INTRODUCTION TO THE VEDIC CIVILIZATION … THE VEDAS

 

Many of us may not know that the first recorded sentence was, “ agni milee purohitam” This is the starting Shloka of the Rig Veda. This recording was done by Thomas Edison and the words were spoken by Max Muller. Max Muller said on that very day to all the scientists and theologists present there, “ when you were all jumping in the forest like the chimpanzees India had a civilization which gave us the Vedas which is the storehouse of Science and astrophysics.”

Max Muller was an Indologist and had an exceptional understanding of the Vedas and he realized that the Vedas needs be studied and understood as it will open up an entire gamut of science and discoveries and who so ever possesses this ethereal knowledge will surely rule the world that was yet to take a political shape as we find it today. Unfortunately, we Indians never realized the importance of Vedas as the Germans have. Today they have the Sanskrit language in their curriculum and Vedas is studied very seriously. It is said that Hitler was a great follower of the Vedic treatise of sciences and the technology that the Nazis were working on was nothing but the Vedic sciences.

Before I go into the introduction to the Vedas let me complete the above shloka and see the meaning therein.

 “AGHNIMILE PUROHITAM YAJNASYADEVAM RTVIJAM|HOTARAM RATNADHATMAM||”

 The above shloka when translated in English, it means   –

“Agni” or God of Fire, you are the major of all five elements, which resulted in the creation of this Universe. You are the property of “Parmatma” or the Supreme Soul. “-ile” as in the shloka means “I pray you”. “Purohitam” means before the creation or before the time when nature became manifest from the non-manifest. It can also be the era before atoms originated from the cosmos.

 The concept of each one of us is a part of the universe and that we are built with the same atoms and molecules as that of any other things in the universe was very much present among the Rishis and Sages long ago even before

 “Yajnasyadevam” means you are the “Deva” or Lord of this “Yajna” or ritual sacrifice. “Devam” means primary or most adored of all Gods. “Rtvijam” means you are an attribute of the “Parmatma” or the Supreme Soul who can be worshipped in every “Ritu” or season. “Hotaram” means you are the giver of all good things in life and the entire course of time starting from the beginning to the end resides within you. “Ratnadhatmam” means holder of good things of life like “Ratna” or precious gems and jewels and giver of the same.

 Altogether, the shloka means, “I pray to you, ‘Agni’, the prime ‘tattva’ of ‘Parmatma’ by performing this Vedic Yagna (ritual). You, ‘Agni’, were there before there was anything. With you, ‘Agni’, the creation started. You are the giver of everything. I pray to you ‘Agni’, in all days, in every season. You, ‘Agni’, sustain all creation and will consume it when the end comes. It is because of you, ‘Agni’, that we get all the beautiful things of life. You are the source of everything beautiful.”

From the very beginning when a man was an advance ape, scientifically termed as Australopithecus, he lived in a group. Living in a group has a lot of advantages, one of the prime being safety. Then there was the economic reason for a man to be in a group. During the early Paleolithic period when a man was a hunter-gatherer, he needed a well-defined group with a well-defined division of labor among the group for the group to be economically viable. The animals that were hunted were as the wooly mammoth.

 When the economy shifted from hunting gathering to agrarian, the groups needed to be much larger.  The group also needed to be located around easy access to water and that’s why major settlements were excavated around the Indus river system and the Saraswati river system about which I will write a different article.

Therefore there was a need to implement certain rules, rites, rituals, and certain norms that gave the group an inherent control from within. Thus becoming a well structured social group. The rites, rituals, and certain norms were basically made for the groups to be more economically viable by creating an atmosphere of harmony and not discord at any time.  

Therefore we see the development of religion or a spark of it among the Neanderthals.  Neanderthals were the first hominids to intentionally bury the dead. Exemplary sites include Shanidar in Iraq, Kebara Cave in Israel, and Krapina in Croatia. Some scholars, however, argue that these bodies may have been disposed of for secular reasons. Likewise, a number of archeologists propose that Middle Paleolithic societies such as Neanderthal societies may also have practiced the earliest form of totemism or animal worship in addition to their (presumably religious) burial of the dead. Emil Bächler, in particular, suggests (based on archeological evidence from Middle Paleolithic caves) that a widespread Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal bear cult existed.

The evolution of religion is closely connected with the evolution of the mind and behavioral modernity. Now world over what has presumable happened is this, that when societies started building up due to the more stable economy of agriculture early humans ceased to become nomadic and live comfortably in social groups. They realized that severe storms,or severe rains, or severe hurricanes and blizzards could destroy their crops, their huts and their territories, can wreak havoc in their otherwise now calm and settled lifestyle  and so they, now being evolved in their thinking process and behavioral attributes started to fear the elements of nature and they thought that nature was somehow angry on them and that they need to appease the nature with the concept that if nature is appeased then such fearful experiences and devastation would not occur hereafter, and so they started pleasing nature and its elements by certain rites and rituals to the the extent of sacrificing humans in order to appease the Gods of wind, rain, fire,  and Earth. RELIGION CAME INTO EFFECT.

