Samskritam, the language of the Universe

The central teaching of Vedas is that the Brahman or God is the absolute
truth that abides in all as the inner Self. This absolute Brahman shines in
every particular entity sentient or insentient and also in the entire
universe as a whole. It is the source of all existence, consciousness
and bliss.

From this it follows that every particular countless entities and also the
entire universe is the body of God or Brahman who pervades and supports
them all. Thus Brahman as the indwelling Self in all the many name/forms is,
many and as the Self of the universe as a whole, is one. As Brahman is everywhere
it always remains as the origin, abode and destination of all name/forms.

Thus through sAmanAdhikaranya or concomitant coordination, God alone is
identified through all names and forms. Similar to how the Self alone is
identified through the body.

The relationship of body-self is also the same as word-meaning. The entire
universe is thus the manifestation of Vedic words. The entire world cognized
or experienced in the waking, dreaming and deep sleep state is denoted by the
letters A, U and M respectively, forming the sacred syllable OM. All the 33
letters of Samskritam are contained in the single syllable of OM. Each of the 33
letters in Samskritam denotes a reality and the indwelling devata who is the
controlling deity of that reality. The combined single syllable OM denotes the
supreme God, Brahman.

It can also be said that all sounds that humans can produce falls within the
three letters of A, U and M, that spans from the root of belly to the tip of
lips. It also has the silent syllable, denoting the deep sleep or Tureeya state.
All other languages, so called "vernaculars" or otherwise, are mere reflections
or sub-set of Samskritam, which always remains as the mother of all.

So the entire universe is made of the sound of Vedas or Sanskrit which is the
body or manifestation of Brahman or God who pervades and indwells in it
as the Soul or Self.

No other language in the world has this kind of Spiritual origin and universal
structure. Thus Vedas or Samskritam, is the language of God who is the spirit
Self or the Soul of the entire universe.

Everything in Samskritam is etymological. The word Samskritam itself means
 "that which is purified and has the ability to purify". So all humans who would
like to purify themselves must learn Samskritam, before leaving this world.

Namaste
Suresh

Brahman or God as the Material Cause

The Sad vidya explicitly states that Brahman alone was there in the
beginning and the world of name/forms arises from that Brahman. Many
examples like gold-ornaments, mud-pot and so on are given to illustrate
the same. This establishes that  Brahman is the material cause of the
entire world of name/forms.

The mantra - vacharambhanam vikaro namadheyam mrittiketyeva satyam
supports the fact that Brahman is the reality behind all name/forms.

Here Both V.Advaita and Advaita accept that Brahman is the efficient and
material cause of the world in the form of the Self that pervades all
name/forms. In Advaita, ultimately Brahman alone as the individual Self is real
and as the world of name/forms undergoes vikara or change, is unreal.
In V.Advaita the world of name/forms is real in the form of the body that
undergoes vikara, and Brahman as the Self indwells/supports/controls and
provides existence to the body and therefore is efficient and material cause.

But in Dvaita, Brahman is accepted only as the efficient cause for the world.
Material causality of Brahman is not accepted. So the word vikara is interpreted
as words from other languages that are supposed to be false or mithya as opposed
to the samskrit word mrittika which is always satya. The reason is samskrit
words are not just based on usage or rudi but they are etymological.
Another reason could be that all samskrit or vedic words have their
origin, existence and destination in the all pervading and indwelling
Brahman. This is a very interesting interpretation as it brings out the
eternal nature of samskrit words which also helps to establish the
eternal nature of Vedas as opposed to other scriptures. Though Brahman
is not explicitly accepted as the material cause of the world in Dvaita,
the all pervading nature is accepted. When the cause pervades the effect,
material causality automatically follows. But still it can remain
without any vikara or modification in the form of the universal Self.

It is very well known that each of the 33 letters in samskrit stands for
the 33 devatas who are the presiding deities behind the 33 realities in
the universe. All the many infinite name/forms in the universe and the
words denoting them are obviously permutations and combinations of the
33 letters in the samskrit that have their origin in the sacred single
syllable OM. Additionally the four letters A, U and M in the syllable OM
stand for the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states within which the
entire universe is comprehended. It also includes the fourth or tureeya
state of supreme silence which is supposed to be the spiritual abode of
Brahman. So OM is the the seed or cause for this entire universe. This
is common to all humans whatever may be their beliefs.

If samskrit word mrittika denotes the substance of mud then the english
word mud also denotes the same substance. Why is the english word false
while the samskrit word is true? The reason is samskrit word is etymological
and denotes not just the mud but the indwelling devata or deity culminating
in Brahman established as the ultimate Self which is prior to the substance
of mud and therefore the ultimate cause. On the other hand, words from other
languages are not etymological and denotes only the physical entity of mud
that undergoes vikara or deterioration and ignores the unchanging truth or
existence of Brahman indwelling in it.

