The Vedas are the highest authority of Hinduism. They are beyond time and have an origin which is non-human ( apauruṣeya )
Vedas and their downloaders
A detailed description on the genesis of Vedas is attached as a link at the end of this article. A brief glance on the origins of Vedas will be exemplified here - as we need to understand what 'Vedas' denote before even getting into what we have lost.
Advanced beings have always walked the planet from time immemorial. These beings through penance, awakened superhuman capabilities. As such, they were able to download all forms of cosmic knowledge from the universal archive - ākāśa.
The whole creation is a reverberation and reverberation means sound energy. These beings - referred to as ṛṣi-s envisioned the revelations of the Universe in a series of sounds. The adhering knowledge endowed in tandem to this.
For example,the ṛṣi who downloaded the gāyatrī mantra of the ṛg ( actually sāvitrī mantra ) is Sage Viśvāmitra
This is why the Vedas come under 'śruti' - meaning, 'that which was heard'. The ṛṣi who downloads is termed 'mantra-draṣṭa' , meaning ' The one who has seen the mantra'.
The Vedas,therefore, has no authorship - on contrary to smritis in which Purāṇa-s and itihāsa-s fall under.
How the VEDAS got preserved.
An ingenious system preserved the ancient, time tested Vedas. The Vedas were passed generations after generations only by recitation - as the Vedas are sounds ( mantra ) by core.
In addition, the ancient sages devised 11 modes of reciting the Vedas to preserve its authenticity over generations.
The script is a recent invention.
It was impossible for anyone to master the entire Vedas in a lifetime ( Unless one is a highly evolved being like Veda Vyasa himself - who had mastered the entire Vedas )
Veda Vyāsa divided these ocean of sound-based cosmic data into four branches (śākhā) and taught them to his four disciples:
(1) Ṛg Veda to Sage Paila
(2) Yajur Veda to Sage Vaiśampāyana
Yajur Veda later grew into two varieties — the Śukla Yajur Veda and Kṛṣṇa Yajur Veda.
(3) Sāma Veda to Sage Jaimini
(4) Atharva Veda to Sage Sumantu
Each Veda is subdivided into Saṃhitā, Brāhmaṇa, Āraṇyaka, and Upaniṣad.
Saṃhitā refers to the original verses, and Brāhmaṇa consists of explanations in regards to the original verses — be it the meaning or its usage.
Āraṇyaka refers to forest treatises — lessons learnt and recited in forests.
Upaniṣads consist of "philosophical" messages, often in the form of the essence of a Vedic truth.
Each of the Veda have many śākha-s ( branches ). For example, the Sāma Veda had 1000 śākha-s in total !
Each Person only learnt ONE Shaakha of ONE Veda !
Traditionally, a family belonged to a particular śākha. A person only learnt the śākha in which he belonged to.
Lord Rama is said to have belonged to the taittirīya śākha of Kṛṣṇa Yajur Veda.. ( Of course the very name 'aittirīya śākha' did not exist back then )
The Amount of Vedas We Have Lost
There were originally about 1193 branches of the Vedas, with only 11 'alive' today.
that means less than 1 % of what we originally had.
As we can see, we only have about 0.9 percent of the original Vedas on the planet today - which itself is extremely vast.
Some of the existing branches listed above are also on the verge of extinction.
Among the 11 surviving branches, only 3 are recited by Veda chanters in just about enough numbers
The rest have barely full-fledged reciters and the other 8 branches are in the danger of extinction.
The degree of severity as quoted :
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| From - Rudra Tattva Book by Shri Maunish Vyas |
Even in Ṛg Veda, there is only 1 active śākhā today - the Śākala śākhā, which has just enough teachers and disciples.
Some Varanasi students are attempting to revive the Bāṣkala Śākhā which was dead almost 50 years ago.
The last living person of Bāṣkala Śākhā was from Banswara in Rajasthan and he had about 2-3 students.
The last person who knew Bāṣkala Śākhā passed away in 2015. My mentor's friend had sent his 2 disciples to learn from him.
Śrī Sūktam is from the Bāṣkala Śākhā. This is why there are so many versions in reciting the Śrī Sūktam. It is a portion from an extinct branch of Ṛg Veda and no one knows the actual way to recite it. Each school is now reciting Śrī Sūktam based on their own śākhā.
With that having said, it is our duty to learn, recite and preserve the remaining Vedas. May everyone do their dharma to their śākhā.
Nevertheless, it is good news that some of the most crucial and powerful portions of the Vedas are being spread today. Online classes are being conducted vastly. People regardless of race and creed have started to learn them.
Women have started learning the Vedas as well.
These are events which never occurred in the past.
This article has been written with the light shed to me by my mentor - Shri Maunish Vyas, author of Rudra Tattva.
I would have to simply quote what my mentor has told me, when I presented this question to him.
He said when Earth's collective consciousness rises, the new age Rishis will re-download the Vedas.
I only wish to see a future where the the Vedas reverberate in their fullest form throughout the planet.
Read More :
(1) Origin of Vedas
(2) Vedas predate Sanskrit
Very precious information, now I am also start learning of veda.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this article, I am now learning Vedanta school and Shaiva Shiddhanta. These are the philosophies that all Hindu need to know.
ReplyDeleteThank you Vinnith ji, this is a precious article keep up your good work.
ReplyDeleteI am also your ekalavya shishya for past 2 years.
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