The Vedic God : An Evolutionary Journey

By Gurushankar Swaminathan

The sections of the Vedas that deal with the various facets of the Supreme Consciousness is an articulation of the entire experience that the Vedic seers underwent, in their quest to realize that one supreme reality. What we are going to see below (in the Vedic hymns) is a symbolic and mystical explanation of what was experienced in the deepest of the penances by noble souls like Vishwamitra, Vamadeva, Madhuchandas, Agastya, Veda Vyas etc.
The Vedas make an extremely sincere effort to articulate the various aspects of the Supreme Brahman but they also accept the limitations of the human intellect in comprehending that one absolute reality. The Vedic seers grapple with the enormity of the exercise of attempting to understand the Supreme Consciousness and the myriad manifestations of the same.
Unlike other religious scriptures that position a named God upfront and build fables and a laundry list of dos and don’ts around that God, the Vedas try to understand the Vedic Brahman, attempt to pierce the realm of Brahman’s BEING and peep into its NON – BEING state. The seers also attempt to comprehend the passion of the one that made this universe manifest, established the ORDER that is immutable and identify it to be the ultimate TRUTH, the alpha and omega of everything.

Hymns of Creation (Nasadiya Sukta). Rig Veda 10/129/ 1 – 7

1. At first was neither Being nor Nonbeing.
There was not air nor yet sky beyond.
What was its wrapping? Where? In whose protection?
Was Water there, unfathomable and deep?

2. There was no death then, nor yet deathlessness;
Of night or day there was not any sign.
The One breathed without breath, by its own impulse.
Other than that was nothing else at all.

3. Darkness was there, all wrapped around by darkness,
And all was Water indiscriminate.
Then that which was hidden by the Void, that One, emerging,
Stirring, through power of Ardor, came to be.

4. In the beginning Love arose,
which was the primal germ cell of the mind.
The Seers, searching in their hearts with wisdom,
Discovered the connection of Being in Nonbeing.

5. A crosswise line cut Being from Nonbeing.
What was described above it, what below?
Bearers of seed there were and mighty forces,
Thrust from below and forward move above.

6. Who really knows? Who can presume to tell it?
Whence was it born? Whence issued this creation?
Even the Gods came after its emergence.
Then who can tell from whence it came to be?

7. That out of which creation has arisen,
Whether it held it firm or it did not,
He who surveys it in the highest heaven,
He surely knows or maybe He does not!

The last two hymns seen above articulate a negative assertion that establishes the limitation of understanding and conceptually communicating what NON-BEING may have been.

The Vedic God emerges from NON-BEING into BEING. The Vedic God emerges out of the cosmic ardor/ passion (Tapas), establishes the order (Rita) and personifies the truth (Satya). And it is here that space and time get established.

Rig Veda 10/190/1 – 3
1. From blazing Ardor, Cosmic Order came and Truth;
From thence was born the obscure night;
From thence the Ocean with its billowing waves.

2. From Ocean with its waves was born the year
Which marshals the succession of nights and days,
Controlling everything that blinks the eye.

3. Then, as before, did the creator fashion
The Sun and Moon, the Heaven and the Earth,
The atmosphere and the domain of light.

The Vedic seers now are trying to comprehend as to “Who is this God?” and “Who should they offer their oblation to?”.

Hiranyagarbha (Golden Embryo) Rig Veda / 10/121/ 1 -10.
These hymns throw deep insight into the symbolism, mysticism and poetic nature of the Vedas. The golden embryo is where the Divine resides before coming into BEING. This is not about a logical evolution or a step in creation. By ardor, the Supreme one sacrifices to emerge from NON-BEING into BEING. The one that emerges TO BE is the Lord of Beings, Prajapati!

1. In the beginning arose the Golden Embryo:
He was, as soon as born, the Lord of Being,
Sustainer of the Earth and of this Heaven.
What God shall we adore with our oblation?

2. He who bestows life-force and hardy vigor,
Whose ordinances even the Gods obey,
Whose shadow is immortal life–and death–
What God shall we adore with our oblation?

3. Who by his grandeur has emerged sole sovereign
Of every living thing that breathes and slumbers,
He who is Lord of man and four-legged creatures
What God shall we adore with our oblation?

4. To him of right belong, by his own power,
The snow-clad mountains, the world-stream, and the sea.
His arms are the four quarters of the sky.
What God shall we adore with our oblation?

5. Who held secure the mighty Heavens and Earth,
Who established light and sky’s vast vault above,
Who measured out the ether in mid-spheres–
What God shall we adore with our oblation?

6. Toward him, trembling, the embattled forces,
Riveted by his glory, direct their gaze.
Through him the risen sun sheds forth its light.
What God shall we adore with our oblation?

7. When came the mighty Waters, bringing with them
The universal Germ, whence sprang the Fire,
Thence leapt the God’s One Spirit into being.
What God shall we adore with our oblation?

8. This One who in his might surveyed the Waters
Pregnant with vital forces, producing sacrifice,
He is the God of Gods and none beside him.
What God shall we adore with our oblation?

9. O Father of the Earth, by fixed laws ruling,
O Father of the Heavens, pray protect us,
O Father of the great and shining Waters!
What God shall we adore with our oblation?

10. O Lord of Creatures (Prajapati), Father of all beings,
You alone pervade all that has come to birth.
Grant us our heart’s desire for which we pray.
May we become the lords of many treasures!

It is important to note that these hymns (found above) are a favorite punching bag of those involved in human harvests. They use these hymns to claim that our forefathers never received any guidance, as; they seem not to know the God to whom oblations need to be offered. But the truth is the last hymn calls out the Lord to whom the Vedic seers adore their oblations as Prajapati.

And then the Vedic God sacrifices a one fourth of Self to create animate and inanimate things in this universe. This act is what is contained in the most famous Purusha Sukta, Rig Veda /10/90.

This sukta describes the act of Supreme Consciousness where, the Supreme one, called the Purusha here, sacrifices 1/4th of Self and the remaining 3/4th of the one, oversee and perform the sacrifice. There is a kind of a triple principle at play here. The Supreme Consciousness is the object of sacrifice, the sacrifice itself and one that is executing the sacrifice.

The 1/4th Purusha is the cosmic MAN. This sukta describes the MAN to be so large that HE encompasses the entire earth, possesses thousands of eyes and limbs and it is from this Purusha that all animate and inanimate things are born. This Purusha is the divine emanation.

1. A thousand-headed is the Man
With a.thousand eyes, a thousand feet;
Encompassing the Earth all sides,
He exceeded it by ten fingers’ breadth.

2. The Man, indeed, is this All,
What has been and what is to be
The Lord of the immortal spheres
Which he surpasses by consuming food.

3. Such is the measure of his might,
And greater still than this is Man.
All beings are a fourth of him,
Three fourths are the immortal in heaven.

4. Three fourths of Man ascended high,
One fourth took birth again down here.
From this he spread in all directions
Into animate and inanimate things.

5. From him the Shining one was born;
From this Shining one Man again took birth.
As soon as born, he extended himself all
Over the Earth both behind and before.

6. Using the Man as their oblation,
The Gods performed the sacrifice.
Spring served them for the clarified butter,
Summer for the fuel, and Autumn for the offering.

7. This evolved Man, then first born,
They besprinkled on the sacred grass.
With him the Gods performed the sacrifice,
As did also the heavenly beings and seers.

8. From this sacrifice, fully accomplished,
Was gathered curd mixed with butter.
Thence came the creatures of the air,
Beasts of the forest and those of the village.

9. From this sacrifice, fully accomplished,
Were born the hymns and the melodies;
From this were born the various meters;
From this were born the sacrificial formulas.

10. From this were horses born, all creatures
Such as have teeth in either jaw;
From this were born the breeds of cattle;
From this were born sheep and goats.

11. When they divided up the Man,
Into how many parts did they divide him?
What did his mouth become? What his arms?
What are his legs called? What his feet?

12. His mouth became the brahmin;
His arms became the kshatriyas,
His legs became the vysyas
And his feet became the sudras.

13. The Moon was born from his mind;
The Sun came into being from his eye;
From his mouth came Indra and Agni,
While from his breath the Wind was born.

14. From his navel issued the Air;
From his head unfurled the Sky,
The Earth from his feet, from his ear the four directions.
Thus have the worlds been organized.

