According to Vishnu Purana (2.3.1), Bharat is the land that lies to the north of the ocean and to the south of the Himalayas. Additionally, another renowned and celebrated synonym for this sacred land is "Vedabhumi", meaning "the land of the Vedas." The Vedas, which are the authoritative texts of Hinduism, are considered infallible because they are believed to have been directly revealed to the Indian sages, known as rishis, by the supreme supervisor of the universe while the sages were in deep meditation.
The Vedas are also called Apouruṣeya, meaning they are not the works of humans and were neither composed nor created by human beings. Consequently, there is no specific authorship attributed to any scholar or sage. At the same time, the Vedas are regarded as eternal and without beginning or end. Interestingly, the rishis describe the Vedas as the breath (niśvāsitam) of Īśvara (God). Naturally, it is challenging for the analytical mind to fully grasp the attributes ascribed to the Vedas, as these exalted and profound qualities are beyond the capacity of human intellect to comprehend.
The reason the Vedas are said to be of non-human origin is that the rishis are referred to as Mantra-draṣṭāḥ (seers of the Vedas) and not Mantra-kartāḥ (authors of the Vedas). Here, "seeing" does not refer to the literal function of the eyes; it is a metaphor for the deep spiritual experiences of the rishis. Just as one might say, "I have seen the ups and downs of life," without implying a mere visual experience, the term suggests an all-encompassing empirical realization.
This means that the rishis "found" or discovered the Vedas rather than creating or composing them. For instance, one might say Columbus discovered America, or Newton discovered gravity—they did not create them. Similarly, the rishis cognized the Veda-mantras (the mantras of the Vedas), which are considered to have already existed in the universe as eternal and primordial sounds and vibrations of the cosmos. This is why the Vedas are regarded as timeless, without beginning or end.
This is why the Vedas are regarded as eternal, without beginning or end. Since the rishis cognized them, their names are associated with the specific mantras they discovered. When it is said that the Vedas are the breath of God, it underscores the essential and sustaining nature of the knowledge contained within the Vedas, which is as vital to existence as the breath of life. Aspirants seeking a genuine understanding of Hinduism must recognize that many components, stories, and concepts within the tradition are metaphors and allegories, and should not be taken literally in most instances. Moreover, one should study Hinduism only under the guidance of a qualified Guru, as failing to do so may lead to misconceptions due to the inherent ambiguity present in the scriptures.
The initial section of the Vedas is referred to as the Samhitas, which primarily address Henotheism or Kathenotheism—the worship of vital natural forces such as fire, water, air, and other sustaining elements of nature. These natural forces were anthropomorphized and beautifully personified by the rishis. However, the true reverence for the Vedas stems from their concluding section, known as the Upanishads or Vedānta, which serves as the theological and philosophical treatise forming the foundation of Hinduism. The grandeur of the Vedānta is so profound and refined that it has been regarded as the pinnacle of human thought by philosophers such as Arthur Schopenhauer. Furthermore, the Upanishads have garnered significant recognition from renowned Western scholars such as Erwin Schrödinger, Werner Heisenberg, Niels Bohr, Max Müller, Paul Deussen, and many others.
During the medieval era, when Aurangzeb reigned over Hindustan, his brother Dara Shikoh translated fifty Upanishads into Persian in an effort to foster harmony between the two communities, namely Sufism and Hinduism. Dara Shikoh asserted that the "hidden book" (Kitab al-Maknun) mentioned in the Quran was none other than the Upanishads. He also translated the Yoga-Vāsiṣṭha, a significant philosophical text in Hinduism, into Persian as Jug-Basishtha, inspired by a vision in which both Śrī Rāma and his Guru Vasiṣṭha appeared to him in a dream and embraced him.
The central themes of the Upanishads include Karma (the principle of action), Brahman (the ultimate, underlying principle of the cosmos), Ātman (the individual self), soteriology (the concept of salvation), Ex nihilo nihil fit (nothing comes from nothing), and Māyā (the illusion that veils the truth). The cardinal concept of the Upanishads is the realization of the divine and the experience of the seed of divinity. This knowledge is referred to as Brahma-Vidyā or Ātma-Vidyā (the supreme knowledge) and can be attained through the disciplined practice of Dhyāna (meditation).
Then come the Purāṇas, often referred to as the mythological repository of Hinduism. These texts are neither purely historical nor purely allegorical but rather an amalgamation of both. The Purāṇas were primarily created to convert the esoteric knowledge of the Vedas into stories and parables, catering to the psychological nature of human beings—people are often poor at remembering abstract principles but excel at recalling stories, tales, and ballads. Stories play a significant role in every culture, serving as a medium to propagate values, morals, ethics, spirituality, and other societal ideas.
Several philosophical schools of thought were based on the authority of the Vedas. Out of these, six were accepted due to their organized and systematic curriculum. These schools are collectively known as the Shad-Darśana (Six Philosophical Schools) and are often studied in pairs due to their similarities. They include:
1.The Nyāya School, paired with the Vaiśeṣika School,
2.The Yoga School, paired with the Sāṅkhya School, and
3.The Pūrva Mīmāṁsā School, paired with the Uttara Mīmāṁsā School.
All these schools seek to investigate the ultimate reality of the cosmos through a "theistic approach." They unanimously accept the singularity that exists from the microscopic to the cosmic level, often romanticizing the idea of God through rational and devotional perspectives.
One of the most profound concepts in Hinduism is the notion of Brahman, which is classified into two forms:
1.Saguṇa Brahman: The "personification of God or the universe in human form," and
2.Nirguṇa Brahman: The "principle of the universe or God without any attributes or qualities."
This concept bears similarity to the "unified field theory" in science, which posits that the entire universe is interconnected and that everything is related to everything else. The theory of Brahman asserts that truth is the fundamental principle and that the entire universe is a manifestation of the unmanifested substratum, whose nature is described as Sat-Chit-Ānanda (existence-consciousness-bliss). Attaining this state is equated with becoming one with the universe, much like a drop merging into the ocean. Similarly, the Ātman (individual self) merges with Brahman (the absolute self).
The significance of Saguṇa Brahman lies in its role as a means to attain the ultimate truth—moving from the form to the formless. Another important concept in this tradition is the term Brahmachārī, often associated with celibacy but more accurately meaning "one who is continually engaged in the pursuit of Brahman and finds joy in the truth of God." This term encapsulates the ideal of dedicating oneself to the spiritual journey and experiencing the bliss that arises from communion with the divine.
Hinduism ultimately embraces the profound idea of pluralism, asserting that all deities are mere manifestations of the Absolute, with each pathway leading to the same ultimate truth. In this vision, no path is in vain, as all will eventually prevail in their journey toward the eternal. Furthermore, Hinduism cannot be deemed dogmatic, as one of the Suktas of the Vedas reveres the uncertainty and mystery of the universe, acknowledging the vast realms beyond human comprehension—the unfathomable, the intricate, and the enigmatic nature of the cosmos. This humility before the unknown underscores Hinduism's acceptance of the infinite complexities of existence. Following are some selected lines from the Nasadiya Sukta of the Rigveda, a hymn that delves into the origins of existence, exploring profound questions about creation, the cosmos, and the mysteries of the unknown.
"But, after all, who knows, and who can say Whence it all came, and how creation happened? The gods themselves are later than creation, so who knows truly whence it has arisen? Whence all creation had its origin, he (God), whether he fashioned it or whether he did not, he, who surveys it all from highest heaven, he knows - or maybe even he does not know."
-- Rigveda 10.129
Vedas: The Infallible Authority