Q: What is the proof for the existence of Brahman? There is no need for
other religions to accept it. So how can words be considered true or false
based on this unverifiable entity Brahman?

A: Brahman is the Self that abides in all which is indubitable and undeniable.
It is the supreme truth on which all relative truths like mind-speech-body
are absolutely depending. It is also the same as the principle of existence
which is common to the subject, object and the relationship between them
and therefore it is all pervading. Now other religions have no choice but to
accept it. If they accept Brahman then they have no choice but accept Vedas.
If they don't, then they become false as they denote only transient objects
that have no permanent existence.

In other words, the entire world of name/forms could be taken to be made of
shabda or sound energy which is the vibration of OM, the essence of Veda,
that has its origin/abode/destination in Brahman or the supreme Self. So every
particular samskrit/vedic word denotes that particular entity and also culminates
in the identification Brahman which is the supreme reality - parama satya,
indwelling in every particular entity. All non-vedic words that do not recognize
this supreme truth Brahman obviously is false as they denote only the particular
entity which is transient.

This universal Vedic view that looks upon the entire universe as the manifestation
of the mystic sound OM denoting the Supreme truth Brahman eliminates or consumes
or digests all other non-vedic views/words.

Probably that is why it is said that samskrit is the mother of all languages
and Vedic Hindu religion is the mother of all religions!

Namaste
Suresh

Four Maha vAkyas and One Mahamaha vAkya

Sri Shankaracharya has identified four profound Vedic statements called
Mahavakyas, supposed to be the essence of the four Vedas.

Tattvamasi - You are that
Aham Brahmasmi - I am Brahman
Prajnyanam Brahma - Consciousness is Brahman
Ayamatma Brahma - This Self is Brahman

All the above means that the "Absolute I or the Self" that is shining in all is
the all pervading absolute Brahman or the Supreme God who is obviously non-dual.

In Advaita it is very clear that the individual self or jiva = all pervading God
or Ishwara or Brahman which makes the entire dualistic universe an illusion.

But the tradition of Advaita with unbroken line of teacher-student, itself cannot
be there without duality. So there is a need to accept the world of dvaita or duality
with all the hierarchy as real, even for Advaitins. 

If God is accepted as the all pervading Self then the world of duality can still
exist as His body.

The above VishishtAdvaitic view reconciles dvaita and advaita (dualism and
non-dualism). The non-duality of God as the all pervading Self remains unaffected
if the reality of the world in the form of His body is accepted.

Even the hierarchy among jivas with respect to Vishnu as per Dvaita is covered
in this Self-body relationship as there is difference as well as hierarchy among the
various parts of the body, with respect to the Self.

So the Self-body relation between God and the world which is uniquely Vedic,
reconciles all kinds of  Vedic views.

The above also makes all other non-vedic, A-Brahamic views as half truths
(as they carve out a specific name/existence for their gods from the otherwise
all pervading Vedic truth or Brahman).

Only a Hindu who is grounded in this universal view can always SEE the same
divinity, no matter whatever name/form is used to identify the same.
But followers of Abrahamic views who do not SEE God everywhere cannot do that.
Their view is limited or finite as opposed to the unlimited infinite view of Hindus.

But the fact still remains that the existence, consciousness and bliss for all
beings whatever may be their world view, depends absolutely on the Hindu God,
manifesting as the universe.

So sincere truth seekers should not have any qualms in accepting the Vedic Hindu
world view where the entire universe is realized as the body of God.

All the above is summarized in the Vedic teaching - Sarvam khalvidam Brahma -
meaning "Everything is Brahman" - which could be taken as the essence of all
Vedas. The identification of everything with Brahman or God is through
sAmAnAdhikaraNya or concomitant coordination - where one entity alone is identified
through all the many entities. This exactly similar to the fact that the Soul alone is
identified through the body with name/form.

It is the art of looking at the same God enshrined in all as the indwelling Soul.
This God alone is identified through all name/forms.

It is also the art of looking at the whole that transcends all particulars or
dualities. When you are looking at everything, you are not looking at anything
in particular! So Advaita and Dvaita are happily reconciled here.

This one Mahamaha vAkya - Sarvam khalvidam Brahma" is enough for Hindus to make
the religion invincible. It consumes all other particular views and stands out blatantly
un-opposed for all times to come.


Namaste
Suresh

Authentic Scripture

There are so many scriptures in the world in support of their respective views or religion. But which one is authentic?

That which is impersonal, independent, eternal, and continuing for ever as a living tradition and still available for anyone's immediate experience alone could be considered as authentic.

Vedas alone seem to have all the above qualities. Veda means "to know". As a noun it also means knowledge. It is very obvious that knowledge is everywhere. So it is infinite.Vedas themselves declare that they are infinite. But still its manifestation happens through Rishis and its transmission happens through unbroken chain of teachers and students who are all finite. Also the Vedas unanimously declare that the entire universe is that supreme being or God on whom every particular being is absolutely dependent for existence. This gives credibility to Vedas beyond doubt.

