Use of Honey and Ghee by Vedic Society

 

Use of Honey and Ghee by Vedic Society

(My article in FB May 6, 2015)

https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2021/05/use-of-honey-and-ghee-by-vedic-society.html

An Introduction to Ayurveda

Ayurveda teaches that honey and ghee should not be taken in equal proportions (by volume). We have compiled various textual references from the sages of yore that demonstrate this viewpoint:

It is not common for people to take honey and ghee equally but all should be aware that it should not be done as it harms Ayu or life force.

References for HONEY AND GHEE not good in equal quantity:

Vagbhata:

Reference: Astanga sangraha. Sutra sthana. 9th chapter 14th and 15th shloka. (Viruddhaanna vijnaaneeyamadhyayam)

         Combination of any 2 or 3 of Honey (madhu), Ghee (ghRutaM), Vasa (వస ఆయుర్వేద మూలిక- పూర్వము చంటి బిడ్డలకు ఉగ్గుపాలతో దీని గంధమును కలిపి పోసేవారు), its paste to required extent, used in olden days for babies, Oil(Thalia), water(udaka) should not be taken in equal quantity.

“madhusarpirvasaathailodakaani samadhritaani dwisha strishah samasthani vaa”

Effects: It leads to immense vata Prakopa (wind aggravation).

Charaka:

Reference: Charaka, Sutra sthana, 26th chapter 84th and 90th shloka. (Aatreyabhadrakapyeeya adhyaya)

         Honey and ghee taken in equal quantity is called maatra virudha.(incompatible due to the equal quantity).

“Madhusarpihi samadhritam maatraya tadvirudhyate” (90)

Sushruta:

Reference: Sushruta, Sutrasthana, 20th chapter15th shloka. (Hitaahiteeyamadhyayam)

         Honey and ghee taken in equal quantity is called as maana viruddha (incompatible due to the equal measure).

“madwambuni madhusarpishi maanatastulye naashneeyaat”

What kind of foods becomes viruddha in general?

Mixing of sheeta and ushna veerya items together.

Mixing of new and old items together.

Mixing ripe and unripe fruits or vegetables becomes viruddha.

What does viruddha ahara do to the body in general?

         It makes the doshas to aggravate and move from its place (doshamutkleshya), but is not capable of throwing it out of the body. This kind of aggravated doshas combine with the dhatus and causes the diseases in the body. (Charaka, Sushruta, Vagbhata)

Effects of viruddha ahara on the body in general:

Reference: Astanga sangraha (9/ 29)

         Regular intake of the viruddha ahara causes Visphota(boils), shopha(oedema), mada(intoxication), vidradhi(abcess), gulma(abdominal tumors), yakshma(tuberculosis). It will also destroy the teja (luster), bala (strength- physical and immunity), Smriti (memory), Mati (intellect), Indriya (sense organs), Chitta (mind) of the person. It can also lead to major diseases like Jwara (fever), Raktapitta (bleeding disorder), Kushta (skin diseases), Ashmari (stones), Prameha (urinary disorders), Udara (abdominal diseases), Bhagandara (fistula in ano), Arsha (piles), Grahani (digestive disorders). It may cause death of the person like poison.

Reference: Charaka (26/ 102, 103)

        Napumsakata (impotency), Aandhya (blindness), Visarpa (herpis), Udakodara (ascites), Visphota(boils), Unmade (mental disorders), Bhagandara (fistula in ano), Moorcha (fainting), Mada (intoxication), Aadhmana (bloated ness of abdomen), Galagraha (stiffness or obstruction in the throat), Paandu (anemia), Aama Visha (Diseases due the semi digested food), Kilasa (vitiligo), Kushta (skin diseases), Grahani Gada(disorders of digestion), shoth (oedema), Amlapitta (acidity), Jwara (fever), Peenasa (coryza),Santana doshas(different anomalies of the fetus or newborn), Mrutyu (death). These can happen to a person who takes viruddha ahara

Reference: Sushruta (20/19)

         The one who takes different types of viruddha food will suffer from different diseases, weakness of sense organs and death.

Qualities of honey (Reference: Bhavaprakash):

Rasa (taste): Madhura (sweet), Kashaya anurasa (astringent subtaste).

Guna (attributes): Laghu (light), Rooksha (ununctous), Vishada (non-slimy), Sookshma (minute),

Veerya (potency): Sheeta (cold).

