Hindu Scriptures - Hinduism Today Magazine

chapter 7Hindu ScripturesAncient Holy Texts Revealed by God and ManPresenting a mountaintop viewof the vast library of wisdom thatmolds and influences Hindu lifeHinduism proudly embraces an incrediblyrich collection of scripture. The holiest andmost revered are the Vedas and Agamas,two massive compendia of shruti (that which is“heard”), both revealed by God to illumined sagescenturies and millennia ago. The array of worksknown as smriti (that which is “remembered”)is equally vast, the most prominent and widelycelebrated of which are the Itihasas (epic dramasand history)—the Ramayana and Mahabharata—and the Puranas (mythology). The Vedic arts andsciences, including ayurveda, astrology, music,dance, architecture, statecraft, domestic duty andlaw, are reflected in an assembly of texts knownas Vedangas and Upavedas. Moreover, through theages God-realized souls, sharing their experience,have poured forth volume upon volume that revealthe wonders of yoga and offer passionate hymns ofdevotion. The creation of Hindu scripture continuesto this day, as contemporary masters reiterate thetimeless truths to guide souls on the path to Divinity.In this Educational Insight, we offer a simpleoverview of Hindu scripture and an anthologyof verses from this luminous library of dharma.dinodiaThe Word, verily, is greater than name. The Word, in fact, makesknown the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, the AtharvaVeda as the fourth, and the ancient lore as the fifth: the Vedaof Vedas, the ritual for ancestors, calculus, the augural sciences,the knowledge of the signs of the times, ethics, political science,sacred knowledge, theology, knowledge of the spirits, militaryscience, astrology, the science of snakes and of celestial beings.Sama Veda, Chandogya Upanishad 7.2.1.The Vedic Experience, Panikkar, p. 111Than whom there is naught else higher,than whom there is naught smaller,naught greater, the One stands likea tree established in heaven. By Him,the Person, is this whole universe filled.Krishna Yajur Veda, ShvetashvataraUpanishad 3.9, The PrincipalUpanishads, Radhakrishnan, p. 727The man who rejects the words of the scripturesand follows the impulse of desire attains neitherhis perfection, nor joy, nor the Path Supreme. Letthe scriptures be, therefore, thy authority as towhat is right and what is not right.Bhagavad Gita 16.23-24, Mascaro, p. 111The stack of books at left holds one bound volumefrom each of the four Vedas in the Sanskrit language.For centuries they have been the basis of philosophicaldiscussion, study and commentary. The Vedas arealso the subject of deep study and meditation, torealize the wisdom of the ancients within oneself.Their mantras are chanted and used in rites of worship,prayer and japa.66 what is hinduism? chapter 7: hindu scriptures 67

What AreHindu RevealedScriptures?The Vedas and Agamas, revealedby God, are Hinduism’s sovereignscriptures, called shruti, “thatwhich is heard.” Their timelesstruths are expressed in the mostextraordinarily profound mysticalpoetry known to man. Aum.art by s. rajam background photo, thomas kellyWhat Is theNature of theVeda Texts?The holy Vedas, man’s oldestscripture, dating back 6,000 to8,000 years, are a collection of fourbooks: the Rig, Sama, Yajur andAtharva. Each has four sections:hymns, rites, interpretation andphilosophical instruction. Aum.art by s. rajam background photo, hinduism todaydinodiaAbove, God holds the holiest of scriptures, the Vedas andAgamas. Around these are an array of other scriptures,enscribed on stone, wood, pillars and scrolls. At left, wesee a copy of the Rig Veda Samhita. In the dimmed background,lamps are offered, as prescribed in the Agamas,by priests at Nallur Kandaswamy Temple in Sri Lanka.thomas kellyAbove, using the traditional elutani, stylus, a panditscribes memorized Vedic verses on dried palm leaves.For centuries the Vedas were passed on orally, thenfinally transcribed. Left, a devotee leafs through hisholy text as he performs his morning sadhana.Veda, from vid, “to know,” means “supremewisdom or science.” Similarly, Agama, whichnames the sacred sectarian revelations, means“descent of knowledge.” The Vedas and Agamas areeternal truths transmitted by God through great clairaudientand clairvoyant rishis. They are