Contradictions in Vedvyas's works

[Guest guest]

Its claimed that all the purans and the mahabaharat and ved was written by vedvyas. but there are many contradictions within them. first is it at all possible for one man to write so many books in those days? the above books covers over 90% of ancient hindu literature, so did no one else have the capability to write? or is it that we have lost many of our works.

[shaivite 0]

Ved Vyas was a great compiler of sanskrit scriptures. What was spread by word of mouth untill then was compiled into written texts by Vyasa.

 

It was a herculean task. Very commendable feat indeed.

[narayanadasa 0]

Jai Sriman Narayan:

 

I am only stating what I know, but will wait for more authoritative answers. Interesting question though. But, I am trying to start from more basics.

 

The vedas I believe are oriignally about 1008 Shakas (volumes?) but what is left today is just 8 Shakas. The 8 Shakas themselves to do parayanam once requires many days. So writing is a big effort. Als, the vedas were all remembered during Satya and Treta yuga but were written during Dvapara yuga and split into Rig, Yajur etc for Kali yuga because people gradually lost the intelligence could'nt remember. So, Sri. Vedavyas had to split and put it in writing. May be the writings were lost.

 

A controversial topic is that during invasion (even now actually) the missionaries spread rumours that vedas were written by many people and were written just during Gupta period etc, or in 1500 BC or at whatever period they find politically suitable. They call this research (i.e. making statements is research!). But, please note that many common people like us cannot agree about so many things in the Vedas and cannnot produce such a unique material. This is just one of the genuine small reasons we say it is God Given.

 

Actually there are no contradictions and this is being repeatedly told by our great Aacharyas. The contradictions are only seen by philisophers and mundane people like us because we dont read completely. Any subject matter tends to slightly deviate from the original topic but would later reconcile. This is especially true with written material. Also, may since written materials are lost, we dont know anything fully.

 

But, the puranas etc were written by the same person who heard from a bonafide source (Narada, Brahma, Krishna etc) it has the ripened fruit based on the Vedas.

 

In reality athere are no contradictions. When someone says contradictions, it is really very important to state the assumption or the context based on which it is said. In almost all cases, the answer some people give to the question "why do you think there contradiction?" will be very absurd. Also, people who say there are contradictions just dont know how to read poetry and also how to read it in the right context. That is why, they need to learn these through a bonafide Aacharya.

 

I would suggest a book called "God, Rebirth and the Vedas (ISBN : 8122405061) as a first step because that tends to answer very preliminary questions. Ofcourse, for people who already know these and for those who already believe in the Gita, and who already have an Aacharya the book is very very preliminary.

 

I hope I have given my little thoughts on this. Welcome comments.

 

 

Jai Sriman Narayana

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

"Its claimed that all the purans and the mahabaharat and ved was written by vedvyas. but there are many contradictions within them. first is it at all possible for one man to write so many books in those days? the above books covers over 90% of ancient hindu literature, so did no one else have the capability to write? or is it that we have lost many of our works."

 

(1) An apparent contradiction in the Vedas and Puranas is most likely to be:

 

(a) a paradox that transcends our limited intelligence, so that we cannot understand how both things can be true, e.g. how can the stool of an animal be impure and simultaneously the stool of a cow be pure? Answer: These are facts in the Vedas that have been shown to be apparently contradictory, but in reality they are true i.e. one can scientifically show that the stool of an animal is impure, but the stool of a cow is pure (has antiseptic properties).

 

or (b) two contradictory teachings will be existent because they apply to two different levels of consciousness. For example, for those with low consciousness it is recommended that one can eat meat if the animal is sacrificed and offered to Goddess Kali. For those with higher consciousness it is recommended to never eat meat, for it is harmful to our spiritual progress and prevents us from developing the quality of compassion to the fullest degree.

 

(2) It is not possible for one man to write all that down. However, Vedavyasa was an incarnation of God, so we cannot compare him to a normal person.