 The religion that is widely practiced in India and Nepal and Bali is the Vedic religion. This religion is widely percept to have originated in the Indian subcontinent. This religion is practiced by the inhabitants and also by the people and the families who have migrated to various other geographical areas and countries. Vedic way of life is also loosely connoted as Hinduism, but more rightly termed as the Sanatan Dharma.  What is Hinduism and how is it connected to the Vedic civilization or the Saraswati civilization or the Sanatan dharma. 

  Hinduism, as opposed to popular knowledge, is not a religion but a way of life. Hence it is called a “Dharma” and Sanatan means ageless which means that Hinduism is a way of life ever since humans developed into society.  When the nomadic lifestyle of humans became more stationary due to the advent of agriculture and it started to turn into a functional group then there came a need to put forth certain checks and balances and rites and rituals and the way of life developed and that is “Sanatan Dharma”. So in Hinduism, there is no one a prophet from whom the religion starts unlike Islam which starts from Mohammed, or Christianity which starts from Lord Jesus, though it actually came to existence 135 years after the death of Jesus, or Buddhism after Gautama Buddha or Jainism after Mahavir and so on.

 To answer these questions we have to know what Vedic civilization is and who are the representatives of the Vedic civilization? The antiquity of the Vedic civilization also needs to be established.

 Statistically there are over 750 million Hindus in Bharat [India] and Nepal and Bali. Hinduism is also referred to as Sanatan Dharma which means eternal faith. In the first paragraph I have mentioned Hinduism as a religion but strictly speaking, it is not a religion. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life.

 The very word BHARAT comes from a Sanskrit phrase bhayam ratah bharatah means the one who is totally dedicated to the way of life-based on the divine knowledge even today this is the official name of our country i.e. Bharat, India. Since Hinduism has no founder anyone who practices the dharma can call him a Hindu. He has so much freedom that he can even question the authority of any scripture or even the existence of the divine. So how does Hinduism differ from other religions? The difference is very basic. Religion means to bind and dharma means to hold, and hold what? It is the inner laws that man holds on to and this is what leads man from ignorance to truth. It does not have a bible or a Koran to which controversies can be referred for resolution. This way of life or the Sanatan dharma comes out from the scriptures which are the oldest in the history of man’s development and evolution. World over everyone knows that the holy book of the Hindus is the Bhagawat Gita.

Yes it is but it is the cream of all the Vedas and Upanishads and Puran put into one and that is Bhagawat Gita. The Bhagawat Gita came much later in the time frame somewhere in 5315 BC when the Mahabharata war was being fought and Lord Krishna revealed the essence of all the Vedas to Arjuna and that dialogue became the Bhagawat Gita.

Hindu scriptures are mainly divided into Shruti [means something which is heard], Smriti [means something which is remembered], and lastly Nyaya [means which is logic deductions made through logic]. This classification shows that the scriptures are based not on the mode of transmission but on the origin. Therefore shruti means something that was heard by the sages from the gods directly. Smriti refers to those that were written down from memory. Shruti is considered to be authoritative as this comes down directly from the gods to the sages and seers and therefore has no interpretations. These Shrutis are the Vedas or let me put it in this way Vedas constitute the shrutis while the rest like itihaasa[epics-ramayana,  mahabharata], Puranas [moral stories] and agamas [emanated scriptures] are known as smriti Vedantic sutras are classified as Nyaya. Logically therefore smriti and Nyaya agrees with shruti as it was the only thing that came directly from the gods. The question is why do we call these scriptures as Vedas? what is the meaning of the word Veda? Veda comes from the word ‘Vid’ means to know, to learn from a guru who is seated at a higher pedestal and the disciple is sitting at a lower pedestal and thereby there is a flow of knowledge. When this is applied to the scriptures it becomes the book of knowledge. The Vedas are the oldest book in the library of a man. They are eternal without a beginning and surely without an end. They are not the composition of the human mind as they were never written they were as said earlier were told to the Rishis. My aim therefore in these series of essays is to fix a tentative date for this eternal work and also to trace the dissemination of Vedic knowledge in the population of the world.

