Vedas: Vedas As A Guide To Good Living  

By SWAMI TEJOMAYANANDA  

The Vedas contain revelations of the eternal Truth. The culture of a community or a nation is derived from the values that people live and uphold in their lives. The word Veda is derived from the Sanskrit vid , to know.

They contain knowledge in every field of worldly science , under the following broad headings - the sadangas or six limbs: Siksa or phonetics, kalpa or the code of rituals, vyakarana or grammar, nirukta or etymology, chandas or literature, and jyotish or astronomy. Along with these, four upvedas o r subvedas consist of the four sciences: Ayurveda or medicine, dhanurveda or new archery, gandharvaveda or music and sthapatyaveda or architecture.

Vedic philosophy is also called Vaidika Samskriti. Their subject matter is classified into three parts: Karma kanda or ritualistic, upasana kanda or worship and jnana kanda or knowledge.

According to the Vedas, the purpose of human life is to realise absolute Truth or Reality. In order to know the Truth the mind must be prepared and purified. Karma kanda is meant for acquiring purity of mind. It refers not only to rituals like homas, havans, yajna s and pujas; it also prescribes different kinds of karmas or actions for different purposes. These karmas are called kamya karmas , actions prompted by a desire to get a particular result and are therefore performed through choice.

The other type of karmas are called nitya karmas . According to the stages in life, duties are assigned which are to be performed daily for the discipline of the mind. For instance a brahmachari must do Gayatri Japa as a daily duty.

The vanprastha grahastha , the householder who has retired from worldly activities for spiritual pursuits and the sanyasi or renunciate - all have particular daily duties to perform; these are meant to bring discipline into our lives. Through these nitya karmas one slowly gains mastery and control over the mind.

The third type of karma is called kartavya karma or duty enjoined by another, such as parents, teachers, government, or by the place of employment.

In upasana kanda , upa means near, and asana means sitting. ''Sitting near’’ means to be mentally close to the object of worship. The Vedas attach importance to ishtdevta upasana or the worship of a chosen deity. And so Hindu temples have the idols of Rama, Krishna, and Shiva among others, for worship. These are not mere idols; they symbolise our ideals.

Swami Chinmayananda said: ''Every idol represents an ideal.’’ Through upasana a devotee develops deep love for his or her chosen form of the Lord.

Hinduism is widely perceived to be a polytheistic religion. The Upanishads clearly point out that there is only one God, one Truth. The different forms of Hindu gods and goddesses represent one God - His powers are expressed in different ways. This way, people can worship the form of their choice.

Swami Chinmayananda explains that some people conceive of God as master or ruler, while others think of God as the divine mother. Still others worship God in the form of animals. The use of symbols in worship are meant for making the mind single pointed whereby we gain the very same qualities of the ideal we revere.

The need for religious symbols depends upon the individual. Symbols are used even today in high level management courses, where the method of instruction is primarily through visual means of graphs, charts, videos and slide-shows. If the mind of the individual is subtle enough to understand a principle or a concept directly, he does not need the help of a symbol.

The goal of the practice of the karma and upasana kandas is to achieve readiness of the mind for receiving the highest knowledge. This knowledge is contained in the jnana kanda.

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See also: Vedas, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)