The Vedas are the most ancient sacred texts. Vedas - what is it?

1. What are the Vedas?

The Vedas are revealed scriptures that describe in detail the nature of this world, the nature of man, God, and the soul. The word “Veda” literally means “knowledge”, in other words, the Vedas are a science, and not just a set of some myths or beliefs. The Vedas in Sanskrit are called apaurusheya, which means “not made by man.” The Vedas are eternal, and each time the creator of the universe, Brahma, after the next cycle of destruction, “remembers” the imperishable Vedas in order to create this world again. In this sense, the Vedas relate to such eternal categories as God and spiritual energy. There are four Vedas; These are Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda and Yajur Veda.

Three of them are basic and largely overlap with each other in content: Rig-, Yajur- and Sama-Veda. The Atharva Veda stands apart because it deals with issues that are not included in the other Vedas. The first three Vedas consist of prayers or mantras addressed to the Supreme Lord in His many personal and universal aspects, while the Atharva Veda expounds knowledge of architecture, medicine and other applied disciplines.

The sounds of the Vedas carry a special energy, so it was very important to preserve these sounds in their original form. Vedic culture has developed a method of transmitting the Vedas in an undistorted state. Despite the fact that 95% of the Vedas have now been lost, the remaining five percent have reached us intact.

2. How were the Vedas able to survive?

The secret lies in the language of the Vedas - Sanskrit. The Vedas are otherwise called shruti, “heard.” For many centuries and eras, the Vedas were passed on from mouth to mouth, there was a well-developed system of mnemonic rules for memorizing the Vedas; There are still people in India who can recite one or even several Vedas by heart. These are several hundred thousand verses in Sanskrit. The Sanskrit word means "perfect, having an ideal structure." Sanskrit is a language with unique grammar and phonetics and many languages ​​of this world are derived from it; in particular, all Western European languages, Dravidian, Latin, Ancient Greek and, of course, Russian. Sanskrit phonetics has no analogues in its scientific organization. There are twenty-five consonants in Sanskrit, they are divided into five rows according to the method of sound production, with five letters for each row. These five rows are directly related to the five original elements from which the world is built. The first row refers to ether, the second to air, the third to fire, the fourth to water, the fifth to earth. The Vedas themselves say that each sound of the Sanskrit alphabet carries a certain subtle energy and it is on this energy that the entire Vedic culture is based. Mantras consisting of these sounds, correctly pronounced, are capable of awakening the hidden, subtle mechanisms of nature, and the sages of ancient times, rishis (“able to see through gross reality”), with the help of correct pronunciation, generated a certain wave structure that allowed them to work miracles.

3. What are the Vedas made of?

Each Veda consists of four sections called Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads. Samhitas are collections of mantras. They are, in fact, called the Vedas. Brahmins give instructions on how, with what rituals and at what time these mantras should be pronounced. The Brahmans also contain a set of laws that a person must follow in order to live happily in this world. Aranyaka is a section of a more metaphysical nature; here the hidden meaning and the highest purpose of the rituals are explained. And finally, the Upanishads provide a philosophical justification for the laws of this world; they tell about the nature of God, the individual soul, the relationships that connect the world, God and the soul. In addition to these there are six vedangas, auxiliary Vedic disciplines. This is Shiksha, the rules for pronouncing the sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet; Chandas, the rules of rhythm and stress in the verses that make up the Vedas; Vyakarana, which explains the grammar and metaphysics of Sanskrit - how the innermost nature of human life and the structure of the universe are reflected in Sanskrit. Next comes Nirukta, the etymology of words of the Sanskrit alphabet based on the verbal roots to which every part of speech in Sanskrit is traced back. Then comes Kalpa, the rules for performing rites and rituals, and finally Jyotish, or astrology, which explains at what time these rituals should be performed in order for any undertaking to be crowned with success.

4. When and by whom were the Vedas written down?

Five thousand years ago in the Himalayas they were written down by the famous sage Srila Vyasadeva. His very name indicates the one who “divided and wrote down” (translated into Russian, “vyasa” means “editor”). The life story of Vyasadeva is given in the Mahabharata, his father was Parashara Muni, his mother was Satyavati. Vyasadeva wrote down all the Upanishads, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and classified the Samhitas. Here it should be noted that initially the Veda is a single whole, one huge “volume,” but Vyasadeva divided this “volume” into four and attached to each the corresponding branches of knowledge, the above-mentioned Vedangas. In addition to the six Vedangas, there is smriti, literature “for memorization”, conveying the same message of the Vedas in simpler language, using examples or real historical events, or allegorical stories. Smriti includes eighteen main and eighteen additional Puranas, as well as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, historical chronicles. Apart from this there are Kavyas, poetry collections. They are also sometimes classified as Vedic literature because they are based on the Puranas, only with more detailed elaboration of the plot and stories contained initially in the Vedas and then recorded in the Puranas.

To study the Vedas, very high qualifications were required, and by misunderstanding the meaning of certain mantras, one could harm both oneself and others. Therefore, in Vedic culture there were certain restrictions on the study of the Vedas. But for smriti, historical narratives, there are no such prohibitions. The Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana can be read by everyone without exception. These books carry the original ideas of the Vedas, the eternal sound that at one time gave birth to the entire universe. The language of the Puranas is not so complex, so scholars distinguish between Vedic Sanskrit and Smriti Sanskrit. Vyasadeva is called the author of the Vedas, but Vyasadeva simply wrote down what existed many millennia before him. The word purana itself means “ancient.” These books have always existed, including the single Purana, and Vyasadeva presented it in a language understandable to the people of the age of Kali, the age of degradation in which we now live. Therefore, both the Vedas and the Puranas are equally authoritative. They convey the same message, they are written by the same sage and they represent a harmonious, coherent body of Vedic scriptures, in which each part complements the other.

5. What areas of knowledge do the Vedic scriptures cover?

The first, the most main topic Vedic scriptures is spiritual knowledge, knowledge about the nature of the soul. In addition, the Vedas contain a huge amount of other information regarding everything that a person needs for a long and happy life. This is knowledge about the organization of space, vastu: how to build a house, how to arrange it in order to feel good, not get sick, and live in peace and prosperity. This is medicine, Ayur-Veda, “the science of life extension.” This is Vedic astrology, which explains how the Earth and the human microcosm are connected with the macrocosm, with the universe, and how a person should plan his day, trips, and important endeavors in life. The Vedas also have a section on music, which talks about seven basic notes, which correspond to the seven chakras, energy nodes in the human body, allowing specially constructed melodies (ragas) to calm and heal a person, and create psychological comfort. The Vedas detail yoga, or a set of various techniques and exercises that allow one to achieve a tremendous degree of mental concentration, calm the mind, gain mystical powers and ultimately realize one's spiritual nature. There are also books on martial arts. There are sections of the Vedas that contain spells and mystical rituals. There are manuals on economic prosperity, applied psychology, government, and diplomacy. There is Kama Shastra, science intimate relationships, allowing a person to gradually move from gross material pleasures to increasingly subtle ones and thus understand that such pleasures are not the goal of human existence.

6. To what extent is Vedic knowledge applicable in our time and in those countries that are not related to India climatically and historically?

Vedic knowledge is scientific, Veda means knowledge, and all scientific knowledge is universal. When we're talking about about scientific knowledge, no one asks scientists in which country they discovered this law. If there is a law, it applies everywhere, including outside the country in which it was opened. The laws laid down in the Vedic scriptures are valid at all times and in all circumstances, you just need to know how. For example, the law of attraction, discovered by Newton, is valid everywhere on Earth. It will also operate on other planets, but with certain modifications, and even on the northern and south poles Earth coefficients and constants may differ slightly from the standard ones. The same is true of Vedic knowledge. For example, Ayur Veda formulates general universal laws of healthy life, but it also explains how to apply these laws in specific conditions, in other climatic zone, where the sun rises later and other herbs and fruits grow. The principles remain eternal and unchanging, but the ways in which these principles are applied may change depending on time and circumstances.

