Vedic

Literatures
Understanding
God
 Based on the teachings of
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada
Founder Acharya – International Society for Krishna Consciousness
 We inhabit a
HUGE UNIVERSE
 We are
here
This huge temple
complex is
represented
as a dot on
Bangalore map.

Bangalore
Population: over 6 million. One of the fastest growing cities
 However,
Bangalore
itself is a dot
in map of
Karnataka
 and
Karnataka is
one of the
many states
in India
India with population of
One Billion is...
... one of the many countries on
the planet Earth.
Earth weighing 6x1021 Kg., is one of
the many planets in our solar system.
Sun, around which all the planets
are orbiting is 14,00,000 times
bigger than Earth.
Astrophysicists
point out
There are 2000
billion stars
like sun each
having its own
family of
planets
 According to science...

...all these billions of galaxies

and trillions of stars comprise our
UNIVERSE
The most important question..

Who manages these

UNIVERSES in a perfect
order?

Is he a person with Super

intelligence?
Proof of God’s Super intelligence?

Unseen is proved by the seen

Even the smallest material thing

needs a creator
(? mechanism)
Proof of God’s Super intelligence?

Unseen is proved by the seen

God’s Perfect mechanism

Universe, Stars, Eclipse, Sunset & Sunrise,
Moonrise & Moonset, Seasons, Living
beings body systems.
UNDERSTANDING THE
SUPER INTELLIGENCE

Organizer
Designer
Controller
UNDERSTANDING THE SUPER
INTELLIGENCE

THREE WAYS OF
GAINING
KNOWLEDGE

(1) PRATYAKSA PRAMANA

(DIRECT SENSE PERCEPTION )
 UNDERSTANDING THE SUPER
INTELLIGENCE

THREE WAYS OF
GAINING
KNOWLEDGE

(2) ANUMANA PRAMAN

(THEORIES BASED ON EVIDENCE )
 RELATIVE TRUTH - BLIND FAITH

(2) ANUMANA PRAMAN

(THEORIES BASED ON EVIDENCE )
UNDERSTANDING THE SUPER
INTELLIGENCE

THREE WAYS OF
GAINING
KNOWLEDGE

(3) SABDA PRAMAN

(HEARING FROM A BONAFIDE
AUTHORITY)
 PRATYAKSA PRAMAN
Is seeing believing

WE CANNOT ACQUIRE ABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE

THROUGH MATERIAL SENSES.
OUR SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE IS RELATIVE
WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH THROUGH
OUR BLUNT MATERIAL SENSES BECAUSE OF THE
FOLLOWING FOUR DEFECTS

1. IMPERFECT SENSES

2. TO BE ILLUSIONED

3. TENDENCY TO COMMIT
MISTAKES

4. CHEATING PROPENSITY
 Four Defects - (1) IMPERFECT SENSES
OUR EYES ARE BLIND outside the range
of 400 to 700millmicron

OUR EARS ARE DEAF outside the range

of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
Four Defects - (1) IMPERFECT SENSES

An uninformed
Scientist may boast:

“We will use the

instrument outside the
range for perceiving
things.”
 Four Defects - (1) IMPERFECT SENSES

Noble Prize winning

Physicist Eugene Wigner
points out:

“Even if we photograph stars eventually we have to take in by

our senses what the photo shows. Furthermore, without our
senses we cannot handle a camera.

