Divine Wisdom – Key to Understanding Shrikant Vasudeo
General Commentary on Upanishad
The Upanishad are held in very high respect by the Indian population throughout the ages. However, the correct understanding of these Upanishads is lacking. In order to understand the true wisdom of these Upanishads, we need to know the background of their origin.
First of all, we must understand that these Upanishads assist us in directly reaching the state of ‘illumination’ of our inner being. They are not ‘step by step’ instructions for achieving it.
Secondly, these Upanishads are not for ‘dummies’. They are not ‘simple and clear’ explanation of the Divine. They assume an understanding of Vedic thought.
Thirdly, these Upanishads are not a ‘textbook’ of divine knowledge. They are not to be learned in a classroom. In other words, one needs to have a personal experience of the basic truths of our life. They are not just ‘bookish’ knowledge.
Fourthly, the style of expression of the Upanishad for development of the thought of divine knowledge is not explicit. The real knowledge is implicit and one needs to ‘meditate’ on these expressions to truly understand their implicit meaning. The words used in reasoning of the central idea are ‘suggestive’ in nature. They do not directly strike our intelligent mind.
Fifthly, we do not have the ‘reading’ of these texts. We have ‘hearing’ of them directly through the Divine Source. What it means is that the wisdom ‘dawns’ on our innermost being in a state of contemplative meditation.
Sixthly, the ‘hearer’ of these divine wisdom proceeds from light to Light. It helps him to confirm his intuitions, live his experience in the new light. He is not supposed to do the ‘logical analysis’ of these intuitions and experiences.
Here comes the difficulty to our modern intelligent man of ‘digital’ technology. We are used to ‘break-down’ everything to very ‘elemental’ level. We work by our brains. Intelligence is our basic means of understanding any idea or notion. We analyse, we rationalize every idea or thought. Precisely for this reason, to the modern man, the Upanishad offers insurmountable difficulty in understanding the true inner wisdom contained in them. In order for the modern man to fully understand the Upanishads, we need to explicitly bring out the hidden wisdom, give rational explanation, highlight the central theme, bridge the gap between two successive thoughts by necessary clarifications and interpretations and thus try to make him ‘understand’. This is indeed a very daunting task. However ‘hard’ we try, it is bound to fall short of the complete understanding the wisdom inherent in the Upanishad if we follow this ‘modern’ style. However, even with this lacunae, it is absolutely necessary in the present circumstances. At present, due to the horribly erroneous interpretations of these ancient scriptures, the modern man has lost out on the wealth of wisdom contained in them. We are truly very ‘rich’ in knowledge but bankrupt in understanding of the divine wisdom. We see around us stark contract in what we preach and what we practice. We are torn apart between the pulls of our desires and cravings on one side and our yearning for the long-lasting happiness and truth realization on the other. This dichotomy creates the undercurrent of anxiety, guilt feelings, a feeling of hollowness and a sense of drifting – having lost our directions in this life.
Isha Upanishad is our saviour. It is precisely dong the job of reconciling these opposites, harmonizing the different ideas and thoughts and bringing out the underlying unified truth. This we will see in the next note given separately.
Showing posts with label Veda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Veda. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Veda
Veda by Shrikant Vasudeo
Veda were chanted in Vedic language. The modern day Sanskrit language is a child of Vedic language. This makes it difficult to fully comprehend Veda in all its depth and dimensions. Panini was a Sanskrit scholar who had made very valuable contribution towards the scientific development of the Sanskrit language.
Originally Veda referred only to Rg Veda. Later on, the other three Veda were added to it. They are Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. They are said to be Shruti which literally meant ‘what has been heard’. It actually implies ‘divine revelation’. The rhythm of Veda is not composed by the intellect but heard. It is a divine Word that came vibrating out of the Infinite to the inner audience of the man who had previously made himself fit for the impersonal knowledge.
