Atma eva Brahma | ‘Atma
is Brahman’ is the Vedic doctrine. One who realizes this Truth is a Brahman
and he the Rishi, proclaims Aham Brahmasami | meaning, “Devoid of knowledge of my self, I hither
to considered my body, my mind, and ego as my self; now that I know I am none
of these but the Supreme, I am the Self, the Infinite, Unbounded, Immortal, Eternal
apect of the Brahman only.” Now, I have realized that, “My atma/soul is
pure (shuddha), eternal (nitya) and free (unbounded) and immortal.”all other
things are just adjuncts of this supreme power.
This realization
of one’s Self, atma anubhuti or atmasakshatkara, Atma jnyan / Self-Realization (‘Knowledge of
the Self’) is the sum and substance of the Veda. It paves way for
liberation, moksha.
But,
the path of ‘Realization of the Self’
is not easy; also, it is not that so very
difficult that none can ever attain; once the divine grace is bestowed by the supreme Lord of the
Universe, Parameshvara it become very
easy. The essential qualification for this is, however, jnyana, viveka and vairagya. This paaramarthika jnyana,
Brahmjnyan, is the prerogative of Parameshvar. If He bestows it on us then
only we get it. Study of scriptures like the Bhagavad-Gita, Upanishads,
Brahmasutras, and Shiva Sutras and the Veda besides svadhyaya, shravana,
manana, and nidhidhyasana are the means of attainment.
There
are numerous Yogic ways like Kundalini Yoga, Pranayama and Mantra Japa, Kriya
Yoga, Sahaja Siddhi Yoga, Samadhi obtained from Dharana (Turyaateeta
Dhyana/Transcendental Meditation), etc. to realize the Brahman. One such path
is of sheer intent desire (utkata iccha)
to merge in Brahman by devotiona, (Bhakti)
perseverance and steadfastness in spiritual practice (Sadhana) of Integral Yoga.
The pathway to God is just throughYoga or Yajnya-Dana-Tapas. One has to
surrender the self and take to intense dhyana, dhaarana, samadhi and tapasya.
Lo! The Lord presents Himself, in His True Self (as Shree Krishna appeared to
Arjuna in the Bhagavad-Gita) and, no wonder the siddhi Purusha hears what the
Lord tells Him. Also, it is not a big deal to get the Darshan of the Lord who
resides in one’s Self, nearer than his/her limbs! Sitting in the caity of the
heart (dahar akasha) as Antaryamin, it is no wonder He, the Lord, talks in the
Language of the sadhaka, the spiritual seeker only. In this land of the yogis, sadhus
and saints, and the siddhis and the sadhyas there is no dearth of persons who
have had such revelations. There are numerous instances where the Lord has
appeared and revealed the secret of creation and dissoution and bestowed divine
‘Knowledge of Immortality’, the “amrutattva”- the secret of transcending
the transient world, sansar.
The Veda presented here is the Supreme Knowledge (Para Vidya), Vedanta-
sum and substance of the Veda in a nutshell. It is the Knowledge of the Self, Atmajnyan.
It reveals the secret of creation as depicted in the Nasadiya Sukta, Purusha
Sukta, Shree Sukta, Agni Sukta, Asya vamiya Sukta, Pavamaanya Sukta, Soura
Sukta and the like in the Rk Veds Mandalas- I, III, VII, IX and X. The secret
revealed here are the Knowledge of enlightened souls. Any earnest spiritual
seeker, sadhaka is an Aryaman and whoever got illumined knowledge is a Rishi, Drushtara. It is only the ‘level’ of Consciousness at which one is
enlightened is all that matters! Some are called a Brahmashi, Devarshi, a
Maharshi or just a Rishi according to the spiritual status attained (siddhi).
He may be a friend of the universe Visha
Mitra, or a Guru or Enlightened Sage Brishspati
or a Brahmanaspati; may be a person
who was in avidya, nescience for a long time before being enlightened (Dhirgatama) or the sons of Agni, Angiras. The names do not matter. In fact,
nobody is born a Jnyani unless he is Jataveda (agni). Only Agni knows
everything! It is simply being and not the attainment that is important and not
all realize this. There is a mad, mad, race for worldly attainments, and here,
too, not all are of same level of attainments; this applies to even Gods and
Rishis. There are categories of Devas and the Rishis.
