Ramanisblog

Tag: Rigveda

  • Shaiva Siddhanta Vedas Advaita 2 Difference

    The term’Siva” or rather His Attributes of appear in only in The later part of The Rig Veda.

     

    ‘Rudra’, literally meaning ‘howler’ appears as The personification of The Destructive Power in the early part of the Rig Veda.

     

    Only in the later part of the Rig Vedas does the term’Siva’ appears  and he is called “Maha Deva’

     

    In Svetevara Upanishad,Siva is shown as knowable through Bhakti.

     

    Personal Theistic concept is introduced thus regarding Siva.

     

    At best  Shaivism can be called as Theistic Non Dualism as an instrument of Realization and not as a System of Non Dualism per se.

     

    The Essentials of Indian Philosophy -Professor Hiriyanna,pages 33-34,175)

    ”

    Saiva-Siddhanta/images/Advaita-According-To-The-Saiva-Siddhanta-403.jpg
    Advaita-According-To-The-Saiva-Siddhanta.

     

    In the Vedic text, ‘Ekam‘ means that there is only one and that one is the Pati (Lord). You who say ‘There is one ‘ is the Pasu, bound up in Pasa. The word ‘Advaita’ means that beside God nothing else will exist, as when we say that there will be no other letters (consonants) when the vowel ‘A’ is not.” And the meaning will be clear when the illustration is fully understood. The illustration is that of vowel and consonants i.e.,Advaita According To The Saiva Siddhanta 399andormeaning soul and body.

    Advaita According To The Saiva Siddhanta 402

    “Thevowelbecoming one with the consonants is natural union,” is the Nannulsutra.

    And the illustration of body and mind or soul was what was stated in the first stanza.* So that we have two

    *We are glad to extract the following from Mr. Armstrong’s book, ‘God and the Soul’ wherein he brings out the same analogy.

    “But I would much rather put it in this way: the relation of the physical universe to God is, within certain limits, analogous to the relation of my body to myself. The movement of my tongue as I speak, of my eyes as I glance at my friend, of my hand as I write these words, proceeds from that stream of conscious energy which you may call my mind, my soul, my spirit, my will, or myself- Instantaneously the command of my unseen self flows through my seen self and modifies its attitudes, its gestures, its several and separable parts. But the intimate connexion between myself and my body does not imply that I am my body or that my body is myself, the ‘Ego.’ If they are in absolute alliance they are also in absolute antithesis. Nor, even if you went on to imagine my body the absolute product of my own will, and its automatic and reflex action, the breath, the circulation of the blood, the beating of the heart, the growth of the hair and the nails to be the effect of my will, and my consciousness to be perpetually engaged in conducting these processes, would you be one step nearer identifying me, the’ Ego,’ the self, with this body, but it would be other than the body, above andbeyondit, transcending it, of a nature belonging to a superior order to it, in another and a higher plane than it.”

    http://chestofbooks.com/new-age/spirituality/saivism/Saiva-Siddhanta/Advaita-According-To-The-Saiva-Siddhanta-Part-3.html#ixzz29hrpwYTB

     

    In essence The Reality arrived at by Neti Nyaya is given a Name and Form because the Human Mind can not operate in vacuum and this our Rishis have understood.

     

    Therefore an Easwara is necessary .

     

    But in the final analysis, ‘Realization is the goal and the paths are many.

     

    ‘Ekam Sat, Vipra Bahuta Vidanti’

     

    Truth is One,Learned say it is Many’

     

    Lord Krishna observes ‘Panditas say a lot about Reality, but only one in a thousand really earns after it, yet scarce are people who attempt it’

    It is my conviction that our job is to attempt at Realization rather than which system  precedes which.

     

    My reply continues on the other points.

     

     

    http://chestofbooks.com/new-age/spirituality/saivism/Saiva-Siddhanta/Advaita-According-To-The-Saiva-Siddhanta-Part-3.htmlEnhanced by Zemanta

  • First Recorded Voice On Gramophone, The Vedas?

    Deutsch: Edison Home Phonograph, Suitcase-Modell
    Deutsch: Edison Home Phonograph, Suitcase-Modell (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    HMV Company had once published a pamphlet giving the history of
    gramophone record. Gramophone was invented by Thomas Alva Edison in the 19th century. Edison, who had invented many other gadgets like electric light and the motion picture camera, had become a legend even in his own time.

