We start with Gayatri Mantra
GANESH VANDANA
Introduction
By grace of God and thanks to Smt Meera Ramchandran
for giving time for this talk , I have tried to give a summary and
how vedas have been understood by me
I have read all four Vedas and many of Upanishads in
Hindi and English as I do not have any knowledge of Sanskrit and
may have missed the true meanings .
1. Veda is
knowledge of God
2.which was heard / visualised by ancient saints of
India in their ecstasy while in meditation .
. 3 On this basis Hindus regard and say their religion
to be Sanatan or Vedic dharma
I am
sharing my knowledge with you.
What are Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of knowledge texts originating
in the ancient Indian subcontinent.Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, Hindus
consider the Vedas to be apauruṣeya, which means
"not of a man.
Each Veda has been subclassified into four major text types – 1. the Samhitas (mantras and
benedictions),
These four Vedas
are 1. RIG 2. Sam. 3.Yajur 4. Arthava
History of Vedas
1. According to Hindu dharma the Vedas existed before
creation and are direct gift from GOD
2. The western
civilisation puts emergence of Vedas
to 1900 to 1000 B.C. They believe that Aryans who came from caucacios
mountains created them after coming to India . Actually this theory has been
rejected now as The shifting of population from west to east was due to drying
0f river Saraswati towards Ganga Yamuna plains
Even according to western documents, Krishna's Bhagwat
Geeta has mention of three Vedas and this is beleived to be written before1500 BC , and therefore western thinking is not only
wrong but a myth.
These Vedas are
estimated to be written 30,000 year B.C according to pictures taken from
satellites which show River Saraswati in which Indus river used to meet and
around which Mohanjodro civilisation was established.
The early vedic period
Picture of Vedic Manuscript
Vedic Litrature
Ved Vyas Compiled the Vedas which were in eternal existence as shruties which
were heard or visualised by great rishies in trance
Division of Vedas
The shruties were
passed on from one generation to another and so on until they were classified
into Vedic hymns and upnishadic hymns and later on ved -vyas classified Vedic
hymns into four scriptures given below
1 Rig Veda
2 Sam Veda
3.Yajur Veda
4. Arthava Veda
Fortunately I own a set of all four Vedas translated by
Swami Dayanandji along with a set of Vedas vaishnavite version translated by renowned author
Upanishads are end parts of Vedas.
Rigveda
1.Rigveda comprises of 10589
hymns for Agni,Varun,Indra,Chandra,Sun,Saraswati,and
other god and goddesses who represent different energies inherent in God.
The Rigveda It is one of the four canonical sacred texts (śruti) of Hinduism known as
the Vedas.[2][3] The text is a
collection of 1,028 hymns and 10,600 verses, organized into ten books (Manda
First few Mantras
of Rig Veda
Sloka from Rig veda in English
‘Agni’ means fire. This fire refers to the aspiring
flame that rises from our inmost being; again, ‘Agni’ also refers to the fire
god himself.
We are all
aspirants; we are all seekers of the infinite Truth.
It is we who have
to embody Agni, the flame of aspiration, in the inmost recesses of our hearts.
We also have to
grow upwards with this flame until we become the embodiment of Agni, the fire
god himself.
Provisions in Rig
veda
1. Origin of creation
2 introduction of each of devi and devta and
3. includes
prayers for different Devies and Devtas for
getting particular desire.
4. Rig Veda teaches
us how to live better life and
obtain Gods grace who is father
of all of us
Sloka of Rig Veda
Sama Veda
Soma veda – It refers to ecstatic melodies ,music ,art ,drama,
and the science ofsound.
The classical Indian music and dance tradition considers
the chants and melodies in Samaveda as one of its roots.
Provisions in Sama veda
Samveda puts weightage on music. It
contains 1000 mantras.
1. its mantras
are usedin karma kand
2.It teaches
behaviour of give and take and mantras regarding maintenance of our body
and other material things.
3 it provides for sacrifice of somras in havans and contains several
mantras giving methods used inused in performing havan.
4.from this Veda tejiyasya upanishad , Sanhita brahman, ken
Upanishad and chandogya Upanishad have come
out.
Provisions in Yajur veda
1. It contains several mantras needed in doing hawan
2. it contains
taitarya ,sathpat brahman and tatarya anarya and brh and brahadnaik, and taitarya and Katha Upanishads.
These three vedas are estimated to
be written 30,000 year B.C
There was great emphasis on teaching of Vedas to
disciples with correct grammar and pronunciation and memorising them by heart.
Provisions in Atharva veda
1. it contains all mantras used in doing household works
and means and methods used in
socialization
2.this Veda deals with important matters regarding arya and anarya and gives their customs and
rituals
3 contains prayers and methods for removing and
eradicating bad symptoms and things
4. Gopath Brahman
and prashna and Mandookya Upanishad are its product.
Vedas are available in Audio now
Upveda
of abive vedas
3.Gandharva veda from Samveda comprises the specific sets of laws of Nature that are
engaged in promoting the quality of Rishi ,the observer, the witnessing quality
4. Dhanurveda, from Yajurveda . Archery is noted to be one of the noblest form of defence within Indian
cultural heritage.
5.Artha
Veda from Atharva
Veda: It deals with social, economic, and political
systems. In the early medieval times Artha Shashtra was also authored by
Chanakya
Dhanur vidya
GAYETRI MANTRA
Two types of religious
scriptures
scriptures
Hindu dharma has two types of scriptures
1. shruti ;-
for a very long time these were passed on from guru to shishya orally and
remembered by heart and then again
passed on till they were written and then classified by Ved vyas in 4 volumes
of Veda's and also different versions of Upanishad with names of rishies.
