Vedas through the Passage of Time

    Even today, more than five thousand years after the origin of the Vedas, a Hindu simply cannot visualize a good life without the observance of the Vedic principles. When a child is born, when he is later baptized with the thread ceremony, when he is married, and finally, when he dies, there always will be Vedic ceremonies. Whether it is a new business, sickness in the family, or a religious festival, Hindus always look toward their religious priests to guide them, bless them, and give them eternal support.

     In the beginning, rituals were a very important part of Hindu worship. Four or more different types of priests would recite the rituals in series. The main function of these rituals was to usher in a solemn and sacred atmosphere and prepare the devotee to receive the hymns of knowledge in the most appropriate manner. The real teaching was, of course, conveyed in the hymns of knowledge. Clarified butter (known as ghee), rice, and many other things were offered as sacrifice in the fire of the Havan Yajna, an ancient Hindu ritual of Aryan origin. Later in the Upanishad scriptures, the sages downplayed the importance of the rituals. It was felt that followers were paying too much attention to them, while ignoring the real teachings of the knowledge of the Divine.

     Havan Yajna still prevails in Hindu society. A temporary altar is made at which to conduct the ceremony, as per the Tantric laws. After the ceremony the altar is dismantled. It is done either in a home, as a personal event, or in temple or other common place, as a public ceremony. Hindus believe that whatever is offered in sacrifice ultimately returns to us. After death, the dead body is cremated amid recitation of many sacred hymns (mantras). This is the symbolic gesture of the ultimate and final sacrifice. These rituals of sacrifice paved the way of good behavior (sadachar) as the foundation of life.

     Rituals are the symbolic deeds for sacrifice (yajna), which is considered to be the basis of a good life. Rituals would prepare a person to perform various duties properly; they were not meant to be the end in itself.

     In the Bhagavad Gita, the actions performed by an individual are considered to be the ritual sacrifice, thus introducing the concept of karma, which has now become a household word in the West, too. Karma is identified as our good or bad deeds, and we may reap the effects of our actions during this life, as well as in future lives. The Gita’s emphasis shifted toward the actual practice of what was preached: “If the devotee does not practice what he learns, it would be hypocrisy.” In more recent times, Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi emphasized service as the yajna ritual. They gave importance to the service aspect of human life as a way that leads to the spiritual enhancement of the soul and for the attainment of salvation (moksha).

      The dynamic pattern of Hindu thought is visible in these changing concepts. Throughout millennia, there have been many vital and significant changes in the Hindu philosophy. The caste system of the Vedic period still prevails, but it has been modified considerably. The evil practice of “untouchability” has been abolished in the constitution. It is said that these castes were originally designed on the basis of the aptitude and merit of each individual, not by their birth status. The Rig Veda states, “In Mankind, nobody is higher or lower, nor is anybody of middle status” (5.59–60). This gives ample evidence that the caste system was not hereditary in character in the early Vedic period. Later, it is mentioned in the Mahabharat: “Neither birth nor sacraments nor study nor ancestry can decide whether a person is twice-born (brahimin); character and conduct alone can.”36
     In Hindu society, a woman’s position and status also have undergone many changes. In the early Vedic period, women were barred from reading the Holy Scriptures. They were considered unhygienic and polluted during their menstrual periods and not even allowed to perform their normal domestic activities during this time. Views and attitudes, however, later changed. Perhaps the early prehistoric Indus-Saraswati culture showed the way, and women earned their rightful place. Along with male gods, there appeared many female goddesses, some of them even more powerful and more revered than their male counterparts. The male dominance of the Vedic era soon met its first challenge. In the Upanishads we encounter two very fierce female scholars, Maitreyi and Gargi, who pose most arduous and demanding questions to the learned sages.