Later on, the term Veda has encompassed in its fold the Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishads. In addition to above, we have Vedanga which literally meant ‘limbs of the Veda’. These include study of phonetics, correct pronunciation of the Veda, of metrics, etymology, grammar and astronomy. The Vedangas are mainly concerned with the ‘ritualistic’ part of the Veda. Kalpa is the correct way of performing the Vedic rituals. Astronomy guides us about the correct timing for performing the rituals. The basic Vedangas were written in a very brief aphoristic statements phrased with great economy of words. They are called Sutras. Later on we get Shastras which are extensive works of scholars on Vedangas. Vedanga cover all facets of life like domestic rituals, performance of samskaras or sacraments associated with birth, marriage, death etc. We also have the rules and laws governing the behaviour of the individual in society. At a later stage we have a fully developed Dharma Shastra covering the ethical rules governing every walk of life.
The Veda are actually divine songs of ecstatic revelation. They are not meant to be written down and analysed and philosophized. The words of Veda have inherent POWER in the vibration of its SOUND. They have to be chanted with full understanding of its meaning. This lifts us to a higher level of understanding coming from DIRECT EXPERIENCE OF THE REALITY. It is therefore absolutely essential that purity of body and mind has to established before the chanting of the Veda. The
Sama Veda is musical version of some parts of Rg Veda for ritualistic purposes. It contains detailed instructions of fasts and other austerities to be undertaken before and during the recitation of the Sama Veda.
In order to truly understand Veda, we have to do ‘Abhyasa’ of them. Abhyasa is much more than the study as we commonly understand the word. Study implies intellectual effort. Abhyasa is much more than study. It implies deep commitment, enthusiasm and sincere yearning from the heart. Veda have to become a real living experience for us. Veda is an experience and not a message. It is a universal form of human celebration. Man is called upon to do the Yajna which makes the world as well as the Gods subsist. Celebration is the joyful awareness of the rhythms of life and the festive observance of their frequent recurrence. By celebration I mean much more than dancing and singing. It is much deeper than that. Celebration conveys a sense of cosmic solidarity. It implies human fellowship. It is a divine process. This results in all our actions becoming liturgical, meaningful and expressive. They express both what now is as well as create what is about to be.
Looking from another angle, Veda is the journey of soul’s march on the path of Truth. On this march, as the soul progresses, it also ascends to new heights. This opens up the new vistas of power and light. Heroic efforts are needed on this journey. The central conception of the Veda is the conquest of the Truth out of the darkness of Ignorance. As a result of this conquest, we also achieve the conquest of Immortality. The true deeper understanding of Veda will make us realise that in the darkness of subconscient and in our ordinary daily life of ignorance is concealed the divine life. We have to realise this divine life by destroying the impenitent powers of ignorance. The lower life has to be made subjected to the higher life. By the penetrating action of the Light and the Truth the powers of the ordinary ignorant sense-activity becomes subject to the Aryan – the Light seeker.
Aryan means whoever aspires, labours, battles, travels ascends the hill of being. The work of the Aryan is Yagna which is at once a battle and an ascent and a journey. It is a battle against the powers of darkness. It is an ascent to the highest peaks of the mountain beyond earth and heaven into Swar. It is also a journey to the other shore of the rivers and the ocean into the farthest Infinity of things.
…….. to continue as time permits
Shrikant Vasudeo
Veda were chanted in Vedic language. The modern day Sanskrit language is a child of Vedic language. This makes it difficult to fully comprehend Veda in all its depth and dimensions. Panini was a Sanskrit scholar who had made very valuable contribution towards the scientific development of the Sanskrit language.
Originally Veda referred only to Rg Veda. Later on, the other three Veda were added to it. They are Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. They are said to be Shruti which literally meant ‘what has been heard’. It actually implies ‘divine revelation’. The rhythm of Veda is not composed by the intellect but heard. It is a divine Word that came vibrating out of the Infinite to the inner audience of the man who had previously made himself fit for the impersonal knowledge.
