INDIA AND ITS VEDIC KNOWLEDGE

India was known as the crown jewel of the world and originally it was the Capital of planet Earth. The Supreme Personality of Godhead descended personally only on the soil of India, whereas in other places His messengers (paigamber or son) have appeared. India is famous for its incomparable spiritual wealth .i.e. the Vedas and particularly the Upanishads. Some westerners have tried to degrade their value by presenting confusing views about their origin and message, which unfortunately, many modern Indians have accepted as true.

 The four Vedas are NOT in any way human creations by rishis, munis, demigods (devata), maharshi Vyas or even Lord Brahma. In Bhagavat-gita Ch 15-15 Lord Krishna says, “vadaishcha sarvaih aham eva vedyo, vedaanat krt veda videv cha aham.” Nothing can be clearer than this. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Bh.G10-12&13, 7-7,10-8 etc.), and the Vedas say, “Krishno ha vai paramo devah.” He says unequivocally , “ I have compiled ( krit) the Vedas, and  only  (eva) I  know them, and the purpose of Vedas is to impart knowledge about Me ( Krishna) to the living entities.” This is a great necessity so that human beings know God and their relationship with God.

 In Bhagavatam, Ch11-14-3, “Kaalen nashtaah pralaye vaaniyam veda sangitaa, mayaadau brahmane proktaa dharmo yasyaam madaatmakah” Lord Krishna speaks to Uddhava, “at the time of universal annihilation, Vedas entered within Me and, the transcendental sound was lost, so with subsequent creation I reinstructed Vedas to Brahma because I ( Krishna) Myself am the principle enunciated in the Vedas.” There is another mantra in the Vedas, “ Om asya mahato bhuutasya nashvasitam etad yad rikvedo yajurvedah  saamvedo, atharvaan girasaha”. The four Vedas came out from the respirations of the Supreme Lord.” Tulsidas has also stated same in Ramayan, “Jaaki sahaja svaas shruti chaari ,.” (Balkanda) It should be clear that Vedas keep entering and coming out of the body of the Supreme Lord. They are beginningless (anadi) i.e. no one manufactures them, eternal (sanatan and ever existing), unlimited (anantparam), as deep as the ocean (gambhiram), unfathomable (durvigaadhiyam), transcendental and are on the same level as Lord Krishna. Bhagvatam Ch.11-21-35 & 36.  Therefore they are absolutely perfect and free from human errors. Contrarily, one’s mind, senses, and intelligence are material hence the Vedas are beyond the realm of our understanding. It’s as simple as that.

 Another example is in Bhagvatam 1-1-1 “tene brahma hridaa ya aadi kavaye, muhyanti yat suurayah.” The Lord Krishna transmitted the Vedic knowledge into the heart of Brahma as He sits in the heart of every living being. Subsequently, Brahma spoke them to Narad.  However,  Brahma was unable to understand the meaning of Vedas so Krishna imparted him again the wisdom, then Brahma  studied them,  ”Bhagvaan brahma kaartsnyen trir unvikshya manishayah, tad adhya vasyat kuutastho ratir atman yato bhaved,” Bhagvatam 2-2-34, and concluded that, “with great attention and concentration of the mind I have studied the Vedas three times and after scrutinizingly examining them I have ascertained that attraction for the Supreme Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna is the highest perfection of religion.” If Brahma could not understand the Vedas what intelligence do mundane philosophers have to interpret or comment on them?

  Therefore, the only way one can understand the Vedas is when it is explained by Krishna Himself, hence disciplic succession (parampara system Bh.G.4-2) is important. Brahma learnt from Krishna, then taught to Narada, who was the spiritual master of Vyasdev, who not only learnt from Narad but underwent samadhi or meditation and he visualized (apshyat) the Lord along with His paraphernalia then wrote down the Bhagavatam. (apashyat purusham puurnam maayaam cha tad apaashrayam. Bhgavatam 1-7-5) .Incidently, Bhagavatam is the essence of four Vedas ( sarva vedaant saaram hi Shri bhagavatam ishyate (Garud Puran and Bhagavatam) Thus it is obvious that the Vedas are not an easy-chair philosophy for even Lord Brahma much less any human being. One should remember that maharshi Vyas only wrote down what he learnt from his spiritual master Narad, he did not create the Vedas. This writing was necessary with the failing and short memories of the people of Kaliyuga. It is a misconception that written history is an“advancement.” Actually people in previous yugas had such an excellent memory that record keeping was not required! There are about 100,000 mantras (shloka) in the 4 Vedas alone. The Vedas and the Bh G Chapter 4 verse 34 have declared the strategy to learn the Vedic knowledge. ”tad vijnaanaartham sa gurum evaabhigaccheta samit paanim shrotiyam brahma nishtham”.One should approach the spiritual master with a service attitude very humbly then question politely and submissively. The spiritual master should be (1) in the line of disciplic succession originating from Krishna   and (2) he should be a self realized person who has seen the Truth himself (tattva darshinah).” Mundak Up.1-2-12