Hinduism’sprimary and most authoritative scriptures, expoundinglife’s sacredness and man’s purpose on the planet.These psalms of wisdom were disclosed over manycenturies, memorized and orally conveyed from generationto generation within priestly families, then finallywritten down in Sanskrit in the last few millennia.The subtly symbolic language of shruti, the cherishedword of God, is lyrical and lofty. In imparting religiouspractice, rules and doctrine, the Vedas are general andthe Agamas specific. The Vedas extol and invoke a multiplicityof Gods through elaborate fire rituals calledyajna. The Agamas center around a single Deity andHis worship with water, flowers and lights in sanctifiedtemples and shrines. The Tirumantiram lauds, “Twoare the scriptures that Lord Siva revealed—the primalVedas and the perfect Agamas.” Aum Namah Sivaya.The oldest and core portions of the vedasare the four Samhitas, “hymn collections.” Theyconsist of invocations to the One Divine and theDivinities of nature—such as the Sun, the Rain, theWind, the Fire and the Dawn—as well as prayers formatrimony, progeny, prosperity, concord, domestic rites,formulas for magic, and more. They are composed inbeautiful metrical verses, generally of three or fourlines. The heart of the entire Veda is the 10,552-verseRig Samhita. The Sama and Yajur Samhitas, each withabout 2,000 verses, are mainly liturgical selectionsfrom the Rig, whereas most of the Atharva Samhita’snearly 6,000 verses of prayers, charms and rites areunique. The Sama is arranged for melodious chanting,the Yajur for cadenced intonation. Besides its Samhita,each Veda includes one or two Brahmanas, ceremonialhandbooks, and Aranyakas, ritual interpretations, plusmany inestimable Upanishads, metaphysical dialogs. Inall there are over 100,000 Vedic verses, and some prose,in dozens of texts. The Tirumantiram confirms, “Thereis no dharma other than what the Vedas say. Dharma’scentral core the Vedas proclaim.” Aum Namah Sivaya.68 what is hinduism?chapter 7: hindu scriptures 69

How Are theVedas SignificantToday?reuters/jitendra prakashThe Vedas, the ultimate scripturalauthority, permeate Hinduism’sthought, ritual and meditation.They open a rare windowinto ancient Bharata society,proclaiming life’s sacredness andthe way to oneness with God. Aum.reuters/raj patidar background: afp photo/deshakalyan chowdhuryAbove, a young Smarta priest conducts a fire ceremony,havana, as decreed in the Vedas. At left, a Vaishnavapriest blows a conch horn during prayers in Allahabad.Background photo, at Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, apriest performs antyeshti, the cremation ritual, last in theseries of rites of passage prescribed in the Vedas.What Is theNature of theHoly Agamas?fr. institute of pondicherryThe Agamas, SanatanaDharma’s second authority,are revelations on sacredliving, worship, yoga andphilosophy. Saivism, Shaktismand Vaishnavism each exaltsits own array of Agamas, manymore than 2,000 years old. Aum.french institute of pondicherry background, thomas kellyAbove, Dr. Ganesan, a scholar at the French Institute of Pondicherry,India, shows the volumes of Saiva Agamas they haveprinted to date. They are keepers of 8,000 ancient manuscripts,mostly palm-leaf books, such as those seen stored onshelves on the left, which one day will be published to theworld. In the background, a devotee offers flowers to the Lord.Like the taoist tao te ching, the buddhistDhammapada, the Sikh Adi Granth, the JewishTorah, the Christian Bible and the Muslim Koran,the Veda is the Hindu holy book. For untold centuriesunto today, it has remained the sustaining force andauthoritative doctrine, guiding followers in ways of worship,duty and enlightenment—upasana, dharma andjnana. The Vedas are the meditative and philosophicalfocus for millions of monks and a billion seekers. Theirstanzas are chanted from memory by priests and laymendaily as liturgy in temple worship and domesticritual. All Hindus wholeheartedly accept the Vedas, yeteach draws selectively, interprets freely and amplifiesabundantly. Over time, this tolerant allegiance has woventhe varied tapestry of Bharata Dharma. Today theVedas are published in Sanskrit, English, French, Germanand other languages. But it is the metaphysical andpopular Upanishads which have been most amply andably translated. The