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smaranam
04 February 2010, 11:28 AM
Namaste

How should one read parts of the Rig Veda, the Samhita ?
Which parts are recommended for someone who has never really read the Vedas ?

Are there any recommended readers , or one-volume books that explain the essence and major sections ?

What section does the Purusha Sukta come under ?
(Also, where is Sri Sukta from ?)

What are the restrictions if any for women to read the Vedas ?
For instance, perhaps reciting mantras aloud Vs. just reading the essence ?

There is a whole set of reference volumes on Vedas and Puranas at our Temple Library. I cannot spend a lot of time there , so it will be nice to have a beginner book or some such thing.


Thank You

praNAm

wcrow
04 February 2010, 12:39 PM
You seem to have read my mind! I was just about to ask a similar question, because I too would like to read the vedas.

I was wondering whether there were any commentariess that could be accessed online to help my understanding. I have found a few references to commentaries but I cannot find the actual commentries themselves online.

I hope smaranam that you do not mind me imposing on your thread, but to save making another one I ask the question:

Apparently there is not much mention of many of the popular forms of god in the vedas, and concentrate on older ones that are not worshipped much now. Gods like vishnu and shiva are given minor roles. I was wondering if there is an answer why this is, if it is true? I have read somewhere that 95% of the vedas are lost, so this could account for that, but is this true?

Thanks,

Wilfred.

smaranam
01 March 2010, 03:12 PM
Namaste


[SIZE="3"]
What section does the Purusha Sukta come under ?
(Also, where is Sri Sukta from ?)


Purusha Sukta happens to be Rg Veda 10.90 (Mandala 10)
Here is a good translation and commentary.

http://www.ramanuja.org/purusha/sukta-intro.html

Its a beautiful narration of the Advitiya Purusha.

Significance of Purusha Sukta by Swami Krishnananda
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/invoc/in_pur.html

Significance of Shri Sukta by Swami Krishnananda
http://www.divyajivan.org/ashtalakshmi/sri_sukta_essay.htm

smaranam
01 March 2010, 04:01 PM
From the Introduction to Purusha Sukta above :

Since the Purusha Suktam is seen in all Vedas, it is cited as the essence of all Srutis by Veda Vyasa in the Mahabharata. Saunaka, Apastamba, and Bodhayana have also written concerning the use of the Purusha Suktam.

What does the Purusha Suktam talk about?

The Purusha in the title of the Purusha Sukta refers to the Parama Purusha, Purushottama, Narayana, in his form as the ViraaT Purusha. He was the source of all creation. It describes this form of his, as having countless heads, eyes, legs, manifested everywhere, and beyond the scope of any limited method of comprehension. All creation is but a fourth part of him. The rest is unmanifested.

Purusha as Brahma remained inactive, and Aniruddha Narayana, one of the four aspects of Narayana in the first tier at the base of the Vishaaka Yoopa, asked him ``Why do you do nothing?'' ``Because of not knowing,'' Brahma replied. ``Perform a yajna. Your senses, the devas, shall be the ritviks. Your body shall be the havis. Your heart, the altar. And I shall be he who enjoys the havis -- the offering. From your body sacrificed, shall you create bodies for all living creatures, as you have done in kalpas before this.'' Thus says the sAkalya brAmhaNA.

This yajna was called ``sarvahut'', the offering of all. The act of creation itself grew out of yajna, the rite of sacrifice. Who was worshipped at this sacrifice? It was the Purusha. Who performed it? Brahma, the creative aspect of the Purusha. Who were the ritvik priests ? The devas, who are the Purusha's senses. Who was tied as the beast of the sacrifice? Brahma, again. What was barhis, the altar of the sacrifice? All of nature. Who was the fire? The Purusha's heart. What was sacrificed? Again, the Purusha himself, his great body that contained all of creation.

