Glimpses of the Vedic Wisdom
(Glorious Heritage of Bharat-Part 15)
Dr. Gauri Shankar Gupta
As explained in my previous articles under this series, the Vedas are the oldest source of science and wisdom. They embody the most ancient rituals and spiritual traditions in the world. Even the contemporary science is nowhere close to the depth of science contained in these oldest scriptures.
Apart from some Suktas explained in the previous two articles, I am putting together a few other verses just to provide a glimpse of the vast wisdom and scientific facts contained in these ancient scriptures.
अहस्ता यदपदी वर्धत कषाः शचीभिर्वेद्यानाम |
शुष्णं परि परदक्षिणिद विश्वायवे नि शिश्नथः ||
“This earth is devoid of hands and legs, yet it moves ahead. All the objects over the earth also move with it. It moves around the sun”. (Rig Veda 10. 22. 14)
सविता यन्त्रैः पर्थिवीमरम्णादस्कम्भने सविता दयामद्रंहत |
अश्वमिवाधुक्षद धुनिमन्तरिक्षमतूर्तेबद्धं सविता समुद्रम ||
“The sun has tied Earth and other planets through attraction and moves them around itself as if a trainer moves newly trained horses around itself holding their reins.” (Rig Veda 10.149.1)
अयं स शिङकते येन गौरभीव्र्ता मिमाति मायुं धवसनावधि शरिता |
सा चित्तिभिर्नि हि चकार मर्त्यं विद्युद भवन्ती परति वव्रिमौहत ||
The axle of the Earth does not get rusted, the Earth continues to revolve on its axle. (Rig Veda 1-164-29).
यत तवा सूर्य सवर्भानुस तमसाविध्यद आसुरः |
अक्षेत्रविद यथा मुग्धो भुवनान्य अदीधयुः ||
“O Sun! When you are blocked by the one whom you gifted your own light (moon), then earth will be surprised by the sudden darkness.” (Rig Veda 5.40.5)
यदा ते हर्यता हरी वाव्र्धाते दिवे–दिवे |
आदित ते विश्वा भुवनानि येमिरे ||
“All planets remain stable because as they come closer to sun due to attraction, their speed of coming closer increases proportionately.” That means that the velocity of planets is inversely related to distance from sun!
(Rigveda 8.12.28)
सक्तुमिव–तित–उना पुनन्तो यत्र धीरा मनसा वाचमक्रत |
अत्रा सखायः सख्यानि जानते भद्रैषांलक्ष्मीर्निहिताधि वाचि ||
“Where the sages formed the speech with the mind,straining it as they strain flour with the sieve’ therein have friends discovered bond of friendship whose holy beauty lies hidden in that speech.” (Rig Veda 10.71.2)एकं सद विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति।
“The One Being, sages call Him by many names.”
“The truth is one, the wise pronounce it in different ways.”
(Rig Veda 1.164.46)
दृते दृश्ह मा मित्रस्य मा चक्षुषा सर्वाणि भूतानि समीक्षन्ताम्।
मित्रस्याहं चक्षुषा सर्वाणि भूतानि समीक्षे मित्रस्य चक्षुषा समीक्षामहे।।
Strong one, make me strong, May all beings look on me with the eye of a friend, May I look on all beings with the eye of a friend, May we look on one another with the eye of friend. (Shukla Yajur Veda 36.18)
Prayer for Unity in Atharva Veda:
Freedom from hate I bring to you, concord and unanimity.
Love one another as the cow loveth the calf that she hath borne.
One-minded with his mother let the son be loyal to his sire.
Let the wife, calm and gentle, speak words sweet as honey to her lord.
No brother hate his brother, no sister to sister be unkind.
Unanimous, with one intent, speak ye your speech in friend-liness.
That spell through which Gods sever not, nor ever bear each other hate,
That spell we lay upon your home, a bond of union for the men.
Intelligent, submissive, rest united, friendly and kind, bearing the yoke together.
Come, speaking sweetly each one to the other. I make you one-intentioned and one-minded.
Let what you drink, your share of food be common together, with one common bond I bid you.
Serve Agni, gathered round him like the spokes about the chariot nave.
With binding charm I make you all united, obeying one sole leader and one-minded.
Even as the Gods who watch and guard the Amrit, at morn and eve may you be kindly-hearted.
(Atharva Veda 3.30)
सं जानामहै मनसा सं चिकित्वा मा पुष्पहि मनसा दैव्येन।
मा घोषा उत्स्थुर्बहुले विनिर्हते मेषु: यप्तदिन्द्रस्याहन्यागते।।
May we unite in our minds, unite in our purposes, and not fight against the heavenly spirit within us.
Let not the battle-cry rise amidst any slain, nor the arrows of the war-god fall with the break of the day.
(Atharva Veda 7.52.2)
दवा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वर्क्षं परि षस्वजाते |
तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं सवाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्यो अभि चाकशीति ||
यस्मिन वर्क्षे मध्वदः सुपर्णा निविशन्ते सुवते चाधि विश्वे |
तस्येदाहुः पिप्पलं सवाद्वग्रे तन नोन नशद यःपितरं न वेद ||
Two Birds with fair wings, knit with bonds of friendship, embrace the same tree.
One of the twain eats the sweet fig; the other not eating keeps watch.
The tree on which the fine Birds eat the sweetness, where they all rest and procreate their offspring, Upon its top they say the fig is sweetest, he who does not know the Father will not reach it.
(Rigveda 1.164.20 – 1.164.22)
In the last four articles, I tried to provide a bird’s eye view of the Vedas. These are revealed scriptures and have remained unaltered ever since they were first revealed thousands perhaps millions of years ago. Their sanctity and purity have been ensured by many a lineage of Brahmana families and teacher-disciple traditions (गुरु-शिष्य परम्परा). The Upanishads, the concluding part of the Vedas, contain the nectar. They are the depository of the deepest science and the most intense spiritual secrets of life and existence. All the Indic religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism) have their origin in the Vedas. Their foundation and principal teachings find their roots in the Vedas. The meaning and interpretation of the Vedas is not easy to grasp. Many people believe that all human knowledge, known and yet to be known, is hidden in the Vedas in symbolic form, including all scientific discoveries and inventions. The Mantras reveal their fullest import (secrets) only to the deserving ones, (पात्रता) meaning only to those who are spiritually advanced. This has been clearly stated in the Rig Veda in Mantra 10.71.4 as stated below.
उत तवः पश्यन न ददर्श वाचमुत तवः शर्ण्वननश्र्णोत्येनाम |
उतो तवस्मै तन्वं वि सस्रे जायेव पत्यौशती सुवासाः ||
“Some perceive the speech but perceive it not, some listen to it but listen it not. For others it reveals its secrets just as finely clothed faithful wife displays her body to her husband”. (Rig Veda 10.71.4)
(Writer is Former Ambassador/High Commissioner of India)
