Monday, May 28, 2018

1157. Leaves, Shoots, Flowers and Fruits.....!



Hindu scriptures are written in Deva Bhasha (Language of Gods), Sanskrit. The narration of a subject in those scriptures is done in any of the three Bhasha (Descriptions) namely Guhya (Mystical), Darshana (Philosophical) and Samadhi (Elemental). Vedas are in Guhya, Upanishads are in Darshana and Puranas are in Samadhi Bhasha. 

In the usage of Guhya Bhasha, the subject when taken out of context will mean exactly the opposite of what it used to interpret when within the context. Vedas are therefore comprehended by using Nighantu and the Nirukta, the oldest Indian treatise on etymology, philology and semantics. Vedas are very difficult to understand without them. 

Since it was very difficult to understand they were written in Darshana Bhasha as Upanishads. In Darshana Bhasha the subject is communicated in such a way that the actual hidden meaning is revealed but yet it is not as simple as we get to know the subject in a conventional way. The essence of the subject is revealed in the form of a conversation between a Guru and his Shishya. To understand the dialogue there has to be a preceptor who can unveil the intricate meanings.

The Upanishads which were in Darshana Bhasha were still more decode into Samadhi Bhasha. Here the theme of the subject is communicated in a conventional way in the form of stories and parables. They are called Puranas. In the form of stories the quintessence of the hidden meaning could be captured easily. Hence if a seeker starts with Puranas he can then move on to Upanishads and from there on it will be simple for him to get fused with Vedas.  

Vedas are Apaurusheya, meaning that it is not a composition limited by geography, time and authorship. It was Bhagwan Vyasadeva who divided it into 4 parts namely Samhitas, Brahamanas, Aranyakas & Upanishads using Darshana Bhasha. Then again when even Upanishads seem to be like a tough nut to crack Vyasadeva wrote Puranas. Puranas provide the simplest way of understand the language of Vedas.     

To provide an example of how the three Bhasha were used by Bhagwan Vyasadeva, He equates Vedas to a tree. Vyasadeva interprets further that the Leaves of that tree are Dharma (Righteousness), Flower is Artha (Prosperity), Kama (Desire) is the Shoots while the Fruit is Moksha (Liberation). Telling Vedas are like tree is Guhya Bhasha, when he explains that the four Purusharthas are its Leaves, Flowers, Shoots and Fruits it will be Darshana Bhasha. A common man can only understand if the relationship between the four Purusharthas and the anatomy of the tree is described. 

Vyasadeva says just as the tree needs Leaves to survive we too need Dharma, without it there is no Artha (Flowers) or Kama (Shoots) or Moksha (Fruits). Artha is like flower which many of us think is the ultimate goal, if we are “Alpa Tripta” (contented with few) and stop our endure here we will not get the Fruit which is the ultimate. Kama is like Chiguru (Shoots) which are fresh tender leaves which are so only for a few days. Kama, the desire also like Shoots are temporary they are no longer there if satiated but they are many as in a tree, desire too is short but always  overlapping one over the other.  

Moksha is the ultimate fruit which we all wait for to relish to the fullest.  

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