15. Seven were the sticks of the enclosure,
Thrice seven the fuel sticks were made,
When the Gods, performing the sacrifice,
Bound the Man as the victim.

16. With the sacrifice the Gods sacrificed to the sacrifice.
Those were the first established rites.
These powers ascended up to heaven
Where dwell the ancient Gods and other beings.

Again, I must add that this sukta is used to debunk the Vedas by harvesters of souls. They point to the origin of casteism in hymn #12. But unlike those that believe in a redeemer to overcome the sin of having born in a particular lineage, this sukta establishes that men are born out of Supreme Purusha. The varna system established in the Vedas is based on vocations and there is nothing in the Vedas that espouses the dogmas that the prevailing caste system sticks to. Some of the cases in point: Yajur Veda 18:48 / 20:17/ 26:2, Atharvana Veda 19:32:8 / 19:62:1.

And this sukta evolves in the Upanishads and Satpatha Brahmanas in a couple of different ways. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (I/4/1-5) shows an evolved Purusha that is established in the self (consciousness of I) and then the fable goes on to state that the masculine Purusha created a feminine principle of Self by splitting into two. And this idea is extended to all animate things like cows, stallions, sheep etc to develop the idea of the Purusha Sukta. Again harvesters of human souls point to this Upanishad to claim that Prajapati did many asinine things!

Once the Vedic God enters the BEING mode, the Vedic seers go on to perceive the Supreme Consciousness as focal point of everything and as the cosmic pillar (Skhamba) that anchors everything in this universe, the SELF of the universe.

Atharvana Veda 10/7/ 1 – 40. I am furnishing only a few of the forty hymns to help us get a drift of the hymns.

1. In which of his limbs does Fervor dwell?
In which of his limbs is Order set?
In what part of him abides Constancy, Faith?
In which of his limbs is Truth established?

3. In which of his limbs does the earth abide?
In which of his limbs the atmosphere?
In which of his limbs is the sky affixed?
In which of his limbs the great Beyond?

8. That which of all forms the Lord of Life
Created–above, below, and in between–
With how much of himself penetrated the Support?
How long was the portion that did not enter?

[The part that did not enter, pertains to the 3/4th part of the transcendental ONE that sacrificed the 1/4th Purusha]

15. In whom, as Man, deathlessness and death combine,
To whom belong the surging ocean
And all the arteries that course within him;
Tell me of that Support–who may he be?
18. He whose head is Universal Fire,
Who has for his eyes the Angirases
And for his limbs the practitioners of sorcery–
Tell me of that Support–who may he be?

21. The branch of Nonbeing which is far-extending
Men take to be the highest one of all.
They reckon as inferior those who worship
Your other branch, the branch of Being.

22. In whom the Adityas, Rudras and Vasus,
Are held together, in whom are set firm
Worlds–that whch was and that which shall be–
Tell me of that Support–who may he be?

23. Whose treasure hoard the three and thirty Gods
Forever guard–today who knows its contents?
Tell me of that Support–who may he be?

Perhaps, the above hymn is where the Puranas draw the fable of 33 Million Devas in Indra loka, though this hymn only talks about 30 aspects/deities of the ONE.

25.Great are the Gods who were born from Nonbeing,
Yet men aver this Nonbeing to be
The single limb of the Support, the great Beyond.

Now that we have seen the way the Supreme Reality emerged from NON-BEING to BEING, the way the universe was manifested, the way life forms were created by the Supreme one, the way the Divine became the pillar of support, it becomes easier to decipher, this false belief that Vedas only espouse myriad Gods. In fact the Vedic mind, cognizant of the multifaceted nature of reality embraces the non-being and being, the manifest and unmanifest aspects of the Supreme Reality.

Let us go through a few Vedic hymns.

He is one and only one, Sustains entire universe, Omnipresent, Formless, All-Powerful, Perfect, Omniscient, Unborn, Eternal and supports us always. He alone should be worshipped. Yajur Veda 40:8.

Truth is One; the wise call it by different names. Rig Veda 1:164:46

Power entered within him. He is the one, the onefold, the only one Atharvana Veda 13:4:12

All moments originated from the Purusha like lightning, no one has comprehended him, above, across, or in the center. Yajur Veda 32:2

Divine and formless is the Person; he is inside and outside, he is not begotten, is not breath or mind; utterly pure, farther than the farthest Imperishable. Mundaka Upanishad 2:1:2

However this one Supreme Reality in the Vedas is Brahman and not the ones in Abrahamic scriptures. I will deal in detail what the differences between Brahman and Jehovah and Allah are separately.

Sources:Raimon Panikkar. The Vedic Experience
Sri Aurobindo (1956) The Secret Of The Veda

Vedic Wisdom and Evolution of Consciousness

By Tina Sadhwani

In the Rig Veda there are 5 hymns constituting an important dialogue between Lord Indra and Sage Agastya that reflects the significance of traversing the evolutionary path of consciousness, that seems to serve as a crucial pre-requisite to understanding the true nature of the Supreme Absolute Reality (God).
The verses exemplify how sage Agastya, by the sheer force of his thoughts is breaking through the barriers of his mind, reaching the realm of God without first being developed as a fully functional being in all his levels of consciousness. The eagerness to experience God gets the better of sage Agastya and his senses and he refuses to progressively surrender to the stepping stone (which in this case refers to Lord Indra) in his quest for God. At this point, sage Agastya gets pushed back by Indra who does not allow him to proceed to the realm of God.

Indra says-that which is beyond time and space (God) cannot be known by that which is in time and space (Agastya and other mortals like us).

Indra goes on to explain that it is the progressive transcendence (of ego-consciousness) through divine activities that will take a mortal towards the immortal truth. Sage Agastya thenceforth realizes his folly, surrenders his will to Indra and goes on to execute his mandated activities through Indra.

Ego transcendence

One of the obvious implications that can be drawn from the verses is that the sense of “I” that we adorn and the identification with our ego-consciousness is often what prevents us from experiencing the Divine. That would also probably explain why meditation, yoga, etc. are delineated as paths in Hinduism to achieve that distance and ‘dis-identification’ from the ego-centric self. One could however, question the whole point or practical significance of transcending the ego-bound self, to which it can be reasoned that detachment (the kind that Lord Krishna expounds in the Gita) would actually entail a greater sense of involvement and participation in life’s experiences without being shaken or affected by them. It would imply a sense of free-experiencing that is unimpeded by our conditioned beliefs, emotions, memories, reactions, etc. enabling us to understand things from a larger frame of reference.

Modern psychology and cognitive science is only now exploring the frontiers of consciousness (exemplified in Vedanta) and its impact on human life and behaviour. Current researches (Joel Krueger) in the field also indicate that transcending of the personalized ego often leads to a unified mode of awareness and “That a scholar acquires a new insight, or a moralist a new motive, or an artist a new imagination, or a religious figure a new awakening, are all based upon a disclosure of this kind of unity in consciousness” which is only made possible by that ego transcendence.

Levels of Consciousness

Sri Aurobindo (scholar of the Vedas) was one of the first pioneers in the field of consciousness studies. His work was further compounded by researcher Ken Wilber who (based on Aurobindo’s Vedic insights and Piaget’s Cognitive Development) established the ‘ten levels of consciousness’ that humans had to develop through, re-affirming the fact that psychological and spiritual development go hand in hand; that we can’t have one without the other.

According to the Vedic template reflected in the Taittiriya Upanishad there are five sheaths of existence/being- 1) Anna-maya kosa (physical), 2) Prana-maya kosa (vital), 3) Mano-maya kosa (mental), 4) Vijnana-maya kosa (intellectual) and 5) Ananda-maya kosa (bliss).

The ten levels of consciousness derived from this template are:

1) The Sensoriphysical- reflecting the realm of matter, sensation and perception.
2) Phantasmic-Emotional- the emotional-sexual level (seat of libido and instincts)
3) Representational mind- level of concepts and symbols, fantasy, ego-centric thinking.
4) Rule/role mind- thinking in terms of concrete things and events.
5) Formal-reflexive mind- the level of reflective, abstract thinking and introspection.
6) Vision-logic- the level of synthesis and integration.
The higher levels are 7) Psychic, 8 ) Subtle (level of soul), 9) Causal (level of spirit) and 10) Non-dual (Brahman-Atman)

Our centre of gravity is said to rest in a certain level on that spectrum and our thoughts and actions are defined by that level of functioning. Evolution of consciousness then requires a shift to higher levels. Wilber believes that the majority of humankind is still operating on the Mental, or Egoic, level, while only a few have attained higher spiritual consciousness.  Consequently it’s important to note that if an individual has spiritual experiences but his consciousness has only developed to the level of the ‘rep’ mind (level 3) for instance then he won’t be able to understand that spiritual experience in a broad way and won’t be able to integrate it. On the contrary he is more likely to distort the experience for people tend to interpret their religious/spiritual experience according to the level of mental development they are at. This does not imply that there are different levels of God, but that there are different levels of interpretation. The person at the highest levels of consciousness will have a more integrated and holistic understanding of the Supreme Reality.

