The importance of Vedas for every Hindu is paramount. The origin of Sanatan Dharma and the mainstream Hinduism revolves around the Vedic thought and philosophy.
The Vedas represent the spiritual experiences of the Rishis of yore. The Rishi is only a medium to transmit to people the intuitional experiences which he received. The truths of the Vedas are revelations. All the other religions of the world claim their authority as being delivered by special messengers of God to certain persons, but the Vedas do not owe their authority to any one. They are themselves the authority as they are eternal, as they are the Knowledge of the Lord.
Lord Brahma, the Creator, imparted the divine knowledge to the Rishis and the Rishis disseminated the knowledge. The Vedic Rishis were great realised persons who had direct intuitive perception of Brahman or the Truth. They were inspired writers. They built a simple, grand and perfect system of religion and philosophy from which the founders and teachers of all other religions have drawn their inspiration.
The Vedas are the oldest books in the library of man. The truths contained in all religions are derived from the Vedas and are ultimately traceable to the Vedas. The Vedas are the fountain-head of religion. The Vedas are the ultimate source to which all religious knowledge can be traced. Religion is of divine origin. It was revealed by God to man in the earliest times. It is embodied in the Vedas.
The Vedas are eternal. They are without beginning and end. An ignorant man, may say how a book can be without beginning or end. By the Vedas, no books are meant. Vedas came out of the breath of the Lord. They are not the composition of any human mind. They were never written, never created. They are eternal and impersonal. The date of the Vedas has never been fixed. It can never be fixed. Vedas are eternal spiritual truths. Vedas are an embodiment of divine knowledge. The books may be destroyed, but the knowledge cannot be destroyed. Knowledge is eternal. In that sense, the Vedas are eternal.
The Vedas compositions possess comprehensive knowledge from every field of life like medicine, surgery, weaponry, fine arts, architecture, astrology and various other topics related to a man’s daily life have been elaborately discussed in Vedas. Traditionally Brahmins engaged in the study of Vedas and were called “Vedagya. The Vedic scholars used their knowledge towards the benefit and welfare of mankind.
The Veda is divided into four great scriptures: the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sama-Veda and the Atharva-Veda. There is also a supplement each to the four Vedas called the Ayurveda, the Dhanurveda, the Gandharva Veda and the Sthapatya Vedas respectively. Vedas have six sub-parts as shiksha(education), Kalpa (rituals), Vyakarana (grammar), Nirukta ( an expositions of Vedas), Chhanda ( Hymns) and Jyotisha (astrology). Apart from four Vedas there are eighteen Puranas.
In my future blogs I shall write briefly about each of these Vedas.
Om Tat Sat
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