Thus Spake the Divine - Vedic Religion Encompasses World

Thus Spake the Divine

Vedic Religion Encompasses World

Our religion, what is nowadays referred to as Hindu Religion, was originally prevalent all across the world. Since it was the only religion existing then, there was no need to name it exclusively. I feel may be because of this, no name can be seen for Hindu Religion in any of our spiritual manuscripts or otherwise.

If we look at the findings of primordial archaeological research, we will come across many aspects related to our Vedic Religion having been prevalent in all foreign countries. For example, an agreement entered into between two kings is found in Egypt, which reads as “This agreement has been entered into with witnesses being Mitra and Varunaa.” This document was excavated around 1300 years ago before Christ was born. Mitra and Varuna are Devasconnected with Sun, who are frequently referred to in our Vedas. In Madagascar, 75% of their scripts seem to have emerged with Sanskrit as their base. The royal name (Pharaoh) Rameses is said to have evolved from our Rama.

In the southern hemisphere of earth, there are many such evidences. In Mexico, there is a festival, which takes place at the time of our Navarathri Festival (September/October). This festival is called “Rama-Sita”. Many Ganesha idols have been excavated in that country. Before Spain enslaved Mexico, tribal people there were called Aztecs, which is derived from the Sanskrit term “Asthigam” that means “Belief in God”. In Peru, Pooja is done in a temple of Surya, Sun God, at exactly during the auspicious time of Vishu, which is the Malayalam New Year Day. Tribal folk in Peru are known as Incas. Inan means Sun in Sanskrit. Significantly, we call Rama as the descendent of Sun God (Ina Kula Thilagam), which sounds like Inca.

I happened to see pictures of Australian aborigines dancing nude in a book, written by Spencer and Gillen, titled “Native Tribes of Central Australia” (page numbers 128 and 129). Beneath, the picture has the label “Shiva Dance”. I carefully noticed the pictures. I see the drawing of the Third Eye on each dancer’s forehead (Shiva possesses a Third Eye seen at the centre of His Forehead).

In the virgin forests of Borneo, a manuscript written in Sanskrit was found on excavation. In this manuscript, it is written as “...King has done Yajna; King gave Karpaga Vruksham (wish-fulfilling divine tree in Hindu mythology) as ‘Dhanam’ (charity) to Brahmins; Yupa Stones have been fixed in such and such places etc. (Yupa is a stone pillar that is used to tie a victim, whether animal or human, for sacrifice to God).” Who has quoted all these things? It is the very British, who once ridiculed our religion in every possible manner. These findings are extensively researched findings of the British themselves.

Above all these, let me tell you something more interesting that occurred to me personally with regard to a story in Ramayana. When Indra steals the Sacrificial Horse meant for Ashwamedha Yajna of King Sagara, the King sends his sons to search for the same. (The term Sagar, meaning ocean in Sanskrit, has evolved from this King’s name Sagara). The sons looked everywhere and went to search even the world the earth (pathal). Eventually, they found the horse near Kapila Maharishi’s hut. They wrongly concluded that it was Kapila Maharishi who stole the horse. Therefore, they harassed the Maharishi so much that he became furious. With a curse, he burnt the sons of Sagara to ashes. Here is

where I am bringing the link.

When you look at America, California could be Kapilaranyam. (As how Madurai is pronounced as Maruthai in slang, Kapilaranyam could become Kaliparanyam). We can see Horse Island and Ash Island near California which find a reference in the story that I have just narrated.

On the same lines, another connection is with regard to the term Sagar, which evolved from King Sagara. Research findings reveal that Sahara, the largest desert, was once an ocean. May be Sagar (ocean) evolved as Sahara!

You can thus see that there are numerous symbols and reminders of our religion across the world. However, research scholars might claim that many Indians travelled to many countries of the world and vice versa, which resulted in business transactions between them. That is how Hindu religious symbols came to exist across the world, they may argue. But I strongly believe that once, all over the world, there was only one religion. All the symbols referred to and many more originated within those countries/cities.

Among evidences available in countries within the time frame of 2000 to 3000 years ago, research scholars may say Indians, who settled in these countries, erased the local civilisation and established their own Hindu Civilisation, which took deep roots. But there are evidences and indications of our Vedic Religion in many countries from also 4000 years ago and even more. This means right from the inception of civilisation itself, there have been traces of Vedic period. Only after this did different religions of various tribes emerge in the respective countries.

One such ancient religion emerged in Greece, where large temples of worship have been built for Gods. Even in that, we can identify many a Vedic interpretations. Before Christ, in religions like those of Semitic region (Judaism), we can see influences of our Vedic Religion. There are also references to division of labour, similar to that of our Varna Dharma. Aborigines of countries like Mexico had different religions in which idol worship was widely prevalent. These religions contained a number of rituals within their practice.

Today, what we see is that even religions, which were held in high esteem, including the Hellenic (Greece), have completely vanished. We only see Christianity predominantly prevalent in Europe and America. Buddhism is followed in Central and East Asian countries up to Japan. In some places, there is Islam. In South African forests, where different tribes live following their respective religions, there are influences and indications of our Vedic Religion. Let me give you an example.

