Why Knowledge of Vedas? By Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji.

[Guest guest]

List Moderators' Note: Please do not just copy and paste articles from Swamiji's

Homepage since they are already available at the link:

http://www.namadwaar.org/articles.html

Also most of those articles do not confine to the scope and objectives of this

list. No more posts of the following type will be accepted and please make a

note of it. We appreciate your cooperation in this regard.

========================================

 

 

 

Dear Members,

 

The Vedas are the ‘apta vachana’. The Vedas have come

from Bhagavan. What does ‘Vedas’ mean? 'knowledge'!

 

A person’s capability to sing is known only on his

singing and not prior to it. Someone possesses the

ability to discourse; another possesses scientific

knowledge and so on. Every person has some knowledge

or the other. It is in them but known by us only when

exhibited.

 

If there is one who has all the knowledge, in

totality, it is none other than the Vedas. And where

is this ‘Knowledge’? In Bhagavan!

 

Vedas means ‘Jnana’! The Mahan’s jnana is known as the

Vedas. ‘Knowledge’ cannot stand apart from the person.

Can we say that we would accept only the music and not

the person from whom it comes?

 

‘Shakti’ (Power) co-exists in a ‘Shakitman’.

Similarly, the Vedas is part of Bhagavan and not apart

from Him. It cannot exist without Him. It is not

different from Bhagavan. A deed carried out by us

should have ‘pramana’ (confirmation) in the Shastras.

Otherwise, no ‘phala’ is obtained by carrying out such

deeds. Mahans will never accept anything that has not

been spoken by the Vedas. If you are performing

Namasankirtan, it should have a ‘pramana’ in the

Shastras. If you wear ‘gopi chandana’ on your

forehead, there should be a ‘pramana’ for this in the

Shastras. The deeds of certain religions do not have

any ‘pramana’ in the Shastras. Therefore, these deeds

will not lead a person to the higher state.

 

A religion born out of the ‘yukti’ (intellect) of a

man might prescribe certain rites raised out of his

own imagination. The followers of such religions may

consider the words of their Guru (the founder of their

religion) as verily the right one. But, Mahans do not

accept this. It may say by lying in the hot sun you

are cleansed of your karmas and ‘papas’ (sins). It may

create awe in the minds of onlookers but such acts do

not erase out the karmas. This is because the Shastras

do not advocate such deeds.

Our ancestors were great intellects as against our

view that they were uncivilized! They have advised on

all aspects of life right from hygiene - we should

bathe daily, should not eat from other’s plate, should

not unnecessarily touch others, sweep and mop the

house daily, draw rangoli at the door, advised against

marriage between close relatives, etc. - is any of

these in contradiction to modern science? Visitors

were not permitted to touch newborn babes – doctors

advise the same to avoid infection, as the infants do

not have resistance power. On return from a house of

death, we are advised to bathe - science also speaks

of infection from a house of death. It is only said

for the average man to understand. For example, in

Bhopal the place where a ‘homa’ was performed was not

affected by the leakage of poisonous gas. But, this

does not mean that the ‘homa’ was performed with this

end in mind. Our ancestors have thus given us enough

instructions on all aspects viz. learning, art,

behaviour, etc.

 

Likewise, while we have the Vedas that codifies the

conduct of our lives there is no need to invent a new

code of conduct through establishment of new

religions.” No tapas is required to carry out a work

that is linked to ‘prakriti’ (worldly life). Tapas is

required for spreading any spiritual activity. No

tapas is required to spread religious fundamentalism

or atheism as they are not opposed to but go along

with ‘swabhava’ (nature of man). But, in the execution

of a spiritual activity (that is opposing to man’s

involvement in worldly life) schemes alone will not

suffice. Schemes along with tapas are required. And

tapas is whatever spiritual path one follows – nama

japa, atma vichara, etc. In Nama japa it should be a

Maha Mantra. If one performs japa of Kubera mantra,

that bestows worldly comforts, one cannot carry out

any great spiritual mission in the world. Only the one

who does ‘upasana’ (worship) of a God who is ‘Brahma

swaroopa’ can achieve great spiritual feats. There are

mantras for curing diseases, cure of a scorpion sting

etc. But, by doing crores of japa (‘avarti’) of such

mantras one cannot say that he would foster the Vedas

(‘Veda samrakshana’)! ‘Kãmyarta mantra’ (worldly ends)

can bring in only worldly ‘phala’ (fruit).”

 

People say that they are in dhyana. But, what is the

fact? In Dhyana all your senses should subside in the

‘mind’. As long as you hear the sound from outside,

feel any movement around you, it is not dhyana. You

are only applying effort to do dhyana. You cannot say

that you are in dhyana. Let us say that your mother

has instructed you to make tea. You have just placed

the kettle on the stove. A friend steps in and asks

you, “What are you doing?” You reply, “Preparing tea”.

Only the first step in tea preparation has been taken.

Yet, you claim to be in the process. Similarly, you

have just exerted some effort to do dhyana but when

asked you say that you are doing dhyana! Thus, the

state between doing dhyana and remaining without it,

is the state of effort towards reaching the state of

dhyana. As long as our mind is in world related

activities, we do not know anything about dhyana. We

may visit temples on the instruction of our parents.

We may pray to the Lord to help us do well in studies,

etc. as taught by our parents. We may also know about

Sankara having established Advaita. But, we do not

have any higher knowledge. Others may label us as

‘good’ as we visit the temple daily! We may wear the

religious mark on our forehead, etc. All these are

very ordinary matters. These have absolutely no place

where real bhakti is concerned!”

 

An ordinary man does not practice any dhyana. This is

the position of an ordinary man. Before coming to this

Satsanga how was a person’s ‘manas’ (mind)? He was not

even bothered to know its state! He did not even think

on such lines as, “Do I have a ‘manas’? How does it

work?” This is the state of a common man who does no

dhyana. When one begins to do dhyana, he begins to

watch his ‘manas’. The first thing that is realized on

interrogation is the restlessness of the ‘manas’

(‘mano vega’). He realizes his incapability when he is

unable to bring the ‘manas’ under control. He is then

in an inner struggle taking all kinds of vows! But,

his ‘senses’ pull him against keeping up his

‘sankalpa’ (vow). Who would win? The ‘indriyas’ win in

the case of a person who has no ‘mano bhala’ (strong

mind). He should not give up but continue to fight

with the hope that he will win one day.

 

We find a lot of people suffering from mental

disorders. This shows Bhagavan’s Mercy in our case. We

should, therefore,not waste even a moment of our life

and turn it towards Bhagavat matter. We know the level

of our bhakti! If, for this negligible amount of

bhakti,Bhagavan has poured so much ‘anugraha’

(blessings) on us then what to speak of His ‘anugraha’

if we were to be a better person?

 

Death can catch us at any moment.

 

 

" HARE RÃMA HARE RÃMA RÃMA RÃMA HARE HARE

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE "

 

Visit www.namadwaar.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Looking for last minute shopping deals?

Find them fast with Search.

http://tools.search./newsearch/category.php?category=shopping