Glimpses of Vedic Metaphysics Out of about 17,000 hymns in the Vedas, slightly less than half relate to Metaphysics, which Bhagavad-Gita says is the supreme science. The remaining hymns pertain to mantras (in praise of God), scientific rituals/ceremonies and aryankas (simple rules for the old people). However, the Vedic metaphysics is meant for all ages. It relates to social and physical sciences, divine nature, cosmic laws of necessity, soul, spirit, formless and ineffable Supreme Soul and many other subjects. No single book can comprehensively cover Vedic metaphysics. This book only gives glimpses of Vedic metaphysics for the seekers of Vedic knowledge. The methodology utilized is dynamic equivalence and not formal equivalence. Every effort is made to give glimpses of Vedic metaphysics truthfully and without any distortion within my limited knowledge and capacity. Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1 - Vedic Society Chapter 2 - Laws of God (Rta) Chapter 3 - Hydra Headed Corruption Chapter 4 - Vedic Science and Scientific outlook Chapter 5 - Prakrti (the Supreme mother) Chapter 6 - Vedic Phantasmagorias - Maya Chapter 7 - Soul and Spirit Chapter 8 - A “Brief” To The Introduction The Introduction brings out briefly the various metaphysical concepts in the Vedas. Since Vedic wisdom pertains to the cosmic working at all levels- from microcosm to macrocosm, their metaphysics comprehensively covers material, temporal, secular, spiritual and divine knowledge. In the material knowledge there is a mention of global trade for the welfare of mankind and need to manufacture fast moving aircrafts, vehicles and ships by the industrialists with the help of scientists. In the other areas there is a mention of establishing an ideal society where individuals following four divine professions (chatavar Varna asharam) are predominant. When the majority of individuals follow non-divine professions (avarna), society tends to become perverted. The Vedic universal education system is meant to allocate these divine professions based on one’s aptitude, merit and ability. No hymn in the Vedas mentions that Brahman, Kashtriya, Vaish and Shudra Varna are based on birth. Vedic religion is a spiritual science that aims at creating scientific outlook in society. Idol worship, belief in savage myths and aimless rituals are not advised. Dharma is Rta- the cosmic laws of social, moral and physical order. Having created these laws, even formless and ineffable God follows these laws sternly. The subtle divine Nature (Prakrti) is our supreme Mother. She is described as Maha Maya- the creator of phantasmagoria. Maya creates a golden disc and under its vehement effect the human senses find this phenomenal world as real. The main Vedic concepts like enlightened liberalism based on the philosophy of idd nan mmam- nothing for self all for society, need to create scientific outlook in the society, difference between soul and spirit, personal and impersonal God have been briefly mentioned. Since the focal point in Vedas is the individual and his/her welfare, all the metaphysical concepts are in this background. The Vedic hymns were formulated about 5 to 6 thousands years ago. However, these were compiled in three Vedas (treyi) more than three thousands years ago when Dark Age (Kaliyuga) already existed. The fourth Atharva Veda was compiled much later. Their metaphysics is even more relevant today as the cosmic Dark Age is now nearing its peak. NakedDR.RUPNATHJI( materialism DR.RUPAKhas spread NATH its tentacles ) in many areas leading to hydra headed corruption, glamorization of social criminals and spread of social, moral and physical pollution. It is also penetrating very fast into fake spiritualism and there is a large-scale rise of false prophets, fundamentalists and sycophants. Introduction “Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides.” R.V. 1-89-1 Being a former student of Political Science and Philosophy, on retirement from Indian Defence Accounts Service, I tried to revive my earlier interest in the political philosophy of Plato, Aristotle, Kautilya and many other lovers of wisdom and steadily drifted towards metaphysics that Bhagavad Gita says is the supreme science. During the drift I came across a few very unusual but interesting statements. It was even more significant to know their political and metaphysical Introduction to 'Glimpses of Vedic Metaphysics' views relating to God, soul, Nature, phantasmagoria- the illusory world of senses and many other subjects. Plato mentions in his Laws (174-f) and also in Utopia that in an ideal state the range of economic disparities should be within 1:16. If the range of disparity increases marginally, the state is less ideal. However, if it increases considerably, the state is either a Democracy or an Oligarchy. The rulers in both tend to be tyrannical, corrupt, and hypocritical. In his metaphysics, Plato says that the soul of virtuous people becomes lighter and goes toward heaven by moving upward after