veda part four

SYNOPSIS OF FOUR VEDAS

(Copy right protected by Dr. G.S. Tripathy)

1. The full concept of Dharma has not been signified fully in the English word ‘Religion’. That which generates tolerance and purity in a man is called Dharma.

2. Man has enumerated ten tenets of Religion which are as follows.

Knowledge of scriptures, purity of the body, mind and word, control over sense, intellect, patience, mercy, truthfulness, absence of anger not coveting the possession of others are broadly the ten attributes of Dharma.

3. Only one Dharma mankind has truly speaking. It has been handed down by the Devine creator Himself. At the time of committing a sin the feeling of fear, apprehension and shame which are felt are owing to the inspiration of the supreme self dwelling inside the heart. The feeling of happiness, pleasure and joy which came at the time of performing a virtuous act is also by his decree.

The ten tenets of religion constitute the sovereign and eternal virtues of men. They have been handed down to mankind from the beginning of civilization.

4. The humanity has only one Dharma –a set of righteous duties. Various creeds or sects are there in the society. Creeds and their numbers are still increasing. In reality humanity has only Dharma.

5. Creeds are many even though Dharma is one, Mankind is united by Dharma where as there are differences among caste & creed and they count get close to one another.

The Divine Being has himself formulated Dharma. Where as the mentors of the creeds are human beings.

The virtues in life are bought out by the practice of Dharma. Penance, meditation discipline etc. are the essential tenets of Dharma.

On the other hand, the sectarians lay more stress on their individual beliefs, customs, life story by their preacher, prophet and incarnation.

6. Sanatana Dharma of ancient times is known as what is called Hinduism today. Even-new means Sanatana. For all ages and all times that is valid. It is the only human religion. May perversions entered into it in course of time. The source of Sanatana Dharma is Vedas only. We find the concept of one unique there in. It is omnipresent, formless Supreme Being who has several names though He is one and only one.

Puranas were composed in Praise of these deities like Siva, Vishnu, Mahes, Laxmi, Saraswati etc. Many sectarians were born out of these deities. The present Hinduism is a conglomeration of various sects. The metaphysical concepts and Vedic mode of worship are getting misinterpreted and diluted.

7. The word Hindu is not found in the Vedas. In Upanishads & Vedangas also it is not seen. The word Hinduism is not found in Ramayana & Mahabharata or Bhagavat Mahapuran etc.

The presence of this word Hindu or Hinduism is not found mention in any Puran of Hindus. Also this is not a Sanskrit word.

Hindu is a Persian word. A way of living has been interpreted as Hinduism now a day. During foreign rule this word has been coined.

8. Even if it is assumed that the word Hindu is derived from Sindhu, yet it would not point to the glorious associates of the word Arya.

The residents of both the banks of Sindhu should be Hindus if people living on the banks of river sindhu are called Hindus.” In persian writings in a single sentence both the words are sometimes seen. Yet it would not point to the glorious associations of the word aryas even if it is assumed that no word Hindu is derived from Sindhu.”

9. Arya is a Sanskrit word. The man who is truthful modest, dutiful, virtuous, Philanthropic and industrious only can be called Arya. This does not denote a clean or community. Irrespective of the place and the time of his origin, a man processing these attributes is an Arya only. In a man, it denotes noble qualities.
As per Vashisthe smriti, a man who is virtuous, keeps away from his sin and dutiful is an Arya.

10. As per Veda. Aryan came from a different planet by air to Sapta sindhu many many thousand years ago when Sapta sindhu was surrounded by three seas and seven rivers comprising of present Afganistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Haryana and some parts of India including Rajasthan. The details are there in Vedas.

European historians have spread baseless stories regarding this without opening the pages of Vedas which has been followed by some Indian historians also blindly.

