vedas, the basis of Hinduism

[vikrama]

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இந்து மதத்தின் அடிப்படை வேதம் என்று அன்றைய ஆழ்வார்கள், நாயன்மார்களிலிருந்து இன்றைய மகான்கள், ப்ரவசனகர்த்தாக்கள் வரை எல்லோரும் வலியுறுத்துகின்றனர். இது எந்த வகையில் என்று தெரிந்து கொள்ள விரும்புகிறேன். இந்தக் கேள்வி எழுந்ததற்குக் காரணம் வருமாறு-

இன்று பரவலாக வணங்கப்படும் விநாயகர், முருகன், சிவன், பார்வதி, ஐயப்பன் ஆகிய தெய்வங்கள் வேதத்தில் இல்லை என்றும், ஸம்ஹிதைகளில் போற்றப்பட்ட விஷ்ணுவும், பிராமணங்களில் போற்றப்பட்ட நாராயணனும் பின்னர் ஒன்றாக இணைந்ததாகவும் தெரிகிறது.

வேத தெய்வங்களில் அக்னி வழிபாடு பிராமணர்களிடையே, விசேஷ காலங்களில் மட்டும் பின்பற்றப்படுகிறது. வருணன், வாயு, இந்திரன் முதலான வேத தெய்வங்கள் எதுவும் இன்று வழிபடப்படுவதில்லை.

இன்று நாம் இறந்த முன்னோருக்கான தர்ப்பணம், சிராத்தம் முதலானவை செய்கிறோம். இவை வேதத்தில் கூறப்படவில்லை என்கிறார்கள்.

இந்த எல்லா வழிபாடுகளிலும் இன்று வேதமந்திரங்கள் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகின்றன. அவை அந்தந்த நிகழ்ச்சிக்குச் சம்பந்தப்படாமல் இருந்தாலும் வலுக்கட்டாயமாக ஒரு சம்பந்தம் ஏற்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சில அரிய வேதக் கருத்துகளை மக்கள் மறந்து விடக் கூடாது என்பதற்காக அவற்றை வாய்ப்புக் கிடைத்த இடங்களில் எல்லாம் புகுத்தினரா நம் முன்னோர்?

சம்பந்தமில்லாத வேத மந்திரங்களைச் சேர்த்து விடுவதால் மட்டும் ஒரு தெய்வம் வேதத் தொடர்புடையது என்று கூறப்பட்டால்-
குளித்தலையில் சில வெளிநாட்டுப் பாதிரிமார்கள் உபநிடதப் பாராயணம் செய்துகொண்டு மேரி அம்மனை வழிபடும் ஒரு கோயிலை ஏற்படுத்தி இருப்பதாகச் சில ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் ஒரு செய்தி வந்தது. அதை இந்து சமயத்தின் ஒரு பிரிவாகக் கொள்ள முடியுமா?

 

[sangom]

இந்து மதத்தின் அடிப்படை வேதம் என்று அன்றைய ஆழ்வார்கள், நாயன்மார்களிலிருந்து இன்றைய மகான்கள், ப்ரவசனகர்த்தாக்கள் வரை எல்லோரும் வலியுறுத்துகின்றனர். இது எந்த வகையில் என்று தெரிந்து கொள்ள விரும்புகிறேன். இந்தக் கேள்வி எழுந்ததற்குக் காரணம் வருமாறு-

இன்று பரவலாக வணங்கப்படும் விநாயகர், முருகன், சிவன், பார்வதி, ஐயப்பன் ஆகிய தெய்வங்கள் வேதத்தில் இல்லை என்றும், ஸம்ஹிதைகளில் போற்றப்பட்ட விஷ்ணுவும், பிராமணங்களில் போற்றப்பட்ட நாராயணனும் பின்னர் ஒன்றாக இணைந்ததாகவும் தெரிகிறது.

வேத தெய்வங்களில் அக்னி வழிபாடு பிராமணர்களிடையே, விசேஷ காலங்களில் மட்டும் பின்பற்றப்படுகிறது. வருணன், வாயு, இந்திரன் முதலான வேத தெய்வங்கள் எதுவும் இன்று வழிபடப்படுவதில்லை.