Later on, the term Veda has encompassed in its fold the Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishads. In addition to above, we have Vedanga which literally meant ‘limbs of the Veda’. These include study of phonetics, correct pronunciation of the Veda, of metrics, etymology, grammar and astronomy. The Vedangas are mainly concerned with the ‘ritualistic’ part of the Veda. Kalpa is the correct way of performing the Vedic rituals. Astronomy guides us about the correct timing for performing the rituals. The basic Vedangas were written in a very brief aphoristic statements phrased with great economy of words. They are called Sutras. Later on we get Shastras which are extensive works of scholars on Vedangas. Vedanga cover all facets of life like domestic rituals, performance of samskaras or sacraments associated with birth, marriage, death etc. We also have the rules and laws governing the behaviour of the individual in society. At a later stage we have a fully developed Dharma Shastra covering the ethical rules governing every walk of life.
The Veda are actually divine songs of ecstatic revelation. They are not meant to be written down and analysed and philosophized. The words of Veda have inherent POWER in the vibration of its SOUND. They have to be chanted with full understanding of its meaning. This lifts us to a higher level of understanding coming from DIRECT EXPERIENCE OF THE REALITY. It is therefore absolutely essential that purity of body and mind has to established before the chanting of the Veda. The
Sama Veda is musical version of some parts of Rg Veda for ritualistic purposes. It contains detailed instructions of fasts and other austerities to be undertaken before and during the recitation of the Sama Veda.
In order to truly understand Veda, we have to do ‘Abhyasa’ of them. Abhyasa is much more than the study as we commonly understand the word. Study implies intellectual effort. Abhyasa is much more than study. It implies deep commitment, enthusiasm and sincere yearning from the heart. Veda have to become a real living experience for us. Veda is an experience and not a message. It is a universal form of human celebration. Man is called upon to do the Yajna which makes the world as well as the Gods subsist. Celebration is the joyful awareness of the rhythms of life and the festive observance of their frequent recurrence. By celebration I mean much more than dancing and singing. It is much deeper than that. Celebration conveys a sense of cosmic solidarity. It implies human fellowship. It is a divine process. This results in all our actions becoming liturgical, meaningful and expressive. They express both what now is as well as create what is about to be.
Looking from another angle, Veda is the journey of soul’s march on the path of Truth. On this march, as the soul progresses, it also ascends to new heights. This opens up the new vistas of power and light. Heroic efforts are needed on this journey. The central conception of the Veda is the conquest of the Truth out of the darkness of Ignorance. As a result of this conquest, we also achieve the conquest of Immortality. The true deeper understanding of Veda will make us realise that in the darkness of subconscient and in our ordinary daily life of ignorance is concealed the divine life. We have to realise this divine life by destroying the impenitent powers of ignorance. The lower life has to be made subjected to the higher life. By the penetrating action of the Light and the Truth the powers of the ordinary ignorant sense-activity becomes subject to the Aryan – the Light seeker.
Aryan means whoever aspires, labours, battles, travels ascends the hill of being. The work of the Aryan is Yagna which is at once a battle and an ascent and a journey. It is a battle against the powers of darkness. It is an ascent to the highest peaks of the mountain beyond earth and heaven into Swar. It is also a journey to the other shore of the rivers and the ocean into the farthest Infinity of things.
…….. to continue as time permits
Shrikant Vasudeo
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Asura in Veda
Asura in Veda Shrikant Vasudeo
I am giving below the ‘brighter’ side of the Asura as described in the early Veda. We are very much accustomed to the idea that Asura means Demonic Power. However, very few of us realise that this was NOT so in the early Rgvedic period. I am particularly drawn to this topic because of the vertical split between Zoroastrian and Hindu cosmological allocation of divine powers to Asura and to Devas. I am uncomfortable with what knowledge has percolated down to us through the millennia of human evolution giving diametric opposition of two ancient religions on this planet. I got my impetus for my research when I discovered that Zorastrians are as divine or as human as we Hindus. Then why their god is the enemy of our god ? During my diving deep into the Vedic Treasure, I stumbled upon following gems which I want to share with you.
