|
Introduction
It is customary to speak of the 'Age' of the Vedas. The sacred books-of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam have dates assigned to them by the votaries of the respective religions. The Buddhist Tripitakas are said to have been written about the time of Asoka, though according to certain authorities, Buddha's age can be carried to many centuries earlier.
The New Testament originated about 2,000 years ago. The Koran, which is the Word of God conveyed to the Prophet, was written about 1,200 years ago. All these holy books have historical dates assigned to them. But it is different with the Vedas. No one can say with any certainty when they came into being.
Yet, Orientalists are anxious to discover when they were 'composed'. Some of them say it was in 1,500 B.C. Others say, 3,000 B.C. Lokmanya Tilak fixed it at 6,000 B.C. and some Orientalists agree with him and others differ from him. Modem Orientalists are inclined to bring the date further down.
Author - Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati
|
