What is Veda?
Veda is derived from the root “Vid,” meaning “to know.” Knowledge of the Supreme is Veda and it encompasses three key spiritual areas:
Knowledge of the Spirit or Atma Jnana.
Knowledge of the Universal Consciousness or Brahma Jnana.
Knowledge of the One that subsumes the many or Advaita Jnana.
As some of the oldest scriptures in the world, the Vedas are considered infinite and contain eternal truths. They are vast and beyond the understanding of the average person.
Originally there was only one Veda, but studying it took a lot of time and effort. The great Sage Ved Vyasa divided it into four different parts to make the study and practical application of the Vedas easier.
One of the four Vedas is the Yajur Veda, which consists of mantras for worshipping deities. The Yajur Veda consists of two divisions: Krishna Yajur Veda and Sukla Yajur Veda. Within Chapter 24 of the Krishna Yajur Veda, one can find the Sri Rudram.
Sri Rudram is a hymn or prayer to Lord Shiva, often chanted at regular and special events. It is made up of two parts:
Namakam puts emphasis on detachment or virakti, i.e. refusing to want something.
Chamakam dwells on desires such as that for clean air, drinking water; they are prayers of petition.
During the Ati Rudra Maha Yajna in August 2006, Sri Sathya Sai Baba explained that everything bad should be discarded and everything good should be desired. Understanding both aspects is essential for humans, so Namakam and Chamakam are fundamental for spiritual development.
Other Vedas commonly chanted at Prashanthi Nilayam include Ganapati Atharva Siersam, Shivopasana, Mantra Pushpam and Purushasuktam.
What are the benefits of chanting the Vedas?
According to Sri Sathya Sai Baba, all the Vedas are there to help humans become aware of a vital spiritual premise, namely that divinity is within and around them. They are for everyone, regardless of caste, creed, race or nationality.
As the Vedas are a vast repository of wisdom, the roots of human culture and what we should strive for, they enable humans to have an overview of the universe.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba quotes the sage Manu who declared, “Everything is derived from the Vedas.” All knowledge, all principles of right living, all qualities are derived from the Vedas. The Veda teaches how to attain purity of heart by getting rid of impurities.
Sathya Sai Speaks Volume 23, Chapter 24. Message from the Vedas, 1990 and Sri Sathya Sai Baba (Dasara Discourse, 20 October 1982)
How should you chant the Vedas?
There are a number of golden rules for chanting the Vedas:
Intonation, rhythm and precision are very important.
Chanting should be done with sincerity, conviction and devotion.
Knowing the meaning of the Vedas is key.
The Vedic lyrics should be pronounced very lucidly and not in a slurred or weak voice.
The sound should not be lowered or faded, but neither should it be shouted.
The Vedas are recited and chanted: they should not be offered in a sing-song manner, nor should they be spit out in halting tones or in a hurried manner.
The body posture should be straight and not hunched.
Chanting can be done at any time, as the divine is always listening and omnipresent. However, Sri Sathya Sai Baba has emphasized the importance of chanting between 4:00 and 8:00 a.m. and between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m.
How to participate?
Sai centres devote at least 5 to 20 minutes of chanting of the Vedas during their weekly programmes. This regularity of continuous listening and practice helps to ingrain the understanding of the Vedas in the entire congregation.
Sri Rudram and other Vedas are also commonly chanted during Mahashivaratri, paying homage and offering obeisance to Lord Shiva during the auspicious full moon. Chanting during this time is understood to help bring purity to the land.
In the words of Sri Sathya Sai Baba:
“The Vedas have emphasized that man will be truly human only when he lives according to human values and practices good living. Many who chant the Vedas these days have difficulty in understanding their meaning. When you fully understand the meaning and chant the mantras, you will get greater joy. Only then will you experience the full sacredness and potency of the Vedas.”
(Sri Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 22, 1989)
“The Vedas came into being only to prove and emphasize the existence of God. The Veda is a collection of words which are the Truth, which were visualized by the sages who had attained the capacity to receive them in their enlightened consciousness. In reality, the Word is the very Breath of God, the Supreme Person. The singular importance of the Veda lies in this fact.”
Sathya Sai Baba (Sathya Sai Vahini).
Resources
Venom Tutor to learn: https://www.sssmediacentre.org/search/?s=vedam%20tutor
“I want each one of you to learn to recite the Vedas correctly”
Sri Sathya Sai