It
is certain that whosoever attains to siddhi (enlightenement, success or
fulfillment), now and here, is sure to be the seed of the next Manvantara; he
is born a Rishi in the next Krita Yuga. Shree Krishna makes this point very
clear to Arjuna in Bhagavad-Gita. The efforts made now never go waste. It is
the ordained duty as a human being to seek spiritual attainment and Nature
(Prakruti) also seeks and supports this! It is reiterated here that every
Jivatman is a seed-god and as asuch everybody should try to sprout, grow and
bloom into a divya manava or godhead (Devapurusha).
It is
also made very clear in the Gitopadesha that was revealed first to Visvasvan,
the Sun (born 4.56 Billion Years ago from shukra sphota (big bang?) and
consequently Pruthivi (the Planet Earth) is born (out of the same solar
material 3 million years later). The Gita states that this universe (Brahmanda)
is an inverted Ashvatha Tree (Banyan Tree upside down with roots above and
fruits below) and its branches are the Veda and leaves are the Rks. All the
Jivas make their living in this tree enjoying the fruits of action (karma
phala). Even the Trinity- Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshvara are not exempt from this!
Unless one desires to get rid of this constant struggle for existence and cuts
this Illusory Ashvatha Kalpavruksha, the Wish-fulfilling Tree, the ‘Tree of
Desire’ with the sharp axe of Knowledge he/she is bound to take repeated
births, and rise up or go down the levels!
Again, it is reiterated here that Sages Angirasses
in their prayers make this point very clear. They say, “We are the erstwhile
human souls that have attained to this satus of the Rishis by askesis (tapas)
and we want to rise further to the state of Brahman”.
Thus,
it is clear that we are bound to rise or fall in our levels of existence until
and unless we strive hard to get out of this illusory, make-believe, magical,
transient existence, living in a ‘maya jaal’. The option is there and there is
no compulsion as to one should reach there! Whoever so desires to get Moksha
shall get it from the Veda, Para Vidya (Knowledge Supreme). But, rarely one
turns to this Veda, Atmajnyan for redemption as revealed by the great Sage
Purandhara Das. He quotes Kunti from Bhishma Parva of Mahabharata and says, “It
is difficult to realize the Atman”. Here Kunti is seen praying Lord to give her
such trouble and pain that she would cry for redemption and finally utter the
name of the Lord! [See “mullina tudiya mele mooru kereya katti” in ‘Dasara
Mundigegalu’, Kannada pub: T. T. D, Tirupati]
Thus, the worldly existence is so tricky that
it neither provides a suitable ground for a happy and comfortable living here,
nor does it allow one to get rid of this treacherous life of limitations,
transience, sickness, old age, and death, once and for all. The Veda is the
only guide, a panacea to all problems, and pathway to redemption. All the
Rishis, and even gods like Angirasas, Ribhus, are described here as those who were
human souls that attained ‘Divine Vision’ and status. There are Prayer Mantras
as well as the Mantras (Rks) that reveal the secret of creation (RVS X.72.2).
These are very very powerful and effective paving for mukti, i. e., mokshadayaka.
The Mokshagati
aspect of the Veda is the central theme. But, the Veda also brings happiness
and success in life in the material world. Since, it is clear that the Rishis
have already attained to the highest level of Consciousness, and no more
interested in worldly desires, seek only redemption as seen from the hymns of
Angirasses. Almost all the Rk Vedic hymns pray invariably for enlightenment. These points are highlighted here.
Only a few prominent Suktas are taken here for a meditative analysis, chintana, Brahmajijnasa.
