Five Ways To Describe The Vedas

By krishnasmercy on October 14, 2023 • ( 0 )

“Brahma, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.9.33)

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अहम् एवासम् एवाग्रे
नान्यद् यत् सद्-असत् परम्
पश्चाद् अहं यद् एतच् च
यो ऽवशिष्येत सो ऽस्म्य् अहम्

aham evāsam evāgre
nānyad yat sad-asat param
paścād ahaṁ yad etac ca
yo ‘vaśiṣyeta so ‘smy aham

1. Knowledge

This is the literal translation to the Sanskrit word. We are born into ignorance. We need help right from the beginning. The parents or caretakers hopefully guide us in the proper direction. They say to avoid certain places. They recommend certain habits, like eating on time, sleeping a proper amount, following through on promises, respecting others, and the like.

The Vedas are knowledge applicable for the entire society of living beings. Knowledge begins with inquiry. To inquire is to show intelligence. Since the human being can inquire into the far-reaching depths of knowledge, they are known to be the most intelligent species.

2. Sacred sounds

The Vedas are like hymns. Even if you are unaware of the meaning to the sounds produced, there tends to be a positive impact through the association anyway. Simply sitting down and sacrificing a little time to hear brings benefits; it is not a waste of time.

Those sounds are auspicious in any period of time. Whether someone was around thousands of years ago, is living in the present day, or is scheduled to appear in the distant future, the Vedas will carry the same potency.

3. The origin

We can think of the Vedas as the origin, insofar as our understanding goes. There is always a beginning to a beginning and an end to an end. This is the meaning of sanatana. Time and space are infinite, but in terms of our understanding of the universe in the way that it manifests, the Vedas are there at the beginning.

Originally, it is only one set of knowledge. It is the single Veda, but due to the merciful nature of a special character named Vyasa, the single Veda gets divided into four. Like a ruler expanding his empire through begetting offspring who work at his direction, the potency of the original Veda remains.

The divisions are simply ways to explain the same concepts. Vyasadeva additionally expands on the Veda through the Puranas and Upanishads. There is also Vedanta-sutra. Everything is based on the original Veda, and these supplementary works fall within the same category since they are based on the same premise and conclusion.

“Originally there was only one Veda, and there was no necessity of reading it. People were so intelligent and had such sharp memories that by once hearing from the lips of the spiritual master they would understand. They would immediately grasp the whole purport. But five thousand years ago Vyasadeva put the Vedas in writing for the people in this age, Kali-yuga. He knew that eventually the people would be short-lived, their memories would be very poor, and their intelligence would not be very sharp. Therefore, let me teach this Vedic knowledge in writing. He divided the Vedas into four: Rig, Sama, Atharva and Yajur.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shri Ishopanishad, Introduction)

4. A tradition of religion

The Vedas are something like the original religious tradition of the world. Again, there is a limitation to our understanding based on this flawed concept of an origin. Neither is it really a religion, since it is not something that loses relevance based on our acceptance or rejection. The law of gravity operates whether we accept the science or not.

In the same way, the Vedas represent actual dharma which is sanatana. Simply by hearing or following the teachings, we come closer to dharma, which is our constitutional position. Dharma is our essential characteristic. The Vedas and Vedic literature explain how to live with dharma in its pure form, instead of being diverted through skewed derivatives like sense gratification, the chase for money and sex life, the loss of intelligence through chemical interaction, and many other flawed pursuits.

5. An endless eulogy

This is the easiest way to understand the purpose of the Vedas. Imagine if we had to deliver the eulogy at the funeral of an important person. It is not that difficult for us to think of nice words to say, but at the same time we do not want to sully the presentation. We take the matter with a little seriousness, so as to properly honor the departed.

After so doing, when others confirm that we have done a sufficient job, we feel good. It is as if the words of appreciation spark pleasant memories and bring back that person who is no longer with us.

Imagine if we have to eulogize someone who is alive. Imagine that the eulogy never ends. We continue on and on. We deliver the best words we can think of. We compose shlokas which are above ignorance. This is one reason the subject matter of the Vedas is known as Uttamashloka.

His qualities are Divine in nature. They are inexhaustible. He never had to acquire those qualities, and so He will never relinquish them. He was there at the beginning, before there were any creatures. He gave guidance to Lord Brahma, the creator. The same object of worship will be in the topmost position when there is no one left in the manifest world.

This continuous praise is one way that dharma manifests. It is the most blissful activity. The Vedas continue to sing the glories of the origin of everything; there is no stopping. In the same way, if we again find dharma then we never have to relinquish it. This is the entire purpose of genuine spiritual life, to feel bliss in a non-diminishing manner, facilitated through an eternal bond.