JOIN USThe Vedas are the oldest recorded literature of the world, going back to 800 BC and earlier. Revered as the revelations of the Lord himself, they are repositories of knowledge pertaining to right conduct, duties of man, the need to realize the true purpose of one's birth, the methods to be adopted to rise above the limitations of earthly life in order to attain to higher levels of consciousness and so on.
The first of the quartet is the Rigveda. Replete with prayers for grace and guidance, this text seeks to nudge man out of his wayward ways and embark on the path to moral emancipation. The sense organs of the human body are like the gates to the house, which can allow entry to desirable persons or deny it to the unworthy. The true purpose of the sense organs is to assist in self uplift and service to others.
Thus, it is that the Rigveda says "may we hear with our ears words that are auspicious, may we see with our eyes sights that are auspicious, may our limbs and bodies be strong and may we sing your praises to attain the life span that is allotted to us."
If the laws of the state are meant to regulate man's earthly conduct and lead a balanced life, there is a moral law which also seeks to regulate man's conduct. It is meant not only for his wellbeing, but for the wellbeing of humanity as a whole. Transgressing this moral law may not immediately attract penalties as with man- made laws, but the implications of these transgressions are far reaching, carrying over into future lives also.
Therefore, the Rigveda says "for one who desires to abide by the moral law, the winds, the waters, the crops and herbs, all become sweet for him. For him who goes with the flow of nature, co-existing in harmony with all, he experiences bliss. With this in view, the Rigveda prays for the beneficial, life giving care of the wind, the sun, the water bodies like rivers and streams, the earth which is the support of all, the life giving rains and the propitious rains.