Vedas say, “Just as the spokes are affixedto the hub of a wheel, so are all things establishedin life, the Rig and Yajur and Sama Veda, sacrifice, thenobility and also the priesthood.” Aum Namah Sivaya.In the vast agamic literature, traditioncounts 92 main Saiva Agamas—10 Siva, 18 Rudraand 64 Bhairava—77 Shakta Agamas and 108Vaishnava Pancharatra Agamas. Most Agamas are offour parts, called padas, and possess thousands of meteredSanskrit verses, usually of two lines. The charyapada details daily religious observance, right conduct,the guru-shishya relationship, community life, housedesign and town planning. The kriya pada, commonlythe longest, extols worship and temples in meticulousdetail—from site selection, architectural design and iconography,to rules for priests and the intricacies of dailypuja, annual festivals and home-shrine devotionals.The yoga pada discloses the interior way of meditation,of raja yoga, mantra and tantra, which stimulates theawakening of the slumbering serpent, kundalini. Thejnana pada narrates the nature of God, soul and world,and the means for liberation. The Tirumantiram declares,“Veda and Agama are Iraivan’s scriptures. Bothare truth: one is general, the other specific. While somesay these words of God reach two different conclusions,the wise see no difference.” Aum Namah Sivaya.70 what is hinduism?chapter 7: hindu scriptures 71

How AreThe AgamasSignificant Today?While the Vedas, with myriadDeities, bind all Hindus together,the Agamas, with a singlesupreme God, unify each sect ina oneness of thought, instilling inadherents the joyful arts of divineadoration. Aum Namah Sivaya.thomas kelly background photo, hinduism todayDo SmritiAnd SacredLiterature Differ?Hindu sacred literature is a treasuryof hymns, legend, mythology,philosophy, science and ethics.From among this vast body ofwritings, each lineage recognizesa select portion as its secondaryscripture, called smriti. Aum.manas das background photo by thomas kellythomas kellyLike millions of Hindus before them, the youth in thesetwo photos are learning precise recitation of liturgy fromthe Agamas and Vedas. They will spend years perfectingthis training, enabling them to perform ritual worship,puja, in temples around the world. In their priest school inTirupati, India, they will memorize hundreds of mantras.dinodiaAbove, Masako Ono voyaged from Japan to India to learnthe ancient Odissi dance style and remained there toteach it. The many human arts are found in ancient scripture.At left, a collection of Hindu holy texts stacked in aDelhi store. In the background, two girls reverently touchthe holy feet of Lord Vishnu at a shrine in Tirupati.God is love, and to love god is the purepath prescribed in the Agamas. Veritably,these texts are God’s own voice admonishingthe samsari, reincarnation’s wanderer, to give up love ofthe transient and adore instead the Immortal. How tolove the Divine, when and where, with what mantrasand visualizations and at what auspicious times, all thisis preserved in the Agamas. The specific doctrines andpractices of day-to-day Hinduism are nowhere morefully expounded than in these revelation hymns, delineatingeverything from daily work routines to astrologyand cosmology. So overwhelming is Agamic influencein the lives of most Hindus, particularly in temple liturgyand culture, that it is impossible to ponder modernSanatana Dharma without these discourses. Whilemany Agamas have been published, most remain inaccessible,protected by families and guilds who arestewards of an intimate hereditary knowledge. TheTirumantiram says, “Nine are the Agamas of yore, intime expanded into 28, they then took divisions three,into one truth of Vedanta-Siddhanta to accord. That isSuddha Saiva, rare and precious.” Aum Namah Sivaya.While the vedas and agamas are shared aspart of every Hindu’s primary scripture, shruti,each sect and lineage defines its own uniqueset of smriti. The sacred literature, punya shastra, fromwhich smriti is drawn consists of writings, both ancientand modern, in many languages. Especially central arethe ancient Sanskritic texts, such as the Itihasas, Puranasand Dharma Sastras, which are widely termed theclassical smriti. In reality, while many revere these assmriti, others regard them only as sacred literature.Smriti means “that which is