[Advaita-l] Apoureshyatva - Faith or Logic?

[V Subrahmanian]

On this topic I have some questions that could get resolved by inputs from
learned members:


   1. If we have a situation where the Veda has to wait to get revealed
   till a proper Rishi evolves, then there is this question:  Are there no
   human beings before such a special human being evolves to be called a Rishi
   to receive the Veda?
   2. In the Vedic or rather traditional thinking an evolution of a person
   is owing to his having practiced the veda vihita anushthanas and thus
   having qualified to the exalted status either in this or earlier birth or
   even in a future birth.
   3. If the vedas can get revealed to a Rishi, an evolved person, and only
   then get propagated and available for other humans, what is the fate of the
   humans who evolved and remained before the Rishi-human evolved and received
   the Veda?
   4. There is a verse: tenaivoktam nigamavachasA.....kArayAmaasa...which
   means: the Lord, what He Himself has said through the Vedas, got them
   spoken through the smRtis composed by others...Rshis, etc. for the benefit
   of humans.
   5. The BG verse 'saha yajnAH prajAH sRShTvA purovAchaH prajApatiH. anena
   prasaviShyadhvam eSha vo'stviShTakAmadhuk - says 'the PrajApati created the
   beings (especially the humans for whom the veda is addressed) along with
   the Vedas (containing the yajnas, etc.) and made them available for the
   humans to use the Veda for fulfilling their purusharthas.'
   6. If the veda has to wait till a rishi is evolved, the humans, the less
   efficient ones than the rishi, who evolved logically before the more
   efficient one evolved (progressive), will be deprived of the means to
   purushartha.  This is unfair.
   7. The former Sringeri Acharya, Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha
   SwaminaH in His replies to the (modern-educated scientist) disciple who
   asked Him about the admissibility of the modern theory of evolution into
   the Vedic thinking exactly cited the above BG verse and had said that along
   with creation of humans the vedas were made available, along with many
   other points in support of His explanation. (see the Book: Exalting
   Elucidations (formerly known as 'The Jagadguru Replies' published by Sri
   Vidyatirtha Foundation, Chennai)
   8. In fact the BGB introduction also talks of the creation of MarIchi,
   etc. and the sanaka, etc. for the practice of pravRtti and nivRtti - the
   two-fold Vedic dharma for the benefit of the humans.
   9. The Vedic method is peculiar in that there are the Devatas who are
   admissibly highly evolved beings.  Yet, these have become so only by their
   performing vedic yajnas, etc. which are also invariably addressed to
   devatas.  Thus, there have to be devatas even before devatas come into
   existence owing to their past karma directed at devatas.  That is the
   reason why an anAdi concept is invariably attached to creation, jiva,
   avidya, samsara, bandha, etc.
   10. There is the Br.Up. mantra: tad yo yo devaanAm pratyabudhyata,
   tathaRShINAm tathaa manuShyANAm ...which says that whoever from the human,
   rishi or devata classes comes to realize this Brahman, becomes Brahman,
   with sarvAtmabhAva.  This mantra recognizes the categories of manushyas
   distinct from rishis and devatas.
   11. There is the statement of a krama sRShTi (a gradual creation) and a
   yugapat sRShTi  ( a simultaneous creation of all beings) in the Veda. Both
   these are recognized by the traditon. The Mundaka mantra: tadetat satyam
   yathA sudIptAt pAvakAt visphulingAH sahasrashaH utpadyante...meaning: just
   as sparks, in thousands, emanate from the blazing fire, the various beings
   come into being.  A similar mantra from the Kaivalya upanishad and the
   Br.Up are quoted to support yugapat sRShti.  The Vedic sRShTi is always of
   the type where all the beings, with their classes and  sub classes, are
   created, rather manifest, at the time of sRShTi, after pralayam ends.  The
   Veda is also available at the very beginning for the humans to apply it in
   their lives.  For, as soon as  a child is born, or rather even before the
   birth of a child, the Veda-based rituals  are to be performed for
   samskara.

Maybe members have suitable explanations to the above while accommodating
the evolution theory into the Vedic method.  Also, a question arises: Is it
a flaw if for some reason the Veda apaurusheyatva/prAmANya is not
understood/explained logically within  the context of the modern evolution
theory?  My answer is: In the past there have been a number of jnanis who
have followed the Veda as the traditional pUrvAchAryas followed and
obtained freedom from samsara.  The so-called illogicality behind veda
apaurusheyatva/pramANya did not come in their way of becoming
self-realized.  The modern theory of evolution was completely unknown to
them.

Some loud thinking, to evoke further thoughts...

regards,

subrahmanian.v