     In the Hindu scripture Manu Shastra, it is recommended that a woman always remain under the protection of a man. As a child, she may be under the supervision of her father; after marriage, her husband may protect her; and if she becomes widow, she must live with her son. This has been resisted by some as a sign of weakness and inferiority of women, but such a practice may also provide much-needed security for weak and vulnerable females--this was especially so in the ancient times, when hard manual work was required for daily existence. It may  be pointed out that in the same scripture, women are also idolized:  “Mother excels even a thousand fathers in glory.”37

      The combined and extended family system in Hindu society provided abundant scope of social participation to women at all levels. They were never to feel lonely or that no one cared for them. Women were considered too precious and too vulnerable to be left alone. Even today, Hindu society generally abhors the idea of women living on their own. Yet the tragic reality is that the injustices and humiliations of both the lower caste and the female sex did continue for thousands of years—human weakness prevailed.

     Vedic philosophy holds an optimistic note for modern man. It does not threaten the wrongdoer with the rod of punishment, nor does it shame him or assign guilt. Instead, it prompts him to change his ways for the better. It constantly reminds him of the immortal bliss (ananda) that is his true heritage and the final destination.

     The changes in the Hindu society, as perhaps in all other societies, have not come easily. There has been stiff resistance at many junctures, although violence has been conspicuous by its absence in such matters in the Hindu society. Along the long passage, some reformist movements formed new, separate religions and cults, but the new ideas did not always prevail for long. The followers of the new faith often reverted to the old rituals and customs. The evolution of the human mind cannot be hastened. It moves at its own pace.

      It is important to realize that there is always a human agency associated with the functioning of any religion. There is a certain misconception that whatever is written in the Vedas is the word of the Divine and cannot be changed or modified. In fact, the Hindu religion has always maintained a non-dogmatic attitude. In the Upanishads, the knowledge of the Vedas has been described as apara knowledge, or the theoretical knowledge. Real knowledge comes when there is transformation in our inner being and actions—the para knowledge.

    Some mistakes invariably occur. There is no need to become overly defensive about Hinduism—or any faith. For a religion that prides itself as evolutionary and non-dogmatic, it is fitting that we, as Hindus, take some of the wrongdoings in stride (as in the case of the caste system or women’s injustice) and work to improve the system. Many present-day leaders in the Hindu religion have underscored the need for change and modification, when the situation demands. For instance:
      Sri Ramakrishna Paramhans, an apostle of Hinduism and a modern messiah, has clearly stated that in Vedas, the sand is often mixed in with dough. We should chew with care, discarding the sand.
     Sri Yogananda Paramhans, founder of the worldwide organization Self-Realization Fellowship, has likewise asserted that the teachings of all the sages need to be modified according to time and situation, keeping the basic truth of the Vedas intact.
      Swami Sachchidanand, a prominent living saint from Gujarat, India, has written in unambiguous terms that the Vedas may be God-inspired, but human beings revealed them. There will, therefore, always be an element of human error, which may be rectified as necessary.
     American philosopher J. B. Pratt made the following relevant remarks: “The reason for the immortality of the Vedic religion of Hinduism is that while retaining its spiritual identity, it has been changing its outward form in accordance with the demands of the time; and particularly it is the only religion which has been able to meet the challenges of science, which governs the thought and life of the Modern age.”

     The average Hindu youth today perhaps does not have a proper concept of the Vedas. Some might even think that the Vedas are outdated and irrelevant. This is not true. In fact, the Vedas have stood the test of time most admirably. There are, at present, numerous institutes and places of worship all over the world that teach the principles and practices of the ancient Vedic philosophy of India. There is a full-fledged Vedic township and university, which was started by the renowned Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the state of Iowa in the United States, and there is the International Vedic Hindu University in Orlando, Florida. Catholic theologian Raimundo Panikkar wrote a scholarly book, The Vedic Experience, while living in Banares, India, from 1964 to 1976.38 There is a phenomenally fast-growing interest in Hindu philosophies of meditation, yoga, non-violence, ayurveda, and many other Vedic subjects. Vedas have indeed come to stay, not only in Hindu society but also in the rest of the world, as part of the common spiritual heritage of mankind.

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