remembered” and is knownas “the tradition,” for it derives from human insight andexperience and preserves the course of culture. Whileshruti comes from God and is eternal and universal, theever-growing smriti canon is written by man. Hinduism’ssacred literature is the touchstone of theater anddance, music, song and pageantry, yoga and sadhana,metaphysics and ethics, exquisite art and hallowed sciences.The Vedas inquire, “In whom are set firm thefirstborn seers, the hymns, the songs and the sacrificialformulas, in whom is established the single seer—tell meof that support—who may He be?” Aum Namah Sivaya.72 what is hinduism?chapter 7: hindu scriptures 73

What TextsAmplify VedasAnd Agamas?Many texts support the Vedasand Agamas. Vedangas detailconduct, astrology, languageand etymology. Upavedas unfoldpolitics, health, warfare and music.Upagamas and Paddhatis elaboratethe Agamic wisdom. Aum.dinodia seshu badrinath/pipal productionsDoes HinduismHave EpicsAnd Myths?The Mahabharata and Ramayanaare Hinduism’s most renownedepic histories, called Itihasa.The Puranas are popular folknarratives, teaching faith, beliefand ethics in mythology, allegory,legend and symbolism. Aum.dinodiadinodiaAbove, a bride and groom are in the midst of their wedding;at left they hold an offering of sacred grasses. Weddingchants derive from the Vedas, Agamas and ancillarytexts; attitudes and guidelines for family life are found inthe Sutras and Shastras. In the background photo, a girlreceives sacraments after a puja.diinodiaAbove, a woman performs a dance depicting a scene fromthe Ramayana in Java, where the world-renowned epic iswidely celebrated in gala dance and theater. At left, Sanskritvolumes of the famed poem are shown, along withHinduism’s other epic, the Mahabharata.Much of hinduism’s practical knowledgeis safeguarded in venerable texts whichamplify shruti. The Vedangas and Upavedasare collections of texts that augment and apply the Vedasas a comprehensive system of sacred living. Jyotisha Vedangadelineates auspicious timing for holy rites. KalpaVedanga defines public rituals in the Srauta and SulbaSutras, domestic rites in the Grihya Sutras and religiouslaw in the Dharma Sastras. Four other Vedangas ensurethe purity of mantra recitation, through knowledge ofphonetics, grammar, poetry and the way of words. TheUpavedas expound profound sciences: Arthaveda unfoldsstatecraft; Ayurveda sets forth medicine and health;Dhanurveda discusses military science; Gandharvavedaillumines music and the arts; and Sthapatyaveda explainsarchitecture. In addition, the Kama Sutras detailerotic pleasures. The Agamas, too, have ancillary texts,such as the Upagamas and Paddhatis, which elaboratethe ancient wisdom. The Jnaneshvari says, “The Vedasin their perfection are as the beautiful image of the Godof which the flawless words are the resplendent body.The smritis are the limbs thereof.” Aum Namah Sivaya.Hinduism’s poetic stories of rishis, gods,heroes and demons are sung by gifted panditasand traveling bards, narrated to childrenand portrayed in dramas and festivals. The Mahabharata,the world’s longest epic poem, is the legend of twoancient dynasties whose great battle of Kurukshetra isthe scene of the Bhagavad Gita, the eloquent spiritualdialog between Arjuna and Krishna. The Ramayanarelates the life of Rama, a heroic king revered as theideal man. The Puranas, like the Mahabharata, are encyclopedicin scope, containing teachings on sa dhana,philosophy, dharma, ritual, language and the arts, architecture,agriculture, magic charms and more. Of 18principal Puranas, six honor God as Siva, six as Vishnuand six as Brahma. The witty Panchatantra, eminentamong the “story” literature, or katha, portrays wisdomthrough animal fables and parables. The Bhagavad Gitaproclaims, “He who reads this sacred dialog of ours, byhim I consider Myself worshiped through the sacrificeof knowledge. And the man who listens to it withfaith and without scoffing, liberated, he shall attain tothe happy realm of the righteous.” Aum Namah Sivaya.74 what is hinduism?chapter 7: hindu scriptures 75

