vedabhASya - Vedic Studies

I have dealt with pancha mahA yajnAs  here   I am addressing the question on funeral rites in that background. Evolution of manuSya The Universe is a ‘Yajna’ a sacrifice performed by Atma, sacrificing a Purusha. In this yajna, manuSya has evolved. Purusha suktam says all this Universe including the planets and beings came from the Purusha. Purusha is spacetime filled with huge energy,  which was just constrained to be 10 angulas. Only 1/4th of that energy is manifest in this Universe. 3/4th is Hidden. From this purusha,  rudras, adityas and Vasus came. Rudras are force-fields in which energy manifests and creates fundamental particles like quarks and leptons. Adityas are binding energies that bind fundamental particles and form basic units of matter like nucleus and atom. Vasus are atomic elements, molecules that exist in eight different states. From the Vasus pitrs evolve. Pitrs are complex forms and structures of matter with dark matter in them. ...

Background Yajna means a sacrifice. Sacrifice is not just an act of giving up ownership, but dedicating that giving up of ownership to a larger purpose. There are five great yajnas or sacrifices that are talked about in our scriptures.  For eg. Brhadharanyaka Upanishad says there are five Yajna, five Purushas, five pazus. The five yajnas are often called pancha mahA yajnas. They are 1. Brahma Yajna 2. Deva Yajna 3. Pitr Yajna 4. Bhuta Yajna 5. Manushya Yajna. These Yajnas are interpreted in different ways. This is my understanding of the Yajnas. This Universe is a Yajna/Sacrifice performed by Atma.  Atma performs a series of five sacrifices to evolve this Universe. In each Yajna, there is a Purusha that is sacrificed. Purusha for large part, is dark, invisible. A small part of Purusha is visible. The visible part is called 'Pazu' (paz means visible). The dark/invisible part of Purusha is functionally external, witnessing/observing and catalysing the Pazu ...

Background The term Varna Asrama Dharma invokes a picture of backward, regressive social system in which some people enjoyed a higher social status due to their birth while many were enslaved. While this is true in the way the implementation of Varna Asrama Dharma evolved, that was not the aim of Varna Asrama Dharma. Varna is a dharma. It is eternal. It is the law of Universe. There will always be four professions. Knowledge providers (brAhman), Service providers (kSatriya), Material/goods providers (Vaizya) and Labor (Zudra). This is how it is at all times and nothing can change it ever. Similarly Asrama is a dharma. Asramas have been defined based on bodily needs of human beings. Asrama are the Law. This is how human beings are tuned and setup. Practising Asrama dharma is simply understanding the way societies and individuals evolve and aligning our life to towards it. Those who follow Asrama dharma lead a happy existence tuned with nature. Brahmacarya The dh...

Background - Sloka 1.4.1 to 1.4.7 Atma existed before any kinds of Purusa. Atma is the ‘manas’ as it ‘sees itself. It was all alone. It is also the ‘aham’ that exists before any expression. Now we use the word ‘aham’ to indicate ourself, as 'aham' is the 'Self' or 'Atma' in us. That which is the previous of all, in which everything is digested, that is Purusha. It does not have desire to manifest or evolve. Our manas develops a fear, which arises from being alone. Fear comes when there is more than one. So the manas has nothing to fear if it is all alone. Similarly Atma also does not have any fear in being all alone. When Atma is alone, there is no enjoyer and enjoyed. The 'desire' to enjoy and be enjoyed triggers manifestation from the unmanifest Atma. Thus manifestation happens out of desire and not out of fear. Atma tore apart separating the male and female due to this desire to be the enjoyer and enjoyed.  Yajnavalkya says Stri was tor...