The Vedic View of Life

Pandit Ganga Prasad Upadhyaya

EditorBhavesh Merja

November 2013 - 2000 Copies

Price : Rs. 5

Arya SamajNavadera - Bharuch

Gujarat (India)392001

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The Vedic View of Life

Philosophy is the background of all human activities. It isan invisible wire-puller. It colours the entire human life.Though apparently, philosophical fundamentals areconfined to a selected few of the thinkers, masses cannotremain uninfluenced. The waves of philosophical thoughtsspread far and wide and permeate every stratum of life.Just as every rise and fall of our footsteps is subject tothe invisible law of gravitation and even an animal whohas no idea of any law of nature submits, thoughunconsciously, to that law, similarly all people submit tophilosophical thought, either consciously or unconsciously.If we look deep into the ways of Eastern living, we findthe whole life falling victim to this wave of pessimism.

The entire oriental conception of life can be epitomized inone word – pessimism. The Easterners look upon life assomething evil, a thing which is worth being renounced.Lord Buddha described the world transitory, full of sorrowand suffering, though he accepted possibility ofemancipation. The great Shankaracharya regards theworld as big illusion, a maya. It is common to comparelife to a bubble on the surface of water or to a dream.The insubstantiality of life is a theme that is more popular

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with the poets and savants of the East. The renunciationof the world has always been the chief aim of the sages.Pessimistic philosophy negates the very purpose andmeaning of life.

Optimism is the chief motor of all human institutions. Allprogress depends upon hope. As soon as you areconvinced of the unreality of life you are deprived of thegenerative power of all activities. If the world is unreal, ifwe stand face to face with a big illusion, an abysmalnothingness, what is it that we should work for? If theworld is nothing but a dream; then all our troubles andjoys, all activities and inactivities are only a dream andwe are no more than dreamers. All patriotic andphilanthropic institutions, all efforts to alleviate thesufferings of men and animals are meaningless. Whatdo discoveries and inventions mean to a man who feelsthat the world in which he lives is an illusion? Who willlike to improve the life if, however improved, it is no morethan a bubble?

What pleasure can the Universe vouchsafe for him wholooks upon it as a prison house? What beauty can thesun, the moon, the stars and other objects present tohim who thinks that sheer misfortune has brought him tothis life, which, the sooner comes to an end, the better?Will he like to pray that this life of prison be lengthened?Will he pray that others in the form of sons, grandsonsand friends should also come and share with him themiseries of imprisonment? Who among the most foolishof prisoners, is such a fool that, when destined toimprisonment might request the jail authorities to drag withhim to the prison house, his family and friends?

Such pessimistic attitude can be noticed in most ofSchools of the East and especially of India. For thousandsof years before Maharshi Dayananda Sarasvati (1824-1883) the Indians have been leading an almost inactivelife; with few elementary wants. The Indian philosophyprompted from the evil world was given a contemptuousplace. There have been occasions when some Shivaji,or some Govind Singh rose and made efforts to considerthe hard facts and to see the world boldly in the face. Butas they could not change the mentality of the people tothe desired extent what little they could do was soonundone. Consequently one hardly finds any significantprogress, invention, discovery, or adventures, orachievement during the past few centuries. In fact, nothingthat can be the sign of wakefulness of a nation havebeen achieved by Indians. Just as a magician spreadshis magic pieces before an audience and the spectatorsthough amused never care to get either his fruits or coins,just so an Indian sage thinks that the world before him isthe work of a great magician who shows this or thateither to amuse or to delude him. With this conception oflife he develops an attitude of complete indifference tothe world, its problem and welfare.

The great Shankaracharya realizing this weak point inthe theory of maya and to counteract the evil divided thewhole department of life into two parts – actual orParmarthic and work-a-day or Vyavaharik. He enunciatedthat from the ultimate standpoint world is unsubstantialor illusory but for all practical purposes it is real. Hehoped that this proviso would provide man with sufficientmotive power to work. But the remedy proved as fatal as

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the disease. Suppositions are a weak support to solidactions. The feeling of Parmarthic or actual nothingnesslingered behind the supposed reality of the world, and wenever made that serious progress which is the outcomeof faith in the reality of life.