In a way, this is a message of love, that the Purusha would consume himself in the fire of creation, to create all the worlds. From this sacrifice did all of creation emanate. This is central to the message of the Purusha Sukta.

vedAhametam purusham mahAntam
Aditya varNam tamasaH parastAt |
tam evam vidvAn amRta iha bhavati
na anyaH panthA vidyate 'yanaaya ||

This great Purusha, brilliant as the sun, who
is beyond all darkness, I know him in my
heart. Who knows the Purusha thus,
attains immortality in this very birth.
I know of no other way to salvation.

Einherjar
01 March 2010, 04:09 PM
You seem to have read my mind! I was just about to ask a similar question, because I too would like to read the vedas.

I was wondering whether there were any commentariess that could be accessed online to help my understanding. I have found a few references to commentaries but I cannot find the actual commentries themselves online.

I hope smaranam that you do not mind me imposing on your thread, but to save making another one I ask the question:

Apparently there is not much mention of many of the popular forms of god in the vedas, and concentrate on older ones that are not worshipped much now. Gods like vishnu and shiva are given minor roles. I was wondering if there is an answer why this is, if it is true? I have read somewhere that 95% of the vedas are lost, so this could account for that, but is this true?

Thanks,

Wilfred.

Im actually also just getting into reading the Vedas. My introduction to Hindu thought was the Bhagavad-Gita after which I read a selection of several of the main Upanishads. After I had finished that I went on to trying to find a copy of the Rig Veda.

Now, from what I understand the Rig Veda is a huge book. The only translations of it I could find in conventional book stores contain about one tenth of the total book. The selections usually being picked for their academic, poetic, or philosophical merit.

The one that I picked up I got at Barnes and Noble and is a "Penguin Classics" book, it was only about $13.

Also, as far as the "Gods" in the Vedas go, from what I understand the reason the names are usually different (though it is kind of irrelevant because all of the Hindu Gods are merely different facets of Brahman) is merely due to the antiquity in which they were written. Many of the Vedic Gods actually wound up being transformed over time into the major Gods of the Hindu tradition that most people know today.

For example, "Shiva" is actually first used in the Rig Veda as a word describing the Vedic God Rudra.

Hope that helps a little bit.

smaranam
01 March 2010, 07:58 PM
Namaste


Gods like vishnu and shiva are given minor roles.

I am not that familiar with the Vedas, so lets hope you hear from others.

A few references like this -
Rg Ved Mandal 1
HYMN 154 Visnu
HYMN 155 Visnu and Indra
HYMN 156 Visnu
Hymn 43 Rudra
To Rudra Lord of sacrifice, of hymns and balmy medicines,
We pray for joy and health and strength.

Rg Veda Mandal 10 Hymn (sukta) 90 - Purusha Sukta - Cosmic Form of God, NArAyana , Vishnu.

and many more, yet fewer than Agni for instance.
----

Those few references to Vishnu and Rudra probably weigh more than the other hymns combined. Vishnu makes 3 strides to cover the three worlds, trailokya, implying He owns and nurtures the entire 3 worlds. Also, Vishnu/Rudra is the Lord of sacrifice , Yajna. Vishnu is Yajna. He is also prajapati.

The frequency of hymns for Agni, Vayu, Varun, Vishvedev etc. is due to their specific roles in the Cosmic Yajna of life-force. Usha - dawn, Pushan - Sun , etc.

There are 2 threads running here simultaneously, over the same hymns - one for microcosm - the internal universe within us, and another for the macrocosm - The outer Universe, Cosmos.

On the surface , Vedas direct rituals (karma kAnda ) for obtaining earthly and heavenly pleasures and comforts which can be obtained thru' Agni , Indra ... (leaves and branches) though the fruits are actually bestowed by Vishnu (root) . That probably explains why the references are so skewed.

The hidden higher purpose of spirituality is brought out in the Upanishads , and Krshna mentions in the Bh. Gita : do not get carried away by the flowery words and heavenly promises of the Vedas. You may perform action without expecting and being attached to results. Your right is over the action, not over the results. Karma Yoga.

mukunda20
02 March 2010, 04:05 AM
Namaste wcrow and others,

" I have read somewhere that 95% of the vedas are lost, so this could account for that, but is this true?"

