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by Jayaram V
Do the Vedas promote worldliness? Yes they do, says the Bhagavadgita.
How do
they do it? By letting you fulfill your desires and ambition.
They promote sattva, rajas and tamas. Sattva contributes to purity,
pleasantness and brilliance; rajas to pride and ambition that comes
with personal success, status and achievement; and tamas to ignorance,
dark desires and negativity. The Vedas enhance these qualities in
people depending upon how they make use of the Vedic scriptures.
They promote sattva among those who perform the sacrificial rituals
dutifully and selflessly to promote dharma and contribute to order
and regularity (rta) in society and in the world. They promote rajas
among those who perform sacrificial rituals for selfish gains to
win wars, destroy enemies and amass wealth without any concern for
the consequences of their actions. They promote tamas among those
who use the mantras to cast spells and charms either to influence
people or hurt them and harm them. With the help of the
Vedic hymns you can accomplish these three different aims. The knowledge
of the Vedas is considered sacred as well as confidential, because
with it you can both help and harm others and in the process help
or harm yourself. The Bhagavadgita therefore refers to this potentiality
of the Vedas (2.45) and cautions people against their misuse.
The end part of the Vedas are different. They help you stabilize
your mind, purify your consciousness and realize your true Self.
You can use them to enjoy this life, prepare for next life or attain
liberation. The Vedas thus give you a choice, to be this worldly,
otherworldly or immortal. The Vedas are eternal and divine. The
seers say that they are relayed eternally in the subtle planes and
with practice one can hear them.The Vedas are therefore known as
Shruti, meaning heard. They are known as Apaurusheya, meaning not
man made. The Vedas are structured according to the four phases
of human life. The Samhitas and the Brahmanas are ideal for the
phase of Brahmacharya and Grihasta. The Aranyakas and the Upanishads
for the vanaprastha (life of a recluse) and sanyasa (renunciation).
The Samhitas are useful to practice obligatory religious duties
(dharma), the Brahmanas to seek wealth (artha) by perfecting your
practice and improve your ritual efficacy. The forest books to practice
self-restraint and gain control over your desires (kama) and finally
the Upanishads to remain focused on the Self and attain liberation
(moksha).
Suggested Further Reading
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