Here are some more reasons:

1. Vedas, unlike scriptures of other religions, are author-less and have been preserved through unbroken teacher-student tradition from time immemorial. The Rishis are not their authors as they never claimed so and they are only "SEERS" of the various mantras that form the infinite Vedas.

2. The meaning of Vedas culminate in the absolute Brahman as the universal,  eternal Self, indwelling and supporting the entire universe as the body. The Self of the universe, which is essentially the universe, always remains as the source/abode/destination of all entities with name/forms. Every particular being absolutely depends on this Vedic God manifesting as this universe and this is available for everybody's immediate experience. This cannot be denied by anyone belonging to any faith or no faith. All the many embodied "individual selves" can be said to be reflections or instances of this universal Self. All the many infinite individual 'selves' can also be visualized as inseparably rooted in THAT universal Self as it pervades everything.

3. The entire universe is also looked upon as a manifestation of Vedas and every entity in nature is performing its respective duty which goes by the name of sva-dharma. Humans are supposed to emulate that by engaging in duties according to their nature.

4. The four letters of the sacred syllable OM which is the essence of Vedas, stand for the waking, dreaming, deep sleep and the final absolute state of silence or Bliss, all denoting the absolute Brahman situated as the inner Self which always remains as the absolute.

5. The essence of Veda which is the universal Self that abides in all, by itself is eternal and timeless  and as an entity that seem to be born continuously in various infinite forms of beings, it has both the non-historic as well as historic aspect of truth.

Thus Vedas are authentic and eternal as it has its roots in the universal Self that can never be denied by any one. Every other scripture comes and goes in time.

All that is there in the universe are in the Vedas and there is nothing in the world that is not in the Vedas. All the 33 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet stands for the 33 devatas, who are the divinities working behind 33 tattvas or realities in the world. All these devatas are said to be residing in the body of beings who are vedically knowledgeable. So such people are manifestations of God. There can be crores of such people. Hence the justification for 33 crore devatas.

Every entity in the world is "not Self". So they are teaching Brahman through "neti neti" or "Not this, Not this". This can also be understood as "not just this, not just this" as Brahman is the all pervading spirit Self of the entire universe. This establishes Brahman through anvaya and vyatireka (directly and indirectly). So, the individual self and the entire universe are simultaneously identified with Brahman as the universal Self. This is because the self and non-self have no separate identification apart from the universal Self. The identification of all name/forms thus culminates in the Vedic God, Brahman only.

All kinds of world views are included in this Vedic universal view. Dvaita and V.Advaita are not violated here as the Absolute universal Self is neither the subject/jiva nor the object/jada. Brahman as the universal Self always remains as the substratum of both on whom everything depends. The individual selves could be looked upon as the reflection (in the medium of the body) of the universal Self (Ishwara) (as in Dvaita). The individual embodied self can also be looked upon as an inseparable portion or shareera or body of the universal Self (paramAtma) or God as in Vishishtadvaita. The center of the larger circle (brahmanda or universe) and the center of the smaller circle (pindanda or jiva) coincide in such a way that they are ONE. This is Advaita.

Also the realization that Brahman is my "SELF" (in a possessive sense, just like a body would feel with regard to the Self within) is definitely not opposed to Advaita. All sadhana to attain selflessness" is to locate oneself or exist in Brahman, the universal Self which is always non-dual.

So the idea of svatantra-paratantra as in Dvaita is confirmed by the fact that all jivas (embodied selves) are absolutely dependent on Ishwara or Vishnu manifesting as the universe. This is clearly brought out in the Purusha sukta of Veda, Bhagavad Gita-11th chapter and Vishnu sahasranama dhyana sloka.

As all jivas are in the universe, the individual selves obviously will be an inseparable part of the universal Self or God. The universal Self and individual self can be said to be existing in each other.
The above Vishishtadvaitic view also is satisfied which culminates in the advaitic view where the non-dual Universal Self alone is cognized everywhere as everything else is essentially in That.

The Self of the universe is thus one and has the ability to manifest in infinite forms at the same time. Just like fire though essentially one can manifest in many forms. This may also mean the oneness of nirguna and saguna brahman which Sri Shankara has alluded to many times in his BS bhashya.
Nirgunatva is devoid of prakrithic guna. Sagunatva is the ability to support and sustain the entire universe as His "body".

So Vedic scripture alone that has its ultimate meaning culminating in the absolute universal Self, which is eternal, indubitable and spiritual can be accepted as authentic.

Objection:
There are many situations where the prayers of devotees practicing different religions have come true. There are saints and spiritual people in all religions. Theoretically whether it is a Vedic ritual or a prayer from other religion the results are not always positive. There is always a 50-50 chance of the intended wish to happen. So based on this, why should not other non-vedic scripture be accepted as authentic?

