Who is the Author of Vedas

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends

 

I recently joined this list. Previously I was a member in another Advaita

list recently few members start answering questions in a very unfriendly and

arrogant manner and it was more of showing off their intelluctual muscles

and learning took back seat.

So I decided to quit the list.

Hope a simpleton like me will be spared of my ignorance in this list.

Anyway this mail is regarding the question of Authority of Vedas here is a

interesting quote from Swami Vivekananda's speech on Hinduism that he gave

when he was in Chicago

 

"The Hindus have received their religion through revelation, the

Vedas. They hold that the Vedas are without beginning and without

end. It may sound ludicrous to this audience, how a book can be

without beginning or end. But by the Vedas no books are meant.

They mean the accumulated treasury of spiritual laws discovered by

different persons in different times. Just as the law of

gravitation existed before its discovery, and would exist if all

humanity forgot it, so is it with the laws that govern the

spiritual relations between soul and soul and between individual

spirits and the Father of all spirits were there before their

discovery, and would remain even if we forgot them.

The discoverers of these laws are called Rishis, and we honor them

as perfected beings. I am glad to tell this audience that some of

the very greatest of them were women.

Here it may be said that these laws as laws may be without end, butthey must

have had a beginning. The Vedas teach us that creation is without beginning

or end. Science is said to have proved that the sum total of cosmic energy

is always the same. "

 

And you can check out more on this at this link

http://www.hindunet.org/vivekananda/chicago/paper_hinduism

 

PS Hope I have not violated any copy rights or something..

A Simpleton

Ganesh Deivasikhamani

[Guest guest]

Welcome Robert & Ganesh:

 

Thanks for introducing yourself to the list members. On behalf of the

list members, I want to welcome you both with great pleasure. This list

is quite fortunate to have members who fully understand the virtue of

politeness during the journey toward the Truth. The members strongly

believe that Politeness, Kindness, Compassion, Knowledge, Love,

Friendship and Peace are integral parts of Truth. Truth gets lost when

peace is disturbed.

 

Let me take this opportunity to thank the members for their

understanding and cooperation.

 

Regards,

 

Ram Chandran

Advaitin List Moderator

 

Note: It is quite to have members such as "Su" who send an apology for

an error for which he was not responsible. Error is human but repenting

for an error is Divine!

[Guest guest]

Greetings Ganesh:

 

Swami Vivekananda's assessment regarding "Vedas" and "authorship of

Vedas" is quite appealing. There are different schools of thought on

this subject matter. Every school makes different sets of assumptions in

making their statement. The authorship question has a trivial answer.

The Vedic system of passage of knowledge from one generation to the next

generation was through the communciation media - The Oral Tradition (a

combination of recitation using musical notes and memorize the Vedas

through many years of practice.

>From grandfather to father to son and the grand-grand-........ father

knows Vedas and passed it on. A logical conclusion of this analysis will

easily establish that Vedas existed for ever! It is just like saying

that Atman (soul)is neither born nor die and the statement "Vedas have

no begining or ending" is quite fundamental and it can't be disputed! I

neither know my origin nor the origin of Vedas!

 

Another distinction between the Hindu Scriptures and other scriptures is

the following: Vedas have been established not in written manuscript but

in spoken form by the Vedic Scholars who have kept alive the practice of

the Vedas down to every pitch and accent. This may explain why the

chain of Veda reciters of generations was never broken! We could

consider Vedavyasa to be the author of Vedas because he was responsible

for the compilation of Vedas in the present form.

 

Please don't feel shy to quote some passage from spiritual homepages if

it represents a small portion of the article. I strongly suggest that

you should provide appropirate references to protect yourself from

copywrite violations. If you want to post a complete article from a

book or homepage, it is a good idea to write to the author. About 100

percent of the time I was able to get permission and the secret is to

tell them your intention for the permission in clear terms. In my

requests, I tell them that I want to Post the article for discussion

purpose and attach a brief outline of the objectives of Advaitin List.

 

It is quite a pleasure to see youngsters like you to show great interest

in learning and enhancing spiritual knowledge.

 

Regards,

 

Ram Chandran

Ganesh Deivashikamani wrote:

>

> "Ganesh Deivashikamani" <ganesh_d

> .......

> Anyway this mail is regarding the question of Authority of Vedas here is a

> interesting quote from Swami Vivekananda's speech on Hinduism that he gave

> when he was in Chicago

> .............

[Guest guest]

Thanks Ram chandran

 

Actually I was trying to collect all the possible information as to why

there seems to be no author for the Vedas,this was also in way to find and

share these info to Mr Robert who was also raising the same issue in another

list and was met with rough answers.

 

"The Vedic system of passage of knowledge from one generation to the

nextgeneration was through the communciation media - The Oral Tradition (a

combination of recitation using musical notes and memorize the Vedas through

many years of practice.

>From grandfather to father to son and the grand-grand-........ father

knows Vedas and passed it on."

 

 

Yes I have read about this in a article where Kanchi Maha Periyaval answer

these issues when talking about 'Shruti' and 'Smriti'. As the truth were

realized in a Superconsicous state where there is no distinction of the

individual self and only the allprevading 'I' exists hence there cannot be a

individual author quoted and also the sounds has to be passed on as it is

and it is difficult to write it in words as each and every sound cannot be

exactly captured by words which have limitation. And also why Shruti is

never subjected change whereas 'Smriti' goes through changes according to

the social conditions of the time..

 

However, according to the Hindu view, revelations are not limited to any

individual, time or place. Just as there have been revelations in the past,

they can occur at present or in future also. The seer is only a medium to

transmit to posterity the insight which he receives. Hence he is no more the

inventor of the Veda than Newton is the generator of the law of gravity.

Thats why every spritiual sect(Vaishnavas,Shaivism,Buddhism,Jains) and the

agamas all are formed based on this either supporting or opposing it..

 

Any more useful information/correction on these are most welcome.

And Robert hope this information is useful..

 

regds

Ganesh

[Guest guest]

 

Ganesh Deivashikamani <ganesh_d

advaitin <advaitin >

Thursday, August 05, 1999 8:38 AM

Re: Who is the Author of Vedas

 

>"Ganesh Deivashikamani" <ganesh_d

>

>Thanks Ram chandran

>

>Actually I was trying to collect all the possible information as to why

>there seems to be no author for the Vedas,this was also in way to find and

>share these info to Mr Robert who was also raising the same issue in

another

>list and was met with rough answers.

<snip>

>Any more useful information/correction on these are most welcome.

>And Robert hope this information is useful..

 

 

I am following everyone's comments with interest. Thanks.

 

Robert.