APAURUSHEYA The concept of apaurusheya (authorless) is traditionally proven through a combination of arguments, most notably the Pūrva Mīmāṃsā school's use of anupalabdhi (non-apprehension) and the idea that the Vedas' unbroken transmission over time indicates a lack of a human author. Proponents argue that if there had been an author, a memory of them would exist in the tradition, but no such memory is found for the Vedas, unlike historical texts like the Itihasas and Puranas.
Philosophical proof The core of the philosophical proof is the anupalabdhi pramana (proof by non-apprehension). This argument states that because an author is a knowable entity, their existence would have been remembered if there had been one. The Vedas, however, exist within a tradition that goes back to the beginning of time (adisamāsamānāgamaḥ), yet no memory of a human author is found. This "non-apprehension" of an author, despite the unbroken tradition, is presented as proof that the Vedas are authorless. Other supporting arguments Unbroken tradition: The Vedas are considered an eternal and unbroken tradition, not a book created at a specific time by a specific person. Etymology of rishi:** The meaning of the word rishi is argued to be "knower" or "seer," not "author" or "creator". Intrinsic nature: Some arguments suggest that the very nature of a word and its meaning is eternal and inseparable, and that the meaning itself binds the phonemes together, not a human creator. Lack of a human agent: The origin is considered transcendental, a manifestation of eternal truth (tattva) attained through spiritual practice, not a product of human effort or intention. 2 There are many reasons why the Vedas cannot be man made is that many of the very recent and remarkable discoveries of science are already mentioned in them. One crucial example is :—The Atharvaveda and the Puranas assert that there are seven islands in the world. From our present knowledge we know that these are Eurasia, Africa, South America, North America, Australia, Greenland and Antarctica. Till the year 1911 however, only six islands were known to the world. Antarctica was discovered only on 14th December 1911. Then how can the Vedas which certainly existed before 1911 say that there are seven islands in the world? The only answer to this question is that God who created the seven islands certainly knew this and therefore He could tell it through the Vedas. 3 Mahabharata Bhishma Parva "Bhishma said, 'Vasudeva is the Supreme Being. He is the God of all Gods. None superior to him of eyes like lotus-petals is to be seen, O bull of Bharata's race. Markandeya speaketh of Govinda as the Most Wonderful and the Most high, as the All-being, as the All-soul, as the Highest soul, and as the Supreme male Being. Water, Air, and Fire,--these three were created by Him. That Divine Master and Lord of all the worlds created this Earth. That Supreme Being of illustrious soul laid himself down on the waters. And that Divine Being made up of all kinds of energy slept thereon in Yoga. >From his mouth He created Fire, and from his breath, the Wind. Of unfading glory, He created from his mouth Speech and the Vedas. It was thus that he created first the Worlds and also the gods along with the diverse classes of Rishis. And he created decay and death also of all creatures, as well as birth and growth. He is Righteousness and of righteous soul. He is the giver of boons and the giver of all (our) wishes. He is the Actor and Action, and He is himself the Divine Master. He first made the Past, the Present, and the Future; He is the Creator of the Universe. He is of illustrious soul; He is the Master possessed of unfading glory. He created Sankarshana, the First-born of all creatures. He created the divine Sesha who is known as Ananta and who upholdeth all creatures and the Earth with her mountains. Of Supreme Energy, He it is whom the regenerate ones know by Yoga meditation. Sprung from the secretions of his ear, the great Asura known by the name of Madhu, fierce and of fierce deeds and entertaining a fierce intent and about to destroy Brahman, was slain by that Supreme Being. Mahabharata Moksha Dharma Parva It is Narayana who created the Vedas and gave them to Brahma at the end of every Mahayuga it is him alone in whom the Vedas return back. "The preceptor said, 'Listen, O disciple, O thou of great wisdom! This that thou hast asked me is undisclosed in the very Vedas and is the highest subject for thought or discourse. It is called Adhyatma and is the most valuable of all branches of learning and of all sacred institutes. Vasudeva is the Supreme (cause) of the universe. He is the origin of the Vedas (viz., Om). He is Truth, Knowledge, Sacrifice, Renunciation, Self-restraint, and Righteousness. Persons conversant with the Vedas know Him as All-pervading, Eternal, Omnipresent, the Creator and the Destroyer, the Unmanifest, Brahma, Immutable. Hear now the story of Him who took his birth in Vrishni's race. A Brahmana should hear of the greatness of that God of gods, viz., Him called