Answer:
In the above example even an atheistic person will have a 50-50 chance in getting his wishes or actions fulfilled. Therefore authenticity should not be based on the criteria that some prayers or vedic ritual yields positive results or not. Instead it should be based on the criteria that it is "impersonal, independent, eternal, and continuing for ever as a living tradition and still available for anyone's immediate experience".

As explained above, Vedas alone will qualify as authentic from that point. Also when prayers from other non-vedic religions come true, it is due to the grace of the Vedic God, Brahman only as He is everywhere. Gods of other religions have no existence apart from the Vedic God who is everywhere.

Even atheists and people of an faiths cannot deny the fact that they are absolutely depending on the Vedic God manifesting as this universe, for their existence. So wherever the God of other religion is, He can never be external to and therefore different from Vedic God who is everywhere. Based on this fact, even in cases where prayers for "other gods" in any "other" religion" have been fulfilled, it is very obvious that the fulfillment has come from the Hindu God who is everywhere!

Objection:
If the authenticity is based on the meaning that culminates in God manifesting as the universe then all other scriptures other than vedas like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and so on also become apourusheya or "authorless" similar to vedas which is not true.

Answer:
Vedas alone are well known as apourusheya or authorless and as the ultimate meaning culminates in the absolute Self, they are self valid or authentic. All other scriptures are known to have authors and so have a beginning in time but still they gain validity and authentic as they reflect the Vedic truth. While Vedas are ahistorical, Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata are historical reflecting the same Truth. 

Namaste
Suresh

Singing compositions on non-Hindu gods in Carnatic music

There are some controversies going on currently where some renowned Carnatic music singers like TM Krishnan, have decided to sing and release CDs praising non-Vedic gods like Jesus and Allah in the traditional carnatic style.

They say that carnatic music is not just for the brahmins/Hindus and their vedic gods..So what is the problem if Kirtanas and bhajans are composed on Jesus and Allah and sung in Carnatic music concerts?

They also tend to make a point that brahmins had monopolized the carnatic music world in the past and this should not be allowed to continue. Great Legendary singers like MS Subbalakshmi had to brahminize herself to become acceptable or popular. But her old songs, recorded much before her brahminization are more soulful and her songs later are kind of filled with fear.

Analysis: 

The above problem can be split to make it easy to comprehend:

1. Is it okay to compose or replace hindu god names in the existing    carnatic songs with non-hindu god names and sing songs on non-vedic gods in both carnatic or hindusthani style?

2. Is the carnatic music world dominated by brahmins and if yes, is it    a problem?

Answer 1:
Carnatic and Hindusthani style of music has been traditionally Hindu and so naturally the early composers and artists could not think any other gods outside of the Hindu religion. But recently many non-Hindu religious leaders, predominantly Christian and possibly some muslims have begun to adopt many cultural aspects of Hindu religion including traditional carnatic music, dance and so on
and obviously the prime purpose is conversion only as it will help new hindu converts to get the feeling that the non-Hindu religion is something not foreign but local.

Some people may also argue that it could be due to pure love for their partcular God and Jesus and so how does it matter if songs are composed and sung in concerts as music is universal. Yes, philosophically for Hindus it is not a problem as God in Hinduism is all pervading and so universal.
There are already many gods in the Hindu religion and adding few more extra names should not matter much. Infact all names and forms point to the same non-dual Hindu God who is the all pervading and indwelling spirit Self of all. All kinds of bhakti is nothing other than expressions of love for God who is the universal Self.

But culturally it may create confusion. Concerts could end up as pot-pourri of various culture which definitely will not be palatable for Hindus or for people of non-hindu faiths too. It is like mixing sweet, sour, bitter and salty dishes together. This will cease to entertain anyone.

There could be a another big problem for Christians and Muslims! As the basis of traditional Carnatic music is sapta swara and the adhara sruthi has its origin in the sacred syllable OM. Whatever may be the lyrics or God that is praised in the song, it is these swaras that finally stick to the mind and these mystic sounds and swaras gradually gives rise to atma-paramAtma jnana. This obviously goes against the tenets of non-Hindu religion.

Answer 2:

Actually people from all castes and traditions within the Hindu tradition have enriched the carnatic music. But it also a fact that majority of the early composers and contributors for Carnatic music were brahmins.

So traditional music naturally flows in the the community and so even today it can be said that it is dominated by brahmins. But true teachers who are also brahmins have never denied teaching non-brahmins. If there are many non-brahmin artists today it is because of their brahmin teachers. Also
these brahmin musicians have been singing songs composed by many non-brahmin saints and composers. So there is no point in trying to bring caste politics in the realm of carnatic music. True Brahmins are ideal practitioners of Hindu cultures comprizing of jnyAna, bhakti and vairagya. So what is the problem if it is dominated by them or if new comers mimic them?

This Brahmin or Hindu domination, is infact very legitimate as it was cherished and nourished by them in all periods of time. The presence of traditional Brahmins along with their non-brahmin students adopting the brahmin culture definitely poses a threat to the non-hindu cultures. Probably it is because of that the non-Hindu musicians are making these objections with the intention to
de-brahminize or de-Hinduize traditional music.