The Glorious Past

If we look at the past of India we are amazed at theprogress which was made. Such a glorious past wasnever in the fate of any nation. Even the remnants of thepast glory are dazzling enough. The grand buildings ofwhich a few pieces are brought to light now and then,through excavations, show that marvellous must havebeen the Indian architecture. Ancient Indian art and ancientIndian literature are such as any nation can be proud of.Their linguistic achievements are simply wonderful. Whereis a language more perfect than Sanskrit? Then whileother civilizations nave crumbled to pieces at slightcataclysms, the civilization of India has stood a test. Ithas defied the wildest storms. It has survived the mostviolent shocks.

Living Vedic Philosophy

How is all this possible? Had the Indians been everpessimistic as dreaming, as illusion-struck, as they havebeen for during the past few centuries, suchachievements would have been simply out of question?Their conception of life must have been bolder and morelively and in order to provide them with a substantialincentive to go forward. Mere dreamers could not haveachieved so much.

We would first look to the Vedas, the books that can safelybe our postulated fountain head of all religious life of India.

The one thing that strikes us most is that the Vedic prayersare superbly realistic. Pessimism is conspicuous by itsabsence. And if there is a tinge any where, it is remarkablyinsignificant. No where has it been hinted that life isnothing. Long fellow’s ‘Life is real, life is earnest’ reflectsVedism more than Christianity. The famous verse of theYajur Veda which every Arya is enjoined to recite bothmorning and evening, testifies to this –

rPp{kqn s Zofgra iqjLrkPNqqØeqPpjr~Ai’;se ‘kjn% ‘kra those ‘kjn% ‘kra ‘k`.k q;ke ‘kjn% ‘kra

iz czoke ‘kjn% ‘krenhuk% L;ke ‘kjn% ‘kra Hkw;’p ‘kjn% ‘krkr~AA– Yajur Veda : 36.24

That great eye (God) has already placed in our being apotentiality or seed-power ¼’kqØe~½. May we see a hundredyears! May we hear the (Vedas) a hundred years! Maywe preach a hundred years! May we live free ¼vnhuk%½ ahundred years! Aye several centuries.

Pessimism can not stand before such hopeful prayers. Aprayer for a full century of healthy and useful years of lifehas charms of its own. Who will like to remain in dreamfor a hundred years? Who will like to stay in a world whichis all pain, all misery, all afflictions, even for a day? Is it nota dire insult to the great Maker to call the world ugly, painfuland bad? What would you think of a watch-maker if heproduces a frail, useless and ugly watch? And what willyou think of the great God whose work is alleged to be sobad? The Vedas speak in a quite different strain –

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;ks vn/kkTT;ksfrf”k T;ksfrjUr;ksZ vltUe/kquk la e/kwfuAv/k fiz;a ‘kw”kfeUæk; eUe c zã—rk s c`gnqDFkknokfpAA

– Rig Veda : 10.54.6To that God are offered these sweet prayers by thedivinely inspired devotee, Who puts light into bright thingsand who created sweet things bleat with sweetness?

How bright! How sweet!

;L;ses fgeoUrk s efgRok ;L; leqæ a jl;k lgkg q%A;L;sek% izfn’kks ;L; ckgw dLeS nsok; gfo”kk fo/kseAA

– Rig Veda : 10.121.4Unto that Great God alone shall we offer prayers? Whoseare these high snow covered mountains; Whose is calledthe Ocean with its water; Whose are these directions; andWhose are these arms (of men representing strength).

ek uks fgalhTtfurk ;% ifFkO;k ;ks ok fnoa lR;/kekZ ttkuA;’pki’pUæk cgrhtZtku dLeS nsok; gfo”kk fo/kseAA

– Rig Veda : 10.121.9Unto that Great God alone shall we offer prayers? Mayhe not harm us who is the Creator of the Earth; or whobeing the controller of true laws, created the firmamentand who created the great delight-giving waters.

The Vedas no where seem to entertain such an idea.Look at the blessings showered upon the bride andbridegroom just when their nuptials are over –

bgSo Lra ek fo ;kS”Va fo’oek;qO;Z’uqre~AØhGUrkS iq=SuZIrfHkeksZnekukS Los x`gsAA

– Rig Veda : 10.85.42

May you dwell here; be ye not parted; enjoy the full life;playing with sons and grandsons; rejoicing in your ownhouse.*

Who will not welcome the duration of imprisonmentreduced? But the Vedas no where admit of such notions.^fpjatho* or ‘live long’ is the usual benediction allowed by theVedas. In fact longevity is everywhere prayed for.

