ON THE VEDA An Introduction to the Vedas (I) WHAT is it that we call Veda? It is already known to us that the Vedas are the perennial fount of Indian culture and education, the foundation of Hinduism and the basis of the Aryan civilisation. He who defies Veda is an atheist, a non-Hindu, an untouchable and a non-Aryan. All the va­rious religious systems and scriptures of the Hindus look upon the Veda as the sole authority. What is inconsistent with the Vedas is false and unacceptable. It is no hyperbole to say that all our scriptures are but elaborate commentaries on the Veda. Even men of revolutionary ideas who want to preach some new doctrines have not the

Hymn to Sindhu (The Mother of Rivers) RIGVEDA Mandala X: Sukta 75 [These Rivers, named after the well-known ancient rivers of the Punjab, are here symbolic of the streamings, the forces of consciousness. They are, as it is said, solar powers, the radiant energies of the Sun – the Supreme Light, their seat and source. They are encompassing and flooding the whole universe including the three domains, the Earth, the Heaven and the mid-region. The foremost among them is the Sindhu; all the others are its branches and tributaries. Indeed, they represent the Supreme Power (Parashakti) and her emanations and manifestations and personalities.] (1) O WATERS, t

Hymn to Earth ATHARVAVEDA Kanda XII: Sukta 1 [This is a selection from the original Hymn which is some­what longer. There is here a double series of numbering of the slokas, put side by side – except those that have the same number in the original as well as the selection; the first one gives the order of the slokas as selected: the other one refers to the number as in the original text.] (I) THE vast Truth, the Mighty Law, the Consecration, the austere Will, the Word, the Sacrifice – these uphold the Earth. She is the guardian of our past and of our future. May she create for us the wide Realm. (2) Man offers no barrier: many are the hills and dales a

THE SECOND SUKTA The upward spirit, the conscious energising power, the aspiration-fire that resides at the root of all spiritual disci­plines as their fount and primal inspiration has been invoked in the first sukta. The present sukta throws light upon the different steps and rungs of that upward spiritual discipline. The Vedic spiritual discipline aims at Truth, the Right and the Vast. The ordinary life consists of body, life and mind. The trivial work, the insignificant inspiration Page-98 and enjoyment of life, the limited knowledge of the mind - man is aware of nothing beyond. But there is something above the body, life and mind. When one reaches that highe

THE FOURTH SUKTA The gradual progression of the spiritual discipline takes place by virtue of the bliss-power in the pure mind. It is with that power that a spiritual seeker overcomes all the obstacles and the downward pull of ignorance symbolised by Vritra and creates beautiful forms full of knowledge in the fullness of the Vast. In the first three riks the nectar-emitting light and pure thought-power of Indra have been invoked. Indra is a milch cow, that is to say, the inexhaustible source from which a seeker draws the nectar of immortality. But why? Because it is thus that a spiritual seeker can see the manifestation of the All-Blissful, in the Vast. In our normal

Just Be There Where You Are BE there where you have always been Fate is firm in its resolve, the will unbending. Nor far, nor near, always within sight, but beyond reach altogether; Without activity yet keeping interest. The flame is out, still neither hot nor cold. A luminous darkness, doors closed yet the breeze moving free: A river with no currents yet a silent tide moving up ... Field harvested, stacks of straw strewn over - the only comfort; Out of the watery tomb of the goddess floats up her cardboard coronet. Nothing is here yet something remains. An empty envelope With only the address written in the

A P P E N D I X - I November 24, 1926 EVEN before that date for some time past, Sri Aurobindo had been more and more withdrawing into himself and retiring within. An external sign of this became visible to us as his lunch hour shifted gradually towards the afternoon. We used to have our meal together and the Mother too ate with us, at the Library House, in the room now used by Ravindra as the fruit-room. There used to be about eight or ten of us. On the previous day, Sri Aurobindo came down to lunch when it was past four. We would naturally wait till he came. Then the great day arrived. In the afternoon, it was in fact already getting dark, all of us had gone out

ON UPANISHADIC THOUGHT Yama - Nachiketa (Katha Upanishad) VAJASRAVAS desired that he would give away all he had. He had a son named Nachiketas. As the boy saw the gifts being given, his heart was filled with respect and devotion, and he pondered: "The realm of undelight is his portion who makes a gift offering of kine that have drunk their last drop of water and eaten the last herb, have been sucked to the last drop of milk and have worn out their organs." So the boy said to his father, "To whom are you going to give me, father?" The father did not give an answer to the senseless question of his ignorant son. But the boy was insistent. . He a

Mute EVER in the heart's core rings a faint strain, The ringing of His hidden flute: Its dumb utterance evokes a sweet pain, The ardent desire of a burning love. In the moonlight haze, in the love-game, steps around me Brush past to avoid eyes meeting: Half-seen the body, foot-fall muffled, ­ The soul is ever athirst. In the dark a flickering smile, glimmering limbs, Some one unseen spinning around: Love binds my soul as if trapped in a prison, I am in search of the body, the golden mine of love. Lip to lip, hand in hand anon, A vain moment's thrill: Failure increases the greed, hopelessness sweetens the regret, Sorrowful am I

Hymn to Bhavani NOR father nor mother, nor friends nor brothers, Nor son nor daughter, nor servants nor master, Nor bride nor learning nor profession have I: Thou art the refuge, thou the sole refuge, O Bhavani! In this world, this shoreless ocean brimming with its dread suffering, I lie prostrate, full of desire, full of greed, full of delusion; For ever entangled I am in the meshes of Wrong movements: Thou art the refuge, thou the sole refuge, O Bhavani! I know neither benefaction nor meditation nor yoga, Nor do I know secret practices nor charms nor chants occult; I know not rites of worship, nor the process of renouncing: Thou art