7. Are the Vedas supported by modern scientific research?

Yes. One striking example is the data given in the Vedic Siddhantas, astronomical calculations in which, thousands of years before Copernicus, the structure of the universe was described and the distances from the Earth to the planets were given. solar system, with their radii, etc. Vedic mathematicians also knew the number “pi”, with various approximations. But the most curious and striking confirmation of the authority of the Vedic scriptures is the discovery of the Swiss scientist Hans Jenny, MD, anthropologist, follower of Rudolf Steiner. Jenny tried to find a connection between form and sound. We have already said that Vedic sounds, or Sanskrit sounds, create a certain vibration in the ether, which ultimately takes on visible, tangible forms. In an attempt to understand what form different sounds have, Jenny, using a special device that turns sound vibrations into visible lines on sand or powder, discovered that the sound om, with which many Vedic mantras begin and the symbolic image of which is the Lakshmi Yantra (a special graphic an image of proportionally arranged squares, triangles and circles) when pronounced correctly, generates exactly this yantra on the sand! Moreover, correctly pronounced sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet also gave rise to shapes that resembled the letters of this alphabet.

8. What do the Vedic scriptures have in common with the sacred scriptures of other peoples?

Of course, you can find parallel places, because the Vedic scriptures are so vast that, in principle, everything can be found there. In this regard, the case of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh (1914-2003) is interesting, as he himself writes: “I remember a conversation that I had with Vladimir Nikolaevich Lossky in the thirties. He was then very negatively opposed to Eastern religions. We discussed this for a long time, and he firmly told me: “No, there is no truth in them!” I came home, took the ancient Indian book of the Upanishads, wrote down eight quotes, returned to him and said: “Vladimir Nikolaevich, when I read the holy fathers, I always I make extracts and write the name of the person to whom this saying belongs, but here I have eight sayings without authors. Can you recognize them “by sound?” He took my eight quotations from the Upanishads, looked at them, and within two minutes named the names of the eight fathers of the Orthodox Church. Then I told him where it came from... This served as some kind of beginning for him to reconsider this issue.”

Another example of parallels is the beginning of the Bible, which describes how God created the world. God said: “Let there be light,” and light appeared. This is reminiscent of lines from the Vedanta Sutra, where Brahma, the “chief architect” of the universe, before creating, recalls the words of the Vedas, pronounces them out loud and thus brings to life various objects of this world. And in the Gospel of John we read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Vedas also say that the first element of this world was sound, spiritual sound, non-different from God himself. This is the name of God and in the Vedas it is called Om.

9. Which of the Vedic books are considered the main ones?

Among the vast body of Vedic literature, the main books are considered to be the Vedanta Sutra, the first eleven Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana or Srimad Bhagavatam. Bhagavad-gita is a concise, accessible and consistent exposition of all the philosophical axioms contained in the Upanishads, and Srimad-Bhagavatam is the quintessence of both the philosophy of the Upanishads and all the Puranas. The same Puranas mention that the Srimad-Bhagavatam serves as a natural commentary on the Vedanta-sutra, as evidenced by the same beginning of both works: janmadi asya, which means “He from whom creation begins, who maintains creation and who is the cause of it destruction." The Sanskrit word Vedanta means "the crown of all knowledge", sutra "aphorism".

The Vedanta Sutra explains the meaning of the Upanishads and eliminates the apparent contradictions that arise in the mind of one who studies the Upanishads. For example, if you read the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, its different volumes, it may seem that this is completely unrelated knowledge. But if you understand the connecting point, the idea that underlies this knowledge, then the seemingly scattered information will appear collected into a single whole. In the same way, the huge corpus of Vedic scriptures may seem disjointed, but only to a person who does not know the cross-cutting idea on which everything else is strung.

10. Lately there has been a lot of talk about the “Russian Vedas”. What is it?

One of the researchers on this issue, O.V. Tvorogov, wrote that in 1919, White Army Colonel A.F. Izenbek discovered wooden tablets with writings on them in a ruined landowner’s estate in the west of the Kharkov region. He ordered the orderly to collect the planks in a bag and took them with him. In 1925, A.F. Isenbek, who lived in Brussels, met Yu.P. Mirolyubov. A chemical engineer by training, Yu. P. Mirolyubov was no stranger to literary pursuits: he wrote poetry and prose, but most of his works (posthumously published in Munich) consisted of research on the history and religion of the ancient Slavs. Mirolyubov shared with Isenbek his idea of ​​writing a poem on a historical subject, but complained about the lack of material. In response, Isenbek pointed to a bag of planks lying on the floor: “You see the bag over there in the corner? Sea bag. There is something there...” “In the bag I found,” recalls Mirolyubov, “planks tied with a belt passed through the holes.” Over the next fifteen years, Mirolyubov copied the tablets (Isenbek did not allow them to be taken out of the house). For the first time world community became acquainted with the “Veles Book” from a message in the emigrant magazine “Firebird”, published in San Francisco in 1953. And in 1976, this topic also interested Soviet scientists. The newspaper “Nedelya” published a note by two scientists, V. Skurlatov and N. Nikolaev, in which, in particular, it was reported: “Veles’s book depicts a completely unexpected picture of the distant past of the Slavs, it tells about the Rus as the “grandsons of Dazhdbog”, about the forefathers Bogumir and Or , tells about the movement of Slavic tribes from the depths Central Asia in the Danube region, about the battles with the Goths and then with the Huns and Avars, that Rus', which had perished three times, rose up. She talks about cattle breeding as the main economic occupation of the ancient Slavic-Russians, about a harmonious and unique system of mythology, a worldview, largely unknown before.”

From the point of view of the classical Sanskrit Vedas, we can only say that the original Veda over time was divided into many parts, which came to be called by the name of the sage who kept this knowledge, or the main character in the stories associated with that particular Veda. The Vedas are a supranational concept. What is now called the “Russian Vedas” is a collection of ancient tales. They really contain, like the classical Vedas, information about the creation of the world, about various demigods, rulers of the elements, space, as well as stories about ancient heroes, founders various genera and tribes. There is ample archaeological and linguistic evidence that Russia and India have common historical roots.

The ancient city of Arkaim on the territory of the Urals, the Sanskrit names of rivers in Central Russia and Siberia, the close connection between Sanskrit and Russian - all this gives reason to believe that in ancient times, in a vast area from the Northern Arctic Ocean to the southern tip of India, a single culture flourished, which is now called Vedic. The “Vedicity” of Isenbek’s find is confirmed by the fact that the sages of ancient India also tied together the tablets on which they wrote, collecting books from them.

Veda(from Sanskrit - “knowledge”, “teaching”) is a collection of ancient sacred scriptures of Hinduism that were written down in Sanskrit.

Indian Vedas for a long time transmitted in oral poetic form. They have no authors, as they were “clearly heard” by the holy sages. Vedas apaurusheya - uncreated by man, sanatan - eternal, divinely revealed scriptures.

Etymology

The Sanskrit word veda means “knowledge,” “wisdom,” and is derived from the root vid–, “to know,” related to the Proto-Indo-European root ueid–, meaning “to know,” “to see,” or “to know.”

The word is mentioned as a noun in the Rig Veda. It is cognate with Proto-Indo-European ueidos, Greek "aspect", "form", English wit, witness, wisdom, vision (the latter from Latin video, videre), German wissen ("know", "knowledge"), Norwegian viten ("knowledge") , Swedish veta ("to know"), Polish wiedza ("knowledge"), Latin video ("I see"), Czech vim ("I know") or vidim ("I see"), Dutch weten ("to know") , Belarusian veda ("knowledge") and Russian to know, to know, to explore, to taste, to manage, knowledge, sorcerer, manager, ignoramus, ignorance.

Dating and history of writing the Vedas

The Vedas are considered one of the most ancient scriptures in the world. According to modern Indological science, the Vedas were compiled over a period that lasted about a thousand years. It began with the recording of the Rig Veda around the 16th century BC. BC, reached its apogee with the creation of various shakhas in North India and ended during the time of Buddha and Panini in the 5th century BC. e. Most scholars agree that before the Vedas were written down, there was an oral tradition of their transmission for many centuries.

Due to the fragility of the material on which the Vedas were written (tree bark or palm leaves were used), the age of the manuscripts that have reached us does not exceed several hundred years. The oldest manuscripts of the Rig Veda date back to the 11th century. The Benares Sanskrit University houses a manuscript dating back to the 14th century.

The European-educated Indian Brahmin Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856–1920) substantiated the concept that the Vedas were created around 4500 BC. e. B. G. Tilak's arguments are based on a philological and astronomical analysis of the text of the Vedas. The author's conclusions are as follows: the picture of the sky that the Vedas reproduce could have arisen only among people who lived in the circumpolar region of the globe. Nowadays, the Arctic hypothesis formulated by Tilak is finding more and more support among scientists.