Further,
the Veda states, “Having created creation
He entered into it”- tad srushtva
tadevanupravishat | Thus, there is no ambiguity here as to “who is what”. It
is also clarified what all we see is Him. Everything is Brahman only- Sarvam khalvidam Brahma | He only
exists (as Bimba svaroopa) and everything else is His shadow (pratibimba). It
is the morror that reflects; it is the Illusion, the screen, the Mind that
creates this world of objects, the phenomenal world. Thus, Rk Veda Samhita
very clearly brings about these and other more interesting secrets as in Nasadiya Sukta, Hiranyagarbha Sukta, the
Purusha Sukta, Shree Sukta, Soura Sukta, Asya Vamiya Sukta, etc. and praise
the lord.
‘Nothing
exists (either as matter or spirit) except in its subtlest of the subtle form
of Brahman’. It is the impulse, wave and vibration of ‘cit’- the pure Consciousness that is the cause of creation.
Initially, it takes the form of Silence and Sound, alternately! It is this ‘Flow
of Consciousness’ (prajnyadhara)
that creates the ‘quanta’ (energy particles) and manifest as ‘quali’(ties).
Thus, we find the gross material objects of this world such as the solid,
liquid, gas, plasma, etc. are all formed out of vibration of cit,
consciousness. The Earth in its present form is borne out of the ‘cit’. Matter at first appeared in its subtlest form as
energy and nature as pure Consciousness- the ‘sat’, and its manifest aspect of
’cit’. Later, this ‘cit’ created Akasha (Space), Manas (Mind), and Life (Prana)
as, its Unmanifest, formless Energy aspects! The entire Veda aims at
discovering this ‘sat’; ‘cit, citi, Fire, Agnim, Prana, Manas, Knowledge,
Light, Sound, Word and world- all are outcome of ‘sat’. Once this Truth is
realized, the Jivas ignorantly embodied in elemental bodies and taking repeated
births and deaths desire to get released and finally revert to their original
pristine state of pure Consciousness. This is the sum and substance of Rk Veda.
Here, the Lord wills to take a journey round
His creation (Narayana) and completes one cycle in a Klpa or Manvantaras. Four Yugas:
Kruta-Treta-Dvapara-Kali Yugas last for a period of 43.20 Million Years.
Consciousness gradually declines and re-emerges at the end of the catur-yuga
kalpa or manvantara. It begins with the first Self-existent Person (purusha) -
svayambhu Manu, along with the Seven drushtaras (the Saptarshis) and divine
beings called gods and goddesses, yakshas, gandarvas, kinnaras, etc.and finally
it ends with total dissolution, only to re-emerge with another Manu and the
Saptarshis.
Every Jiva aspires to attain to the highest
state of Brahman once it realizes its true nature of existence. This Truth is transient,
of terrestrial existence, here on Earth. The means of attaining to thiseternal
Truth is revealed in The Rk Veda Samhita. Accordingly, all the Rishis who have
had the divine intuitional knowledge and experience of this Truth proclaim: DhyAnAvasthita
tadgatEna manasA yOginA pashyanti parA |
Once the spiritual seeker, the Sadhaka, withdraws
his out-going senses, stills the Mind, and turns his/her Buddhi towards the
Prajnya, he/she travels deep towards the inner Self and perceives the divine
presence of the Paramatman. This
divinity is inherent in every Jiva and it requires only an inward
journey (antarmukhi). Then the realization
dawns on him and he finds that there is nothing outside of him. The objective
world disappears the moment one turns inward and enters into turyaateeta
prajnya and Samadhi. Thus, there is nothing other than the Self here in a
meditative mode (transcendental state) of the aspirant, sadhaka, mumukshu.
A few selected Suktas are given here with the
decoded text in the light of new research findings. A glossary of Vedic terms
akin to Nirukta is also given for easy and ready reference. The readers are
invited to present their opinion in the blog site specially created for this
purpose, [Log on to: Divine Grace Foundation.org].
Today, a new interpretation of the Vedic
hymns is needed in order to educate the younger generation. It is only this
Vedic tradition that would restore the pristine glory of Bharat. The
present-day maladies of ‘Perestroika’ and
Glasnost, i.e., Globalization and Economic Liberalization is playing havoc
with the young minds. It has ruined the prosperous nations like Yugoslavia, the
USSR, and India reduced them to what it is, a pitiable state. Wherever Dharma
Ritam and Satyam are relegated and untruth
rules the roost the result is disastrous. Russia today is an impoverished nation
and its scientific and technological achievements, historic culture and economy
are fading into insignificance.
