Re: Religion this week: Q & A about Hinduism
No offense at all - I am learning as well in the process [as an aside - a very revered Maharishi wanted to master the Vedas completely; through penance he requested and acquired three lifetimes to do. Towards the end of the third, Indra (one of the demi Gods) happened to visit him. The Maharishi asked Indra for another lifetime, because he had not been able to accomplish mastery of the Vedas. Indra led him to face a mountain and stopped him at a distance from it; then walked to and brought three fistfuls of sand from the mountains. The Maharishi understood that a fourth fistful won’t accomplish much more in bringing the mountain closer].
On your pt 1> why? What is the definition of God you are referring to? and what reasoning are you using to connect that definition to the conclusion that it cannot be? Finally, If there can be two distinct definitions called God and Man, can’t there be a third one called demigods? If there can only be two definitions God and Man, where would other lifeforms such as animals figure in?
On your pt 2> your quote of Yajur Veda is something very common on the internet, made famous by voices such as Zakir Naik. Again the problem arises from not seeking a Guru to learn the Vedas but rather rely on ones’ own ability to comprehend written material as if it is a story book! It is like thinking you have become a doctor by just reading the prescribed text for MBBS/MD! You cannot even become a CA/CPA by just reading but somehow people think they can understand the Ultimate Truth by reading alone!
I already demonstrated the mistakes of such approach through the example of the Bhagvat Gita reference you had asked about. Similarly (but as briefly as I can and to the limits of my understanding) will offer following on your Yajur Veda reference:
Probbaly due to the popularity of Zakir Naik, his mistakes also get widely propogated amongst Muslims and even amongs Hindus. This is one such case. Somebody told him Sambuthi means created and therefore asambuthi means natural. In reality this verse / mantra you have referenced has NOTHING to do with created or manmade.
Yajur Veda, Chapter 40:
In these, God is imploring us to understand not just Creation but also Destruction. The outcome of worship (=understanding and action) of Asambuthi leads us to conquer death and the worship (=understanding and action) Sambhuthi leads to immortality (= Ultimate Truth). (Again refer my earlier posts and the progression of souls towards Ultimate Truth). Both are required - so God says:
9: Don’t worship only sambuthi or asambuthi
10: The outcome effects of sambuthi and asambuthi are different
11: Hence worship (=understand and act upon) both
The actual mantras here for your reference.
Mantra 9: **अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येसंभूतीमुपसते |
ततो भूय ऽ इव ते तमो य ऽ उ संभुत्याः रताः ||
**Mantra 10:**अन्य देवाहुः सम्भवादन्यदाहुरसम्भावात् |
**इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद्विचचक्षिरे ||
Mantra 11:संभूतिं च विनाशं च यस्त द्वेदोभय सह | ****
विनाशेन मृत्युं तीर्त्वा संभूत्यामृतमश्नुते ||
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Those people enter into darkness, who worships only “Asambhuti”, and those too enters into darkness who worship only “Sambhuti”;**We have heard from that Devata, who said the above (40:9) to us, that the effect of worshiping the “Sambhuti” has a different effect then worshiping the “Asambhuti”.; Hence know the art of “Sambhuti” as well as the “Vinash”. With worshiping the art of Vinash, you can win over the death, and by worshiping the art of Sambhuti you can become immortal.
Hope this helps
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