It’s also interesting to note that those who are at the ‘earlier stages of development’ often tend to think that “their truth is the only truth” as they lack the ability to integrate alternate perspectives. To explain the tangible effects of this phenomenon, Swami Vivekananda once said “Whenever a prophet got into the super-conscious state by heightening his emotional nature, he brought away from it not only some truths, but some fanaticism also, some superstition which injured the world as much as the greatness of the teaching helped.”

Eminent author Ram Swarup also explains that even though a person has spiritual experiences, if he has not transcended his ego then his connection with the Divine will be distorted and filtered through his immature mind and his resulting beliefs and actions will prove to be very destructive, as can be witnessed from the history of imperial movements and regimes. He claims that this happens “because they mix spiritual truth and ego together, which is a very dangerous and volatile combination… as nectar mixed with poison becomes poison”.

The prevalent culture also stands as testimony to this phenomenon that is now witnessing the spread of myriad psuedo visionaries with the messiah complex.
 It stands to reason then that without the anchor of integrated development a person can be in danger of falling prey to the lower nature of his self which perpetuates various forms of dysfunctions from a simple lack of objectivity to extreme fanaticism.

Researcher Prem Sabhlok also asserts “The ancient, medieval and modern history of India as well as of the world has confirmed that with material knowledge based on sense experiences and intellectual reasons and arguments alone, any search for God had always led to fanaticism, fundamentalism, communal tension, destruction of the temples, gurudwaras, churches, etc. of the same God and even has been cause of wars between the nations. With material knowledge, the same God appears different to various sections of the people.”

This suggests that it is often imperative for a super-conscious spiritual experience to be supported by a corresponding heightened psychological development. More importantly, it indicates that material knowledge without spiritual growth can be counterproductive as there is something crucial missing in human awareness that causes us to fall victim to all sorts of delusions and distortions. Vedas refers to this as ‘avidya’-ignorance and goes on to explain how we need to reach a certain stage in consciousness for this avidya to dissolve.

Evolution of Consciousness and Enlightenment

As we progress to higher levels of development on that scale our consciousnesses expands.  “So the more narrow, fragmented and restricted our mode of consciousness,” says Wilber, “the more prone we will be to experiencing psychological disorders or distortions. And the more expanded and heightened our level of consciousness, the more scope we will have for self-actualization and enlightenment. Therefore… enlightenment in this context implies an expansion of consciousness from the isolated, alienated individual to a kind of global cosmic consciousness.”  It then overall alludes to a progressive expansion from parts of the psyche (persona) to the psyche (ego) to the environment (ecological) and finally to the universe-manifest and unmanifest (Brahman).

While it is often reiterated that there is only one indivisible, all-pervading and immanent reality (Brahman), Vedic metaphysics makes it clear that it is only at the stage of “Turiya” (highest level of superconsciousness) that a person experientially discerns and understands this One Supreme Reality (God) in all its magnitude and the vehement effect of Maya -the cosmic illusion then dissolves.

So contrary to Darwin’s theory of evolution and according to Vedic scriptures, one form of species does not evolve into another, rather it is the soul that evolves through the various levels of consciousness and this transition is not so much biological as much as it is spiritual.
Aurobindo declares, “Man is a transitional being. He is not final. The step from man to superman is the next approaching achievement in the earth’s evolution. It is inevitable because it is at once the intention of the inner spirit and the logic of Nature’s process.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1. Indra: It is not now, nor is It tomorrow; who knoweth that which is Supreme and Wonderful? It has motion and action in the consciousness of another, but when It is approached by the thought, It vanishes.

2. Agastya: Why dost thou seek to smite us, O Indra? The Maruts are thy brothers. By them accomplish perfection; slay us not in our struggle.

3. Indra: Why, O my brother Agastya, art thou my friend, yet settest thy thought beyond me? For well do I know how to us thou willest not to give thy mind.

4. Indra: Let them make ready the altar, let them set Agni in blaze in front. It is there, the awakening of the consciousness to Immortality. Let us two extend for thee thy effective sacrifice.

5. Agastya: O Lord of substance over all substances of being, thou art the master in force! O Lord of Love over the powers of love, thou art the strongest to hold in status! Do thou, O lndra, agree with the Maruts, then enjoy the offerings in the ordered method of the Truth.


References:

-Rig Veda – Book 1 – Verse 170 – Hymns CLXX (1 – 5)
-Taittriya Upanishad-Sri Aurobindo (1956) The Secret of the Veda
-Ram Swarup (1980) The word as revelation: Names of Gods.
-Vivekananda: Complete Works, Vol.1, Raja Yoga, Ch.7: “Dhyana and Samadhi”
-Ken Wilber (1977) Spectrum of Consciousness
-Prem Sabhlok- Glimpses of Vedic Metaphysics
-Joel Krueger (2007) The Varieties of Pure Experience: William James and Kitaro Nishida on Consciousness and Embodiment
-hinduism.co.za/kosas.htm
-Jean Piaget- Cognitive Development

Ultimate Reality and Monotheism

By Prashant Saxena

Monotheism as the world knows from the west means belief in one God. The one God in the western faiths is isolated from the nature, created the world, judges the mankind from their behavior the directions for which are given in the western holy books with a set of DO-s and DONT-s. He divides the mankind on the basis of belief i.e those who follow that holy book blindly and those who question it or who do not follow it. Thus, the monotheistic concept from west reduces the mankind to blindly believe into some god who has a particular gender, a particular name and categorized his believers with a particular label and differentiates the world between “you and them” on the basis of that belief which is to be followed blindly.

Similarly, stemming out from theism, we have polytheism which means belief in different gods. Atheism is a disbelief in the possibility of a god who plays dice with human lives, judges the humans on a judgement day as prescribed by western holy books and who created the world.

In the Indian terminology, there is no such belief of a god having a particular gender or a set of DO-s and DONT-s. Vedas and Upanishads which are a part of shrutis (considered as primary works) talk of ultimate reality which is formless, unmanifested, unborn and inconcievable. Unlike, the western beliefs and holy books, Vedas teach about what a person can realize in his highest state of consciousness. Thus, Vedas are also characterized as “revealed” which means coming from the highest source of consciousness which is conceptualized and called as Bhraman. Hence, Vedas are only a tool to raise one's consciousness and know the ultimate reality. A person who has a dharmic mind, spirit of questioning and practical intellect can know the ultimate reality even without knowing the Vedas. Therefore, unlike the western faiths and conditioning where the followers need a “book”, one doesn't always need the Vedas to know the ultimate truth. The knowledge of the Veda is embedded in everyone which needs to be known by detachment and getting rid of the Maya which is constantly affecting both physically and mentally and hiding the realization of the ultimate reality.

Gita Verse 3.42

It is declared the sense are superior but more than the senses the mind is superior but more than the mind the intelligence is superior and more than the intelligence that which is superior is the individual consciousness.

How can one realize the ultimate reality without the Vedas? It cannot be explained in a few words. Gitopanishad has eighteen chapters that give a hint of ultimate reality. Kenopanishad states,

1. By whom missioned falls the mind shot to its mark? By

whom yoked moves the first life-breath forward on its

paths? By whom impelled is this word that men speak?

What god set eye and ear to their workings?

2. That which is hearing of our hearing, mind of our mind,

speech of our speech, that too is life of our life-breath and

sight of our sight. The wise are released beyond and they

pass from this world and become immortal.

3. There sight travels not, nor speech, nor the mind. We know

It not nor can distinguish how one should teach of It: for It

is other than the known; It is there above the unknown. It

is so we have heard from men of old who declared That to

our understanding.

4. That which is unexpressed by the word, that by which the word is expressed, know That to be the Brahman and not this which men follow after here.

5. That which thinks not by the mind, that by which the mind is thought, know That to be the Brahman and not this which men follow after here.