Classification (division)

1. Four Vedas

Initially, there was one Veda - Yajur Veda - and it was transmitted orally, from teacher to student. But about 5000 years ago, the great sage Krishna-Dvaipayana Vyasa (Vyasadeva) wrote down the Vedas for the people of this age, Kali-yuga. He divided the Vedas into four parts according to the types of sacrifices: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda and entrusted these parts to his disciples.

1. Rig Veda– Veda of Hymns
2. Sama-Veda– Veda of Chant
3. Yajur Veda– Veda of sacrificial formulas
4. Atharva Veda– Veda of Spells

Rigveda(veda of hymns) - consists of 10522 (or 10462 in another version) slokas (verses), each of which is written in a certain meter, such as gayatri, anushtup, etc. These 10522 mantra verses are grouped into 1028 suktas (hymns ), which in turn are grouped into 10 mandalas (books). The size of these mandalas is not the same - for example, the 2nd mandala contains 43 suktas, while the 1st and 10th mandalas have 191 suktas each. The verses of the Rig Veda in Sanskrit are called “rik” - “word of enlightenment”, “clearly heard”. All the mantras of the Rig Veda were revealed to 400 rishis, 25 of whom were women. Some of these rishis were celibate, while others were married. The Rig Veda is mainly devoted to hymns-mantras praising the Lord and His various incarnations in the form of deities, the most often mentioned among which are Agni, Indra, Varuna, Savitar and others. Of the deities of the Trinity, only Brahma (Brahma, Lord the Creator) is mainly mentioned in the Vedas, who in the Vedas is actually personified as Brahman (God) Himself. Vishnu and Shiva are mentioned only as minor deities at the time of the recording of the Vedas. The actual text is the Rig Veda Samhita.

Samaveda(Veda of Chants) - formed from 1875 verses, and most of it, about 90%, duplicates the hymns of the Rigveda. The gyms of the Rigveda were selected for the Samaveda according to the melodiousness of their sound. Samaveda includes mantras that are chanted by priests called Udgatri singers.

Yajurveda(sacrificial formulas) - the Veda, consisting of 1984 verses, contains mantras and prayers used in Vedic rituals. Later, due to contradictions between the numerous philosophical schools of Yajurveda, it was divided into Shuklayajurveda (Light Yajurveda) and Krishnayjurveda (Dark Yajurveda), and thus the Vedas became five. At the time of recording of the Yajurveda, out of the 17 sakhas (branches) of Shuklayajurveda that existed in ancient times, only 2 remained; out of 86 branches of the Krishnayjurveda - 4. Approximately the same ratio of lost texts applies to other Vedas. The Atharva Veda, consisting of 5977 slokas, contains not only hymns, but also comprehensive knowledge devoted, in addition to the religious aspects of life, to such things as the sciences of agriculture, government and even weapons. One of the modern names of the Atharva Veda is Atharva-Angirasa, named after the holy sages and great magicians of this line. This is how the four Vedas arose, although sometimes they talk about five Vedas, taking into account the division of the Yajurveda into Shuklayajurveda and Krishnayjurveda.

Atharvaveda(spells and conspiracies) - the Veda of the fire priest Atharvan - the most ancient collection of Indian conspiracies, composed of 5977 shlokas, and created approximately at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e. The Atharva Veda is unlike others in that it reflects the everyday aspects of life of the ancient people who inhabited India. It tells not about gods and myths associated with them, but about man, his fears, illnesses, his social and personal life.

2. Division of the Vedas into Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads

All Indian Vedas consist of a basic text - samhita, as well as three additional sections: Brahman, Aranyak And Upanishads. These additional sections are not considered by most Vedic scholars to be part of the Vedic texts. Samhitas (the main text) and brahmanas are classified as karma-kanda, the so-called ritual section. The Aranyakas (commandments for forest hermits) and the Upanishads belong to the category of jnana-kanda - the section on knowledge. The Samhitas and Brahmanas focus on ritual practices, while the main theme of the Aranyakas and Upanishads is spiritual self-awareness and philosophy. The Aranyakas and Upanishads are the basis of Vedanta, one of the theistic schools of Hindu philosophy.

Samhitas– collections of mantras presented in the form of hymns, prayers, spells, ritual formulas, charms, etc.; refers to the pantheon of gods and goddesses who are designated by the Sanskrit term "devas", which literally means "luminous", "shining" and is often translated as "celestial beings", "demigods" or "angels". The main maidens of the Vedic pantheon, to whom the most hymns and prayers are dedicated, are Rudra, Indra, Agni and Varuna. Each samhita is accompanied by three collections of commentaries: the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads. They reveal the philosophical aspects of the ritual tradition and, together with the Samhita mantras, are used in sacred rituals. Unlike the main samhita, this part of the Vedas is, as a rule, presented in prose.

Brahmins- hymns and mantras that are used to perform Hindu rituals. They are ritual texts that reproduce the details of sacrifices and speak about the meaning of the sacrificial ritual. They are associated with the samhita of one of the Vedas and are separate texts, with the exception of the Shukla Yajur Veda, where they are partially woven into the samhita. The most important of the Brahmanas is Shatapatha Brahmana, which belongs to Shukla Yajur Veda. The Brahmanas may also include the Aranyakas and the Upanishads.

Aranyaki- commandments created for hermits who went into the forest. They correspond to the “third stage of life,” when the head of the family, having reached old age, went into the forest, becoming a hermit (vanaprastha), and indulged in reflection. Each Aranyaka, like its corresponding brahmana, belongs to one of the three Vedas. For example, Aitareya-brahmana belongs to the Rigveda tradition, and Aitareya-aranyaka from 5 books adjoins it; Shatapatha-brahmana is connected with Yajurveda, which contains Brihad-aranyaka (Great Aranyaka).

In terms of content, the Aranyakas, like the Brahmans, reveal the cosmological meaning of the Vedic ritual. Along with the interpretation of its details, the Aranyakas contain theological discussions about their deep essence, about ritual as a mechanism for achieving immortality or knowledge of the Divine principle. In the Aranyakas one can also find an idea about the possibility of replacing the “external” ritual with an “internal” one (for example, the doctrine of “internal agnihotra” in the Shankhayana Aranyaka).

There are 4 Aranyakas preserved: Aitareyaaranyaka, Kaushitaki (Shakhayana) aranyaka, Taittiriyaaranyaka And Brihadaranyaka.

Upanishads- these are philosophical texts written in Sanskrit, which are the result of the teachings of individual chapters of the four Vedas. They teach us not only the principles of Atmavidya (knowledge of the Atman), but also illuminate how to practically comprehend them. The word "Upanishad" means "comprehension" and practical application of the initial truths. Each text is associated with the Veda in which it appears. The teachings of the Upanishad are often presented in the context of a corresponding Vedic hymn or ritual. Taken together, the Upanishads have common name"Vedanta". They form the section relating to the Supreme Wisdom. In the Vedanta traditions, the Upanishads are referred to as revealed sacred scriptures, through the comprehension of which one gains knowledge of Brahman (the Absolute). Previously, there were 1180 Upanishads, but over the centuries, many of them were forgotten, and only 108 have survived to this day. Ten Upanishads have acquired special significance as the main, or close to the “canonical” Upanishads. The remaining 98 Upanishads complement them and give an idea of ​​​​various issues of world knowledge.

According to scholars, the compilation of the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and the main Upanishads of the Mukhya canon was completed at the end of the Vedic period. The remaining Upanishads belonging to the muktika canon were compiled already in the post-Vedic period.

Vedic Sanskrit scriptures also include some sutras such as Vedanta-sutras, srauta-sutras And grhya-sutras. Scholars believe that their composition (around the 6th century BC), together with the appearance of the Vedangas, marked the end of the Vedic period, after which the first texts in classical Sanskrit began to appear during the Mauryan period.

3. Division into Shruti, Smriti and Nyaya

It is also traditional to divide the Vedic scriptures into three groups:
Shruti, Smriti And Nyaya– heard, remembered, deduced logically.

Shruti(what is comprehended by listening): these are the 4 Vedas (Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Atharva-Veda) and the Upanishads - according to legend, they were originally received by Brahma from the Supreme God. Subsequently they were written down in the priestly language of Sanskrit.

