Anamika: This Religion Had No Name
Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi
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We speak of the “Hindu religion“, but the religion denoted by the term did not in fact have such a name originally . According to some, the word “Hindu“ means “love“; others say a Hindu is one who disapproves of himsa or violence. The term “Hindu religion“ does not occur in any ancient shastra ...The name “Hindu“ was given to us by foreigners. People from the West came to our land across the Sindhu River which they called “Indus“ or “Hind“ and the land adjacent to it by the name “India“. The religion of this land came to be called “Hindu“. The name of a neighbouring country is sometimes applied to the land adjacent to it ... However it may be, “Hinduism“ was not the name of our religion in the distant past. Nor was it known as “Vaidika Mata“ (vedic religion or as “sanatana dharma“ the ancient or timeless religion). Our basic texts do not refer to our faith by any name.When I thought about it I felt that there was something deficient about our religion. All religions barring our own (Hindu religion) were established by single individuals. “Buddhism“ is named after Gautama Buddha; Jainism was founded by the Jina called Mahavira. Christianity has its origin in Jesus Christ.Our religion predating all these had spread all over the world. Since there was no other religion to speak about then it was not necessary to give it a name. When I recognised this fact I felt at once that there was no need to be ashamed of the fact that our religion had no name in the past.On the contrary , I felt proud about it ...Then who established it? Who was the founder of the Hindu religion? Was it Vyasa, who composed the Brahmasutra?
Or was it Krishna Paramatman who gave us the Bhagwad Gita? But both Vyasa and Krishna state that the vedas existed before them. If that be the case, are we to point to the rishis, the seers who gave us vedic mantras, as founders of our religion? But they themselves declare: “We did not create the vedas. When we chant a mantra we touch our head with our hand mentioning the name of one seer or another.“
But the sages themselves say: “It is true that the mantras became manifest to the world through us.That is why we are mentioned as the `mantra rishis'. But the mantras were not composed by us but revealed to us. When we sat meditating with our minds under control, the mantras were perceived by us in space.Indeed we saw them (hence the term mantra-drastas). We did not compose them (the seers are not mantra-kartas).“
All sounds originate in space. From them arose creation. According to science, the cosmos was produced from vibrations in space. By virtue of their austerities, sages had the gift of seeing the mantras in space, mantras that liberate men from this creation. The vedas are apauruseya (not the work of any human author) and are the very breath of the Paramatman in his form as space. The sages saw them and made a gift of them to the world.
If we know this truth, we have reason to be proud of the fact that we do not know who founded our religion.In fact we must feel happy that we have the great good fortune to be heirs to a religion that is eternal, a religion containing the vedas which are the very breath of the Paramatman.
Or was it Krishna Paramatman who gave us the Bhagwad Gita? But both Vyasa and Krishna state that the vedas existed before them. If that be the case, are we to point to the rishis, the seers who gave us vedic mantras, as founders of our religion? But they themselves declare: “We did not create the vedas. When we chant a mantra we touch our head with our hand mentioning the name of one seer or another.“
But the sages themselves say: “It is true that the mantras became manifest to the world through us.That is why we are mentioned as the `mantra rishis'. But the mantras were not composed by us but revealed to us. When we sat meditating with our minds under control, the mantras were perceived by us in space.Indeed we saw them (hence the term mantra-drastas). We did not compose them (the seers are not mantra-kartas).“
All sounds originate in space. From them arose creation. According to science, the cosmos was produced from vibrations in space. By virtue of their austerities, sages had the gift of seeing the mantras in space, mantras that liberate men from this creation. The vedas are apauruseya (not the work of any human author) and are the very breath of the Paramatman in his form as space. The sages saw them and made a gift of them to the world.
If we know this truth, we have reason to be proud of the fact that we do not know who founded our religion.In fact we must feel happy that we have the great good fortune to be heirs to a religion that is eternal, a religion containing the vedas which are the very breath of the Paramatman.
