No beef in Vedas
It is a matter of great concern that textbooks
published by NCERT teach that the Aryans and early Indians were beef -eaters
and this issue is also part of a writ petition (17909-13/200500) filed by Shri
D.N.Batra & others against Union of India & others in Delhi High Court.
Recently, in Mid September, 2006, during a discussion on the NDTV channel on
the issue of the remarks by Pope Benedict XVI who quoted a 14th
century Byzantine Christian emperor saying “
Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and
there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread
by the sword the faith he preached”, Shri Rajendra Yadav, a noted
Hindi writer remarked that the phrase ‘krinvanto vishwam
aryam” also smacked expansion of Hinduism and further emphasized that
Sri Bhagwadgita also propagated war. Here are the glaring cases or examples of
misinterpretation and misrepresentation by an ill informed person who needs to
be educated that the term arya does not depict any faith/race or religion and
it only means a man of virtue and the entire dictum is a clarion call to turn
all the inhabitants of this globe to be virtuous beings. Regarding Bhagwadgita even a layman knows
that it is a part of the scripture Mahabharata and it contains the sermon
Yogeshwar Krishna gave to Arjuna in the battlefield who refused to fight with
his own kith and kin and it contains the entire philosophy of our existence or
being and educates Arjuna to fight against adharma or injustice and it is far
from being a scripture propagating war as deduced by Shri Yadav.
It is really an irony that such observations remain
uncontested by us and the native Indians known as Hindus and descendants of the
ancient Aryavarta remain mute spectators. Now Rama and Krishna who form the
basic fabric of our society are being described as myths and it is an alarm for
the majority community and the native Indians to wake up and guard themselves.
The Aryasamaj in particular and other Hindu organizations should take a lead in
this direction. Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1825-1883), founder of the Aryasamaj
applied the yardstick of Vedas to all the major faiths/religions of the world
and also focused on the prevailing social evils of the Indian Society in his
famous book entitled “satyarthprakash” and this book
answers all the misinformation and should be read by persons like Shri Yadav
and all those who believe in rationality and don’t want to be blind
followers.
Further,
it is a matter of great concern to us that the leftist historians have taken
upon themselves to prove that even the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures endorse
beef eating and recently in this regard two articles by Mr.D.N.Jha in the
Hindustan Times dated 17th-18th December, 2001 entitled
“Paradox of the Indian cow” followed by his book entitled
“The Myth of the holy cow” published by Verso Books, London
in 2002 were brought out to impress that the Hindus worshipped cow as their
mother whereas their scriptures like the Vedas, Valmiki Ramayana and
Mahabharata endorsed beef-eating . A rejoinder to H.T. articles was published
in the Hindustan Times dated 10th January, 2002 and further as a
rejoinder to the book by Mr. Jha, two articles entitled “Clouds over
understanding of the Vedas” were authored by B.D.Ukhul under guidance
of Shri Bharat Bhushan Vidyalankar. These articles came to be placed on the
website www.aryasamaj.org and a
petition on line also came up which was signed by about 3000 persons from all
over the globe pleading the publisher to withdraw this book. Full text of these
articles can be seen and downloaded by the readers from the website. The signatories
of this petition have abundantly condemned and criticised Mr.Jha for his
deliberate attempt to denigrate the Hindu ethos and depict the Vedas in adverse
light. This Voice of protest can be read on the website www.petitiononline.com/vedas/petition.html
and they convey the inner feelings of majority of Indians and others all over
the world who lent us support against the designs of Mr. Jha. This task could
be accomplished through the active support and encouragement of Shri
Anupam(USA), co-ordinator of this website who is rendering a yeoman service to
the cause of spreading the message of the Aryasamaj and Swami Dayanand
Saraswati, the founder of Aryasamaj who brought the Vedas back to us.
In
the present write-up, only the part pertaining to the references quoted by Mr.
Jha from the Rg Veda in his book are being reproduced to reveal as to how the
Vedic hymns have been grossly misinterpreted. It is revealing that the
deductions of Mr. Jha are based on the commentary of the Vedas by Sayanacharya
which was rendered into English by H.H.Wilson. It is equally satisfying to
emphasize here that answer to these misleading interpretations only came from the
Bhashya or Commentary of the Vedas by Swami Dayanand Saraswati and its English
translation by Swami Satya Prakash Saraswati and Shri Satyakam Vidyalankar. On
the strength of this noble commentary it was possible to repudiate the thesis
of Mr. Jha and it also leads us to infer that there is dire need for the
Aryasamaj to project the Vedas’ commentary by Sw. Dayanand Saraswati
all over the world because he was the pioneer to bring out the true spirit of
the Vedas. In the realm of the Vedic
interpretation, we owe debt to Swami Dayanand Saraswati His commentaries were
based on the Nighantu and Yaska’s Nirukta and he thought deep and
delved deep to arrive at the rightful adhyatmik and yogic spirit of the
mantras. The opinion of a great saint-philosopher Sri Aurobindo Ghosh will be
most pertinent to quote in this regard. “In the matter of Vedic
interpretation I am convinced that whatever may be the final complete
interpretation, Dayananda will be honoured as the first discoverer of the right
clues. Amidst the chaos and obscurity of old ignorance and age long
misunderstanding his was the eye of direct vision that pierced to the truth and
fastened on that which was essential. He had found the keys of the doors that
time had closed and rent asunder the seals of the imprisoned
fountains”. AT THIS STAGE IT
IS DESIRABLE THAT WE APPROACH THIS IMPORTANT ASPECT TO ENDORSE AND ACCEPT THE
RIGHTFUL INTERPRETAIONS INSTEAD OF CLINGING TO DEFECTIVE LITERAL TRANSLATIONS
OF THE VEDAS WHICH ARE REVELATIONS BY THE ALMIGHTY GOD WHO BLESSED US WITH THIS
DIVINE KNOWLEDGE TO GUIDE OUR PATH SINCE THE VEDIC REVELATION WAS SYNCHRONOUS
WITH MAN’S FIRST APPEARANCE ON EARTH. How can our creator prescribe
offerings of his own creatures? After independence, this aspect should have
received due attention but it is sad that this remained untapped and even the
Sanskrit language came under cloud when a Rajya Sabha nominated Christian
member Frank Anthony introduced a bill to drop this sacred language from the
eighth schedule of languages enshrined in the Indian constitution in 1977.