The Vedas are divided into four great books you can call it divisions also.1.Rig Ved 2.Yajur Ved 3.Sama Ved 4.and the Atharva Ved. The Rig Ved is again divided into twenty-one sections the YajurVed into one hundred and nine sections The Sama Ved is divided into thousand sections and the Atharva Ved is divide into fifty sections. Therefore in all Vedas are divided into one thousand one hundred and eighty sections. Each Vedas consists of four parts; the mantra Samhitas or hymns, the Brahmanas, or the explanations of the mantras or rituals, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads.  The mantra Samhitas are the hymns in the praise of the Vedic gods for attaining material prosperity here and happiness hereafter. They are metrical poems comprising prayers hymns and incantations addressed to various deities both subjective and objective. As mentioned earlier the deities are mostly representative of some elements of nature. The Rig Ved Samhitas are the oldest and the best.

 The Upanishads are the most important portion of the Vedas. The philosophy of the Upanishad is both sublime and profound. The Upanishad speaks of the identity of the individual soul and the supreme soul. They reveal the most subtle and deep spiritual truths.

Vedangas and Upaveda are texts which augment the Vedas. There are six Vedangas namely siksa,[phonetic science] jyotisha,[time science—astronomy and astrology] klapa,[rituals] nirukti,[context—conclusive meaning] kandas,[meter] and vyakarana[grammar]. Jyotish vedanga is the most famous as it deals with astrology. There are five upavedas. And they are artha, dhanur, sthapatya, gandharva, and ayur Veda. Agamas are the treaties that contain rituals rites and worship of the gods. There are five of them based on the worship of Ganesha, Shakti, Surya, Shiva, and Vishnu. All these sections and subsections might put anyone in confusion.

To put the matter in the right perspective one can safely argue that the Vedas show three clear paths. 1. The karma Kanda is the path using Vedangas 2. Upasana Kanda using the agamas while the Gyana Kanda involves the path of Upanishads to realize the supreme of the supreme the Brahman.

Upanishad as mentioned earlier are found at the end of the Vedas, are also called Vedanta [where Veda means knowledge and anta means end together it means the end of knowledge] because they expound and dwell on the spiritual essence of the Vedas. Upanishads are mainly text whereas Vedanta is philosophy there are 1108 Upanishads and of these only 108 are considered genuine. Eleven of them ie Isha , Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Maandukya, Taittirlya, chandogya, Shwetashwatara, Brihad Aranyaka, are considered to be major as they have been commented upon by many acharyas of various traditions. Upanishad means ‘to sit down near’ because they were explained to the students who sat near the feet of the teacher, the guru. The learning of the Upanishads was not a time-bound study as we might think it to be. This needed a constant closeness with the guru who taught them the essence of the Upanishads through the daily routine. Such schools were called Gurukul.

Ultimately Vedanta becomes the basis of Hinduism which asserts that Brahman the impersonal god and the universal soul is the absolute truth. This Brahman has multiple role to play He is the creator He is the maintainer and He is the destroyer and here comes the origin of the trinity of the gods Brahma Vishnu Mahesh.

Darshan means sight or vision. In Vedanta philosophy there is just one question which is important and that is what is the source of everything? There were philosophers who saw different stages of the source and explained the same in their view points. These explanations are called Darshans and there are six types of Darshanas [Six system of philosophy] called ‘Sada – Darshan’ These six systems are:

 

1. Nyaya propounded by Gautam the philosophy of the source as opined or viewed by Gautam. This philosophy maintains that atom is the cause of cosmic manifestation.
2. Veisheshika as propounded by Kanada. Maintains that a combination of atoms is the cause of cosmic manifestation.
3. Sankhya propounded by Kapila. It is the philosophy of analytical study. where it maintains that it is the material nature which is the cause of cosmic manifestation.
4. Yoga propounded by Patanjali It is the philosophy of mystic perfection where universal consciousness is the cause of cosmic manifestation.
5. Purva mimangsha propounded by Jamini. It is the philosophy of action and reaction where it maintains furtive activities are the cause of cosmic manifestation.
6. Uttara mimangsha propounded by Vyasa where the impersonalists maintain that the impersonal Brahman effulgence is the cause of the cosmic manifestation.

 All these six systems are written in aphorism (sutras) Besides all the philosophy which talks of the cosmic origin and the cosmic attributes of the divine there are the epics ( Itihaas) and stories( Puranas) written to bring into light the human attributes of the divine.

Itihaas comprises of two great epics they are Ramayana and The Mahabharata which are the stories of two incarnations of Lord Vishnu ie Ram and Krishna. Ramayana was written by Valmiki and Mahabharat was written by sage Vyasa. Bhagavad Gita which is the epitome of Hindu philosophy is found in Mahabharat in the form of dictum and advice given to Arjun by Lord Krishna. It is the most important part of the Mahabharata. Just as Upanishads contain the cream of the Vedas so does Gita contains the cream of Upanishads. Due to its contents, Bhagavad Gita is also called as Gito- Upanishad. Vyasa also wrote the Puranas 18 Puranas and 18 sub Puranas. All Puranas emphasize on the morals and is usually a story about a Hindu deity fighting to uphold the morals. Vyasa supplemented the Vedas with Puranas which explains the Vedic truths intended for different types of men.

