vedabhASya - Vedic Studies

Background The desire (preyas) for Atman that is deep inside in every being is spoken externally, spills out as love (priyam) of other beings also, and thus this desire/love gets 'banked', binding all the matter/beings of the Universe. Thus Izvara manifests. Izvara is the love of not just the Atma inside, but other Atmas outside. All beings remain on that love and worship/serve that love.  Beings that remain on that love never imperish due to that love. This was the message of Upanishad upto sloka 1.4.8. But that love, priyam that binds beings, if excessive, may not allow beings to evolve further or have their own self. This is seen in the sloka with mahA vAkya 'Aham Brahma asmi'. Summary of Sloka from 1.4.1 to 1.4.8 Atma tore apart the Purusha. Stri filled the empty space/vacuum. Yajnavalkya says tearing apart was like a pea torn apart, which means it is so swift. In cosmic science parlance, it is the Cosmic inflation that expanded the space and fille...

Background Starting from Brhthari's vAkyapadiya, Sabda and vAk have the same meaning as in other texts like Rg Veda, Brhadharanyaka Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad and saMkhya kArika, irrespective of their timelines, geographies and philosophies that were 'dug'out of them. Sabda are 'oscillations'. vAk is the four-fold expression. It is the four-fold expression of Human speech. It is the four-fold expression of Universe by Atman. Thus vAk is the design pattern for the four-fold expression of Human or Atman. Seven parts and Nineteen faces of Mandukya Upanishad The seven parts and nineteen faces of Mandukya Upanishad are not specific to a particular state  though they are talked about in the antaH-prajna and bAhis prajnA alone. It is because these two are are the external part of expressions of Atman or Human being. The ekibhuta prajnA is the state in which there is only one bhuta, one manifestation and that manifestation is prakrti alone. Mandukya Upanishad ...

Background Human beings and Universe have a similar design pattern (1). This design pattern is talked about across all our scriptures from Upanishads to saMkhya kArika. This design pattern is the 'four-fold' vAk. The seven parts, nineteen faces of mandukya upanishad and the 24 parts of saMkhya kArika are talking about the same design pattern. The four-fold vAk of Brhadharanyaka Upanishad and Rg Veda are also talking about the same design pattern. Sabda are simply oscillations. vAk is the design pattern of Universe. Like vAk, the speech, is the expression of human beings, Universe is the expression of Atman. This is what is symbolized by the word 'Aum'. The KaraNas/Instruments of Atman The physical manifestation of Atman is Energy of the Universe (2). This is the 'Mahat' or 'Buddhi' of Universe. There are five 'forms' in which this Buddhi physically manifests. They are Electric, Magnetic, Chemical/Electromagnetic, Heat and energy in ...

Background In the last 2 chapters of An analysis of Sabda and vAk (3), I had described the 7 parts and 19 faces in Mandukya Upanishad. These 7 parts and 19 faces are not described in Mandukya Upanishad. The 7 parts and 19 faces comes from saMkhya kArika. Here is a brief introduction to saMkhya kArika (5). The 24 principles of samkhya kArika Samkhya kArika talks of 24 principles of the Universe. They are 1. Prakrti 2. Mahat 3. AhamkAra 4. A 'Set of Sixteen' and pancha-bhutas (Sloka 22 of samkhya kArika) 5. The set of Sixteen are set of Eleven and  pancha tanmAtras (Sloka 24 of samkhya kArika) 6. Set of Eleven Sattvika is Five Buddhi Indriyani, Five Karma Indriyani (Sloka 26) 7. ONE Manas/Atmanas (sloka 27 of samkhya kArika) Sometimes saMkhya is said to have 25 principles including Purusha (4). The seven parts of Mandukhya The 24 principles of saMkhya can said to be organized into seven physical manifestations, as described in Mandukhya Upanishad (3). Th...