There is no doubt that some Western scholars did an appreciable job to
introduce the Vedas to the outside world which inspired the scholars to learn
Sanskrit to benefit from the treasure of wisdom of Vedic Rishis but
unfortunately, it followed a wrong path without application of their inner mind
or intellect as was done by the devoted disciple of Swami Virajanand who was
actually blind of eyes but he imparted such vision and deep knowledge to Dayanand
that he clung to the soul and spirit of the Vedas and it is our bounden duty to
follow this path to understand the sacred words of God which can never be wrong
and are ever infallible. In the context
of the commentary/translation of the Vedas by Max Muller, it will be relevant
to point out the opinion of Mr. Boulanger, the editor of Russian edition of
The
Sacred Books of the East Series as follows:
“What
struck me in Max Mullar’s translation was a lot of absurdities,
obscene passages and a lot of what is not lucid… As far as I can grab
the teaching of the Vedas, it is so sublime that I would look upon it as a
crime on my part, if the Russian public becomes acquainted with it through the
medium of a confused and distorted translation, thus not deriving for its soul
that benefit which this teaching should give to the people”.
In
his book ‘Vedic Hymns’, Max Muller himself says
“My translation of the Vedas is conjectural”.
Now
to commence,comparative interpretations of the citations quoted from the Rgveda
by Mr. Jha are being dealt with beginning from the very first Mandala of
Rigveda as follows:
The
glaring difference in substance and the spirit of the cited Suktas 162 and 163
of the first Mandala of Rigveda is illustrated to establish that
misinterpretation is at the root of this problem. Each Sukta has its risi and
devata; risi depicts ‘drashta’ whereas devata depicts the
subject matter which facilitates the understanding of the mantras under
respective Sukta.
Sukta
162
Name
of risi Name of devata
Deerghatama
Mitradayo Lingokta (As per
Sw.Dayanand)
Deerghatama
Ashva-stuti (As per
translation
of HH Wilson)
Sukta
163
Name
of risi Name of devata
Deerghatama
Ashvo-agnirdevata (As per
Sw.Dayanand)
Deerghatama
Ribhuganh (As per
translation
of HH Wilson)
The
above implies that both the Suktas are in
glorification
of the horse but our Western enthusiasts and Mr.Jha along with his Indian
ideals have even ignored the very basic lead and gone for crucification of the
spirit of mantras which is left to your esteemed judgement.
Sukta
162 has 22 mantras while Sukta 163 has 13 mantras. Mr. Jha states that in the
ashvamedha(horse sacrifice),the most important of the Vedic public sacrifices,
first referred to in the Rgveda in the afore-stated Suktas (p.31 of his book).
Sukta
162 in fact deals with the science of applying horse power (automation) of the
fire pervading in the form of energy.
No
mantra supports sacrifice of horses. Of course the first mantra has been
translated by Max Muller in a wrong manner as follows:
“May
Mitra,Varuna,Aryaman,Ayush,Indra,the Lord of Ribhus and the Maruta not rebuke
us because we shall proclaim at the sacrifice virtues of the swift horse sprung
from the god”.(from History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature).
Similarly H.H.Wilson in his translation based on the commentary of Sayanacarya
states as follows:
Varuna,Aryaman,Ayu,Indra,Ribhukshin,nor
the
Maruts,censure
us;when was proclaim in the sacrifice
the
virtues of the swift horse sprung from the
gods”.
Transliterated
version of this mantra is given below:
Ma
no mitro varuno arymayurindro ribhuksha marutah parikhyan Yadvajino devajatasya
sapteh pravakshyamo vidathe veeryani Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati in his Hindi
commentary has rendered the translation as follows:
We
the performers of yajna in all seasons (vidathe) in the battle field (yat)
whose (vajinah) stormy (devajatasya) learned men and borne out of the divine
virtues (sapte) of the horse (veeryani) unique performances (pravakshyamah) we
shall describe (nah) the daring performances of our horses (mitrah) friend
(varunah) sublime (aryama) the deliverer of justice (ayuh) the knower (indrah)
the all-elivated or aishvaryavan (ribhuksha) intelligent and (marutah) priests
(ma, pari,khyan) should never disregard these properties.
To
easily grasp the spirit of mantra the following translation will be helpful.
We
shall describe here the energy generating virtues of the powerful
horses(planets),added with brilliant properties of the vigorous force of heat.
The learned never dispute these properties.
There
is vast difference in the above quoted translations. Obviously the wrong seeds
were sown by Sayan and Mahidhar who were the imodels adopted by the western
scholars, namely Max Muller, Griffith , Wilson etc. Sw.Dayanand Saraswati in
his book “An Introduction to the Vedas” has adversely
criticised the commentaries of Sayan and Mahidhar in context of some of their
interpretations of the Vedic hymns. They could be held responsible for the
horrible and horried interpretations which suggest as if the Vedas were the
texts to lay down the modes of sacrifices. Is it not a tragedy for the
Dharamacharyas/Sanskrit scholars of this country that they also could not
pursue the path shown by Dayanand and got bogged down only in the rituals of
worship in the temples and no attention was paid to the sources of knowledge
which were the guiding principles of Aryans, our worthy ancestors and sons of
the mother India (Aryavarta) as the Vedas proclaimed man as
‘amritasya putras’ and we need to follow this path if we
want to be proud of our heritage and hold our head high or otherwise we are
going to be labelled with the legacy of butchers and animal killers who desired
to please different gods by various sacrifices performed in the yajnas.
Eighth
mantra of this Sukta is translated as follows:
The
fleet of horses is controlled by holding of bridles and saddles placed thereon.
To make them strong, the grass and cereals are fed to them. Like wise, the
learned people control and regulate their power of senses and taking nourishing
diet.
Wilson’s
translation is as follows:
May
the halter and the heel-ropes of the fleet courser, and the head-ropes, the
girths, and any other (part of the harness); and the grass that has been put
into his mouth; may all these be with you,(horse),amongst the gods. (THIS IS
NOTHING BUT LITERAL AND MECHANICAL TRANSLATON BEREFT OF THE SUBSTANCE &
SPIRIT OF THE MANTRA) Ninth mantra was again wrongly interpreted by Max Muller,
Wilson and Griffith to translate the word ’kravishah’ as
the flesh. It is an adjective of ‘ashvasya’ and derived
from kramu-padavikshepe. Hence it means ‘ the pacing horse’
and not of the flesh.