6. That which sees not with the eye, that by which one sees the eye’s seeings, know That to be the Brahman and not this which men follow after here.

7. That which hears not with the ear, that by which the ear’s hearing is heard, know That to be the Brahman and not this which men follow after here.

8. That which breathes not with the breath, that by which the life-breath is led forward in its paths, know That to be the Brahman and not this which men follow after here.

A simple scientific example can be taken in context of relativity. The motion of everything within the universe is taken with respect to something. We measure our speed relative to the ground which we assume to have a speed of zero. But in reality earth is rotating and revolving around the sun. What is our actual speed as compared to sun at rest or zero speed? Analyzing the angular speed of earth around the sun and motion of our speed on earth, we can mathematically deduce our speed around the sun. If we expand reality, then sun is also revolving around something higher.

Rig Veda 10.149.1“The sun has tied Earth and other planets through attraction and moves them around itself as if a trainer moves newly trained horses around itself holding their reins.”

Yajur Veda 33.43“The sun moves in its own orbit in space taking along with itself the mortal bodies like earth through force of attraction.”
 
Rig Veda 1.35.9“The sun moves in its own orbit but holding earth and other heavenly bodies in a manner that they do not collide with each other through force of attraction.
 
Rig Veda 1.164.13
“Sun moves in its orbit which itself is moving. Earth and other bodies move around sun due to force of attraction, because sun is heavier than them.

According to the modern science, sun moves around the centre of the milky way galaxy. With proper logic and mathematics, one may find his speed relative to the centre of milky way galaxy too. If we expand our awareness even higher, then the next question that automatically comes : Is milky way galaxy is also moving around something higher? Lets call it X. Going by that chain we have a non-stop function if that X is also moving around something higher, lets say Y and Y around Z and so on. Where does it stop? There are only two cases for such a problem : (a) It stops and hence universe can be called as finite or (b) It doesn't stop and hence universe can be called infinite. For the former case, if we call universe as finite, then obvious questions would be

• Where is the boundary of the universe?
• What is its weight?
• Is the universe itself rotating like earth?
• What shape does it have?
• Is universe itself revolving around something higher? What is outside this universe, beyond its boundary?

From these questions one would again conclude to the latter case where the questioning itself would cease to exist and one would realize that universe is infinite. Even today what modern science explores is within what it calls as “observable universe”. An infinite doesn't have a centre nor does it have any form. Thus, the relativity cease to exist when the relation itself is done to universe and not to any object within the universe. But the question is how did this universe itself come to existence?

RigVedic hymn of creation :

There was neither non-existence nor existence then.
There was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond.
What stirred?
Where?
In whose protection?
Was there water, bottlemlessly deep?
There was neither death nor immortality then.
There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day.
That One breathed, windless, by its own impulse.
Other than that there was nothing beyond.
Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning,
with no distinguishing sign, all this was water.
The life force that was covered with emptiness,
that One arose through the power of heat.
Desire came upon that One in the beginning,
that was the first seed of mind.
Poets seeking in their heart with wisdom
found the bond of existence and non-existence.
Their cord was extended across.
Was there below?
Was there above?
There were seed-placers, there were powers.
There was impulse beneath, there was giving forth above.
Who really knows?
Who will here proclaim it?
Whence was it produced?
Whence is this creation?
The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe.
Who then knows whence it has arisen?
Whence this creation has arisen
- perhaps it formed itself, or perhaps it did not -
the One who looks down on it,
in the highest heaven, only He knows
or perhaps even He does not know.

Therefore, the ultimate reality is said to be unborn, infinite, formless and unmanifested.

That is one and only one, Sustains entire universe, Omnipresent, Formless, All-Powerful, Perfect, Omniscient, Unborn, Eternal and supports us always. That alone should be worshipped.

(Yajur Veda 40:8.)

Thus, the Vedic conception of ultimate reality, which can be arrived at by questioning and experience, is different from monetheistic concept of western faiths. The various elements of the nature like agni-dev (fire element), vayu-dev (air elements) etc are a part of Bhraman. It is Bhraman who manifests itself to various energies and forms like science calls itself as physics, chemistry, biology etc to deal with different branches. Whereas in western beliefs, humans and everything else is “apart” from God or separate entities.

"They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, and he is heavenly nobly-winged Garutman. To what is One, sages give many a title they call it Agni, Yama, Matarisvan." RV (Book 1, Hymn 164.46)

The nearest english translation for “Deva” is god. All the devas are the manifestation of the supreme reality. The manifestation of the divine, i.e supreme reality, into various forms and energies is miscomprehended by the missionaries of western faiths as polytheism. They think that Indians follow 33 crore gods. But they cannot tell the names of the 33 crore gods that they assume. Thus, calling Hinduism as polythiestic on the basis of the various devas is conceptually and logically incorrect and so is stating that Hinduism is monotheistic on the basis of ultimate reality.

Further, in western faiths the god has a gender and a particular name. The followers of abrahamic faiths cannot worship any other name than that given in their holy book. Their subjective opinions and understanding is not their own but conditioned and outsourced from a holy book. Whereas, in India people worship the ultimate reality with different names. In Mahabharata, Eklavya trained himself in the art of warfare by concentrating in front of the idol of Dronacharya. Indians can worship the names given in western faiths, but the followers of abrahamic faiths cannot chant the names given to the divine concepts and elements given in Vedas as they are conditioned by their “holy book” that the monotheistic god as per their book would punish them. Gitopanishad states,

Gita Verse 7.20

Those deprived of discrimination by various desires impelled by their particular natures worship the lesser demigods adapting to the applicable rites and rituals.

Gita Verse 7.21

Whichever demigod a particular devotee desires with faith to worship, I surely sustain firmly that faith in him.

Gita Verse 9.23

O Arjuna, those who worship devotedly different demigods, although faithfully; they also worship me only; but in an unauthorised manner.

Thus there are scriptural evidences of the tolerance to the worship of other names or demi-gods in the Indian scriptures. One may ask what “unauthorised manner” verse 9.23 speaks about. To know the ultimate reality we cannot rely only on spirituality alone or on materialism alone. We have to know the ultimate reality by meditating upon it as a whole. We cannot pollute the air i.e insult wind-god, deforest i.e insult the prakriti just to generate wealth i.e worship Laxmi. Thus ultimate reality has to be known as a whole. One should not be attached to its individual manifestations.

Gita Verses 15.3, 4

Within this world the inverted form of this tree cannot be perceived, nor its beginning, nor its foundation; severing this strongly rooted in attachment banyan tree with the sharp weapon of detachment; thereafter go to the place where there is no return again by approaching the exclusive shelter, surrendering at the feet of the Supreme Lord; verily to the original, Ultimate Personality from whom the perpetual process emanates.

The fundamental differences between monotheism as originated in west and the concept of ultimate reality from Vedas are as follows -:

1) In Monotheism every thing is God's i.e “apart” from God, whereas with ultimate reality, everything is a “part” of ultimate reality.

2) In monotheism only the god as mentioned in the holy book is to be worshipped, whereas with respect to Ultimate reality, “everything that upholds life” is considered as divine. E.g air, water, sun, fire, intellect, universe etc.

3) Monotheism forbids the chanting the “name” of some other god other than the one mentioned in their “holy book”, whereas the same ultimate reality is called by different names which concludes ultimate reality is nameless.

4) Monotheism “preaches attachment” to a particular name, a belief system, a set of DO-s and DONT-s which a person has to follow blindly. Whereas, Vedas and Upanishads speak of detachment to think objectively and gain complete knowledge.

5) Monotheistic god is “personal and the belief is subjective”. He belongs to the followers of the “book”. Whereas, the ultimate reality is impersonal, formless, umanifested and unborn. It is to be known through detachment via an objective frame of mind.

6) Monotheistic god in western faiths has “a gender” and is a male. Whereas, the ultimate reality is has both male and female names according to its various manifestations.

7) Monotheism lacks “spirit of questioning”, whereas Vedas and Upanishads speak of dharma and karma where spirit of enquiry and questioning are the basic aspects.

8) The “science of consciousness” originated from the Vedas which the modern science is researching now. Whereas, it is absent in the western faiths.

9) Friendship with the non-believer i.e one who doesn't believe in the holy book, is considered as inferior, whereas friendship itself is considered as divine as per Vedas and Upanishads.