Basically the definition of Veda is yad vid iti Veda= whatever is vidya(knowledge) is Veda. Veda\knowledge is infinite, the books which we speak of now, is a compilation of that knowledge put together according to the respective related topics in a particular format. for more information of Vedas, please refer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedas
There is never a point in time when the Vedas are not available for anyone. The way to gain access to the infinite Vedas is to transcend from this physical plane to the higher planes like the Astral plane where a person can access the vase infinite knowledge ocean and learn whatever is of her\her interest. Doing this requires Sadhana(roughly accomplishment) by means of meditation. This is what the Rishis and Tapasvis(person who does penance) did in the earlier days when they started compiling the books which we nowadays term as the Vedas. This type of learning is called as Shruti(heard)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Aruti
So the answer to your question is, No, the Vedas are never lost, It is always there, you have to look for it by transcending above the physical plane.
Hope this helps,
Best Regards,
mukunda

saidevo
02 March 2010, 08:17 AM
namaste everyone.

A good set of introductory booklets to know about the purport of the Vedas has been published by the SAKSI institute, which we have in our HDF Library. Here is a list:

ce SAKSI: Deeper Meaning |
http://www.vedah.com/org/literature/PDFs/Deeper_Meaning.pdf

ce SAKSI: Essence of Veda |
http://www.vedah.com/org/literature/PDFs/Essence_of_Veda.pdf

ce SAKSI: Explaining the Gods |
http://www.esnips.com/nsdoc/4d72b695-abc3-4a5a-b25b-0c127c58d96e

ce SAKSI: Veda Books |
http://www.esnips.com/nsdoc/5054d08d-cc01-44c6-8bd2-6610443f0804

ce SAKSI: Wisdom of Veda |
http://www.esnips.com/doc/663a6356-434c-452a-8b08-25e4e942db6a/veda_4

ce SAKSI: Rig veda: Introductory Essays |
http://www.vedah.com/org2/pub/vedic/san/rv_text/Introductory%20Essays.pdf

ce SAKSI: Rig veda: Why Read |
http://www.esnips.com/nsdoc/73bba6b2-edf4-479a-a6da-a68eb65538fb

ce SAKSI: yajur veda |
http://www.esnips.com/doc/663a6356-434c-452a-8b08-25e4e942db6a/veda_4

ce SAKSI: sAma veda |
http://www.esnips.com/nsdoc/e5695e9f-9593-427b-bdbc-9c5f00481007

ce SAKSI: atharva veda |
http://www.esnips.com/nsdoc/613fde61-f9ce-4fd0-bd04-7c2e48880ba7

The prefix 'ce' stands for 'commentary-English'.

smaranam
02 March 2010, 03:33 PM
Thank You Saideviji and Mukundaji



There is never a point in time when the Vedas are not available for anyone. The way to gain access to the infinite Vedas is to transcend from this physical plane to the higher planes like the Astral plane where a person can access the vase infinite knowledge ocean and learn whatever is of her\her interest.

Of course... Ved is infinite and its the AkAshic record - that's a very important point.

Talking of AkAsh records, all intuition and clairvoyance, clairaudience can be attributed to it.

>>> Ved mantras heard in a distance knowing no such thing is going on in the physical world nearby.

>>> The mahamrtyunjay mantra keeps playing in the mind for 48 hours only to find out that a relative left his body right after. Hopefully benefitting the departing jiva.

>>> [ Waking / ] Dreams that take a person to a place or jivas find themselves doing something that indicates an event that happens right after


These are all , acc. to me, jiva making connections to that Cosmic ChidAkAsh through the Lord's grace - be it explicit or implicit.

What about telepathy (of the Higher Self ) ? - jivas connecting with one-another.

------------------


When I saw the qn raised about Ved books being lost etc. I had read that story is not true, but didn't want to say so, waited for this to come from an authority.

The fact that Vishnu and Rudra(Shiva) are the roots and the original source and sink of all prayer and yadnya ( sacrifice) , and that the other devtAs are invoked to obtain specific subgoals, was a mere common sense explanation of why Vishnu and Rudra are not mentioned more often in the Rg - which is mistaken as "minor roles".

