Back to the Vedas: Gateway to Peace
By Narayani Ganesh
http://www.timesofindia.com/
'Why do birds prefer to stay on treetops during the
night? Why aren't they seen on the ground after
nightfall? According to ancient Hindu scriptures, birds
possess special and sensitive powers of perception. At
night, they 'see' the surface of the earth in flames.
These flames reflect the intense energy trapped by the
planet as a result of absorbing heat from the sun's rays
all day long.
The Vedas are replete with such tidbits, encapsulating a
heady mix of science, logic, deduction and belief, claim
Vedic scholars. Here's another piece of information that
is expressed in beautiful verse: What can one do when
faced with a dry season, when rains are eagerly awaited;
when farmers look skywards, pleading with an unseen
Power, praying for a good harvest? Get to the bottom of a
dried up water body. Plough your fields with the rich
natural fertiliser that can be easily accessed from these
water beds. The soil from here is saturated with the dung
and dirt from animals which frequented the place; with
compost from leaves, twigs and natural wastes that have
sunk and have been assimilated into this soil.
Therefore, Vedic tips on how to deal with real-life
situations may not all be outdated. Modern
environmentalists and ecologists sometimes advocate what
has already been talked about in Vedic scriptures. though
couched in sophisticated technical and scientific terms.
The Vedas are peppered with numerous tips on how to
achieve welfare for all by working in conjunction with
nature. 'Vedathil illadhadhu logathil illai' -- You can
discover nothing on this earth that is not already
present in the Vedas -- so goes a popular Tamil saying
which is seconded by Vedic scholars who have studied
these scriptures in great depth and detail.
Vedic pundits aver that slokas or verses are composed and
structured in a manner that their correct rendition can
evoke rains in times of drought. Conversely, there are
special slokas which when chanted with precision and in
the right spirit can actually make the rains cease when
there is too much of it. There's more. Slokas like the
aprathiratha sooktam mantra chanted repeatedly right at
the battle front, can actually will the enemy to retreat,
never to return, claim Vedic pundits.
Waxing eloquent on the power of Vedic chanting for
universal welfare, a group of 12 eminent Vedic pundits
have congregated at the Sri Krishna temple in the Capital
from different parts of the country. They are
participating in a Sampoorna Yajurveda Ghana Parayanam,
an event that has been organised for the first time in
Delhi. The Parayanam is a 29-day, eight-hours-a-day
rendition of the verses of the Yajur Veda in the Ghana
style, which is the most difficult of the five
traditional methods of recitation.
Handed down from generation to generation since the Vedic
age through the guru-shishya parampara, committing to
memory and reciting these verses comes from years of
arduous practice. The five methods of recitation are Mula
or Samhita, Pada, Krama, Jata and Ghana. Ghana, the last
one, requires rendition in a complicated combination set
to a rhythmic tone and is believed to possess high
potency when chanted by Ghanapatins. The tempo goes like
this: For Ghana, it is 1-2, 2-1, 1-2-3, 3-2-1. The five
methods are progressive in scale of difficulty. For
example, the tempo for Jata is: 1-2, 2-1, 1-2 following
the pattern of a braid, as the name suggests. Also
important is the timbre and tone. The number of students
opting for the study of the Vedas up to the Ghana stage
is dwindling. Hence this form of Vedic recitation is
rare.
Sri S Krishnamurthy Ghanapatigal from Sathanur,
Tamilnadu, says: ''The Vedas inform humankind about what
is needed and what is not. They convey what is not
observable with the eyes or the mind. They address not
just brahmins and kings; they are equally applicable to
the army, to students, to agriculturists -- in short,
entire humankind. It is structured for the well-being of
entire humanity, of all life. If they spell out ideas to
improve agriculture, they also talk about behavioural
psychology''.
''At the UN Millennium Summit, we are happy that
religious leaders from different faiths and regions
converged to talk about peaceful conflict resolution. In
fact, the Vedas have a formula for conflict resolution,
too. The aikamathya sooktam is a mantra in verse which
when recited wherever there is conflict, can actually
create an atmosphere conducive for peaceful and lasting
resolution''.
(The scholars can be contacted at the Alakananda Dharmik
Samaj, Sri Balavenugopalakrishna Temple till 17
September, R-2, Institutional Area, Alaknanda, New Delhi
110 019, Phone 6282730).