death and that of the non-virtuous, being heavier, stays near the earth and is the cause of rebirth. On rebirth, people may be born in families professing different faiths, religions, as well as in the different regions of the earth. Plato thus becomes one of the few ancient philosophers who gave a philosophical theory on secularism and universal brotherhood. Again, he has mentioned that in an ideal state, which he described as Republic, divine guidance is the maximum and in Tyranny it reaches a minimum and world dissolution comes when that divine guidance is totally withdrawn. Plato’s observation of 1:16 immediately connected my thought process with the philosophical views of Mahatma Gandhi who used to say that in an ideal state i.e. Ram Rajya, the income disparities between the rich and the poor should be between 1:10. The actual disparities in India are now much beyond 1:1000 and still going up. If this trend continues for India, the Gandhian Ram Rajya will remain a utopia. Aristotle did not suggest any such ratios but like many other Greek philosophers recommended the concept of “ golden mean ”. Buddha had already advised the “ middle path “. The Vedas and Bhagavad Gita strongly advise moderation for an ideal way of life to achieve perfection. This drift from political philosophy to metaphysics continued till I came across vastly different schools of Indian philosophy popularly known as the Sad Darshana and found that all the six schools are based on the Vedas and Upanishads thus creating unity in diversity. During this search from political philosophy to the Vedic metaphysics one wonders whether these lovers of wisdom like Socrates, Plato, Immanuel Kant, Yajnavalkya, king Janaka, Sankracharya, RamanujamDR.RUPNATHJI( and many others DR.RUPAK were ordinary NATH ) human beings or devas (shining ones) as mentioned in the Vedas. Throughout my life I avoided reading the scriptures, fearing that I might become a fanatic or fundamentalist or live in a world of hallucination. However, I would read the celestial song Bhagavad Gita occasionally, as I did not find any organized religion there. It is a didactic book mainly on spiritual science containing an ethical social philosophy relating to Nishkam Karma- action without any self- interest. After retirement, I made an attempt to study certain other scriptures particularly the holy Koran in Urdu script (Roshan Chiragh) and its English translation by N.J. Dawood one of the Penguin classics. In 1997, Dr. M.H Siddiqi of Islamic Society presented Holy Koran-English Translation of “The Meanings and Commentary” and the same was studied along with the notes. Other scriptures studied were Old and New Testaments, a few Upanishads, Patanjali’s Yoga Shastra and four Vedas (English translation by Arya Pratinidhi Sabha and also a few volumes translated by Swami Satya Prakash Saraswati). A large number of other books on Introduction to 'Glimpses of Vedic Metaphysics' philosophy and metaphysics mostly obtained from various libraries particularly, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, Institute of Administration, Guwahati, Central Government Libraries Shastri Bhawan and R.K. Puram, New Delhi. Most of the didactic books mentioned that the highest scriptures of Hindus are the Vedas. Surprisingly none of the scriptures and the books on philosophy and metaphysics refers to various types of religions now being practiced in India and abroad. Probably the soul of the scriptures is now missing in these ritualistic and organized religions prevalent throughout the world. The study of Vedas would reveal that the Vedic religion is a spiritual science, where as in the present Hindu religion there is hardly any spirituality or science and the dominant visible features are blind faith, superstitions, rituals, worship of money, matter and idols. Although the roots of Hinduism lie in the Vedic religion and metaphysics, a close scrutiny would reveal a wide deviation. Vedic concepts like Rta - cosmic laws of social and moral order, “Idd Nan Mmam” - nothing for self, all for the society, the role of Prakriti- the divine Nature in the creation of animate and inanimate life under the supervision of God and many others, are hardly seen in the organized Hindu religion today. In the Vedas, the God is Aja (unborn) i.e. there is no incarnation of God as a human being, no worship of God through idols, He being formless, omnipresent and ineffable. The Vedic metaphysics has a striking resemblance with the holy Koran and Grantha Sahib. The most sacred scripture of the Sikh religion Grantha Sahib says,”Ved, Kitab kaho mat jhoote, jhoota woh jo na vichare.” Do no say that the Vedas and the holy Koran are not true scriptures; the individual who does not study them is an untruthful person. It also says, “asankh garantha mukhi Ved path ”- there are innumerable scriptures but the highest and most sacred are the Vedas. The study of various Hindu scriptures revealed that the most sacred Hindu scriptures are the Vedas and Upanishads.