THE VEDIC LITERATURES

How can we understand the Supreme Person who is creator of infinite gigantic universes?

tene brahma hriday adi

kavaye

The Vedic knowledge was revealed by the Supreme Person, within the

heart of the first created being, Brahma.

This Vedic wisdom came

down in disciplic

succession through aural

reception.

Srimad Bhagavatam predicts about people in Kali-yuga

•mandäù — lazy;•sumanda-matayaù — misguided;

•manda-bhägyäù — unlucky;•hi upadrutäù — and above all disturbed.

Vyäsadeva, a literary

incarnation of God, recorded all the Vedas in writing 5,000 years back for the benefit of

people inKali Yuga.

The Vedas are also called as SHRUTIS or knowledge

received through aural reception.

The means of Vedic knowledge is to accept an authority & learn the truth by inquiring submissively.

The Vedas offer insight into -

• Who am I ?

• Where have I come from ?

• Where do I go after death ?

The Vedas offer insight into -

• What is the purpose of my existence ?

• Who is God ?

• How am I related to God ?

Composed by sagesWording may change from age to age

Revealed absolute TruthEvery word unchanged eternally

sisters sisters sisters

RajasicRajasic

VEDIC KNOWLEDGEVEDIC KNOWLEDGE

SRUTISRUTI SMRTISMRTI

UPAVEDASDhanurveda

Ayurveda, etc.

UPAVEDASDhanurveda

Ayurveda, etc.

VEDASRg, Yajur,

Sama, Atharva

VEDASRg, Yajur,

Sama, AtharvaVEDANGASVEDANGAS ItihasasItihasasPuranasPuranas Six DarshanasSix Darshanas

TantrasSpoken by LordSiva to Parvati

TantrasSpoken by LordSiva to Parvati

Ritual SutrasConnected to

Kalpa-vedanga

Ritual SutrasConnected to

Kalpa-vedangaPancaratrasPancaratras

Srauta Sutrasexplains

public yajnas

Srauta Sutrasexplains

public yajnas

Grhya Sutrasexplains

home yajnas

Grhya Sutrasexplains

home yajnas

Dharma SutrasLaw books

Dharma SutrasLaw books

Vedanta(Vyasa)

(Metaphysics)theology ofUpanisads

Vedanta(Vyasa)

(Metaphysics)theology ofUpanisads

Mimamsa(Jaimini)

(Hermeneutics)interpreting

scriptural texts

Mimamsa(Jaimini)

(Hermeneutics)interpreting

scriptural texts

Nyaya(Gautama)

(Epistemology, logic)philosophy of

knowledgeincluding logic

Nyaya(Gautama)

(Epistemology, logic)philosophy of

knowledgeincluding logic

Vaisesika(Kanada)

(Metaphysics)philosophy of

existence

Vaisesika(Kanada)

(Metaphysics)philosophy of

existence

Yoga(Patanjali)(Sadhana)

Yoga(Patanjali)(Sadhana)

Sankhya(Atheist Kapila)(Metaphysics)

Sankhya(Atheist Kapila)(Metaphysics)

Dharma Sastrasincluding Manu-

samhita and others

Dharma Sastrasincluding Manu-

samhita and others

18 Major18 Major

18 Minor18 Minor

Samhitasmantras

Samhitasmantras

Brahmanasritual explanation

of mantras

Brahmanasritual explanation

of mantras

Aranyakasesoteric explanation

of mantras

Aranyakasesoteric explanation

of mantras

UpanisadsJnana-kanda

philosophy of Brahman

UpanisadsJnana-kanda

philosophy of Brahman

Kalparitual details

Kalparitual details

Siksapronunciation

Siksapronunciation

Vyakaranagrammar

Vyakaranagrammar

NiruktaetymologyNirukta

etymology

Chandasmeters

Chandasmeters

Jyotisaastronomy-time

calculation

Jyotisaastronomy-time

calculation

Vaisnavaworship

Vaisnavaworship

TamasicTamasic

SattvicSattvic

Three Divisions of the Vedas

• Karma-kanda: Material elevation (pravritti).

• Jnana-kanda: Decreasing material involvement through knowledge (nivritti).

• Upasana-kanda: Decreasing material involvement through worship of the Supreme.

Five Types of Liberation

• Sayujya-mukti – to become one with the Lord

• Salokya-mukti – to live on the same planet as the Lord

• Svarupya-mukti – to obtain the same bodily features as the Lord

• Sarsti-mukti – to have the same opulences as the Lord

• Samipya-mukti – to have constant association with the Lord

vadanti tat tattva-vidastattvaà yaj jïänam

advayambrahmeti paramätmetibhagavän iti çabdyate

(Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.11)

Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramätmä or Bhagavän.

Bhagavad Gita

sarvasya cähaà hådi sanniviñöo

mattaù småtir jïänam apohanaà ca

vedaiç ca sarvair aham eva vedyo

vedänta-kåd veda-vid eva cäham

(Bhagavad Gita 15.15)

I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedänta, and I am the knower of

the Vedas.