Rig Veda

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Mon, 19 Jan 1998, Ram Chandran wrote:

>
> I am not surprised to see the above statement.  The entire script for
> the TV series "Mahabharat" was written by a Muslim scholar.  I am glad
> that he did the script because it couldn't be any better!
>

That was just a tv show.  Do you know anyone who takes Dharmic advice from
a tv set?

> Vedas are like the US Constitution and are subject to interpretation.

A little while ago there was a story about a Black nationalist sect
here in New york who interpreted the constitution to mean they didn't have
to pay taxes.  Do you think the IRS "tolerated" them?  The constitution is
subject to interpretation but not willy-nilly.  There is a method to it
and those who violate it are not called wise men they are called criminals.
Similiarly there is a method of interpretation of Dharma.  Which you are
not following.

> Please do not use the Holy Scriptures inappropriately to advance your
> prejudicial statements and  judgements.

Ok. It's easy for me to agree because I'm not using "Holy Scriptures"
inappropriately and I'm not making any prejudicial statements and
judgements.

Now will you pledge to stop making unsupported and illogical statements on
subjects you know next to nothing about?

> Family traditions and practice
> of Vedic rituals vary across India and across time.

Uh-huh, and where in India do families learn their Vedic rituals from
Catholic priests?

There is some diversity in the customs of astikas I've acknowledged that
from the beginning but there is hardly the "anything goes" attitude you
are espousing.  Some things are right.  Some things are wrong.  Our job is
to avoid the wrong.  End of story.

> There seem to be
> lots of confusion between chanting and understanding of Vedas.  Our
> Vedic and cultural traditions have undergone changes  after the foreign
> aggression and domination of India over the past thousand years.

The only people who are confused are the ignorant.  Those who actually
take the time to read and listen don't have that problem now and never
did. You've said that your Father was a scholar as where other members of
your family.  YOU turned your back on your heritage and YOU alone are
responsible, for the resulting mess.  Don't blame the Muslims, don't blame
the British or anyone else.

> All
> your viewpoints relate to rules and regulations of conducting Vedic
> rituals and cultural traditions.  I do not want to debate on the issues
> related to superstitious beliefs and ritualistic religious practice in
> this spiritual forum.

Now your arguments are going from merely weird to downright atheist.  But
don't worry you are not insulting me.  You are insulting your own father
and your own ancestors.  This is the "superstition" they believed in.

> I just want to pray God to help me not to judge
> and offend people on the basis race, religion and sex.
                                 ^^^^
>

That's _caste_, religion and sex.  Don't be so ethnocentric.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>