Sanskrit and Hindi Languages
Sanskrit language is written in Devnagri alphabet. Sanskrit and Devnagri are as old as the universe itself i.e. about two billion years old. Since the beginning of the universe until a few thousand years ago, there was only one language – Sanskrit and only one alphabet – Devnagri, in the whole world.
Devnagri is the only alphabet, in the whole world, that has all possible sounds. And, all letters of Devnagri alphabet has natural sounds. All words in Sanskrit language are read and spoken as they are written. Thus, Devnagri is the most scientific alphabet and Sanskrit is the most scientific language.
Hindi language is also written in Devnagri alphabet. And, most of the words used in Hindi are from the Sanskrit language.
Say Namaste when two people meet:
Namaste is a Sanskrit word. It means and stands for – my regards for you or my love for you, based on who you say it. For elders it means my respect or regard for you, and for youths it means my love for you. Vedas use the word Namaste for greetings whenever two people meet, whether it is morning, noon, evening or night.
Intoxication
Use of all kinds of intoxicants – opium, liquor, tobacco etc. — is prohibited by the Vedas. These are harmful for the body and the mind. They make the mind unsound. Thus, they may cause wrong doings.
Speculations and Gambling
All types of speculations and gambling are prohibited by the Vedas.
Why Cremation
After a person dies, the body should be burnt and not buried. Burial spoils that piece of land and creates lot of foul smell. Burning a dead body by adding fragrances e.g. butter oil, saffron etc. does not give foul smell.
If a dead body is thrown in a river, the water animals will eat the body, but the water will get polluted. If a dead body is thrown in the woods, the wild animals and birds will eat the body, but the air will get polluted. Therefore, the safest way to dispose of a dead body is to cremate it.
Heaven & Hell
A person who is particularly in a happy situation is said to be in Heaven and when particularly in a sad situation is said to be in Hell. There are no special places or planets like Heaven or Hell.
Purification
Water purifies the body. Mind is purified by being truthful in thoughts, speech and actions. Soul is purified by doing the right things all the time. Intellect is purified by knowing and understanding the whole world around including God.
SOMA
Many people have heard of SOMA pronounced as SOM. Therefore I would like to elaborate on this word here. Subodh Kumar has analyzed it extensively, so here is his understanding of SOMA:
A popular perception about SOMA is that it is some kind of herbal preparation, which is consumed for exhilarating benefits. However it is very clearly stipulated in Vedas “what persons regard as Soma cannot be eaten or drunk.” RV (10.85.3) i.e., Soma is not a mere herb. Again RV10.85.2 adds, —The sun is strong by Soma, the earth is vast by Soma, …..”. The whole of RV Mandal 9 is about Soma, and clearly indicates the non physical nature of SOMA.
Basically Soma represents a talent, capacity and quality which is at the root of all motivations which make possible innumerable constructive, beneficial tasks & actions, for welfare of the world.
How Soma is created is found in Rig Veda 10.11.4
अध त्यं द्रप्सं विभ्वं विचक्षणं विराभरिदिषितः श्येनो अध्वरे।
यदी विशो वृणते दस्ममार्या अग्निं होतारमध धीरजायत।। RV 10.11.4
Adh tyam drapsam vibhbam vichkshnam viraabhridishitah shyeno adhvare, yadee visho vreente dasmamaaryaa agni hotaaramadha dheerajaayata. RV 10.11.4
द्रप्सं (साधारण दही की लस्सी) indicating a very ordinarily met fluid,
विभ्वं when Looked in to by concentrating on its important aspects विचक्षणं brings to light विराभरदिषितः as if the researcher pulls out of fire, श्येनो as a hawk eyed observer taking in his notice from very high position a total perception, अध्वरे the hard intelligent worker.यदी विशो if ordinary common persons वृणते adopt such strategies of scientific enquiry दस्म they आर्या become virtuous अग्निं होतरमध by performing yagna to get fired in to action धी: thus Som in intellect thus gets जायत born
(Newton discovered the force of gravity by deep perception and observation of a very common every day event of an apple falling from a tree. This is the phenomenon Veda is saying in above Mantra.)
What Soma Does:
What Som does and what is the effect of Som on a person who has got “Drunk” on Som is beautifully described in the thirteen mantras of Rig Veda 10.119 and may indeed look extremely futuristic even in context of present day modern world, by people brought up in western thinking who swear by the Darwin’s theory of evolution and really believe that older civilizations of our ancestors, were very primitive and did indeed live in caves before evolving from monkeys.
This Sukta says that a person who is drunk with Soma, is
1. इति वा इति मे मनो गामश्वं सनुयामिति ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !! RV 10/119/1
Iti vaa iti me mano gaamashvam sanuyaamiti, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10.191.1
Meaning: When drunk on Soma (knowledge), one is impelled in to action to provide for community the services to look after the welfare of all the living beings particularly cows and horses (as symbols of food and energy).
2. प्र वाताइव दोधत उन्मा पीता अयंसत ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !! ऋग्वेद 10/119 /2
Pr vaataaiva dodhata unmaa peetaa ayamsata, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/2
Meaning: When drunk on Soma (knowledge) one is bubbling with enthusiasm for self motivated positive action
3. उन्मा पीता अयंसत रथमश्वाइवाशव: ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !!
ऋग्वेद 10/119/3
Unmaa peetaa ayamsata rathamashvaaivaashvah, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/3
Meaning: When drunk with Soma (knowledge) one is highly motivated as if he is always riding on high horses
4. उप मा मातरिस्थित वाश्रा पुत्रमिव प्रियम् ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !! ऋग्वेद 10/119/4
Upa maa maataristhita vaashraa putramiva priyama, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/4
Meaning: When drunk with Soma (knowledge) one has his wits always around him, like a mother cow bellowing close to her calf
5. अहं तष्टेव वन्धुरं पर्यचामि हृदा मातिम ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !!
