Sri Sadhguro Pahimam Parama Dayalu Rakshamam

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Dear Members

" Hindu Dharma " is a book published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan which contains

English translation of two volumes of the Tamil Book " Deivatthin Kural " ; which

is a collection of invaluable and engrossing speeches of Sri Sri Sri

Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi MahaSwamiji.

 

http://kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part5/chap15.htm

 

The Glory of the Vedas

 

The Vedas are eternal and the source of all creations and their greatness is to

be known in many different ways. As I have already stated, their sound produces

in our nadis as well as in the atmosphere vibrations that are salutary not only

to our own Self but to the entire world. Here we must understand " lokakshema " or

our welfare of the world to mean the good of mankind as well as of all other

creatures. This concern for all creation that finds expression in the Vedas is

not shared by any other religion. " Sanno astu dvipadesancatuspade " -- this occurs

in a mantra: the Vedas pray for the good of all creatures including bipeds,

quadrupeds etc. Even grass, shrubs, trees, mountains and the rivers are not

excluded from their benign purview. The happy state of all these sentient

creatures and inert objects is brought about through the special quality of the

Vedas.

The noble character of their sound apart, the Vedas are also notable for the

lofty truths that find expression in the mantras. The tenets of these scriptures

have aroused the wonder of the people of other lands, of other faiths. They are

moved by the poetic beauty of the hymns, the subtle manner in which principles

of social life are dealt with them, the metaphysical truths embedded and

expounded in them, and the moral instruction as well as scientific truths

contained in them.

Not all mantras that create benign vibrations are necessarily meaningful. In

this context we have the example of the music. The alapana of a raga (the

elaboration of a musical mode) is " pure " sound, that is, it has no words, but it

is still is capable of producing emotions like joy, sorrow, etc. During the

researches conducted by a university team, it was discovered that the vibrations

created by the instrumental music quickened the growth of the plants and

resulted in a higher yield. Here is a proof that the sound has the power of

creation. Also to be noted is the fact that the instrumental music played to the

plant does not obviously have any verbal contact--- this establishes that the

sound has its own power.

The remarkable thing about the Vedas is that they are of immeasurable value as

much for their sound as for their verbal content. While the sound has its

creative power, the words are notable for the exalted character of the meaning

they convey.

There are Tamil hymns of a very high order. To read them is to be moved by

them; they touch our hearts with their intense devotion. But we have recourse

only to a few of them for repeated incantation to expel a poison or to cure a

disease. The authors of these hymns like Nakkirar, Arunagirinadhar and

Sambandamurti have composed poems that are more moving and beautiful. But the

sound of the hymns chosen for repeated incantation are potent like mantras.

Among our Acharya's works are the Saundaryalahari and the Sivanandalahari. the

recitation of each stanza of the Saundaryalahari brings in a specific benefit.

The same is not said about the Sivanandalahari. The reason is the special

mantrik power (of the sound) of the former.

There are mantras that are specially valuable for their sound but are

otherwise meaningless. Similarly there are works pregnant with meaning but with

no mantrik power. The glory of the Vedas is that they are a collection of

mantras that are at once notable as much for the energising character of their

sound as for the lofty truths they proclaim. A medicine, though bitter, does the

body good, while some types of food, though delicious, do harm. Are we not

delighted to have something like kusmanda-lehya, which is sweet to taste and is

at the same time nourishing to the body? Similarly, the Vedas serve a two fold

purpose: while they have the mantrik power to do immense good to each one of us

and too the world, they also contain teachings embodying great metaphysical

truths.

It must here be emphasised that on the doctrinal level the Vedas deal both

with worldly life and the inner life of the Self. They teach how to conduct

ourselves in such a manner as to create Atmic well-being. And their concern is

not with the liberation of the individual alone; they speak about the ideals of

social life and about the duties of the public. How the Brahmin ought to lead

his life and how the king must rule his subjects and what ideals women are to

follow: an answer to these-stated in the form of laws-is to be found in these

scriptures. The Vedas indeed constitute the apex of our law-books.

 

 

 

JAYA JAYA SANKARA HARA HARA SANKARA

 

Thwameva Maathaa Cha Pithaa Thwameva

Thwameva Bhandhuscha Sakhaa Thwameva

 

Thwameva Vidhyaa Dhravinam Thwameva

Thwameva Sarvam Mama Dheva Dheva.