I have decided that every day when my mind itches to read up something crawling through the internet, I will read something from Swami Vivekananda's Lectures. This morning I was reading from the last talk in '..Colombo to Almora', delivered at Dhaka in 1901. Here's a beautiful excerpt:
Who are these Rishis? Vâtsyâyana says, "He who has attained through proper means the direct realisation of Dharma, he alone can be a Rishi even if he is a Mlechchha by birth." Thus it is that in ancient times, Vasishtha, born of an illegitimate union, Vyâsa, the son of a fisherwoman, Narada, the son of a maidservant with uncertain parentage, and many others of like nature attained to Rishihood. Truly speaking, it comes to this then, that no distinction should be made with one who has realised the Truth. If the persons just named all became Rishis, then, O ye Kulin Brahmins of the present day, how much greater Rishis you can become! Strive after that Rishihood, stop not till you have attained the goal, and the whole world will of itself bow at your feet! Be a Rishi — that is the secret of power.
This Veda is our only authority, and everyone has the right to it.
"That I to all the people may address this salutary speech,
To priest and nobleman, Sûdra and Arya, to one of our own
kin and to the stranger" [I have taken the translation from Griffith]
— Thus says the Shukla Yajur Veda (XXVI. 2). Can you show any authority from this Veda of ours that everyone has not the right to it? The Purânas, no doubt, say that a certain caste has the right to such and such a recension of the Vedas, or a certain caste has no right to study them, or that this portion of the Vedas is for the Satya Yuga and that portion is for the Kali Yuga. But, mark you, the Veda does not say so; it is only your Puranas that do so. But can the servant dictate to the master? The Smritis, Puranas, Tantras — all these are acceptable only so far as they agree with the Vedas; and wherever they are contradictory, they are to be rejected as unreliable. But nowadays we have put the Puranas on even a higher pedestal than the Vedas! The study of the Vedas has almost disappeared from Bengal. How I wish that day will soon come when in every home the Veda will be worshipped together with Shâlagrâma, the household Deity, when the young, the old, and the women will inaugurate the worship of the Veda!
3 comments:
“Worship of the Veda!” - Beautiful thought!
This lecture makes me think about authenticity, yet again. In this neo-vedantic age most people are truly confused about whose words to believe in. Lack of both breadth and depth of our samskriti and dharma is not the only reason. Different dharmic schools are preaching different variations of the same truth. Practically speaking, two books may publish the meaning of one veda samhita differently. In this case what should the reader believe in?
“As long as it is within the realm of veda” – for a beginner level seeker this decision is daunting. Like Sankara says, vichakshana is also a trait that the seeker should slowly develop. For this, the seeker needs a sadguru. Once the seeker puts complete faith in the sadguru, believing his guru’s version is no longer an issue.
You should listen to a Tyagaraja composition that says “guru lEka eTuvanTi guNiki teliyaka pOdu…” (Without a guru even a guNvAn will not know anything.)
doesnt the Veda reveal the correct meaning to the enquirer once s/he reaches the right preparation? Take the gayatri for instance. the beginner gets a meaning- and to a sadhaka who is devoted to Sandhya, comes the reliazation of Truth itself as its meaning.
indeed, Guru is paramount. and Guru comes when the preparation is right. and isnt the antaryAmin the only true Guru?
Yes, ultimately the sadhaka can only prepare him/herself. You are right...meaning is to be eventually realized. I guess no one told us it was going to be easy.
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