Essence of the Vedas


CHENNAI NOV.15 . God has manifested countless times in
order to establish the Law of Virtue by precept and
practice. It is obvious that He need not rule us with
an iron sceptre. The injunction against sinning (since
it can only bring misery to the perpetrator) should be
enough. Holy edicts also emphasise the need to carry
out one's duty as a means to good conduct. Men of high
intellect, already in tune with the Supreme Being,
embrace a singular way of life wherein their thoughts,
words and deeds are focussed entirely on being
virtuous, qualifying them to act as apostles. The
average man, steeped in worldly affairs, can grasp
higher things far better when the concepts are
explained with the help of parables. Here the Lord's
appearances lend them to edification.

In a discourse, Sri P.M. Vijayaraghava Sastrigal said
that often misguided people demotivate, hinder or
irritate in numerous ways those involved in God's
work. Neither injury nor physical ailment can deter an
avowed man of religion. One example was Narayana
Bhattathri, who despite being plagued by chronic
ailment composed the Narayaneeyam. When a destructive
personality commands a powerful position, God Himself
will appear to vanquish him so that he may stop being
a source of nuisance to others and also that he may
get cleansed by reaching Him. As always, the mission
is to establish virtue. Ironically when the Lord
incarnated, those deviating from virtue failed to see
and know Him, as it happened in the case of Sisupala
and Duryodhana. On the other hand, Bheeshma, by virtue
of his stellar qualities, was able to attract the
Supreme Being's presence even when he was in his
deathbed.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says: "I too have
many (re)births and you Arjuna do not know what
tomorrow brings. So pay heed to what I say." In all
His visitations He has directly discoursed only on two
occasions, once to Arjuna and another to Vidhura.
Falling back on scriptures, His principal devotees
have been able to carry His message to people spread
far and wide. Scriptural texts are one of the tools
used since they highlight the desirable conduct and
means to attaining salvation. The Bhagavatam is one
such work where Krishna's sports are extolled and the
exemplary lives of Prahlada, Gajendra and other
devotees are narrated. In effect this work is the
essence of the Vedas, which are the basic trees
sustaining the world. Since the Bhagavatam is the
handiwork of a sage it is even more precious to a
devotee.

Copy Right: The HIndu-daily





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