The material presented here is based on a thorough and objective analysis of roots of Vedic words, the context in which they appear, Vedic Vocabulary, Philology, Grammar and other tools critical for correct interpretation of the Vedic mantras.
Thus this research series does not merely rely on blind reproduction of works of Max Muller, Griffith, Wilson, Williams and other indologists on Vedas and Vedic language. While they are more popular in contemporary western academia, we have objective reasons to conclude that their works are far from authoritative. We shall explore this facet in more detail in this research series.
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Welcome to this first part of the research series on critical evaluation of Misconceptions surrounding the Vedas – the first books of knowledge on earth.
For centuries aspersions have been cast upon the Vedas; the primary holy scriptures of the Hindus of having unholy contents. If one really started believing in those aspersions, the entire Hindu philosophy, culture, and traditions would reduce to nothing but savagery, barbarism and cannibalism.
The Vedas – the very roots of Hinduism, rather the first source of knowledge on earth – are meant for guiding the actions of human being in order to lead a blissful life.
This slanderous campaign has been unleashed by different vested interests to embarrass Hindus around the world citing specific references from the Vedas.
This also comes handy in convincing poor and illiterate Indians to give up their faith on the grounds that their fundamental holy books – the Vedas – contain all the inhuman elements like denigration of women, meat-eating, polygamy, casteism and above all – beef eating.
The Vedas are also accused of animal sacrifice in sacrificial ceremonies popularly known as the YAJNA. Interestingly a section of home-bred intellectuals claiming to have deep study of ancient India has also come up, who cite references from works of western indologists to prove such unholy content in the Vedas.
Saying that the Vedas permit beef-eating and cow-slaughter amounts to striking a lethal blow to a Hindu’s soul. Respect for cow forms a core tenet of Hinduism. Once you are able to convince him of flaws in the foundation of this core tenet and make him feel guilty, he becomes an easy prey for the predator faiths. There are millions of ill-informed Hindus who are not empowered to counter argue and hence quietly surrender.
The vested interests that malign the Vedas are not confined to foreign and home-bred indologists alone. A certain class among Hindus exploited the rest of the population including the socially and economically weaker sections by forcing them to believe and follow what they said in the name of Vedas or else face the wrath.
All the slanders heaped upon the Vedas can be attributed mainly to the interpretations of commentaries written by Mahidhar, Uvat and Saayan in the medieval times; and to what Vam-margis or the Tantra cult propagated in their books in the name of the Vedas.
In due course the falsehood spread far and wide and they became even more deep rooted when western scholars with their half baked knowledge of Sanskrit transliterated these interpretations of commentaries of Sayan and Mahidhar, in the name of translating the Vedas.
However, they lacked the pre-requisite understanding of Shiksha (Phonetics), Vyakarana (Grammar), Nirukta (Philology), Nighantu (Vocabulary), Chhanda (Prosody), Jyotish (Astronomy), Kalpa and so on that are critical for correct interpretation of the Vedas.
The purpose behind Agniveer movement is to objectively evaluate all such misconceptions about the Vedas – the foundation of human knowledge and establish their piety, sanctity, great ideals and philosophy that cater not only to Hindus but to every human being without bars, bias or discrimination of any kind.
Section 1: No Violence Against Animals
Yasmintsarvaani bhutaanyaatmaivaabhuudvijaanatah
Tatra ko mohah kah shokah ekatvamanupasyatah
Yajurveda 40.7
“Those who see all beings as souls do not feel infatuation or anguish at their sight, for they experience oneness with them”.
How could people who believed in the doctrines of indestructibility, transmigration dare to kill living animals in yajnas? They might be seeing the souls of their own near and dear ones of bygone days residing in those living beings.
Anumantaa vishasitaa nihantaa krayavikrayee
Samskartaa chopahartaa cha khadakashcheti ghaatakaah
Manusmrithi 5.51
Those who permit slaying of animals; those who bring animals for slaughter; those who slaughter; those who sell meat; those who purchase meat; those who prepare dish out of it; those who serve that
meat and those who eat are all murderers.
Breehimattam yavamattamatho maashamatho tilam
Esha vaam bhaago nihito ratnadheyaaya dantau maa hinsishtam pitaram maataram cha
Atharvaveda 6.140.2
O teeth! You eat rice, you eat barley, you gram and you eat sesame. These cereals are specifically meant for you. Do not kill those who are capable of being fathers and mothers.
