Tag: Sanatan Dharma

It is spread that Vedas are the private domain of the Brahmins and the Vedas are not to be shared with the other communities.

And Brahmins created(?) the Vedas to control the social groups.

Even among Brahmins there are many who think that the Vedas are not to be shared with the other communities.

Wrong.

Veda comes from the word ‘Vid’ meaning to Know or Knowledge..

It is not the preserve of one community.

That the Vedas were made by Brahmins is equally wrong..

Many of the great Rishis and those who contributed Veda Sukthas were not Brahmins.

Some of them are.

‘Maharshi Veda Vyasa: He was the son of a fisher-woman named Satyavati, from Rishi Parashara. Considered the greatest Rishi of classical Hinduism, he is believed to have give the 4 Vedas ( = the most authoritative scriptures of Hindus) their present form. He also compiled the Mahabharata and the Puranas, which are the mainstay of popular Hinduism. He also authored the Brahmasutras- a text considered as one of the triple canon of Vedantic Hinduism (the other two being the Gita and the Upanishads). His birthday is celebrated as Guru-Poornima by Hindu monks every year. All Hindu monastic orders trace their lineage from him and a popular saying goes: vyasocchishtam jagatsarvam meaning that so great was the learning Rishi Veda Vyasa, that even his voluminous writings represent only the periphery of his knowledge.

Maharshi Aitreya Mahidasa: According to tradition, his mother was a maid named Itara. This Rishi is credited with the compilation of the Aitreya Brahmana and sections 1-3 of the Aitreya Aranyaka (the latter contains the Aitreya Upanishad- one of the 10 canonical Upanishads for Hindus) belonging to the Rigveda.

     Rishika Lopamudra: She was a Kshatriya princess from Vidarbha, who married Maharshi Agastya. She is the Seer of some verses of the Rigveda. Several edifying dialogs between her and Sage Agastya are recorded in the Puranas.

      Maharshi Vishwamitra: He was originally a Kshatriya named Vishwaratha. He is credited with revealing the Gayatri Mantra, the Hindu prayer par-excellence.

Maharshi Matanga: He was the son of a Shudra mother and a Vaishya father. In fact, Chandalas are often addressed as Matanga in passages like Varaha Purana 1.139.91

   Maharshi Valmiki: He was descendant from Sages but had become a chandala (= an outcaste) named Ratnakara, because he took to murder and highway robbery. He was reformed by Prajapati Brahma and was inspired by the divine Sage Narada to compose the Hindu epic par excellence- the Ramayana.

.  Rishika SulabhA Maitreyi: She was a Kshatriya lady who promulgated the Saulabha Shakha of the Rigveda. She is counted among the revered teachers of Rigveda to whom respects are offered in texts like the Kausitaki Brahmana. The Saulabha Brahmana is now lost but is mentioned in the Kashika- a commentary on the grammatical text named Ashtadhyayi. A dialog of Rishika SulabhA with King Janaka of Videha on spirituality is recorded in the Shanti Parvan (12^th book) of the Mahabharata.

 Mahatma Vidura: He was the son of Maharshi Veda Vyasa and a maid of King Dhritrashtra (the father of Kauravas in the Mahabharata). He is a wise man in the Mahabharata and counseled many towards truth. His teachings are collected in the Viduraprajagar section of the Udyog Parvan (5^th book) of Mahabharata,

A Brahmin is one who performs the duties of of A Brahmin and an embodiment of  good character and who prays for the welfare of the others

.For the definition of Brahmin please read my article .

So the knowledge of the Vedas , Puranas were not denied to other communities like the Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras.

What do the Vedas say on the sharing of the Vedic knowledge to other communities?

‘

this is further corroborated in the Atharva Veda (5.17.10): AThe sages, mortals, and the kings, the lovers of truth, have verily given the knowledge of the Vedas to others.@

Thus, it becomes the duty and responsibility of those who know the Vedic wisdom to supply it and teach it to others because it can become like a mighty and uplifting force in the way it affects society. And for those who do not know it but still have faith in it, it becomes their highest good to make arrangements by which others can become learned in this knowledge, as confirmed in the Atharva Veda: APreached freely, it acts as a powerful force. Held in high esteem it acts as a benefactor of humanity like a leader. It acts as a thunderbolt completely annihilating the usages and practices of a sinner. It acts as a conquest-loving hero throwing light on all topics.@ (Atharva 12.5.18-19)

Therefore, it is wrong to think that the Vedic knowledge is only meant for a small section of society, while these verses proclaim that everyone can benefit from it. This is especially the duty of a learned Brahmana: AEven if ten former guardians, none of whom is a Brahmana, espouse the cause of Vedic knowledge, they are no match for a Brahmana who takes into his hand the task of propagating her [the Vedic knowledge]. He alone is her true guardian.@ (Atharva 5.17.8) Thus, the Brahmanas, gurus and acharyas, if they are true to the Vedic cause, cannot keep the Vedic knowledge to themselves, but must go out of their way to make it available for the benefits of humanity. Otherwise, it is the lack of Vedic spiritual knowledge that corrupts society and misleads people onto the wrong path of ignorance. And those who know the Vedic sciences and withhold it from society become responsible for the godless nature that civilization exhibits, as confirmed as follows:

AIn ancient times the sages who practiced penance through the seven vital forces, verily thus declared about this divine Vedic knowledge, >Dreadful is the result of neglecting divine knowledge, which causes confusion and calamity, where its teachings are violated.= When infants die, [or are] untimely born, when herds of cattle waste away [from drought or death by other causes], when heroes strike each other dead [as in useless wars], the neglect of Vedic knowledge destroyeth them.@ (Atharva 5.17.6-7)

