{"id":901,"date":"2013-07-13T01:31:07","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=901"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:31:07","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:31:07","slug":"96-interpretation-of-the-veda-vol-10-the-secret-of-the-veda-volume-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/01-sabcl\/10-the-secret-of-the-veda-volume-10\/96-interpretation-of-the-veda-vol-10-the-secret-of-the-veda-volume-10","title":{"rendered":"-96_Interpretation of the Veda.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n

\n
\nInterpretation of the Veda <\/font><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nA REJOINDER TO AN EARLY CRITICISM* <\/font><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

 
\n       
\nW<\/b>hile thanking you for the generous appreciation in your re-
\nview of the "Arya" "may I also crave the indulgence of your
\ncolumns, \u2014 if indeed you can spare so much space at such a
\ntime when the whole world is absorbed in the gigantic homicidal conflict convulsing Europe, \u2014 for an answer to your
\ncriticisms on my "Secret of the Veda", or rather to an explanation of my
\nstandpoint which the deficiencies of my expression and the brief and summary character of my article in
\nthe "Arya" have led you, in some respects, to misconceive?<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nSurely, I have nowhere said that "knowledge of which no
\norigin can be traced to previous sources must necessarily be disregarded or discarded!" That would indeed be a monstrous pro-
\nposition. My point was that such knowledge, when it expressed a
\ndeveloped philosophy and psychology, stood in need of historical
\nexplanation \u2014 a very different matter. If we accept the European
\nidea of an evolving knowledge in humanity, \u2014 and it is on that
\nbasis that my argument proceeded, \u2014 we must find the source of
\nthe Brahmavada either in an extraneous origin such as a previous Dravidian
\nculture, \u2014 a theory which I cannot admit, since I regard the so-called Aryans and Dravidians as one homogeneous
\nrace, \u2014 or in a previous development, of which the records
\nhave either been lost or are to be found in the Veda itself. I can-
\nnot see how this argument involves a regressus ad infinitum
\n<\/i>except in so far as the whole idea of evolution and progressive
\ncausality lies open to that objection. As to the origins of the Vedic religion,
\nthat is a question which cannot be solved at present for lack of data. It does not follow that it had no origins
\nor in other words that humanity was not prepared by a progressive spiritual experience for the Revelation.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nAgain, I certainly did not intend to express my own idea in
\nthe description of the Upanishads as a revolt of philosophic
\nminds against the ritualistic materialism of the Vedas. If I held<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n*<\/font>A letter published in The Hindu<\/i> (Madras) on August 27, 1914. – Ed. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 545<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthat view I could not regard the earlier Sruti
\nas an inspired scripture or the Upanishads as Vedanta and I would not have troubled
\nmyself about the secret of the Veda. It is a view held by European
\nscholars and I accepted it as the logical consequence, if the ordinary interpretations of the hymns, whether Indian or European,
\nare to be maintained. If the Vedic hymns are, as represented by
\nWestern scholarship, the ritualistic compositions of joyous and
\nlusty barbarians the Upanishads have then to be conceived as "a
\nrevolt…against the ritualistic materialism of the Vedas". From
\nboth premise and conclusion I have dissented and I have finally
\ndescribed, not only the Upanishads, but all later forms, as a
\ndevelopment from the Vedic religion and not a revolt against its
\ntenets. An Indian doctrine avoids the difficulty in another way,
\nby interpreting the Veda as a book of ritual hymns and revering
\nit as a book of Knowledge. It puts together two ancient truths
\nwithout reconciling them effectively. In my view that reconciliation can only be effected by seeing even in the exterior aspect
\nof the hymns not a ritualistic materialism, but a symbolic ritualism. No doubt the Karmakanda was regarded as an indispensable stepping-stone to the knowledge of the Atman. That
\nwas an article of religious faith, and as an article of faith I do not
\ndispute its soundness. But it becomes valid for the intellect, \u2014
\nand in an intellectual inquiry I must proceed by intellectual
\nmeans, \u2014 only if the Karmakanda is so interpreted as to show
\nhow its performance assists, prepares or brings about the higher
\nknowledge. Otherwise, however much the Veda may be revered
\nin theory, it will be treated in practice as neither indispensable
\nnor helpful and will come in the end to be practically set aside
\n\u2014 as has happened.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nI am aware that some hymns of the Veda are interpreted in
\na sense other than the ritualistic; even the European scholars admit higher religious and spiritual ideas in the "later hymns" of the
\nVeda. I am aware also that separate texts are quoted in support
\nof philosophical doctrines. My point was that such exceptional
\npassages do not alter the general tone and purport given to the hymns in the
\nactual interpretations we possess. With those interpretations, we cannot use the Rig-veda as a whole, as the Upanishads can be used as a whole, as the basis of a high spiritual<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 546<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nphilosophy. Now, it is to the interpretation of the Veda as a
\nwhole and to its general character that I have addressed myself.
