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),

 2. the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices),

 3. the Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices),

 4. and the Upanishads (texts discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge). .

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.

 Embedded inside the Samaveda is the widely studied Chandogya Upanishad and Kena Upanishad,

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

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

 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