The Highest Vedic Ideal

by Jai Maha Dev

Vedic ideals are the virtues enumerated in the stanzas of the revealed knowledge known as the Vedas. The Vedas are the collective knowledge of Reality conveyed by the Supreme Creative Intelligence (GOD) at the outset of the Creation.

Just as there are essential elements (carbon, hydrogen, helium, etc.) manifested in the beginning of the Universe and which comprise the essential building blocks of the material universe, similarly, the Vedas are the root knowledge manifested at the beginning of Creation for the benefit of the living souls who have taken birth (for the purpose of ultimately experiencing the highest state of Consciousness called MOKSHA, or Absolute Freedom).

The ‘stanzas’ of the Vedas are the Mantras which, collectively, constitute the Vedas. The Mantras are ‘revealed’ to the pure minds of four Rishis (Seers) at the commencement of human life (after the material universe has evolved to support human habitation). This knowledge is passed down from the beginning of time from the Teacher to the Taught.

The First Teacher is the Supreme Being, Who in the form the Supreme Creative Intelligence, causes the Divine Wisdom (in the form of the Vedas) to appear to the pure minds of the four Rishis who have been chosen for this purpose (based on their merits and the Will of the Supreme Being). These four Rishis are known as Agni, Vayu, Aditya (or Ravi), and Angira. These four Rishis then taught the Vedas to Rishi Brahma, who taught it to his children, who in turn taught it to others, all the way to this day. This tradition is known as the Guru-Shishya (Teacher-Student) tradition, and is an integral component of Reality (both the natural and supernatural, the worldly and the other-worldly, the gross and the subtle, the material and the spiritual).

The Drama of Creation (though a drama, or play, only) is rooted in Reality. In other words, this Creation could not exist except for the eternal existence of the Supreme Self, the innumerable souls, and Nature; Paramatman, Atman, and Prakriti. This Trinity of Reality is made manifest in diverse ways throughout the Creation.

The drama of the World (the Drama of Creation, the Lila or Sport of Existence), is the expression of Reality as an art form. In other words, this Life is the art of the Supreme Self and our selves (as Atman) through the medium of Prakriti.

Art is any aesthetic expression. An expression is aesthetic (beautiful) when it connects the perceiver with the essence of the perception, which is the union of the subject (perceiver) and the object (the perceived). In other words, ‘art’ is the perception that connects the perceiver with the essence of the perceived (which is also the essence of the perceiver). The most exquisite art, the most beautiful life, is the experience of the Union of the Self with the Supreme Self. Thus, the Supreme Art is the fulfillment (attainment) of the state known as MOKSHA, or Liberation, wherein the soul (Atman) fully realizes its Essence (the all-pervading, all-knowing, all-powerful, Ever-Existing/Ever-Conscious/Ever-Blissful, Supreme Being: SatChitAnanda).

This attainment is the highest ideal of the Vedas; it is the crown of all Vedic ideals. Unless and until the living self (the embodied Atman in the form of Jivatman) is crowned with this success, the living self remains unfulfilled and is bound by its own eternal nature to continue to strive for this fulfillment by taking birth and refining the human nature until its divine nature is revealed. All other success stories are only preludes to the highest attainment of Salvation (Moksha). All worldly achievements are only ‘drills’ that help us in our quest for the attainment of Absolute Freedom and Divine Bliss. The attainment of this Freedom and Bliss is the highest Vedic ideal; it is the essential purpose of our existence.

Back to Table of Contents