Smriti(what needs to be remembered) – tradition, or what is reproduced from memory; what was realized by the sages, passed through, understood and explained. The term is usually used to refer to texts that complement the srutis, the original Vedic scriptures. There are many ways to classify the smriti scriptures. As a rule, smriti is considered to include:

1. Dharma-shastras– collections of ancient Indian laws, rules and regulations regulating a person’s personal life and containing legal, religious, moral, ethical and other norms of behavior. Consists of 18 books. Each book corresponds to a specific time era.
2. Itihasa or stories, legends. Consists of 4 books. These include the epics "Mahabharata" and "Ramayana".
3. Puranas or ancient epics. Consists of 18 books. Additional scriptures of Hinduism that extol Vishnu, Krishna or Shiva as the Supreme forms of God.
4. Vedanga consists of 6 categories of texts: Shiksha, Vyakarana, Chandas, Nirukta, Jyotisha and Kalpa.
5. Agamas or doctrine. They are divided into three main parts: Vaishnava, Shaivite, Ishakta. Another way of categorizing them is: Mantra, Tantra, and Yantra.

The Smritis were written in colloquial Sanskrit (Laukika-Sanskrit).

Nyaya– logic (Vedanta-sutra and other treatises).

Dharma-shastras

Vishnu-smriti- one of the largest dharmashastras.

Manu-smriti also known as Manu-samhita, Manava-dharmashastra and the Laws of Manu - a monument of ancient Indian literature, an ancient Indian collection of instructions for a pious Indian in the performance of his social, religious and moral duty, attributed by tradition to the legendary progenitor of mankind - Manu. It is one of the nineteen dharma-shastras that are included in the Smriti literature.

Itihasa

Mahabharata– (The Great Legend about the descendants of Bharata, named after King Bharata, a descendant of the ancient king Kuru) is the greatest ancient Indian epic.

One of the largest literary works in the world, the Mahabharata is a complex but organic complex of epic narratives, short stories, fables, parables, legends, lyric-didactic dialogues, didactic discussions of theological, political, legal nature, cosmogonic myths, genealogies, hymns, laments, united in a typical way for great forms of Indian literature based on the principle of framing, consists of eighteen books (parvas) and contains more than 100,000 couplets (slokas), which is four times longer than the Bible and seven times longer than the Iliad and Odyssey combined. The Mahabharata is the source of many plots and images that were developed in the literatures of the peoples of South and Southeast Asia. IN Indian tradition considered the "fifth Veda". One of the few works of world literature that claims of itself that it contains everything in the world.

Bhagavad Gita(Divine Song)

- a monument of ancient Indian literature in Sanskrit, part of the Mahabharata, consists of 700 verses. Bhagavad Gita is one of the sacred texts of Hinduism, which presents the main essence of Hindu philosophy. It is believed that Bhagavad Gita can serve practical guide both in the spiritual and material spheres of life. The Bhagavad Gita is often characterized as one of the most respected and valued spiritual and philosophical texts not only of the Hindu tradition, but also of the religious and philosophical tradition of the whole world.

The text of the Bhagavad Gita consists of a philosophical conversation between Krishna and Arjuna, which takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, just before the start of the Battle of Kurukshetra between the two warring clans of the Pandavas and Kauravas. Arjuna, a warrior and one of the five brother princes of the Pandava clan, before the decisive battle falls into doubt about the appropriateness of the battle, which will lead to the deaths of many worthy people, including his relatives. However, his charioteer - Krishna - convinces Arjuna to take part in the battle, explaining to him his duty as a warrior and a prince and expounding before him the various philosophical systems of Vedanta and the processes of yoga. During the conversation, Krishna reveals himself to Arjuna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, giving Arjuna an awe-inspiring vision of His divine universal form.

Krishna, the speaker of the Bhagavad Gita, is addressed in the text as Bhagavan (Personality of Godhead). The poems, using rich metaphors, are written in traditional Sanskrit meter, which is usually sung, hence the name, which translates as "Divine Song".

For many centuries, the Bhagavad Gita has been one of the most revered sacred texts and has a great influence on the life and culture of Indian society. It also influenced Western culture, attracting the attention of such outstanding thinkers as Goethe, Emerson, Aldous Huxley, Romain Rolland and others. In Russia, they learned about the Bhagavad Gita in 1788, after it was published for the first time in Russian by N. I. Novikov.

Ramayana(Journey of Rama)

According to the Hindu tradition, the Ramayana takes place in the Treta Yuga era, about 1.2 million years ago. Scientists date the Ramayana to the 4th century BC. e. It tells the story of the seventh avatar of Vishnu Rama, whose wife Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka. The epic highlights themes of human existence and the concept of dharma. Just like the Mahabharata, the Ramayana is not just an ordinary story. It contains the teachings of ancient Indian sages, which are presented through an allegorical narrative combined with philosophy and bhakti. The characters of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Hanuman and Ravana are integral parts of the cultural consciousness of India.

The Ramayana consists of 24,000 verses (480,002 words - about one-fourth the text of the Mahabharata, four times the size of the Iliad), divided into seven books and 500 songs called kandas. The verses of the Ramayana are composed in a meter of thirty-two syllables called anushtubh.

Seven books of Ramayana:

1. Bala-kanda- a book about the childhood of Rama.
2. Ayodhya-kanda- a book about the royal court in Ayodhya.
3. Aranya-kanda- a book about the life of Rama in the forest desert.
4. Kishkindha-kanda- a book about the union of Rama with the monkey king at Kishkindha.
5. Sundara-kanda– “A wonderful book” about the island of Lanka – the kingdom of the demon Ravana, the kidnapper of Rama’s wife – Sita.
6. Yuddha-kanda- a book about the battle between the monkey army of Rama and the army of demons of Ravana.
7. Uttara-kanda- "The Final Book".

The Ramayana is one of the most important monuments of ancient Indian literature, which had a huge influence on the art and culture of both the Indian subcontinent and all of Southeast Asia, where the Ramayana gained great popularity starting from the 8th century. The Ramayana has been translated into most modern Indian languages. The ideas and images of the epic inspired almost all Indian writers and thinkers from Kalidasa to Rabindranath Tagore, Jawarharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi.

Puranas(Ancient epic)

– texts of ancient Indian literature in Sanskrit. These are mainly the writings of the post-Vedic period, which describe the history of the universe from its creation to destruction, the genealogy of kings, heroes and devas, and also expounds Hindu philosophy and cosmology. Most of the Puranas are canonical scriptures of various sects of Hinduism. The Puranas are mostly written in the form of stories. In the Hindu tradition, the Vedic rishi Vyasa is considered to be the compiler of the Puranas.

The earliest mention of the Puranas is in the Chandogya Upanishad (7.1.2), where the sage Narada is addressed as itihasa-puranas panchamam vedanam. The Chandogya Upanishad gives the Puranas and Itihasas the status of the “fifth Veda” or “Panchama Veda”. The word "purana" is mentioned many times in the Rig Veda, but scholars believe that in this case it is simply used to mean "ancient".

There are many texts called "puranas". The most significant of them are:

• Maha-puranas And Upa Puranas- the main puranic scriptures.
• Sthala-puranas– scriptures that extol certain Hindu temples. They also describe the history of the creation of temples.
• Kula Puranas- scriptures that tell about the origin of varnas and the stories associated with them.

In India, the Puranas are translated into local languages ​​and distributed by Brahmin scholars, who read them publicly or tell stories from them in special meetings called "katha" - a wandering Brahmana stays for several weeks in some temple and narrates the stories from the Puranas to groups of assembled especially for this purpose of the Hindus. This religious practice is particularly characteristic of the bhakti traditions of Hinduism.

Bhagavata Purana

– also known as Srimad-Bhagavatam or just Bhagavatam- one of the eighteen main Puranas, part of the sacred scriptures of Hinduism in the smriti category.

The Bhagavata Purana describes the stories of various avatars of God in the material world, with Krishna appearing not as an avatar of Vishnu, but as the supreme hypostasis of God and the source of all avatars. The Bhagavata Purana also contains extensive information on philosophy, linguistics, metaphysics, cosmology and other sciences. It opens up a panorama of the historical development of the universe and tells about the paths of self-knowledge and liberation.

Over the last millennium, the Bhagavata Purana has been one of the main sacred texts of various movements of Krishnaism, where it is considered as the fourth element in the threefold canon of the fundamental texts of theistic Vedanta, which consists of the Upanishads, Vedanta Sutras and Bhagavad Gita. According to the Bhagavata Purana itself, it sets out the main essence of all the Vedas and is a commentary by the Vedic sage Vyasa on the Vedanta Sutras.

