The Vedic Doctrines

I know this undecaying, primeval One, the Self of all things, which exists everywhere, being all pervading and which the wise declare to be free from birth. The teachers of Brahman, indeed, speak of It as eternal. [Yajur Veda, Part I, Chapter III, 21]/ He, the One and Undifferentiated, who by the manifold application of His powers produces, in the beginning, different objects for a hidden purpose and, in the end, withdraws the universe into Himself, is indeed the self-luminous-May He endow us with clear intellect! That Supreme Self is Agni (Fire); It is Aditya (Sun); It is Vayu (Wind); It is Chandrama (Moon). That Self is the luminous stars; It is Hiranyagarbha; It is water; It is Virat. Thou art woman, Thou art man; Thou art youth and maiden too. Thou as an old man totterest along on a staff; it is Thou alone who, when born, assumest diverse forms. Thou art the dark-blue bee; Thou art the green parrot with red eyes; Thou art the thunder-cloud, the seasons and the seas. Thou art beginningless and all-pervading. From Thee all the worlds are born.[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa. Part I, Chapter IV, 1-4] He who knows Brahman, who is all Bliss, extremely subtle, like the film that rises to the surface of clarified butter and is hidden in all beings-he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of the Universe, is released from all his fetters. The Maker of all things, self-luminous and all-pervading, He dwells always in the hearts of men. He is revealed by the negative teachings of the Vedanta, discriminative wisdom and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection. They who know Him become immortal. When there is no darkness of ignorance, there is no day or night, neither being nor non-being; the pure Brahman alone exists. That immutable Reality is the meaning of ‘That’; It is adored by the Sun. From It has proceeded the ancient wisdom. No one can grasp Him above, across, or in the middle. There is no likeness of Him. His name is Great Glory (Mahad-yashah). [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter IV, 16-19]. You have no knowledge of him who created these worlds; some other thing has interposed between you. The reciters of hymns who ravish life in their ritual proceed with their muttering, enwrapped in confusion and ignorance. [Rk Veda X, 82, 7]. Endowed with gunas, the jiva performs action, seeking its fruit; and again, it reaps the fruit of what it has done. Assuming all forms and led by the three gunas, the jiva, ruler of the pranas, roams about following the three paths, according to its deeds. Of the size of a thumb, but brilliant, like the sun, the jiva possesses both volition and egoism. It is endowed with the qualities of both buddhi and Atman. Therefore it is seen as another entity, inferior and small as the point of a goad. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter V, 7-8] Rosy Dawn advances, adorned with the brightness of many a beam. She pursues her way on her well-equipped chariot, arousing Men to joy. Come, O twin Spirits, at break of day on your powerful chariots. We offer in sacrifice this honey-sweet draught for your delectation. How is it that, though united and unsupported, he does not fall down? By what inner power moves he? Who has seen? A firm pillar, he protects heaven's vault.[Rk Veda IV, 14, 3-5] The embodied soul, by means of good and evil deeds committed by itself, assumes many forms, coarse and fine. By virtue of its actions and also of such characteristics of the mind as knowledge and desire, it assumes another body for the enjoyment of suitable objects. He who knows the Lord, who is without beginning or end, who stands in the midst of the chaos of the world, who is the Creator of all things and is endowed with many forms-he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of the universe, is released from all his fetters.[Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter V, 12-13] If the sunbird, rising, extracted his foot from the sea, neither today nor tomorrow would exist, neither night, day, nor dawn. The eight--wheeled moves on one rim, to and fro, thousand-syllabled. With one half it engendered all creation. Of its other half what sign? [Atharva Veda XI, 4, 21-22] Foremost Purifier, let your lights shine on us now, inspiring us to skill of mind and hand. [Rk Veda IX, 36, 3] Some learned men speak of the inherent nature of things and some speak of time, as the cause of the universe. They all, indeed, are deluded. It is the greatness of the self-luminous Lord that causes the Wheel of Brahman to revolve. He by whom the whole universe is constantly pervaded is the Knower, the Author of time. He is sinless and omniscient, It is at His command that the work which is called earth, water, fire, air and akasa appears as the universe. All this should be reflected upon by the wise. The yogi who first performs actions and then turns away from them and who practices one, two, three, or eight disciplines, unites one principle with another principle and with the help of virtues cultivated by the self and of subtle tendencies attains Liberation in course of time. He who attains purity of heart by performing actions as an offering to the Lord and merges prakriti and all its effects in Brahman, realizes his true Self and thereby transcends phenomena. In the absence of maya, both collective and individual, all his past actions are destroyed. After the destruction of the prarabhda karma he attains final Liberation. [Yajur Veda, Shvet. Upa.,, Part I, Chapter VI, 1-4] The Vedic prayer is: “Arouse us today to success and good fortune. To loftier joys promote us, O Dawn! Grant to us wealth of every kind, O Goddess renowned, friend of Man!” [Rk Veda VII, 75, 2]