10)Monotheism that originated in the west often finds itself in contradiction to modern science, whereas the ideas from Vedas and Upanishads are revolutionising the modern science.

Nikola Tesla used ancient Sanskrit terminology in his descriptions of natural phenomena. As early as 1891 Tesla described the universe as a kinetic system filled with energy which could be harnessed at any location. His concepts during the following years were greatly influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda.

Schrodinger wrote in his book Meine Weltansicht:

“This life of yours which you are living is not merely a piece of this entire existence, but in a certain sense the whole; only this whole is not so constituted that it can be surveyed in one single glance. This, as we know, is what the Brahmins express in that sacred, mystic formula which is yet really so simple and so clear; tat tvam asi, this is you. Or, again, in such words as “I am in the east and the west, I am above and below, I am this entire world.”

[This is a reference to the Mundaka Upanishad mantra 2.2.11 ]

“All this that is in front is but Brahman, the immortal. Brahman is at the back, as also on the right and the left. It is extended above and below, too. This world is nothing but Brahman, the highest.”

Schrodinger’s influential ‘What is life? The physical aspect of the living cell & Mind and matter (1944)’ also used Vedic ideas. The book became instantly famous although it was criticized by some of its emphasis on Indian ideas. Francis Clark, the codiscoverer of the DNA code, credited this book for key insights that led him to his revolutionary discovery.

According to his biographer Walter Moore, there is a clear continuity between Schrodinger’s understanding of Vedanta and his research:

“The unity and continuity of Vedanta are reflected in the unity and continuity of wave mechanics. In 1925, the world view of physics was a model of a great machine composed of separable interacting material particles. During the next few years, Schrodinger and Heisenberg and their followers created a universe based on super-imposed inseparable waves of probability amplitudes. This new view would be entirely consistent with the Vedantic concept of All in One.”

He became a Vedantist, a Hindu, as a result of his studies in search for truth. Schrodinger kept a copy of the Hindu scriptures at his bedside. He read books on Vedas, yoga and Sankhya philosophy and he reworked them into his own words, and ultimately came to believe them. The Upanishads and the Bhagavad gita, were his favorite scriptures.

According to his biographer Moore, “His system – or that of the Upanishads – is delightful and consistent: the self and the world are one and they are all. He rejected traditional western religious beliefs (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic) not on the basis of any reasoned argument, nor even with an expression of emotional antipathy, for he loved to use religious expressions and metaphors, but simply by saying that they are naïve.

Apart of Nicolas Tesla and Scroedinger, various other scientists and philosophers have testified about the greatness of Vedas and the Upanishads.

11) The western faiths “preach conversion” of the mankind to follow the belief as prescribed in the “book”, whereas Vedas and Upanishands promote questioning (e.g “neti neti”) to experience the truth.

12) The term muslim, christian etc is mentioned in their respective “books”. But neither Buddha mention “buddhist”' or Veda or Gita mention “Hindus” or gives more importance to Hindus.

References :

http://www.newsfinder.org/site/more/vedic_philosophy_of_nikola_tesla/

http://www.hinduwisdom.info/quotes21_40.htm

Kenopanishad, translations by Aurobindo

The Secret of Vedas by Aurobindo

Bhagvad Gita

The shape of the ultimate reality

By Prashant Saxena

Hexagonal, triangle, square, fat, large, small etc are all having a definite shape, a definite form. A human body has a definite shape, so does the sun when viewed from the earth. Thus, if one analyzes the fundamental definition of shape and form, then one would realize that these are only the attributes observable by the eye. If one can see or observe something, then only he can tell what shape, size and form it is. How can one observe from a distance, of the shape, size and form of something if he is blind? The ability to visualize enhances the perception of form and shape. Do knowledge, spiritual experience, energy, empty space or vaccum, thoughts, sound that we hear etc have any shape, size or form?

The ONE/ the Brahman in the Vedas: He is One and only One, Sustains entire universe, Omnipresent, Formless, All-Powerful, Perfect, Omniscient, Unborn, Eternal and supports us always.He alone should be worshipped. (Yajurveda 40.8)

In Gita, Krishna reveals clearly that the true definition of "him" or the ultimate reality is unmanifested, unborn, impersonal, inconcievable, fixed, eternal, unchanging and immovable. How can the "unmanifested, unborn, inconcievable" have a form, shape or a definite name? Naturally, a name is given by those who try to comprehend a concept or something.

BG 12.3-4: But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable — the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth — by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.

BG 12.5: For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.

BG 12.6-7: But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pṛthā — for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.

BG 12.8: Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.

BG 10.2: Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages.

BG 10.3: He who knows Me as the unborn, as the beginningless, as the Supreme Lord of all the worlds — he only, undeluded among men, is freed from all sins.

BG 10.12-13: Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.

BG 9.4: By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them

BG 9.10: This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.

Some people feel that formless does not have any potency of having a form. Gita clearly tells about the manifestations of the supreme nature (inconcievable, unmanifested and unborn). Naturally, the manifest can contain both form (like material nature, mass, matter etc) and the formless (like knowledge, air, energy. consciousness etc). "Potency" doesn't only mean the masculine strength to lift heavy weights. It can also means the ability to give birth to a child (feminine ability), ability to understand and memorise (mental ability) etc. It can also mean the ability to have eternal knowledge, manifest in any form, in any color and yet the true form which is formless being unknown. One can breathe air around which is present everywhere (omnipresent), but it is formless. A person has a definite shape like sun as we see from earth, but it is "not omnipotent" as we can neither see that person or the sun everywhere and everytime, whereas the energy is an omnipotent concept which is all around us and yet formless. One cannot live without air and energy.

Brahman, the universe or the ultimate consciousness, is all around us. It touches all the individual consciousness and contains all the bodies in the universe. If we imagine of Brahman, we cannot concieve of its form in both in its physical aspect and the mental aspect . Therefore formless, yet omnipotent and omnipresent. Anything percievable by one's limited senses is limited in nature. The fact that we can identifiy a being with a form outright limits it. How can a "limited' being be omnipotent and omnipresent? And hence the understanding of the unmanifest aspect of the supreme truth is difficult (BG 12.5).

An analogy with this manifestation from the unmanifest could be thoughts which appear out of nowhere. In a deep contemplative state, one might get a thought of his relative or a friend, to play a musical instrument, to have fame and name. People might see dreams which are hardly connected to their real life. A human mind contains scattered bit of knowledge and thoughts which keeps on changing and some which manifest randomly out of nowhere. During exam time, one might manifest that knowledge and write something that he might not usually think of. According to many sages, the Veda is also a revelation to many rishis in their heightened state of consciousness. Gita teaches us how one can heighten his consciousness and touch the supreme consciousness. But one might ask what form, shape or size does consciousness have?

BG 9.11: Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.

BG 9.22: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form — to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.

BG 10.8: I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.

References :

Bhagvada Gita

Yajurveda

Aryan Invasion Theory, Vedas and Dravidian Discourse

By Gurushankar Swaminathan

Aryan Invasion Theory, which today having been rechristened as Indo – Aryan migration theory (given that the original position is no longer tenable) is the largest myth that was ever propagated by historians with vested interests that still retain vestiges to their Western paymasters. In this post the scope is restricted to visiting Veda samhitas and Tamil literary works from the Sangam period that render the AIT / IAM theories redundant. This article will also show the integrated, continuous nature of the deities that were worshipped from the now parched Saraswati river basin and the Vaigai river basin in Madura, Tamilnadu. We are taking Tamil as representative of Dravdian languages because, unlike the other 3 Southern states, it is in Tamilnadu that the political and societal idea of Aryan / Dravidian divide is more vocally and visibly pronounced.

Evidence from Rig Veda:

Rig Veda does not give even a shred of evidence of any invasion or migration to have taken place from outside or the Rishis of Vedas having been part of expeditions into India from somewhere else. But Indologists and apologists of AIT / IAM use Rig Veda to try to establish their standpoint. They use the invocation of Indra by Angiras family of Rishis to slay the likes of Dasyus and Panis as evidences that an invading Aryan army slaughtered the aborigines of India that were Dravidians. Before we move ahead let us establish what Dravida means. In Sanskrit, it loosely means liquid like or watery. The root word for this is Drava in Sanksrit. And importantly, in Tamil, the word Dravidian or Dravida hardly gets mentioned in the Sangam literature of Tamils. The corpus of Sangam literature is the most authentic chronicling of the life, times, theology, events, wars, business, natural calamities, Tamil grammar etc of the Tamils starting from 600 BC to 200 AD. To put it in another way, if hypothetically the invading Aryans pushed the Dravidians South of Vindyas and killed many Dravidians (based on Rig Veda), the earliest Tamil literary works obviously ought to have mentioned the mayhem in the so called Dravidian literary works of the Sangam age.

