June 25, 2011
Who am I ? I am not a Body, I have a Body? Vedic concept of Self Realisation
“Soul (Atman) is the real guide in life of a person. It is the inner self of man and knows the truth and the untruth. Because of one’s selfishness, stubbornness, malevolence and ignorance, man rejects the truth and inclines toward Untruth”. (Swami Dayanand Saraswati in Satyarath Prakash)
Who am I? I am not a body- I have a body Vedic concept of Self -Realisation
OMkar Veda Nirmayi– God revealed Vedas (Guru Nanak Dev ji)
Vedas are the most precious Gift for which West had ever been indebted to East – Francois. M. Voltaire
It is high time Vedic teachings, guidelines and thoughts reach each and every House/Home of the Seekers of Vedic Knowledge to save mankind from self destruction.
Dear Seekers of Vedic Knowledge,
Subject: Atma (Soul), Jivatma (manifested Soul) and Jiva (Spirit) as described in Vedas
Atharva Veda tells us when Soul (Atma) was provided to human being Vedic knowledge (Brahmajanan) was revealed. Thus human soul contains all the knowledge of VEDAS.
Rig Veda says that PURPOSE of Human Birth as already known to human soul is to assist the Grand Designer (Vishwa Karma) in the maintenance of His Grand wondrous Design. Rig Veda further enlightens us when soul administer the gross body a person moves toward self realization and he/she starts following cosmic laws of necessity (Vedic Rta) relating to iddm nan mam (nothing for self all for society), path of moderation, humility, love for the entire animate and inanimate life/things and many other such cosmic laws. Conditioned by our sensate values and material knowledge of inert matter, we only see the superficial side of our identity i.e. the Ego self encased in a sheath (kosha). Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
However, Vedas categorically say “Atma” cannot be cognized by any of the senses and say sense organs.” However, if you do not separate ecology, science of good governance, science of Axiology with three kind of values (trivarga) and enlightenment and also do not resist the flow of life with our inner wakening, one can communicate with the soul being Vachispatiah.
It is the Soul which makes a person separate and distinct individual. The Spirit is the cause of his/her social being and along with mahabhuta– five main elements and three gunasof purity, activity and stupor, is the cause of good or bad actions of the individuals. The right and virtuous path is only known to the manifested soul (jivatma), which is nearest on self-realization and farthest when phenomenal and the material worlds become the closest (A.V. X-8-8).
The individuals who know and understand the Spirit as the powerhouse of creativity in them create subtle waves of nobility, love, and harmony even if they sit silently in any gathering or assembly. Chhandogya Upanishad describes Spirit as the Creative force, which hides behind all animate and inmate life/things, moves us, moves the planets and moves the universe.
Yajur Veda 34-43 refers to human beings as tri-ani pada i.e. having three bodies in one- divine (causal body where soul resides near the heart), spiritual (subtle body energized by spirit residing in shuniya (cosmic void ) and gross body where senses and sense organs reside).
The soul makes a person divine animal, spirit makes a person social animal and senses and sense organs make a person material and economic man.
Hence in the Vedas a man is divine, social and material animal. Many hymns in Rig-Veda 1-70-2, 1-65-1 and others mention that God lives in our souls as a true preceptor (Guru). The term Guru in Vedas is from Gu-darkness and Ru- to dispel. Thus Guru is dispeller of both inner and outer darkness.
The souls of human beings remain immortal. Based on accumulation of past and present karma – thoughts, deeds and actions, it becomes fierce, calm, terrible, fearless, ignorant and enlightened, trembling and steadfast, forbearing and nonbearing, passionate and ascetic and a prey to bewilderment (Y.V. 39-7). Thus the quality of manifested soul is different for each individual. The purity of the manifested soul and keeping it free from the effect of bad, corrupt and evil deeds, thoughts and desires make it as our philosopher, guide and friend.
The soul has been addressed by various names and epithets in the Vedas. Samrat (the ruler of the body), Vaishva Deva, Teja, Vak, Agneye, Prajapati in chapter 39 of Yajur Veda. Each name or epithet indicates its attributes, like the controlling lord, the nourisher of human beings, the just ruler etc., It is also called Twashta – subtle soul. In Bhagavad-Gita apart from atma, jivatma, words like sah (self), dehin, deha, sharirin, shariri are used (B.G.3-42, 14-11 and 12, 2-18). All these later epithets generally mean lord of the body.