It is in the interest of the future of our
generation that we restore our Vedic culture. Our country, known for its wealth
in gold and diamonds, milk and honey, silks and what not (?), the Universities
like Takshshila and Nalanda that attracted people from all parts of the world
is today driving all intellectuals out of the country. The country is
impoverished of values and culture. Wrong education is alsoreponsible for this
state of affairs. Hence, it is important that we should first restore Dharma
(Righteousness), Ritam (Order) and the Vedic system of education and culture
paving way for a civilization of exalted state of consciousness- Ritam, Satyam
and Dharma- Ritambhara Prajnya. This is
very urgent and important. Vedic religion is not the religion that is
practiced todayin India by Hindus. It is the ancient spiritual practice of
Integral Yoga. All the religions of the world have sprouted from this single
mother root and great civilizations have flourished based on the principle of
Satya, Ritam and Dharma all over the world and India led the world in this
respect. Moreover, the Vedic Religion knows no time and space, no race, caste
or creed divisions since it touches the very soul of man and it transcends all
lower sensuous worldly desires! It is atmajnyan.
India, i.e., Bharat is a Yoga Bhumi; it is the land of the
enlightened ones- the Rishis, Devata, and amrutasyaputrah,
the divine beings. Accordingly, man is immortal here in the sense that he is
the realized one- a divine and eternal. The people of India since times
immemorial have realized the importance of being born as humans and strive to
bring out the divinity inherent in them. Many havr attained to great heights
like cosmic consciousness and divine consciousness. The Rk Veda Samhita makes
these points very clear. A map of India dated back to Half-a-Million years is
given by Jvala Prasad Singh in his book “The Sphinx Speaks”.* Here, Singh has portrayed the Trinity as the Kings
ruling the Devabhumi- Shiva in Kailas, Vishnu in Trishtup (Tibet) and Brahma in
Myanmar (Burma). Nr Simha was ruling the northern parts of Tibet and Sage Kashyap
living near the Caspian Sea sheltered the Aryaman (Sages) who migrated when the
earthquake struck Kashmir and the flooods caused exodus. Matsyavatar is traced
to this episode. A new map has to be drawn taking it back to atleast a Million years
when the Great Mountain chain of Himalayas was just rising from the bottom of
the ancient Sea of Tethys (thetyas sagara).
Thus, the Veda and all the Forty Vedic
Literature as depicted by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in his Maharishi Vedic Science-
the Science of Consciousness makes a departure from the traditional approach. Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi has developed the Transcendental Meditation (Siddhi), a technique
of realization of higher consciousness. This helps us to realize the fact that
the Veda is just Knowledge and
it is only in its Totality, Samhita,
that the Rk Veda helps us to know our nature of existence. Again, it is Sri
Aurobindo who explained how the decsent of Consciousness from above and ascent
of Consciousness from below that has created this evolution of Prakruti. He
said, both purusha and Prakruti are involved in this process of evolution. He
developed the technique of Integral Yoga where one could streamline his
physical, vital, mental, and spiritual forces to realize the Brahman, Wholeness
or “Totality of Existence”.
To sum up, our main
thrust here is to recapitulate what transpired in the Mind of the Lord who is
believed to have contemplated and said to Himself ekoham bahusyam | and instantaneously manifested Himself in varied
diverse forms and functions. Whether He really exist or ever thought of
creation, we do not know. It is beyond our ability to know this. This is what
we attribute to Him. His sankalpa, Resolve to express, become many, materialised
instantly and manifested this phenomenal world. His desire is enough to create
at will, appear as He likes in any form anywhere at will, since there are no
constraints of Time, Space or Resources of any sort for His creation. He is
omniscient, omnipotent, and sovereign. He is Full, Poornam. He is sovereign,
omniscient, and, “His will be done.”
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