In Rgveda, the Indra is given ‘asura’ power by the Heaven and Earth and the Gods so that he (Indra) can crush all obstacles. (III.49.I) The asuric power meant ‘creative power’ in the early stages of the Veda. Indra was ‘asura’ in earlier times. In Rgveda, asura is NOT considered to be a demon. This demonic nature was attributed to asura in later times.
‘Asu’ means BREATH or LIFE ENERGY. The ‘ra’ means to possess and to grant. Asura therefore means the possessor of the life breath as well as its bestower. When ‘Deva’ acquires a great creative faculty, he gets the honorific title of ‘Asura’. In Rgveda, Asura was highly spiritual entity with great creative and ruling capacities. They were having excellent ‘magic’ power. All our highest devas are asuras. Varuna, Savitr and Indra are described as ‘wise asura’. So also Dyaus, Agni and Brahmanspati are given the ‘title’ of Asura.
There were two class of Asuras. One on the side of the Light or the Adityas and the other on the dark side of the cosmos. Aditya represent the principle of evolution, freedom, light and expansion. On the other hand. the opposing forces are called ‘Danavas’. However, Danavas were NOT equated with Asuras in the early Rgvedic period. It was done at much later stage. Danu means bondage, restraint. She is mother of Vrtra, the constrictor. Curiously, in Rgveda I.30.3 and 5, Indra fights also with ‘all the furious gods’, alongwith the Danavas representing the forces of darkness and chaos.
Asuras are possessor of the power of ‘maya’. Thus the conflict is between the devas ‘as asuras’ and the daityas or the sons of Diti or Danu. In Satapatha Brahmana (1.2.4.ff.), these opposing forces are of the same father – ‘ Prajapati’ but of different mothers – Aditi and Danu. In Satapatha Brahmana and Taittiriya Samhita, which are much later than the Rgveda, the term ‘asura’ is associated with the forces of darkness.
It appears that we have lost the KEY as to what made our cosmic PROTAGENISTS change their mind. Is there any missing link ? I am sure there must be some reason for this 180 degrees turn of our attributes assigned to asuras. Not much attempt seems to have been made to investigate this matter further. Our discerning faculty has been clouded by the Puranic stories giving dramatic and vivid ex-pression to the conflict between Deva and Asura.
The first act of manifestation has at its root the drive towards ‘Self Assertion’. It is the differentiating and divisive intelligence from the original ‘ONE’. It was necessary to make a world out of the undifferentiated state of darkness of VOID. This was done by the action of the Asuras. All the great asuras are the examples of this self-ex-pression of high intelligence for breaking through the circle of darkness and demarcating the various realms of the manifested world.
It is likely that at a later stage some Asuras went ‘overboard’ with their great assertive thrust and crossed the ‘threshold’ of sustaining faculty. It became egoistic and selfish detrimental to the good order of the world. In Satapatha Brahmana, it is mentioned that asuras ‘even through arrogance went on offering into their own mouth’ whilst the gods ‘went on making offerings into one another’.
Atharvaveda (III.9.4) coins the word ‘Asuramaya’. It meant divine creative power, the power of transformation. It was possessed by both gods and demons. Only at later state this power was usurped by demons for deceptive purposes.
However, in the later stages of the Veda, the word Asura is identified with the demonic power and is portrayed in much negative manner. What I have described above probably represents only 5 % of our ancient view point. The balance 95 % is what we commonly understand today by the word Asura in the negative sense of the word.