The Spirit which is the life force has also its intermediaries, mind, will, intellect and ego, which are much higher and powerful than the body self i.e. gross body consisting of senses, sense organs etc. However, the Spirit becomes more or less effective in the gross body, not so much with age but kind of activities towards perfection or otherwise. With evil activities, thoughts and desires the gross body can start degenerating even at young age and the spirit gets weaker. Many of the physical sicknesses are related to your activities and thoughts and get further aggravated with idleness that Bhagavad-Gita describes as sin. Since God is perfect, the spirit always aims at perfection and in this movement towards perfection; it helps the gross body to remain healthy.
R.V 6-47-9 mentions soul as twashta– the subtle soul shines when senses are under control and sattavic guna of purity and truthfulness is predominant. According to Atharva Veda XI-8-30, the manifested soul (jiva atma) in the body administers it. The gross body of human beings is the soul holding body. Those individuals, who do not allow the soul to administer the body, normally are devoted to the letters of the scriptures and not the spirit behind their teachings. They camouflage their materialistic outlook in the form of fake spiritualism. According to Bhagavad-Gita, such persons cannot attain Vivek (determinate intellect B.G.2-42 to 44). However, where the body is administered by the manifested soul, even the human beings become Brahma and can say “Aham Brhaman Asi”- I am Brahman. This stage of perfect control of the body by manifested soul is described as "Chhavo" or "Shava". According to Atharva Veda XI-8-34, at this stage the soul in the human body becomes the highest force and vigour. As Vachisptiah you can even communicate with it.
For more details on the subject along with the relevant Vedic hymn/mantra/rik about soul (atma), manifested soul (jivatma) and spirit (jiva) kindly see chapter 7 of Glimpses of Vedic Metaphysics on Website http://www,sabhlokcity.com/metaphysics/
The book is also available through search engines of <google.com> <Yahoo.com> and <lulu.com>.
Kindly render divine and noble social service and forward this e-mail to other seekers of Vedic knowledge and get the blessings of rsis and munnies of yore who found the Vedic permanent truths for the benefit of mankind of all ages..
With regards,
P. K. Sabhlok
P.S
According to Vedas The manifested soul dwells in the fifth Kosha (sheath) near the heart
Vedic metaphysics explains that owing to continuous decline amongst the human beings in the knowledge of soul and spirit from Krita Yuga towards Kali Yuga, there is a corresponding decline of moral and social values. People start following less and less of the cosmic laws of social and moral order.
Rig Veda 1-164-20, 10-9-20, 10-8-43 and 44 describe three divine substances, Parmatma (Supreme Soul), Atma (human soul) and the divine Nature. On the Death of human beings, spirit goes back to Prakrti and merges with the Nature as part of the vast storehouse of energy. The soul does not go back to Parmatma who is the Supreme Soul as it gets affected with subtle atoms and particles of human good and bad deeds, thoughts and desires. Atharva Veda 19-32-1 says, "In the beginning first desire is created by the spirit and it becomes the primordial seed of manas (mind)." Atharva Veda thus considers mind as part of spirit or energy principle. It further says that this spirit dwells in grass, wood, earth, water and all elements.
It is the material knowledge, which separates us from the God and makes us feel that we are independent of God and live in a material world, which is controlled by Nature. As and when the material knowledge becomes intense, individuals start feeling that they can even control the Nature and create their own laws and tend to overlook RTA – the laws of God made available to us through the working of Prakrti and its gross form the universe. According to Sankracharya, when Vidya or divine knowledge is acquired, the entire cosmic illusion goes away and self becomes part of Brahma." Aham Brahma Asi" – I am Brahma. The concept of energy principle in the human body remains so long as the individuals consider both the gross body and the Nature as real. It is for this reason that many materialists of the past and present have doubts about the existence of God and the soul. The greatest miracle of the world is that billions of people in the past and present had been in search of God and searched Him at far distance places, idols, icons material temples of marbles when He lives within us.
