Sri Gurubhyo Namah
Namo Dharma Pravartakebhyo Mahadbhyah

The Vedas

The word “Veda” is derived from the Sanskrit root “Vid,” which means “to know.” Therefore, the word “Vedas” means “the Scriptures of Knowledge.”

The Vedas impart two kinds of knowledge to humanity. One kind teaches how a person may use the objects of this world, in accordance with the principles of Dharma, to make life happy and meaningful. The other kind reveals the purpose of this life and the purpose of this universe. Since the Vedas provide this fundamental knowledge, they are known as the Scriptures of Knowledge.

If one attempts to determine the age of the Vedas, it is impossible to assign them any point of origin. Therefore, the Vedas are described as Anadi (beginningless). Anadi means that there is nothing prior to them and that they have no beginning.

The Vedas were not composed by human beings. Hence, they are known as Apaurusheya, meaning “not of human authorship.” Since they were not written by any individual, they are also traditionally referred to as Ezhuthamarai (the Unwritten Scripture). Here, the word Marai does not mean a hidden book; rather, it refers to a scripture that reveals the Supreme Reality, which remains hidden from ordinary perception.

The Vedas are also associated with the term Rishi. The Vedas were realized by enlightened sages through direct spiritual experience. Therefore, they are known as Rishis.

“Rishayo Mantra Drashtah” – The Rishis are the Seers of the Mantras.

Countless eternal sounds exist throughout space in the form of subtle vibrations. Among them, the sound patterns that promote the welfare of the world are the Vedic Mantras.

Through the power of Tapas (austerity) and continuous Yogic practice, the Rishis perceived these eternal sounds. Those who are capable of perceiving these divine sounds are known as Mantra Drashtas (Seers of the Mantras).

Although every Vedic Mantra is traditionally associated with the name of a particular Rishi, the Rishi did not compose the Mantra. When a Mantra is said to belong to a particular Rishi, it simply means that the Rishi was the first to perceive that eternal Mantra, which already existed in space, and reveal it to the world.

Therefore, a Rishi means a Mantra Drashta (one who perceived or discovered the Mantra), and not a Mantra Karta (one who composed or created the Mantra).

The Vedic Mantras themselves, in their very form as sacred sound vibrations, work for the welfare of the entire world.

 The Vedic Mantras are the Very Breath of Paramatma

Just as life within our body continues through the movement (flow) of breath known as Svasa, the life of the entire universe is sustained by the movement of these primordial sound vibrations. Therefore, the Vedic Mantras are regarded as the very breath of Paramatma.

The Vedas are also called Sruti, which literally means “knowledge received through hearing.” Before the Vedas were written down in script, students of the Vedas spent twelve years under their Guru memorizing them. Later, they taught these sacred hymns to their own students over many years, who in turn committed them to memory. Thus, the Vedas were transmitted from one generation to another through oral tradition. For this reason, they came to be known as Sruti, which means “that which is heard.”

The eternal truths realized by the Rishis were later compiled into four collections by Sage Vyasa. These are:

• Rig Veda
• Yajur Veda
• Sama Veda
• Atharvana Veda

Each Veda is divided into four principal sections:

• Samhita (or Mantra Portion)
• Brahmana
• Aranyaka
• Upanishad

Samhita (The Mantra Portion)

The Samhita consists of prayers and hymns addressed to various Devas. The word Mantra means “that which protects the one who chants it.” Therefore, whoever chants these Mantras, or for whomever they are chanted, receives their divine protection and blessings.

Brahmana

The Brahmana portion explains the rituals to be performed while reciting the Mantras, the proper methods of worship, and the procedures for sacrificial offerings (Yajnas). In short, the Brahmanas are the practical manuals that explain how the inner teachings of the Vedas are to be put into practice.

They are classified into four groups:

• Rig Veda Brahmana
• Yajur Veda Brahmana
• Sama Veda Brahmana
• Atharvana Veda Brahmana

Aranyaka

The word Aranyaka means “forest.” In ancient times, those who had retired from worldly life and embraced a life of renunciation would go into the forests to live in solitude. The Aranyakas describe the contemplative disciplines and spiritual practices that such seekers were expected to undertake through meditation and inner worship.

The Aranyaka portion may therefore be regarded as an intermediate stage that leads a seeker from the ritual-oriented practices described in the Brahmanas to the profound philosophical contemplation found in the Upanishads.

The Upanishads

The Upanishads are the very essence of the Vedas.

These four sections together constitute the complete Veda. Every branch (Sakha) of the Vedas follows this traditional structure.

If the Samhita is compared to a tree, the Brahmana is its flower, the Aranyaka is its unripe fruit, and the Upanishad is its fully ripened fruit. Since the Upanishads appear at the end of the Vedas, they are known as Vedanta, meaning “the end or culmination of the Vedas.”

The word Upa-Ni-Shad literally means “to sit down near.” The Upanishads are the sacred teachings imparted by the Guru to the disciple who sits close to him with reverence, humility, and deep attention.

Many great commentators have offered different explanations of the meaning of the word Upanishad. We shall examine these interpretations one by one in the commentaries on the respective Upanishads.

The Upanishads represent the crowning glory of Vedic thought. Although there are many Upanishads, 108 are generally accepted as the principal collection. Among them, fourteen Upanishads are regarded as especially important. They are:

• Isa
• Kena
• Katha
• Prasna
• Mundaka
• Mandukya
• Aitareya
• Taittiriya
• Chandogya
• Brihadaranyaka
• Svetasvatara
• Kausitaki
• Mahanarayana
• Maitrayani

Among these, Sri Adi Sankara wrote commentaries on the first ten Upanishads.

These fourteen Upanishads belong to the four Vedas as follows:

Rig Veda

• Aitareya
• Kausitaki

Yajur Veda

• Isa
• Katha
• Taittiriya
• Brihadaranyaka
• Svetasvatara
• Maitrayani
• Mahanarayana

Sama Veda

• Kena
• Chandogya

Atharvana Veda

• Prasna
• Mundaka
• Mandukya

The sages who transmitted the Upanishads never claimed these teachings as their own. Instead, they humbly declared, “The great souls who instructed us taught these truths in this manner.” This shows that these truths were not attained merely through their own intellectual ability, but through the grace of enlightened masters.

This also teaches us how sincerely and reverently we should approach the Upanishads. It is not possible to realize the true meaning of the Upanishads merely through book knowledge or mastery of the Sanskrit language.

Only by approaching them with purity of mind, studying them repeatedly, contemplating deeply on the meaning of the mantras, and reflecting upon them with sincere dedication can one not only understand the truths of the Upanishads but also experience the wonder, beauty, and spiritual joy that they contain.

Let us strive to make these sacred mantras a living reality in our own lives.