 

(3) The only person qualified to write shastra is God Himself (e.g. Vedavyasa) or His fully surrendered devotee (e.g. Ganeshji wrote the Mahabharata).

[Guest guest]

Jaya Shree Krishna,

 

"The vedas I believe are oriignally about 1008 Shakas (volumes?) but what is left today is just 8 Shakas. The 8 Shakas themselves to do parayanam once requires many days. So writing is a big effort. Als, the vedas were all remembered during Satya and Treta yuga but were written during Dvapara yuga and split into Rig, Yajur etc for Kali yuga because people gradually lost the intelligence could'nt remember. So, Sri. Vedavyas had to split and put it in writing. May be the writings were lost."

 

Vyasadeva split the Vedas into 4. Only 4% of those original four Vedas remain. 96% have been lost due to the influence of time, corruption, invasions and the Age of Kali.

 

"A controversial topic is that during invasion (even now actually) the missionaries spread rumours that vedas were written by many people and were written just during Gupta period etc, or in 1500 BC or at whatever period they find politically suitable. They call this research (i.e. making statements is research!). But, please note that many common people like us cannot agree about so many things in the Vedas and cannnot produce such a unique material. This is just one of the genuine small reasons we say it is God Given."

 

Yes, much propaganda was created by the British and the Moguls as to the accuracy of the Vedas. However, there is no evidence to suggest that they were not written 5000 years ago as claimed by the scriptures themselves. The scriptures are eternal, but were put into writing 5000 years ago.

 

"Actually there are no contradictions and this is being repeatedly told by our great Aacharyas. The contradictions are only seen by philisophers and mundane people like us because we dont read completely. Any subject matter tends to slightly deviate from the original topic but would later reconcile. This is especially true with written material. Also, may since written materials are lost, we dont know anything fully."

 

Exactly, if we know that the Vedas and Puranas in particular are different according to the intelligence of the people they are aimed at, then there are no contradictions. For example, the Puranas are split according to teachings for those in the mode of goodness, passion and ignorance.

 

 

Jaya Shree Krishna,

 

Your aspiring servant.

[Guest guest]

dear sir,

 

Tx for your views.

1. I was reading the Mahabharat the original by Vedvyas, translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli [1883-1896]. In this in the story of Parikshit, it is mentioned that Parikshit built a tower to guard himself from the attack of the snake. In Srimad Bhagavatam, the same Parikshit fasts on the Ganges awaiting death and in this period was the auspicious Bhagavatham related to him.

2. In many places in the Mahabharat, mention is made of the "three vedas" and not four. This brings to mind some scholars saying that initially we had only Rk, Yajur and Sam veds and Atharv being a later day addition.

 

It is things like these and some other stuff regarding dates which make me wonder why if all these were authored by the same individiual, then why the discrepancies.

 

Also I hv encountered individuals who are averse to the idea that probably we have lost for ever, some portion of our literature.

As a matter of curiosity, is there any traditional places where our scriptures are stored?

Tx.

Hare Krishna

 

[Guest guest]

AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 

Introduction, Sri Isopanishad p.2-3

 

"We accept Vedic principles as axiomatic truth, for there cannot be any mistake. This is acceptance. For instance, in India, cow dung is accepted as pure, and yet cow dung is the stool of an animal. In one place you'll find the Vedic injunction that if you touch stool, you have to take a bath immediately. But in another place it is said that the stool of a cow is pure. If you smear cow dung in an impure place that place becomes pure. With our ordinary sense we can argue, "This is contradictory." Actually, it is contradictory from the ordinary point of view, but it is not false. It is fact. In Calcutta, a very prominent

scientist and doctor analyzed cow dung and found that it contains all antiseptic properties.