Vedanga

The six subsidiary disciplines of the Vedas are traditionally called Vedanga (branches of the Vedas). Scholars define these texts as additions to the Vedas. Vedangas explain the correct pronunciation and application of mantras in ceremonies, and also promote the correct interpretation of Vedic texts. These themes are expounded in the Sutras, which scholars date from the end of the Vedic period until the advent of the Mauryan Empire. They reflected the transition from Vedic Sanskrit to classical Sanskrit. The six main themes of Vedanga are:

• Phonetics ( Shiksha)
• Meter ( Chandas)
• Grammar ( Vyakarana)
• Etymology ( Nirukta)
• Astrology ( Jyotisha)
• Ritual ( Kalpa)

4. Division by Kandy

Vedic texts are divided into three categories ( candy), corresponding to the various stages of spiritual maturity of the soul: karma-kanda, jnana-kanda And upasana-kanda.

Karma-kanda, which includes the four Vedas and related scriptures, is intended for those who are attached to temporary material achievements and inclined towards ritualism.

Jnana-kanda, which includes the Upanishads and the Vedanta Sutra, call for liberation from the power of matter through renunciation of the world and renunciation of desires.

Upasana-kanda, which mainly includes the texts of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Mahabharata and Ramayana, is intended for those who wish to understand the Personality of Godhead and gain a relationship with the Supreme.

Upaveda

Term upaveda(secondary knowledge) is used in traditional literature to refer to specific texts. They have nothing to do with the Vedas, but simply represent an interesting subject for study. There are various lists of items that relate to the Upaveda. Charanavyuha mentions four Upavedas:

• Ayurveda– “medicine”, is adjacent to the Rig Veda.
• Dhanur-veda- “martial arts”, adjacent to Yajur Veda.
• Gandharva-Veda- “music and sacred dances”, is adjacent to Sama Veda.
• Astra-shastra- “military science”, adjacent to the Atharva Veda.

In other sources, the Upaveda also includes:

• Sthapatya Veda– outlines the fundamentals of architecture.
• Shilpa-shastras- Shastra about arts and crafts.
• Jyotir Veda– outlines the basics of astrology.
• Manu-samhita- the laws of the progenitor of mankind, Manu, are stated.

In the Vedas one can also find knowledge on logic, astronomy, politics, sociology, psychology, history, etc. The civilization of many peoples in ancient times was based on the Vedas, which is why it is also called Vedic civilization.

Answers to some questions

What does the word "mantra" mean?

A mantra is a description of a goal. In other words, it is what awakens and supports manana, i.e., inquiry with the help of the mind. The syllable "man" means the process of exploration, and the syllable "tra" means "the ability to transport, liberate, save." In general, a mantra is something that saves when the mind focuses on it. When rites and rituals of sacrifice are performed, a person must constantly remind himself of their meaning and significance. To achieve this goal, you need to repeat mantras. But today people who perform these rituals recite the mantras mechanically, without realizing their meaning. When mantras are pronounced this way, they do not bear fruit! A person can derive full benefit from repeating mantras only with a clear understanding of their meaning and meaning. Each Veda consists of many Shakhas (parts) and a Vedic scholar must understand the direction and purpose of each Shakha.

What is the essence of the Vedas?

The essence of all the Vedas can be formulated as follows:

• A person must consider himself to be the same Higher Self that resides in all people and creatures of this world.
• Always help, never harm. Love all, serve all.

What are the Upanishads?

“Upa-ni-shad” - the literal translation is: “near” (upa), “below” (ni), “sitting” (shady). The Upanishads are what the teacher taught to the student who was sitting next to him. The meaning of this word can also be deciphered as follows: “that which allows a person to approach Brahman.” The Upanishads are found at the end of the Vedas, so they are also collectively called Vedanta. The Upanishads call these three paths of karma, upasana and jnana the three yogas. The essence of karma yoga is to dedicate all your actions to God, or to perform all your actions as an offering to the Lord in order to please Him. Upasana yoga teaches how to love God with all your heart, maintaining purity and harmony of thought, word and deed. If a person loves God for the sake of fulfilling his worldly desires, this cannot be called real upasana. It must be love for love's sake. Followers of Jnana Yoga view the entire universe as a manifestation of God himself. The belief that God resides in all beings in the form of Atma is called jnana. If we compare the Samhitas with a tree, then the Brahmanas are its flowers - these are the unripe fruits, and the Upanishads are the ripe fruits.

Why study the Vedas?

Each of the creatures living in the world strives to have what they want and avoid what they don’t want. The Vedas give instructions on how to achieve success in both directions. That is, they contain instructions regarding righteous and unrighteous actions. If a person follows these instructions, avoiding forbidden actions, he will achieve good and avoid evil. The Vedas consider both material and spiritual issues, both this world and the other world. In truth, all life is imbued with the Vedas. We cannot fail to follow these instructions. The word "Veda" comes from the verb "vid", which means "to know". Therefore the Vedas contain all knowledge, all wisdom. Man differs from animals in that he is endowed with knowledge. Without this knowledge he will be only an animal.

Friday, 04 July 2014

What are the Vedas? The Sanskrit verb root “veda” can be interpreted in many ways, but it ultimately has one meaning. Veda is knowledge.

The Vedas are not a creation of human wisdom. Vedic knowledge came from the Spiritual World from Lord Krishna. Another name for the Vedas is shruti.

In a word “ Shruti” is called knowledge that acquired through listening. This is not empirical knowledge. Shruti can be likened to a mother. We learn a lot from our mother. For example, if you want to know who your father is, who can answer you? Only your mother. If your mother says, “Here is your father,” then you will have to agree with it. It is impossible to establish the father's identity through an experiment.

Similar to this, if you want to know something beyond the scope of your senses, you must accept the Vedas. In this case there can be no question of experimentation. All experiments have already been carried out. “Everything is already installed. The mother’s opinion, for example, must be recognized as true.” There is no other way.

The Vedas are called mother, and Brahma is called grandfather, ancestor, since he was the first to receive Vedic knowledge and passed it on to his son Narada and other disciples and sons, and they in turn passed it on to their disciples. This is how Vedic knowledge is transmitted along the chain of discipleship. The Bhagavad-Gita (4.2.) also confirms that Vedic knowledge is transmitted in this way.

Vedic knowledge is called sabda-pramana or in another way shruti.

Shruti means that this knowledge must be acquired through hearing. The Vedas teach that if we want to understand this transcendental science, we must listen a person knowledgeable in this matter. Transcendent knowledge comes from beyond the universe. The knowledge available within this universe is material knowledge, and the knowledge available beyond this universe is transcendental knowledge.

We cannot even reach the boundaries of this universe, let alone the spiritual world. Therefore, it is impossible to gain complete knowledge.

The spiritual world really exists. There is another nature that lies beyond the manifest and unmanifest. But how can you find out about the existence of that universe where both the planets and their inhabitants are eternal? All this exists, but how do you set up experiments? This is impossible. Therefore we must take the help of the Vedas. This is called Vedic knowledge.

The Brahma Samhita says: “Take a journey in an airplane that moves at the speed of thought.” Our material planes can move at a speed of three thousand kilometers per hour, but what is the speed of thought? You are sitting at home, suddenly you think about India, located, say, ten thousand kilometers away from you and immediately find yourself there. Your thoughts went there. The speed of thought is so great.

Therefore it is said: after traveling for millions of years at the speed of thought, you will be convinced that the spiritual sky is limitless. It is impossible to even get close to him. That is why the Vedas state that a person must, or rather is obliged to, turn to a true spiritual teacher who has learned the essence of the Vedas from an authoritative source.

Initially, there was only one Veda and there was no need to read it. People were so intelligent and had such good memory that they could understand it only once they heard it from the lips of a spiritual teacher. They could immediately comprehend the meaning of what was said. But 5000 years ago, Vyasadeva wrote down the Vedas for the people of this age of Kali Yuga. He knew that over time, people's lives would shorten, their memory would weaken, their minds would become dull.