Ya aamam maansamadanti paurusheyam cha ye kravih
Garbhaan khaadanti keshavaastaanito naashayaamasi
Atharvaveda 8.6.23
We ought to destroy those who eat cooked as well as uncooked meat, meat involving destruction of males and females, foetus and eggs.
Anago hatya vai bheema kritye
Maa no gaamashvam purusham vadheeh
Atharvaveda 10.1.29
It is definitely a great sin to kill innocents. Do not kill our cows, horses and people.
How could there be justification of cow and other animals being killed when killing is so clearly prohibited in the Vedas?
Aghnyaa yajamaanasya pashoonpahi
Yajurveda 1.1
“O human! animals are Aghnya – not to be killed. Protect the animals”
Pashunstraayethaam
Yajurveda 6.11
Protect the animals.
Dwipaadava Chatushpaatpaahi
Yajurveda 14.8
Protect the bipeds and quadrupeds!
Kravy da –kravya[ meat obtained from slaughter] + Ada [ the eater]—the meat eater.
Pisacha — pisita [meat] +asa [eater]—the meat eater.
Asutrpa — Asu [breath of life] + trpa [one who satisfies himself on]—one who takes others life for his meals.
Garba da and Anda da – the foetus and egg eaters.
Mans da – the meat eaters
Meat eaters have always been looked down in Vedic literature. They have been known as Rakshasas, Pisacha and so on….All these words are synonyms of demons or devils that have been out-cast from the civilized human society.
Urjam no dhehi dwipade chatushpade
Yajurveda 11.83
“May all bipeds and quadrupeds gain strength and nourishment”
This mantra is recited by Hindus before every meal. How could the same philosophy which prays for well-being of every soul in every moment of life, approve of killing animals?
Section 2: No Violence in Yajna
Yajna never meant animal sacrifice in the sense popularly understood. Yajna in the Vedas meant a noble deed or the highest purifying action.
Adhvara iti Yajnanaama – Dhvaratihimsaakarmaa tatpratishedhah
Nirukta 2.7
According to Yaaska Acharya, one of the synonyms of Yajna in Nirukta or the Vedic philology is Adhvara.
Dhvara means an act with himsa or violence. And therefore a-dhvara means an act involving no himsa or no violence. There are a large number of such usage of Adhvara in the Vedas.
In the post-Mahabharata period, misinterpretation of the Vedas and interpolations in other scriptures took place at various points intime. Acharya Shankar reestablished the Vedic values to an extent.
In the more recent times, Swami Dayanand Saraswati – known as the grandfather of modern India – interpreted the Vedas as per thecorrect rules of the language and authentic evidences. His literature, which includes commentary on the Vedas, Satyarth Prakash loosely translated as Light of Truth, An Introduction to the Vedas and other texts led to widespread social reformation based on Vedic philosophy and dispelling of myths surrounding the Vedas.
Let us discover what the Vedas have to say on Yajna.
Agne yam yagnamadhvaram vishwatah pari bhuurasi
Sa id deveshu gacchati
Rigveda 1.1.4
O lord of effulgence! The non-violent Yajna, you prescribe from all sides, is beneficial for all, touches divine proportions and is accepted by noble souls.
The Rigveda describes Yajna as Adhvara or non violent throughout. Same is the case with all the other Vedas. How can it be then concluded that the Vedas permit violence or slaughter of animals?
The biggest accusation of cattle and cow slaughter comes in the context of the Yajnas that derived their names from different cattle like the Ashwamedh Yajna, the Gomedha Yajna and the Nar-medh Yajna. Even by the wildest stretch of the imagination the word Medha would not mean slaughter in this context.
It’s interesting to note what Yajurveda says about a horse
Imam ma himsirekashafam pashum kanikradam vaajinam vaajineshu
Yajurveda 13.48
Do not slaughter this one hoofed animal that neighs and who goes with a speed faster than most of the animals. Aswamedha does not mean horse sacrifice at Yajna. Instead the Yajurveda clearly mentions that a horse ought not to be slaughtered.
In Shathapatha, Ashwa is a word for the nation or empire . The word medha does not mean slaughter. It denotes an act done in accordance to the intellect Alternatively it could mean consolidation, as evident from the root meaning of medha i.e. medhru san-ga-me
Raashtram vaa ashwamedhah
Annam hi gau
Agnirvaa ashwah
Aajyam medhah
(Shatpath 13.1.6.3)
Swami Dayananda Saraswati Wrote in His Light of Truth:
A Yajna dedicated to the glory, wellbeing and prosperity of the Rashtra the nation or empire is known as the Ashwamedh yajna.