AIgnorance that overtakes a village is spoken of as a star with contradictory light. Lack of Vedic knowledge disturbs the kingdom where fall a lot of [inauspicious] meteors and shooting stars.@ (Atharva 5.17.4)

Herein it should become obvious to all that society needs the higher wisdom of the Vedic spiritual knowledge to keep itself on the right path to attain the proper qualifications, insight, cooperation, humility, strength, and the means to work in harmony with each other and nature. Without that, life becomes increasingly complex, and a struggle for existence. Without that, society becomes lost, as well as do those who do not promote it, as also explained in the Vedas:

AThey perish who do not preach the Vedas. He who hoards the Vedic knowledge loses renown. Their houses are burnt who withhold the Vedic knowledge. He suffers utter destruction who preaches the Vedic knowledge without the support of Nirukta [word meanings] and Grammar.@ (Atharva 12.4.3)

AIf a violent [or selfish] man or woman disregards the wealthy store of knowledge of this Vedic speech, he or she gets the stain of inseparable infamy, due to that sin…  The God-created Vedic knowledge belongs to those who come to ask for it. The learned call it an outrage on Vedic scholars when one retains Vedic knowledge as his own precious heritage.@(Atharva 12.4.9, 11)

In this way, it actually becomes dangerous not to help or assist in the spread of Vedic knowledge, or to think that it belongs to only one class of man only, as is typically thought in India. It is like ahimsa or non-violence, when a person knows he can help someone in reducing the other person=s suffering but refuses to do so, then he is actually practicing violence, and that will come back to haunt him in the end and create future sufferings of his own. Similarly, AIt [Vedic knowledge] wounds like an arrow him who obstructs its free spread. It brings calamity on him who reviles and abuses it. It is fearfully venomous when it is down-trodden by its foe. It brings death-like darkness on him who has degraded and dishonored it. Pursuing him, Vedic knowledge extinguishes the vital breath of its injurer.@ (Atharva 12.5.25-27)

AIt weakens physically him who torments its preachers. It destroys the wealth of him who snatches it away from the learned. It brings misery when it is suppressed, and ill repute when it is shown disrespect. . .  It is sinful to try to spoil it. Its destruction is distressing like an evil dream. . .  It brings loss of power to its opponent who forcibly retards its progress, and humiliation when its spread has been retarded. . .  It brings poverty when it is being outraged. . .  Vedic knowledge, when desecrated, cuts off the injurer of the learned from this world and the next.@ (Atharva 12.5.29, 32, 35, 37, 38)

AIf in his house alone one preserves the Vedic knowledge received from an acharya or acquired otherwise, but imparts it not to others, such a dishonest person, doing wrong to the learned and the Brahmacharis [those worthy of receiving the Vedic wisdom], departs from this world in a miserable plight.@ (Atharva 12.4.53)..

This is evidence merely from the Vedas, while much more could be found that supports this by investigating the Vedic texts that follow, such as the Upanishads, Bhagavad-gita and Puranas. For example, the Bhavishya Purana explains what portions of the Vedic literature were especially made and meant for everyone in society:

“O distinguished member of the Kuru dynasty, the narration of the transcendental characteristics of Lord Ramachandra, who appeared in the Raghu dynasty, is very glorious within the eighteen Puranas, and it has been presented with the aim of awarding the three objectives of life to all classes of human beings.

            “O hero, the great epic, Mahabharata, which embodies all of the Vedic purports and instruction of all kinds of religious scriptures, was composed by the supremely intelligent son of Parashara, Vyasadeva.

            “The compassionate Vyasadeva had compiled the Mahabharata-samhita, which is like an excellent boat for delivering the members of all the four varnas [classes of men] who are drowning in the ocean of material existence, after conceptualizing the eighteen Puranas and eight grammatical works.

            “O King, simply by hearing this transcendental literature, human beings can be liberated from the reactions to even grave sinful activities, including killing a Brahmana. . .” (Bhavishya Purana, Brahma Parva, 1.55-59)

            “. . . Then there are [the] eighteen principal Puranas. These include the Brahma, Padma, Vishnu, Shiva, Bhagavata, Narada, Markandeya, Agni, Bhavishya, Brahma-Vaivarta, Linga, Varaha, Skanda, Kurma, Matsya, Garuda, and Brahmanda.

            “O lion-like king of the Kuru dynasty, this literature was compiled by greatly learned scholars for the eternal benefit of all classes of human beings. O foremost of kings, all these religious scriptures are meant to be heard by the members of all the four varnas [classes of society].”  (Bhavishya Purana, Brahma Parva, 1.61-66),

However one has to have the following qualification.

1.Faith in the Vedas.

2,Be prepared to spend minimum eight years form the age of Eight to  study the Vedas in the Home of the preceptor.(Guru).

3.Should partake food offered.  at the guru’s home.

4. Rigorous discipline like performing Sandhya Vandana has to be followed..

5.Basic needs alone are to be met.

6.Minimum six hours of learning the Vedas and additional time in learning the other branches of Knowledge like Astronomy, Archery and other day to day sciences and Arts

7.Most important is the disposition to be compassionate, Humble, desire to remain simple, regulation of sensual pleasure and a natural disposition to help others without excepting any thing in return.

Reference and citation.

http://www.stephen-knapp.com/vedas_say_they_must_be_shared_with_everyone.htm