“Therefore, I must teach Vedic wisdom by writing it down,” he thought. He divided the Vedas into four parts: “Rg”, “Sama”, “Atharva” and “Yajur” and entrusted these parts to his disciples. Then he thought about people who do not have strong intelligence: stri, sudra and dvija-bandhu. He took into account women, sudras (workers), and dvija-bandhus (those who were born in an educated family but lacked the corresponding qualifications). For them he composed the Mahabharata, naming the history of India and the eighteen Puranas.

All these: the Puranas, the Mahabharata, the four Vedas and the Upanishads constitute Vedic literature. The Upanishads are part of the Vedas. Vyasadeva then summarized all Vedic knowledge for scientists and philosophers in the Vedanta Sutra. This last word Ved: (Ved-Anta: end of the Vedas).

Vyasadeva personally wrote down the “Vedanta-Sutra”, following the instructions of Narada, his guru-maharaja (spiritual teacher) and subsequently wrote the same perfect commentary on “Vedanta” - “Srimad Bhagavatam”, which, like the “Vedanta-Sutra”, begins with the words “janmadi” Asya yatah”: “The Absolute Truth is that from which everything comes.” If everything comes from the Absolute Truth, then what is the nature of the Absolute Truth?” This is explained in Srimad Bhagavatam. Absolute truth must have consciousness. She is self-luminous (sva-rat). We develop our consciousness and deepen our knowledge by receiving knowledge from others, but He is said to be self-luminous. The Vedanta Sutra summarizes Vedic knowledge in a condensed form, and the author himself explains it in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

What do the Vedas talk about?

Vedas means "complete knowledge".

This means that there is nothing in the entire universe that has not been told about in these ancient sacred scriptures.

It turns out that our ancestors on Earth, back in ancient times, were aware of various types of spaceships and electricity, and even what is only now becoming a reality for us - protective force fields and holograms.

Is there any other life in the Universe besides our planet? The Vedic scriptures clearly state yes.

This strip presents only some of the inhabited planetary systems of the Universe - Underground civilizations and Hellish planets.

What the Vedas say about themselves

In Srimad Bhagavatam (Lord Rishabhadeva, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, instructing his sons about the Vedas: “The Vedas represent My eternal transcendental incarnation in sound, therefore they are called sabda-brahma. Of all the inhabitants of this world, only the brahmanas, the intellectual class of people, They study the Vedas deeply and therefore they assimilate the very essence of Vedic knowledge, they should be considered the personification of the Vedas."

Vastu Shastra - about construction

The section of Vedic knowledge "Vastu Shastra", which is more than 5000 years old, provides the basics of many knowledge used in construction, architecture, interior and exterior design of buildings. Moreover, to create maximum convenience and coziness, “Vastu Shastra” is given great value both the interior and exterior of the house.

Mandatory rules are based on the fact that it is necessary to take into account various natural factors, cardinal directions and the location of buildings and premises for various purposes in accordance with them. The science of Vastu Shastra teaches that man is inextricably linked with nature and an example of this is that the biochemical reactions occurring in the human body have a strong relationship with the forces of nature.

As an important element of nature, everything in nature has some influence on man. For example, rays emanating from the Sun and other planets affect a person and the biochemical reactions in his body. In nature, there are positive and negative ions in the composition of gamma rays, which have a strong connection and influence on human life, felt by a person all the time.

By ignoring the rules prescribed by Vastru Shastra, people violate harmony, as a result of which people’s attitudes towards each other and the world around them change, diseases appear and the worst manifestations of human social life intensify.

Example of Reincarnation

The fifth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam describes the story of how the great pious King Maharaja Bharata, at the end of his life, retired to the forest to practice meditation, yoga and self-realization in order to prepare for departure from this world and to achieve spiritual perfection. But, by chance, in the forest, having become attached to a fawn whose mother had died, he remembered it at the moment of death and because of this, in his next life he became a deer. Even though he was in the body of an animal, he was given the ability to remember everything about his previous life.

After finishing his life in the body of a deer, Bharata Maharaja again received human body, becoming Jada Bharata. And now, remembering his previous mistake, he steadily began to move forward along the path of spiritual self-realization. He even began to appear deaf and insane in front of other people, so that they could not interfere with him. And at the end of his life, Maharaja Bharata achieved perfection and the Spiritual World, having received an eternal spiritual body.

Sun

According to the Vedas, the Sun, called Surya, the king of all planets that emit heat, is located in the center of outer space, lying between the earthly (middle) and heavenly (higher) planets. Thanks to its radiation, which originates in the Spiritual World, the Sun gives warmth to the Universe and maintains order. Its diameter is 130,000 km. The Sun moves in an orbit of 160,800,000 miles (or 1,236,300,000 km) at a speed of 16,004 miles per instant. At the same time, the Sun travels a distance of 309,075,000 km in 6 hours. But the speed of the Sun is not constant and it can be low, high or medium. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is about 1,300,000 km.

The Sun God - Surya, who controls processes throughout the universe, especially those associated with the spread of heat and light, the change of seasons, etc., is considered the expansion of Narayana. He personifies the three Vedas: Rig, Yajur and Sama and therefore he is also called Surya Narayana.

Vedic astrology

According to the Vedas, astrological predictions, such as predictions about the occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses, are obtained through complex calculations and thanks to this special science, a person can see the future completely clearly anew. Thanks to astrology, which is called Jyotisha in Sanskrit, a person can find out what actions he has performed in his life. previous lives, as a result of what actions he enjoys or suffers in this. Also, in former times, after the birth of a child, his horoscope was immediately drawn up, which determined the main events of his future life. And before getting married, parents carefully studied the horoscopes of their future husband and wife. All major holidays or events, such as weddings or sacrifices, were scheduled on dates strictly aligned with the stars and being favorable for such days.

For example, in song 10 of the Srimad Bhagavatam, the predictions of the astrologer and priest of the Yadu Gargamuni dynasty made to little Krishna about his future great deeds are described.

Name of planet Earth

In Srimad Bhagavatam (5.7.4.) it is said that earlier this planet was called Ajanabha-varsa, but from the reign of Maharaja Bharata it began to be called Bharata-varsa. Maharaja Bharata was known as a great emperor not only on our planet but also among other planetary systems.

Our planet was named after him. He was a pious king who took care of his people and during his reign people did not need anything and lived in prosperity.

Earth civilizations of the past

Many thousands of years ago, highly developed civilizations and states already existed on our planet Earth. One such time during the reign of King Rishabhadeva is described in Srimad Bhagavatam (5.4.19):

“When Lord Rishabhadeva was the ruler of this planet “Bharata Varsha”, all his subjects, even common people, had everything they wanted and never asked for anything. All the inhabitants of the Earth were completely satisfied and did not need anything.”

Also, from this text it follows that on our Earth in those days there was one State, and it was ruled by one ruler.

White spots on the Earth map

Based on Vedic ideas about our planet, the globe known today is one of the biggest misconceptions of mankind. Just as before, just about 500 years ago, there was neither America nor Antarctica on the world map, and now there is geographical map There are many still undiscovered and unexplored areas and territories of the earth's space.

The Vedas describe that only one of the earth's territories, known as Jambudvipa, is 1,300,000 km in width. But today we know from this Jambudvipa some territories of only the ninth part, called Bharata-varsha, about 117,000 km wide.

All other earthly spaces are hidden from us by various energies, protective fields and other obstacles. Moreover, all these territories are inhabited by living creatures and inhabitants. The Vedas say that in former times, literally 5,000 years ago, these spaces were known to the inhabitants of the earth, and they visited them. And there are also Vedic predictions that in the near future some of these territories unknown to us will be discovered.

Electricity is a thing of the past

Already many thousands of years ago, according to the Vedas, electricity was known and used.

For example, the Srimad Bhagavatam describes that when Krishna went to fight the demon Bhaumasura, who had stolen the property of the demigods, He arrived in the capital city of the demons, Prajyotishapura. This city was very well fortified. From all directions of the world it was protected by four huge fortresses and powerful military forces.

The city was surrounded by a moat filled with water. And on top of that, the entire city was surrounded by wires, through which a high voltage current, triggered by the demon Mura, passed.

The next fortification was a curtain of anila, a gaseous substance. And behind him was a network of barbed wire. However, all these obstacles were not a problem for Krishna, who destroyed them all with his famous weapon - the Sudarshana Chakra.

Protective force field

The Vedas describe constant confrontations and battles between demons (asuras) - representatives of the forces of evil and demigods (devas) - representatives of the forces of good.

Demigods almost always, as a rule, defeat the asuras, but once they suffered a major defeat from them.

This story is contained in Srimad Bhagavatam (6.7-8).

After this, the demons began to push the demigods out of their territory.

Then, on the advice of the Manager of the material Universe, Brahma, the demigods turned to the great spiritual mentor Vishvarupa, who gave the demigods a mystical armor for protection from demons - a special mantra Narayana-kavacha addressed to Lord Vishnu.

This Narayana-kavacha, a kind of mystical protective field, made the demigods invulnerable and invincible and allowed them to disperse the army of enemies and regain their lands and the wealth of the three worlds.

Mystical hologram

During the battle between the demons Salva and Krishna, Salva, in a desperate attempt to turn the tide of the battle, used his mystic powers to create an image of Krishna's father Vasudeva, who was supposedly captured by the demon. In front of Krishna's eyes, Shalva cut off the head of the fake Vasudeva in an instant.

The illusion created was so believable that for a moment Krishna fell into despair, as if he had really lost his father. But the next moment He realized that the capture and murder of His father was a manifestation of the mystical powers of Salva and continued with renewed vigor the battle with Shalva, whom He eventually defeated. This story is given in the 10th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.

Witches

The Vedas describe witches known as khecharis as having the ability to fly in the sky. This black witchcraft is still practiced by some women in the remote northwestern regions of India. They can be carried from one place to another on the branch of an uprooted tree.

The witch Putana, described in the 10th song of the Srimad Bhagavatam, who unsuccessfully tried to kill little Krishna, mastered this witchcraft and therefore was called khechari.

Spacecraft

The Vedas describe various material apparatuses called vimanas.

The 10th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam describes one such vimana:

"This flying machine was built for the demon Salva by the demon Maya. It was a huge iron ship, almost like big city and he could fly so high and so fast that it was almost impossible to see where he was and therefore it was very difficult to attack him. Those in the ship could fly on it whenever they wanted, even in the dark.

This ship had mystical powers and could cast thick darkness over certain areas of the earth. He possessed a lightning-like weapon and was able to create the illusion that many ships appeared in the sky at the same time.

And sometimes he was invisible. Sometimes he was seen on the ground, and sometimes he flew in the sky. Sometimes he could be seen landing on the top of a mountain, and sometimes he was seen floating on the water.

This extraordinary ship flew across the sky like a firefly in the wind, never remaining motionless for a moment. The ship could be launched terrible weapon of extraordinary power, like a meteor, flying with a roar, sparkling and illuminating the entire sky."

Underground civilizations

Below the level of the Earth, according to the Vedas, there is an underground heavenly kingdom, the so-called Bila-svarga.

Specifically, the Srimad Bhagavatam (5.24.8-11) states:

“There are many magnificent palaces, gardens and places for recreation and entertainment. In their luxury, these palaces and gardens even surpass those in which the demigods spend their time on the higher planets, for demons are most addicted to sensual pleasures, wealth and power. On the underground The heavenly planets are inhabited by daityas, danavas and nagas, and almost all of them lead family life.

This kingdom contains many cities of indescribable beauty, with exquisitely decorated dwelling houses, fences, gates, meeting halls, temples, courtyards, and houses for strangers. The palaces of the rulers of these planets are decorated with the rarest precious stones and many nagas and asuras always gather in them. Whole flocks of blue parrots and other birds gather there.

The picturesque gardens and parks of this artificial paradise surpass in beauty even the gardens on the higher planetary systems. Their trunks and branches, entwined with vines, bend under the weight of the fruits, and the flowers exude a delicate aroma; this beauty leaves no one indifferent. It captivates the mind, filling it with anticipation of sensual pleasures. There are many clean, transparent lakes and ponds where fish splash playfully and beautiful flowers grow in abundance. Along the banks of these reservoirs, various waterfowl nest in pairs, which, enjoying life, emit pleasant melodic sounds that amaze the ears.

There live many huge snakes, whose heads are decorated with precious stones. Sparkling and shimmering, these stones dispel the darkness of the underworld.

The inhabitants of these planets drink juices and elixirs made from miraculous medicinal herbs and bathe in them, so they are not familiar with the suffering caused by illness of body or mind. They do not have gray hair or wrinkles, their skin never loses its freshness, and their sweat does not emit a bad odor. They do not know fatigue, they are always cheerful, strong, and even in old age they do not know weakness and apathy.

They live happily ever after without fear of premature death."

Hell worlds

The Vedas describe 28 hellish worlds - Naraka, where, depending on their past sinful actions, people end up and experience their various consequences. These hellish planets are located in the lower part of the universe, between three planetary systems and the Garbhodaka ocean. For example, a person ends up on the hellish planet Raudrava after torturing other living beings. There, the animals he kills are born in the guise of ferocious predators, tearing him apart, causing him terrible pain. A person is in the hellish worlds in a subtle body and therefore his suffering there is endless. The subtle body is restored and everything starts again.

One who boils birds and animals alive is thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil in the Kumbhipaka hell. A person who kills a holy Brahmin man goes to the Kalasutra hell, where the smooth copper surface is hot like a frying pan. Authorities or Rulers who punish innocent people go to the hell of Sukaramukha, where all their bones are broken and their body is crushed like sugar cane. The unfortunate sinners either lose consciousness or cry piteously, begging for mercy, just as their innocent victims were crying. A person who copulates with anyone, even an animal, after death ends up in the Vajrakantaka-Shalmali hell, where a huge cotton tree grows, all strewn with thorns, sharp and powerful. And the servants of Yamaraja, the God of Death, hang the sinner on this tree and forcefully pull him down so that these thorns tear his entire body, causing him terrible pain. Anyone who perjures or deceives in a transaction is dragged to the top of a 1,300 km high mountain by the servants of the God of Death and thrown down into the hell called Avicimat. In this hell there are only rocks all around and no water. The sinner is thrown off the cliff again and again and each time his body is smashed to pieces, but he does not die, but continues to be endlessly subjected to this cruel punishment.

In the hell of Ayahpan, Yamaraja's servants pour molten iron down the throat of a holy man, a Brahmin with an addiction to intoxicating drinks. For a person who takes away someone else's property in the Sandamsha hell, the Yamadutas burn the skin with red-hot iron balls and tear it off with tongs. Gradually they tear his entire body to pieces. All sinners inevitably end up on one or another hellish planet and suffer punishment corresponding to their sins. The righteous go to other planets - the planets of the demigods. But sooner or later, both righteous and sinners, having tasted the fruits of pious or sinful deeds, return to earth.

Excerpts from a lecture by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, given on October 6, 1969 at Conway Hall (London, England).

Four Vedas known as Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva, these four Vedas are usually called the original Vedic scriptures.

Rig means ritual and basically this Veda contains hymns and prayers (mantras) for the worship of the universal powers known as demigods.

Yajur means ceremony, and this Veda basically describes how to perform rituals.

Herself means chanting, and this Veda contains many other mantras and strict rules on how to chant these mantras according to the mystic vibrations.

Atharva means a priest who has secret knowledge, and this Veda describes many various types worship and spells. In a broader sense, Atharva also includes scriptures with material knowledge such as Ayurveda (pharmacology and health).

Purpose of the Four Vedas- to convince a person that he is not an independent being, but a particle of the universal organism that depends on higher powers. The most important lesson learned from the four Vedas is acceptance of the highest authority. By connecting with divine forces through rituals and understanding, a person gains materially and achieves peace and harmony.

Tantric scriptures

Not everyone can strictly follow the principles of the Vedas, which require perseverance, purity, faith and patience. Impatient, ignorant people demand immediate results and these can be achieved through magic, spirit worship, etc. By providing such knowledge, the Vedas awaken the faith of occultists who will one day in this or another life become interested in the higher aspects of the Vedas. Such activity takes place in the modes of passion and ignorance.

Upanishads

The red thread in the four Vedas is the philosophical discourses called Aranyakas and Brahmanas. The most notable of these are the Upanishads (“sitting close”, i.e. “knowledge received from a spiritual teacher”). Their texts show that all material forms are only temporary manifestations of the eternal energy above material duality. They show unity behind diversity, and inspire all those who are passionate about the rituals of the Vedas to go beyond their short-term goals.

Vedanta Sutras

By providing common ground evidence for all schools of philosophy, the 560 pithy aphorisms of the Vedanta Sutra define Vedic truths in the most general terms. Therefore, commentaries on the Vedanta Sutras usually consist of many volumes.

Itihasa

These are historical works, the main of which are “Ramayana” (the story of the incarnation of Rama), 18 Puranas and 18 sub-Puranas (the universal history of creation and destruction, about the incarnations of God and great kings, saints and teachers) and “Mahabharata” (the history of ancient India, or Bharatas, up to the appearance of Krishna five thousand years ago). These scriptures are significant because they extend the understanding of the Absolute beyond an abstract impersonal platform. The Absolute is supremely perfect and complete, which manifests itself in both impersonal and personal aspects. However, the personal aspect is the original source of the secondary impersonal existence of the Lord, because the impersonal energy cannot be the source of personalities. The Itihasas exhibit these personality traits by gradually presenting and defining them, culminating in the purely monotheistic revelations of the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana).

Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam

Vedic scriptures define these sacred texts, as the most important and significant revelations. They directly explain the nature, energy and personality of God, who is the eternal (as Vishnu) and transcendental (as Krishna) source of everything, the cause of all causes, and manifests in personal and impersonal aspects. Bhagavad-gita (Song of God) is the words of God Himself, and Srimad-Bhagavatam (Divine Revelation) is the words about God told by His representatives.

The structure of the Vedic scriptures described here sheds new light on the Vedic tradition itself and deserves careful study. However, the purpose of these scriptures is to lead people to the Supreme, and mere theoretical study of them is not enough. Scripture also implies practical consequences. Simply academically studying the Vedic scriptures can be compared to reading a cookbook or a piece of music. Until we come to prepare or play, we will miss the goal.

Modern Hinduism has learned a lot from the Vedic religion, individual elements of which have transformed over time and taken their place in the new system. The former gods were entrenched in “minor roles”, losing leadership to Vishnu, Shiva and Devi (Goddess). The Vedas have been transmitted by oral tradition for thousands of years: the main thing was not understanding, but phonetically flawless articulation, for Vedic mantras accompanied (and accompany) the Hindu throughout his life, marking key milestones: birth, naming, initiation into the twice-born, wedding and funeral. Not for a moment, despite the heresy of some Hindu rumors, did the Vedas lose their unsurpassed authority, although they had long ago become completely incomprehensible.

However, in the 19th century. In the wake of the emerging national self-awareness of Indians and attempts at conscious reformation of Hinduism, the Vedas found themselves in the center of public attention and became the object not of mechanical repetition, but of careful study, followed by reconstruction and introduction of Vedic rituality into practice.

Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833), founder of the famous reform society "Brahmo Samaj" and the first Indian Brahmin to break the ban on crossing the seas, is considered the "father of modern India." Passionately opposing polytheism and idolatry, he proved the authenticity of “Hindu monotheism” by references to the Vedas. F. Max Müller sarcastically remarked on this matter that Roy simply could not imagine the content of the Vedas. And yet, it was this man, supported by a group of comrades, using quotes from sacred books, including the Vedas, who ensured that in 1829 the custom of sati, the self-immolation of a widow on the funeral pyre of her deceased husband, was legally prohibited. Later Debendranath Tagore (1817-1905, father of Rabindranath Tagore), who headed the Brahmo Samaj, sent four young people to sacred Benares to study each of the four Vedas and search for a monotheistic concept in them, and then he himself joined the company and, having arranged a dispute with the local experts, committed a shocking act - he abandoned the dogma of infallibility Ved.

Dayananda Saraswati (1824-1883), another great Indian and founder of the Arya Samaj society, devoted his entire life to proving the highest authority of the Vedas. He discovered in them not only a storehouse of information about the past, but also information about firearms, steam locomotives, chemical formulas, medical achievements, etc., not previously identified due to inept interpretation of texts. He declared: “Nowhere in the four Vedas is there any mention of many gods, rather there is a clear statement that God is one.”

Saraswati believed that many names only individualize different aspects of the divine. In addition, he had no doubt that the Vedas could become a true basis for the unification of the entire country, and he made a sensational act by translating them into colloquial Hindi - this is how women and lower castes gained access to sacred knowledge. Threads stretch from Saraswati to a previously non-existent Hindu proselytism - it was he who rethought the traditional Hindu ritual of shuddhi (purification), using it to return Indian Muslims and Christians to Hinduism.

Even more famous outside his country, the Indian Aurobindo Ghose (1872-1950), whose name is Auroville, the city of world spiritual brotherhood (India), wrote: “Dayananda claims that the truths of modern natural science can be found in the Vedic hymns. I wanted I would add to this that, in my firm conviction, the Vedas contain, in addition, a number of truths that the modern science" (quoted from: Litman A.D. Ideological struggle in modern India on the issue of the place and role of Vedanta in the national cultural heritage. - Cultural heritage peoples of the East and modern ideological struggle. M., 1987, p. 128).

In 1987, a huge scandal erupted in India when the unpublished works of Bhimrao Ramji (Babasaheb) Ambedkar (1891-1956), the creator of the Indian Constitution, the “father of Indian federalism” and the initiator of the transition of untouchable castes to Buddhism (although Buddha never criticized the caste system, He ignored it in every possible way, looking only at the level of development of each individual; the Hindu Brahmins could not forgive Buddha for this, as a result they declared Him a false avatar and subsequently ranked Buddha among the avatars of Vishnu - the ninth out of ten - with the goal of completely destroying Buddhism in India as an independent teaching, and within the framework of Hinduism itself, treating Buddha as the most disrespected of all avatars of Vishnu, a similar fate befell Dattatreya;. On the pages of “The Mysteries of Hinduism” it was stated: “The Vedas are a worthless set of books. There is no reason to consider them sacred or infallible.” (Ambedkar B.R. Writings and Speeches. Vol. 4. Unpublished Writings. Riddles in Hinduism. Bombay, 1987, p. 8). Ambedkar further explained that behind the exorbitant exaltation of the Vedas were the Brahmins (Brahmins) interested in power, whose origin the same hymn about the sacrifice of the first man associated with the lips of Purusha (His mouth became a Brahmin... X. 90, 12) (The life story of Ambedkar is a heart-tugging story of a genius who was born as a non-caste “untouchable” in India and, on the one hand, became an “icon” of the national liberation movement and the man who created the Constitution of independent India and its legislative law, and on the other hand, constantly experiencing the mockery of all the surrounding caste Hindus and former “friends in the ideological struggle”, who, before the independence of India, used his authority as a genius and agitation for the equality of all people, regardless of caste, in their struggle against British rule in India, and after gaining independence, they “suddenly” remembered his origins and made it clear to him in every possible way that an untouchable had no place among those who had become “new whites” (after the British left in 1947) representatives of the Hindu political elite of India; approx. site author) .

The Rig Veda was repeatedly translated into Western European languages. The first complete translation into French was completed by the middle of the 19th century. This was followed by two German translations at once - poetic (1876-1877) and prose (1876-1888). Later, a translation by K. Geldner was published in German, which became a milestone in vedology, and was followed by others. The first eight hymns of the Rig Veda were translated into Russian by N. Krushevsky in 1879. Much later, several hymns were translated by B. Larina (1924) and V. A. Kochergina (1963). And only in 1972 did the Russian reader have the opportunity to immediately become acquainted with the tenth part of the Rig Veda (104 hymns) translated by T. Ya. Elizarenkova. In 1989, the publishing house "Science" published the first volume of the first complete scientific translation of the Rigveda into Russian: mandalas I-IV translated by T. Ya. Elizarenkova with notes and a voluminous article "Rigveda - the great beginning of Indian literature and culture." In 1995, the second volume (mandalas V-VIII) was published, and in 1999 the third volume (mandalas IX-X) was published; both contain meticulous notes and extensive research articles reconstructing the world of ideas and things of the ancient Indians. All three volumes have recently been reissued. An anthology of conspiracies translated by T. Ya. Elizarenkova is also available in Russian - “Atharvaveda. Selected” (M., 1976). (Several years ago, a translation from English into Russian of the entire Samaveda was also published, edited by S. M. Neapolitansky, note by the site author.)

In 1966 Supreme Court India formulated legal definition Hinduism, in order to distinguish it in jurisdiction from other Indian religions, and in 1995, considering cases of religious affiliation, clarified seven basic provisions indicating the “Hinduness” of their bearer. The first was called "recognition of the Vedas as the highest authority in religious and philosophical matters and the only foundation."