dinodiaAre ThereOther Types ofSacred Texts?India’s lofty philosophical textsexpound diverse views in exactingdialectics. Yoga treatises unveilthe mysterious path to ultimatesamadhis. Intimate devotionalhymns disclose the raptures ofconsummate divine love. Aum.dinodia background photo by thomas kellyAbove, a recluse, clearly immersed in his yoga sadhana,sits in meditation beneath a gnarled banyan tree. Atleft are displayed two primary yoga scriptures, YogaSutras and Yoga Vashishtha. In the background, ayoung lady lights a ghee lamp to offer in personalworship, as her ancestors have done for centuries.thomas kellyHow Did theSage of KanchiExtol the Vedas?Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswatiwrote, “The Vedas are eternal andare the source of all creation. Theirgreatness is to be known in manyways. Their sound produces inour nadis (subtle nerve channels),as well as in the atmosphere,vibrations that are salutary not onlyto our own Self but to the entireworld—to the good of mankindas well as of all other creatures.”art by s. rajamSri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati [1894–1994], 68thpontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Pitham, depicted above,walked throughout India teaching of the Vedas. Here heis shown before an image of Siva as Dakshinamurti, thesilent guru seated beneath a banyan tree. Above left, anearthen mandala on a wall of Muktinath Temple in Nepal.In addition to the epics, legends and supplementsto the Vedas and Agamas, there is a wealthof Hindu metaphysical, yogic and devotional writings.Considered foundational are the early texts definingthe six philosophical darshanas: the sutras by Kapila,Patanjali, Jaimini, Badarayana, Kanada and Gautama.Hailed as leading occult works on yoga, asanas, nadis,chakras, kundalini and samadhi are the Yoga Sutras,Tirumantiram, Yoga Vasishtha, Siva Sutras, SiddhaSiddhanta Paddhati, Jnaneshvari, Hatha Yoga Pradipikaand Gher anda Samhita. Widely extolled among thebhakti literature are the Bhagavad Gita, Narada Sutras,Tiruvasagam, the Vachanas of the Sivasharanas and thehymns of mystic poets like Surdas, Tukaram, Ramprasad,Mirabai, Andal, Vallabha, Tulasidasa, Tayumanavar,Lalla, Tagore, Auvaiyar and the saintly Nayanars andAlvars. The Bhagavad Gita explains, “As a blazing firereduces the wood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire ofknowledge reduce all activity to ashes. There is nothingon Earth which possesses such power to cleanseas wisdom. The perfect yogin finds this knowledge inhimself by himself in due time.” Aum Namah Sivaya.concern for all creation that finds“Theexpression in the Vedas is not shared by anyother religion. Shanno astu dvipade shanchatushpade—thisoccurs in a mantra. The Vedas pray for thegood of all creatures including bipeds, quadrupeds, etc.Even grass, shrubs, trees, mountains and the rivers arenot excluded from their benign purview. The happy stateof all these sentient creatures and inert objects is broughtabout through the special quality of the Vedas.“The Vedas are also notable for the lofty truths expressedin the mantras. The tenets of these scriptureshave aroused the wonder of people of other lands, ofother faiths. They are moved by the poetic beauty ofthe hymns, the subtle manner in which principles ofsocial life are dealt with, the metaphysical truths embeddedand expounded in them, and their moral instructionas well as scientific truths.“There are mantras that are specially valuable fortheir sound but are otherwise meaningless. Similarly,there are works pregnant with meaning but with nomantric power. The remarkable thing about the Vedasis that they are of immeasurable value as much for their76 what is hinduism?chapter 7: hindu scriptures 77

Life Illumined with Scriptural WisdomAs when a fire is lit with damp fuel,different clouds of smoke comeforth. In the same way from thisgreat Being are breathed forth theRig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas.Shukla Yajur Veda, BrihadaranyakaUpanishad 2.4.10urudeva, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, founder ofHi n du i s m To day, was once asked, “What can Isay if a missionary comes to my door and asks,‘Does Hinduism have a Bible?’ ” He answered, “You cansay, ‘Yes, we have the Vedas and Agamas, plus a hundredother scriptures that serve us very well, thank you.’ ” Indeed,this diverse body of knowledge is unlike the oneHoly Book of other world faiths. It is diverse, a bit neglected,some nearly lost, some actually lost, but all of it precious.Yet, it defines and colors Hindu life like the geneticcode that makes a starfish a starfish. It is reflected in thebeautiful Hindu style of music, art, drama, dance, workethics, law, domestic values, spiritual striving, relationships,rites of passage, astrology, medicine, games, loveand business, architecture and storytelling, governmentand diplomacy, and the working together of this physicalworld with the heavenly realms of existence. This grandlegacy helps make Hindus the gracious people they are,with qualities of humility, appreciation, love of God, forbearance,joy and soulful depth of character.agence france presse, mahadevo sensound as for their verbal content. While they have themantric power to do immense good to each one of usand to the world, they also contain teachings embodyinggreat metaphysical truths.“It must here be emphasized that on the doctrinallevel the Vedas deal both with worldly life and the innerlife of the Self. They teach how to conduct ourselvesin such a manner as to create atmic well-being.And their concern is not with the liberation of the individualalone; they speak about the ideals of sociallife and about the duties of the public. How the brahminought to lead his life and how the king must ruledinodiaAbove, an Indian boy piously pours ghee on the sacredfire, keeping the flame of devotion alive. At left, devoteesworship the Sun in Bihar during Chhat festival, when, forone night and day, the people live on the banks of theriver Ganga making offerings to Surya, the gracious SunGod, a primary Deity honored in the Vedas.his subjects and what ideals women are to follow: ananswer to these—stated in the form of laws—is to befound in these scriptures.“My duty is to impress upon you that it is your responsibilityto keep the Vedic tradition alive. If in India theVedas retain their original vitality even today, it is becausethey are being continuously repeated by studentsand teachers of the Vedas, and the purity of the soundsand accents of the words are retained in that process.But it is only by practicing the Vedic injunctions thatwe can obtain the grace of God, both for our individualwelfare and for the welfare of the whole world.”agence france presse, indranil mukherjee dinodiadinodiamarriage & familyblessingsdiet, ayurvedabapsThe soul is born and unfolds ina body, with dreams and desiresand the food of life. And then it isreborn in new bodies in accordancewith its former works. The qualityof the soul determines its fu turebody—earthly or airy, heavy or light.Shvetashvatara Upanishad, 5.11–12.The Upanishads, Mascsaro, p. 94With earnest effort hold the senses incheck. Controlling the breath, regulatethe vital activities. As a charioteerholds back his restive horses, so does aper se vering aspirant restrain his mind.Shvetashvatara Upanishad, 2.9. The Upanishads,Prabhavananda & Manchester, p. 192The guru who has attainedSelf Realization can alone helpthe aspirant in acquiring it.festivalsSiva Sutras 2.6, Jaideva Singh, p. 12pandit hindraj divekarIf daily to his home the friendswho love him come, and coming,bring delight to eyes that kindlebright, a man has found thewhole of life within his soul.Panchatantra, Ryder, p. 218In the beginning of worship, atthe conclusion of the rite, in theoffering of water, in the anointingof the image, in the bathing of theimage, in the offering of light, in thesprinkling of the image with sandal,in the bathing of the image withconsecrated liquids, in the offeringof incense, in the act of worship, andin all other things to be done, theSivacharya should strike the great bell.musicKarana Agama 19-191, Motivations of TempleArchitecture in Saiva Siddhanta, p.1678 what is hinduism?chapter 7: hindu scriptures 79

