1. Introduction to the Four Vedas

INTRODUCTION Ayurveda, is the only known method of treatment, that has helped in sustaining the health of the Indian people traditionally for over 3000 years. Every nation, has its their own traditional method of treatment, which exists even among its tribal groups. These traditional methods of treatment take care of their health-physical, mental and spiritual. Ayurveda is the root treatment method in the field of veterinary medicine also, and hence it is evident that basic Ayurvedic principles are effective for all human beings. The Vedas depict various treatment methods, which can only be viewed upon with awe. The method adopted by Asvinidevas, Lord Indra etc. for their awe inspiring treatment methods described in the Rgveda are vague. The methods adopted to rejuvenate life, eyesight, hearing, youth etc. are still undefined and unattainable to the basic human knowledge. Contradictory to Rgveda, where praises and songs are used along with medicines, mantras and uchatanas are employed in Atharvaveda and it can be seen that these magical techniques work as an aphrodisiacs to these medicines. It is evident that a very developed treatment method existed in our country. The following 2

chapter describes the relation between Ayurveda and Veda. Indian medical science is popularly known as 'Ayurveda' which 1 means 'the Veda of life. The beginning of medical science goes. back to the age of Vedas.2 The Vedic Indians, who wanted to live for hundred full years with prosperity and good health, developed a holistic approach in the field of healthcare and medical systems, which emphasizes the physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual aspects of a human being. VEDA The word "Veda" means knowledge. ³ Historically, this knowledge took the form of word and chant. Four kinds of knowledge are specified as the property of Brahmin priests, the hereditary keepers of tradition. The Rgveda or knowledge of the hymns, the Samaveda or knowledge of the chants, the Yajurveda or knowledge of the ritual directions, and the Atharvaveda is more a heterogeneous collection of spells which teach sorcery directed against hostile agencies such as diseases, noxious animals, demons, enemies etc. These four divisions reflect a division of labour amongst the priestly elite as to who was to do what, and it meant that knowledge 3

itself was organized around the performance of yajna or sacrifice. For the Vedic Aryans Yajna is the central action that was meant to motivate and sustain the entire universe. The Vedas are the words and chants accompanying the actions and served to argument and vitalize the actions into having cosmic power; without sacrifice, the sun would not rise in the morning; nor would the cattle grow and multiply; nor would the crops flourish throughout the year. The possibility of long and healthy life for humans and the worship of the fathers or ancestors after death would not be present. According to the Indian world view, every thing stands linked together by a series of causes. That is, behind each thing, there will be a cause. The Vedas contain the search and discovery of the reality. of things and this is the only truth. The whole of human life and nature, is spiritually significant, and anything that threatens this is to be considered evil. The Vedic insight into the nature of truth, accordingly, provides a means to distinguish what is true and realize rsi from that, which is false and evil. The rsi is the Vedic seer, the sage who directly perceives truth unfolding through the successive layers of reality. 4

The Rsis are the ones who perceived it to the ultimate truth and succeeding generations the ways and means of finding this truth. In the light of this transferred knowledge, Indianness was born, developed and expanded. This is the essence of Indian culture. The Vedas contain the best lessons of the discovery of truth,5 absolute, ultimate truth. It is believed that the Vedas are eternal. They are without beginning and end. An ignorant man may say how a book can be without beginning or end. By the Vedas, no books are meant. Vedas came out of the breath of the Lord. They are the words of God. The Vedas are not the utterances of human beings. They are not the composition of any human mind. They were never written, never created. 6 7 Vedas are eternal and impersonal. Vedas are eternal spiritual truths. Vedas are an embodiment of divine knowledge. The books may be destroyed, but the knowledge cannot be destroyed. Knowledge is eternal. In that sense, the Vedas are eternal. The Vedas are the Divine scriptures of ancient India and date of composition can be traced as far back as 12,000 B.C. Although it is generally accepted that the Vedas appear at different times of the cosmic creation for the benefit of human society. They are considered 5

to be the revelations of the divine nature, and its relationship within and without us. It may rightly assumed that the same conception is in question in both Veda and Vedanta. This psychological conception is a truth which is the truth of divine essence, not truth of mortal sensation and appearance. 'mantra' is the term used to mean divine sound vibration or the word of God. There are teachings of mantras (hymns), teachings of ritual, theology, and philosophy at the root of all the Vedic sciences. The point of all is the knowledge of the soul called 'atma vidya', being our real 'self' separate and distinct from the material body and the material world which surrounds us. AGE OF VEDAS The date of the Vedas has never been fixed 10. It can never be fixed. Accurate dating is uncertain." Vedas, the bedrock upon which Ayurveda rests are considered to be composed around 1500-2000 BC. Rgveda has lots of stuff, Samaveda has soma sacrifice, Yajurveda has entire sacrificial rite and Atharvaveda consists of nonreligious (1200 BC) 12, lots of medical text (fever, diarrheas, heart disease, jaundice, cough, leprosy). Authoritative supplements are Brahmanas, Aranyakas (the forest books 13, on treatises for sadhus 6

living in the wilderness.) and Upanisads (self development spiritual text, philosophy, meditation, and the nature of God). End of Vedic period (500 BC) 14 subsequent text deriving from primary Vedic samhitas laid more emphasis on the dharma of self development with explicit spiritual and philosophical content. Vedanta derived from Upanisads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Puranas are attributed to AD 320 to 520 namely 'tales of ancient times'. FOUR VEDAS The Veda is divided into four 15 great books Rgveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and the Atharvaveda. The Rgveda is the oldest and is the 16 source of mantra, as well as the earliest mentions of astronomy, astrology, and Ayurveda. The other three Vedas evolved from the Rgveda. The Samaveda renders hymns of the Rgveda and places them in arrangements of notes and music. Samaveda enables us to understand the essence or meaning of the Rgveda. The Yajurveda brings deals with various rituals. 17 It is for the purification and elevation of consciousness teaching rituals meant to able to uncover the higher self thus, rising above the dictates of false ego and mundane mind. The Atharvaveda is believed. to the youngest of the Vedas 18 and has the hymns and essence of 7

the other Vedas, but includes much more practical science for the elevation of humans who are not able to grasp the essence of divinity. on the highest levels. One can gain profound, great insight into astronomical and medical sciences, besides principles of yoga and spiritual meditation on levels which can be practiced even by ordinary people. Each of the Veda is divided into three parts the Samhitas, Brahmanas and the Aranyakas. Ayurveda has been described as the essence of all Vedas. Some opine that it is the fifth Veda. Every Veda has an upaveda of its own. Ayurveda which comes under the 20 19 Atharvaveda, is also regarded as upaveda of Rgveda. Whether Ayurveda is the upaveda of Rgveda or Atharvaveda that is lying Atharvaveda consists 20 Khandas scattered in the Vedic literature. and they have been divided in to three divisions such as; Prapathaka, Anuvaka, Sukta. It has nine Sakhas as Saunaka, Touda, Moda etc. Out of nine, Saunaka and Pippalada are the only two which are available now. Most of the Ayurvedic literature can be found only in the Saunakiya branch. While explaining the Vedic authenticity, Gautama take mantra and Ayurveda as a cause of aptapramana in Nyayasutra. Only after 8

proper practice mantra will be effective. So Ayurveda is just like mantra, it will be effective with proper practice and experience. Both Ayurveda and mantra should be learned through the proper guidance of a guru. Both are effective because of a trusted guru's grace.