11. For Tirth or pilgrimage different people have different ideas or nations.

Taking bath in a river is not pilgrimage or Tirth. These rivers came to be termed as places of pilgrimage as the ancient Rishis generally used to live on the banks of these rivers. For consol and consolations, seekers used to visit them there in ancient times.

Through some noble actions man escapes sorrow and worldly miseries. These noble actions constitute Tirth only which are good conduct. Prayers to God, keeping good company truthful actions, virtuous deed like studying and observing celibacy etc. is pilgrimage.

12. Bathing in the river Ganga or Jamuna cannot remove evil from a man or a woman. If that had been the case, people living on the banks of these rivers directly would have gone to Heaven.

Keeping company of the virtuous, Penance, introspection, Prayers etc. constitutes the real Tirth.

13. Regarding heaven & hell there is different conceptions in the mind of different people.

The place which generates suffering is hell and the place where one attains joy & happiness is called heaven. In sectarian scriptures, the topographical description of heaven and hell are not in accordance with the Vedic scriptures.

Heaven is located in neither the sky nor the hell also.

14. One of the six vedangas is Astronomy. Astrology, Horoscope etc. are not included in the astronomy. There is no sanction of Vedas for this.

In astronomy we refer to movement of stars and planet and their mathematics.

15. The Vedic thinking supports the doctrine of action and the consequent result there of. Veda neither supports regression nor evolution.

To good consequences good action leads where as bad action leads to bad consequences.

16. Culture is a mental unfolding where as civilization is material program. Culture is an inner state of mind where as civilization is external condition.

Computer, internet, telephone, radio etc. denote civilization.

Honesty-truth, falsehood, love, hatred, dishonesty are indicative of inner nature whether it is developed or under developed.

Vedas are the sacred texts that provide knowledge and they teach paths to salvation.

Rig ved is identified with the path of knowledge the yajur Veda with the path of action and the sama Veda with the path of devotion.

Culture other Vedas, the Atharvaveda, in addition to prayers contains charms & spells and used to be recited to counteract evil influences during the course of a sacrifice.

Veda part three

SYNOPSIS OF FOUR VEDAS

(Copy right protected by Dr. G.S. Tripathy)

1. Pralaya or dissolution follows the creation. Pralaya is the causative state where as creation is the active state. Nature is reduced to atoms and molecules at the time of dissolution. All souls remain dorment after leaving their bodies. After dissolution creation is a must.

2. In each cycle of creation there are four yugas. They are – Satya, Tretaya, Dvapar and Kali.

Satya yuga- 17,28,000 years

Treta- 12,96,000 years

Dvapar- 8,64,000 years

Kali- 4,32,000 years

Total 43,20,000 years

Hence the total duration of a chaturyuga is Forty three eakhs twenty thousand years.

3. The duration of one cycle of creation lasts for one thousand chaturyangas which comes to four hundred and thirty two crore years.

4. Years have no bearing on sinfulness or righteousness. Man reaps the fruits of his own action. Every era has given birth to godly people as well as reprobates.

The theory of ‘Karma” or action of souls would be proved incorrect if the era would have influenced actions of the nature.

5. All souls are bestowed with bodies according to the deeds performed in previous birth after the period of “Pralaya”.

The first to come out there from is the space after the atoms of the quiescent nature got agitated.

Then follows all inferior beings and finally the “man” by the combination of sperm and ovum and hence the embodied life is born.

6. Soul cannot recall the past experience as the knowledge of the soul is limited. That a man does not remember his past life is a matter of consolation otherwise he would have been mentally troubled due to the past sorrow & troubles.

7. With reverential concentration to god at dawn and dusk, when grateful prayers are offered, these are called sandhya upasana.

8. Yama, Niyam, Asan, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dhyano Dharna & Samadhi these are known as Ashtanga Yoga or eight – fold yoga.

The mind, body, intellect & soul of the man are purified with the observance of these eight disciplines.