However, Shri Aurobindo puts it nicely :
We study grade school for 10-12 yrs, undergraduate college for 3-4 yrs and a Master's Degree program for only 2 yrs. Because we need the time as kids to form the solid base. Similarly , Agni , Indra etc. fulfilled those basic needs first (food clothing shelter health , although fruits were really bestowed by the Supreme),
before going over to the higher spiritual realms of Vishnu.

yajvan
02 March 2010, 09:23 PM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~


namasté




How should one read parts of the Rig Veda, the Samhita ?

Which parts are recommended for someone who has never really read the Vedas ?




Let me offer this, regarding reading the ved. This is a guiding principle I have used and was taught; perhaps it may serve you too, yet I am not the final authority on this matter.



There is this reasonable notion that reading brings understanding. Yet there is a fact that says reading does not insure comprehension. When it comes to the vedas this is of the greatest import. I bring this up as reading the ved needs to be complimented with grooming consciousness, this turiya ( the 4th) we speak of often. Who says so? the veda:


(ṛg ved, 1.164.39)
ṛco akṣare parame vyoman yasmin devā adhi viśve niṣeduḥ |
yastan na veda kiṃ ṛcā kariṣyati ya it tad vidusta ime samāsate ||


I will offer how my teacher talked of this translation.


The veda or ṛks, reside in the transcendental field or akṣara, of the highest (parame) ethereal Being (vyoman) in which reside all the adhi vishve deva's (adhi viśve devā or impulses of creative intelligence, the laws of Nature), responsible for the whole manifest universe. He whose awareness is not open (na veda) to this field, what can these verses accomplish for him?
Those who know this level of reality are established in evenness (samāsate or rest contented) , in That ( tad , fullness-wholeness of life).


What does this say in short? Of what use is the ved, for he whom is not becoming established in the Absolute? Where will be the value of this great knowledge other then words... it says, become established in ātman, the avyayam (imperishable, undecaying), the even-ness to reap the full value of the knowledge.


Reading is good yet it is wise to complement it with experiencing and stabilizing this level of Being, turiya ; it is essential to extract the benefits ( fruits) of the Ved.


What does one do in the interim before having this turya established all the time? We look to others that have this level of Being established for their views and guidance.


If someone said ' haven't you read the vedas ?' - one should not feel any discomfort or angst. The true honey of the veda unfolds as consciousness unfolds. IMHO reading the samhita's in their original sanskrit format is a challenge. One then may read the interpretations , discourses, thereof. Yet reading-listening to the vedas assists in the grooming of this level of consciousness. The upaniṣads are designed to help comprehend this Reality, this Brahman and unfold the wisdom found in the vedas.


Here on HDF at times some offer a 'cut and paste' section of the veda with no interpretation, little preamble, or their views , likes or objections and says 'there, I have proved my point'. You might as well give me the electrical blueprints to NASA's space shuttle...looks interesting, I may discern a line here or there but that's about it.


So is reading the veda (saṃhitā-s specifically) the answer? A noble effort, but requires guidance. In and of themselves the veda-saṃhitā-s will not bring one to establishing ātman, ( Self Realization) some call turiyatit chetana by themselves. Yet listening to the veda's is rewarding and grooms consciousness, and we can talk further on this later.


Now who says just reading will not do the trick? the kaṭhopaniṣad, section 1.2.23. It also says (chapt 1.2.8) that the SELF when taught by a man of inferior intellect is not easily known, as it is to be thought of in various ways; Yet when taught by the preceptor (the brahmavit, the muni), one established in brahman, there is no doubt concerning IT, the SELF being subtler then subtle, and is not obtained by arguing.


I am ajñāta ( some write avijñāta) - one who has not attained SELF realization (the inferior man). Most if not all on HDF I presume are of this same nature , in varying degrees. We are here to learn , to share , to help one another move forward, to reach this SELF-referral state of Being, brahman. To that we offer different ideas, posts, insights the best we can. We try to offer a glimpse of the brilliance of Being that is our due course and will be our final resting stop.


praṇām

smaranam
03 March 2010, 09:07 AM
Thank You Yajvanji

What you say makes all sense -
that it is futile if not in the direction of Self Realization.

