On describing the Infinite

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praNAms Advaitins,

 

The following excerpt, from Shri Abinash Bose's " Hymns from the Vedas " ,

has a sruti reference (a quote from Shukla Yajur Veda) about describing

the infinite. It also contains a translation of the verse from Asya Vamiya

Sukta from Rig Veda, which talks about the classification of levels of

speech. This latter verse, we recently discussed in another context.

 

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But in describing these profound experiences, the Vedic sage expresses his

sense of the inadequacy of language. The Veda speaks of four grades of

speech known to wise men of divine knowledge: " three of these kept in secret

make no motion; people speak only the fourth grade of speech " [RV 1.164.45].

So language as popularly spoken can give utterance only to a part of what the

sage has realized; the rest has to be in silence. " For the finite the eloquent

man, for the infinite, the mute " , says the Yajurveda [YV. VS. 30.19]. The

silence is broken symbolic language which expresses a little and suggests much

more. Symbolic language does not yield to simple logical meaning, it goes

beyond logic to hint at transcendental significance.

....

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praNAms to all Advaitins,

Ramakrishna