9. The meaning of stuti, Prarthana & Upasana can be noted as followes.

Stuti:- In accordance with Hindu ideals, “stuti” is to adore the attributes of god in order to rectity and guide one’s own action.

Prarthana:- To beg for God’s grace and to Shun the ego in order to attain knowledge and strength etc. is nothing but Prarthana.

Upasana:- To realize & feel the presence of the supreme being in the heart of hearts, is called upasana or prayer.

It is easier to reach to the proximity of god through the prayer only.

The individual soul finds happiness with the supreme soul.

10. Through meditation the intellectual facility expands. Sandhya upasana builds up faith and destroys the ago.

The soul becomes pure and sanctified. The mind and the senses are cleansed of impurities. To perform good deeds an impetus comes. For the welfare of humanity. Constant thought to the effect that the almighty god is there all the time ensuring the well being of living creatures generates the will to sacrifice one self.

11. The effects of prayer out power into the soul. By remembering god who is omnipotent and repository of all divine qualities, the soul attains capability and sanctity.

Prayer is the only means to conquer the subtle aberrations of the inner mind. Through destructive weapons or through money power material victory may be achieved in this mundane would even though. By prayer and introspection, the ego is destroyed. When ego is eliminated, the soul blooms. Reverence, love, friendship & kindness are guaranteed with the power of prayers only by wiping out the hatred, fear, and envy weakness.

12. The impediments for Upasana same are many. They are as follows.

a. Doubts, b. mental weakness, c. sickness, d. lethargy, e. falsehood, f. inadvertence of indecision etc.

13. In Hindu Sashtra the meaning of Yajna are many. Yajna is derived from the root yaj which means worship, equity and charity.

- Elders are to be worshipped

- Equity with those who are equals

- Charity to those who are younger.

These are the duties of a man which constitute Yajna.

That Yajna comprises the noblest actions of man has been depicted in Brahman scriptures.Yagna is non-violent and charitable.

“Pursuit of truth with reverence” is Yajna as per satapatha Brahman.

In Bhagabat Geeta, the definition of Yajna has been given elaborately.

14. There are five Mahayajnas which are as follows: for house holders.

a. Offering reverential gratitude to the supreme Being

b. Performing Agnihotra

c. Showing respect for elders

d. Rendering hospitality to the guests

e. Services to the poor and hungry.

They are called Brahma Yajna, Devayajna, Pitru Yajna, AtithiYajna, Vaishadev Yajna.

15. Brahma Yajna:- To perform Sandhya upasana at dawn and Svadhya (introspection) is Brahme yajna. Ego is destroyed by Sandhya upasana. Study of scriptures is Sradhyajna and to analyze the distortions and aberration in one’s life that removes the dross from the mind.

16. Deva Yajna:- Performance of Agnihotra or Havan both at sunrise and sunset after completion of Sandhya upasana is generally known as Deva Yajna. Through Asana and Pranayam it strengthen the organs of the body and to purify the atmosphere by Agnihotra, to keep company with wise etc. comprise deva yajna.

17. Pitru Yajna: - during their life time, the parents, the sages, the pious, the teachers are to be respected and worshiped. To pay reverence to the respected people is known as Pitru Yajna, two forms of Pitru Yajna are Shradha and Tarapana.

Veneration and love and service to the elders are called Shradha. To satisfy and please them Tarapana is to be done.

18. Atithi Yajna: - in course of their wanderings, pious and charitable people are to be treated properly as if they are the guests because they do not come with any prior programme or intention.

To serve such pious people by offering them food and comfort in order to imbibe true knowledge from them is an important duty of the householders.

This is known as Atithi Yajna.

19. Valivai Shavadev Yajna: - Man is the highest in the God’s creation. He is the inheritor of immortality. All small and weak creatures are protected by him. Man’s sacred obligation is to provide them good food & sustenance as for as possible and without any perversion.

Vali means share or apportionment. Before sitting down to a meal; man should offer a portion of his food cooked at home to poor, sick and helpless creatures is known as valivai shavadev yajna or Bhuta Yajns.