Action on doshas: Kaphahara (alleviator of kapha), Alpa vatalam (mild wind aggravator)

Specific actions:

         Grahi (constipative), Lekhana  (depleting or scraping), Chakshushya (promoter of eye sight), deepana(digestive stimulant), swarya(promoter of voice), saukumarya karam(giving tenderness to the body parts), Hlaadi (which gives freshness), Prasadajanaka, Varnya (good for complexion), Madhakara (promoter of intellect), vrishya(aphrodisiac), Rochanam (promoter of taste), Srotovishodhaka (good for clearing the obstructions in the channels), Vrina shodhana ropanam (good for cleaning and healing the wounds), Yogavahi (which enhances the efficacy of other drugs when mixed).

Therapeutic uses:

         Kushta(skin disorders), Arsha (piles), Kasa (cough), Raktapitta (bleeding disorder), Meha (obstinate urinary disorders including diabetes), Klama (fatigue), Krimi (worms), Meda (excess fat accumulation), Trisha (thirst), Vami (vomiting), Shwasa (dyspnoea), Hikka (hiccough), Atisara (diarrhea), Vidgraha (constipation), Daha (burning sensation), Shtakshaya (phthisis).

Qualities of Cow’s Ghee: - (Reference: Bhavaprakash)

Rasa (taste): Madhura (sweet)

Guna (attributes): Guru (heavy), Snigdha (unctuous).

Veerya (potency): Sheeta (cold).

Vipaaka (taste after digestion): Madhura (sweet).

Action on doshas: Alleviator of vata, pitta, and kapha.

Specific actions: Chakshushya (promoter of eye sight), Vrishay (aphrodisiac), Agnikrith(digestive stimulant), Medha (promoter of intellect), Laavanya (beauty), Kanti (complexion), Ojovardhaka (promoter of ojas), Tejovardhaka( brilliance), Alakshmighnam (good to remove the inauspiciousness), Paapaghnam (good for reducing papa karma), Rakshoghnam (good one to prevent evil spirits), Vayasthapaka (restores the age), Balya (promoter of strength), Pavithra (clean), Aayushyam (promoter of lifespan), mangala (auspicious), Ramayanam (good for the channels), sugandham(sweet smelling), rochanam (promoter of taste), and it the best among the ghee category.

SHUNTHI (Reference: Bhavaprakqasha and Madanapala nighantu)

Botanical name: Zingiber officinale

Rasa (taste):  Katu (Pungent)

Guna (attributes): Laghu (light), Snigdha (unctuous)

Veerya (potency): Ushna (hot)

Vipaka: Madhura(sweet)

Karma (action): Ruchya (causing Arelish for food), Paachani (carminative), vrishya, swarya (promotes voice).

Action on the doshas: Kapha vata hara (alleviates kapha and vayu)

Therapeutic usage: In Aamavata (rheumatism), Vibandha (constipation), Vami (vomiting), Shwasa(dyspnoea), Kasa (cough), Sula (colic pain), Hridayamaya (heart diseases), Shlipada (filariasis), Shopha (oedema), Arshas (piles), Aanaha (flatulence), Udara ( abdominal diseases.

3 Comments

Kiran Mva

Wow...excellent information sir

 · Reply · 6y

Varanasi Gangadhara Rao

The postings in face book are of authority which i admire at .all the important suktulu are of great value and useful in human life.thanks

Swasti

FRONT VIEW OF PREM MANDIR – Vrindavana

 

FRONT VIEW OF PREM MANDIR – Vrindavana

Vrindavana has an ancient past, associated with Hindu history, and is an important Hindu pilgrimage site. One of its oldest surviving temples is the Govinda Dev temple, built in 1590, with the town founded earlier in the same century.

It is believed that the essence of Vrindavana was lost over time until the 16th century, when it was rediscovered by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In the year 1515, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Vrindavana, with the purpose of locating the lost holy places associated with Bhagvan Sri Krishna's transcendent pastimes. Chaitanya wandered through the different sacred forests of Vrindavana in a spiritual trance of divine love. It was believed that by His divine spiritual power, He was able to locate all the important places of Krishna's pastimes in and around Vrindavana.

In the last 250 years, the extensive forests of Vrindavana have been subjected to urbanization, first by local Rajas and in recent decades by apartment developers. The forest cover has been whittled away to only a few remaining spots, and the local wildlife, including peacocks, and a variety of bird species has been virtually eliminated. A few peacocks are left in the city but monkeys and cows can be seen almost everywhere. (Courtesy Wikipedia)

Cheruku Rama Mohan Rao

 

 

 

 

 

The Language of Loss by Daud Haider

 The Language of Loss by Daud Haider

https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-language-of-loss-by-daud-haider.html

The protests that erupted on February 21, 1952, in then East Pakistan against the imposition of Urdu launched the Bengali language movement in Bangladesh, and is the nucleus of the International Mother Language Day. The UNESCO recognition came in 1999, proclaiming it as a day to observe and celebrate indigenous languages across the globe. The wish was to sustain and develop the mother tongue or the first language, and safeguard the precious heritage of world languages. Is it happening in reality?

 

Indigenous languages, like most ethnic cultures, increasingly have a localised 

and restricted existence — overwhelmed by global markets, global economics 

and global corporates. The mother tongue is gradually being dwarfed by these 

staggering influences and is relegated to a marginal space in the global village. 

A UNESCO report states that nearly 1,500 ethnic languages are globally 

becoming extinct every day. Their place is being usurped by foreign languages, 

which facilitate and guarantee successful trade and commerce and boost the 

economy.

 

An in-depth knowledge of one’s mother tongue makes assimilating foreign 

languages and cultures smoother. Nordic countries, after prolonged trials and 

evaluations, have advocated learning two languages from the primary school 

level: The language of the land and the mother tongue. In remote regions of 

countries like Sweden and Norway, where people of various ethnicities dwell 

(mostly migrants on political grounds), primary schools, as a rule, teach 

indigenous languages. I have seen Bengali being taught in a number of 

suburban schools of Sweden, Norway and Finland. The students are mostly 

primary schoolchildren and their parents are political migrants; teachers 

largely hail from Bangladesh while a few are from West Bengal.

 Of late, several German states have instituted this system, primarily 

responding to appeals from the Turkish people. Since 2015, it has included 

Arab refugees. Bangla, Hindi, Urdu and Tamil are yet to find a place partly 

because students are fewer and proficient teachers are not that easily 

available. Another reason is that the number of refugees from the 

subcontinent is dwindling; tough laws restrict their influx. However, Bengalis 

have been living in the UK for ages. The British Parliament has a significant 

number of MPs of Bangladeshi origin, who are now British citizens. At least a 

dozen Bangla weeklies are published in proper London. Four TV channels 

(one of them in the Sylheti language) and six Bangla radio stations (FM 

channels) run out of England. Italy comes a close second with respect to 

hosting the Bengali population. There too, Bangla newspapers, TV and radio 

are quite popular. Portugal, Greece and Benelux (Belgium-The Netherlands-

Luxembourg) are home to 20,000 people from Bangladesh and West Bengal. 

North America, of course, is way ahead in this regard. More than a dozen 

Bangla weeklies are published from New York alone; radio and TV are equally 

popular as are Bangla book fairs and related programmes. The picture is no 

different in Canada.

 Bengalis, thus, seem to have a global presence. But can the same be said of 

their language, Bangla? Is it promoted and encouraged to develop beyond its 

boundaries? Not at all. Considering the fact that the Bangla-speaking 

population from the two Bengals occupy the seventh spot in the world, the 

Bangla language hardly holds any significant status. Though the Asian 

department in the Heidelberg University, Germany, teaches Bengali, the 

number of students learning it are no more than a measly 10. The Berlin Free 

University no longer holds Bengali classes. Reason? Lack of students. Learning 

Bengali does not guarantee jobs abroad; nor are youngsters keen on 

appreciating Bengali literature. Bengali readers in Germany have barely 

acknowledged the works of any Bangla-language poet or author — their 

interest has stopped with Rabindranath Tagore.

 In West Bengal, Bangla appears to be largely considered the language of 

Bangladesh; Hindi is acknowledged as the language of West Bengal and 

India. Before censuring such a claim, one needs to note that nearly 53 per cent 

of people in Kolkata speak Hindi. Signboards in Hindi or English are routinely 

visible in different localities of Kolkata. In Bangladesh and West Bengal, 

parents send their wards to English-medium schools. Are they equally eager 

to introduce children to Bangla language and literature?

