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Introduction
The Vedas are part of a great spiritual-religious tradition that includes many great saints, sages, yogis, rishis, swamis and sadhus from ancient to modern times. Naturally, those who follow the Vedic tradition will interpret the Vedas very differently than those who don’t. Vedic texts are mainly concerned with spiritual issues; the relationship of human beings with the cosmic powers and the higher Self (Paramatman). Historical, economic and cultural factors are incidental, as much as they would be in any religious or poetic texts. The greater Vedic concerns are karma, rebirth, liberation, ritual worship of the Gods and Goddesses, self-purification, mantra, pranayama and Yoga practices of various types.
Most of the terms that came to characterize Indian civilization and yogic spirituality can be found in the Rigveda itself. These include dharma (natural law), karma (ritualistic or repeated action), dhyana (meditation), mantra, satyam (truth), Yoga and even Atman (the Self). Special Vedic terms for higher principles also exist like ritam (cosmic law) and brihat (the vast). Many spiritual and psychological terms exist as manas (mind), dhi (intelligence or buddhi), chitta (heart), kratu (will), daksha (skill), manisha (inspiration) and medha (wisdom). Such terminology indicates more spiritually to the Vedas than nomads, rituals or primitive poetry.
Most Western Indologists, not having a connection to the Vedic spiritual tradition or its terminology, cannot appreciate the spiritual-religious views of the Vedas. They have a different view of the world, history and progress - that of western civilization and its values - which colors their perception in another direction. They do not practice the mantras and meditations of the Vedic tradition so that they can know these at an intimate level. They are at best detached observers from the outside, at worst hostile critics with an agenda to denigrate or eliminate the Vedic tradition that they see as wrong or obsolete according to their own values. The result is that Western Indologists look at the Rigveda on an outer level only, not as a sophisticated system devised to develop a higher consciousness that transcends time and space but as primitive poetry or crude philosophy of unsophisticated tribes that should has little real value.
There are some exceptions to this rule. A few western scholars do have a background in various yogic paths and the teachings of different Hindu gurus. They have a deeper view, more sympathetic to the tradition. Unfortunately, they remain a minority and often keep their views hidden in order to protect their positions or because there is no real forum to air them.
Author - David Frawley
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