Man should realize that the weak, poor and helpless people and even animals, birds have a legitimate share in what we earn is the aim of this Yajna.

20. The urge for sacrifice is promoted in the mind by the Agnihotra or Havana that keeps the body in good health and purifies the house. Therefore “Havana” should be performed by everybody. By cooking, by excretion we pollute environment, so we should purify the same.

21. We have been benefitted by Havana in the community in the society, in the country at large. The physical property of the clarified butter offered to the fire purifies the atmosphere and its subtle essence sanctifies the mind and the heart, Noble perception has been generated by the latter. The ritual checks the spread if disease in the community.

22. Both men & women can perform Havana daily in their house-hold affairs. In ancient times women are known to perform daily Havana.

It is not a waste of money to offer ghee to the fire instead of being consumed by the needy are offering ghee to the fire never gets in vain.

23. In a subtle way the fragrance emitted by Havana feeds mankind.

The man who eats clarified butter alone gets the nutrition where as the fragrance of yajna provides subtle nutrition to hundreds of people. It even improves the yield of fruits by trees.

It purifies environment. Ghee lying in a pot does not spread its effect as such. But when offered to fire it is fragmented into atoms and molecules and in the process purifies the environment.

24. Without clarified butter, Agnihotra can be performed also. It can be performed with medical herb with paddy, with barley or with the inner fire of veneration. The attitude of self-sacrifice itself is Yajna. Of that symbolic thought, performing Havana is a symbolic form.

25. Vedic hymns are chanted during prayers because during the chanting period pure thoughts embodied in the Vedic hymns sanctify the mind. Through the recital of the inspiring hymns, the mankind tends to get into a bond of unity. Through their recitals, Vedas are preserved.

26. Vedas do not prescribe animal sacrifice at all. It teaches how to kill the animal in man. For sensual enjoyment, the followers of the “vama-marga” of the Tantra school have introduced animal sacrifice.

The Vedas talk of Yajna which is otherwise called “ADHVARA” or act of non-violence. So the question of any reference to violence towards animals does not arise in the Vedas at all.

27. For clarification of the readers, the meanings of various Yajna are given below.

Gomedha Yajna: - the word “gau” stands for speech, cow, and earth etc. The root “MEDHRU” signifies intellect piety, amity and slaughter. Gomedha really means raising cattle – purification of speech – cleansing of the earth, similarly Aswamedha signifies impending knowledge, or building of the nation etc. These two institutes refer to duties of wise people and rulers respectively in the Vedas.

In such edifying senses in the Vedas, words like gomedha, Aswamedha, Naramedha etc. have been used.

28. Elderly people, social workers, old parents, old parents, preceptors, doctors, scientists are called patriarchs. Also pitar, which means wise saviors and elderly people.

In the Vedas, living ancients have been described as patriarchs. (Yajur Veda XIX57).

“By their wise counsel, let them understand our problems and remove our ignorance.”

29. As a memorable day, to observe the day of death in order to recollect the good deeds of the dead man shraddha is necessary. This concept has been started from Tretaya Yuga when Seeta offered sand Pinda to her father-in-law who extended his hand as per Ramayan. The dead have nobodies. Hence Shraddha for the dead is a later concept. Veda is silent on the matter.

To offer food stuff (Pinda) to dead is illogical and non-vedic to many.

But we do observe Sharddha regularly.

30. In order to understand the significance of their lives on earth boys or girls at the time of Upanayana are symbolized by the sacred thread worn on the body. To attain lofty ambitions and accomplish devout deeds are its aims. The significance of wearing yajnopavita or sacred thread is to keep oneself engaged in yajna or philanthropic work.

Only to wear this sacred thread, without doing what it enjoins to do, is useless.

31. The Upavita has three stands of thread. These three threads symbolize the three debts that the ma incurs in life. This reminds the man to repay three debts.