Of primary interest to me is the Purusha Sukta - I just love it and Krshna loves it too.
Please forgive this cut-and-paste of selected verses , I cannot help but paste them

With uncounted heads
Uncounted eyes, and
Uncounted feet, He
Moves, as all of
Creation
Verily is He
Uncountable.
Beyond the grasp
Of the hands of men.

That which is,
Was, and is to be.
All of this
Is he alone..
And the eternal,
Beyond all end,
He is Lord,
Alone, of that.
The world is food..
That which hides,
And ventures forth,
He is that too.

All that you see
Is but his glory
He is more
Than all of this
All of creation
Is but a fourth of him.
Three parts eternal
Rest in him alone.

Three parts of his
Are beyond all this
All of this, is but a part.
Again and again,
All that eats,
And that eats not
Appeared from this
One part of His.

From him came forth
The bright Universe
And he became a Creator
For its sake
And so he created
The verdant Earth
And creation
Was his body.

Spring was the ghee
That brightened the fire
Summer the wood
That fueled it
Autumn was burnt
In this great rite
That the gods sacrificed
The Purusha in.

.........
....
..
I Know Him,
Glorious, Valorous,
Who Names, Forms,
And Keeps all this,
Bright as the Sun,
Beyond all Darkness.
....
....
By Sacrifice did the Gods
Sacrifice to Sacrifice
By the fruits of this,
The first harvest,
Do the great ones
Ascend to where the Gods
The first ones,
Those who made straight the way
Are.

-------
Glories of Purusha Sukta sung :

This great Purusha, brilliant as the sun, who
is beyond all darkness, I know him in my
heart. Who knows the Purusha thus,
attains immortality in this very birth.
I know of no other way to salvation.
------

- Translation by Shri V. Sundar
http://www.ramanuja.org/purusha/sukta-intro.html

praNAm

yajvan
03 March 2010, 11:02 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~



namasté smaranam,

Thank You Yajvanji

What you say makes all sense -
that it is futile if not in the direction of Self Realization.

Of primary interest to me is the Purusha Sukta - I just love it and Krshna loves it too. Please forgive this cut-and-paste of selected verses , I cannot help but paste them

With uncounted heads
Uncounted eyes, and
Uncounted feet, He
Moves, as all of
Creation
Verily is He
Uncountable.
Beyond the grasp
Of the hands of men.



Yes, this is a very intriguing hymn.
om sahasra̍śīrṣā puru̍ṣaḥ sahasrākśaḥ sahasra̍pāt
sa bhūmi̍ṁ viśvato̍ vṛtvā atya̍tiṣṭaddaśāṅgulam ||


What is called out in the śloka is sahasra = 1,000 . So this says puruṣa has 1,000 heads, a 1,000 eyes and 1,000 feet. Now does He really have this?

It is another way the seer (ṛṣi nārāyaṇa) of this great hymn tells us puruṣa is everywhere and even beyond that . He says that by saying beyond the span of 10 (daśā) fingers (aṅgula). When people say 'beyond' is also can mean transcend.

Not only is this puruṣa everywhere ( some like to say, there is no-where He is not) He also is beyond and transcends all that there is, beyond the span of 10 fingers. You will read some say 10 inches. This is not what the śloka says but is understood at times people use the width of a finger to suggest 1 inch.

So , what does this imply ? If He is everywhere, there is no need for any movement of puruṣa because there is no place for Him to go that He is not there already, no?

And if he is everywhere, He has feet and arms and legs and fingers everywhere, is He not your fingers, my arms your friend's legs, and mothers lips, fathers strength?


So you see other insights and implications?


praṇām

smaranam
03 March 2010, 01:04 PM
praNAm Yajvanji



So , what does this imply ? If He is everywhere, there is no need for any movement of puruṣa because there is no place for Him to go that He is not there already, no?