Those who think that it is in conformity with Vedicteachings to look upon the world as a big illusion aremistaken like wise. They commit the mistake of taking ormistaking for the Vedas the books which are neither Vedasnor consonant with the Vedas. The doctrine of Maya orillusion which generally passes as Vedanta is nowhereencouraged in the Vedas. The Vedas no where, say thatthe world is a big illusion. Even the word ‘Maya’ which

* Compare with this the Christian view of life – ‘In England on theother hand and in Europe generally apart from the increasinginfluence of prudential considerations, there has always beenthe idea underlying the teaching of the Christian Churches thatit is good for a man not to touch a woman’. ‘Why’ asks Tetullian,‘should we long to bear children... Whom when we have themdesire to send before us... ourselves also longing to be removed,from this most wicked World? St. Augustine admits that somepersons ask, if all men abstain from sexual intercourse, whencethe human race will exist, but he goes on would that all wouldthus (i.e. abstain)... much more speedily would the city of Godbe filled and the end of the world hastened.’ (Census of India1921, Volume, Part I, Page 154) Europe did not progress aslong as this mentality remained. The progress Europe has madenow is due to change in the mentality, which is exhibited in themodern European literature.

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occurs so often in the Vedas does not mean illusion ornescience, but just the reverse of it i.e. science orknowledge or intellect. In Nighantu the word ¼ek;k½ Maya isone of the eleven synonyms of ¼izKk½ Prajna or wisdomand the great Vedic lexicographer Yaska whilecommenting upon the word quotes several verses ofthe Rig Veda (e.g. Rig Veda : 6.58.1, 10.88.6, 5.85.6,10.71.5), where from the very context the word ‘Maya’means knowledge or wisdom and not an illusion.

Misinterpretation of Maya

It is true that in later ages the word ‘Maya’ underwent adegrading change and began to be used in the sense ofillusion. But the practice of looking upon the universe asa big illusion is of a very late origin as compared with theage of Vedic civilization. It was the Budhistic nihilism orBudhistic idealism that first gave currency to the illusoryconception of the outer universe. And subsequentlyGaudpadacharya and Shankaracharya twisted the doctrinein their favour and gave it a Vedic tinge. Since then thewhole Hinduism began to regard the world as a big illusionor a big dream and hence the national inertia ordegradation to which we have been reduced.

If the universe were a dream or an illusion, the followingbold injunctions of the Vedas would have had no meaningat all –

dqoZUu so sg dekZf.k ftthfo”ksPNra lek%A– Yajur Veda : 40.2

Only doing actions in the world should one desire to livea hundred years.

What do actions mean in dream or illusion?

la xPN/oa la on/oa la oks eukafl tkurke~A – Rig Veda : 10.191.2

Walk together, speak together, and let your minds be united.

What place have walking, speaking and unity in a worldwhich is no better than illusion?

Then again, if the world has no real existence at all, whatwould the following verse mean?

lw;kZpUæelkS /kkrk ;Fkkiwo ZedYi;r~A– Rig Veda : 10.190.3

The Creater made the sun and the moon as in theprevious cycles.

If the world is an illusion, the sun and the moon that area part thereof are also an illusion, and their creation hasno meaning at all. Shankaracharya’s great proviso toothat the world has no real reality but a practical realityonly does not find support in any verse of the Vedas.Neither in the beginning, nor in the middle nor in the endof the Vedas is there any clear evidence that it is forpractical purposes only that the universe be regarded asexistent. The very first verse of the Rig Veda addressedto Agni gives a bold expression to a bold world: by nomeans to a world supposed or illusory or merely seeming.

The importance of action is the first thing that the Vedasenjoin. A few instances may be cited –

vXus ;a ;Ke/oja fo’or% ifjHkwjflA l bÌssos”k q xPNfrAA – Rig Veda : 1.1.4

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O God, the harmless sacrifice, which thou encompassestall round, verily conduces to good qualities.