 February 21 marks a day of sacrifice and of grief. Sacrifice for one’s mother 

tongue. Yet, the day has assumed celebratory proportions since the liberation 

of Bangladesh and the ideal at its heart lies forgotten. We cannot blame 

anyone for this though. Poetry sessions, literary gatherings; month-long book 

fairs; the longest-lasting book fairs in the worlds; youngsters crowding 

bookstalls, imbibing the “culture” of book fairs but not exactly buying books — 

these are embellishments we chose to be content with.

 February 21 not just marked the movement for the mother tongue; it led the 

sapling of freedom to sprout and bloom in Bangladesh. It instilled an 

exuberance in us. We have been so euphoric about the day that I forget it 

happens to be my birthday too. My friends come and ask me on my birthday, 

“Do we make merry today? Or do we mourn?” They remember I was born on 

February 21, 1952, at Doharpara, Pabna. “The Bangla language was born on 

your birthday,” they say. I rephrase their good humour in a rhyme or two: “I 

live in my language/ And my language lives in me.”

Swasthi.

Siddhavattam Fort

 

Siddhavattam Fort

 https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2021/04/siddhavattam.html

Siddhavattam Fort is a 684 years old riverside fortress located in Siddhavattam Taluk Headquarters, but for all practical purposes it is diminished to the level of a village, belonging to Kadapa district of Andra Pradesh in South India. It is also known as “Gateway of Srisailam”. Once  it was being called as “Dakshina Kashi”. This fort has a vast history of struggle for protecting its culture and social values from local and foreign invaders.

At the outset I would like to tell about what the name Siddhavattam denotes. The name of the place is first associated with ‘Siddha’.  So let us first know what Siddha means.

Siddha in Sanskrit means "perfected one”. This is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished". It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of physical as well as spiritual perfection or enlightenment.  The term is used to refer to the liberated souls. To attain Siddhi is to Siddha may also refer to one who has attained a siddhi. That means union of ones Atma with Paramaatma. If they are in the processes of attaining Siddhi they use Yoga, and certain medicines particularly attached to chemicals, which are extractions from the natural resources. But unfortunately, now-a-days the term is widely affiliated to medicine only. The processes of attaining Siddhi is Sadhana.

“Vata’ in Sanskrit is Banyan Tree, and ‘Vattam’ means ‘Habitation’.

People by and large say as follows:

The name of this fort has historic significance. Since this region had many Siddhas, who were yogic people known for their natural remedies with herbs. These Siddhas used to sit on a round platform built around the banyan trees. Hence this place was called as Siddhavatam. To my knowledge, the above information does not justify the name of the place ‘Vattam’ means an establishment of Siddhas, where they will have all the minimum requirements to attend to their day-to-day needs and a serene atmosphere for their penance.

In fact the place also might have been named after the prime deity ‘Siddheswara’, to whom my father with all of us did Abhishekamb some 45 years back.

In this connection I would like to share with you another fact which I came across. Some 50 years back I happened to travel in a lorry from Rajampet to Kadapa, in the good’s carrier. There was already a Muslim boy therein with public address system taking back to Kadapa. H was a native of Siddhavattam then aged about 16, 17 years. Being a Muslim, that too illiterate he was unaware of our Hindu culture. While he was playing with other children in the Siddhavattam fort, he missed the team and entered into a cave. Out of curiosity he moved forward and after sometime though he wanted to return he could not turn as the path was so narrow. He continued his journey forward but, for how many days, only God Knows. When he opened his eyes he found a Rhishi before him. He sprinkled some water on him and gave some serene water to drink. The moment the boy drank water he totally came into conscious and found the place with full of scenic beauty. The Rhishi signed him to close the eyes. The moment he closed his eyes and opened them he was on the Bahuda riverside of Nandalur. This incident, taking for granted, confirms two things. 1. There are still Siddhas at Siddhavattam in an unseen place by a common man and 2. There is a passage between Siddhavattam and Bahuda river bed of Nandalur. This gives strength to my argument.

Coming back to know about the history this fort was built by Matli Raja’s in the year 1303 A.D of Tuluva dynasty. Matli Raja’s were the Nayakas under Vijayanagar dynasty. The fort is built on the banks of the Penna River. This fort was gifted by Vijayanagar emperor Araveeeti Venkatapathi Rayulu II in 1605 to Yellamaraju, for the victory in Utukuru war. The fort here was much developed under the rule of King Varada Raju, who is the son-in-law of Sri Krishna Deva Raya.