Shrikant V Soman
I am giving below the ‘brighter’ side of the Asura as described in the early Veda. We are very much accustomed to the idea that Asura means Demonic Power. However, very few of us realise that this was NOT so in the early Rgvedic period. I am particularly drawn to this topic because of the vertical split between Zoroastrian and Hindu cosmological allocation of divine powers to Asura and to Devas. I am uncomfortable with what knowledge has percolated down to us through the millennia of human evolution giving diametric opposition of two ancient religions on this planet. I got my impetus for my research when I discovered that Zorastrians are as divine or as human as we Hindus. Then why their god is the enemy of our god ? During my diving deep into the Vedic Treasure, I stumbled upon following gems which I want to share with you.
In Rgveda, the Indra is given ‘asura’ power by the Heaven and Earth and the Gods so that he (Indra) can crush all obstacles. (III.49.I) The asuric power meant ‘creative power’ in the early stages of the Veda. Indra was ‘asura’ in earlier times. In Rgveda, asura is NOT considered to be a demon. This demonic nature was attributed to asura in later times.
‘Asu’ means BREATH or LIFE ENERGY. The ‘ra’ means to possess and to grant. Asura therefore means the possessor of the life breath as well as its bestower. When ‘Deva’ acquires a great creative faculty, he gets the honorific title of ‘Asura’. In Rgveda, Asura was highly spiritual entity with great creative and ruling capacities. They were having excellent ‘magic’ power. All our highest devas are asuras. Varuna, Savitr and Indra are described as ‘wise asura’. So also Dyaus, Agni and Brahmanspati are given the ‘title’ of Asura.
There were two class of Asuras. One on the side of the Light or the Adityas and the other on the dark side of the cosmos. Aditya represent the principle of evolution, freedom, light and expansion. On the other hand. the opposing forces are called ‘Danavas’. However, Danavas were NOT equated with Asuras in the early Rgvedic period. It was done at much later stage. Danu means bondage, restraint. She is mother of Vrtra, the constrictor. Curiously, in Rgveda I.30.3 and 5, Indra fights also with ‘all the furious gods’, alongwith the Danavas representing the forces of darkness and chaos.
Asuras are possessor of the power of ‘maya’. Thus the conflict is between the devas ‘as asuras’ and the daityas or the sons of Diti or Danu. In Satapatha Brahmana (1.2.4.ff.), these opposing forces are of the same father – ‘ Prajapati’ but of different mothers – Aditi and Danu. In Satapatha Brahmana and Taittiriya Samhita, which are much later than the Rgveda, the term ‘asura’ is associated with the forces of darkness.
It appears that we have lost the KEY as to what made our cosmic PROTAGENISTS change their mind. Is there any missing link ? I am sure there must be some reason for this 180 degrees turn of our attributes assigned to asuras. Not much attempt seems to have been made to investigate this matter further. Our discerning faculty has been clouded by the Puranic stories giving dramatic and vivid ex-pression to the conflict between Deva and Asura.
The first act of manifestation has at its root the drive towards ‘Self Assertion’. It is the differentiating and divisive intelligence from the original ‘ONE’. It was necessary to make a world out of the undifferentiated state of darkness of VOID. This was done by the action of the Asuras. All the great asuras are the examples of this self-ex-pression of high intelligence for breaking through the circle of darkness and demarcating the various realms of the manifested world.
It is likely that at a later stage some Asuras went ‘overboard’ with their great assertive thrust and crossed the ‘threshold’ of sustaining faculty. It became egoistic and selfish detrimental to the good order of the world. In Satapatha Brahmana, it is mentioned that asuras ‘even through arrogance went on offering into their own mouth’ whilst the gods ‘went on making offerings into one another’.
Atharvaveda (III.9.4) coins the word ‘Asuramaya’. It meant divine creative power, the power of transformation. It was possessed by both gods and demons. Only at later state this power was usurped by demons for deceptive purposes.
However, in the later stages of the Veda, the word Asura is identified with the demonic power and is portrayed in much negative manner. What I have described above probably represents only 5 % of our ancient view point. The balance 95 % is what we commonly understand today by the word Asura in the negative sense of the word.
Shrikant V Soman
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