Background The concepts of Atman and Brahman is referred to in the Vedic texts, but are elaborated more in Upanishads. The attempt to Understanding of Upanishads lead to several vedantic philosophies.  But it also meant torturing the text at times or selectively leaving out some of them (1).  My understanding is when I see Vedas and Upanishads in the framework of Universal evolution as defined by science today, the translations fall in place very easily without having to torture them. This does not mean in any way that I am alone right. This is an attempt which I would like to subject to rigorous reviews and get feedback. This post is a summary of my understanding from Brhadharanyaka, iSa, Mandukya upanishads and samkhya kArika as well as Rg Vedic slokas, as I understand and translate them. All of them say the same without any difference. Universe and Human being The overall concept is Universe and Human being can be modeled on the same design pattern. Th...

Background vAk - The design pattern Like speech is expression of beings, Universe is the expression of Atman. vAk is that expression. It is four-fold. The four stages of vAk in terms of human expression are Para, pazyanti, madhyama and vaikhAri. This vAk is a 'design pattern'. This is applicable to both Human expression and Universe's expression. Brhathari's vAkyapaidya says vAg is the Human expression, which is four-fold.  Para is the 'shelter' (padaM) on which the three outwardly expressions of pazyanti, madhyama and vaikhAri are placed. The three outwardly expressions are called 'vAca'. The outwardly expressions combined with para is called 'vAg'. Brhadharanyaka Upanishad says vAg is the 'prajna'. Prajna is the primary 'jnA'. 'jnA' is the knowing. pra-jnA is the consciousness. In Br. Up Prajna is the Consciousness of the Atman, which is expressed as the Universe. This prajna is also four-fold. In other...

Background In the last 2 posts on Learning physics through vedas and puranas, here and here , I had talked about concepts of energy, entropy and heat. Work and Heat Work is physical movement of matter particles from one point to another (called Ganapati), while Heat is random oscillatory movement of matter particles in a place (called skanda). The very first 'Work done' in Universe Just after the Big-Bang Universe was a bundle of energy. The spacetime had not inflated then. If we believe Purusha Suktam, the Universe was just ten angulas wide. That ten angulas Purusha expanded into the universe that we see now says the Purusha Suktam. Science says the early Universe's spacetime was contrained to a very small region and it underwent a huge inflation/expansion. This is called cosmic inflation epoch in which Universe's spacetime expanded greatly. All the energy in the Universe along with matter forms exists within this expanded spacetime. This cosmic infl...

Background I had explained here , thermodynamic concepts of Energy, Entropy and Second law of thermodynamics using the Shiva, Ganapati and Skanda story. Now let me explain the Zeroth law of thermodynamics using the story of birth of skanda, the heat. Skanda, the heat Skanda means hopping up and down. It is the random motion possessed by all sub-atomic particles in nature. This radmon up and down oscillatory motion is what we perceive as heat. How is this heat or Skanda produced..? Potential and Kinetic Energy Shiva is Energy in which the Universe lies. But in the world see, the classical world,  matter dominates. We see only matter everywhere. In this classical matter world, Energy becomes a subtle property of matter. In all matter forms, energy exists as potential energy and kinetic energy. In sanskrit, a subtle form is called sUkshma. Feminine gender is used to indicate such subtle or sUkshma. Hence these two energies Potential and Kinetic energy are depicted as...

Background Energy and Entropy are two key thermodynamic concepts. Let me explain them and the second law of thermodynamics with reference to Shiva/Ganapati/Skanda and their 'jnAna-pazham' story here. I already wrote about it, but covered a broad spectrum of it. Here the focus is narrow and the attempt is any 'interested' layman should be able to understand it. Energy All things in our Universe lie in Energy. Universe is made of energy that came out in Big-Bang says science. Energy is the Cause of all things in the Universe. In Sanskrit, Shi-va means ‘in which all things lie’(1). Shiva is a ‘Divinity’ or ‘God’ in Hinduism. Shiva is the Energy. Shiva is interpreted as energetic, auspicious, beneficial etc as Shiva is the cause of all Universe. This Shiva, the energy, Causes two effects, in the Classical world that we see, in the world of matter. The Effects of Energy are ‘Work Energy’ and ‘Heat Energy’. Hence Shiva is said to have two Sons. Work and H...