Vedas - An Unbiased View (Part 19)

In this Part-19: Irrespective of belief in God, any religion, if they want to be called a religion, have to preach Dharma (righteousness) and adharma (unrighteousness). Otherwise they can't be called a religion at all. Such a belief which doesn't even accept righteousness and unrighteousness can only result in mutual crimes in the society. So, any religion in the first place shall accept Dharma-adharma as a minimum. Once the belief in Dharma-adharma is accepted, then the religion shall accept eternal sounds or the Vedās. If some religion argues that eternity is not possible, then their Dharma-adharma becomes baseless. How?

If some authored texts preach Dharma-adharma independent of Vedās, then that author shall be omniscient. The human knowledge independent of Vedās depends on sensual perception; whereas Dharma-adharma does not have a form, taste or smell and cannot be perceived by senses, however they do exist. Dharma-adharma cannot be established by human inference as well. We see nescience, bias and deceiving nature in humans and from our own experience, we are not omniscient. Hence, individual opinions and authored texts independent of eternal Vedās cannot become the basis for Dharma-adharma.

God, though omniscient, clearly says in scriptures that He is not the author of Vedās.

Vedās are the authority for the very reason they are eternal. Because, in authored scriptures, an author's defect is seen in his work as well. Hence, if a religion says eternal unauthored sounds are not possible, then their preachings on Dharma-adharma becomes baseless and without establishing this Dharma-adharma, one cannot claim some belief as religion or a philosophy at all.

Hence, in the first place, Śrī Madhvācārya establishes that the eternal sounds (Vedās) are to be accepted. Are Vedās really eternal and how are they eternal will all be discussed when we advance in the debates.

About the Author
Sri. Srinivasan was born in Chennai in 1984 to CMHM Pranesh and P. Rukmani.  A Mechanical engineer by profession, he started his religious studies under Pujya Sri “Chrompet” Sridharan.  He is currently learning from Pt. Pujya Sri. Narayana Acharya of Srirangam.

Sri. Srinivasan is very actively engaged in Siddhanta Prachara under the tutelage of his Gurugaly Pt. Sri. Narayanacharya