Source -
Hindu Wisdom
http://www.hinduwisdom.info
By Narayani Ganesh
http://www.timesofindia.com/
'Why do birds prefer to stay on treetops during the
night? Why aren't they seen on the ground after
nightfall? According to ancient Hindu scriptures, birds
possess special and sensitive powers of perception. At
night, they 'see' the surface of the earth in flames.
These flames reflect the intense energy trapped by the
planet as a result of absorbing heat from the sun's rays
all day long.
The Vedas are replete with such tidbits, encapsulating a
heady mix of science, logic, deduction and belief, claim
Vedic scholars. Here's another piece of information that
is expressed in beautiful verse: What can one do when
faced with a dry season, when rains are eagerly awaited;
when farmers look skywards, pleading with an unseen
Power, praying for a good harvest? Get to the bottom of a
dried up water body. Plough your fields with the rich
natural fertiliser that can be easily accessed from these
water beds. The soil from here is saturated with the dung
and dirt from animals which frequented the place; with
compost from leaves, twigs and natural wastes that have
sunk and have been assimilated into this soil.
Therefore, Vedic tips on how to deal with real-life
situations may not all be outdated. Modern
environmentalists and ecologists sometimes advocate what
has already been talked about in Vedic scriptures. though
couched in sophisticated technical and scientific terms.
The Vedas are peppered with numerous tips on how to
achieve welfare for all by working in conjunction with
nature. 'Vedathil illadhadhu logathil illai' -- You can
discover nothing on this earth that is not already
present in the Vedas -- so goes a popular Tamil saying
which is seconded by Vedic scholars who have studied
these scriptures in great depth and detail.
Vedic pundits aver that slokas or verses are composed and
structured in a manner that their correct rendition can
evoke rains in times of drought. Conversely, there are
special slokas which when chanted with precision and in
the right spirit can actually make the rains cease when
there is too much of it. There's more. Slokas like the
aprathiratha sooktam mantra chanted repeatedly right at
the battle front, can actually will the enemy to retreat,
never to return, claim Vedic pundits.
Waxing eloquent on the power of Vedic chanting for
universal welfare, a group of 12 eminent Vedic pundits
have congregated at the Sri Krishna temple in the Capital
from different parts of the country. They are
participating in a Sampoorna Yajurveda Ghana Parayanam,
an event that has been organised for the first time in
Delhi. The Parayanam is a 29-day, eight-hours-a-day
rendition of the verses of the Yajur Veda in the Ghana
style, which is the most difficult of the five
traditional methods of recitation.
Handed down from generation to generation since the Vedic
age through the guru-shishya parampara, committing to
memory and reciting these verses comes from years of
arduous practice. The five methods of recitation are Mula
or Samhita, Pada, Krama, Jata and Ghana. Ghana, the last
one, requires rendition in a complicated combination set
to a rhythmic tone and is believed to possess high
potency when chanted by Ghanapatins. The tempo goes like
this: For Ghana, it is 1-2, 2-1, 1-2-3, 3-2-1. The five
methods are progressive in scale of difficulty. For
example, the tempo for Jata is: 1-2, 2-1, 1-2 following
the pattern of a braid, as the name suggests. Also
important is the timbre and tone. The number of students
opting for the study of the Vedas up to the Ghana stage
is dwindling. Hence this form of Vedic recitation is
rare.
Sri S Krishnamurthy Ghanapatigal from Sathanur,
Tamilnadu, says: ''The Vedas inform humankind about what
is needed and what is not. They convey what is not
observable with the eyes or the mind. They address not
just brahmins and kings; they are equally applicable to
the army, to students, to agriculturists -- in short,
entire humankind. It is structured for the well-being of
entire humanity, of all life. If they spell out ideas to
improve agriculture, they also talk about behavioural
psychology''.
''At the UN Millennium Summit, we are happy that
religious leaders from different faiths and regions
converged to talk about peaceful conflict resolution. In
fact, the Vedas have a formula for conflict resolution,
too. The aikamathya sooktam is a mantra in verse which
when recited wherever there is conflict, can actually
create an atmosphere conducive for peaceful and lasting
resolution''.
(The scholars can be contacted at the Alakananda Dharmik
Samaj, Sri Balavenugopalakrishna Temple till 17
September, R-2, Institutional Area, Alaknanda, New Delhi
110 019, Phone 6282730).
Source -
Hindu Wisdom
http://www.hinduwisdom.info
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