The Tamil literary works started using the word “Dravida” only in the 9^th century AD but that too only in the context of linguistics. And a Tamil lexicon of the 9^th century AD called “Senthan Divakaram” uses Dravidam to denote Tamil.

Now, let us move to understanding how the AIT / IAM apologists use Dasyus to claim that invading Aryans slaughtered the so called native Dasyus and let us also explore a few questions. The apologists point to Rig Veda 10/48, where, Indra is seen to have destroyed Dasyus, Vrtras and Panis with his might, captured wealth and also mentions that those in his company will not be felled. But what the apologists do not delve into is to understand the characterization of the likes of Dasyus , Vrtras and Panis (the last 2 being a kind of Dasyu) in Rig Veda. Who are the Dasyus? When we look up Rig Veda 1/33/1 – 10, it becomes obvious that the wealth that Indra captures is actually knowledge. RV/1/33/1 ends with "gavam ketam param avarjate nah." It means supreme knowledge of the luminous cows. And the whole verse means - come let us go seeking the cows to Indra, it is he that increases the thought in us, for us, he releases supreme knowledge of the luminous cows.

Let us first understand, in Vedas, those that do the Soma pressing or other Vedic sacrifices for divinities are called yajyu. The divinities to whom these sacrifices are offered are called yajata. The yaju by virtue of his goodwill is sukratu. Sukratus by virtue of their works find the “divine word” and having found the divine word, a sukratu becomes the singer of the word.

But Dasyu is the opposite principle of both Sukratu and Yajyu. Dasyu is also called "Ayajyu” (opposite of Yajyu). And interestingly an Ayajyu is a hater of the singer of the divine word (this quality is Ayajyu called brahmadvisa) and IMPORTANTLY an Ayajyu is ANASA (has no mouth to speak) and has no mental faculties (Amanyamana). And across the Vedas the Dasyus like Panis and Vritras withhold the kine (the kine are not physical cows and sheep but they point to knowledge) and this kine has to be forcefully extracted with Indra's help by man. And in another place in RV, it is stated that Panis (a type of Dasyu), plunders and steals the cows and hides them in his cave. With the help of Indra the knowledge, the luminous cows are secured by man. RV/6/51/14 calls Indra to destroy the Panis and equates Panis to wolf.

And let us also look at a few more items that Indra won by destroying Dasyus.

RV/3/34/7-10:

7 Lord of the brave, Indra who rules the people gave freedom to the Gods by might and battle. Wise singers glorify with chanted praises these his achievements in Vivasvan's dwelling.

8 Excellent, Conqueror, the victory-giver, the winner of the light and Godlike Waters,He who hath won this broad earth and this heaven, -in Indra they rejoice who love devotions.

9 He gained possession of the Sun and Horses, Indra obtained the Cow who feedeth many.Treasure of gold he won; he smote the Dasyus, and gave protection to the Aryan colour.

10 He took the plants and days for his possession; he gained the forest trees and air's mid-region.Vala he cleft, and chased away opponents: thus was he tamer of the overweening.

Indra secures forest trees, mid air, plants and days. Now, if Dasyus were HUMAN non-Aryan tribes, how come Indra secures the DAYS and MID-AIR from mortals? The allegory of Dasyus continues in the Rig Veda, where, Indra then actually chases Dasyus out of heaven and earth by the power of his thunderbolt. Indra's greatness keeps increasing and the luminosity of Indra leaves Dayus with nowhere to hide. Indra recovers the lost Sun and as this Sun rises, it illuminates the caves where Vala (a type of Dasyus) has hidden the luminous cows.

So, we clearly have a scenario that completely contradicts the possibility of Dasyus ever being Dravidian tribes that Indra destroyed. So the Rig Veda based attempts to prop up the non-existent AIT/IAM falls flat. Rest assured Dravidians (of AIT/IAM) do have noses and are able to speak and are intelligent people unlike the Dasyus of Rig Veda.

Evidence from Sangam Literature:

Now let us travel to Tamil / Dravidian land to see if Tamils were really people that were completely different from the so called Aryans and if they showed signs of being brutalized by invading Aryans. While there are extensive works that fall under the Sangam literature, let us pick some of the most important works to see what the Dravidians worshipped as their deities. It is important to note that Sangam literature categorizes land into Mullai (forests), Kurinchi (hills), Marudam (Farm lands), Neidal (Sea Coast) and Palai (Barren). Tolkappaiyam mentions the following as the presiding deities of these lands – Mullai: Tirumal (Vishnu), Kurinchi: Seyon (or Kumara / Murugua/Kartikeya), Marudam: Vendan (Indra), Neidal: Varunan (Varuna) and Palai: Korravai (Shakti). Another key Sangam literary work called Purananuru talks about the legend of Lord Shiva destroying the three cities (Tripura Samhara). Shiva is said to have taken the lofty Meru mountain in his hand as bow and with the terrific serpent as bow string and a single arrow destroyed the cities sending them into flames. And the deity of Seyon (Kumara / Kartikeya), is repeatedly seen across Purananuru and Ahananuru as being the progeny of Shiva. This ties us back to Agni, the Kumara, template of the Puranic Kartikeya, being an aspect of Rudra.

Some AIT / IAM apologists try to make Shiva to be an exclusive Dravidian deity to keep the theory running. Shiva of Puranas is derived from aspects of Rudra of Vedas. In Vedas, if you delve deeper into attributes of Rudra, across Rig Veda or the Rudram / Chamakam sections of Yajur Veda, a common set of attributes is easy to be seen. And Shiva is all but one aspect of Rudra that is mentioned in Rudram / Chamakam. While the usage of Rudra has been replaced at large by Shiva, the attributes of Vedic Shiva / Rudra and those described in works like Periya Puranam of Tamil literature are the same. In places like Tiruvannamalai or Chaidmabaram, in addition to Thevaram, Rudram / Chamakam is also recited, if Shiva of Tamils and Shiva or Puranas / Vedas are different. If anything, the Taittriya Samhita of Yajur Veda (where Rudram / Chamakam occurs) is a tradition that is living primarily in Tamil Nadu, AP and Karnataka, today.

Conclusion: From this small attempt to put things in perspective, it is very easy to understand that the AIT/IAM, based on Rig Veda and the premier Tamil Sangam literary works is a farce. If anything, it is easy to see that this great land has been inhabited by people that belong to the same Vedic family. Differences based on linguistics, skin color, local culture, cuisines etc are being played up by vested interests today, as it were done 150 years ago. To repeat it, this land was inhabited by followers of the same Vedic Dharma until the early part of last millennium.

P.S: We have not even touched the theological works of Alwars (Vaishnavites) and Nayanmars (Shaivites) to establish the oneness of the Vedic dharma of this land.

Actions, Maya and the Ultimate Reality

By Prashant Saxena

People today have a deep misconception about the scriptures like Veda and Gita. They assume that 'Maya' means that world is not real. Some people even think that to free oneself, one has to give up all the worldy activities and chant some mantras. But people forget often that mantras are divine incantantations to understand and rever the nature and its elements like fire (agni-dev), surya (surya-dev) etc. They are also the source of meditation and spirituality. Chanting the mantras without understanding the message is not considered either spirituality or intelligent.

A person cannot live without doing any action. Meditation, breathing, seeing, hearing, chanting mantras etc are all actions. Bhagvada-Gita simply teaches to control these actions and to find the truth.

Gita Verse 3.4

A person can never achieve freedom from reactions to activities without first performing prescribed Vedic duties; neither can perfection be attained by renouncing them as well.

Gita Verse 3.5

One cannot remain without engaging in activity at any time, even for a moment; certainly all living entities are helplessly compelled to action by the qualities endowed by material nature.

Gita Verse 3.6

Anyone who having controlled the five working sense organs remains thinking within the mind about sense objects, that foolish being is known as a hypocrite.

Gita Verse 3.7

But anyone who regulates the senses by the mind O Arjuna, begins the science of uniting the individual consciousness with the Ultimate Consciousness by the actions of the working sense organs without desire for results; he is superior.

