Vedas & Choiceless situations

 

(Based on Swami Paramarthananda’s talk)

The Vedas are regarded as anadi with their origin unknown, and handed from generation to generation.  As their author is unknown, Vedas are called apaurusheyam, and knowledge conveyed by them is universal and does not belong to a particular person.  They are called Sruthi, meaning that which is heard as it is learnt by listening to the teacher.  The Sruthi can be broadly classified into two parts, Karma kanda and Jnana kanda.  Karma kanda deals with the common problems faced in the human life.  Human beings face several emotional problems, causing tension and stress, that are unique to human beings only. These problems can be reduced to one basic issue; one’s inability to accept the situations that cause the stress.

Anger in a given situation arises when one person cannot handle what he considers as unacceptable situation. Jealousy towards other person arises when a person is reluctant to accept the other person’s accomplishments or glory. Hatred of a person arises in mind because of the concerned individual’s inability to accept the perceived behavior of the other person. Fear arises because of one’s perceived inability to handle a possible future event.  While the Karma kanda suggests several remedial measures in the form of pujas, prayers and rituals to get over difficult life situations, it also makes it clear that there can be situations for which remedies may not be just available. Such situations are called ‘Prarabdha’.

Prarabdha is of two kinds; durbala (remediable) and prabala (beyond remedy).  While intellect can reason that what cannot be remedied has to be endured, the mind may lack the strength to accept such choiceless situations.  The scriptures advise that one cultivates such acceptance by falling back on faith in Lord through Saranagathi to Lord.  Lord Krishna advises philosophical acceptance as well as surrender in choiceless situations.  He advises Arjuna acceptance born out of wisdom in Gita (2- 47): “karmanye vadhi karaste ma phaleshu kadachana (Your right is to work only; but not to the fruits thereof) and surrender in Gita (3-30): “mayi sarvani karmani sansayadhyatma chetasa (surrendering all actions to Me, with the mind centred on Me, the Self of all”).   So only remedy in the case of choiceless situation is surrender to the Lord with the prayer “O! Lord give me the strength to accept and face what cannot be changed”. 

While this may take care of emotional issues, one is still left with the intellectual question that troubles even a sincere devotee.  It is “why me” when in the grip of unfavourable life situations. Answers given like past karma, prarabdha and other such intangibles may lead to further intellectual issues concerning past birth, rebirth etc.  Jnana kanda, the second part of Vedas, helps to provide answers to such intellectual doubts which fall in the domain of philosophy.  It is important to understand that while the Vedas contain this wonderful treasure to understand life’s problems, the Vedic teaching is not imparted directly. It is as if one needs a key to unlock this teaching treasure.  Purvamimamsa is the key to the first portion of the Vedas. The Uttara Mimamsa is the key to the final portion of the Vedas.  Mimamsa (Sampradaya) is the method of bringing out the teaching.  And this key has been maintained in the form of Guru-Sishya Parampara.

While Bhagawan is the author of Vedas with its Karma kanda and Jnana kanda segments that respectively refer to the emotional and intellectual issues described above, it is Vyasacharya who gets the glory of being a pioneer and honoured as Mukhya Guru.  Besides classifying Vedas, he has unfolded the Purva Mimamsa portion in the form of Dharma Shastra which is there in all the Puranas and also in his Vyasa Smriti etc.  He has equally contributed to the second part of Vedas in the form of his Brahma Sutras which is called Uttara Mimamsa Sutrani or Vyasa Sutrani, or Badarayana Sutrani.  They deal with the deeper philosophical, intellectual problems.  Thus Vyasa has contributed to the solution of emotional problems, to the solution of philosophical, intellectual problems.  Therefore, when the Sanyasis start their Charturmasya Vratam, a Vratam which Sanyasis generally follow for four months when they are supposed to stay in one place, do Swadhyaya, do Pravachana and propagate this teaching, they start with Vyasa Puja.

(Adapted from Sri R.B. Athreya’s article on Swamiji’s talk)

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