hinduism todayMantra yields early success due to practicedone in previous life. Self-fulfilling, too, is themantra which is received according to the line oftradition, with due diksha, obtained in the rightway. Innumerable are the mantras; they but distractthe mind. Only that mantra which is receivedthrough the grace of the guru gives all fulfillment.Kularnava Tantra 11.3, Woodroff & Pandit, p. 112O thou who pervades all space, both now andhereafter, as the Soul of souls! The Vedas, Agamas,Puranas, Itihasas and all other sciences inculcatefully the tenet of nonduality. It is the inexplicableduality that leads to the knowledge of nonduality.This is consonant with reason, experience, tradition,and is admitted by the dualists and nondualists.Tayumanavar, 1.3, The Poems of Tayumanavar, Coomaraswamy, p. 44By overthrowing the aggregate of the six enemies[lust, anger, greed, vanity, haughtiness and overjoy],he shall restrain the organs of sense; acquire wisdomby keeping company with the aged; see through hisspies; establish safety and security by being everactive; maintain his subjects in the observance oftheir respective duties by exercising authority; keepdinodiavenerating gurus home blessings love of natureedwin bernbaumup his personal discipline by receiving lessons in thesciences; and endear himself to the people by bringingthem in contact with wealth and doing good to them.Book I, Chapter 7, The Life of a Holy King, Kautilya’sArthashastra, R. ShamasastryOnce Rama asked Hanuman, “How do you look atMe?” And Hanuman replied: “O Rama, as long as Ihave the feeling of ‘I’, I see that Thou art the wholeand I am a part; Thou art the Master and I am Thyservant. But when, O Rama, I have the knowledge ofTruth, Then I realize that Thou art I, and I am Thou.”From the Ramayana, as quoted by Sri Ramakrishna ParamahamsaLet us have concord with our own people, and con cordwith people who are strangers to us. Aßvins, createbetween us and the strangers a unity of hearts.Atharva Veda Samhita, 7.52.1In him who is pure of mind, intellect and ego,the senses and their perceptions are pure, infact, and he finds everything pure as well.Sarvajnanottara Agama, Atma Sakshatkara 62,Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi, p.110One who is established in thecontemplation of nondual unity willabide in the Self of everyone andrealize the immanent, all-pervadingOne. There is no doubt of this.Sarvajnanottara Agama, Atma Sakshatkara 14,Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi, p.17The Self resides within the lotus ofthe heart. Knowing this, consecratedto the Self, the sage enters dailythat holy sanctuary. Absorbed inthe Self, the sage is freed fromidentity with the body and livesin blissful consciousness.Sama Veda, ChandogyaUpanishad 8.3.3-4, The Upanishads,Prabhavananda & Manchester, p. 122With the help of the gardeners calledMind and Love, plucking the flowercalled Steady Contemplation, offeringthe water of the flood of the Self’sown bliss, worship the Lord with thesacred formula of silence!Lalla, The Sources of Indian Tradition, p. 36The Lord of Appati is both insideand outside, form and no form. He isboth the flood and the bank. He is thebroad-rayed sun. Himself the highestmystery, He is in all hidden thoughts.He is thought and meaning, andembraces all who embrace Him.Tirumurai 4.48.7. Poems to Siva, The Hymnsof the Tamil Saints, Peterson, p. 114At the time of the sacrifice, O Lordof the wood [Agni], the worshiperssmear you with sacred oil. When youstand upright or when you reposeon Earth’s bosom, you still will grantus good fortune. Set up to the Eastof the sacred fire, you accept ourprayer, intense and unflagging. Holdyourself high to bring us prosperity.Drive far away dearth of inspiration.Lord of the wood, take now yourstance on this, the loftiest spot of allEarth. Well-fixed and measured one,give to the worshiper, who brings asacrifice, honor and glory.Rig Veda 3.8.1-3, The VedicExperience, Pannikar, p. 373-374There is no difference betweendevotion and perfect knowledge. Aperson who is engrossed in devotionenjoys perpetual happiness. Andperfect knowledge never descends ina vicious person averse to devotion.Siva Purana, Rudra Samhita. 23.16, AncientIndian Tradition and Mythology, vol 1, p. 38As wide Earth, as fire and water, assacrificer and wind that blows, aseternal moon and sun, as ether, asthe eight-formed God, as cos mic goodand evil, woman and man, all otherforms and His own form, and all theseas Himself, as yesterday and todayand tomor row, the God of the long,red hair stands, O Wonder!Tirumurai 6.38.1. Poems to Siva, The Hymnsof the Tamil Saints, Peterson, p.113paul estcourt/herald picture reuters, bazuki muhammad hinduism todaymeditationpenancedanceupi photo service, amin warindex stock imagerypilgrimage devotional art nurturing childrendinodiareuters, dipak kumarin the militarybapsguiding childrenhinduism todaymonastic life80 what is hinduism? chapter 7: hindu scriptures 81