Gita Verse 3.15

One should understand that actions originate from the Vedic scriptures, the Vedic scriptures originate directly from the Supreme Lord; therefore the all prevading Ultimate Truth is established eternally in performing sacrifice unto the Supreme Lord.

Gita Verse 3.16

O Arjuna, one who in this world does not apply the procedures prescribed and established by the Vedic scriptures; that person living in sin wastes their human life captivated by sense gratification.

Gita Verse 3.17

But one who remains ecstatic within the self; self illuminated and fully satisfied within the self only; activities do not exist for him.

Gita Verse 3.18

In this world for him no purpose is gained by discharge of actions neither is any sin incurred by non-discharge of actions and among all living beings never needs to depend upon anyone.

Gita Verse 3.19

Therefore without attachment, without interruption, perfectly perform prescribed actions; since by performing prescribed actions a person achieves the highest good.

When people are attached to their activities and senses, they are under the influence of Maya. It is this Maya that creates an illusion and ignorance. If people are attached to what they hear without analyzing it intellectually, it leads to ignorance. For e.g many people are deluded that Hinduism is divided in cast system "by birth" where people with surnames like Sharma, Chaturvedi, trivedi, Pathak etc are Brahmins. Chaturvedi simply means the knower of the four (chatur) Vedas. Trivedi refers to the knower of the three (Tri) Vedas. What Veda and GITA teach is a categorization of the society, a 'class system' and not 'cast system', based on profession or Karma and not birth. Brahmins, by its definition and in today's modern terminology, includes scientists, researchers, teachers, doctors, engineers etc i.e those who indulge in intellectual work and knowledge to know the science and nature. Kshatriyas is the warrior class. Thus all the soldiers in Indian army are kshatriyas irrespective of their religion and surnames. Vaishyas consisted of the business class and Shudras the unskilled labourers.

When people get attached to what they see and how they look, it causes suffering and visual illusions. e.g A girl attached to her beauty finds it hard to accept her change to old age. Thus it is very important to control the mind which controls the five senses.

BG 5.17: When one's intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation.

BG 5.18: The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].

BG 6.4: A person is said to be elevated in yoga when, having renounced all material desires, he neither acts for sense gratification nor engages in fruitive activities.

BG 6.5: One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.

BG 6.6: For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.

In upanishads, this is the "manmaya kosa" or the mental sheath. Sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste are only the objective channels to the mind and its the mind that can act very subjectively. The mind can chose to hear what it wants and ignore the rest. In a crowd, one's mind may chose to focus and hear only to what a particular person might be saying. At that moment one might not be able to process any other person. The focus can shift though as per the directions of the mind. Thus the mind is the controller of all 5 senses from which the collected data can be put to use by one's own intellect. Its a recursive procedure and the intellect can sharpen itself with the information it recieves.

The ultimate reality is said to be unmanifested, unborn and inconcievable from which everything else, both material and spiritual, is emanating.

BG 9.4: By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them

BG 12.3-4: But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable — the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth — by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.

BG 10.8: I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.

Thus Bhagvada Gita teaches directly how manifest arises from the unmanifest. On contrary to the unmanifest, the manifestations are changing, dynamic or limited. e.g Sun which a manifestation of the ultimate reality has a form, color, size etc when viewed from the earth. But are we seeing the truth? Do we think that the Sun or our appearance when we see in the mirror is static? What exactly are we seeing?

Physically, we are growing daily. The change is very slow as per our perception and it is unobservable. We are not the same person who existed some ten years ago. The physical image of our face, weight, shape, size, height etc have all changed. Chemically, we are losing millions of molecules per second in the form of breath (exhale), perspiration, excreta, urination, farts and intaking other molecules in the form of breath (inhale), drinking, eating etc. In brief, a person does not have the same set of molecules or atoms that he had a second ago. Mentally, our thoughts are changing too. What we were thinking a second ago is not the same. Mentally we evolve and our knowledge increases every passing second. Our holistic experience of the world changes every moment.

So how can we be the same even in a seconds differentiation? Are our eyes decieving us when we look into the mirror? If we get attached to our looks, then we are bound to suffer when we change or grow old. This suffering due to attachment and ignorance is the constant effect of Maya which is all around us and forever trying to control our mind. It is only because of Maya that we are not able to understand the ultimate reality or the truth. We see the sun and we think it is the same. But the truth is that the sun is also fading out. It has spent 4 million years and only has another 4 million years to live after which it will convert into a nova or a supernova. It is releasing huge amount of hydrogen in the form of fusion reactions into helium. Therefore, chemically it is not the same any second. Physically it releases long chains of fires or the solar winds, its magnetic field keeps on changing. So again, is our perception decieving us about the shape and size of the sun? Do we think we will be the same person after 20 years with the same strength, healing rate of the cells, quickness of the mind and the body? Do we think that change is sudden that we would grow fragile with white hair and brittle bones overnight?

In Gita, this is explained via the three modes of the material nature.

BG 14.5: Material nature consists of three modes — goodness, passion and ignorance. When the eternal living entity comes in contact with nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he becomes conditioned by these modes.

BG 14.6: O sinless one, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode become conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge.

BG 14.7: The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kuntī, and because of this the embodied living entity is bound to material fruitive actions.

BG 14.8: O son of Bharata, know that the mode of darkness, born of ignorance, is the delusion of all embodied living entities. The results of this mode are madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul.

BG 14.9: O son of Bharata, the mode of goodness conditions one to happiness; passion conditions one to fruitive action; and ignorance, covering one's knowledge, binds one to madness.

BG 14.10: Sometimes the mode of goodness becomes prominent, defeating the modes of passion and ignorance, O son of Bharata. Sometimes the mode of passion defeats goodness and ignorance, and at other times ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy.

BG 14.11: The manifestations of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge.

BG 14.12: O chief of the Bhāratas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion the symptoms of great attachment, fruitive activity, intense endeavor, and uncontrollable desire and hankering develop.

BG 14.13: When there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, O son of Kuru, darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested.

BG 14.14: When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets of the great sages.

BG 14.15: When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when one dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom.

BG 14.16: The result of pious action is pure and is said to be in the mode of goodness. But action done in the mode of passion results in misery, and action performed in the mode of ignorance results in foolishness.

BG 14.17: From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance develop foolishness, madness and illusion.

BG 14.18: Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.

BG 14.19: When one properly sees that in all activities no other performer is at work than these modes of nature and he knows the Supreme Lord, who is transcendental to all these modes, he attains My spiritual nature.

References :

BhagVada Gita

http://www.hinduism.co.za/kosas.htm

Idol Worshipping, Western Terminologies and the Modern view

By Prashant Saxena

India is the only country in the world where other faiths evolved on the top of the existing one i.e Hinduism. Buddhism, Jainism etc evolved and western faiths like Islam and Christianity were accepted by the people of India. “Athiti Devo Bhava” has always been the mantra. This only shows the true tolerance of Hinduism. Other signs of tolerance in Hinduism is the acceptance of symbology to represent and address the ultimate reality and its various manifestations. This includes names and idols or statues. Some people also address by sitting in a particular direction.

But many westerners look down upon the concept of idol worship. What exactly is idol worshipping? Is there a differentiation between the various idols? Idol worshipping is a very subjective form of bhakti (devotion). It is also a means of meditation and focus to raise one's conciousness to a higher state. The western concept of worshipping, religion and theism are very different from that of the Hindu point of view. One shouldn't mix western terminologies with the Indian ones or try to comprehend Indian scriptures from a western prism.

The very definition of theism has originated in the west where god is isolated from the nature, who created the nature and has his own set of miracles to perform. The western conception of god or theism involves fear and hatred. Whereas in Vedic concept, the closest english translation of deva is god. Deva is nothing but a part of ultimate reality which is manifested for a particular role just like science has physics to serve one field, chemistry to serve another and biology another. Thus one cannot say if Hinduism is polytheistic or monotheistic as these very concepts are western. Some people by stating "Veda consists of polytheism", unknowingly impose a non-spiritual and distorted definition of god from a limited western frame of understanding on to the Vedic conceptualizations which are metaphorically personified. All the devas, that some people percieve as different gods, are part of ultimate reality, and by inducing inferior terms like polytheism they limit the devas in isolation to one another and to ultimate reality. Neither physics is isolated from science nor chemistry, neither wind (vayu-dev) is isolated from the nature (prakriti) nor fire (agni-dev). All the devas, as mentioned in Vedas, are the elements of the nature which are essential for the human survival or constitute the human body. A man cannot live without the sun (Surya-Dev), wind (Vayu-Dev) or agni (Agni-dev). One of the message of the scriptures is to comprehend the truth i.e the ultimate reality which is called by various names, “Ekam Sat, Vipra Bahuda Vadanti”. Thus the conception of polytheism gets contradicted directly when faced with the understanding of the vedic scriptures and the upanishads.

