Veda adhyayana and academic study of vedic texts - by R. Ramanathan

[and/or www.mantra.com/jai]

Veda adhyayana and academic study of vedic texts -- R. Ramanathan

May 6, 2013

Note: Shri Ramanathan is a guest writer on the blog which
discusses many issues related to History of Hindu
Astronomy and related disciplines:

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.in/search/label/R.%20Ramanathan

I am Ramanathan.R. I am also doing Veda Adhyayana of the
Krishna Yajur Veda Taittriya Oukhya shaka, from multiple
traditional teachers along with the angas and the
Lakshana granthas like the Praatishakya etc. I also have
a small knowledge of the Sama Veda especially the
Prakriti Ganas and a very limited understanding of the
Sama lakshana Grantha the Pushpa Sutra. Also have written
a few articles on Mrs Jayashrees blog, the link is

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.in/search/label/R.%20Ramanathan

By profession I am a software Engineer. I will be
rambling a bit before I get on to the core topic as
stated in the heading. I want to digress a lot because
many people are not aware of the context involved in the
traditional way of studying the Vedas. As always, credit
for any valuable information found in this article is due
to the great Brahmavaadins who taught me right from my
Upanayana till now. Any inaccuracies or wrong information
is due to my deficient understanding and sheer
incompetence.

I have good contacts with a lot of south Indian
traditional Vedic scholars (of all 4 vedas) who have
finished their Vedic studies upto either Krama, jata or
Ghanantha along with the 6 Angas. They live a complete
Vedic life along with the necessary aachara and rites in
remote villages. I have been to many Shrauta rituals
conducted by such great people. Also I have seen many
real sanyasis from among them who have really practiced
the principles advocated in the Upanishads, a few of them
who really wander without staying in one place. It is not
with a view to boast my qualifications or experiences
that I am writing this big an introduction.

Unlike many professors who may have fancy Phd�s in
Indology, from big institutes who are part of the mail
group discussions, I have learnt the Vedas and the
related subjects to a very small extent from people who
live and practice it in daily life, what they learn. I
consider that the real qualification, than studying for a
Phd in Indology. I was introduced to this article and the
mail group discussion by Madam. I was pained to see the
type of discussions happening on these groups/forums. I
thought that the period of colonial Indologists with
vested interests has come to an end but I still see those
people along with their shishyas alive and kicking. As a
traditional adhyayi I feel a responsibility to reply to
all these arguments as I feel it insults this great
dharma followed for generations.

Of course I do not believe comparative philology to be an
exact science. So I am not going to reply using all these
�so called scientific� stuff. I have several reservations
on the subject of philology and its several fallacies but
that is the subject of probably another article. I am
going to give a practical response, culled from the
everyday lives of persons who have dedicated their entire
lives for preservation of Vedas.

It is a pity that in all these discussions none of these
foreign professors care to refer to these traditional
scholars and get their views. They refer to people like
Paul Deussen, Max Weber etc. as experts! As I said
earlier there are people whom I know practicing,
�Shravana Manana and Nidhidhyasana� in their daily life
and Deussen is considered an expert in the Upanishads!!!.
After all consider the pain these traditional scholars
have undergone to preserve them. About no less than 50-70
years ago, to preserve tonal purity of the Vedas these
people have travelled on foot alone for many miles
through dangerous forests, crossing many wild rivers,
risking bandit�s en-route etc. to meet scholars from
neighboring villages to get the doubts they had,
clarified. They painstakingly transmitted it to the next
generation with utmost care. When they recognized any
lapses on their part they did japa of 1000 Gayathris as
expiation for the lapse. They perform the Agni Hotra
without fail. I personally know such people now who are
in their late 70s and 80s. This is just to emphasize the
care and pain tradition has taken to ensure proper
transmission. But yet the western scholars care not for
these people. After all if these people did not exist,
then I bet there would be no �Chairs of
sanskrit/Indologoy� in their fancy universties. So
literally it is because of these people, that foreign
professors get their bread & butter, and I cannot but
roll in laughter to think that these university
professors pass value judgments on the traditional
scholars and tell them what�s right and wrong in the
Vedas

Continues at:

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2013/05/veda-adhyayana-and-academic-study-of.html

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj

Continues at:

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2013/05/veda-adhyayana-and-academic-study-of.html

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj