Hindu sacred scriptures

 

The śruti (= revelation transmitted by voice) or the Veda

It comprises 4 Vedas:

 

The Rig-Veda (Veda of stanzas in praise of the gods)

The Yajur-Veda (V. of ritual formulas)

The Sama-Veda (V. of chants and melodies)

The Atharva-Veda (V. of Atharvan)

Each of the four Vedas has in turn:

 

A basic collection, the samhitâ (mostly in verse), called mantras when assigned to rites.

A prose explanation: the Brâhmanas

Another series of a more esoteric character: the Âranyakas

Speculative treatises: the Upanishads

The Samhitâs

 

The Rig-veda-samhitâ is the basic collection from which the others are derived. It contains 1028 hymns divided into 10462 stanzas, the first of which is dedicated to Agni, the patron saint of the Rig-Veda. The place of the hymns of the RVS is comparable to that of the Psalms in the Christian liturgy. They constitute a poetic treasure trove from which to draw for prayers or liturgical recitations on the most diverse occasions (see also here)

 

The Sâma-veda-samhitâ consists mainly of stanzas taken from the RVS and adapted for sung recitation. It is the hymnal with musical notations and indications of melodies (see also here)

 

The Yajur-veda-samhitâ is a group of formulas in verse and prose, directly assigned to the cult and arranged in the order in which they are used in the ceremonies (see also here)

 

The Atharva-veda-samhitâ contains magical charms for long life, against disease, demonic possession, to win the love of others or wealth.

The Bhagavad-gita consists of a dialogue between Sri Krsna, God, the Supreme Person, and Arjuna, His devotee, close friend and disciple. Arjuna questions Krsna, who answers him by expounding the science of spiritual realisation.

 

The Bhagavad-gita is part of the Mahabharata, which was compiled by Srila Vyasadeva, the avatara-writer, who appeared on Earth 5,000 years ago, like Sri Krsna, to benefit future generations by writing down the Vedic wisdom.

 

Universally recognised as the jewel of spiritual wisdom in India.

 

 

 

The Vedānta defines the nature of Existence, teaching that the Self (ātman) is of the same nature as Brahman, the ultimate undifferentiated Reality. The perception of this reality is obscured in man by erroneous knowledge (viparyaya) about himself and the world, which prevent him from experiencing the fullness of unity. In the Upaniṣad, pure Consciousness, called Brahman (the universal Self), is presented as the substratum of the universe, from which the world and also individualised consciousness (ahaṃkāra) arise. But all these forms, according to the Vedānta, are only illusory appearances, because only Brahman exists in reality. The whole world is not what it appears to be: it has no independent existence, it is the manifestation of an ultimate reality, it is a mere appearance, and it arises through the play of māyā, the creative power inherent in Brahman.

 

 

It is on this last aspect that the Advaita Vedānta, which is one of the most representative schools of the Vedānta today, places particular emphasis (Ādi Śaṅkara, 800 A.D.) It is this that is at the origin of the concept of Non-Duality as it has spread throughout the world and mainly in the West. Shankara4 is said to have influenced many Indian thinkers like Sri Aurobindo, Tagore, Osho, Ramana Maharshi and many foreign scientists like Schrödinger and Einstein.

The other schools of Vedānta are: Viśiṣṭādvaita of Rāmānuja, Dvaitādvaita[ of Nimbarka, Dvaia of Madhva, Śuddhādvaita of Vallabha Acharya, Bhedābheda of Bhāskara.

 

 

This path of absolute knowledge taught in the Upaniṣad can be summarised by these three statements:

only brahman is real ( brahma satyam )

the world is illusory (jagan mithyā)

the individual is not different from brahman (jîvo brahmaiva nāparah).

The student has to realise that the Self within him is not different from brahman, through direct experience: the Ātman is Brahman, which leads him to perceive the presence of brahman in everything.

It is the master (guru) who helps the student to realise his eternal nature by delivering the teaching, summarised in this great statement:

Tat tvam asi: "You are That."

Having received the teaching, the student must reflect on his own, and he must also meditate on the Self. Contemplation on the message of the scriptures is a support for this meditation, like this mantra for example which affirms our divine and blissful nature:

So'ham: "I am He."

 

 

For the Advaita Vedānta, the universe is a single entity, an interconnected Totality. Distinctions between objects result from ignorance of the true nature of Reality, which is identical to brahman, transcending time and space. In this state of ignorance, the individual is a prisoner of the illusions of the world and cannot escape successive reincarnations, the fruit of his karma.

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