As already said even if non-hindu and anti-hindu practitioners try to separate brahminic or hindu aspects from the carnatic music tradition, they still cannot remove the sapta svaras, ragas and gamakas which has its roots in the sacred syllable OM. They cannot also separate Hindu ideas of all pervading nature of God, karma, dharma, punarjanma, jnana, bhakti and vairagya from the very structure of carnatic music. This definitely poses a threat to non-Hindu religions.

According to Swami Vivekananda, the ideal of Hindu Religion is to make everybody a Brahmin - meaning a spiritual person. So if Brahminism means spirituallty, then it is perfectly alright if carnatic music and dance is dominated by Brahmins and others who are adopting Brahminc culture.
It helps everybody to attain Brahman!

Namaste
Suresh

Is God justified in using His powers

In all the many Vedic Hindu scriptures, various gods use all kinds of weapons
and special powers and they seem to be always invariably fighting, defeating
or even killing rAkshasas or demons.

Vishnu for example is very well known as 'devata pakshapati' - one who is always
partial towards devatas. Rakshasas in general are okay to worship Brahma or Shiva
but they never like Vishnu. Infact they worship other devatas to obtain boons
so that they can fight Vishnu.

But in every incarnation Vishnu uses his powers to defeat the Rakshasas.
His Chakra never knows any failure. Vishnu uses it most of the time to eliminate
Rakshasas. As Vishnu is the Supreme God who is all powerful, there is no real
greatness if he is using his powers to defeat or destroy rakshasas. As those
Rakshasas are jivas anyway, who are always limited.

Due to difference in swarupa between Vishnu and other Rakshasas there is no
level playing field in His fight with Rakshasas. So what real greatness is there
in Vishnu's or any other god/devata's victory over the Rakshasas?

A:

If the president of a country uses his force to fight the criminals who break the
law of the land, is he considered great or not? similar is the case here.

Vishnu is the supreme Lord of the universe and yes, he is partial towards devatas
who always tread the path of dharma. Infact Vishnu sacrifices His own body to
create this universe and so is the very embodiment of Yagya or sacrifice. He is
identified with Yagya itself- Yagyo vai Vishnu. So there is definitely no level
playing field as no being can beat that supreme sacrifice.

Even Rakshasas depend on Vishnu who is manifesting as the entire universe.
So Vishnu has every right to use His powers to fight or control Rakshasas.
Devatas are the controlling divinities behind every natural element in the
universe. They are thus unconditionally offering themselves for all beings
to keep them in existence. This selfless act of devatas is nothing but dharma.
Rakshasas are those who oppose the devatas - meaning they take things from the
world for their existence and enjoyment and seldom give back anything.
So they are essentially selfish and always looking to exploit nature for their
sense enjoyment. Most of the time devatas in the natural elements will be able
to tolerate or even defend themselves. But when things go out of control, Vishnu
incarnates to protect the devatas and destroy the Rakshasas who are actually the
breakers of the law of dharma.

Vishnu is great because He empowers devatas or selfless beings in their fight
against Rakshasas who are essentially bad or adharmic or selfish. He is also
justified in using His powers to control them in order to re-establish the law
of dharma.

Vishnu is also great because He is not completely eliminating Rakshasas.
Infact the entire universe is His body where all the many different beings
including Rakshasas exist. Sometimes devatas may get egoistic also and Rakshasas
are needed to keep devatas in control. So Vishnu never uses His powers for His
personal gain. He always uses it to sustain dharma. Adharma personified by
Rakshasas actually depend or thrives on dharma/devatas only. Some even adharma
is tolerated as it helps to bring out the greatness of dharma.

So the allegation against Vishnu and other devatas that they use their
powers against Rakshasas stands refuted. Dharma is common to all including
Vishnu. All the many Gods including Vishnu will conform to the law of dharma
which is actually the level playing field for all, including Rakshasas.

Rakshasas like Vibheeshana, Bali and Prahlada, who respect dharma, almost
always worship Vishnu. So as a protector of dharma Vishnu and his devotees
or devatas are justified in using their powers to control those who break
the law of dharma.

Namaste
Suresh

Proper Upasana or Meditation

Proper Upasana, meditation or contemplation on Brahman, is based on proper
understanding or jnAna. Proper Jnana is to understand that Brahman is equally
present in all as the antaryAmi or innner Self of all.

This realization should make every sadhaka to seek the supreme truth or Brahman
everywhere and within oneself. Duty or dharma is thus two fold - Pravrutti and
Nivrutti. Serving Brahman who is everywhere through one's own profession with
thoughts, words and deeds aligned in accordance to one's capability or Guna is
Pravrutti and meditating on the supreme God or Brahman within oneself by
withdrawing senses and mind is Nivrutti.

