The Veda is called ‘apourusheya’ since it is the revealed knowledge or the one received as the ‘shruti’ (heard), and not as a written document; also, it is not credited to any single author as such. There are 432 000 syllables, Ten Mandalas of 1028 Suktas (85 anuvakas) or hymns, having in all 10 552 verses in the Rig Veda Samhita. These are in devabhasha, the language spoken by Gods, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Yakshas, Devaas, and Rishis. It is believed that the Himalayas are the home of Gods and Sages.
The Rishis who have had revelations and heard the Veda Mantras are many and the most prominent of them are: Grutsamada, Vaishvamitra, Vama Deva, Atri, Bharadhvaja, Vashishtha, and Madhuchchandha.
Rishis heard the Anahata (sound of the Universe) in an exalted state of supreme consciousness (supra mental state). They are filled with joy of Enlightenment, jnyan, and the elixir of divine sounds flow in their inebriated state of divya ananda; they recited the hymns as udgatha in praise of Agni, Indra, Rudra, Varuna, Maruta, Mitra, the Ashvins and Vishve Devas in this Ananda state. These Vedic Sages, Gods, Deities, are the source of Light, Force and Energies. They cut the evil forces, prevent the effect of evil-doers, clear all the obstructions to spiritual progress, that come in the way of human effort to attain to the divine, immortality.
The chants of hymns usher in subtle sounds and images of divine thoughts and words (of revealed knowledge) that come to be known as the Shrutis, the one imparted to a few favored disciples from the Great Rishis and, handed down to us over the eons in a coded language of Sanskrut.
There is a wide gap of time and distance between the times when the Veda was in vogue among the enlightened Rishis of the Satya Yuga and the times we are reading them in books now in Kaliyuga. Scholars interpret the Sanskrit words and hymns (mostly referring to grammar, composition and dictionary for meaning) and thus, over the eons, there have been much distortion and aberrations in the conveyed words. The original meaning of words has also undergone much change and got corrupted due to wrong usages.
The word Akasha for example has varied meanings like ocean, space, sea, womb and all that holds! Similarly the words sat, prana, prajnya are not simply truth, life-breath or vital sirs, or consciousness, respectively. English language is too poor to convey the depth and range of spiritual meaning of Rigs. Agni Suktam rendered by several Rishis is a pointer in this regard. The very first mantra of the First Suktam of the Rig Veda is extremely difficult to understand.
The Veda is not something to be spoken of, or written, interpreted, read and understood by the intellectuals as an academic exercise. The Veda is Annam (food) that has to be consumed in order to gain spiritual strength. The Annam for the body is different from the Annam for the Mind, Annam for the Prana and the Annam for the Soul, ‘rather the soul itself the Annam for all’. ‘It is this Annam that is offered to the Agni in Yajnya for redemption’. Thus, everything is Annam! It is Fire (citi), fire of Consciousness and it pervades every cell of the body as prajnya, caitanya, prana, life-breath, and it shines in its own glory! It is Brahman- “Annam Brahma”.
Ucchaishravas, although considered ‘the white Horse’, shravas meaning Light, Truth, it is the bright Light, Enlightenment, the Highest Truth. (ucchaishravas = higher illumination).
Thus, the Rigs are too mystic, potential creators, full of creative energy. The objective world is a product of the sacred word, the Rig. It is strange that silence speaks much better than sound here. There is more meaning in silence (abhava) and gaps (sandhi) between syllables, letters, words and verses and hymns. To interpret the silence, a dynamic and potentially creative force, is more important than the mere words since every syllable is a movement, a creative force that expand time, space, and causation. It (the silence) conveys the Brahma that is beyond the ability of the intellect, thoughts, and words, to grasp or comprehend. The Veda is the self-expression of ‘tat’, the divine ‘Truth’ called ‘sat; it is Satyam, and Anandam, and the ‘Brahma’. This is not the acquired knowledge from any external source. This is the revelation and a personal experience of the Rishis, the attained ones.
If anybody says, he knows the Veda he knows not! The Veda that we have now is for the sole purpose of enlightenment and emancipation through chanting and rejuvenating oneself with the solemn vibrations of sounds of the sacred words and, it is not for analysis and interpretation. In the original form, the Veda was the road map of creation. It contained the signs and symbols of routes to creation (srushti), sustenance (sthiti), development (vikasa) and dissolution (laya). It contains the secret of evolution. It reveals the road to success in the battle of truth and untruth. It is full of symbols and holds the secret of this universe. (Excerpts from Taittriya Upanishad).
The picture above shows Lord Bhagwan Parashurama, a white horse and four books. When ever an Avatar of highest order graces our planet with His appearance Parashurama has some important work to do. The white horse also symbolizes the event of Kalki Avatar, the Avatar for the destruction of pollution. The four books symbolize the four Vedas. It is the work of Kalki Avatar to resuscitate the Vedas. It is interesting that this picture clearly shows the connection between Kalki Avatar, Bhagwan Parashurama and the first and eternal revelation Veda.