‘shamituh’
has been translated by Prof. Max Muller
and Wilson as of the immolator. Griffith has translated it as ‘of a
slayer’. But etymologically ‘sam-alochane’ means
‘to look at’ (with love and peace) and should mean
‘ a person who looks at the living beings with love and peace and not
slayer’. Twelfth mantra emphasizes
on the qualities of the warrior and its translation is as follows:
They
who crave for the meat of a horse and declare the horse fit to be killed should
be exterminated. Those who keep the fast horse well trained and disciplined
deserve to be praised by us for the strength of their character and
perseverance. (IT CLEARLY DEMOLISHES THE THESIS OF JHA AND PROVES THAT HE HAS
MERELY QUOTED CITATIONS AND HARDLY CARED TO LOOK AT THE ACTUAL TEXT BUT
INSPIRED BY THE FOLLOWING TRANSLATION OF WILSON):
“Let
their exertions be for our good who watch the cooking of the horse; who say, it
is fragrant; therefore give us some: who solicit the flesh of the horse as
alms”. (WHAT AN IMMENSE DAMAGE TO THE SPIRIT OF THE MANTRA).
Mantras
13 to 19 deal with the theme of horse or automation power while 20 to 22 are
devoted to the benefits of Yogic exercises and an ideal life.
This
Sukta deals with various attributes of learned person, agni(fire), science
& technology. There are references to the horse to illustrate its unique
qualities of its immense energy likened to agni (fire), intelligence, bravery
and inbuilt attributes which are at par with those of the men of wisdom. Perusal of some mantras will bring home this
point.
‘arvan’
and this word denotes as per Yv 29.12 vigyanvan athva ashvaiv vegavan vidvan=O
learned person active like the horse.
Second
mantra includes the term ‘surat ashvam’ which means the
fast moving agni i.e the fire which enables a speedy locomotion.
Third
mantra includes the term ‘adityah arvan’ and here it means
the sun which is all pervading. ‘arvan’ means
sarvatrapraptah=pervading all. This term was wrongly translated by Prof.
Wilson, Griffith and others, while both admit in the notes that Yama means
Agni, Aditya-Sun and Trita-Vayu. How can horse be identified with Agni (fire)
sun and the air etc. none has cared to justify. To take ‘arva’
for agni, there is the clear authority of the Taittiriya Brahmana.(I.36,4).
Fourth
mantra includes the word ‘arvan’ where it is used to mean
the learned and wise people. Eighth
mantra includes the word ‘arvan’ through which the mighty
and active person has been likened to the horse who bears such
characteristics. Ninth mantra includes
the word ‘arvantam’ which means vegavantam agnim ashvam=the
rapid horse in the form of Agni (fire, electricity etc.)
Tenth
mantra includes the word ‘ashva’ where it means the bright
swift horses in the form of fire, air, water etc.
Eleventh
mantra includes the word ‘arvan’ and the following
translation of this mantra will endorse our stand that the unique qualities of
the horse are emphasized in Sukta-163:
“O
brave person! You are active like a horse, your body is like a swift vehicle,
your mind is like the wind in motion. Your sublime actions are initiated from
the proper use of fire and electricity. These are spread in all directions like
the hoary creatures in the forests”. One can see that this mantra is
in praise of highly skilled technicians.
Wilson’s
translation reads as follows:
“Your
body, horse, is made for motion , your mind is rapid (in intention ) as the
wind: the hairs (of your mane) are tossed in manifold directions; and spread
beautiful in the forests”.(ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF MECHANICAL TRANSLATION)
’vajyarva’
which means agni swift(vegavan) like a horse and here in this mantra use of
agni is highlighted.
Thirteenth
and the last mantra of this Sukta contains the word ‘arvan’
where it means agnyadashvan= horses in the form of fire, electricity etc.
ASVAMEDHA
has been translated as horse sacrifice as referred to above by Jha and the
conclusions drawn accordingly and this has been the root cause of varied wrong
interpretations and in order to illustrate its scope and meaning the following
is stated:
At
the sight of words ‘asvamedha, gomedha, purushmedha,
ajmedha’ there ia general tendency to interpret it to denote as
hinsa/sacrifice/killing.
‘medha’ word’s verb or dhatu is
‘medhri’. ‘medhrisangame hinsayam cha’
i.e. to enhance pure intellect , to inculcate love and integration among the
people and also hinsa i.e killing (this dhatu conveys these three meanings).But
it does not always mean killing or sacrifice and in Sanskrit no literal
translation will do where a particular word carries varied meanings and it has
to be applied judiciously and thoughtfully keeping in view the context of the
text. The words ‘purushmedha’ and
‘nriyajna’
are
synonyms. In manusmriti the word
‘nriyajna’
has been defined
as’nriyajnoatithipoojanam’
(manusmriti
·
3.70)
it means the pooja or honour of the guests. If we take the meaning of the root
‘medhri’ as sangamanarth it will come to be interpreted as
to organize the people for virtuous deeds or to enhance the love and equanimity
among them i.e. it would be ‘nriyajna’ or
‘purushmedh’. It may be pertinent to mention here that
‘nrimedha’ is a rishi of some vedic hymns of Samveda. It
can never mean the one who kills or sacrifices the human beings. Consequently,
the terms followed by medha always do not signify killing/sacrifice and
therefore the interpretations made by the Western scholars are utterly wrong
and unacceptable.
“Rashtram
va asvamedhah” i.e. Asvamedha means to manage or run the affairs of
the rashtra (country) in a befitting manner.
Now
to deal with the insinuation of the animal or cattle sacrifice in the Vedic
texts the following is stated:
On
p.32 of the book (ref.53), citing the RgVeda IV.18.13, it is stated that the
entrails of a dog were cooked in a situation of extreme destitution.