Here God (Agni) is said to be the encompasser of Yajnaor good actions. Had Yajnas been due to nescience,God would never have been called their encompasserof doer.

ikodk u% ljLorh oktsfHkokZftuhorhA ;Ka o”Vq f/k;kolq%AA – Rig Veda : 1.3.10

Let purifying learning which provides us with means oflivelihood, pervaded with wisdom, help our sacrifice.

pksnf;=h lwu`rkuka psrUrh lqerhuke~A ;Ka n/ks ljLorhAA – Rig Veda : 1.3.11

Learning, actuator of truths and inspirer of graciousthoughts, supports the sacrifice.

egks v.kZ% ljLorh iz psr;fr dsrqukA f/k;ks fo’ok fo jktfrAA– Rig Veda : 1.3.12

Learning, deep as a great ocean glorifies with action andillumines all intellects.

The Vedas abound with such verses which prove withoutdoubt that actions or sacrifices are not the result ofnescience. They are the imperative duties of learned menand are necessary not only for worldly prosperity but forex-worldly bliss. The greatest error that has foundcurrency among some influential schools of thought isthat the Vedas hold all actions as result of nescience andenjoin the renunciation of them. Those texts which glorifythe actions are either belittled or misinterpreted only toso conform to the supported theories. I shall give one

instance. While writing an exposition of the 2nd verse ofthe 40th chapter of Yajur Veda ^dqoZUusosg* etc., (which I havequoted above) the great Shankaracharya says :vFkrjL;kukReKkur;k··Rex zg.k;k’kDrL;sne qifn’kfreU=%d qo ZUu so sfrAMeaning : “This verse ¼dqoZUusosg½ advises that one who isdifferent i.e. ignorant of spiritual science, is unfit to receivespiritual knowledge.”

I hold that this remark is unwarranted and utterlyunfounded. It has been put in by the learned expositor,only in order to make the Vedas consistent with hisabsolutely non-Vedic theory that actions are due toignorance, nescience or Avidya.

Some persons think that the Vedas have nothing to dowith mundane affairs; they speak of God or Gods only.This is utterly wrong. Religion according to the Vedicdoctrines belongs not only to one phase of life but to thewhole of it. Kanad, the author of Vaisheshik, definesreligion as –

;rks·H;qn;ks fu%Js;lflf)% l /keZ%AThat which is conductive through worldly prosperity toex-worldly bliss.

This is, I think, the correctest position of the Vedas. Thisis the spirit that pervades through all the Vedas. TheVedas do not ignore any department of life. Their love ofnature is proverbial. If you read the Vedas you cannot butbe impressed with the beauties of the universe. Lordlymountains, gliding streams, spacious firmaments, theyall inspire. Not vagaries or cruelties of nature, but itssweetness, grandeur and loveliness are the themes of

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the Vedic verses. They create in the reader’s mind nota hatred, but a peculiar love towards the great work ofthe great God. The Vedas nowhere speak of an abstractGod who has nothing to do with the universe or isabsolutely unconnected with living being. An actionless,unconnected God who belongs to nothing and to whomnothing belongs, who loves nothing and is loved bynothing, will be an entity no better than nothing, hardlyan object of worship or human devotion. God is oursand we are His. He loves us and we should love Him.The Vedas sing of him as –

l u% firk tfurk l mr cU/kq%A– Atharva Veda : 2.1.3

He is our father, life-giver and kin as well.

Think of the word ^u%* (nah) or ‘our’. How inspiring ! Thissmall syallable ‘our’ has charms of it own. It has thrillingeffect upon the devotee’s heart. God is ours. He has notthrown us into a dungeon. He could not have done it. Heis so loving. This life and this universe have nothing incommon with a dungeon. Dungeon is place a whererevenge, hatred, cruelty, oppression and other humanweaknesses have their place. The universe is somethingquite different, quite distinct. It is friendly universe that theVedas refer to –

lw;ksZ uks fnoLikrq okrks vUrfj{kkr~A vfXuuZ% ikfFkZo sH;%AA– Rig Veda : 10.158.1

May the sun protect us from above, may the windprotect us from the wide space; may fire protect usfrom below.