The material returns that is obtained through Pravrutti which is one's own
profession is recommended to be utilized for sustaining oneself and family and part
of should also be given in charity to the deserving.

In Pravrutti there is a need to eradicate adharma or nishiddha or kamya karma.
Similarly in Nivrutti there is a need to eradicate kama and krodha (lust and anger).
In fact Parvrutti (action) and Nivrutti (meditation) are both inseparable and form
the two limbs of Dharma. While Pravrutti forms the service to the external
Brahman indwelling in all, Nivrutti is the service to the same Brahman indwelling
in one's own self. Though the Brahman is non-dual, the path towards the same in
the dualistic world comprising of right and wrong, poses a big challenge.

There is a great need therefore to exercise control over the senses and mind
and lead them on the path of the right Dharma or Svadharma that is compatible
with the nature of the body with which one is born. Controlling oneself from not
engaging in activities that is not prescribed or that which is not compatible
with the nature or guna of the body is very much essential. This self-control
is nothing but tapas or which is a must for yagya or sacrifice or worship. Vedas
are very clear that Brahman can be attained only through tapas (tapasA brahma
vijigyAsasva) which is essentially sense control. All the Vedic scriptures
provide the needed dos and donts for truth seekers but still when any subtle
doubt arises it is recommended to follow the tradition of one's own family, guru
or preceptors.

Our own body, mind and intellect is made of three gunas of prakrithi as opposed
to the jiva or self or atman who is essentially of the nature of knowledge. One
needs to resort to the prescribed profession or svadharma according to the Guna
of the body, mind and intellect (BMI) with which one is born and there is no
high or low feeling as it pertains to the nature of the body and not the self.
The entire society and world is the body of Brahman. There can be harmony only
when all the parts of the body are performing their respective duties. Thus
choosing a duty that is compatible with one's own guna (of BMI) into which one
is born is recommended. Obviously the family in which one is born also would be
of same guna or nature and this provides a proper environment for nurturing the
skills needed for the pravrutti dharma. So pravrutti or sva-dharma (or one's own
duty) as brahmana, kshatriya are different. But none of them are high or low as
they all culminate in the service of the same Brahman. Our own body which is a
fruit of karma should thus be offerred back to Brahman by engaging in one's own
pravrutti dharma or svadharma.

Nivrutti which is meditation on the Brahman within is the same for all as it
involves withdrawal from the senses and world and realizing Brahman within
one's own Self. That is where Jnyana Bhakti and VairAgya becomes ONE. It is
essentially the constant existence in Brahman which is nothing but Brahmacharya.
Brahmani charati iti brahmachari - One who resides/moves in Brahman is a
Brahmachari.

Thus every human endeavor could be a upAsana or meditation or yagya or puja when
one becomes conscious of Brahman or the supreme God who pervades and indwells
in all.

Namaste
Suresh

Realities and their Significance

The universe is the big circle (brahmanda) and every individual is a smaller circle (pindanda).
The individual is a mirror image or reflection of the universe. The mind is the medium or upadhi.
The Self of the universe is Ishwara or God and the self of the individual is jiva. Obviously the jiva
absolutely depends on the universe/God.

It is the ego that virtually separates the jiva from the universe/God. When the jiva blinded by his ego,
takes everything from the universe and does not give back then he will continue to suffer in samsara.
But when the jiva realizes that everything including himself belongs to the universe/God and so
constantly gives back taking only minimum, then he will move closer and closer to selflessness
leading to the Supreme God or Iswara or parabrahman. This process of giving back to the three
worlds of devatas/gods, humans and lower life forms is Yagya or sacrifice.

Man – stands for the body – ahankara - that performs work outside.
Chaturvarna is justified based on the four parts - head, arms, thighs and feet

Women – stands for the mind - mamakara - that resolves or makes sankalpa. Obviously mind is
common for all the body parts. Likewise Women as a tattava is common for all the respective varnas.

Women as a wife is the ardhAngi or better half of her man or husband.
Man is incomplete without women according to the Vedas.

Women is an amsha of Lakshmi who is a manifestation of Veda/dharma.
Man is an amsha of Vishnu who is the Ishwara who possesses and protects Lakshmi.

Lakshmi also stands for Maya and Vishnu for Ishwara.
Maya is also nature or SRI and Ishwara is the indweller of or endowed with Maya.
Maya tu prakritim vidyat Mayinam tu Maheshwaram.
Ishwara is thus Sri-Nivasa, one who indwells in nature.

Intellect stands for the Guru or Rishi

Speech - Veda

Devatas - 33 - five elements, five tanmatras, five pranas, five sense of knowledge,
               five sense of action, eight directions
               Another count - 12 adityas, 11 rudras, 2 ashwinis, 8 vasus

Heart - (source of existence/consciousness/bliss/experience) - God / Ishwara
Absolute Brahman - Ishwara - the origin, abode, destination of all, who illuminates, supports
and controls everything.