இன்று நாம் இறந்த முன்னோருக்கான தர்ப்பணம், சிராத்தம் முதலானவை செய்கிறோம். இவை வேதத்தில் கூறப்படவில்லை என்கிறார்கள்.

இந்த எல்லா வழிபாடுகளிலும் இன்று வேதமந்திரங்கள் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகின்றன. அவை அந்தந்த நிகழ்ச்சிக்குச் சம்பந்தப்படாமல் இருந்தாலும் வலுக்கட்டாயமாக ஒரு சம்பந்தம் ஏற்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.

சில அரிய வேதக் கருத்துகளை மக்கள் மறந்து விடக் கூடாது என்பதற்காக அவற்றை வாய்ப்புக் கிடைத்த இடங்களில் எல்லாம் புகுத்தினரா நம் முன்னோர்?

சம்பந்தமில்லாத வேத மந்திரங்களைச் சேர்த்து விடுவதால் மட்டும் ஒரு தெய்வம் வேதத் தொடர்புடையது என்று கூறப்பட்டால்-
குளித்தலையில் சில வெளிநாட்டுப் பாதிரிமார்கள் உபநிடதப் பாராயணம் செய்துகொண்டு மேரி அம்மனை வழிபடும் ஒரு கோயிலை ஏற்படுத்தி இருப்பதாகச் சில ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் ஒரு செய்தி வந்தது. அதை இந்து சமயத்தின் ஒரு பிரிவாகக் கொள்ள முடியுமா?

Shri Vikrama,

I attempt to answer your doubts since some of the cited views have been expressed by me in this forum in different threads. My command of Tamizh being poorer than that of English (which itself is inadequate when compared to those of many members here) I dare not attempt to reply you in Tamizh, which please excuse.

இன்று பரவலாக வணங்கப்படும் விநாயகர், முருகன், சிவன், பார்வதி, ஐயப்பன் ஆகிய தெய்வங்கள் வேதத்தில் இல்லை என்றும், ஸம்ஹிதைகளில் போற்றப்பட்ட விஷ்ணுவும், பிராமணங்களில் போற்றப்பட்ட நாராயணனும் பின்னர் ஒன்றாக இணைந்ததாகவும் தெரிகிறது.

It is an undeniable - and easily evident - fact that the hindu pantheon has all but changed from, say, that of the ṛgveda. indra has suffered the maximum "demotion" among all those ṛgvedic devas, I would say. While all that indra did - those of valour and also less glorious endeavours - has been extolled in that veda, the same immunity from criticism and blind praise and justification has today come to be applied to kṛṣṇa, especially after harivaṃśa was added to the mahābhārata as an appendix, and, subsequently its theme was enlarged and transposed into the post-pāṇḍava period of parīkṣit in the bhāgavata.

The transfiguration of the deities was not sudden, as if done by a magic wand, one fine morning; these were gradual and took place over centuries and even millennium, perhaps. Thus, rudra of the ṛgveda became rudra-śiva of the yajurveda with the famous namakam hymn and its namaḥ śivāya (ca) or the highly acclaimed pañcākṣaraṃ. soma the much venerated herb and its juice (potion?) seems to have undergone a change in the ṛgveda period itself to something else since, in the hymn describing sūryā's (daughter of savitṛ) marriage she is described as soma. Later, by yajurvedic/brahmaṇic period, soma becomes the very model of a king (somo rājā rājapati rājyam asmin yajñe mayi dadhātu - tai. brā.२.५.७.३). This we may perhaps call intra-vedic metamorphosis. The viṣṇu > nārāyaṇa transformation is also similar.

rāma, kṛṣṇa, narasimha, lakṣmī-varāha, āñjaneya, vināyaka (gaṇapati vighneśvara), devi (bhagavati, kāḷi,etc.,) dharmaśāstā - ayyappa and a host of the modern deities are all adoptions during the purāṇic period. In these deities we find the absorption of various indigenous (non-vedic, non-āryan) godheads into the mainstream hindu religion or, if you prefer, sanātana dharma. The stotras, mantras like sahasranāmas, triśatis, aṣṭottarams, kavacams, etc., draw their inspiration from the concerned purāṇas primarily, supplemented by some portions from the algorithmic and, probably the earliest viṣṇusahasranāma, while the method of doing pūjas, the mantras to be recited, the bīja mantras, etc., are drawn from different sources - some from the (mantra)brāhmaṇas, some from various sources including tāntric.