    When He invented the gramophone record, which could record human voice for posterity, he wanted to record the voice of an eminent scholar
    on his first piece. For that he chose Prof. Max Muller of Germany,
    another great personality of the 19th century. He wrote to Max Muller
    saying, “I want to meet you and record your voice. When should I come?”

    Max Muller who had great respect for Edison asked him to come on a
    suitable time when most of the scholars of the Europe would be
    gathering in England.

    Accordingly, Edison took a ship and went to England. He was introduced to the audience. All cheered Edison’s presence. Later at the request of Edison, Max Muller came on the stage and spoke in front of the instrument. Then Edison went back to his laboratory and by afternoon came back with a disc. He played the gramophone disc from his instrument. The audience was thrilled to hear the voice of Max Muller from the instrument. They were glad that voices of great persons like Max Muller could be stored for the benefit of posterity.

    After several rounds of applause and congratulations to Thomas
    Alva Edison, Max Muller came to the stage and addressed the scholars
    and asked them, “You heard my original voice in the morning. Then
    you heard the same voice coming out from this instrument in
    the afternoon. Did you understand what I said in the morning or what
    you heard this afternoon?”

    The audience fell silent because they could not understand the language in which Max Muller had spoken. It was `Greek and Latin‘ to them as they say. But had it been Greek or Latin, they would have definitely understood because they were from various parts of Europe. It was in a language which the European scholars had never heard.

    Max Muller then explained what he had spoken. He said that the language he spoke was Sanskrit and it was the first sloka of Rig Veda, which says “Agni Meele Purohitam.” This was the first recorded public version on the gramophone plate.

    Why did Max Muller choose this? Addressing the audience he said, “Vedas are the oldest text of the human race. And Agni Meele Purohitam is the first verse of Rig Veda. In the most primordial time, when the people did not know how even to cover their bodies and lived by hunting and housed in caves, Indians had attained high civilization and they gave the world universal philosophies in the form of the Vedas.”

    Such is the illustrious legacy of our country!

    When “Agni Meele Purohitam” was replayed the entire audience stood up in silence as a mark of respect for the ancient Hindu sages.

    This verse

     
    means:

    “Oh Agni, You who gleam in the darkness, To You we come day by day, with devotion and bearing homage. So be of easy access to us, Agni, as a father to his son, abide with us for our well-being.

    Thanks, Manian
    *There seems to be an Anachronism od Dates.
    Will some body check it out?

  • Earth Day in The Vedas, An Approach to Universe.

    Hinduism ,right from the earliest times of The Rig Veda, has been advocating  synchronised Living with Nature.

    Ecology Logo.
    Ecology Logo

    The Order of Nature is called ‘Rta‘,it is difficult to translate in English as Rta indicates Order,Orderliness of Nature,Law of Nature ,The Rhythm of Nature The Truth(Empirical and Transcendental),all are indicated by the term Rta.

    One of the Shanti Mantras,that is the Hymn to be used in all all auspicious occasions says

    ‘Brahmam Vathishyaami,ritham VathishyaamiSathyam Vathishyaami’

    I Salute the Brahman, the Reality;Orderliness,’The Ultimate Truth,Truth’

    It pays tribute to Nature in all it forms,Fire,Water,Earth, Air,Life,Sun,Early Morning,Night,Planets,Planets,Animals,Plants and  Time.

    Fire –Agni Sukhtham

    Water-Mantra Pushpam

    Air –Vayu Sukhtham

    Earth-Bhoo Sukhtham.

    Life-Ayshya Sukthtam

    Early Morning-Ushas Suktham

    Night-Rik Veediya Raathri Suktham

    Sun-Surya Suktham

    Animals-Go Sukhtam

    Plants -Shanti Mantram.

    In fact the Great Sukhta which describes the evolution of the Universe speaks very highly of nature and in fact it speaks only of nature as representing the Cosmic Principle

    Apart from explaining the evolution of these elements, these Hymns extol them and the necessity of living in Harmony with them.

    In The Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna states that one should live harmony with Nature and do his bit to preserve them to enable them to sustain Humans.