To act according to their teaching who carry the human heritage and tradition forward such as hermits, menters and sages etc, is to repay their debts we owe to them. Substances with beneficial power like, fire wind water etc. are Devas who sustain human lives. We repay their debts by using them properly.

By properly ministering to parents, a debt to Pittar is paid back and by becoming ideal parents ourselves.

In the sacred thread, every strand of thread cautions us as it were.

‘O’ man, before clearing your debts do not leave this world.

32. People who are eligible to do justice can wear sacred thread. For wearing this reverence resolution and purity are absolutely essential. Pious and righteous people are worthy of this.

33. The man who dispels ignorance from the society and spread knowledge with “Sattvik” disposition is called a Brahmin.

34. One who obliterates injustice from the society by physical strength with enforcement of princiles of justice is a Kshatriya paving a mixture of Sattvik & Rajasik qualities.

35. The money power in the society is controlled by Vaishya. He is a mixture of Rajasika (Passionate) and Tamasika (Ignorant). In Vedic concept, the Vaishya is the trustee of social wealth as he generates finance, enriches the society and eliminates poverty from the nation.

36. By physical labour, Sudra serves the society. In social service he helps the other three classes of the society. His inclinations are Tamasika (Ignorant).

37. By the temperament vocation, nature of man and Varna are established. By dint of his occupation he is fitted into the Varna.

For Example: A son of a Sudra who accumulates knowledge and removes ignorance from the society becomes a Brahmin by Varna, but if the son of a Brahmin takes up trade and commence and accumulates money will be addressed as a Vaishya only.

Hence with the change in the mental inclinations social duty and nature of man, the Varna can change accordingly.

38. On the earth, the creation of God can be divided into six broad species such as man, animal, bird, vermin, insect and reptile. The male & female of the same species only can mate and procreate.

From the birth species (Jati) is determined. With identical form, shape and characteristics, creatures are considered to be of a particular species.

There is difference between the words Varna and JATI. Jati or (Species) is inborn such as man, animal etc. But Varna is different from species. Varna such as Brahman refers to mankind which is changeable. And changes are according to one’s disposition and occupation.

39. Varna does not change. A donkey cannot be a cow. A Sudra cannot be a Brahmin, it is said.

But this theory is wrong – argued by many. The individual is allotted to a Varna as he chooses a social duty according to his aptitude and capacity.

Here the example of donkey and cow is in appropriate.

40. Based on mental disposition and occupation the Vedas have evolved Varna system. It has been mentioned in ManuSmriti also. Vedas are of the supreme authority of the Sanatana Dharma admitted by Manu. Later on there are many interpolations by self-seeking biased people in the ManuSmriti. Hence sometimes, it is contradictory.

41. The significance of four different “Ashrams” should be understood by each and every human being. Life passes through four chronological stages between birth and death.

First is Brahmacharya,

Second is Garhyasthya,

Third is Vanaprastha,

And fourth is Sanyasa.

For the social structure classification of Varna is necessary. Hence the division of Ashram is also required for the enrichment of the individual life. This should be understood properly.

42. One should know the meaning of Brahmacharya. Brahma stands for greatness and Charya means demean our. To adopt a noble behaviour by shunning petty and narrow conduct is Brahmacharya.

Also Brahmacharya devotes retention of semen. One part of semen is formed out of eighty parts of blood. Therefore loss of semen leads to physical and mental ailments. Life-force is only Brahmacharya.

43. An apathy towards natural enjoyment is developed when a man attains sixty or more. In a householder’s life he no longer gets satisfaction. He gives up domestic enjoyment at this stage. He devotes time selflessly for the betterment of the society. If more people adopt this mode of living in philanthropic deeds in the appropriate time, then the spirit of sacrifice spreads more and more. As a result corruption gets eliminated and undesirable people cannot enter in to the life-stream of the society or the country. This is Vanaprastha Ashram.