வேத தெய்வங்களில் அக்னி வழிபாடு பிராமணர்களிடையே, விசேஷ காலங்களில் மட்டும் பின்பற்றப்படுகிறது. வருணன், வாயு, இந்திரன் முதலான வேத தெய்வங்கள் எதுவும் இன்று வழிபடப்படுவதில்லை.

It is not correct to say that vāyu, varuṇa, nirṛti, are completely gone into complete oblivion; in most domestic homas there is a passing mention of the dikpālas. But these are later adaptations during the dharmaśāstra period; I doubt whether this is what is followed in the ancient sacrificial rituals. But it is true that the rituals and deities worshipped in Buddha's times is almost gone into oblivion today.

இன்று நாம் இறந்த முன்னோருக்கான தர்ப்பணம், சிராத்தம் முதலானவை செய்கிறோம். இவை வேதத்தில் கூறப்படவில்லை என்கிறார்கள்.

What I said was that the ṛgveda does not appear to support the tarpaṇa and śrāddha rituals. It is not "all vedas". Most of our rituals, procedures, etc., can be found in the brāhmaṇas of yajurveda. But a blanket belief covering all the vedas - including atharva perhaps - has come down to the minds of people that viṣṇu in matsyāvatāra, revived the four vedas with his four hands and so all the four are bracketed into something like the Ninth Schedule of our Constitution, exempt from scrutiny as to their superhuman origins and unquestionableness. So, if someone says something is not there in ṛgveda, it should not be taken, ipso facto, to mean all the vedas.

இந்த எல்லா வழிபாடுகளிலும் இன்று வேதமந்திரங்கள் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகின்றன. அவை அந்தந்த நிகழ்ச்சிக்குச் சம்பந்தப்படாமல் இருந்தாலும் வலுக்கட்டாயமாக ஒரு சம்பந்தம் ஏற்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Yes, and some examples from the navagraha sūkta were given by me. Another glaring example is the oft-recited durgāsūkta where the word durga has nothing at all to do with the deity durgā; it praises agni !

சில அரிய வேதக் கருத்துகளை மக்கள் மறந்து விடக் கூடாது என்பதற்காக அவற்றை வாய்ப்புக் கிடைத்த இடங்களில் எல்லாம் புகுத்தினரா நம் முன்னோர்?

It does not appear to be so. It is more because of a compulsion to "devise" something vedic that unrelated sūktas have been adopted/prescribed for non-vedic deities. This probably worked like "baptism" of the concerned god / deity into the orthodox hindu pantheon.

சம்பந்தமில்லாத வேத மந்திரங்களைச் சேர்த்து விடுவதால் மட்டும் ஒரு தெய்வம் வேதத் தொடர்புடையது என்று கூறப்பட்டால்-

குளித்தலையில் சில வெளிநாட்டுப் பாதிரிமார்கள் உபநிடதப் பாராயணம் செய்துகொண்டு மேரி அம்மனை வழிபடும் ஒரு கோயிலை ஏற்படுத்தி இருப்பதாகச் சில ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் ஒரு செய்தி வந்தது. அதை இந்து சமயத்தின் ஒரு பிரிவாகக் கொள்ள முடியுமா?

Pl. see my omments on the previous item. If Mary can be "baptised" through some vedic mantras, pooja procedures, sahasranāmams, etc., probably that deity can still enter our vast pantheon, I believe. But even without such formalities pl. consider the number of hindus visiting Velankanni; there are other examples also - like the Mahim Church in Mumbai, Shirdi, etc., but as long as the worship is in the custody of Christian priests it may not be possible for the Kulittalai Devi to be formally accepted as a Hindu deity. See Pratyangira devi, a pure tantric deity (see Meru Tantra) has become popular now. So, if someone takes interest Mary can also come into our midst. It is all pure marketing strategy and any brand (of godhead) can be promoted to (earn material) success; the vast and gullible public is present as ever!!

