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Written by Swami Chandrashekarendra
Saraswati |
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The Vedas are eternal and the source of all creations and their
greatness
is to be known in many different ways. As I have already stated, their
sound produces in our nadis as well as in the atmosphere vibrations that
are salutary not only to our own Self but to the entire world. Here we
must understand "lokakshema" or our welfare of the world to mean the
good of mankind as well as of all other creatures. This concern for all
creation that finds expression in the Vedas is not shared by any other
religion. "Sanno astu dvipadesancatuspade"-- this occurs in a mantra:
the
Vedas pray for the good of all creatures including bipeds, quadrupeds
etc.
Even grass, shrubs, trees, mountains and the rivers are not excluded
from
their benign purview. The happy state of all these sentient creatures
and
inert objects is brought about through the special quality of the Vedas.
The noble character of their sound apart, the Vedas are also notable for
the lofty truths that find expression in the mantras. The tenets of
these
scriptures have aroused the wonder of the people of other lands, of
other
faiths. They are moved by the poetic beauty of the hymns, the subtle
manner in which principles of social life are dealt with them, the
metaphysical truths embedded and expounded in them, and the moral
instruction as well as scientific truths contained in them.
Not all mantras that create benign vibrations are necessarily
meaningful.
In this context we have the example of the music. The alapana of a raga
(the elaboration of a musical mode) is "pure" sound, that is, it has no
words, but it is still is capable of producing emotions like joy,
sorrow, etc.
During the researches conducted by a university team, it was discovered
that the vibrations created by the instrumental music quickened the
growth of the plants and resulted in a higher yield. Here is a proof
that
the sound has the power of creation. Also to be noted is the fact that
the
instrumental music played to the plant does not obviously have any
verbal contact--- this establishes that the sound has its own power.
The remarkable thing about the Vedas is that they are of immeasurable
value as much for their sound as for their verbal content. While the
sound
has its creative power, the words are notable for the exalted character
of
the meaning they convey.
There are Tamil hymns of a very high order. To read them is to be moved
by them; they touch our hearts with their intense devotion. But we have
recourse only to a few of them for repeated incantation to expel a
poison
or to cure a disease. The authors of these hymns like Nakkirar,
Arunagirinadhar and Sambandamurti have composed poems that are
more moving and beautiful. But the sound of the hymns chosen for
repeated incantation are potent like mantras. Among our Acharya's
works are the Saundaryalahari and the Sivanandalahari. the recitation of
each stanza of the Saundaryalahari brings in a specific benefit. The
same
is not said about the Sivanandalahari. The reason is the special mantrik
power (of the sound) of the former.
There are mantras that are especially valuable for their sound but are
otherwise meaningless. Similarly there are works pregnant with meaning
but with no mantrik power. The glory of the Vedas is that they are a
collection of mantras that are at once notable as much for the
energising
character of their sound as for the lofty truths they proclaim. A
medicine,
though bitter, does the body good, while some types of food, though
delicious, do harm. Are we not delighted to have something like
kusmanda-lehya, which is sweet to taste and is at the same time
nourishing to the body? Similarly, the Vedas serve a two fold purpose:
while they have the mantrik power to do immense good to each one of us
and too the world, they also contain teachings embodying great
metaphysical truths.
It must here be emphasised that on the doctrinal level the Vedas deal
both with worldly life and the inner life of the Self. They teach how to
conduct ourselves in such a manner as to create Atmic well-being. And
their concern is not with the liberation of the individual alone; they
speak
about the ideals of social life and about the duties of the public. How
the
Brahmin ought to lead his life and how the king must rule his subjects
and
what ideals women are to follow: an answer to these-stated in the form
of laws-is to be found in these scriptures. The Vedas indeed constitute
the apex of our law-books. |
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