T.V.(transliterated
version) reads: avartya suna
antrani
pece na deveshu vivide marditaram
apasyam
jayam amahiyamanam adha me syeno madhv a
jabhara
Sayanacarya
reads as follows:
“In
the extreme destitution I have cooked the entails of a dog: I have not found a
comforter among the gods: I have beheld my wife disrespected: then the falcon,
(Indra), has brought to me sweet water”.
In
the english version of the Bhashya by Sw. Dayanand, it is stated that this hymn
deals with the duties of a ruler and it is translated as follows:
“O
king! I see you as one who provides protection from the mean person, who elopes
with my disrespected wife like a falcon. Such a wicked person cannot achieve
genuine knowledge from the enlightened persons. You must severe your
connections from such a man”. The purport of this verse is aptly
summed up as “O king! You should destroy men and women of
debaucherous nature after giving them severe punishment”.
In
the Hindi Bhashya by Sw.Dayanand, it is elaborated as follows:
O
king! One who takes over my disrespected wife like a hawk who digests the
non-usable body of a dog comprising of non-usable ‘nadis’
entrails should be punished…(The wicked man has been likened to a
hawk or falcon who pounces on the dog’s body and digests the same).
The word ‘pece’ here means one who digests and not the one
who cooks as per Wilson’s version.
In
the RgVeda Samhita with English translation by Swami Satya Prakash Sarasvati
and Satyakam Vidyalankar, this hymn reads as follows:
“Finally
the self, so lamented, in extreme destitution: What a shame to me that I have
committed a hineous crime as if cooking the entails of a dog (having forgotten
my Lord). I could find no comfort among Nature’s material forces.
Before my own eyes I have seen my wife, the beloved, disrespected. Then the enlightenment, in the form of
falcon from heaven, comes down and brings the sweet water”. [Manu, refers to a legend; Vamadeva, when
oppressed with hunger, took for his meals the flesh of dogs, but who was not
thus rendered impure; this he did for the preservation of his life. (Manu
X.106)]
The
above verse in no way supports consumption of dog’s meat.
Reference
has been made to the RgVeda mantra V.29.7
(p.29,
ref.18) to state that Agni roasted 300
buffaloes.
T.V.
: sakha sakhye apacat tuyam agnir asya kratva
mahisha
tri satani
tri
sakam indro manushah saransi sutam pibad
vritrahatyaya
somam
Wilson
has translated this as follows:
“To
aid (the understanding of) his friend, Agni, the friend (of Indra) has quickly
consumed three hundred buffaloes; and Indra, for destruction of Vrtra, has at
once quaffed vessels of Soma offered by Manu”.
Sw.Dayanand’s
rendering is as follows:
“The
Agni (in the form of the fire/energy and sun) soon illuminates three worlds in
the middle of the universe and drinks the water of the tanks (by drying it up),
and for the slaying the clouds ripens Soma and other things that lead to
prosperity in the long run (by increasing physical and mental strength). In the same manner, a friend by the power of
his intellect or actions, protects three hundred big animals (cattle wealth)
for the welfare of his friend”. Purport of this hymn is that the sun
manifests the gross objects that are above, below and in the middle. In the
same manner, a king should manifest all good, bad and indifferent dealings and
deal with all in a judicious manner.
Sw.Satya
Praksh and Satyakam have rendered it as follows:
“As
a friend to another friend, the cosmic fire ripens the sap of three hundred
fields and forests of people, and the Sun works for the destruction of
widespread darkness over the three regions, celestial, interspatial and terrestrial”.
The
comparison of the meaning will reveal that Wilson’s translation
stresses the roasting of buffaloes by Agni-the sun-god whereas it meant the
evaporating effect of the sun which causes rains resulting in the prosperity.
Sw.Dayanand has interpreted the phrase ‘mahisa tri satani’
to mean that it protects three hundred buffaloes or big animals.
The
Rgveda hymn VI.16.47 has been cited by Jha to emphasize that
‘oblations of food to the accompaniment of heart-felt hymns become
like bulls , oxen and cows in sacrifice’(p.41,ref.135) on the
strength of Mr.Kane.
T.V.:
a te agna rica havir hrida tashtam bharamasi
te
te bhavantukshana rishabhaso vasa uta
It
will be pertinent to quote its translated version by Wilson as follows:
“We
offer to you, Agni, the oblation sanctified by the heart, and (identified) with
the sacred verse may these vigorous bulls or the cows be (as such an oblation)
to you”.
Sw.Sataya
Prakash and Satyakam have rendered it as follows:
“We
offer to you, O Lord, the homage issuing forth from our hearts, and transmitted
in the words of the Vedic verses. May the virile bulls, bullocks and cows be
dear to you as your own”.
Repeatedly,
the error of literal translation causes damage to the spirit of the hymn since
the context of the hymns 46 & 47 is as to whom the mankind should adore.
But the hymn ‘te te bhavantu uksna rsabhaso vasa uta’ has
been interpreted to mean:
‘may
these vigorous bulls or cows be for you’. Mr. Jha has drawn erroneous
conclusion that bulls, oxen and cows are part of the food which is far from
truth.
In
the hymn of the RgVeda VI.17.11, Jha has inferred that Indra ate flesh of one
hundred buffaloes (p.29,ref.17)
T.V.:
vardhan yam visve marutah sajoshah pacac chatam
mahishan
indra tubhyam
pusha
vishnus trini saransi dhavan
vritrahanam
madiram ansum asmai
Its
translation by Wilson reads as under:
“For
you, Indra, whom all the Maruts, alike pleased, exalt, may Pusan and Visnu
dress for you a hundred buffaloes, and to him may the three streams flow with
the inebriating, foe-destroying Soma”.
Prakash
and Satyakam is as follows:
“O
innerself, all the vital faculties of human body, with one accord, exalt you.
Hundreds of great gifts are provided to you by all pervading and all sustaining
vital breaths. May the three joy-giving streams of nectar flow to him for
exhilaration and cure”.
Dr.
Krishan Lal, former Sanskrit Professor of
University
of Delhi has translated the word
‘mahisha’
as cloud and states that the phrase ‘pachhtam mahisha indra
tubhyam’ in this hymn actually means magnification of hundreds of
(many) clouds by the surya-the sungod. [Tankara Samachar dated July, 2002 at
p.13].
The
RgVeda hymn VIII.12.8(p.29,ref.19) has been cited to mean killing of a thousand
buffaloes.