ऋग्वेद 10/119/5
Aham tshetva vandhuram paryachaami hrdaa maatima, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/5
Meaing: With dedication it brings glory to his seat of action
6.नहि मे अक्षिपच्चना अच्छांत्सु: पञ्च कृष्टय: ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !! ऋग्वेद 10/119/6
Nahi me akshipachchanaa achchhantsuah, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/6
Meaning: Nothing in all the community, escapes his keen perception
7. नहि मे रोदसी उभे अन्यं पक्षं चन प्रति ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !!
ऋग्वेद 10/119 /7
Nahi me rodsee ubhe anyam paksham chana prti, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/7
Meaning: Has good measure of the realities on ground and in space
8.अभि द्यां भहिना भुवमभी3मां पृथिवीं महीम् ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !! ऋग्वेद 10/119 /8
Abhi dyam bhaminaa bhuvamabheemam preethivim maheem, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/8
Meaning: His influence Excels in all areas of his action on the vast earth and space
9. हन्ताहं पृथिवीमिमां नि दधानीहा वेह वा ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !! ऋग्वेद 10/119/9
Hantaaham preethiveemimam ni dadhaaneehaa veha vaa, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/9
Meaning: Scales up theater of man’s action from earth to outer space (makes outer space his habitat)
10. ओषमित्पृथिवीमहं जङ्घननीह वेह वा ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !! ऋग्वेद 10/119/10
Oshmitpreethivimaham jadnghananeeha veha vaa, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/10
Meaing: He learns to control and transfer heat, light and energy from one place to another as per needs.
11. दिवि मे अन्य: पक्षो3धो अन्यमचीकृषम ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !! ऋग्वेद 10/119 /11
Divi me anyah pakshodho anyamacheekreeshama, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/11
Meaning: He has one foot on earth and the other in Space
12.अहमस्मि महामहोअभिनभ्यमुदीषित: ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !! ऋग्वेद 10/119/12
Ahamasmi mahaamahoabhinabhyamudeeshitah, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/12
Meaning: He has in his command sources of energy comparable to Sun in the sky.
13.गृहो याम्यरङ्कृतो देवेभ्यो हव्यवाहन: ! कुवितसोमस्यापामिति !! ऋग्वेद 10/119 /13
Greeho yaamyarankreeto devebhyo havyavaahanah, kuvitasomasyaapaamiti. RV 10/119/13
Meaning: Such a resourceful person by fully imbibing SOMA, is decorated and empowered to deliver like Indra.
More on Soma
सोमेनादित्या बलिन: सोमेना पृथिवी मही !
अथो नक्षत्राणामेषामुपस्थे सोम आहित: !! ऋग्वेद 10/85/2
Somenaadityaa balinah somenaa preethivee mahee, atho nakshtraanaameshaamupasthe soma aahitah. RV 10.85.2
Meaning: Solar radiations, the greatness of earth and all the planets in the sky that support life, derive their abilities from the SOMA that is established in them.
आच्छद्विधानैर्गुपितो बार्हते सोम रक्षित: !
ग्राव्णामिच्छृएवन्तिष्ठसि नते अश्नाति पार्थिव: !! ऋग्वेद 10/85/4
Aachchhdvidhaanairgupito baarhate soma rakshitah, graavnaamichchhtaivntishthsi nate ashrnaati paarthivah. RV 10.85.4
Meaning: It is covers and protects by well regulated non material laws governing the material world.
Soma cannot be physically consumed by a living being.
Soma in Vedic tradition thus represents essentially a non physical mind stimulant, and motivator. This motivating force for intellect is also the store of scientific knowledge from researches that are source of capability as an enabler of actions for the welfare of the society.
Language of Vedas is often highly poetical, and does not lend to literal translations. Most of the time there is reference to soma as a medicinal creeper, to be crushed under stones and then the juices strained through sieves woven from gray woolen threads. The person who finally finds this preparation of ‘SOMA’ gets drunk on it.
In analytical research a learned competent person follows the creeper of knowledge that has grown out of seeds planted by a problem. Experts engage in efforts to find solution /explanation to that problem. Researchers pursue the minute threads and filaments from the creeper of the existing body of researches & human knowledge, from studies and observations in nature. The topics of research problem can be in any field connected with welfare /progress of the society in social, medicinal, physical sciences. The efforts and knowledge pooled by the earlier researchers, is likened to the medicinal creeper that has grown to solve/cure the problem. The learned experts take cognizance of the accumulated knowledge of research efforts made thus far. Further research work proceeds by following the leads of the shoots and particles of the creeper of existing research work. This is like breaking one’s head on stone of ignorance and crushing the minute particles अंशु of this medicinal creeper to find the ‘juices’. New scientists sift and screen the data of earlier researches. This is likened to a sieve woven out of the gray hair of experience and used for straining the juices of the inference arrived at so far. The scientist who strains these ‘Juices’ and assimilates them in his intellect is obviously exhilarated at his findings, and is said to be intoxicated with his knowledge.
Thus term Soma will mainly represent a knowledge, talent, capacity , quality and may also be considered to include any medicinal stimulants by uneducated people, the herbs that provide strength and stimulate motivations which make possible innumerable constructive, beneficial tasks & actions, for welfare of the world.
Knowledge based on R & D is SOMA
Soma is ‘software’ of the ‘Hardware’ that is Physical Universe.