Before I go into its details, I want to tell you something else. Sometimes, it becomes difficult for average, common people to understand the fundamental concepts of a philosophy. So, such philosophies are either narrated in the form of stories or they are communicated through rituals. By being part of such rituals, it becomes easier for common people to understand an intrinsic philosophy in its true sense. I am not in favour of those who say that “Rituals are just symbols; it is enough if we understand the intrinsic nuance of the philosophy under discussion.

There is no need for any rituals at all”. There are certain wonderful effects when we exclusively follow certain rituals. I am not saying “All Puranas (stories) are only symbolic and just explanatory version of philosophies; one should not believe such stories as real”. But the fact is incidents narrated in those stories are real events that happened in that particular period. Likewise, engaging in or following rituals as part of our duties have a certain foundation. Following them does bring intended as well as unexpected benefits. Thus, I am afraid that if we do not take interest, in due course, such stories or rituals will lose their inner meaning and may even get totally erased from the humanity’s mind and history.

For example, new religions had emerged in certain countries of the world, which were totally unconnected with the age-old Vedic Religion. But, as the stories and/or rituals related to their original

philosophies have not been followed, they have all lost their inner meaning. Many religions have even deviated from their original versions.

Let me now come to the example I want to share with you. You would have heard of the Adam-Eve story in Judaic (Hebrew) Religion. There was a tree called “Knowledge Tree”. God’s order was that the fruits of this tree should not be tasted. Adam abided by the order whereas Eve ate it. Then, Adam also ate it to support Eve’s action. This is the first story in the Old Testament of the Bible.

It appears that one of the principles quoted in our Upanishads has evolved in the form of Adam-Eve story. Over passage of time, this original principle in the Upanishads has lost its intended meaning. How? Let us see what has been narrated in the Upanishads.

There are two birds in a Pippala tree. One bird eats the Pippala fruit. The other one is looking at it without eating the fruit. Human body is the tree of knowledge. In that, one bird is Jeevan, which is eating the fruit that is indicative of its self-gratification. In the same body (tree), Paramathma is another bird. He does not do anything; He is just a witness to everything being done by Jeevan. Despite being the originator of this Jeevan, Paramathma neither participates (eats the fruit) nor is stopping the Jeevan’s act. Upanishads equate this philosophy in a poetic manner as fruit, the bird that ate it and the bird that did not eat it. One who eats is Jeevan and one who does not is Param Porul – the one who has self-realisation of the soul.

Even our own Chola kings in Tamil Nadu extended their rule in countries outside India. More than their presence abroad, they had extensive connections throughout the world through their sea trade. Influenced by these traders, foreigners in many countries, with special reference to Far East countries, embraced the underlying philosophies of the Hindu Religion. Bali completely embraced Hindu philosophies. Our religion spread to Siam (now Thailand). Other countries in Indo China and Philippines too embraced Hindu culture. They had once upon time come under the rule of Vijayanagara Empire.

Therefore, there undoubtedly had been a stage when only Vedic Religion prevailed all across the world. This was followed by other stages when new religions emerged in different countries. There had been yet another stage when Christianity, Islam and Buddhism emerged. This led to the dwindling of Vedic (Hindu) Religion in those regions. Another stage came when there was revival of Hindu civilisation and culture across many countries, like in the Far East. It was only during this stage and period that there emerged in those countries huge temples in the South Indian style, like in Angkor Wat (Cambodia) and Prambanan (Central Java). That is when our Thiruppavai and Thiruvembavai spread to Siam (Thailand).

Let me elaborate a little more on this. During Margazhi month (December 15 th to January 14 th ), Vaishnavaits in Tamil Nadu chant 30 verses of Thiruppavai in praise of Lord Krishna and Shaivaites chant 30 verses of Thiruvembavai in Praise of Lord Shiva, one verses a day. In Thailand, there is a similar festival during the same period every year. During this festival, a person masquerades as Lord Shiva and sits on a swing (like Dolothsavam in which God is placed on a swing and goes in procession). Do the people in Thailand understand the nuances of both in Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai? Can we claim adoption of our Thiruppavai and Thiruvempavai in Thailand just because they celebrate the festival at the time as that of ours?

No, though there is a strong connection between the both! Interestingly, the very festival there is called as Triyambavai and Tripavai. Just like how people reading Bible may not know the hidden basics of Upanishad, the chanting of both these verses has also gone with the wind! It is quite obvious that when everything is subject to change, matters pertaining to 3000 to 4000 years back would naturally, and for sure, change. But, despite these changes, it can emphatically be stated that our Vedic aspects have made strong impressions in different countries all over the world. Enough evidences have been quoted above in this regard.

What does it imply when we see evidences of our Vedic Religion even in native religions in different parts of the world? Isn’t it wrong if we say that it was Indians who spread our religion and civilisation through invasions or trade connections to those far-off countries? Does it make any sense when civilisations had not yet rolled out?

That is why I categorically believe that “We did not infuse our religion by going there; just the Vedic Religion existed all across world”. Only later have other religions evolved over time and transformed as ‘original’ religions of the respective countries. Thus, it is only much later on that religions, like Christianity, Buddhism and Islam, must have spread across in different regions of the world.

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.

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