Even if we amplified / refined by instruments the knowledge is

no more perfect than our imperfect senses.”
 Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

Optical illusion
Our eyes
imagine the
lines that
form a white
triangle.
 Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

Optical illusion

Depending on which image you choose to discard, the drawing

is either a black vase or the outline of two white faces looking
toward each other. Both images are present, but you can't see
them, both at the same time. Consciously or unconsciously,
you select one and discard the other.
 Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

Optical illusion
Picture shows 2 faces,
either a young woman
or an old woman,
depending on how you
choose to interpret the
data before you.
Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

Optical illusion
HOW MANY LEGS CAN YOU COUNT?
Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

Optical illusion
Which circle in the middle is bigger?
Technically both are of the same size.
Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED
If you take a look at the following picture , let me tell you ... it is not
animated. Your eyes are making it move. To test this, stare at one spot for a
couple seconds and everything will stop moving. Or look at the black center of
each circle and it will stop moving. But move your eyes to the next black center
and the previous will move after you take your eyes away from it.... Weird

Optical illusion
Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

Optical illusion
Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

Are the purple lines straight or bent?

Optical illusion
Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

Optical illusion
Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

Optical illusion
Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

Optical illusion
Do you see gray areas in between the squares?
Now where did they come from?
There are only black areas in the picture.
Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

EARS
Cannot distinguish hissing
of a cooker and train
 Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

EARS
1. Human hearing extends from 20 Hz up to 20,000 Hz.

2. We are deaf to any vibration above or below this range.

3. That's why when you blow dog's whistle all street dogs
will come running to you, but you cannot hear!
 Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

TONGUE

Orange taken after eating

sugar tastes sour
Orange taken after eating
lemon tastes sweet
Four Defects - (2) TO BE ILLUSIONED

SKIN
Same water touched with
warm hand appears cool;
touched with cold hands
appears warm
 Four Defects - (3) TO COMMIT MISTAKES

STARS WERE CONSIDERED PINPRICKS ON

A CRYSTAL GLOBE (!)

WILDLY INCORRECT ACCOUNTS IN

SCIENCE
Four Defects - (3) TO COMMIT MISTAKES

ELECTRICITY & HEAT WERE

CONSIDERED FLUIDS (!!)

WILDLY INCORRECT ACCOUNTS IN

SCIENCE
 Four Defects - (3) TO COMMIT MISTAKES

BRAIN WAS THOUGHT OF AS AN ORGAN

TO COOL THE BLOOD (!!!)

WILDLY INCORRECT ACCOUNTS IN

SCIENCE
 Four Defects - (4) CHEATING PROPENSITY

THE PILTDOWN MAN FRAUD

1912 - CONNECTING LINK “MADE-UP”

1953 - FRAUD REVEALED :
HUMAN SKULL & FILED JAW
 ANUMANA PRAMAN
(Theories based on Evidence)

Charles Darwin's
theories and
much of
archaeology and
anthropology

It may have been like this, or perhaps it was like this...

Hypothesis on the knowledge acquired
by direct perception
 ANUMANA PRAMAN
40,000
(Theories based on Evidence)
RECORD OF
100,000
THE ROCKS

MAN CAME FROM MONKEYS

400,000

HUMAN BEINGS
AND MONKEYS
1 million
SIMULTANEOUSLY
EXISTED MILLIONS
1.5 million
OF YEARS AGO
2 million
Age of Rock Strata in Years
 SABDA PRAMAN
Hearing from a Bonafide Authority

KRISHNA

BRAHMA

NARADA

CHAITANYA
MAHAPRABHU

A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI
 How do we understand
GOD who is ...

• Creator & maintainer of

many such universes.
• Beyond this gigantic
manifestation.
All methods of acquiring
knowledge can be broadly
classified into two
categories
 Inductive
(Ascending)
Trying to find the truth by
one’s own endeavor or
speculation.
If a child wants to know who
his father is, he makes a
survey of the male
population of the city.
 Deductive
(Descending)
To learn the truth by
accepting an authority &
inquiring from him.
If a child wants to know
who his father is, he
should ask his mother.
How can an ant living in one corner
of this classroom know about...
 What are the latest
developments in Iraq?
The wars in the other side of
the globe?
 Who is
President of
United States
of America ?
Arafat & ethnic
conflicts in
Palestine and
Lebanon
 Logically speaking ant can
never know through its own
efforts through ASCENDING
PROCESS of acquiring
knowledge
 Ground Reality...

