A Bird's eye view on Vedas - VIII

The Aesthetic Factor
(Copy right protected by Dr. G.S. Tripathy)

Each vision of the Divinity carries an aesthetic value in the Vedas. It is a vision of beauty and splendour. It is a religious attitude. In Bhagavat Geeta it is Vibhuti yoga which can be termed as path of splendour. Jyoti or light is the typical form of splendour. In the more abstract sense it is termed as “greatness, Beauty, glory, wonder or loveliness etc. ‘” In accordance with this outlook the divinity is Dev which is the glorious one and shining one. Primarily the divine conception becomes a generic idea. The idea of an individual deity comes next. So long as the generic idea remains constant, there is no essential contradiction in identifying one specific deity with another.

The Ethical Factor

As much as the aesthetic, the Vedic deity embodies the ethical value. Indicating their ethical values, there are two basic terms in the Vedas. In the Vedas there can be no god or goddess if they do not represent the conception of Rita and Satya where Rita is the eternal order and Satya is the truth.

Satya dharma is nothing but God. Source of power is Satya only. Upholder of eternal order is God only.

Without reference to a divinity, this can be contemplated as ends in themselves while taking religion to some fundamentals. As in the case of Buddhism, Vedic theism is based on moral values. This may be upheld in a non theistic way also it is not the astheist who is really objectionable in India but also the person by whom the moral law is repudiated.

In accordance with Vedas, the earth is upheld not by the will of almighty, but by truth which is known as “Satya”, where the supreme component is God only. God reveals Himself through RITA which is the eternal order told by the Vedas only.

According to another form of Vibhuti Yoga – God is supreme. He represents beauty and splendour of nature. All virtues, goodness nobility in man and woman at its highest are the wonderful reflection of god only. There are descriptive terms for the Divinity in the Vedic prayers in the subjective form. By this the supremacy of Divinity is indicated though the names of the Deities are different.

In the Vedas the divinity has been spoken of in one name or another as the supreme poet, as the supreme mother, supreme hero, supreme father and as the supremely beneficent etc. The Vedic sense of quality and value have been indicated by these terms. The superlative can imply only one individual, again to an intellectual person. The implication is that they are the same when two deities are described by the same superlative. Take for an instance: - Brahmanaspati and Agni are both spoken of as Vipratma the supreme sage. Hence both Agni and Brahmanaspati are one divine being by implication as the superlative adjective indicates one person only.

The Metaphysical Factor

The oneness of the divine is also presented in the veda as a definite metaphysical proposition so far it is the simple henotheism of Max Muller implied through the psychological and ethical factor. The sages contemplate “THE ONE BEING” in many ways which is stated clearly –

EKAM SANTAM BAHUDHA KALPAYANTI
------------ (Rig veda, X, 114.5)

That all gods are one in INDRA – Sometimes it is said (Rig veda, 111, 54.17) and sometimes all gods are described as one god only.

Well known verse sets down the vedic Advaita in clear language as follows:-
[EKAM SAD VIPRA BAHUDHA VADANTI]

By many names as Agni, Yama, Matarishavan
Because the divinity is spoken of in the neuter as one being (EKAM SAT) the conception of divine becomes metaphysical which is shown in a closer observation.