“To keep the food pure or to keep the senses under control, or to make the food pure or to make a good use of the rays of Sun or keep the earth free from impurities[clean] is called Gomedha Yajna”.
“The word Gau also means the Earth and the yajna dedicated to keep the Earth the environment clean is called Gomedha Yajna”
“The cremation of the body of a dead person in accordance with the principles laid down in the Vedas is called Naramedha Yajna”.
Section 3: No Beef in Vedas
Not only the Vedas are against animal slaughter but also vehemently oppose and prohibit cow slaughter.Yajurveda forbids killing of cows, for they provide energizing food for human beings
Ghrtam duhaanaamaditim janaayaagne maa himsiheeh
Yajurveda 13.49
Do not kill cows and bulls who always deserve to be protected.
Aare gohaa nrhaa vadho vo astu
Rigveda 7.56.17
In Rigveda cow slaughter has been declared a heinous crime equivalent to human murder and it has been said that those who commits this crime should be punished.
Sooyavasaad bhagavatee hi bhooyaa atho vayam bhagvantah syaama
Addhi trnamaghnye vishwadaaneem piba shuddhamudakamaacharantee
Rigveda 1.164.40 or Atharv 7.73.11 or Atharv 9.10.20
The Aghnya cows – which are not to be killed under any circumstances– may keep themselves healthy by use of pure water and green grass, so that we may be endowed with virtues, knowledge and wealth.
The Vedic Lexicon, Nighantu, gives amongst other synonyms of Gau[ or cow] the words Aghnya. Ahi, and Aditi. Yaska the commentator on Nighantu, defines these as-
Aghnya the one that ought not to be killed
Ahi the one that must not be slaughtered.
Aditi the one that ought not to be cut into pieces.
These three names of cow signify that the animal ought not to be put to tortures. These words appear frequently throughout the Vedas in context of the cow.
Aghnyeyam saa vardhataam mahate soubhagaaya
Rigveda 1.164.27
Cow – The aghnya – brings us health and prosperity
Suprapaanam Bhavatvaghnyaayaah
Rigveda 5.83.8
There should be excellent facility for pure water for Aghnya Cow
Yah paurusheyena kravishaa samankte yo ashwena pashunaa yaatudhaanah
Yo aghnyaayaa bharati ksheeramagne teshaam sheershaani harasaapi vrishcha
Rigveda 10.87.16
Those who feed on human, horse or animal flesh and those who destroy milk-giving Aghnya cows should be severely punished.
Vimucchyadhvamaghnyaa devayaanaa aganma
Yajurveda 12.73
The Aghnya cows and bulls bring you prosperity
Maa gaamanaagaamaditim vadhishta
Rigveda 8.101.15
Do not kill the cow. Cow is innocent and aditi – that ought not to be cut into pieces
Antakaaya goghaatam
Yajurveda 30.18
Destroy those who kill cows
Yadi no gaam hansi yadyashwam yadi poorusham
Tam tvaa seesena vidhyaamo yatha no so aveeraha
Atharvaveda 1.16.4
If someone destroys our cows, horses or people, kill him with a bullet of lead.
Vatsam jaatamivaaghnyaa
Atharvaveda 3.30.1
Love each other as the Aghnya – non-killable cow – loves its calf
Dhenu sadanam rayeenaam
Atharvaveda 11.1.34
Cow is fountainhead of all bounties
The entire 28th Sukta or Hymn of 6th Mandal of Rigveda sings the glory of cow.
Aa gaavo agnamannuta bhadramakrantseedantu
Bhooyobhooyo rayimidasya vardhayannabhinne
Na taa nashanti na dabhaati taskaro naasaamamitro vyathiraa dadharshati
Na taa arvaa renukakaato ashnute na samskritramupa yanti taa abhi
Gaavo bhago gaava indro me achhaan
Yooyam gaavo medayathaa
Maa vah stena eeshata maaghanshasah
Everyone should ensure that cows are free from miseries and kept healthy.
God blesses those who take care of cows.
Even the enemies should not use any weapon on cows
No one should slaughter the cow
Cow brings prosperity and strength
If cows keep healthy and happy, men and women shall also keep disease free and prosperous
May the cow eat green grass and pure water. May they not be killed and bring prosperity to us. What more proofs does one need to understand the high esteem in whichnot only the cow but each living being is held in the Vedas.
The learned audience can decide for themselves from these evidences that the Vedas are completely against any inhuman practice… to top it all the Beef and Cow slaughter.