    All The Deities are the representations of Nature in some Form,

    Agni,Fire;Varuna,Water,Thunder/Lightening;Indira,Surya,Sun;Chandra, Moon;Ushas,Dawn;Sandhya,Dusk,Vayu,Air;Prakriti,Nature.

    All these Principles are worshipped to seek their benign influence on the Earth.

    Any harm done to any Being, Living , Non-Living disturbs the Rta of Nature and as a consequence the individual and the Universe will suffer.

    To conclude, a Quote from the Shanti Mantra

    “Thachchamyora Vrunimahe,gnyaathum Yagnyaya…..”

    “Let us Pray The One who Bestows us with all That is Good,

    Pray that our Sacred Fire Duty is properly fulfilled,

    Pray for those who perform these rites,

    May the Deities Bestow on us All That is Good,

    May Man Be Happy,

    May the Plants grow Upwards and Be Healthy,

    May the two legged Animals( Man) Be  Bestowed with all That is Good,

    May the Animals with Four Legs be bestowed with All That is Good’

    Om,Peace Unto All’

    Earth Day;

    Earth Day is a day early each year on which events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network,[1] and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year.[2] In 2009, the United Nations designated April 22 International Mother Earth Day.[3] Earth Day is planned for April 22 in all years at least through 2015.[4]
    The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the City of Saint Francis, patron saint of ecology. Earth Day was first observed in San Francisco and other cities on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature’s equipoise was later sanctioned in a Proclamation signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations where it is observed each year. About the same time a separate Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. While this April 22 Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations.[5][6] Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues.”

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day

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  • Upnayanayana for Women Sanctioned by The Vedas.

    The Upanyana Ceremony
    Uapanayana

    I received an email notification of a Post’ Periyava clarifying upanayana for girls’ from Sage of Kanchi website,me being a subscriber.

    The views of Periyava is here below.

    ‘

    “I said that the twice-born must perform sandhyavandana with the well-being of women and other jatis in mind. I also explained why all samskaras are not prescribed for the fourth varna. Now we must consider the question of women, why they do not have such rituals and samskaras.

    Even though we perform the punyaha-vacana and namakarana of newborn girls and celebrate their first birthday, we do not conduct their caula and upanayana nor the other samskaras or vows laid down for brahmacarins. Of course, they have the marriage samskara. But in other rites like sacrifices the main part is that of the husband, though she (the wife) has to be by his side. In aupasana alone does a woman have a part in making oblations in the sacred fire…..more“

    http://mahaperiyavaa.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/periyava-clarifying-upanayana-for-girls/

    Many women were great Rishis.

    Some of them were.

    Gargi,Visvara, Ghosa, Romasa, Lopamudra, Apalargi.

    They have even composed Rig Vedic Hymns.

    Sage Apasthamba states ‘Atha Upanayana vyakasyamaha’

    He does not mention males only.

    Interestingly , in Taitriya Upanishad, in Shikshavalli,sex of the student is not mentioned(I await to be corrected)

    If there were Great women Rishis  who could compose Vedic Mantras, they should have had Upanayana performed for them for Upanayana is the prerequisite for learning the Vedas.

    I quote here below some points to state that women were entitled to Upanayana and that performing Upanayana to girls is not against the Sastras.

    Despite all this we find frequent references in Rgveda to daughters being fondly
    caressed and affectionately brought up by parents. Ordinarily girls were no doubt less
    welcome than boys but we must add that there were also some parents in society who
    would perform special religious rituals for good luck of getting learned and capable
    daughters
    4
    . Girls were educated like boys and had to pass through a period of
    brahmacharya. They were educated both in the spiritual and secular subjects. Women
    during the Vedic age were not only ritually entitled to perform sacrificial rites
    5
    , they also
    had access to Upanayana Samskara and Vedic study. In Vedas women have been granted
    the highest status of being a seer (rishika) along with men. Some of them even composed
    the Vedic hymns e.g, Visvara, Ghosa, Romasa, Lopamudra, Apala etc. They could recite
    Vedic mantras as matter of course. Brhadaranyaka Upanishad tells us of a woman
    philosopher, Gargi Vacaknavi who carried on learned discussions with Rishi
    Yajanavalkya
    6
    . In the Mahabharata we find a number of stories of girls who were noted
    for their spiritual aspirations. Thus, there is a story of a Brahmavadini Sulabha, who
    demanded praise for her great progress in spiritual path. There was another girl ‘Siba’
    who was the daughter of a learned Brahmana, she studied all the Vedas and after wards
    attained Siddhi
    7
    . In panini’s Asthadhyayi
    8
    , we find the reference of the epithet kumari