And if he is everywhere, He has feet and arms and legs and fingers everywhere, is He not your fingers, my arms your friend's legs, and mothers lips, fathers strength?


So you see other insights and implications?



This is exactly why I like the Sukta, which is also shown by Upanishads like Kena when they say "He is everywhere, but He runs faster than wind" etc.

Also, what Krshna implies when He shows the VirAt RUp to Arjun (Bh. Gita Chap 11) adding the dimension of Time to it - "Time I am..."

What is nice is the Purusha Sukta also mentions that this is only a fragment of the Purusha, 3/4 of which is the purely transcendental other.

Which is what Krshna says in Vibhuti Yoga , Bh. GitA Chap 10 - "This entire Universe is maintained by a mere amsha(spec) of Mine"

So there is material vastness (never-ending space Universe) as well as infinite spiritual vastness.

Swami KrshnAnanda's comments on the Sukta (The link above, post #3):

"....But a greater shock is yet to be, for the Sukta implies to any intelligent thinker that he himself is one of the heads or limbs of the Purusha. This condition where even to think would be to think as the Purusha thinks—for no other way of thinking is even possible, and it would be to think through all persons and things in creation simultaneously—would indeed not be human thinking or living. Just as we do not think merely with one cell of our brain but think with the entire brain, any single thinker forming but a part of the Purusha’s Universal Thinking Centre, ‘a Centre which is everywhere with circumference nowhere’, cannot afford to think as is usually attempted by what are called jivas, or individual fictitious centres of thinking. There is no other way—na anyah pantha vidyate."

Although these words are just pulled out of the essay and do not mention the rest of the infinite Purusha which is NOT in the form of jivas of Material Universe, the rest of the infinite Purusha which makes up the spiritual sky is obviously not forgotten as some may think. How can the Purusha forget His Own [Better] Most ? Some look at this His Own Better Most as the multitudes of 'jivas' in various abodes. But they are all really Him , playing and just Being His Natural Self.

This is why ..... where is the contradiction , mutual exclusion , either-or , in the various schools of thought ? They are all saying the same things in different language.
Gems like Purusha Sukta serve the purpose - that jivas serving Krshna is a very noble thought , and a necessary paradigm, so is the idea that its Adi Purusha Being Himself. The fingers, toes, heart, head have to co-operate - even when they 'think' they are not co-operating. The idea is for them to 'learn' how.

smaranam
04 March 2010, 07:09 AM
Namaste

I was thinking of what Yajvanji said yesterday. Although the essence of Purusha Sukta was clearly that He is working thru' all of us, the words he chose speak a lot :

QUOTE: "My arms, your fingers, friend's legs, mother's lips , father's strength"

This is so basic , yet profound.

As a child, I learnt in school "Parents take place of God on earth" and could see how true this statement was - perhaps at a young age of 6. That statement stuck with me and unconsciously held true all along. We look up to our parents for everything - especially as children and even later. I for one was more into hanging out with parents than a big group of friends.

Children of SanAtan Dharma are taught :
matru devo bhava : See God in mother
pitru devo bhava : in father
AchArya devo bhava : in teachers, Gurus
atithi devo bhava : in guests


That's a good place to start , 5 yr olds can understand this.

And the few close friends can be our legs , because many times we go the way our friends go. In the same direction. "friend's legs"

"your fingers" indicate creativity - and all creativity is but the Purusha. It flows from Him, but where does it go ? Nowhere, stays with Him, He alone is. Its ignorance to think its the jiva's - who is a focal point of a fraction/spec of creativity.

"my arms" indicates ability, which is nobody's except that Advitiya Purusha's.

"Mother's lips" shows affection as well as wisdom, training. Who forgets mother's wise words , including the "I told you so" -s . Listen to mother, she has seen "many more rainy seasons" - an Indian phrase i.e. seen life, world a lot more than you.