 People have a different mental make up due to the influence of the three modes of material nature (satoguna, rajoguna and tamoguna). Their thinking is influenced by these modes consequently their interpretations are conditioned by those (Bhagvataam 11-14-9).  Divine purity can not be produced by their polluted material minds. The best of Vedic advice is what Lord Brahma has presented in above verse of Bhagavatam, 2-2-34.i.e. “attraction for the Supreme Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna is the highest perfection of religion.” Surprisingly, this is the conclusion of all  four Vedas “janha lagi saadhana veda bakhaani, saba kara phala hari bhagati bhavani” Ramayan. Lord Shiva speaks to Parvati, “that the purpose of all spiritual  endeavors including the study of Vedas is to achieve bhakti of Supreme Lord Krishna” Further, “paaram gato’pi vedaanaam sarva shaashtraartha vedya’pi, yo na sarveshvaro bhaktah tam viddhyaad purushaadhamam” Bhagavatam 5-18-12, meaning “even though one may have gone to the other side of all Vedas and be is well versed in all the revealed Scriptures yet if he is not a devotee of the Supreme Lord, he should be considered as the lowest of the mankind (adham purusha).”

WHAT IS THE FINAL MESSAGE OF VEDAS, “iha che’d ashakat boddhum praaka sharirasya visrasaha, tatah sargeshu lokeshu sharirattvaaya kalpate.”Kathop.Up.2-3-4. i.e. O’ human beings, in this human life, if you do not succeed in realizing the Supreme Lord, then you will be subjected to wandering in the 8,400,000 species of lives endlessly. Krishna, the speaker of Bh.G. guarantees that His devotees never fall down because He takes care of them personally. Therefore, all of one’s efforts should be focused on bhakti alone i.e. the devotional services to the Supreme Lord Krishna. Further, in Bhagavatam 11-14-21 Krishna says, “Bhaktya aham ekayaa graahyaa shraddhyaatmaa priyah sattaam” Through bhakti i.e. devotional services ALONE (ekayaa) I can be reached by the faithful one’s”. In Bhagavat Gita. 11-48, and 53, Lord Krishna says, “I can not be received, reached, approached or even seen by one engaged in severe austerity, fire sacrifices study of Vedas, performing charity or  by worships.” But in Bh.G11-54, the Lord unequivocally says, “Bhaktya tu ananyayaa shakya aham evam vidho ‘rjuna, jnaatum drashtum cha tattven praveshtum cha panantapah. “My dear Arjuna, by undivided devotional services (bhakti) I can be understood as I am standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way you can enter into My abode (Goloka) and appreciate the mysteries of My understanding.”  Also Bh. G. Chapter 18-55, same message is reiterated by Lord Krishna. The Ramayan also says the same, “Shruti puran saba granth kahaanhi, raghupati bhagati bina sukhu naanhi”.

 Even the principles of religion can not be understood by conditioned souls like demigods (devata) including Yamaraj, Brahma, rishis,  gandharvas  much less men, because those are also enacted by the Supreme Lord Himself. Bhagavatam 6-3-19. Further, “sa vai pumsaam paro dharmah yato bhaktir adhokshaje, ahaituky apratihitaa yayaatma suprasidati” “The highest perfection of religion is to engage in  the activities of  devotional services of the Supreme Lord Krishna  and that will provide complete happiness and peace to the living entities.” (Bhagvatam 1-2-6).

 Thus truth of the matter is that bhakti, or the devotional service of Lord Krishna, is the essence of following religion and studying the Scriptures and Vedas. Without Bhakti everything else is useless labor (Bhagvatam, 1-2-8). In the Padma Puran, maharshi Vyas says, “nranaam janma sahasrena bhaktau pritir hi jaayate, kalau bhaktihi, kalau bhaktihi, bhaktyaa krishnah purah  sthitah” One human life is awarded by the Supreme Lord to the living entity after wandering many times through 8,400,000 species of lives and after thousands of such human lives one develops bhakti towards Lord Krishna. As a result of this bhakti Lord appears in his heart. Therefore bhakti is not cheap as intellectualls usually think. Vedant Sutra and Narad Bhakti darshan have emphasized on bhakti repeatedly.

 

In modern times there are many sects of so called philosophers. All may claim to be in disciplic succession, yet one has to select one who is following the bhakti aspect, and who is self realized too, before joining any one of them. Human life is short, and one has to achieve the goal of this life i.e. the love and services of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna before it is taken away. The right age to begin is when one is five years old (kaumaar aacharet praajno) because that is the age when memory develops, Bhagavatam 7-6-1. However, in this age of Kaliyuga one has to find for himself the proper age and the suitable time in his busy mundane life.

 

 

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