Deivathin Kural # 26 of (Vol 2) of 24 Sept 2007.

Om Namah Sivaya.Deivathin Kural # 26 of (Vol 2) of 24 Sept 2007.1. These talks are by the erstwhile pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, based on vast investigative study of the scriptures, comparative study of other religions and the social, political and economic scene of India as a whole. While keeping His sense of humour alive, He maintained a gentlemanly and humanistic attitude towards all, including errant followers and ambushing antogonists. His talks given over sixty years, have been published as Deivathin Kural, in Tamil, by Vanady Padippagam, T.Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; in seven volumes of approximately a 1000 pages each. It is a must for any aspirant on the spiritual path. What is given here is its English translation, done by Lt Col KTSV Sarma. To-days e-mail is on the Heading, 'Vedam', occuring in pages 211 to 459, of Deivathin Kural Volume 2. Evidently, it will be covered in some 20 odd e-mails.2. Amongst the fourteen books on 'Dharma Pramana', the main authority is that of the Vedas, Rik, Yajus, Sama and Atharvana, the first four of the fourteen. In the balance ten, six are known as 'Angam' or Part and the rest four are, 'Upangam' or sub-parts. A Man or Woman has many body parts. Similarly, if the Vedas are likened to a 'Veda Purusha' or 'Veda Mata', having 'shad angam' or six-parts and four sub-parts. The 'shadangam' are, Sikshai, Vyakaranam, Chandas, Niruktam, Jyotisham and Kalpam. The four sub-parts or 'Upa-angas' are, Meemamsa, Nyayam, Puranam and Dharma Sastram.3. All told, Vedas are the most important. The balance ten are Vidyas recognised as Sastras. If we consider the total as Eighteen, we should include the Ayur Vedam, Artha Sastram, Dhanur Vedam and Gandarva Vedam. All of them have evolved out of the Vedas only. Vedas should be learnt with the parts and sub-parts. This is referred to as, 'Sa + anga + upanga + adhyayanam' leading to the creation of the word, 'saangopaanga adhyayanam'. In whatever subject, if the analysis has been done considering all its aspects, such exhaustive coverage is said to be 'saangopaangam' . Actually this word was meant for the study of the Vedas, with all its parts and sub-parts. Though now-a-days, people have forgotten, the names of Vedas and its parts, the word 'Saangopaanga' has come to stay, to mean exhaustive coverage of any subject. Though the word 'saangopaangam' has gained currency, it is sad to note that, people do not even know the names of Vedas, its parts and sub-parts.4. .Vedam is the main, central reference point. All other subjects have evolved out of Vedas and are organised around it. If you ask me as to what is the basic root book of authority for Hinduism, I will say, they are the Vedas. They are our Bible, Quran, Zendavesta and Guru Granth Sahib. Though thus, I am using the names of other religionist' s Master Treatise's names to describe the Vedas, I should also emphasise that, Vedas precede all other such books by hundreds of thousands of years. I would not be far wrong, If I say that, most of these other books have partaken of the noble ideas of the Vedas. Lot of such parallels can be drawn. Whether anyone agrees with this or not, there is a tradition to call those books as, Christian Vedam or Muslim's Vedam or Parsi's Vedam. In South India, Christians do aver their Bible to be, 'Satya Vedam'.5. Talking about Vedas, I am at a quandary, as to where to start and end! They are so vast in magnitude and so deep in intricacies of content! As Aapasthamba Suthram says, "...pramanam Vedaachcha.. .", everything about this religion are dependent upon the Four Vedas.6. From very olden times in Tamil Nadu, Manu Dharma Sastras, have been held in high esteem. The same has been the case elsewhere in India too. But, in Tamil Nadu, there was a Chola King with the epithet, 'Manu Needhi Chozhan', because of his strict loyalty to the 'Tenets of Justice', as given in Manu Dharma Sastras. It so happened that, the Prince drove his chariot too recklessly in the marketplace, causing the death of a calf. The Mother Cow, caused the 'Bell of Justice to ring', by pulling on the rope, with her mouth. The King having come to know of the incident, ordered that His Son should be run over by a chariot, thereby maintaining the highest level of justice, uncaring for not only the caste or creed; but equality between all life forms! Thus we have come to accept 'Manu Needhi Sastra' as the authority for all matters related to 'Justice'. What does that book say? Manu declares in it, "...vedo (a)kilo dharma moolam...". He has said that for all matters of Dharma, the basic root authority is Vedas eternally.7. What ever Vedam says, we should abide with it verbatim. We should not transgress Vedas and accept it in letter and spirit. We have tradition to ask, when something is thrust on us, "if that thing is the Veda Vaak"? We had a belief, that if it was, "Veda Vaak", then we cannot have a say! Thus the Vedas have beeen the dominating and binding factor, the Act of Law, for many thousands of years.'Anadi - Apourusheyam' .8. What is 'Anadi'? We cannot say as to what was the date for Vedas. 'Anadi' means that there is nothing prior to it. So it is for ever. How can that be? A book has to be written by one or two or many. 'Old Testament' contains the sayings of many prophets. The 'New Testament' contains the 'Upadesa' as given by Jesus Christ. Quran informs us of what Mohammad has said. Thus all the books must have been of some date in the past and before that time, such a book was not there! Similarly, Vedas too must have been said or written by someone, say thousands or even lacs of years back. But to claim that it is 'Anadi', is eveidently wrong. Is it not so? There must have been a time when Vedas was not there.9. Yes I agree, that it is natural for such questions to arise. If it is true that Vedas had been written by some human beings, then to claim that it is 'anadi' would be wrong. We are thinking that the Vedas were written by some Rishis. In our books on history, it says so. Not only that, Vedas are composed of many 'Sukthas'. 'Su + uktham' would mean, 'well said'. Like 'Su guna' means 'good qualities' and 'Sulochana' means 'pleasing for the eyes or having good eyes'. When these 'Sukthas' are mentioned in the Vedas, for each 'Suktha', it mentions the Rishi. Chandas or Meter, and a particular Deity for that. So, as the Veda Mantras are related to 'so and so' Rishi, we are likely to construe them to be the authors.10. Moreover, while mentioning the names of the Rishis, there is a mention of the Gothra and the lineage. For example, "Agasthyo Maithra Varuni:", meaning Agasthya the son of Mithra and Varuni. Thus each mantra is in the name of some Rishi, which should mean that, at the time of the Rishi's parents, the Mantra could not have been there! So, is it not so that, 'Anadi' would be a mis-nomer? The mistake lies in the mis-conception that, the Rishis were the authors.11. Vedas have a 'qualification' that they are "apourusheyam", meaning 'non-human'. If a man or Rishi had written it or said it, on his own; then it would have been, 'pourusheyam' . 'Apourusheyam' , would mean that, the Mantras are not the creations of human beings. Had they been the Authors of the Mantras, they would have been called the, 'Mantra Kartas'. But they are called, 'the Mantra Drashtas' or 'Seers' and not 'Creators'.12. What does this statement, 'Columbus discovered America' mean? Does it mean that He created America? No. He revealed the 'already existing America', to the world. Similarly, Archemedis, Newton and Einstein etc; none of them created the Laws of Nature. A stone thrown high up in the air does not fall to the ground because Newton said so. These Scientists understood the existing Laws of Nature and revealed it to the World at large. Similarly, the Rishis saw or percieved the already existing Mantras, understood them and gave it to the world. The Mantras were there much before there time. They revealed it to the world, for the benefit of all. So it is but natural, to take their names with a sense of gratitude!(To be continued)Sambhomahadeva.