T.V.:
yadi pravriddha satpate sahasram mahishan aghah
ad
it ta indriyam mahi pra vavridhe
The
hymn has been translated by Wilson as follows:
“Great
Indra, protector of the good, when you have slain thousands of mighty (foes),
then your vast and special energy has been augmented”.
In
Sw.Satya Prakash and Satyakam’s translation, it is rendered as
follows:
“O
powerful Lord of resplendence, the protector of truth, when you put an end to
hundreds of evils, your resplendence grows beyond limits”.
The
hymn’s translation by Wilson describes Indra as protector of the good
and relates augmentation of energy by slaying thousands of mighty (foes) but
Mr.
Jha
has restricted his vocabulary to mean it
buffaloes.
[This is only a literal translation or
deliberate
effort without caring for the context and spirit of the hymn]
The
RgVeda hymn VIII.19.5 has been cited by Jha (p.41, ref.134) to state
”a devout offering of praise or of a fuel stick or of cooked food was
as good as a more, solemn sacrifice”.
T.V.:
yah samidha ya ahuti yo vedena dadasa marto
agnaye
yo
namasa svadhvarah
Wilsons’
translation of this hymn is “The man who has presented (worship) to
Agni with fuel, with burnt offerings, with the Veda, with sacrificial food, and
is diligent in pious rites”.
Sw.Satya
Prakash and Satyakam’s interpretation reads as “The mortal,
who presents offering to the fire divine, with the fuel, with the oblations,
with the chanting of Vedic lores, and with reverence”.
Difference
in rendering of the hymns reveals that the slant of Wilson’s
translation is towards the ritual of sacrifice and so he could not capture the
spirit of the divine hymn.
Mr.Jha
cites RgVeda’s hymn VIII.43.11 to state that Indra’s food
is the ox and the barren cow (p.29, ref.22)
T.V.:
ukshannaya vasannaya somaprishthaya vedhase
Stomair
vidhemagnaye
This
hymn is translated by Wilson to read “Let us adore with hymns Agni,
the granter (of desires), the eater of the ox, the eater of the morrow on whose
back the libation is poured”
Sw.Satya
Prakash and Satyakam interpreted this hymn as “Let us adore with
hymns the fire-divine, who is fed on agricultural products, dairy products, and
who bears the herbal plants on the back”.
Jha
quotes Rgveda X.16.4 (p.30,ref.26) to argue that for disposal of the dead a
recourse is taken ‘to the burning of a goat which is the share of
Agni, and to use of the flesh of the cow to protect the body against the
flame’
T.V.:
ajo bhagas tapasa tam tapasva tam te socis
tapatu
tam te areih
yas
te sivas tanvo jatavedas tabhir vahainam
sukritam
u lokam
Mr.
Wilson’s translation of this verse reads as follows:
“The
unborn portion; burn that, Agni, with your heat; let your flame, your
spleandour, consume it; with those glorious members which have given him,
Jatavedas, bear him to the world (of the virtuous)”.
The
actual content of the hymn as per Sw.Satya Prakash and Satyakam’s
interpretation is as follows:
“O
fire divine, let your radiant flame and your glowing splendour make the
imperishable soul pure and bright, and with the auspicious body, which you
provide to him, may you convey him to the region of the virtuous”.
Verse
of RgVeda X.16.7 is also cited by Mr.Jha supported by Keith to substantiate his
theory regarding coverage of the dead body.
T.V.:
agner varma pari gobhir vyayasva sam prornushva
pivasa
medasa ca
net
tva dhrishnur harasa jarhrishano dadhrig
vidhakshyan
paryaukhayate
This
has been translated by Wilson to read as
follows:
“Enclose
the mail of Agni with the (hide of the) cow; cover it with the fat and marrow:
then will not (Agni), bold, exulting in his fierce heat, proud ,embrace you
round about to consume you (to ashes)”.
Prakash
and Satyakam:
“When
the body is being entirely consumed (on the funeral pyre) with the flames
brightened by butter, another body with new fat and new marrow is being
provided (to the departed soul in a fresh womb). May not this bold fire, exulted in his fierce heat, and full of
pride, embrace and consume your new body to ashes (which is being given to you
elsewhere)”.
RgVeda
hymn X.27.2 has been cited(p.29,ref.16) regarding killing of a bull.
T.V.:
yadid aham yudhaye samnayany adevayun tanva
susujanan
ama
te tumram vrishabham pacani tivram sutam
pancadasam
ni shincam
It
has been translated by Wilson to read “If I encounter in combat the
undevout, resplendent in their bodies, then will I cook a vigorous bull for
them, and will sprinkle (upon the fire) the exhilarating effused juice the
fifteenfold (Soma)”.
Sw.Satya
Prakash and Satyakam render its interpretation to read “If I lead my
friends to battle against the dark clouds of nescience, unfaithful but strong
in physical strength, then having dispelled the darkness, I shall impel the
furious and vigorous sun, and thereafter, sprinkle on the earth exhilarating
peace of the full moonlight”.
[
the term ‘vrishabham’ is translated by Wilson as bull but
according to Mr.S.N.Shastri it is the strength which helps to shower grace on
the praja i.e. people and the term ‘pacani’ does not mean
that ‘I cook’ but instead it is ‘I lead it to
fruition or expansion or exaltation’]
According
to Mr.Jha, Indra is said to have eaten the
flesh
of bulls (p.29,ref.15) as per RgVeda hymn X.28.3
T.V.:
adrina te mandina indra tuyan sunvanti soman
pibasi
tvam esham
pacanti
te vrishabhan atsi tesham prikshena
yan
maghavan huyamanah”
Mr.Wilson’s
translation of this hymn states as follows:
“(Vasukra
speaks) Your worshippers express with the stone fast flowing exhilarating
Soma-juices for you, you drink them; they roast bulls for you, you eat them,
when you are invoked, Maghavan, to the sacrificial food”.
Sw.Satya
Prakash and Satyakam render its
interpretation
as follows:
“(Day
speaks) O sovereign Lord, the worshippers express their devotion through
exhilarating prayers and dedicated actions (just as herb juice pressed through
stones); you accept them and drink; they cook the strengthening and
joy-showering foods for you and when invoked, you accept their
invocation”.