 

The Vedic literature also had detailed studies on the various sciences or Kala and these studies and scriptures are the scientific aspects of the Vedas.

The first, that needs to be mentioned is the encyclopedic Shastra which was called Akshara-Laksha. This was written by sage Valmiki. All kinds of mathematics including modern geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry, Physics, Applied mathematics, mineralogy, Hydels, the methods of measuring air heat and even electricity, and geography are said to have been treated in these treaties.

The next science of importance is the Sabda –Shastra is written by Kandika Rishi which deals with sounds, echoes of moving and non-moving objects in creation. It also deals with mechanically reproducing sound, measuring their pitch and velocity.

Sage Sakatayana is the author of Lakshana Shastra which deals with the science of determining the sex in animate and inanimate creation.

Sage Kashyapa is the author of Shilpa Shastra and it comprises of 22 chapters.307 varieties of shilpas including 11 types of construction like Temples, Palaces, Hall, etc. Earlier writers on this subject were Vishwakarma, Maya, Maruti and Chayapurusha their thoughts have been incorporated in the above Shastra.

 

Rishi Sukesha was the author of Supa shastra which is the equivalent of the modern-day book of cookery. It dealt with the science of cooking. It has 108variety of preparations from condiments to pickles to sweetmeats, cakes, and pudding. It also has an exhaustive index of the recipe for people living in different parts of the world. To be precise it contains 3032 types of recipe.

Sage Rishayasringa created something that the Japanese call the science of ikebana. This treatise is called the Malini shastra. This work consisted of 16 chapters which include flower arrangements, making garlands, bouquets, writing love messages on flower petals.

The science of the time was written by Karttikeya, it divisions into definite periods.

The science of Metal called the dhatuvada was written by Ashwini kumaras. In it are 7 chapters that deal with dhatus or the primary substances their combinations and transmutation. Alchemy or converting copper into gold etc has been described in this work.

 

Ashwini Kumar was a great rishi who also authored the Visha Shastra. This is also an exhaustive work where 32 different types of poison their properties, their preparation, and their antidotes

The next in line is the science of fine arts which was composed by sage Bhima and this treatise is called Chitra karma shastra. The uniqueness of this science was that students were taught to recreate a person after seeing a single strand of hair or nail. Highly advanced form of forensic science?

Then there is the Mala Shastra which deals with gymnastics and sports necessary for the preservation of health.

Sage Vatsyayana has composed a work on Ratna Pariksha which means testing of gems.

Sage Vyasa is said to have composed a work on Artha shastra which had three chapters on ways of earning money legitimately.

Sage agastya[agastya muni] is the originator of Shakti Shastra. Atomic fission and nuclear science formed a part of this science.

Yantra Shastra by Sage bharadwaj explains 339 types of terrestial vehicle,783 types of boats and ships and 101 types of airships by use of mantras Tantras and artificial means

 

In the above paragraphs I have tried to give an overall view of the Vedic scriptures, it contents in general and the various divisions that these scriptures have. The last description of the scriptures—Kalas—shows us that the Vedic scriptures were not only spiritual but also very technical and scientific. In fact, the scripture shows us that the civilization that gave birth to these scriptures was a very advanced civilization not only spiritually but also scientifically and technologically. Today’s civilizations at this juncture at the turn of the millennium are yet to uncover and discover and invent many things that have already been discussed in the Vedic scriptures..

In the Vymanik Shastra, there is mention of 101 different types of aircraft propelled by three different types of fuel and attaining very high speed. It also prescribes the diet and the lifestyle that a pilot is supposed to follow. Vymanik shastra describes something called the tracheon propulsion unit which mathematically could achieve the speed of light and thereby the state of the flyer. Germens have taken the entire treatise of this shastra and they are still currently doing research on the same. German Technology is nothing but the Vedic technology which they have taken from India and they are the ones who are trying to follow the directions and process mentioned therein and we as Indians today are shunning Sanskrit, the base of all the Vedas.

 Having said all this it is but natural to know who the people were and which was the civilization that was so advanced?  It also becomes imperative to understand that the civilization was not static.

 

Bibliography

  www.spiritweb.org/spirit/vedas

   https://unikolom.com/first-shloka-of-rig-veda/

  www.hinduism.co.za/vedas ]

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