Vedic tradition and modern sience

[brahma jijnasa]

Namaste

A few words about Srimad Bhagavatam.

There are two different approaches on the issue of the age of the individual Hindu scriptures. One is scientific and the other traditional.

Scientists are not unanimous on the issue of the age of the Puranas and specifically Srimad Bhagavatam also known as Bhagavata Purana. They simply do not know. They think that the Puranas assumed their final form in the 4th century during the Gupta period. This, however, does not mean that the Puranas were composed in the 4th century. They can easily be much older, actually thousands of years older than the 4th century. Puranas and Itihasas were mentioned even in some very old shruti scriptures and dharma sastras such as Atharva Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Chandogya Upanishad, etc, indicating their old age which dates back to the ancient times, long before the 6th century BCE.
Even scientists admit that they can not determine the age of the individual Hindu scriptures. There are only theories and opinions about that.

Another approach is traditional. As far as I know none of the acaryas in any tradition has said that the Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas are old N number of centuries. Acaryas accept the view expressed in the scriptures themselves. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says that 4 Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and Itihasas originated from the breathing of the Supreme Being. Puranas say that Vyasadeva compiled all Vedic knowledge at the end of Dvapara yuga and wrote it down and gave a legacy to his disciples to care about it. Not only that, but even the names of individual disciples of Vyasadeva were mentioned and sages who have participated in this process. All this is described in the verses Bhagavatam 12.6.36 (http://vedabase.net/sb/12/6/en) and forward, and the following chapter (http://vedabase.net/sb/12/7/en). See also detailed description in the canto 12, chapter 13: http://vedabase.net/sb/12/13/en

Srimad Bhagavatam is mentioned on the list of the names of 18 Puranas that are found in some Puranas. Bhāgavatam 12.7.23-24 (http://vedabase.net/sb/12/7/23-24/en) :

"The eighteen major Purāṇas are the Brahmā, Padma, Viṣṇu, Śiva, Lińga, Garuḍa, Nārada, Bhāgavata, Agni, Skanda, Bhaviṣya, Brahma-vaivarta, Mārkaṇḍeya, Vāmana, Varāha, Matsya, Kūrma and Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇas."

Purport:
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has quoted from the Varāha Purāṇa, Śiva Purāṇa and Matsya Purāṇa in confirmation of the above two verses.

See also Bhāgavatam 12.13.4-9: http://vedabase.net/sb/12/13/4-9/en

Bhagavatam is mentioned in other Puranas in several places. For example it is said that Bhagavatam is the best of all the Puranas in Padma Purana, and that it is sattvic scripture, and vaishnava Purana. Listening of Bhagavatam for 7 days is even mentioned in the Skanda Purana. Narada Purana says that Bhagavatam is a favourite scripture of Vishnu's devotees.

Is Bhagavatam vedic or not?
In the Chandogya Upanisad (7.1.4), the Puranas and Itihasas are mentioned as the fifth Veda. According to this view Itihasas and Puranas are considered to be Vedic also. This is the position of the Vaishnava traditions.
Another thing to be mentioned as the reason why it is considered to be Vedic. Bhagavatam is a Smriti scripture. Smriti scripture is Vedic if it is composed according to what is taught in Shruti (Vedas). Bhagavatam is celebrated as such.

Great importance of Bhagavatam is also evident from the fact that it is the only of the Puranas that has many commentaries. I wrote about this in one of the previous posts in another thread:

Srimad Bhagavatam is considered to be one of the most respected Puranas in the history of Hinduism. Even in other Puranas we do find statements that celebrate Bhagavatam as a Purana of the highest regard. Historically speaking no other Purana has left such a great impact on Hindu thought as Bhagavatam did. This can be easily seen from the fact that of all the Puranas, Bhagavatam has the largest number of commentaries. It is the only Purana that has attracted a host of commentators through the centuries belonging to all schools
of vaishnavas whereas most of the other Puranas have produced no traditional commentaries at all, and others only one or two.
Bhagavatam has more than 80 commentaries in Sanskrit alone that are extant, and there were others that are no longer extant. It has been translated into almost all the languages of India, and it was the first Purana to be translated into a European language, French in the 19th century.

regards

[Believer]

Namaste,

What should I do?

Dude, you need to put your blinders on about all the non-spiritual stuff and focus on learning the spiritual aspects of Sanatan Dharma. If your object is to elevate the level of your consciousness, then ignore all that does help you in that direction. However, if your object is to learn about dinosaurs and creation/evolution and theory of relativity and cure for stupidity, then you need to consult a different set of books. There is even a book which tells you about what happens to you if you eat an apple with no clothes on.

Pranam.

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

I noticed the Vedas are constantly being "written" but the messages are the same. As if one is simply looking at one existing and then written down on a new parchment.

For example, I was in a famous Japanese book store a month ago in Japantown S.F., and a Japanese publishing company published an edition of the Yajur Vedas in Japanese.

But that doesn't mean the Japanese wrote the Vedas.

I had bought some expensive Japanese stationary from a shop just across from this book store. Later I copied a verse and some notes from an Upanishad to this expensive paper using a nice pen from Japan that I also bought. I put this in a sealed bottle and tossed it in the San Joaquin River near a town.

If some outer space beings who were scientists landed in this town, sent a probe into the bottom of the river, and retreived this bottle, they might do a scientific study of the paper. They may be so advanced that, they actually determine the paper was of a compound made in Japan. And the writing using an ink from Japan. And it even says on the back of the paper a translation that means "Made in Japan".

They may sent back the "field study" to the mother ship, that the Vedas were from Japan.

In the trees, rocks, rivers, temples, Lingas, in the DNA of even life, of all things along the path where Rama travelled South with His armies of Monkeys and Bears, there you will also find the Vedas.

Om Namah Sivaya

[Sahasranama]

There are multiple people named Jayadeva, and the Srimad Bhagavatam refers to events that didn't even occur until well into known history such as the Alvars in Tamilnadu. People like Adi Sankarcharya also never mentioned it since it did not exist... That you resort to pejoratives rather than show a rational response means I'm just putting you on block. Your kind think that simply by spouting insults they prove they are right, and I've had enough of that mentality.

Shankaracharya not mentioning the Bhagavatam is by no means proof that the Bhagavatam did not exist at the time of or before Shankaracharya. In fact, the Bhagavatam has been quoted even earlier by Gaudapada, the para-guru of Shankaracharya.