[Advaita-l] Scholarly Article on Why Vedas are Valid

[Omkar Deshpande]

<<< Based on historical , astronomical,textual and lingusitic analysis, many scholars have argued that they are

less than a few thousand years old.... On this topic, the best argument, albeit naescent, isthe axiomatic truth concept proposed by Shri Vidyasankar >>>

I agree with this comment. ApauruSheyatva is not justifiable from more fundamental self-evident premises using modern methods of logic and evidence. But I don't agree with this:

<<< If you can write a
scholarly article and debate successfully in front of anti-Hindu professors
at Harvard, Oxford etc....>>>

While the need for a scholarly article is there, it would not be correct to generalize that professors at Harvard, Oxford, etc are anti-Hindu. I'm not sure if you have particular examples in mind, but I suggest that to reconsider the above generalization, you can look at Oxford faculty Nick Sutton's lectures online from the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, or read Harvard faculty Diana Eck's books (or Mark Muesse's recent textbook on The Hindu Traditions). I have heard many lectures from the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies by different faculty and guest speakers, and they are quite sympathetic to Hinduism in nature (many scholars from there are also practitioners of some kind). Now, some of them may not be sympathetic to advaita in particular, or to specific doctrinal beliefs in various traditions (apauruSheyatva being a good example) but this does not mean they are all 'anti-Hindu'. Hinduism is a diverse family of traditions, and it is generally not so
 easy to take a stance that goes against ALL Hindu traditions. Of course, it's difficult to find a tradition that is fully compatible with the evolutionary theory, but then, those who give evolutionary accounts don't give it because they are "anti-Hindu". They give it because they find it a good scientific theory, and there are certain contemporary Hindu gurus who accept evolutionary theory, as well as a recent origin for the Vedas,


Regards,

Omkar


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