 

[vikrama]

Dear Sri Sangom,
Thank you, sir, for the information. But my question is when we have come so far from the Vedas, why should we still swear by its name. We still say that Vedas are the breath of Siva, Vahana of Narayana etc. Is our religion afraid of loss of sanctity without the Vedas? How is it that the very name of Vedas command such respect, our pontiffs in different peetams consider it their main objective to propagate the vedic study and we fall at the feet of a Vadhyar, irrespective of age, simply because he has memorised a certain part of the vedas?

 

[sangom]

Dear Sri Sangom,
Thank you, sir, for the information. But my question is when we have come so far from the Vedas, why should we still swear by its name. We still say that Vedas are the breath of Siva, Vahana of Narayana etc. Is our religion afraid of loss of sanctity without the Vedas? How is it that the very name of Vedas command such respect, our pontiffs in different peetams consider it their main objective to propagate the vedic study and we fall at the feet of a Vadhyar, irrespective of age, simply because he has memorised a certain part of the vedas?

Dear Shri Vikrama,

I would say that the efforts put in by the brahmins to preserve the vedas and their intonation without any of the latter-day aids (like books, audio, etc.,) was a remarkable feat for which we have to be grateful to them because, it is from these vedic sources only that we can now get some glimpse of the dim past of our culture. Even the Indus valley civilization is not much helpful because till now there is no acceptable decipherment of its symbols, only conjectures.

But if we take today's position, it will be observed that the vedic relics are still embedded into our religion and religious activities, though, there have been exercise to twist, turn, squeeze and stretch in order to do such embedding. Hence it may not be possible to completely eradicate the traces of veda from our religon all on a sudden.

You may conclude yourself as to how much respect the ordinary brahmin has been having for vedas by just looking at the way we have completely (not quite, perhaps, but almost) thrown out poorvameemaamsa and its many rituals from hinduism itself even much before the advent of the british. It is equivalent to saying, "Vedas are very sacred, but let them be bundled and stoved into the dark corner of the store-room". This is a unique capacity of we people, don't you agree?!

In any religious dispensation the priest is pre-eminent. same is the case with our vaadhyaar. Even if we make it a point not to call him at all, but take to say, "bhaagavata saptaaham", the "yajnaacaarya" (see the word "yajna" butting in!) has to be revered as aacaaryan, we must prostrate before him even if he is younger in age. While on this topic, such saptaahams are modelled on the ancient vedic yagas and the "avabhrita snaanam" is a concept you will find in the ancient yagas too!

Hence our attitude towards the vedas can be compared, in a contrarian way of course, with the current law of branding cigarette packets with a warning sign - harmful to health but supply is there! In the case of the vedas it is the reverse - very great and sacrosanct but let us leave it!!

 

[siganeswarie]

the vedas
1=scriptures of hinduism

SANSKRIT LITERATURE​

Sanskrit literature can be classified under six orthodox heads and four secular heads. The six orthodox sections form the authoritative scriptures of the Hindus. The four secular sections embody the latter developments in classical Sanskrit literature.​

The six scriptures are: (i) Srutis, (ii) Smritis, (iii) Itihasas, (iv) Puranas, (v) Agamas and (vi) Darsanas.
The four secular writings are: (i) Subhashitas, (ii) Kavyas, (iii) Natakas and (iv) Alankaras.

VEDA-THE REVEALED WISDOM​

The Srutis are called the Vedas, or the Amnaya. The Hindus have received their religion through revelation, the Vedas. These are direct intuitional revelations and are held to be Apaurusheya or entirely superhuman, without any author in particular. The Veda is the glorious pride of the Hindus, nay, of the whole world!​

The term Veda comes from the root 'Vid', to know. The word Veda means knowledge. When it is applied to scripture, it signifies a book of knowledge. The Vedas are the foundational scriptures of the Hindus. The Veda is the source of the other five sets of scriptures, why, even of the secular and the materialistic. The Veda is the storehouse of Indian wisdom and is a memorable glory which man can never forget till eternity.
The Vedas are the eternal truths revealed by God to the great ancient Rishis of India. The word Rishi means a Seer, from dris, to see. He is the Mantra-Drashta, seer of Mantra or thought. The thought was not his own. The Rishis saw the truths or heard them. Therefore, the Vedas are what are heard (Sruti). The Rishi did not write. He did not create it out of his mind. He was the seer of thought which existed already. He was only the spiritual discoverer of the thought. He is not the inventor of the Veda.