Later, this fort came under the control of Mayana Nawabs of Kadapa in 17th Century. Hyder Ali, the then Mysore king, captured the fort during 1779 – 1780 A.D. In the year 1792 this fort came under the control of Nizams of Hyderabad, who captured this fort from Tippu Sultan of Mysore.

In the year 1800, the British took over the fort from the Hyderabad Nawabs. This is a defensive fort which was under the British East India Company for more than 150 years. East India Company made this as their capital to run their administration. From 1807-1812 Sidhout was the district headquarters for Kadapa district. Later the administration was moved to Kadapa as this place will be isolated whenever Penna river floods.This fort was later administered by the Archaeology Department of India in 1956.

Once this fort went under the Nizams rule, they built a lot of Islamic Structures and Mosques inside the fort.

You can find a life size Nandi deity with severed head in the fort, which is subjected to Muslim Vandalism.

This fort extends over an area of 30 acres. Visitors can view the gateways and decorated pillars at the two ends of the fort. It is noteworthy that the 17 bastions which once used to protect the region are still visible in the fort. The fort houses an ancillary passage which allows the visitors to gain access even after the closure of the main gates. The temples present inside its premise include the Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Siddheswara Temple, Durga Temple and the Bala Brahma Temple. Rama Temple etc.

These are some of the best stone carved temples found in this area. Many of their pillars are made of a single stone. The roofs of these temples are covered with stone slabs. The deities’ sculptures are made of single stone carvings, which are very fascinating.

Inside this fort there are many complexes. The main structure of this first area is totally built of granite stones.

In the medieval Era when the Udayagiri Kingdom ruled here, this fort saw much local aggression.

While Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was on his South Indian tour, he visited this place. We can find it mentioned in the Chaitanya Charitamrita as follows:

nṛsiṁha dekhiyā tāṅre kaila nati-stuti
siddhavaṭa gelā yāhāṅ mūrti sītāpati

“Upon seeing the Ahovala-nrisiṁha Deity, Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered many prayers unto the Lord. He then went to Siddhavaṭa, where He saw the Deity of Rāmacandra, the Lord of Sītādevī.” (Madhya Lila, 9.17)

Once patronized by kings of 18 dynasties and having more than 120 temples, this place is now on the brink of vanishing. It has turned in to a refuge for unscrupulous elements.

All that I can do is to pay God Siddheswara to open the eyes of all those concerned for renovation and keep-up of the structure.

Swasthi.

 

 

Dr. vandana-shiva about native cows

 

      Dr. vandana-shiva about native cows

“Indigenous cattle do not compete with humans for food; rather, they provide organic fertilizer for fields and thus enhance food productivity. Within the sacredness of the cow lie this ecological rationale and conservation imperative. The cow is a source of cow-dung energy, nutrition, and leather, and its contribution is linked to the work of women in feeding and milking cows, collecting cow dung, and nurturing sick cows to health.” -

Dr. vandana-shiva

A Tribute to Your Nation

 

A Tribute to Your Nation 09\02\2021

 https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2021/02/a-

tribute-to-your-nation.html

Try not to know the paths of sun and Moon

Nor try to change the axis of the Earth

Nor endeavor to know about DNA or Jeans

As there is no need to find the roots of mankind

 

Be not *Gripple, for, the wealth is ripple

He gives you what you deserve and not you desire

To give thy poor neighbor you are capable

Be kind and the needy, may be, you behind

For *emulousness *egotism you be blind

Be delighted and crave not for wealth

 

Prevent *pique, detach desire, be as *angelic sky

How long clouds *calamitous hover on your head

Find the truth, have faith in Him, whom you hum

This takes you and your neighborhood too

To the place where you have *tranquility

But no *tribulation, this, a real tribute to your nation

 

Gripple=Greedy; emulousness=Strong desire to surpass the others; egotism=too much boasting; Pique=anger; angelic= one who manifests goodness, purity and selflessness; calamitous= disastrous; Tranquility=calmness; Tribulation=distress.