44. Man has practically relinquished the mundane world during Sanyasa Ashram. It is primarily a change of the mind, but not a change of attire only. In this stage he feels love and affection towards all living creatures of the world.

45. These are Vedic rites in different stages of human life with Vedic Samskaras. The method or systems prescribed by the ancient sages to develop the faculties of a person in different stages are called Samskar.

In the scriptures sixteen Samskars have been devised covering the period from the stay in the mother’s womb through growth, decay and finally death.

Physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual powers in man would be promoted through these sixteen Samskars, which are as follows;

1. Garbhadhana, 2. Pumsavana, 3. Simantonnayan, 4. Jatak Karam, 5. Namakaran, 6. Niskramana, 7. Annaprasana, 8. Chudakaran, 9. Karnabedha, 10. Upanayan, 11. Vedaranbha, 12. Samavarttana, 13. VIVAH, 14. Vanaprastha, 15. Sanyas, 16. Antesti.

46. Before the of birth the child three pre-birth Samskars are observed. With the wish to have good off-springs – Garbhadharna is done with prayer to Almighty. In order to strengthen the foetus which is known as “Pumsavana” the husband adopts celibacy and the wife adopts pure food and conduct.

When the mind of the foetus starts forming Simantonnayan Samskar is performed in the fourth month to keep the mind of the mother cheerful and healthy.

47. An anspicious name is conferred on the child, on the 10^th or 11^th day after the birth which is the reflection of the fond hopes of the parents for the future of the child.

This is known as Namakaran Samskar. After the Niskramana Samskar, Annaprasan has been done followed by Karnaveda. Then of course Upanayana is done.

Upa means near and Nayana means to take. When the child is taken to the teacher for the first time and place in his care to mould the personality of the child, the Samskar named Uparayan is performed. In the ancient times it was known as Gurukula.

Both for the boys and girls- Upanayan is obligatory. Now-a-days this is done only in case of boys that too in Brahmin catse. This is an aberration of the original idea of Uparayan.

As is practiced in our society at present Uparayan is not a sum total of ten Samskars at all. The significance of upanayan Samskar is to be properly understood by the people, as it is the tenth Samskar in the series of sixteen as told by Vedas.

On the day of the Upanayan all the nine Samskars preceding Upanayan are observed collectively. This shows the letter ignorance of the real meaning of sixteen expurgation rites. Instead of doing each one at its appropriate time, it doesn’t make any sense to perform all the ten Samskars at a time.

48. The Antyesti Samskar or the last rites is the cremation of the corpse by the relatives and friends after the soul leaves the body. This is according to the maxims laid down in scriptures of Antyesti Samskars. As per Veda after Antyesti no other Samskar is left. For the human body this is last Samskar. The rituals which are being performed now-a-days after death for ten days find no mention in the Vedas. In mythology these are found and these were wrongly interpolated later on much much later.

According to acts performed in the previous birth, the soul takes on another body just after death. Cremation of the body is its scientific disposal which had been thought of by sages & rishis of yore.

49. To be an Acharya- one should be righteous himself and inculcates righteousness also throughout.

50. Twice born is generally known as Dvija. Once from the womb of the mother and second, when he attains knowledge imparted by the teacher where by he gets a new life. This is known as second birth. Then he is called Dvija or twice-born.

51. In ancient times there was Gurukul pattern of education. Teachers at the Vanaprastha stage of life while keeping children in their custody, they used to extend them love, guidance & learning.

52. In a student’s life, there are eight lapses. They are lethargy, attachment, egoism, greed, luxury, Bad Company, lack of sensitivity & light heartedness.

53. The aim of education is to the concept that soul is the master of the body. And to engage the body to work accordingly is the aim of education. The inner personality is developed by prayer education.

To attain the ultimate cherished goal in life education sets the pupil on the right path. It generates resistance to temptations of mundane life.