
the means to maintain health.)
All of
these teachings are supposed to encourage a human being to
understand that he is not an independent entity, rather he
is a part of a universal body, depending on many higher
forces. The most important lesson of these four Vedas is to
learn that everyone has to accept higher authorities. If you
link up with these divine forces through the proper form and
contents (ritual and understanding), then you will profit
materially and experience some peace and harmony.
Tantric
scriptures: Not everybody is inclined to follow the methods
of the Vedas which demand strictness, purity, faith and
patience. Impatient, ignorant people demand results on the
spot, and these can be obtained by magic, ghost worship,
etc. By providing such knowledge, the Vedic scriptures
encourage the faith of such occult people so that one day,
or lifetime, they may develop interest in the higher aspects
of the Veda. These literatures are within the modes of
passion and ignorance.
The
Upanishads: Woven into the four Vedas are different kinds of
philosophical discussions, like the Aranyakas and
Brahmanas. Most significant are the Upanishads ("sitting
beneath," i.e. knowledge obtained from a spiritual teacher).
These texts indicate that all material forms are transient;
they are temporary manifestations of an eternal energy,
which in itself is beyond material duality. They indicate
the oneness behind the variety and inspire people engaged in
the rituals of the Vedas to go beyond their short-term
goals.
Vedanta-sutra: 560 condensed aphorisms which define the
Vedic truths in most general terms in order to provide a
common ground of argument to all different kinds of
philosophical schools. Therefore, the commentaries to the
Vedanta-sutras are voluminous.
Itihasas: These are the historical works, mainly the
Ramayana (the history of the incarnation Rama), the 18
Puranas and 18 Sub-Puranas (universal history of
creation and annihilation, the incarnations and the great
kings, saints and teachers), and the Mahabharata (the
history of ancient India [called Bharata], leading up to the
appearance of Krishna five thousand years ago). These
scriptures are essential because they expand the
understanding of the Absolute beyond the abstract,
impersonal platform. The Absolute is supremely perfect and
complete; that's why it is both impersonal AND personal.
Actually, the personal aspect is the original source of the
secondary impersonal existence of the Lord, since an
impersonal energy cannot be the source of persons. The
Itihasas reveal this personal feature, gradually
introducing and identifying it, culminating in the purely
monotheistic revelations of Bhagavad-gita and
Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam: These sacred
texts are designated even by the Vedic scriptures themselves
as the most important, essential revelations. They directly
describe the nature, energy and person of God, who is both
the immanent (as Vishnu) and transcendent (as Krishna)
source of everything, the cause of all causes, of both the
impersonal and personal manifestations. Bhagavad-gita
("God's Song") is the words spoken BY God, and
Srimad-Bhagavatam ("Divine Revelation") is the words
ABOUT God, spoken by the representatives of God.
This
implicit structure of the Vedic scriptures sheds new light
on the entire Vedic tradition and deserves closer
examination. However, since these scriptures want to lead us
to the supreme goal--God--it is not sufficient to merely
study them theoretically. They imply practical consequences.
Mere academic study of the Vedic scriptures can be compared
to reading a cookbook or a musical composition. If we don't
come to the point of actually cooking or playing, we've
missed the point.”
Atma-tattva Dasa
|