Vedic tradition of Revelation---by Dr.NSA

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhaktas,

 

This is one of the articles written by Dr.NSA long

back.

 

VEDIC TRADITION OF REVELATION

 

The Vedas are declared to expound non-temporal means

leading to the attainment of the supreme Good! "ishta

prApyAnishtaparihArayah aloukikam upAyam yo granthaha

vedayati savedah".

 

Knowledge that we gain in this world is riddled with

contradictions and the scriptures are free from

self-contradiction and contradiction from the rest of

assured knowledge. The nature of observation and

reason 'pratyaksha' and 'anumAna' is such that they

cannot furnish satisfactory and conclusive answers to

certain fundamental questions. The scriptures play

their role here as they reveal what is not revealed by

perception and inference. This is explained as "the

scripture does not merely reiterate other modes of

thought. If it did so it would be superfluous". If it

were in conflict with the deliverance of perception

and inference, when the later are valid it would be

false. The scriptures are neither reiterative nor in

opposition to the other sources of knowledge.

 

This is the characteristic feature of the scripture.

If there is a conflict between scripture and reason or

scripture and perception then the scripture is not

always to be preferred "shrutopapattaye-pianupapannam

viruddham na kalpaneeyam".

 

Its role as the revelation of the supreme:

 

The Vedas are impersonal and eternal. The ancient

seers intuited them, no doubt. But the seers intuited

pre-existent truths. The knowledge that they acquired

was there eternally and the seers rediscovered this

ancient treasure.

 

The definition of a 'rishi' is "The rishi is a seer.

They are rishis because they had immediate perception

of the truth". This eternity is attributed not only to

the knowledge but also to the 'actual words' and the

'order of words' consisting Vedic composition.

 

The grammarians are of the opinion that the knowledge

is eternal whereas the order of words is not eternal.

 

Omniscience is there at the heart of existence and so

the knowledge of reality is there from all eternity.

The linguistic vehicle is also taken, as this

ever-existent knowledge must have an ideal mode of

expression under the guidance of that supreme. In case

of ordinary people like us there will be fluctuation

in self-expression. This does not happen in the case

of the scriptures. Vedas therefore constitute eternal

knowledge as embodied in an eternal form. Thus the

form and the thought of the Vedas are co-terminus with

the supreme reality that they reveal.

 

There is an unbroken continuity of Vedic tradition and

there is no memory of or reference to its author or

authors. The speech of the scripture is primeval and

original whereas ordinary discourse is derivative and

secondary.

 

The scriptures have this non-temporal character in

both its form and substance. The school of vedAntha

does not take the scripture as springing from God

whereas the school of nyAya takes the scripture as

originating from God. This is possible for the nyAya

school as they claim to 'establish the existence of

God on speculative grounds'. On the other hand schools

of vedAntha base their idea of the supreme on the

Vedas. VedAnthins cannot admit that Vedas are

revelations from God because there would be a logical

seesaw.

 

'God exists because that is the verdict of the

scriptures. Scriptures are to be admitted because they

form revelations from God'.

 

So it is important to insist that the validity of the

Vedas rest on it's impersonality or eternity from the

theory of 'swatah pramANAya' (not requiring any

proofs). This assures their freedom from the defects

from human composition. When we consider the

inadequacy of empirical thought and when we consider

that it is unreasonable to reject knowledge that

transcends empirical knowledge and is free from

contradiction, their validity is supported.

 

To the mImAmsaka who is a realist but an atheist the

Veda has an impersonal and non-originated existence.

But this supreme knowledge expressed in the supreme

form can be spoken of as ever existing properly in a

theistic school. To the mImAmsaka the Veda teaches

what is 'kArya' or something to be done or

accomplished. This is not action. It is duty or

obligation commanding performance. To mImAmsakas the

upanishads are of little significance. For these

thinkers Veda is a source of knowledge about 'what

ought to be done' and not about 'what is', so they do

not take the Veda as a source of positive knowledge

about reality. This viewpoint is critically examined

by the vedAnthins and the decision that the Veda can

reveal or inform about reality is arrived at.

 

The Veda conveys knowledge transcending empirical

knowledge and is free from inconsistencies of all

kinds. The earlier part reaches modes of worship

whereas the latter part embodies knowledge about the

supreme.

 

Sruthi or Revelation is strictly applicable to the

Vedic lore and it is said that it is ever in such pure

form. The lore that substantiates and adumbrates this

is called Smriti and forms the personal expressions of

those who realized these truths.

 

In effect all spiritual apprehension is a revelation

or communication. Divine knowledge reveals itself to

the chosen one. The idea of 'antharvANi' (inner voice)

or 'bhagavadvANi' signifies this:

'yO antah pravishya mama vAchAmimAm prasuptAm

sanjIvayathi'.

 

As Yaska says: The truth that is realized by one

becomes revelation in a secondary sense to posterity.

 

"The import of the Vedas is to be understood in this

proper way. There is a wealth of symbols here and a

secret wisdom is enshrined behind these symbols and

that is to be searched and known. The one non-second

cosmic principle is posited through all the wealth of

symbols".

 

It is wholly devoted to the intuiting of the supreme

and it becomes a sealed book if we search for grammar,

history, and description of nature or poetry in it.

The 'AdhyAtmArtha' is the supreme and it is to be

known by a constant and devoted effort. The Veda

itself says, "what is the use of Rks? If one has not

known their meaning".

 

Pranamams

dAsI

Padmini

 

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