And finally,
"Father's strength" - this I really liked. Its so true, we sleep in the comfortable premise of our father's strength, which is nobody else's but that Purusha's. Just as a devotee hands self over to the Lord like a child oblivious to worldly worries , a human child has no clue what he/she is supposed to worry about.

praNAm

TatTvamAsi
05 March 2010, 11:21 AM
Namaste,

The Rig Veda is perhaps the most important "book" (although I'm not fond of reducing it to a mere book) in the world. Since it contains transcendental knowledge, it cannot be 'read' like a book can be read.

Sri Aurobindo clearly states this in "Secret of the Veda". This is why it must be learned under the tutelage of a guru. Of course, not all of us have the privilege of a guru or the time necessary to devote to such an endeavor as learning the Veda can take lifetimes!

Thus, I would think, or at least what I have been doing, is reading a few verses a day (in Sanskrit) and then meditating on them and trying to let it "sink in". I don't necessarily "understand" the verse, but that is actually better in the sense that the mind does NOT meddle in the true understanding; our being absorbs it and it is truly learned. Thus I think meditation and dhyana is an extremely important corollary to learning the Veda. We may not understand the verses now or even in this lifetime, but their imprint has been absorbed by the jIvA and can thus progress through the treacherous "forest of delusion".

JAI HIND!

Namaskar.

saidevo
12 April 2010, 08:58 AM
Full 4 Vedas in MP3

Listen to the Vedas online in this Website:
http://www.astrojyoti.com/vedamp3.htm

Generally, Hindus should start with the shAkhA of their traditional Veda as known from their introduction 'abhivAdaye' which tells your gotra, rishis and the veda shAkhA. If you have no such tradition, you might perhaps start with the Rig Veda.

The vibrations of vedic chanting and just letting them fall on your ears even if you are preoccupied with some other work might do a lot spiritually to your koShas--sheaths and home, so you can just let the audio play online although you can't follow the words and meanings. Keeping the audio playng and the Veda's original Sanskrit text with their accents before you could help a lot in acquiring the ability to read the original text, but it requires immense patience.

yajvan
12 April 2010, 11:28 AM
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~


namasté saidevo (et.al)



The vibrations of vedic chanting and just letting them fall on your ears even if you are preoccupied with some other work might do a lot spiritually to your koShas--sheaths and home, so you can just let the audio play online although you can't follow the words and meanings

This is especially so with sama ved. Sama ved is ṛg ved that is sung. The sama ved is ~95% ṛg ved centric.

What does sama ved produce in the listener? Sama... having the right measure , regular , normal , right , straight ,full , complete , whole , entire ; as a noun equability , equanimity , imperturbability .

Sama is from sāman. What is this word's definition? Calming , tranquillizing , kind or gentle words for winning an adversary , conciliation , negotiation. It is one of 4 ways ( 4 upāyas or means) of success against an enemy , the other 3 being dāna , bheda , and daṇḍa ¹.


Hence sāman is 'by friendly means or in a friendly way , willingly , voluntarily'.


I have been taught to listen to sama ved in a relaxed way. Without other activity. You have rightly said 'letting them (the chant) fall on your ears ' . This is without stress or strain. It is softer then 'active listening' and it is not passive listening, so your words are perfect. We let the sounds fall on our ears, the impression is to be made.

praṇām

words

dāna - giving, giving up; imparting, teaching; offering.
bheda - breaking , splitting ; disclosing; bursting forth or out , expanding , blossoming , shooting out , sprouting
daṇḍa - a staff or sceptre ; power and sovereignty

smaranam
12 April 2010, 03:44 PM
[b]
The vibrations of vedic chanting

Thank you Saidevoji for the audio. I had come across this astro jyoti site last year while looking for the 18 puranas.

The vibrations of Vedic chanting are always magically divine. They definitely make an imprint, impression , saMskAr as TatTvamAsi was also pointing out.

I can relate to this on a simpler platform - shlokas learnt in early childhood without understanding them are carried over into later years when they suddenly become very meaningful when the time is right i.e. when we are ready for them. On the same lines, this can happen with Vedas over lifetimes.

Sama as Rig in the form of song, makes the Gita verse clear
"Of Vedas I am Sama" - Vibhuti Yoga BG Chapter 10


praNAm