Guest guest Posted September 20, 2000 Report Share Posted September 20, 2000 >"Krsna Talk" <KrsnaTalk >Have the Vedas advanced civilization? >Tue, 19 Sep 2000 06:25:31 +0530 > > 9/19/00 > >"The wisdom of the Vedas today continues to amaze >and inspire the advancement of civilization in India >and abroad." > > > > >Question: Have the Vedas advanced civilization? If yes, how? > >Answer: Yes. The Vedas always help to advance human civilization, because >such literature informs the inquisitive human being about his eternal >nature, the Supreme Lord, the material world, the laws of karma, and the >process of liberation from all material sufferings. > >The Vedas have helped to advance human civilization not just once but many >times, starting from the very creation itself. In the beginning of the >universe there was only Brahma, and he began the search for the origin of >his existence. Brahma received mantra from Krsna and later he received the >Vedic knowledge by revelation. Brahma in turn taught the Vedic knowledge to >his sons like Narada. Indeed, that was the beginning of civilization. > >Some time later the mantras of the Vedas were stolen from the mind of >Brahma by two demons named Madhu and Kaitava. Then Vishnu again taught the >Veda to Brahma in the form of what is now known as 'Pancaratrika' >literature. In the estimation of Lord Vishnu, Who is the maintainer of this >universe, there can be no civilization without the guidance of the Vedas. >That is not unreasonable. > >Civilization, if it is at all to be called such, must be based on complete >and proper knowledge, both material and spiritual. This complete knowledge >as a whole is called the Veda or Vedas. At the beginning of the age of >Kali, some 5000 years ago, the Vedas were written down and have thus become >available at present in the form of books. It certainly behooves any >intelligent man or woman to take advantage of those books and advance the >cause of civilized human life. > >There have been many periods in history, particularly here in India, where >Kings took very seriously the injunctions of the Vedas and ruled their >kingdoms accordingly. Thus civilization in general prospered materially and >at the same time many individuals made great spiritual advancement. >Vijayanagar, the city never to be forgotten, is one such example. The >history of Vijayanagar has been thoroughly documented in numerous >textbooks. When the famous world traveler Marco Polo reached Vijayanagar in >the 12th century, he was utterly awed by the incredibly high standards of >that civilization. Indeed he commented that a greater civilization did not >exist in the world. It should be remembered that Marco Polo, being a >Venetian, had seen the greatest civilizations in Europe, and he had also >traveled extensively and seen the great civilizations of the world >including China. But he held India, whose basis of civilization has always >been the Vedas, in the greatest admiration. > >Ultimately the human form of life is meant for self-realization, and the >Vedas are certainly meant for that aim. However, the Vedas also promote >other activities, such as material enjoyment and elevation to the heavenly >planets. These activities are recommended in the Vedas for those less >intelligent persons who cannot understand the ultimate goal of life. In any >case if one follows the injunctions of the Vedas then, step by step one >gradually advances and in the end one becomes fully God consciousness. > >In the arena of material life, the Vedas have given and continue to give >great impetus to human society to become more civilized. From architecture >to medicine, from astronomy to political science, from metallurgy to the >martial arts, and from music to pharmacology ‹ to name but a few of the >most prominent Vedic sciences ‹ the wisdom of the Vedas today continues to >amaze and inspire the advancement of civilization in India and abroad. > >Hundreds of thousands of educated persons and medical professionals in the >West are turning to Ayurveda because of its notable contributions in the >effective diagnosis and treatment of chronic disorders for which Western >medicine has mere palliatives. Without a doubt, Ayurveda, the mother of all >healing, is the fastest growing medical science in the world today. > >Equally impressive, but less well known by the Western public, are the >Vedic contributions to mathematics. It is no exaggeration to state that >there would be no mathematics as we know it today without the fundamental >contribution of the Vedas. To wit, not only are the very numbers used >internationally of Vedic origin (erroneously called "Arabic"), but Vedic >mathematics introduced the concepts of zero, simple and compound numbers, >arithmetic progression, the radix 10, fractions, and multiplication by >suffix, among others. > >We could continue enumerating Vedic advances to human civilization, but do >not want to make this answer overly long. However, it is important to note >that one of the Veda's major contributions is a system of social >organization, known as varnasrama, which is both natural and sophisticated. >This system classifies individuals according to natural propensities and >stages of life, and gradually leads all persons toward God consciousness, >accepting their present situation as the appropriate point of departure. > >Vyasadeva is the compiler of the Vedas and his treatise known as >Vedanta-sutra was considered to be the end of knowledge. However, even >after compiling the Vedanta-sutra Vyasadeva was not fully satisfied. Then >under the instruction of his spiritual master, Narada Muni, Vyasadeva >achieved the final perfection he compiled the Srimad Bhagavatam. The >Srimad Bhagavatam is therefore considered to be the most beneficial Veda >for people in the age of Kali. > >krsne sva-dhamopagate >dharma-jnanadibhih saha >kalau nasta-drsam esa >puranarko 'dhunoditah > >"This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just >after the departure of Lord Krsna to His own abode, accompanied by >religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the >dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this >Purana." > >In our modern times many sages and great thinkers like Sri Bhaktisiddhanta >Saraswati and A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada have recommended Srimad >Bhagavatam as the single most important literature in the world. Srimad >Bhagavatam can certainly help civilization to advance because it gives one >direct perception of the self by realization and puts one in immediate >contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna. > >Our conclusion is that any Eastern or Western civilization that avails >itself of the Vedas is sure to make advancement. The only requirement is >that people must take the injunctions of the Vedas seriously. > > > >--------------------- > >Our Ashrama online at: http://www.gosai.com/chaitanya/ >Previous issues: http://www.gosai.com/krsnatalk/ > >1-A Particle of Dust >2-Meditation and the Holy Name >3-Hearing From A Rasika Acarya (or not?) >4-Does God Exist? >5-Ratha Yatra in Navadvipa >6-Have the Vedas advanced civilization? > >--------------------- > >KRSNA TALK - EMAIL QUESTION & ANSWER FORUM by Subscription only > >--------------------- >You may or anytime by sending an email >to KrsnaTalk with the word "" or "" >in the subject line. > >Your questions relating to Krsna consciousness may be sent to >Sripad Narasingha Maharaja at KrsnaTalk > > >Please forward to an interested friend. > _______________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. 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