Out of these
eleven Upanishads are famous on which commentary ha been written by Adi shankeracharya 1. Isha 2 ken 3 katha
4 prashna 5 Aitarya 6 Mandaka 7 Taitarya 8 Mandukya 9 Chandogya 10 swetasavatara 11Brahadnaik
Fortunately I have all the four Vedas and a collection
of 108 Upanishads by Sri Shree Ram
Sharma of Gayetri Peeth.
Different poses in sadhana
Guru and Shishyas
Brahadnayak
self and Self
The Eleven Upanishshads on whom
commentary has been written by AdiShanker
Beliefs in Vedic times
.
1.In those time there was no murti puja but havan and sacrifice only
to please various gods who in turn looked after the humans, animals and plants
etc on earth.
In Vedas the slokas are given in
poem form in Sanskrit . Each devta in turn is worshiped by doing hawan reciting
mantras in praise of him and requesting him to bestow peace on earth according
to his energies.
Civilisation in Vedic period
Parts of Universe
Universe has been subdivided into three main parts
1.Bhu Earth
2.Bhuva
Atmosphere and ether
3 swaha Heaven and
Beyond
And , human civilisation into four Varnas and four ashrams so
that we may live according to laws of nature.
Vedic rituals
This includes both domestic and samohic social rituals, riti rivaj .
Now a days most of rituals are done according to puranas
but still some of them are done according to vedas. Swami dayanand has revived all rituals aaccording to Vedas in Arya Samaj.
1. still all yagyas are performed
according to vedas for welfare of
people a
2. Those who wish to go to heaven must perfom some form of
yagya including mansic yagya.
3. Manu Smriti has a long list of yagyas to be performed on
different occasions and purposes as well
as the sixteen Sanskars.
4. . There are
different methods of God realisation
given in Vedas which have been
summed up in Bhagwat Geeta and Vedanta which are much easier such as karma, jnan , bhakti or raj yoga and Dhyan yoga.
Performing Yajna
Yajna as one of rituals
Rishi Guru doing Meditation
in presence of Shishyas
Lord Agni
Lord Vishnu
Lord Indra
Lord Vasudev
Lord Daksh
Lord Ansh or Siva
Lord
Surya dev
Lord Surya dev
Sons of sun adityas
1.mitra
2. ayarma
3. bhang
4.varun
5.daksh
6. ansh
Without sun life is impossible.
Several devtas and devi’s in vedas but there is one God
There are several descripitions of dev and devi;s ( shaktiyan) in veda. In mahapralaya none (even life and
death disappear)remains except the allmighty God
God’s will creates and dissolves the universe.
It is also written that both parmatma and jivatma remain in body like
two bird on a tree and parmatma is drista , and jivatma is bhokta
Description of
creation in veda.
In Arthava Veda mantra 42-7 it is stated that first of all in the
beginning there was a golden egg which is called Hirdaya garbh and from this
creation was done.then came fire and light
rig veda 10.121 and then all creation.
All this creation exist in God. The mode of creation in
different manvantars is given, in different slokas of Vedas and full knowledge of universe is also given.
God alone is
seen in different forms and vibhuties. It has also
been in Vrdas ,how to pray and
worship him in different forms and ways.
Creation of Universe
Creation of universe
Method for God realisation
God has given main paths
of His realisation as karma, jnan and bhakti and Raj Yogaa and meditation to realise him.
He has given to us , in Vedas, the methods to realise him by doing
Karmkand including yagya, tap and jap
to purify the Antahkaran and then how to meditate and how to concentrate
and fix our Mana, Budhi , Chit and
Ahankar in Him .
We can obtain deliverance from cycle of birth, death and
rebirth and get mukti or mokch as per individuals liking and get rid of all
pain ,sufferings in this very life and thereafter.
Prakrity, maya, bandhan and mukti
how to get eternal peace
how to get eternal peace
Vedas in detail
describe in their last chapters how get eternal peace called anand by letting
us have the knowledge about
1. universe
2. self and Self
3. prakriti and maya
4. bandhan and mukti
mukti is the goal
of our life and it can be achieved by visualising God as our internal Guru,
have total devotion and faith in him , and by total surrender to him to obtain his ashirvad , blessings and
grace and realise self and realise the almighty God
Conclusion
I have no words to conclude
Suffice to say that for Hindus, for common man, there
it is not necessary to study Vedas and
all Upanishads in detail now, as our
ancient Rishies have brought all this knowledge for common man in three books
namely,
1.Vedanta/Brahmn Sutra
2 Bhagwat Geeta
3.Ramayan/ Ramcharitra manus.
Further the running of day to day life, is now to be done as per rules of the society
and constitution of land and positive thinking for following sayings.
I am the problem and I am the solution and we can mould
our life according to our thoughts and overcome our emotions by patience and
positive thinking and live a healthy prosperous life in this world and by our
spiritual knowledge and practice attain the eternal peace and Anand thereafter. OM SHANTI, SHANTI, SHANTI
The End
I am thankful to
the chair person Smt Meera
Ramchandran and
Sri
Rajaram for conducting the
programme successfully and finally to you august audience to have listened to
me so peacefully , with your full
attention.
Over to
Chairperson , for question Answer
session
Time permitting I shall show video of Prayer to Shiva
Parvati
=====================================
Shiva Parvati Vandana
The End
Pictures of Vedic age
Power Point Presentation
By
Avdhesh Kumar Mathur
Senior member of
ICC and Anandvan Saratoga
at
Senior center Cupertino
On Monday 25th
Cupertino September 2017
Blog Hinduism:
Omkar Avdhesh Mathur