Vishnu of immeasurable energy, from the lips of Brahmanas. A person of the royal order should hear it from persons of that order. One who is a Vaisya should hear it from Vaisyas, and a high-souled Sudra should hear it from Sudras. Thou deservest to hear it. Listen now to the auspicious account of Krishna, that narrative which is the foremost of all narratives. Vasudeva is the wheel of Time, without beginning and without end. Existence and Non-existence are the attributes by which His real nature is known. The universe revolves like a wheel depending upon that Lord of all beings. O best of men, Kesava, that foremost of all beings, is said to be that which is Indestructible, that which is Unmanifest, that which is Immortal, Brahma, and Immutable. The highest of the high, and without change or deterioration himself, he created the Pitris, the gods, the Rishis, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Nagas, the Asuras, and human beings. It is He who also created the Vedas and the eternal duties and customs of men. Having reduced everything into non-existence, he once more, in the beginning of a (new) yuga, creates Prakriti (primordial matter). As the diverse phenomena of the several seasons appear one after another according to the season that comes, after the like manner creatures start forth into existence at the beginning of every (celestial) yuga. Corresponding with those creatures that start into life is the knowledge of rules and duties that have for their object the regulation of the world's course.[716] At the end of every (celestial) yuga (when universal destruction sets in) the Vedas and all other scriptures disappear (like the rest). In consequence of the grace of the Self-born, the great Rishis, through their penances, first re-acquire the lost Vedas and the scriptures. The Self-born (Brahman) first acquired the Vedas. Their branches called the Angas were first acquired by (the celestial preceptor) Vrihaspati. Bhrigu's son (Sukra) first acquired the science of morality that is so beneficial for the universe. The science of music was acquired by Narada; that of arms by Bharadwaja; the history of the celestial Rishis by Gargya: that of medicine by the dark-complexioned son of Atri. Diverse other Rishis, whose names are connected therewith, promulgated diverse other sciences such as Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sankhya, Patanjala, etc. Let that Brahma which those Rishis have indicated by arguments drawn from reason, by means of the Vedas, and by inferences drawn from the direct evidence of the senses, be adored. Atharva Veda Kanda 17 Sukta 1 verse 15, 16,17 and 18 itself agrees that it is Shri Vishnu who inspires and pervades the Vedas. It mentions about the Vishwa roop of Shri Vishnu calling him the supreme truth. Lord omnipresent, Vishnu, you pervade and inspire the thousand-streamed heavenly light of the adorable and inexhaustible Veda, vibrating in the triple world of heaven, earth and the firmament. O Vishnu, pray bless us with the fulfilment of our earthly mission and, with universal forms of perception and vision, establish us in the nectar joy of immortality in the highest regions of Divinity. Infinite are your acts and powers. You pervade and protect all four quarters of space. With your blazing splendour you shine and illuminate heaven and earth. You pervade and abide by all these regions of the universe. Lord omniscient, you inform and traverse by all the paths of universal truth and the universal law of Rtam operative in the universal dynamics of existence. Vishnu, lord omnipresent, infinite are your acts and powers in the universe, pray bless us with the fulfilment of our earthly mission and, with universal forms of perception and vision, establish us in the nectar joy of immortality in the highest regions of Divinity. By five, I know, you shine far out in the outer world, by one, I know, you shine at the closest, within. When the time is good and clear is the day, you stem out malignant darkness, you vibrate, shine and illuminate here inside. O Vishnu, infinite are your powers and exploits. Pray bless us with the fulfilment of our earthly mission and, with universal forms of perception and vision, establish us in the nectar joy of immortality in the highest regions of Divinity. You are Indra, the mighty, you are the mightiest of the mighties, Mahendra. You are loka, the world, the beauty, the ecstasy, and you are Prajapati, creative sustainer and progenitor of all your children. For you is yajna enacted and extended, for you the yajna [1]performers offer the oblations. O Vishnu, infinite are your powers and wondrous your functions. Pray bless us with the fulfilment of our life and, with universal forms of perception and vision, establish us in the nectar joy of immortality in the highest regions of Divinity. 4 A DETAILED ANALYSIS ON apaurusheya of Vedas is rendered by Namboodiri in pdf attached below. K Rajaram IRS 31225 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZorBYAXQ2LvMC%3DdoOdKin%2B0e3EDOustBSpPkP71N5Cr49A%40mail.gmail.com.