 

[siganeswarie]

THE UNIQUE GLORY OF THE VEDAS​

The Vedas represent the spiritual experiences of the Rishis of yore. The Rishi is only a medium or an agent to transmit to people the intuitional experiences which he received. The truths of the Vedas are revelations. All the other religions of the world claim their authority as being delivered by special messengers of God to certain persons, but the Vedas do not owe their authority to any one. They are themselves the authority as they are eternal, as they are the Knowledge of the Lord.​

Lord Brahma, the Creator, imparted the divine knowledge to the Rishis or Seers. The Rishis disseminated the knowledge. The Vedic Rishis were great realised persons who had direct intuitive perception of Brahman or the Truth. They were inspired writers. They built a simple, grand and perfect system of religion and philosophy from which the founders and teachers of all other religions have drawn their inspiration.
The Vedas are the oldest books in the library of man. The truths contained in all religions are derived from the Vedas and are ultimately traceable to the Vedas. The Vedas are the fountain-head of religion. The Vedas are the ultimate source to which all religious knowledge can be traced. Religion is of divine origin. It was revealed by God to man in the earliest times. It is embodied in the Vedas.
The Vedas are eternal. They are without beginning and end. An ignorant man, may say how a book can be without beginning or end. By the Vedas, no books are meant. Vedas came out of the breath of the Lord. They are not the composition of any human mind. They were never written, never created. They are eternal and impersonal. The date of the Vedas has never been fixed. It can never be fixed. Vedas are eternal spiritual truths. Vedas are an embodiment of divine knowledge. The books may be destroyed, but the knowledge cannot be destroyed. Knowledge is eternal. In that sense, the Vedas are eternal.

 

[siganeswarie]

DIVISIONS OF THE VEDAS​

The Veda is divided into four great books: the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sama-Veda and the Atharva-Veda. The Yajur-Veda is again divided into two parts, the Sukla and the Krishna. The Krishna or the Taittiriya is the older book and the Sukla or the Vajasaneya is a later revelation to sage Yajnavalkya from the resplendent Sun-God.​

The Rig-Veda is divided into twenty-one sections, the Yajur-Veda into one hundred and nine sections, the Sama-Veda into one thousand sections and the Atharva-Veda into fifty sections. In all, the whole Veda is thus divided into one thousand one hundred and eighty recensions.
Each Veda consists of four parts: the Mantra-Samhitas or hymns, the Brahmanas or explanations of Mantras or rituals, the Aranyakas, and the Upanishads. The division of the Vedas into four parts is to suit the four stages in a man's life.
The Mantra-Samhitas are hymns in praise of the Vedic God for attaining material prosperity here and happiness hereafter. They are metrical poems comprising prayers, hymns and incantations addressed to various deities, both subjective and objective. The Mantra portion of the Vedas is useful for the Brahmacharins.
The Rig-Veda Samhita is the grandest book of the Hindus, the oldest and the best. It is the Great Indian Bible, which no Hindu would forget to adore from the core of his heart. Its style, the language and the tone are most beautiful and mysterious. Its immortal Mantras embody the greatest truths of existence, and it is perhaps the greatest treasure in all the scriptural literature of the world. Its priest is called the Hotri.
The Yajur-Veda Samhita is mostly in prose and is meant to be used by the Adhvaryu, the Yajur-Vedic priest, for superfluous explanations of the rites in sacrifices, supplementing the Rig-Vedic Mantras.
The Sama-Veda Samhita is mostly borrowed from the Rig-Vedic Samhita, and is meant to be sung by the Udgatri, the Sama Vedic priest, in sacrifices.
The Atharva-Veda Samhita is meant to be used by the Brahma, the Atharva-Vedic priest, to correct the mispronunciations and wrong performances that may accidentally be committed by the other three priests of the sacrifice.
The Brahmana portions guide people to perform sacrificial rites. They are prose explanations of the method of using the Mantras in the Yajna or the sacrifice. The Brahmana portion is suitable for the householders.
There are two Brahmanas to the Rig-Veda-the Aitareya and the Sankhayana. "The Rig-Veda", says Max Muller, "is the most ancient book of the world. The sacred hymns of the Brahmanas stand unparalleled in the literature of the whole world; and their preservation might well be called miraculous."
The Satapatha Brahmana belongs to the Sukla-Yajur-Veda. The Krishna-Yajur-Veda has the Taittiriya and the Maitrayana Brahmanas. The Tandya or Panchavimsa, the Shadvimsa, the Chhandogya, the Adbhuta, the Arsheya and the Upanishad Brahmanas belong to the Sama-Veda. The Brahmana of the Atharva-Veda is called the Gopatha. Each of the Brahmanas has got an Aranyaka.
The Aranyakas are the forest books, the mystical sylvan texts which give philosophical interpretations of the rituals. The Aranyakas are intended for the Vanaprasthas or hermits who prepare themselves for taking Sannyasa.
The Upanishads are the most important portion of the Vedas. The Upanishads contain the essence or the knowledge portion of the Vedas. The philosophy of the Upanishads is sublime, profound, lofty and soul-stirring. The Upanishads speak of the identity of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. They reveal the most subtle and deep spiritual truths. The Upanishads are useful for the Sannyasins.
The subject matter of the whole Veda is divided into Karma- Kanda, Upasana-Kanda and Jnana-Kanda. The Karma-Kanda or Ritualistic Section deals with various sacrifices and rituals. The Upasana-Kanda or Worship-Section deals with various kinds of worship or meditation. The Jnana-Kanda or Knowledge-Section deals with the highest knowledge of Nirguna Brahman. The Mantras and the Brahmanas constitute