Cheruku Rama Mohan Rao

THIRTY-THREE MILLION GODS

 THIRTY-THREE MILLION GODS

 https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2021/01/thirty-three-million-gods.html

THIRTY-THREE MILLION GODS --1

This is one thing that makes people skeptic about this sanatana dharma. Let 

us very briefly look into this issue. I drew certain ideas from Stephen Knapp's 

article on this.

The four primary Vedas represent the accomplishment of a highly developed 

religious system and encourage satisfaction of material desires through 

worship of the demigods. They contain many directions for increasing one’s 

power and position, or for reaching the heavens in one’s future by properly 

performing particular sacrifices in worship to Devas (demigods), and so on.

      Some people ask why there seems to be so many gods within Hinduism 

or Vedic culture. Yet, if we properly analyze the situation, we will understand that there is but one Supreme Being who has many agents or demigods who assist in managing the creation and the natural forces within. And, like anyone else, if they are properly approached with prayer or worship, they may help facilitate the person by granting certain wishes that may be within the jurisdiction of that demigod. Is it not resembling a present day office where all the entrants into the office need not see the boss for their petty wants? He is available only for those whose approach is for the ultimate.

       In some places in the Vedic literature it is explained that there are 33 

Vedic gods, or even as many as thirty-three million. The 33 gods are 

calculated as being eight Vasus, eleven Rudras (forms of Shiva), twelve 

Adityas, along with Indra and Prajapati (Brahma). Then there are also other 

positions that are considered major or minor devas. According to the Vedas, 

Devas are not imaginary or mythological beings, but are agents of the 

Supreme Will to administer different aspects of the universal affairs. They also 

represent and control various powers of nature. Thus, they manifest in the 

physical, subtle or psychic levels of our existence both from within and 

without. In this way, a transcendentalist sees that behind every aspect of 

nature is a personality.

       The names of these gods are considered offices or positions, rather than 

the actual name of the demigod. For example, we may call the president of 

the country by his personal name, or simply Mr. President. It’s the position 

itself that allows for him to have certain powers or areas of influence. In the 

case of the devas, it is only after accumulating much pious credit that a living 

being can earn the position of being a particular demigod. Then a person may 

become an Indra, or Vayu, or attain some other position to assume specific 

powers, or to control various aspects of material energy.

       Another example is that when you walk into a big factory, you see so 

many workers and all that they are doing. You may initially think that these 

workers are the reason for whatever goes on in the factory. However, more 

important than the workers are the foremen, the managers, and then the 

executives. Amongst these you will find people of varying degrees of 

authority. Someone will be in charge of designing the products. Another may 

be the Chief Financial Officer or main accountant. Another may be in charge 

of personnel, while someone else may be in charge of maintenance in the 

factory itself. Finally, a chief executive officer or president of the company is 

the most important of all. Without him there may not even be a company. 

You may not see the president right away, but his influence is everywhere 

since all the workers are engaging in projects according to his decisions. The 

managers and foremen act as his authorized agents to keep things moving 

accordingly. The numerous demigods act in the same way concerning the 

functions of nature, all of whom represent some aspect or power of the 

Supreme Will. That’s why it is sometimes said there are 33 million different 

gods in Hinduism. Actually, there may be many forms, Avataras, or aspects of 

God, but there is only one God, or one Absolute Truth.

Rest of the article tomorrow……….

THIRTY-THREE MILLION GODS - 2

      

This is often a confusing issue to people new to Vedic philosophy. We often 

hear the question among Westerners that if Hinduism has so many gods, how 

do you know which ones to worship? The point is that the devas affect all 

levels of universal activities, including the weather, or who is bestowed with 

particular opulence such as riches, beautiful wife or husband, large family, 

good health, etc. For example, one could worship Agni for getting power, 

Durgadevi for good fortune, Indra for good sex life or plenty of rain, or the 

Vasus for getting money. Such instruction is in the karma-kanda section of 

the Vedas which many people considered to be the most important part of 

Vedic knowledge. This is for helping people acquire the facilities for living a 

basic material existence.

 

       There are, of course, various actions, or karmas, prompted by our desires 

to achieve certain results, but this is not the complete understanding of the 

karma-kanda section of the Vedas. The karma-kanda section is meant to 

supply the rituals for purifying our mind and actions in the pursuit of our 

desires, and not merely to live with the intent of acquiring all of one’s material 

wants and necessities from the demigods. By having faith and steadiness in 

the performance of the ritual, one establishes purification in one’s habits and 

thoughts. This provides a gradual process of acquiring one’s needs and 

working out one’s desires while simultaneously becoming purified and free of 

them. Such purification can then bring one to a higher level of spiritual 

activity. This was the higher purpose of the karma-kanda rituals. Without this 

understanding, one misses the point and remains attached to rituals in the 

pursuit of material desires, which will drag one further into material existence.