\nI quite acknowledge that there has always been a side-stream of
\ntendency, making for the Adhyatmic interpretation of the Veda
\neven as a whole. It would be strange if in a nation so spiritually-
\nminded such attempts have been entirely lacking. But still they
\nare side-currents and have not received general recognition.
\nFor the Indian intellect in general, there are only two interpretations, Sayana’s and the European. Addressing myself to that
\ngeneral opinion, it is with these two that I am practically
\nconcerned.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nI am still of the opinion that the method and results of the
\nearly Vedantins differed entirely from the method and results of
\nSayana for reasons I shall give in the second and third numbers
\nof "Arya". Practically, not in theory, what is the result of
\nSayana’s Commentary ? What is the general impression it leaves
\non the mind? Is it the impression of "Veda", a great Revelation,
\na book of highest knowledge ? Is it not rather that which the
\nEuropean scholars received and from which their theories
\nstarted, a picture of primitive worshippers praying to friendly
\ngods, friendly but of a doubtful temper, gods of fire, rain, wind,
\ndawn, night, earth and sky, for wealth, food, oxen, horses, gold,
\nthe slaughter of their enemies, even of their critics, victory in
\nbattle, the plunder of the conquered ? And if so how can such
\nhymns be an indispensable preparation for the Brahma vidya?
\nUnless indeed, it is a preparation by contraries, by exhaustion
\nor dedication of the most materialistic and egoistic tendencies somewhat as the
\ngrim Old Hebrew Pentateuch may be described as a preparation for the mild evangel of Christ. My position is that they were indispensable not by a mechanical virtue
\nin the Sacrifice but because the experiences to which they are the
\nkey and which were symbolised by the ritual are necessary to an
\nintegral knowledge and realisation of Brahman in the universe
\nand prepare the knowledge and realisation of the transcendent Brahman. They are, to paraphrase Shankara’s description,
\nmines of all knowledge, knowledge on all the planes of conscious-
\nness, and do fix the conditions and relations of the divine, the
\nhuman and the animal element in the being.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 547<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nI do not claim that mine is the first attempt to give an Adhyatmic interpretation of the Veda. It is an attempt \u2014 the first or
\nthe hundredth matters little \u2014 to give the esoteric and psycho-
\nlogical sense of the Veda based throughout on the most modern
\nmethod of critical research. Its interpretation of Vedic vocables is based on a re-examination of a large part of the field
\nof comparative Philology and a reconstruction on a new basis
\nwhich I have some hope will bring us nearer to a true science of
\nlanguage. This I propose to develop in another work, "The Origins of Aryan Speech".<\/font>\u00b9<\/font> I hope also to lead up to a recovery of
\nthe sense of the ancient spiritual conceptions of which old symbol
\nand myth give us the indications and which I believe to have
\nbeen at one time a common culture covering a great part of the
\nglobe with India perhaps, as a centre. In its relation to this
\nmethodical attempt lies the only originality of the "Secret of
\nthe Veda".<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\u00b9<\/font>A draft of a chapter (the only one written) on "The Origins of Aryan Speech",
\nfound among the MSS. of Sri Aurobindo, has been appended here. – Ed. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 548<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Interpretation of the Veda   A REJOINDER TO AN EARLY CRITICISM*             While thanking you for the generous appreciation in your re- view…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-10-the-secret-of-the-veda-volume-10","wpcat-17-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}