Source: satyavijayi.com
whatnan explanation on the Holy Vedas.I was told in childhood.that the Cows Milk is THE only equal to the Mother*s.Imagne how the Nature creates the Breast Milk,soon after the child*s birth.Miiracle of the NATURE.I was told that the COWS urine is good forcertain malfunctions of the body.Our pre Prime Minister Shri Morarji Desai expressed deep faith in Urine{therapy]and widely propagated>Also it is said that the Beef creates Heart problems and ++,I.,e.why the Americans are so fat bulky and have such problems.Cow is called MATA,Mother.++more?
What is Ashvamedha jyagna ?
we must be thankful to Swamy Dayanand Saraswati to translate VEDAS (Bhashya).and his book Satyarth Prakash (Light Of truth)
Valuable information. The original references given are very important. We study further. Thanks for this piece.
This article should clarify the doubts of foolish people that is non Hindus and Hindus for lots of Hindus speak foolishly because of lack of knowledge Please continue the good work and educate the ignorance Jai Shri Krsna
one should see the above narrated aspects with an open mind without any prejudice at all, then only it serves the full purpose. this requires great efforts and lot of circulation to all sections of people and discuss if necessary and convince that meat eating is prohibited on humanitarian grounds irrespective of caste and creed.
Now a days very few people, who consider Veda as Parama Pramana only observe non killings any living beings in other words mostly that too Brahmins who adhere and follow the Vedic tenets one hundred percent viz, religious Madhwas, Smarthas, Srivaishnavas, Shaivits, vyshyas and even non believers of veda namely some Buddhists all Jains etc, follow meticulously where as other section of people like kshatriyas, reddys, nairs okkaligas, etc part of Hindu religion do not follow, more over majority of christians, muslims,atheists etc are least worried in this regard.
hence a large number of people are still meat eaters. if they all join and give up eating non vegetarian food and make the whole world as one universal vegetarian world so that the animals, like cows, bisons, deers, rabbits tigers, birds, snakes, fish, etc all can live happily on the earth. without hindrance from men and women who are meat eaters, poachers etc,
The Vedas also say that no body has a right to kill any living beings because the person who does it should have the power to to bring the dead ones live again if necessary . example is lord Parashurama, killed his mother but brought her alive. sri krishna brought his guru sandeepanacharya’s son alive even thogh he did not kill him similarly lord Sri Rama brought a brahmin’s son alive from his untimely death. hence Samhara
Kriya by mortal men and women who do not have power to bring the dead ones alive are not permitted to kill any living beings. therefore this message requires lot of propagation and God only should bless those who propagate this to the entire world.
” If someone destroys our cows, horses or people, kill him with a bullet of lead.” This could mean that our ancestors perhaps used advanced tools of warfare long before the rifle, gun, or pistol was invented! Please investigate further. Will be grateful.
U r cent percent in correct and precise interpretation.Vested interests are purposely doing motivated denigration to humiliate and divide Hindus and to spread nonHinduism as missionaries._
in hindi will be more beneficial. good effort at correcting so many falsehoods.
why don’t you widely publish this article..take the help of baba ramdev, shri shri ravi shanker, jaggi vasudev & others.They can effectively repudiate the myth that hindus- vedas recommend beef eating..n killing of horse..cow etc..zakir naik has widely proclaimed that the vedas advocate cow, horse, n bull hatya .he quotes from the vedas wherein he says they say there is great punya in serving bull-buffalo meat to ancestors..
Good, very good! Siculars are exposed here! Our own so called intellectuals who are copying from western books just to degrade our cultural values and our great heritage are exposed here. These so called historians never studied our real history and even understand our holy books like Vedas. They are only interested in helping those non-Hindu fundamentalists in their evil conversion program! I do not consider Dun school like students as our gems! I love your work!
THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THE VEDAS SO CLEARLY
I’m going to reread this several times an dim pleased you posted it. It is unforgivable to claim the Vedas condone the slaughter of animals, the eating of animals, the sacrifice of animals. If such were really allowed in Veda it would break my heart and turn me off spiritually. Even in the Jewish faith int he old temple times animals were used for slaughter as a way of karmic expiation which i cannot possibly agree with. NO NO NO, the souls of animals even if they were not some of our ancestors have every right to know peace and dignity. this is a great post
Thank you very much for your article. I am not a member of any faith, but if I had to choose one it would be Hindu. I live in Australia & I do not have a western doctor, I see an Ayurvedic practitioner. I am vegetarian & I don’t eat dairy. I am a mother and I have raised my daughters with the practice of Ahimsa. My daughters are vegan and they have recently educated me on the practices of dairy farming. Did you know that the female cow is raped with a metal rod to artificially impregnate her and if she gives birth to a boy it is taken from her and killed at one day old so that the milk may be harvested and if it’s a girl, she becomes a dairy cow. After three years the cow is killed for hamburger meat. Does not consuming dairy go against the laws of Ahimsa? And silk is made when a silk worm makes a cocoon and then it is boiled alive to retrieve the silk in one long strand. Are silk saris not against the laws of Ahimsa?