     The reciprocation between the demigods and society is explained in 

Bhagavad gita (3.10-12). It is stated that in the beginning the Lord of all beings 

created men and demigods along with the sacrifices to Lord Vishnu that were 

to be performed. The Lord blessed them saying that these sacrifices will enable 

men to prosper and attain all desirable things. By these sacrificial duties the 

demigods will be pleased and the demigods will also please you with all the 

necessities of life, and prosperity will spread to all. But he who enjoys what is 

given by the demigods without offering them in return is a thief.

     In this way, it was recommended that people could perform sacrificial 

rituals to obtain their desires. However, by the performance of such acts they 

should understand their dependent position, not only on the demigods, but 

ultimately on the Supreme Being. As further explained in Bhagavad-gita (3.14-

15), all living beings exist on food grains, which are produced from rain, which 

is produced by the performance of prescribed sacrifices or duties. These 

prescribed duties are described in the Vedic literature, which is manifest from 

the Supreme Being. Therefore, the Supreme is eternally established in acts of 

sacrifice.

 

       Although the demigods may accept worship from the human beings and 

bless them with particular benedictions according to the sacrifices that are 

performed, they are still not on the level of the Supreme Lord Vishnu (who is 

an incarnation of Lord Krishna). The Rig-veda (1.22.20) explains: “The 

demigods are always looking to that supreme abode of Vishnu.” Bhagavad-

gita (17.23) also points out: “From the beginning of creation, the three syllables 

om tat sat have been used to indicate the Supreme Absolute Truth 

(Brahman). They were uttered by brahmanas while chanting the Vedic hymns and during sacrifices, for the satisfaction of the Supreme.” In this way, by uttering om tat sat, which is stressed in Vedic texts, the performers of the rituals for worshiping the demigods were also offering obeisances to Lord Vishnu for its success. The four Vedas mainly deal with material elevation and since Lord Vishnu is the Lord of material liberation, most sacrifices were directed toward the demigods.

        In Bhagavad-gita, however, Lord Krishna points out that men of small 

knowledge, who are given to worldly desires, take delight in the flowery words 

of the Vedas that prescribe rituals for attaining power, riches, or rebirth in 

heaven. With their goal of enjoyment they say there is nothing else than this. 

However, Krishna goes on to explain (in Bhagavad-gita 7.21-23) that when a 

person desires to worship a particular demigod for the temporary and limited 

fruits he or she may bestow, Krishna, as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart, 

makes that person’s faith in that demigod steady. But all the benefits given by 

any demigod actually are given by Krishna alone, for without whom no one 

has any power. The worshipers of the demigods go to the planets of the 

demigods, but worshipers of Krishna reach Krishna’s spiritual abode.

continued.......

THIRTY THREE MILLION GODS -- 3 [Last Part]

       Thus, as one progresses in understanding, it is expected that they will 

gradually give up the pursuit for temporary material pleasures and then begin 

to endeavor for reaching the supreme goal of Vedic knowledge. For one who 

is situated in such knowledge and is self-realized, the prescribed duties in the Vedas for worshiping the demigods are unnecessary. As Bhagavad-gita (3.17-18) explains, for one who is fully self-realized, who is fully satiated in the self, delights only in the self, there is no duty or need to perform the prescribed duties found in the Vedas, because he has no purpose or material desires to fulfill.

However, another view of the Vedic gods is that they represent different 

aspects of understanding ourselves, especially through the path of yoga and 

meditation. For example, the god of wind is Vayu, and is related to the 

practice of yoga as the breath and its control in pranayama. Agni is the god 

of fire and relates to the fire of consciousness or awareness. Soma relates to 

the bliss in the samadhi of yoga practice. Many of the Vedic gods also 

represent particular powers of yoga and are related to the different chakras in 

the subtle body. It is accepted that as a person raises his or her consciousness 

through the chakras, he or she will attain the level of awareness and the 

power and assistance that is associated with the particular divine personality 

related to that chakra.

Swasthi.