Dear Devatman
Namaskar
It is indeed a great way to articulate the Vedas the way you are doing. Thank you for this.
I do have a question –
"In the beginning it was a perfect world. This is at the beginning of time what we would call as Satya Yuga.
Since everything was perfect, and divine why did man give birth rise to "Ego"? Today after 600,000 years or so humans live in the cause and effect of that syndrome which took place then and continues to suffer.
So why was there a 1st fault if it can be called a fault that is.
with love
Srichaitanya
Todays world problems are due to us. When people stop telling the truth. In ISlam,christians, whats going on no one wants to talk and discuss. This is the real cause of all the problems in India. We need discussions on religions and improve the thinking and life of all human beings.
WHO AM I.
NOT ATMA FOR SURE.AS THERE IS NO ATMA.
FUTURE IS IMAGINATION SO NO EXISTANCE.
PAST IS HAPPENED BUT FINISHED .HENCE NO EXISTANCE.
PRESENT ABSOLUTLY DOES NOT EXIST.
SO WHAT EXIST.
ONLY AND ONLY CHETNA.CONSCIOUSNESS.
I AM ONLY COMPOSITION OFCHETNA.
WE ALL ARE ARE COMPOSITION OF CHETNA.
VEDAS ARE COMPOSITION OF CHETNA ONLY.
OUR PURPOSE OF EXISTANCE IS GROWTH OF CHETNA.
LETS ALL OF US DO WHAT OUR PURPOSE OF EXISTANCE IS.
GROWTH OF ALL IN HEALTH WEALTH AND WISDOM.
LETS CREATE NEW VEDAS.WHICH IS TRUTH UNDERSTABLE BY ALL AND DO NOT CONFUSE WITH SOMETHING WHICH NO LONGER EXIST AND THATS WHY LOST ITS REVELANCE.
LONG SUBJECT.COMMENTS INVITED.
For it is the thext but also the comments
I deep thank you.
Excellent effort. I too,am in my retitred and relaxed life, pursuing your line; that is propagating the Vaidic knowledge in modern language, re-interpreted in view of current science, for the benefit of nin-believers also.
Hare Krsna, The god within us that you are referring to is partial Paramatma realization. The complete realization is that of Bhagwan the supreme personality of God head in his Sat cit ananda Vigraha form. He has a form, he has qualities and he has a specific relationship with each of us. We have revive this svarupa and then after we give this body thinking about him and his abode we reach there. Anth kale cha mam eva smaran muktva kalaivaram…… The essence of Vedas is Bhagwad Gita and if we scrutinisingly study it under a bonafide guru coming from sampradaya then our realizations are perfect. Man till he reaches a point where he develops unalloyed devotion to Lord and accepts his servitorship will be forced to go into different bodies so that his illusion gets dispelled. However that process is risky as he gets bound by Karma knowingly or unknowingly. Hence once should study the scriptures, follow the orders of Guru and follow the path of Bhakti. Without developing Bhakti once cannot enter the abode of Lord. And Bhakti can be developed by hearing the glories of Lord, Chanting his names and reading authorised scriptures like Bhagwad Gita as it is and Srimad Bhagwatam or Caitanya caritamrita or the pasurams of Alwars of Sri Sampradaya. In Kali yuga its not possible to follow all the Vedic injunctions or do meditation as the mind is restless hence Lord Krsna as Caitanya Mahaprabhu says harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam kalau nastiva nastiva nastiva gatir anayatha. The sum and substance of all vedic teachings is to surrender to Lord. The Bhagawad Gita also calls for surrender to Lord and follow the path of devotional service. Srimad bhagwatam also tells us to chant the holy names.
Dear Premji,
There are no words of appreciation for the work compiled and published by you i think so this is what is called as best of the services to the humanity (good karma…) that you have rolled and will go on till the site remains and seekers will be benifited ….. pls publish more such unique work as it really helps …may god bless you.
Regards
Sanjay Bhatt
Rig Veda 1-164-20, 10-9-20, 10-8-43 and 44 describe three divine substances, Parmatma (Supreme Soul), Atma (human soul) and the divine Nature.
IS this referense Correct?????