Page 18 - Bhakthinivedana 2012 January English Magazine.pmd
P. 18
VE:DAS
VE:DAS ARE AXIOMATIC -
Translated By K. Deepa Ramanuja Dasi TRUE/HOW TRUE?
Ve:das are nothing but sounds, not written or spoken by anyone. How can/Can they be concluded as
authentic? This million $ question finds its perfect answer here.
In the previous edition, we learnt the meaning and as those spoken by an a:ptha. We even consider
the types of a prama:na. In order to establish a anything spoken by such people as authentic. Not
truth, one needs the support of a prama:nam – the
authentic source of knowledge. Prama:nams are only the common man, but even philosophers
primarily of three types. They are prathyaksham, who do not concur with the concept of sabda
anuma:nam and sabdam. A source of knowledge is
accepted as authentic when healthy sense-organs prama:nam, accept and follow the words of an
rightly perceive its sense-objects which correctly a:ptha!
exist such that true and correct knowledge is
attained. This is called Prathyaksha prama:nam. A mother, who gives birth to a new born baby in
Upon perceiving a visible object, if any other an unconscious state, later awakens and accepts
unperceivable object can be deduced/inferred,
then it is called anuma:nam (the second type). the doctor’s words when he shows the baby as
Meaningful usage of sounds which produce correct hers. A husband believes his wife’s words that the
knowledge and is spoken by an a:ptha is accepted
as the third prama:nam, viz. sabda-prama:nam. baby is theirs. Although neither of the parents has
Ve:das which are nothing but sounds are also directly seen the baby (prathyaksham), nor have
considered as sabda prama:nam. But, ve:das are they any scope to make an inference (anuma:nam)
not written or spoken by anyone (not even an
a:ptha). Then, how can they be concluded as a about the child, they welcome the words of the
prama:nam? Let us find the answers in the following other person with faith. The mother’s trust in the
paragraphs…
physician’s words to be true and the husband’s
A:ptha va:kyam prama:nam is a common phrase trust in his wife’s words as authentic is regarded as
used in relation to sabda prama:nam. The word sabdaprama:nam.If we analyze this carefully and
a:ptha is defined by scholars of logical reasoning further, we can see that the sabdaprama:nam is
as ‘a:pthasthu yaththa:rtha vaktha ’, which means dependent on either prathyaksham or anuma:nam.
one who gives an as-it-is testimony about a Normally, a sound is something that is rendered
subject. A truthful person is one who does not add by someone/something. So, it does not exist
any interpolations to a subject, does not have a independently. But Ve:da which is nothing but
mentality to cheat, does not convey differently from collection of sounds, is an authentic source by
what he sees due to illusion and is one who always itself, independent and not rendered by man. So
presents an as-it-is view of a subject. Qualities the question arises, how can ve:das which are
like efficient speech, efficient subject- knowledge, merely sounds, be taken as independent sources of
healthy sense organs and faith help an a:ptha in authenticity or as svathaha prama:nam, when sound
giving a correct testimony. itself needs a source for its rendition?
In this world, we accept the words of many people Continued on Pg 23...
Jan 2012• Bhakthinivedana 18