The absolute Self is Brahman or Truth or Ananda which is the complete from of Ishwara or God is
revealed when all others like thoughts-words-deeds are aligned. This happens when all activities have
the good of the universe as objective culminating in the service of God / Ishwara manifesting as the
universe. If any one is not aligned it results in untruth resulting in sorrow.

When all the realities are aligned culminating in the service of Brahman/Ishwara manifesting in the
form the universe then it becomes vedic, dharmic, righteous, religious, spiritual, and sustaining. If
not, it becomes non-vedic, adharmic, unrighteous, selfish, prakritik, or A-brahmic - interestingly it
matches with abrahamic views. No offence, it only means a-brahamic views that do not SEE God as Brahman manifesting as the universe are not complete. All non-vedic views are partial that always
leads to conflict and disharmony.

Husband and wife are related as body and mind. Men perform all vedic rites and women take part in
the sankalpam. It only means women who stand for the mind does not engage in any activity directly.
The mind always remains as a witness and it expresses through the body. No action vedic or material
will be fruitful if it is not attended by the mind and performed by the body. Ideally Women therefore
is a sahadharmachari - performer of dharma or duty along with their husband's dharma.

There is no discrimination or competition but only co-operation and diversity in action based on
physical/mental capability. The result in the form of sumptuousness and abundance is reaped by all.
Action compatible to one’s guna - BMI nature is liberating while actions based on one’s desire and
not compatible to one's guna is binding.

Namaste
Suresh

Man versus Machine

Can matter produce consciousness? Is Man (and all other sentient entities) a product of matter?

Going by the theory of big bang, and evolution it appears very obvious that the Self that shines in all as the seat of consciousness must be a product of matter.

But there is one problem.

Matter is inert as opposed to consciousness which is self luminous. If Matter is the cause and consciousness an effect, then it follows that Matter is potentially conscious. The reason is that the nature of the effect cannot be totally different from Or diametrically opposite to the cause.

So the idea that Matter is the cause for Consciousness falls either way!

So does it mean that Consciousness is the cause for matter? This amounts to saying light is the cause for darkness. This is not possible. But another entity in front of light can create a shadow!

Every perception proves the relation or connection between Conscious self and Matter (object) that either leads to pleasure or pain.

This "connecting reality" as the third entity, that establishes the relation between the subject and the object is what Hindus worship as God, who from the particular point of view is a Devata and from the universal point of view is the Supreme Brahman.

Objections:

Q: If God is the connecting third entity then there needs to be another entity that connects this God and other entities and this leads to infinite regression.

A: The problem of infinite regression gets eliminated when God as Brahman is accepted to be all pervading and indwelling in the subject and the object and possessing the unexplainable ability to make this connection.

Q: It could be possible to create consciousness in the form of Artificial Intelligence. Machines could be made as intelligent and even emotional as Humans. So it can still be argued that there is no difference between machine or matter and man. So is there anything that really differentiates Man from such intelligent Machines?

A: No doubt, the body itself is pretty much like a machine as it is possible for humans to continue to live by replacing their body parts from someone else or even with something artificial. But that also proves that man as a subject is essentially different from the body. This cannot be the case with a machine which is just an assemblage of objective matter with no real subject in it. There is no essential something as the 'self' indwelling in the machine, that is different from the machine.

Also the process of birth, growth, reproduction and death could be one glaring difference between man and machine. Even the process of breathing, eating, digestion, circulation and so on...there seems to be something more than just matter that is keeping all the body parts together and all these intriguing biological processes going.

All living beings, endowed with consciousness, though in varying degrees invariably would like to exist, know and enjoy and be free. None of them would like to suffer, get imprisoned or die. But unfortunately everyone of them seem to be going through pain and pleasure and ultimately die. These characteristics would be very hard to find in any man made machine. All living beings in one way or other depend on each other. They are all part of a food chain that maintains itself. But it is very hard to imagine a man made machine to be like that.

So it can be said that consciousness cannot arise from matter.

Namaste
Suresh

Women and Sudras

There exists a criticism that Vedic Hindu religion discriminates against women and sudras.

The reason is Vedic education, which is very much essential for liberation, is denied for them. That means women and sudras have to be reborn as traivarnika male and then undergo vedic study to attain moksha.

Answer:

Apparently this is true that direct Vedic education is not given to women and shudras and it is available only to traivarnika males. But the results of Vedic nityakarma performed by the traivarnika males is reaped by all. Also all other scriptures like ithihasas and puranas that expose the meanings of Vedas are available for all.

But still why should Vedas be restricted? In order to correctly understand the reason behind it one needs to take an impartial look at the Vedic world view.

Vedas are not just prayers. They consist of mantras that need to be chanted with proper pronunciation and intonation in order to obtain the desired good results. If the mantras are chanted incorrectly or at inappropriate times with impure mind, then undesired bad results will result affecting both the individual as well as the world at large. Hence Vedic education is not freely given for all. 