 

[vikrama]

Dear Sri Siganewarie,
I find that you have studied much on this topic but I can not find anything connected to the thread. Could you be brief and to the point of my primary question and Sri Sangom's reply thereon?

 

[advaitravi]

NAMASTE,

i want to know where the books written by vidyaranya
swamy are available.his brother sayana wrote bhasya for vedas where these bhasyas are available(four vedas).please let me know.

thank you

 

[saidevo]

namaste advaitravi.

Hope this could help:
Sarva Darshana Samgraha: Madhava
http://www.archive.org/download/thesarvadarsanas00madhuoft/thesarvadarsanas00madhuoft.pdf
http://www.archive.org/download/sarvadarsanasamg035018mbp/sarvadarsanasamg035018mbp.pdf

brahmavid AshIrvAdaH: vidyAraNya
http://www.sanskritdocuments.org/all_pdf/brahmavidashirvada.pdf

vaiyAsikanyAyamAlA: vidyAraNya muni
http://ia331409.us.archive.org/0/items/anandasramasans00unkngoog/anandasramasans00unkngoog.pdf

baudhAyana sUtra: vidyAraNya bAShyam
http://muktalib5.org/DL_CATALOG/TEXTS/VEDIC/BAUDHAYANA SUTRA VIDYARANYA BHASYA/PDF/PDF.pdf

 

[talwan]

A very good topic,discussions and clarifications are of high standard.Let us follow them as presented today.If we start doing too much of a search,I think we will end nowher.Thank all for the good spirit of participation.
alwan

 

[Muraliauditor]

Namaskaram,

Sometime back I was following a thread "Vedam Karkalaam Varungal" by Shri Vikramaji and I am not able to locate it. Can you please help?

Thanks
Murali

 

[Nacchinarkiniyan]

Vikrama,

When we talk about Vedas everyone is looking at a different aspect. Some on Mantras, some on Rituals, some on the Upanishads. So your view on Vedas may differ from how you look at it.

I belong to a group which considers the mantras to be the most important part of the Vedas. Rituals may change/have changed. Deities may change/have changed. But the basic Mantras remains the same. Shanti Mantras are one of the most important mantras of Vedas. We recite Shanti Mantras at the beginning of all auspicious functions.

Shanti Mantra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Then we come to Maha Vakyas like tat tvam asi, sarvam khalv idam brahma and others. But this are Philosophical statements which may or may not be understood by ordinary people.

To understand present day Hinnduism, you have study the history of Hinduism. Unfortunately there is no standard book on that. History as as subject has been totally neglected. Most of the historians of the pre-independence Era towed the British point of view. Then after independence most of the historians were leftists. Then we have the so called Hindutva historians.

