WHAT ARE VEDAS?

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Swamy MahadevanMonday, February 11, 2008 11:31 AM[sBOI-post] WHAT ARE VEDAS?

 

WHAT ARE VEDAS?

 

The Vedas are the recordings of sages to whom the mantras wererevealed. They proclaim the transcendental Truth, which is notchanged by time or place. They indicate the means to prosperity andsecurity for the denizens of the three worlds. Veda is derived fromthe root "Vid", which means, "to know". The Veda teaches how toachieve purity of heart, getting rid of impurities.

 

The Vedas have been declared to be infinite and hence beyond thecomprehension of common people. In the beginning there was only oneVeda. To study it considerable time and effort were needed. Vyasadivided it into different parts to enable people to study as well aspractice the teachings of the Veda. Out of the countless number ofhymns, Vyasa gathered some Rks and compiled them in the Rg Veda,collected some yajus to form the Yajur Veda and some Samans to makeup the Sama Veda.

 

The Rg Veda is mainly devoted to hymns in praise of variousdeities. The Yajur Veda consists of mantras for worshipping thedeities. The mantras of the Yajur Veda are used in the performance ofyagas and yajnas and in doing acts of charity. Each Veda has threesections: Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads.

 

The Vedic mantras were utilized in yagas and yajnas (ritualsacrifices) for promoting the well being of society and the world.They were intended to secure timely rains so that the crops may begood and there may be prosperity all round. The mantras, which formpart of the Karma Kanda (the path of rituals), were regarded asconducive to the promotion of general well being and happiness.

 

The great sages who listened to these mantras as revelations fromthe Divine found the key to them in eight basic letters. All theVedic mantras with their musical rendering were remembered byreflecting on the eight letters: "A, Ka, Cha, Ta, Tha, Pa, Ya, Sa."The great seers fostered the Vedas by the use of these letters.

 

Each of the Vedas had several saakhas (branches) and upasaakhas(sub-branches). Out of the 20 branches and 21 sub-branches of the RgVeda, only three have survived today. Likewise out of 96 branches ofYajur Veda only two have survived the ravages of time. Sama Veda,which had 1000 branches, retains today only three branches.

 

What is meant by Veda? One meaning is eruka (awareness). Another isthelivi (intelligence). A third meaning is viveka (discrimination).All those who wish to develop discrimination should be deeplyinterested in the Vedas.

 

The Vedas have emphasized that man will be truly human only when helives up to human values and practices the good life. The Vedas havea universal outlook, embracing all that is noble and sacred. Theyhave taught the principle of samatwa (equality) in respect ofeverything. They have proclaimed the concept of oneness. They taughtmen to face joy and sorrow with equal serenity.

 

The Vedas have been mainly concerned with the Pravritti Marga (thePath of Action). All the different branches of knowledge--physics,chemistry, botany, economics, music, etc.--are covered by the Vedas.These are concerned with the external world. Hence the Vedas havebeen considered dualistic. Only the Upanishads have taught theNirvritti Marga (the Path of Knowledge) by going within oneself. Thismeans that, of the four Purusharthas, the four main goals of man-Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha--the Vedas have been concerned withonly the first three.

 

The Upanishads declared that the nature of the Supreme can begrasped only by the Path of Knowledge. That knowledge is found inVedanta. The Upanishads come at the end of the Vedas. The essence ofall the Vedas is to be found in them. While Veda is dualistic,Vedanta is Advaita (nondualistic). It is only when you understand theessence of the Vedas as expounded in the Upanishads and put intopractice the message of the Vedanta, you will realize the truemeaning of Advaita (Non-dualism).