According to Vedas, the entire universe and human society in particular is looked upon as the body of God. It is an organic whole, exactly similar to the human body. The four varnas of Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra form the face, arms, thighs and feet, respectively. It is very obvious that all these four parts of the body have their specific duty or function and they have to engage in their respective duties with co-operation and unison as a service to the indwelling being.

Similarly the four varnas have to engage in their respective duties or dharma as a service to God who is indwelling in all.So the purpose of teaching Veda to only traivarnika males is  to enable them to engage in their prescribed duty of performance of nitya karma for the benefit of all.

Does it mean that Sudras have to live always by serving others? Absolutely No. These duties are not air tight and depending on one's capability Sudras can engage in the trades of others when the need arises. Vidura was a sudra and he worked as a prime minister of Kouravas. Dharma vyadha was a meat seller but he provided spiritual education to koushika who was a brahmana. Sabari was a tribal women but was a student of Rishi Kanva and attained moksha after directly serving Lord Sri Rama. The only that is not recommended is formal learning and dissemination of Vedas, which is considered the main duty of Brahmanas as it involves living by begging and rigorous austerity.

Women stand for the reality of mind. No service would be fruitful unless it is attended by the mind. Similarly no vedic ritual or dharma would be fruitful if women does not provide her consent and co-operate with their husbands.

Women is also considered as an integral part of Man. "Ardho va Antama yat patnee" - Wife is the better half of man - says Veda. They both form one single whole. So women are encouraged to co-operate and work with their husbands in the performance of their prescribed dharma. They are thus called saha-dharmacharini. 

So even though women and sudras are not directly involved in learning Veda, they reap the benefit of Vedic yagya by simply engaging in their respective dharma. 

Ultimately all individuals from all Varnas including brahmanas have to engage in the service of a Vedically learned spiritual acharya in order to get eligibility to meditate on Brahman and engage in bhakti for liberation.

No Varna and their respective duty is high or low as all of them culminate in the service of the supreme God or Brahman indwelling in all.

After Vedic study, traivarnikas have to study Itihasas like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas and other scriptures for engaging in true Bhakti. Women and Shudras can directly study these scriptures and engage in Bhakti which is always of the nature of loving service for the Lord manifesting as this very universe.

Vedic study and service to a Guru removes ego and gives the adhikara for traivarnika males to engage in Bhakti towards Brahman.

On the other hand Women and Sudras are considered naturally devoid of ego and so can directly engage in Bhakti towards Ishwara or Brahman. So not studying Veda is not a discrimination but an exemption so that women and sudra can directly engage in Bhakti.

Moreover Traivarnikas while undergoing vedic study have to live by begging. Brahmanas have to live by begging all through their lives. 

Women is a manifestation of Lakshmi and Shudras are manifestation of a Bhakta. So they should always be taken care so that they never have to live by begging. Probably this is one of the main reason why traditional Vedic knowledge is not prescribed for them.

Traivarnikas incur pratyavaya papa for incorrect or non-performance of their vedic duties. While women and sudras have no chance to incur pratyavaya papa. On the other hand women and sudras inherit the merit or punya of performance of vedic duties by traivarnika males.

It is also said that in order to attain moksha one has to render service to Brahman in all the four varnas and also as a women. So there is a need for traivarnikas to be born as a shudra and also as a women to complete their eligibility to attain moksha.

Traivarnikas who have not served devatas properly as part of their pravrutti dharma may be born as Shudras where they have the opportunity to serve other devotees who are in the form of devatas.

Traivarnikas who have not properly engaged in nivrutti or bhakti towards the indwelling Brahman or Ishwara may be born as a women where they get an opportunity to serve their own husbands as Ishwara or Brahman.

So there is no discrimination but differences in duties or dharma with regard to Traivarnikas, women and shudras. But when it comes to engaging in Bhakti towards Brahman, all of them have the same privilege and status.

The fact that there are many women and sudra saints and spiritual personalities and people from other varnas including brahmanas adore them, is the proof against the so called discrimination.

The Lord in the Bhagavad Gita has explicitly stated that anyone who engages in their respective duty as a service to Him will attain moksha. Vedas explicitly teach - Mother is God, Father is God and so on - and this obviously is applicable to all including women and sudras.

To summarize:

1. Women and Sudras are exempted from the performance of Vedic nitya karma and so they will not incur the pratyavaya papa or the sins of not performing such karma.

2. The benefits of Vedic nitya karma performed by the traivarnika males is reaped by all.

3. All other scriptures - like Ithihasas and Puranas that expose Vedic knowledge is available for them.

4. They can directly engage in Ishwara bhakti - Yagya, daana and tapasya. 

5. They need not engage in begging for their living.

So this refutes the idea that Vedic Hindu religion discriminates against Women and Sudras. Instead it protects the weaker section by exempting them from the compulsory Vedic duties which comes with the risk of pratyavAya papa or sin for incorrect or non-performance.

 

Namaste

Suresh