Its tooooo...
small & has
limited sense
perception
 Then how can we go about
understanding GOD who is creator of
infinite gigantic UNIVERSES?
We have no choice...

...but to accept the

descending method of
acquiring knowledge
Accept an authority & learn the truth by
inquiring submissively.
 Lord Krishna in
Bhagavad-Gita mentions
the process of acquiring
knowledge.
tad viddhi praëipätena
paripraçnena sevayä
 Just try to learn the truth by
approaching a Spiritual Master and
inquire submissively
Who is that
authority?
 THE VEDIC
LITERATURES
But aren’t the Vedas
written by man !!!
 NO
The Vedas are

apaurusah
– they are not man-made
 Vedic History

Moriz Winternitz concludes,

“Vedic literature extends
from an unknown past (say
x) to 500 B.C.
Ruth Reyna, Introduction to Indian Philosophy. p. 16
Vedic History

tene bramha
hriday adi
kavaye
 Vedic History

The Vedic knowledge was revealed by

the Supreme Person, in the heart of the
first created being, Brahma.
 Vedic History

The oral tradition began

simultaneous to the cosmic
creation, when Supreme Being
spoke Vedic knowldege to the
first living being , Brahma.
Srimad-Bhagvatam, First Canto, vol.1, p.44
 This Vedic
wisdom came
down in
disciplic
succession
through aural
reception
 The Vedas are also called
as SHRUTIS or knowledge
received through aural
reception.
Knowledge from Vedas

Acintya - not of material nature

(Absolute knowledge)
 Srimad Bhagavatam predicts about
people in Kali-yuga

• mandäù — lazy;
• sumanda-matayaù — misguided;
• manda-bhägyäù — unlucky;
• hi upadrutäù — and above all disturbed
 Today, we depend on modern gadgets to
even remember details of our near & dear
ones
Therefore...
 Vyäsadeva, a literary
incarnation of God,
shaktyavesa avtara, records all
the Vedas in every Dvapara
yuga in the concised form
in writing.

Matasya Purana 53.9-11, Visnu

Purana 3.4.5
 Sources of Vedic Knowledge
Prasthana-traya
1. Sruti-prasthana - Vedas, & Upanisads
2. Smrti-prasthana - Puranas, Ramayana,
Bhagavad-gita, Mahabharata,

3. Nyaya-prasthana - Vedanta-sutra
Vedas, Mahabharata & Puranas are breathed
out by the Absolute Truth
Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 2.4.10
 Shruti & Smriti

Shruti: “Hearing” Acquiring

knowledge by by hearing (mother).

Smriti: “Remembering” - Scriptures

which further explain Vedas (sister).
 Shruti sastras - Vedas

Veda means “know” and denotes

“divine knowledge”
Four Vedas: (Rg Veda, Yajur Veda,
Sama Veda, Atharva Veda)
Vedas are mainly hymns, chanted by
priests, in praise of the gods.
 Shruti sastras - Vedas

Vedas mainly encourage satisfaction of

material desires through worship of
demigods & karma-kanda.

Worship of Agni for power, Indra for sex,

Durgadevi for fortune, Vasus for money, Asvini
Kumaras for long life.
 Shruti sastras - Vedas

Rg Veda - “ The Veda of

praise,” of Agni, Indra - 1017
hymns arranged in 10 books.
 Shruti sastras - Vedas

Yajur Veda - contains

instructions for sacrifices.
 Shruti sastras - Vedas

Sama Veda - Veda of chants -

1549 verses praises heavenly
beverage soma.
 Shruti sastras - Vedas

Atharva Veda - Veda of chants &

rites - often for healing sickness.
 Shruti sastras - Upanisads
Upa-ni-sat means “sit closely”

Disciple sitting beside his guru -

receives transcendental knowledge.