 

In India if one person tells another, "You must do this," the other party may say, "What do you mean? Is this a Vedic injunction that I have to follow you without any argument?" Vedic injunctions cannot be interpreted. But ultimately, if you carefully study why these injunctions are there, you will find that they are all correct. The Vedas are not compilations of human knowledge. Vedic knowledge comes from the spiritual world, from Lord Krsna. Another name for the Vedas is sruti. Sruti refers to that knowledge which is acquired by hearing. It is not experimental knowledge. Sruti is considered to be like a mother. We take so much knowledge from our mother. For example, if you want to know who your father is, who can answer you? Your mother. If the mother says, "Here is your father," you have to accept it. It is not possible to experiment to find out whether he is your father. Similarly, if you want to know something beyond your experience, beyond your experimental knowledge, beyond the activities of the senses, then you have to accept Vedas. There is no question of experimenting. It has already been experimented. It is already settled. The version of the

mother, for instance, has to be accepted as truth. There is no other way.

The Vedas are considered to be the mother, and Brahma is called the grandfather, the forefather, because he was the first to be instructed in the Vedic knowledge. In the beginning the first living creature was Brahma. He received this Vedic knowledge and imparted it to Narada and

other disciples and sons, and they also distributed it to their disciples. In this way, the Vedic knowledge comes down by disciplic succession. Vedic knowledge is called sabda-pramana. Another name is sruti. Sruti means that this knowledge has to be received simply by aural

reception. The Vedas instruct that in order to understand transcendental knowledge, we have to hear from the authority. Transcendental knowledge is knowledge from beyond this universe. Within this universe is material

knowledge, and beyond this universe is transcendental knowledge. We cannot even go to the end of the universe, so how can we go to the spiritual world? Thus to acquire full knowledge is impossible without the Vedas."

[narayanadasa 0]

Jai Sriman Narayan:

 

Yes, today there are too many translations from too many people. In fact most of them give just the stories rather than the moral behind. People find stories easier but in the end they may end up assuming wrong meanings. So, caution is advised here. Now, there are many cartoons too.. kids like them, so not really sure if they get any moral or just end up assuming that all this is just myth.

 

I dont know the full story of Parikshit, so I am not in a position to comment on the point that he built walls but I do know that he heard Bhagavatam. For now, I would only assume that there was a very short span of time when Parikshit built walls but soon realized (or someone told him) that that will not help him. Anyway, I dont know the full story, still got to reach the stage to read Srimad Bhagatavam by Srila. Prabhupada...hope to start soon.

 

Even in case of vedas being 3, it could well be that way, if we go deeper. May be Sri. Vedavyas compiled 3 initially but later compiled the remaining portion (that could'nt fit in any of the 3) into the 4th one. So, I would'nt assume any contradiction here. It depends how deep you want to go into what Sri. Vedavyas did every hour, min, sec.etc

 

Generally, it is important to know the fact that the Vedas were split and also the basic tenet of each of the vedas. But once this much is known it may not be very useful to know the exact details.. the contents are more important. We are losing time every minute and there is lot more learning to do, so better to spend time in learning more important topics.

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

"1. I was reading the Mahabharat the original by Vedvyas, translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli [1883-1896]. In this in the story of Parikshit, it is mentioned that Parikshit built a tower to guard himself from the attack of the snake. In Srimad Bhagavatam, the same Parikshit fasts on the Ganges awaiting death and in this period was the auspicious Bhagavatham related to him."

 

King Parikshit fasts on the Ganges awaiting his death. The Mahabharata description you speak of I am not aware of in my readings of the Mahabharata. We accept translations of Mahabharata from those in a bona fide parampara (e.g. Vaishnava sampradaya or Sankaracarya sampradaya).

 

"In many places in the Mahabharat, mention is made of the "three vedas" and not four. This brings to mind some scholars saying that initially we had only Rk, Yajur and Sam veds and Atharv being a later day addition."

 

The three Vedas are mentioned in particular for they are regarding prayers and ceremonies. The Atharva Veda is specifically for counteracting negative influences rather than spiritual knowledge.

 

"Also I hv encountered individuals who are averse to the idea that probably we have lost for ever, some portion of our literature."