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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Vedas are God's statements

 

CHENNAI, JAN. 17. With the deep knowledge gained by mastering the

divine revelations and combining it with their self-

introspection, sages and saints have left for the benefit of

humanity, valuable guidelines for leading a regulated and an

integrated life. Sometimes, different interpretations are

possible for their opinions, but they have been systematised by

scholars of subsequent periods. The source from which all of them

derived their intelligence was the commands of God, collectively

called the Vedas. The religion that was being practised was based

on these statements of God.

 

The Vedas contained four divisions, each in turn made of two

parts. The ``Mantras'' are instruments of conveying thoughts,

made of prayers and praise embodied in metrical hymns. The other,

known as ``Brahmanas'' (not to be confused with Brahmins),

written in prose, are full of liturgical and ritualistic glosses,

explanations and applications of hymns illustrated by numerous

legends.

 

The Rig Veda spells out prayers in poetical form and thus

provides an idea of God. Yajur Veda deals with rituals. Sama Veda

contains songs connected with celestials. These three stand as

one unit but present a Vedic religion in its complete sense.

Atharva Veda is humanistic in its approach, helping people to

develop mentally and physically. The chief feature of the Vedas

is their manner of approach to enable people to benefit here

while living and hereafter (after death). They deal with social,

political and economic thoughts. In the earlier days, worship of

God was essentially concerned with elements of Nature, gradually

giving importance to rituals. Then developed the significance of

social life, attention being paid to morality, ethics,

discipline, control and spiritual values. To adhere to ethical

way of life, the holy texts were of immense use as the episodes

therein point out how man's conduct here should be.

 

In social life, there may be inequality among men but while

discharging their obligations and carrying out their duties

honestly, the rewards obtained are alike. For instance, in doing

their respective duties, a sweeper's role can be equated with

that of a Vedic scholar. By following the discipline, both could

get the same type of merits in heaven. This glorious set-up lost

its grip over people when practitioners of religion, having no

genuine knowledge, organised rituals in a mechanical way, said

Sri Agnihotram Ramanuja Thathachariar in a discourse. As people

became advanced in the secular atmosphere, the details as to what

are good and bad were decided by people, on the basis of

practices adopted by society and spiritualise them.

 

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