The main problem is that traditional Hindus would not accept the view of the Historians however well intentioned or balanced they may be. Many believe that Vedas were evolved millions of years ago. Some one will immediately respond that they are apaurishiya. Then how do we trace the history of Hinduism? A famous journalist and author respected by Tamil Brahmins goes on TV and says Ramayana happened a million years back. If this is the belief of the general Tamil Brahmin, what is the use of writing the history?

I have studied the history of Vedas/Hinduism in an acdemic institution. I went back to college after leaving my job. At the same time I satrted learning recitation of the Vedas. The fact is that my Acharya who taught me the recitation of the Vedas would not accept the views of my Professor who was also a Brahmin who knew the recitation of the Vedas. My Acharya accepted my Professor as a Vedic scholar but would not accept his historical interpretation of the Vedas.

Many of my postings are based on my class notes and self study. But in a college lecture they do not quote the sources. So in most cases I do not quote sources bacuse it is more like a lecture in a college.

I can post about the history of the Vedas from my notes. But it may not be worth the effort because it can be countered by quoting books. Most of these books remind me of the story of The five Blind men and the elephant.

 

[ambes]

Good information Siganeswari

 

[vikrama]

Vikrama,

I can post about the history of the Vedas from my notes. But it may not be worth the effort because it can be countered by quoting books. Most of these books remind me of the story of The five Blind men and the elephant.

Interested in learning from you. Please go ahead.

 

[vikrama]

Namaskaram,

Sometime back I was following a thread "Vedam Karkalaam Varungal" by Shri Vikramaji and I am not able to locate it. Can you please help?

Thanks
Murali

Dear Sri Murali
You can find it here http://www.tamilbrahmins.com/scriptures/2060-vedam.html
I didn't get study mates. But fortunately, Sri Sangom is familiarising us with Rig Veda. Hope he continues it.
vikrama

 

[sangom]

Dear Sri Murali
You can find it here http://www.tamilbrahmins.com/scriptures/2060-vedam.html
I didn't get study mates. But fortunately, Sri Sangom is familiarising us with Rig Veda. Hope he continues it.
vikrama

Shri Vikrama,

I just read all the posts in the old thread. Your approach is very much what I feel the readers of this forum expect, not my way which looks at the veda primarily as the words and sentences appear, giving less (or no) importance to the various interpretations, inferred meanings, etc. That even recently some member had questioned my eligibility to write about veda/s is, I think, representative of the mindset here. Hence I do not think there is any point in my spending time and effort which I can utilize to learn further.

So, I request you to continue your posts in a new thread. Probably there will be people ready to translate it for you; if you start a new thread, may be Shri Nachi Naga himself will help.

 

[Nara]

..... That even recently some member had questioned my eligibility to write about veda/s is, I think, representative of the mindset here. Hence I do not think there is any point in my spending time and effort which I can utilize to learn further.

Dear Shri Sangom, I am writing this after checking what is allowed and what is not in this forum, and I am happy to say there is no a priori prohibition of any POV. So, please permit me to disagree with you. While it may be true that "some members" may have questioned your eligibility to write about Vedas, I myself think there is nobody more qualified to do so, and I daresay I am not alone.

Nothing can be more edifying to me, in a very selfish sense, but to all members in general as well, if you would write about the Vedas and give your unique interpretation that is a lot more thought provoking than the views that are simply asserted as truth, as the immutable truth, opposition to which is no less than blasphemy, or at the very least antithetical to all that is self-evidently sublime!!

Please sir, give us the benefit of your thoughts, if only to balance what gets presented as historical truth .

Cheers!

 

[KRS]

Dear Sri Sangom Ji,

Thadhasthu to the Professor's plea.

Regards,
KRS

 

[sangom]

Thank you S/Shri Nara, KRS. I will continue.

 

[vikrama]

Me too second the request of Sri Nara.
What I wrote was from a half baked knowledge. Seen retrospectively, I feel that I should have studied more before I commit myself to writing. So I expect Sri Sangom to continue to give us the benefits of his deep erudition. (I have a doubt which I have asked in the thread, Familiarise with rig Veda.)