Marks the beginning of

transcendental life
Shruti sastras - Upanisads
Upanisads: 220 in total - main 108
Establish the absolute as non
material.
Every Upanisad first presents the
Supreme Brahman as impersonal,
at the end the personal form of
Bhagavan emerges.
Hayasirsa Pancaratra
Shruti sastras - Upanisads
Upanisads - emphasize meditation
upon the impersonal Brahman.

Upanisads - do not deny that the

Absolute Truth has personality.

Upanisads - do assert the

Godhead’s spiritual personality.
Smriti sastras – Vedanta sutra

Vedanta sutra
Most concise form of all Vedic
knowledge
 Smriti sastras – Puranas
Puranas: The Histories
18 in no - Originally 100 crore slokas
(now 4 lac)

Offer vedic knowledge in the form of

stories & historical incidents.
 Smriti sastras – Puranas

Deal with the superhuman

activities of Bhagavan and his
various incarnations in various
ages.
 Smriti sastras – Puranas

Also called
Pancamah Vedah

itihasa-puranah pancamah vedah

Matasya purana 53.3-11

 Smriti sastras – Mahabharata
Mahabharata: The Histories - (1 lac slokas -
four line stanzas each)

Story of “the greater kingdom of

Bharatavarsa,” - History of ancient world
empire.

Also called pancamah Veda - includes

Bhagavad-gita in Bhisma parva Ch. 25-42
Matasya purana 53.69
Smriti sastras – Ramayana

Bramhaji to Narada to Balmiki

100 crore slokas - 5.25 slokas –
now 12500

Matasya purana 53.70

 Smriti sastras – Others

Narada-Panchratra
Teaches pancharatriki vidhi of Deity
worship
 Knowledge from Vedas –
compatible with modern day
knowledge

Bhugol, Saptadvipa,
Embryology, Life in plants,
Fire bacteria mentioned in
Vedas.
 Vedas – predictions

• Buddha (Bhag 1.3.24)

• Christ (Bhavisya Purana),

• Allaha (Bhavisya Purana, Atharva

Veda Kanda 20, Shukta 127,
Mantra 1-3)
 Vedas – predictions
• Caitnaya Mahaprabhu (Bhag
11.5.32, Mahabharata 127.92.75),

• Chanakya (Bhag. 12.1.11),

• Chandragupta & Asoka (Bhag.

12.1.12,
 What the world
renowned personalities
say about the Vedic
literatures ?
 “When I read the Bhagavad-gita, the
only question left is how God created
the universe. Everything else seems to
be superfluous.”

Albert Einstein
Physicist
 “The balance of mind
which few highly-
civilized individuals,
such as Arjuna, the hero
of Bhagavad-gita, can
maintain in action, is
T. S. Eliot difficult for most of us
American-English
Poet even as observers.”
 “The deeper you dive into
it, richer the meaning you
get...with every age, the
important words will carry
new and expanding
Mahatma
meanings. But its central
Gandhi
India’s Father of teachings will not vary.”
Nation
 “Let the Gita be to you a
mine of diamonds as it
has been to me. Let it be
your constant guide and
friend on life’s way. Let
Mahatma
it light your path and
Gandhi
India’s Father of dignify your labour.”
Nation
 “It gives utterance to
the aspirations of the
pilgrims of all sects
who seek to tread the
inner way to the city
of God.”

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
former President of India
“In the morning I bathe my intellect
in the stupendous and cosmogonal
philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita,
in comparison with which our
modern world and its literature
seem puny and trivial.”

Henry David Thoreau

 The Vedas offer insight into

• Who am I ?
• Where have I come from ?
• Where do I go after death ?
The Vedas offer insight into

• What is the purpose of my

existence ?
• Who is God ?
• How am I related to God ?
 Since, these questions deal with
very fundamental aspects of our
existence, we can immensely
benefit by daily studying these
vedic literatures & sharpening our
Spiritual Intelligence ‘SQ’.
Hare Krishna