[Quick links] [Pause]   Inthe previous episode, we were talking about how the great philosopher Sankara came up with his theory of illusion or Maya in the process of explaining how the single Atma that alone exists ‘appears’ as many things.   I am not sure whether there is any basis for this concept of illusion in any of the well-known Upanishads that Sankara often quotes. So, obviously later opponents of Sankara criticized him for inventing this concept. It is a different matter though that their objection was mainly because the concept of Maya as put forth by Sankara, did not fit in their philosophy of personified God. p { margin-top: 0.42cm; margin-bottom: 0.25cm; direction: ltr; color: #00000a; line-height: 120%; text-align: justify; orphans: 2; widows: 2 }p.western { font-family: "Calibri", serif; font-size: 12pt; so-language: en-US }p.cjk { font-family: ; font-size: 12pt; so-language: en-US }p.ctl { font-family: ; font-size: 14pt; so-language: ar-SA }a:link { color: #0000ff }

[Quick links] [Pause]      Manyof us often gloat over our limited knowledge. We think that we have understood everything in this world and we deem ourselves qualified to question deep philosophical truths. p { margin-top: 0.42cm; margin-bottom: 0.25cm; direction: ltr; color: #00000a; line-height: 120%; text-align: justify; orphans: 2; widows: 2 }p.western { font-family: "Calibri", serif; font-size: 12pt; so-language: en-US }p.cjk { font-family: ; font-size: 12pt; so-language: en-US }p.ctl { font-family: ; font-size: 14pt; so-language: ar-SA }a:link { color: #0000ff }

[Quick links] [Pause]   Inthe ritual parts of the Vedas the emphasis has been on performing various rituals to please the Devas and get whatever you want from them. This ‘whatever’ refers to worldly riches, good companions and children, a secure and comfortable life, protection from enemies, and may be heavenly abodes after death. But do all these make you happy forever? p { margin-top: 0.42cm; margin-bottom: 0.25cm; direction: ltr; color: #00000a; line-height: 120%; text-align: justify; orphans: 2; widows: 2 }p.western { font-family: "Calibri", serif; font-size: 12pt; so-language: en-US }p.cjk { font-family: ; font-size: 12pt; so-language: en-US }p.ctl { font-family: ; font-size: 14pt; so-language: ar-SA }a:link { color: #0000ff }

[Quick links] [Pause]   I am not even asking – “Are we on a wild goose chase?”. Because I am sure that we are 😉 Looks like all our activities are centered around how to make money! If some activity does not make money, then it is not worth pursuing it. That seems to be our line of thinking.

[Quick links] [Pause]   Before I go further talking about the Upanishads, I thought it is essential to clear some questions. These questions may give an impression that the Vedas are self contradictory and can be seen as a bundle of incoherent things. Some of the contradictions that one recognizes immediately are

[Quick links] [Pause]   We were talking about the two questions that Gargi posed to the great scholar Yajnyavalkya. Gargi says that her two questions are like two fierce arrows that she has sent to shoot down Yajnyavalkya’s claim that he knows what God is.

[Quick links] [Pause]   Ask this question to a staunch believer. Probably, he can’t give you a logical answer. But then faith and logic often don’t go together. Faith does not ask questions but merely accepts what is told. In the religious scenario asking questions is even forbidden. So, we just accept the existence of God even when we don’t know what that God is!

[Quick links] [Pause]   During one of my early morning walks in a remote Indian village, I came across this elderly gentleman. He looked quite old with his wrinkled face betraying his age. He greeted me with a smiling face and introduced himself as a retired banker. He proudly declared himself as a person belonging to a faith that believed in a single God. Basically, he was a Muslim. I

[Quick links] [Pause]   No matter what modern historians would say, when one studies Samhita parts of the Rigveda one gets tempted to believe that ancient Indians were indeed in touch with divine Aliens or the Devas from other worlds.  The dialogues with the Devas are so intimate. The descriptions of the Devas, their vehicles, as well as the way they arrive at the sacrificial place, all look so real. One refuses to believe that they were all part of superstition or the beliefs of primitive men.

[Quick links] [Pause]    In the previous episode we discussed how everything is readied for the animal sacrifice.  But neither the Adhvaryu, nor the Hotr, not even the Udhgatr or the Brahma would like to kill the animal. They don’t want to taint their hands with blood! But the animal has to be killed before it can be offered to the Devas. How do they do that?