The Vedic Attitude Towards Worldly Prosperity

Wealth is, perhaps, the most important factor of worldlyprosperity. All the institutions of society appear to beconverging to this one point. Eliminate wealth and allthings topple down like a house of cards. Such anecessary thing the Vedas should not have ignored.Riches are not a curse and therefore nowhere have theybeen condemned nor rich men reviled. The Vedas do notsay like the Bible that for a camel it is possible to passthrough the eye of needle, but for a rich man it isimpossible to enter heaven. The Vedas extol wealth andrightly say –

o;a L;ke ir;ks j;h.kke~A– Yajur Veda : 23.65

Let us be lords of wealth.

bUæ e`G eáa thokrqfePN pksn; f/k;e;lks u /kkjke~AA– Rig Veda : 6.47.10

O God, be kind, give me livelihood, sharpen my mindlike the edge of an iron instrument.

la pksn; fp=eokZxzk/k bUæ ojs.;e~A vlfnÙks foHkq izHk qAA– Rig Veda : 1.9.5

O Lord, thine is verily the wonderful, all pervading and allinfluential wealth. Bring it unto us.

vLekURlq r= pksn;sUæ jk;s jHkLor%A rqfo|qEu ;’kLor%AA– Rig Veda : 1.9.6

O Lord of many riches, inspire us, who are energetic andglorious, for wealth there.

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la xksefnUæ oktonLes i`Fk q Joks c`gr~A fo’ok;q/k sZáf{kre~AA– Rig Veda : 1.9.7

O Lord, give unto us wide, big, life-lasting, indestructiblewealth, consisting of cows and corn.

vLes /ksfg Joks cgn~ |qEua lglzlkree~A bUæ rk jfFkuhfj”k%AA– Rig Veda : 1.9.8

O Lord, give unto us big, illuminating, thousand fold richesand those chariotful foods.

vkstks·;kstks es nk% LokgkA lgks·fl lgks es nk% LokgkAcyefl cy a e s nk% LokgkA vk;qjL;k;qe s Z nk % LokgkAJks=efl Jks= a es nk% LokgkA p{kwjfl p{kqe s Z nk% LokgkA

– Atharva Veda : 2.17.1-61. Glory art thou, give me glory. All hail. 2. Patience artthou, give me patience. All hail. 3. Strength art thou, giveme strength. All hail. 4. Life thou art, give me life. All hail.5. Ear thou art, give me ear. All hail. 6. Eye thou art, giveme eye. All hail.

All these quotations show that the Vedas enjoin us tolook the world in the face; to rise up to the situation andto try to possess all worldly powers so that we may bedependent upon none and living successfully in the world,may pass peacefully to ex-worldly bliss.

No doubt there is a tinge of asceticism in certain verses,but this asceticism is meant only for those who haveoutgrown the world.

Renunciation and pessimism are not the same thing. Thelatter depicts the world as a hopeless mass of miserieswhile the former realizes the beauties of nature and still

keeps an eye upon something beyond, which is muchmore beautiful. It does not say that the world is an evil andshould therefore be forsaken. It says that the world isgood. It has its use. It has its duties and its enjoyments.But it has a limit. When one has played one’s part heroically,it is but necessary that a stage further should be taken.Our different lives are, so to speak, different rungs of ladder;all of them beautiful; all of them useful; none to be belittledor ignored. But after all they are rungs and we must turnour back on the rung that we have passed and come toanother rung. We are born in this world to live and to work,not to die (untimely) or be idle. But when we have lived thefull course and worked our complete share, we shouldhave no hesitation in passing away.

Renunciation says that this present world is all good butstill better is the world to follow and you cannot enter thatnext world unless and until you have fully realized thechances offered to you in this world. Our different livesare just like the classes of a school; none unreal, nonebad, none to be belittled. Who will be so foolish as tothink that the particular class he belongs to is bad orinferior? And who will be so foolish as to be sorry to leavethe class when after a creditable success in the annualexamination, he is asked to pass on to a higher class.

This is the only reasonable view of life and true progresscan be made only by realizing the truth of it. We shoulddrive way all foolish ideas about the unrealistic or dreamynature of the world. We should understand that the worldwe live in is real. We are real. We should be wakeful. Letus be a hero in the strife.

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