Vivekananda on the Vedas (part 127)

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Parts 1 to 126 were posted earlier. This is part 127. Your comments are welcome... Vivekananda Centre London

Earlier postings can be seen at http://www.vivekananda.btinternet.co.uk/veda.htm

 

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ON THE VEDAS AND UPANISHADS

By Sister Gayatriprana

part 127

3. By Making the Texts Suit Their Own Philosophy Our Commentators Have Created Apparent Contradictions in the Upanishadic Theme of Unity in Diversity

All the great commentators in these different schools were at times "conscious liars" in order to make the texts suit their philosophy.(38)

The Advaitic commentator, whenever an Advaitic text comes, preserves it just as it is; but the same commentator, as soon as a dualistic text presents itself, tortures it if he can and brings the most queer meaning out of it. Sometimes the unborn becomes a goat - such are the wonderful changes effected. To suit the commentator, the word aja (the unborn) is explained as aja, a she-goat. In the same way, if not in a still worse fashion, the texts are handled by the dualistic commentator. Every dualistic text is preserved, and every text that speaks of non-dualistic philosophy is tortured in any fashion he likes. This Sanskrit language is so intricate, the Sanskrit of the Vedas is so ancient, and the Sanskrit philology so perfect, that any amount of discussion can be carried on for ages in regard to the meaning of any word. If pandits takes it into their heads, they can render anybody’s prattle into correct Sanskrit by force of argument and quotation of texts and rules. These are the difficulties in our way of understanding the Upanishads.(39)

[Having] an idea of studying the grammar of the Vedas I began with all earnestness to study Panini and the Mahabhashya, but to my surprise I found that the best part of the Vedic grammar consists only of exceptions to the rules. A rule is make and later there comes a statement to the effect, "This rule will be an exception". So you see what an amount of liberty there is for anybody to write anything, the only safeguard being the dictionary of Yaksa. Still, in this you will find, for the most part, but a large number of synonyms.(40)