Gitopanishad states,

BG 9.22: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form — to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.

BG 9.23: Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kuntī, but they do so in a wrong way.

Thus, the western definition of god remotely resembles the Vedic conception of ultimate reality and deva. These vedic conceptualizations are reduced when one tries to understand them from western perspective of "God".

Related to the western conception of God, comes the conceptualization of the term “religion”. It is a word which was never used by the Indians in the past. Buddha never asked to follow something called “Buddhism”, Mahavira never created the term “Jainism” and Vedas do not consist of the term “Hinduism”. These very categorizations were done by the westerners who identified the teachings and induced the various “isms”. What exactly is religion? Religion is a set of beliefs which is blindly followed and usually not questioned. Thus we had plethora of cases of witch burning, crucifications and chopping of limbs of the people who questioned the western gods or western holy books. Buddha was never burnt for questioning the authority of the corrupted or deviated brahmins who distorted the Varna system by “karma” to cast system “by birth”. Instead, he was adored by many. On the other hand, Dharma in its true meaning refers to righteousness, ethics, spirit of questioning, spirituality and scientific bent of mind. It is something which opposes blind beliefs. Hence there is hardly any connect in the western conception of “religion” and sanskrit term “dharma” which has no equal terminology in English. Vedas do not talk of forced conversions or to impose a thought on someone by hook or crook. Veda in sanskrit itself means knowledge. When people blindly believe, it leads to attachment and degradation of intellect. For example, many people when questioned about the origin of life and how it started, instantly reply with the answer “Theory of evolution” not even knowing that the theory of evolution does not talk about creation or origin of life, but the subsequent evolution as theorized. More over, modern scientists are divided on it and the theory has been debunked plenty of times. Some scientists question the theory and other play as an apologist to it. Some people go one step further in their “beliefs” that science will eventually solve everything which marks a sense of their faith in science without even knowing that science only explores the existing and does not guarantee anything. How can a person find a flaw in a concept or a theory if he is attached to it, blindly believes and would not question? Thus, there are many people who follow science religiously and that is not how science progresses. A person may find a flaw in a mathematical or science concept only if he would have a healthy skeptic and questioning mind.

Similarly, Astik in sanskrit means one who understands and accepts Vedas after deep meditation and thinking. Vedas means knowledge and one cannot progress in science/knowledge if he blindly accepts. Thus if one comprehends the fundamental definition of astik, he would realize that it is actually the opposite of theism as blind belief in an isolated god (as per western view) is neither spiritual nor intelligent. But worshipping ( or revering ) the elements of nature, understanding their properties as stated in the Vedas and hence maintaining a balance in the nature is the very essence of spirituality. Hence again, neither monotheism nor polytheism can ever be used to explain the essence of spirituality or the context of the Vedas.

Worshipping in vedic context means to rever the nature, treat it as divine so as to maintain peace, balance and harmony all around. If a person cuts the trees, i.e abuses the nature, for the generation of wealth i.e laxmi, then it is simply not spiritual. Hence worshipping has to be done in a holistic way. Worshipping by animal killing, polluting or abusing the nature and the mankind is neither spiritual nor a vedic form of worshipping.

Thus, letting go of the western terminologies and comprehending the scriptures from purely an Indian point of view, one would understand that the ultimate reality as described in Veda and upanishads is comprehended by different symbols i.e various names and idols. Hence, one who doesn't understand the core of Hinduism i.e the Vedas would normally think that Hinduism consists of various gods and diversifications. But when one tries to move beyond that diversification, he converges to the point of ultimate reality which the vedic seers percieved as formless, nameless, unmanifested, unborn, inconcievable. That very question that converges to the ultimate reality is stated in the “RigVedic Hymn of creation”.

RigVedic hymn of creation :

There was neither non-existence nor existence then.

There was neither non-existence nor existence then;
there was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond.
What stirred? Where? In whose protection?
Was there water, bottomlessly deep?
There was neither death nor immortality then.
There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day.
That one breathed, windless, by its own impulse.
Other than that there was nothing beyond.
Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning;
with no distinguishing sign, all this was water.
The life force that was covered with emptiness,
that one rose through power of heat.
Desire came upon that one in the beginning;
that was the first seed of mind.
Poets seeking in their heart with wisdom found the bond of existence in non-existence.
Their cord was extended across. Was there below? Was there above?
There were seed-placers; there were powers.
There was impulse beneath; there was giving-forth above.
Who really knows? Who will here proclaim it?
Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation?
The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe.
Who then knows whence it has arisen?
Whence this creation has risen -- perhaps it formed itself,
or perhaps it did not.
The one who looks down on it, in the highest heaven, only he knows
or perhaps he does not know.

Hence, different names and idols were given by the people to comprehend the ultimate reality. As explained, idol worshipping in its true meaning enhances one focus and concentration. Some people concentrate on the idols, some on the light of candle and some on the rising sun. Many idols personify the different aspects of nature. A person who doesn't understand the essence of symbology, would percieve idol worshipping as some infatuation to a physical form. But for different people it means a different and subjective state of concentration. In mahabharata, Eklavya trained himself in warfare by worshipping the idol of Dronacharya who was considered as a master in the art of warfare.

Gitopanishad explains various steps to achieve or focus on the ultimate reality,

BG 12.8: Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.
BG 12.9: My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way develop a desire to attain Me.
BG 12.10: If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.
BG 12.11: If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness of Me, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.
BG 12.12: If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.
BG 12.13-14: One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me — such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.
BG 12.15: He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me.

But just as in the case of attachment to science, when a person gets overly attached to idol worshipping it leads to counterproductivity and non-spirituality. For example, many people attached to the physical form and ignorant about the higher nature of the ultimate reality, think Shiva is the only god and they look down upon other names to that ultimate reality. Some people think it is Vishnu and some think it is Krishna.

BG 9.11: Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.

Some people dedicate different days to different gods and some forbid eating their favorite meal because it is a tuesday or a saturday, a belief set by people of earlier age and conditioned to the youngsters who blindly believe it. Some people sit in a particular direction in this directionless universe. One may ask where is north, south, east and west? These are only the frame of references created by humans. When they get attached to this idea, they look down upon others who sit in a different direction. Some people even kill in the name of the god “assuming” God would be pleased. This kind of blind belief is rampant specially in the west where hate and fear are propogated in the name of god. One may ask, if God hated us and we were born sinful, then why would he or she even create us? Thus, blind belief and lack of questioning leads to degradation of mind, superstitions and non-spirituality. This is similar to the case where the fans of a politician or a celebrity would demolish public property on hearing any constructive or destructive criticism of him. When extreme attachment comes into the picture, then even contructive criticism is denied and consequently it belittles any freedom to questioning. A person who follows what the others are doing would only blindly believe. This is called the herd instinct. When a member of the herd tries to glorify what the herd follows, he usually sneers at anyone who “questions” what the herd is following. Thus, in a group of science “followers”, people usually tend to look down upon the one who questions the scientific theories. The followers attached to the theory, treat the scientists as gods, quote them blindly without questioning or understanding the basis of the quote and ironically treat the questioners as an outcaste or unscientific. Thus to attain knowledge, to focus or meditate one has to detach from the physical form or world which is forever changing.

BG 15.3-4: The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination one must cut down this strongly rooted tree with the weapon of detachment. Thereafter, one must seek that place from which, having gone, one never returns, and there surrender to that Supreme Personality of Godhead from whom everything began and from whom everything has extended since time immemorial.

Vedas although do not mention idol worshipping, they do not criticize or condemn it either. The true experience of the ultimate reality as mentioned in the Vedas and the various Upanishads, cannot be realized through words or names alone. Thus in a higher state of consciousness, a person transcends to experience the formless and the nameless.

BG 3.42: The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.

References :

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/vedicsection/rigvedichymns.asp

Bhagvada-Gita