Here
again, the terms ‘vrishabh’ and
‘pacanti’
have done the damage as in the
preceding
hymn X.27.2
Mr.Jha
has cited RgVeda X.68.3 (p.33, ref.64) to state that the killing of the kine to
honour guests seems to have been prevalent from earlier times.
T.V.:
sadhvarya atithinir ishira sparhah suvarna
anavadyarupah
brihaspatih
parvatebhyo viturya nir ga upe
yavam
iva sthivibhyah
[the
term ‘atithinir’ has been interpreted as ‘cows
fit for guests’
Mr.Wilson’s
translation reads as follows:
“Brhaspati
brings unto (the gods), after extricating them from the mountains, the cows
that are the yielders of pure (milk), ever in motion, the objects of search and
desire, well coloured and of unexceptionable form, (as men bring) barley from
the granaries”.
Sw.Satya
Prakash and Satyakam have translated this hymn as follows:
“The
supreme sun first makes a search of cows (i.e. rays or the lost wisdom), and
finds them hidden in the caves of mountains (i.e. behind the clouds); he
recovers and extricates these (cows or rays) which furnish pure milk (or rays
furnishing light), ever in motion, worthy of search, worth coveting, of
splendid colours, and of exceptional forms. They are set free (from hiding) as
barley from the granaries”.
Atithinih
means – ever in motion or constantly moving [atithini: satatam
gachhanti- Sayan]
According
to Shri Satyanand Shastri, Prof. Griffith has translated this hymn as follows:
“Brhaspati
having won them from the mountains, strewed down, like barley out of the
winnowing baskets; the vigorous, wandering cows who aid the pious, desired of
all, of blameless form, well coloured”.
Mr.Jha
has again erred immensely to prove his stand.
RgVeda
hymn X.85.13 has been cited by Jha (p.33, ref.
66) to point out that it refers to the slaughter of a cow on the occasion
of marriage.
T.V.:
suryaya vahatuh pragat savita yam avasrijat
aghasu
hanyante gavo rjunyoh pary nhyatc
It
has been translated by Mr. Wilson as follows:
“Surya’s
bridal procession which Savita dispatched has advanced; the oxen are whipped
along in the Magha (constellations); she is borne (to her husband’s
house) in the Arjuni (constellations)”.
Sw.Satya
Prakash and Satyakam’s rendering is “The bridal procession
of the Sun’s daughter, which the divine mother creator dispatches,
moves along; the oxen of the chariot are whipped along in the MAGHA
constellations; she is taken to her husband’s house in the ARJUNI
(Phalguna) constellations”.
RgVeda
hymn X.86.14 has been singled out by Mr.Jha(p.21,ref.14) to underline the
practice of eating beef.
T.V.:
ukshno hi me pancadasa sakam pacanti vinsatim
utaham
admi piva id ubha kukshi prinanti me
visvasmad
indra uttarah
This
hymn has been translated by Mr. Wilson as follows:
“(Indra
speaks) The worshippers dress for me fifteen (and) twenty bulls: I eat them and
(become) fat, they fill both sides of my belley; Indra is above all (the
world)”.
Sw.
Satya Prakash and Satyakam interpret this verse as follows:
“(The
Self speaks) The worshippers ripen for me fifteen and twenty matured showerers
of blessings and thereafter I fill the spaces with essence on both sides of my
form. The Self is supreme over all.
[Fifteen= 10 Pranas (vital breaths) and 5 bhootas+Twenty= 5 tanmatras
(colour,taste,sound,smell and touch)+ 5 elements+ 5 organs of sense+ 5
motor-organs]”.
RgVeda
hymn X.91.14 has been cited by Mr.Jha to illustrate that Indra’s food
is the ox and the barren cow etc. (p.30, refs.22-25).
T.V.:
yasminn asvasa rishabhasa ukshano vasa mesha
avasrishtasa
ahutah
kilalape
somaprishthaya vedhase hrida matim
janaye
carum agnaye
This
has been translated by Mr.Wilson as follows:
“I
offer graceful praise with all my heart to Agni , the drinker of water, whose
back is sprinkled with Soma, the ordainer (of the rite), to whom vigorous
horses and bulls and barren cows and sheep are consigned as burnt
offerings”.
Translation
by Sw.Satya Prakash and Satyakam reads as follows:
“I
offer my words of appreciation with sincerity at my heart to the fire- divine,
the absorber of water, to whom the oblations of herbal juices (mixed with
curds) are offered and to whom every living being like vigorous horses, bulls,
milching cows and barren ones, sheep and goat (and even men) are consigned
after their death ( i.e. to the Kravya-agni, the cremating fire)”.
It
will be pertinent to add here that in his Hindi booklet entitled “Kya
pracheen arya log mansahari the?”, Shri Satyanand Shastri has dealt
in detail some of the Vedic references cited by Mr.Jha and they are further
capable of falsifying the interpretations deduced by the author of this
derogatory book. To facilitate their consultation and close understanding, the
following information is furnished:
RgVeda
X.16.7 pp.17-20
RgVeda
X.27.2 pp.20-21
RgVeda
X.28.3 pp.21-23
RgVeda
X.68.3 pp.29-30
RgVeda
X.85.13pp.11-15
RgVeda
X.86.14pp.26
The
thesis of Mr.Jha through his book under scrutiny has also denigrated the Vedic
deities namely, Agni,Indra, Pusan,Maruta, Mitra,Soma,Varuna,Visnu etc. by mentioning that they were fond of eating
flesh of animals specially of the bulls, buffaloes , cows etc. Pages 29-30 of the book mention that Agni
liked buffaloes, Indra had special liking for bulls, Pusan ate mush, Maruts,
Mitra and Varuna liked cows etc. All these terms denote the various names of
the God and indirectly Mr.Jha has tried to prove Him to be meat-eater .i.e the
Creator Himself eating its own creation , a great PARADOX in itself. Mr.Jha
could not comit a greater sin than this, he being descendent of the Brahamanic
lineage has abused his scholarship and ran to London to get his book published
to earn recognition from his patrons who wish to denigrate the Hindus and their
Heritage.
Some
references from the Vedas and Mahabharata which condemn the killing of cows:
AtharvaVeda
I.16.4 Kill the killer of the cow with the bullet of lead.