    Sramana,i.e. an unmarried female ascetic. These female ascetics dedicated their lives to
    penance. They were known as ‘Kumara – Pravrajita’ and ‘Kumara – Tapasi’
    9
    . In the
    ancient period, the daughters had the right to perform Yajnas, the unmarried girls were
    also seen offering Vedic sacrifices. In the Satapatha Brahmana, we find the reference of a
    woman who performed a special Upanayana on the occasion of soma sacrifice
    10
    . Atharva
    Veda says that the Brahmacharya discipline and training was as much necessary for girls
    as it was for boys
    11
    .
    Upanayana Samskara was one of the highest samskara, it was said that if the
    samskara of upanayana was not performed in the case of girl, women would be reduced
    to the status of Sudras; how then Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas could be born of
    them
    12
    . Upanayana of women was absolutely indispensable, if the cultural tradition of the
    different Aryan classes was to be preserved
    13
    . After the Upanayana ceremony of the girls
    they were asked to follow a disciplined life like that of the boys. But they were shown
    certain concession. They did not have to go out to beg their daily food; they were not to
    grow matted hair. They were to be taught by their near relatives like the father, the uncle,
    or the brother.
    The girl students were permitted to continue their studies till their
    marriages were settled at about the age of 16 or 17. But few girls’ students continued
    their studies for a longer time and were known as Brahmavadinis
    14
    . After Upanayana
    ceremony the girls become specialized in Vedic theology and philosophy and some of
    them also composed the Vedic hymns. In the Taittiriya Brahmana, we find the reference
    of a girl who flatly declined to marry her lover, when she suspected that he was hesitating
    to reveal to her some of his Vedic dogmas and theories”

    http://onlineijra.com/research%20paper/u/upanayana_samskara.pdf

  • Fire was used 1.8 Million Years Ago, Hinduism is Right

    The Rig Veda is one of the oldest religious te...
    The Rig Veda is one of the oldest religious texts. This Rig Veda manuscript is in Devanagari (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    The Vedic People worshipped Fire.

    The Rig Veda, the earliest known Literature known to humanity speaks of fire first.

    Its date as 5000 BC is debatable.

    Indian Philosophy considers Time as Cyclic and not Linear( For a clear understanding of this,please read my blog’Time,A Non Linear Theory’)

    The world retracts at the end of Brahma’s end and is revolved.

    The world is dissolved by Fire.

    The present world Time frame is called Kali Yuga.

    The preceding one is called Dwapara Yuga, which ended  about 5007 Years back.

    Time rolls on and stays still.

    Time exists eternally and an event is happening, happened and will happen.

    And all the events occur simultaneously.

    Please read my blogs on different planes of existence-marked as Third.Fourth and up to 11 th level.

    Refers to:

    Scientists say they have new evidence that our ancestors were using fire as early as a million years ago.

    It takes the form of ash and bone fragments recovered from Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa.

    The team tells the journal PNAS that the sediments suggest frequent, controlled fires were lit on the site.

    The ability to use fire is regarded as a key step in human development because it gave us access to cooked foods and new technologies.

    Stone tools found at Wonderwerk Cave indicate the ancestor in question may have been Homo erectus, a species whose existence has been documented as far back as 1.8 million years ago.

    Establishing precisely when humans first acquired the ability to control fire has been very difficult.

    There have been several claims that the skill was in existence even earlier than at Wonderwerk.

    But they have all been challenged, with sceptics arguing the fire remains from open sites could have been the result of natural blazes ignited by lightning.

    In contrast, the PNAS team, which consists of scientists based at US, Israeli, German and South African institutions, says statements about the Northern Cape cave are far more secure.

    If correct, the Wonderwerk discovery would push the earliest indisputable controlled use of fire back by about 300,000 years.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17598738

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