I am an I IT alumni, Madras based in Kuala Lumpur & am proud of this fellow scientific mind spending his time to clear misconceptions about our great unique Dharma that will beat the best the rest of the world’s philosophers put together by a million kilometres. It is all by the blessings of Lord Muruga.
Just adding: selected horse, etc are brought to the yagya, rituals done & thereafter are free for the rest of their natural lives to live as they want to.
Thank you again for your great contribution.
I recently saw on Rajya Sabha TV a gathering of so called Scientific minds including some invited foreigners constantly blasting us for being superstitious & following scientifically unproven beliefs. Perhaps you may refer to Swami Dayananda Saraswathy’s “Conversations with Swami Dayananda Saraswathy” in which he is very particular not at all to go into mysticism but sticks to logic in describing Brahman even though the interviewer, a foreigner, tries often.
Hope the true knowledge of Bharat can be taken throughout Bharat through seminars, dialogue, workshops & TV channels specially the English ones to re-educate the masses of our great & unique inheritance.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you.
False slander cannot take away our faith & belief. It will take a lot of time for these neo literates to understand our religion. I for one do not care what the world has to say. As they say when you come across rubbish, just ignore it
It would have been useful if only you had included a point by point rebuttal of the interpretations by western scholars which reinforced the belief that cow slaughter and consumption of bovine meat was permitted in the Vedas and the Shastras.
dear sir
It is very enlightening to see the answer for those who talk very badly with a mind to to propagate their way of preachings Hinduism is not a subject to propagate but only to explain the singleness of God and not a platform to convince others with the half knowledge or lack of knowledge.The present existing sanskrit scholars who are aware of the real meaning of the vedic charms are not taking sufficient care to condemn and explain the truth in the vedas.
Thankyou for this great helpfull artical.
Fifteen years ago i gaveup meat eating.After that i feel very happy by gavingup with sinfull activities. For that iam very gratefull to god.
Really Vedas are meant to be studied in depth and bring our the real thatvas and educate people.
This article has done that.
Thanks
It is too lengthy. It could be very short, effective & simply understandable even children. name of the researcher was clear. Ragunath MP Chennai.
As everyone knows only shabdagnana not arthagnana, due to lack of awareness regarding Hinduism. As an electric circuit which gives light, the same gives shock if it is wrongly connected. Wrong interpretation of Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Baghavatha , Bagavathgita gives us hell. Kindly read Acharya Madhva’s philosophy.
Bless you for this wonderful insight on animal slaughter.Non violence is actually a mental,intelectual and spiritual state.It has absolutely nothing to do with eating Many a vegetetarian has been very violent in all other spheres of their lives. Once you achieve mental,intelectual,sexual,verbal and spiritual conciousness…there is no question of eating any animal …let alone the poor cows who only serve us…Om…
The so-called Western and Marxist critics, historians and philosophers did the mess. They advocated wrongly on India’s culture and practices to malign the envious glory of Bharat Ma.
Thank you for the correct interpretation…True knowledge of the Dharma should be spread across with the help of other leaders like Baba Ramdev, Shri Shri Ravi Shanker etc.
Thank you, I appreciate this article.
Yes indeed the Vedas have never encouraged violence and many of these so called scholars are mis interpreting the facts with their half baked knowledge and trying to make slanderous allegations against the true tenets of Hinduism which is always a peace loving way of life more such exposures are to be widely publicised to give a befitting reply to those tarnishing the true culture of Bharata
We are the victims of westerners,who
could brainwash and succeeded
in dominating Indians since last
three centuries. It is very very difficult
to revive Vedic values in present
context. Baba Ramdev is trying his
best. If he succeeds it will be
good for India. If our PM.Modi
gets support from all sections of
people, Vedic culture will revive.
Let us pray for that.
Asathoma Sathgamaya.
I thank all those Vedic scholars who have successfully tried to correct the misinterpretations of our Vedas. All too often, we find that half – baked scholars who need to display their lack of knowledge about any subject under study usually to appear to be knowledgeable on a subject they have not fully grasped, misguide others.Once again I’d like to say thanks to those erudite scholars who have cleared the misconceptions.