Atharva
Veda III.30.1 You should impart love to each other as the non-killable cow does
for its calf RgVeda VII.56.17 Punish the killer of the cow and the man.
RgVeda
VIII.101.15 Cow is pure, do not kill it.
‘Aghanya’
the cow which is not to be killed according Vedic edicts, their heads should be
chopped off. [Translation of this verse in full in Sw.
Satya
Praksh ‘s version reads:”O fire
divine,
you may tear off the heads of the
evil-spirited
cannibal who lives on the flesh of men
and
who satisfies himself with the flesh of horses and
cattle
and who steals for himself the milk of
milch-cow”.]
YajurVeda
XIII.49 Do not kill the cow.
YajurVeda
XXX.18 Award death sentence to the killer of the cow.
Mahabharata-
Shantiparva 262.47 Cow is called ‘aghanya’ and thus
non-killable.
Vedas:
AtharvVeda
XI.1.34 states “dhenuh sadnam rayeenham” i.e.
‘cow is the fountainhead of all the bounties’.
The
entire Sukta 28 of VIth Mandala of the RgVeda sings glory of the cow.
(seven
hymns alongwith their full text and Hindi translation could be seen in the book
entitled “Gyan Ganga Sagar-Vol.II” at pp.100-103). RgVeda VI.28.3 states ‘enemy may
not use any astra i.e. weapon on cows’
RgVeda
VI.28.4 states ‘no body should take them to butcherhouse to kill
them’
RgVeda
VI.28.5 states ‘milk of cow is used in the first offering (ahuti) to
Soma’
YajurVeda
XXIII.48 states “Gostu matra n vidyate” i.e. Cow cannot be
compared with anything.
Scriptures
of Sikhism:
In
Dashamgranth, Gurugovind Singhji prays to God as follows:
Yahi
deh agya tark ko khapaun Goghat ka dukh jagat se mitaun Aas poornh karo tum
hamari Mite kasht gauan chhoote khed bhari [He desired to remove the cow
slaughter from the world and save them from any torture]
Aadigranthsahab
states as follows:
Doodh
katore garhve paani Kapila gaai
namey
duh aani
[ It
is in praise of the cow’s milk]
Swami
Dayanand was the first crusader against cow slaughter and his book
‘Gokarunanidhi’[Ocean of mercy for the cow] is a living
testimony which speaks of his inner feelings on the subject. It was written on
24th February, 1881. This treatise has three sections namely 1)
Discussion of the essential principles 2) Rules and 3) Sub-rules. This
stipulates constitution of a society for preservation and protection of the
cows. Swamiji pleaded with the British officials to stop cow slaughter and
personally met Col. Brooks, political agent of Rajasthan and Mr.Muir,
Lt.Governor of N.W.P.(now Uttar Pradesh) to state that the cow was the backbone
of the Indian economy and soul of its socio-cultural fabric. At the instance of
Swamiji, Maharaja Sajjansingh of Udaipur and Maharaja Jaswantsingh of Jodhpur
banned the long prevailing practice of slaughter of animals in their
states. Swamiji even drafted an appeal
that was to be submitted to the Queen Victoria duly signed by two crore Indians
but this work was interrupted due to death of Swamiji in 1883. He deeply felt
for the cow and waged a battle for its cause. His intense love for the cow
cannot be described in words but his mission of banning cow slaughter was cut
short by his death which needs to be accomplished.
Regarding
Western Indologists, a revealing document entitled “Western
Indologists: A study in motives” was written by an eminent Vedic
scholar Shri Bhagavad Datta and published by Itihasa Prakashana Mandala in
1954. While quoting their designs at the behest of their masters, Shri Bhagvad
Datta states as follows:
“They
received enormous financial aid from their Governments and also from the
British Government in India, which they freely used in writing articles,
pamphlets and books propagating their reactionary views in a very subtle and
disguised manner. It was their careful endeavour not to give themselves away
and to mislead the world and the people of Bharatavarsha under the cloak of
scholarship and impartiality. They might have pretty well succeeded in their
work had not their applecart been upset by Svami Dayananda Sarasvati, who
ruthlessly exposed their nefarious designs. Svamiji was man of unique
personality, indomitable courage, keen intellect and far-reaching vision and
imagination. He had come in contact with many European scholars of his time. He
had met George Buhler, Monier Williams, Rudolf Hoernle, Thibaut and others who
had worked with Christian zeal in the field of Sanskrit research. He was the
first man whose penetrating eye could not fail to see through the ulterior
motives of their research work, although the common run of people in
Bharatavarsha and even most of the learned men in the employ of the Government
here had permitted themselves to be deluded by their so-called profound
scholarship, strict impartiality, scientific and liberal outlook. He gave a timely warning to the people of
his country and to a great extent succeeded in saving them from the clutches of
these pseudo-scholars and clandestine missionaries”.
Bankim
Chandra Chattopadhyaya on Albert Weber, another
German
Indologist
“The
celebrated Weber was no doubt a scholar but I am inclined to think that it was
an unfortunate moment for India when he began the study of Sanskrit. The descendants of the German savages of
yesterday could not reconcile themselves to the ancient glory of India. It was
therefore, their earnest effort to prove that the civilization of India was
comparatively of recent origin. They could not persuade themselves to believe
that the Mahabharata was composed centuries before Christ was
born”.[English translation of Hindi version of his work entitled
“Krishan Charitra,3rd parichhed”]
I.There
is urgent need to propagate Vedas’ commentary by Sw. Dayanand
Saraswati to halt further damage and Aryasamaj should take a lead to publicise
the English translations rendered by Acharya Dharam Dev Vidyamartanda published
by Sarvdeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Delhi and the other by Sw. Satya Prakash
Saraswati and Shri Satyakam Vidyalankar published by Veda Pratishthan, Delhi
for the English knowing scholars/ masses in India and abroad and also such
Vedic centers/universities and it be ensured that Bhashya by Sw. Dayanand forms
an integral part of the curriculum of all national and international
universities. This could be accomplished by apex bodies of Aryasamaj like Arya
Parinidhi Sabhas of various Indian states and Sarvdeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha,
Delhi. They should also launch a drive/ programmes to highlight the special
features adopted by Sw. Dayanand Saraswati while rendering the
Bhashya/commentary of Vedas vis-à-vis discrepancies and anomalies in earlier
commentaries and the translations by foreign and vested Indian scholars whose
motive was to denigrate the Indian and Vedic culture and this aspect had been
thoroughly exposed by the Vedic scholar Shri Bhagwad Datta in his publication
“Western Indologists: a study in motives”.
