The importance of VEDAS in our culture.

Thanks again..

Chitra. It is so nice of you to say you will look into the availabilitiy of recording of Veda chantings. Please do so at your convenience. If they are from popular artistes or recording comapnies and I get to know the name, I can also see if some of the Indian shops here carry them.

You could have easily posted your Varna-Darma explanation as the next theme under the thread. But you did so now and I am always amazed at your enthusiasm. What you say must be true about how castes came about. I hold the same belief. But, is it not a shame that our religious leaders and matadhipathis did not do ' a thing' to dispel these beliefs in common man's mind and thoughts, through all these centuries? Then, what is their role as the well versed gurus and high preists!!? We needed a britisher to fight Sati and other abhorring religious practises. I may provoke a lot of people by saying so, but I feel provoked when I sit back to think about it.

L, Kamla

 

Good explanation Mrs C,

Very good explanation on what the Vedas mean.It is such an in depth subject that it takes a while for me to understand.But after reading your summary it sounds so simple.I liked your summary about caste system too.I am taking print outs and Ani is also reading it every Thursday.Thanks to you that we both are getting educated at the same time.I am enjoying it thoroughly.

Love,

 

why caste system

Dear safa,
Caste sysytem came in to vogue for a purpose that was meant to do more good than evil ..
but caste system need not have formed as an integeral part of the society .It must have got stuck inthe society dueto many aspects o f the individuals .
But to understand the cause of these things we have to look at history and comprehend certain facts from it. The Brahmin community is generally classified as from the mythical Aryan race that entered India sometime after the 1st millennium BC. The word Aryan is derived from the Sanskrit word 'arya' which means noble. They were the first of the so called Aryans that came into India for survival. However, they were a very small minority compared to the Dravidians who were the local inhabitants of India. The Dravidians were an advanced civilization as evidenced by the archaeological excavations in the Indus Valley.
The brahminswere a minority community& to preserve self interests, resorted to deceptive ways. As nomads passing through West Asia, they had gathered much of the religious beliefs of the local inhabitants. With this background, they portrayed themselves as priests and used religion to gain political and economic control of India. They devised the "Varnashrama Dharma or Manu Dharma" (caste system) which teaches that God did not create all men equal, but in a hierarchy.Thus Of course Brahmins were at the top of this hierarchy and established themselves as mediators between God and Man.
Over the years the caste system has been used to cause divisions and conflicts amongst the Dravidians while Brahmin control of India was maintained. However, there was a heavy price for this, and that price was not paid by the Brahmins, but by the Dravidians. Many innocent lives have been either seriously hurt or killed, and certain people are living under the most oppressive circumstances
There are many similarities between the Aryan Brahmins and the Europeans. Both of them were proud of their light complexion and followed colour discrimination. They came from the outside into India and were involved in activities with the motive of exploiting and enslaving the Indians. They prided themselves as superior over the Indians, the Dravidians, though the divine thoughts and philosophies originated from the Dravidians, and looked upon others as inferior to themselves. However, the concept of the Dravidians is 'Every country is my country and all are my kith and kin' and they wanted to be affectionate and friendly with everyone. The Aryan Brahmins pretended that they were spiritualists (soulists) and claimed that the Vedas, which were compiled by a Dravidian, Veda Vyasa, belong to them and enslaved the people in the guise of religion. Similarly the Europeans claimed that the Bible belonged to them, and showed themselves as the leaders of Christianity, while involved in activities which enslaved others.
Thus, the Aryans developed the Manudharmasasthra in order to bring racism into Indian society. They elevated themselves as a superior caste by birth and degraded the Dravidians as a lower caste by birth. That was the start of caste system
It was thus purely on certain reasons and objectives that these caste system came in to being .But it later went on to become a kind of stigma ,with a lot of irreversible aspects .
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal
regards sheela (Sushdevi)

 

that was a great way to present it ,chithra

Dear chithra,
your explanations and the verbal influx of ideas about culture has indeed delighted me to the core .
you have presented it all so beautifully ,that i am so glad to shower my praises and appreciations on you
well done a nd well written
regards and love sushdevi(sheela ):clap

 

Thanks Chithra and Sheela

Both of you have explained well. thanks for clearing my doubts.