II.We
need to support and pursue measures for spreading the teaching and learning of
the Sanskrit language by all possible means because the entire spiritual
literature inherited by us is in this divine language.
III.We
should demand a ban on cow slaughter in India and take suitable legal action
and approach the Government of India to also impose a ban on the book *The myth
of the holy cow by D.N.Jha, a historian from University of Delhi which severely
injures the sentiments of majority community of this nation who love and admire
the cow as their mother and also direct Mr. Jha to apologise for
misinterpretation and misrepresentation of our sacred texts as brought out in
this paper (Overwhelming majority of signatories on the petition online have
already supported this stand). It is a challenge for the entire humanity who
regard ancient Indian and Vedic civilization to be an ideal and a noble legacy
and the RgVeda is acknowledged to be the oldest document (scripture) on this
planet.
·
its
synopsis printed on the jacket of the book reads:
“The
growth of religious fundamentalism in India is symbolized by the existence of a
BJP government committed to the Hindutva. There is growing pressure to declare
the cow a sacred, national animal and to ban its slaughter. The Myth of the
Holy Cow is an illuminating response to this crazed confessionalism. It
challenges obscurantist views on the sanctity of the cow in Hindu tradition and
Culture. Dwijendra Narayan Jha, a leading Indian historian, argues that beef
eating played an important part in the cuisine of ancient India, long before
the birth of Islam. It was very much a feature of the approved Brahamanical and
Buddhist diet. The evidence he produces from a variety of religious and secular
texts is compelling. His opponents, including the current government of India
and the fundamentalist groups backing it, have demanded that the book should be
ritually burned in public. It has already been banned by the Hyderabad Civil
Court and the author’s life has been threatened”.
P.S.
Beseides two main articles ‘clouds over
understanding
of the Vedas’ being on the website
www.aryasamaj.org these are also available
on website
www.love4cow.com, www.india-forum.com; and was
published
in the journal Vedic Science in its issue
dated
July-September,Vol.4,No.3(2002) and
recently
these articles were reproduced in the
Publication
No.31 of Shiksha bachao aandolan samiti,Delhi as evidence in Delhi High Court.
B..D.Ukhul
is a former Librarian of Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi and
presently Up-pradhan of the Aryasamaj, C Block, Janakpuri, New Delhi-110058.
Email
address: deeukhal @ yahoo.co.uk
Res.Address:
C2A/58, Janakpuri, New Delhi-110058
Tel.:
25525128, 9313749812
The
objects of the Brahmasha India Vedic Research
Foundation
(a registered Trust) shall be all or any of
the
following:-
a)
To establish, promote, aid and run BRAHMASHA INDIA VEDIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION
oriented to the Vedic ideology with a focus on the propagation of the divine
Vedic texts, their thought and philosophy in order to inculcate the virtuous
qualities amongst Indians whose roots are in the Ancient land earlier known as
ARYAVARTA and achieve the objective Krinvanto Vishwamaryam and spread the aura
of the ancient glorious Indian Vedic culture or sanskriti.
b)
To undertake research and/or otherwise promote the ancient scriptures e.g. the
Vedas, Vedangas, Brahamanas, Upanishads,Valmiki Ramayana, Mahabharata, Shrimad
Bhagwadgita, Manusmriti etc. in particular and others in general.
c)
To promote the study of Yogadarshan (Yogic Philosophy) in particular to develop
the right attitude towards life and help individuals to attain the ultimate
goal of life while possessing a sound mind in a sound body and conduct yoga
classes and encourage yogic therapy to ensure sound health and self discipline.
d)
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systems, accu-pressure and other alternate systems of medicine/therapy.
e)
To try to remove misapprehensions about our ancient culture and counter the
false propaganda against our ancient scriptures by vested national and
international interests. To ensure that the Vedic and other sacred texts are
rightly interpreted and wage a movement to counter misinterpretations
undertaken by Western scholars and their stooges in India.
f)
To take up the issues for the rightful deduction of facts of the Indian history
which has unfortunately been the most misinterpreted and misrepresented by
vested interests, biased Indian and Western historians to denigrate the Indian
ethos.
g)
To devise ways and means to promote the learning of
‘Sanskrit’ language which is the vehicle of our sacred
books/heritage entrusted to us by the ancient rishis/sages and this divine
language is universally acknowledged to be the most systematic and scientific
language.
h)
To take suitable steps to inculcate the virtues of our idols Rama and Krishna and
other saints/rishis amongst our citizens and make our citizens conscious and
proud of their rich and un-paralleled heritage.
i)
To curb the evils prevailing in the society and enhance mutual love and respect
for all sections of society and realize the dream of Ram-Rajya of Mahatma
Gandhi where all citizens should enjoy equal opportunities irrespective of
sex/caste/creed and religion.
j)
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creation of the Almighty God.
k)
To facilitate and undertake publication of newsletters, research papers, books,
journals and production of films, Video and Audio Cassettes/CDs etc. and to
sell or otherwise distribute and dispose off in any manner for better
exposition of universal human values, for physical and spiritual health and
happiness.
l) To
promote, propagate, set-up, sponsor, aid or take
over
educational institutions, libraries, study
circles,
centers for the spread of literacy,
exhibitions
of educational and moral values, centers for the study of sacred texts and
Indian philosophy and centers for the spread of the Sanskrit language all over
the country and abroad.
m)
To promote women’s empowerment and welfare and to evolve and set-up
an effective machinery for training dedicated, competent social, health workers
from amongst men and women with a view to deploy them in various fields of
service all over the country and abroad.
n)
To focus on children and the youth to inculcate morality, good habits and
respect for their parents, teachers and elders and encourage their rational
attitude towards life so that they grow to become responsible, ideal and
patriotic citizens.
o) To
incorporate or to grant affiliation to
institutions
and/or to receive affiliation from
institutions
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p)
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the
needy; and to give contribution