“Anaadi” Vedas: Scriptures with No Beginning
The Vedas are called “Anaadi,” meaning without a beginning in terms of time. This means that anything previous to it or older than it does not exist, and it has existed at all times.
However, how can this be accepted? A book has to have an author; at least one, if not more. The Old Testament is a collection of the sayings of many prophets. The Koran contains what Mohammed, the prophet, propagated. These people existed at some point in time, and before their time, their teachings were not available. Likewise, logically, the Vedas should have had one or more authors who must have lived at some point.
Perhaps it was a long time ago; a very long time ago; millions of years ago. Even then, it would be wrong, according to some, to call the Vedas “without a beginning.” Such doubts naturally arise if one assumes that the Vedas were written by humans. Then how else would a book come to be written? Authorship is a prerequisite for any book, and the author must have existed at some time. Ordinary logic does not seem to support the claim that a book could have no author.
A theory has been put forward that evolved persons called “Rishis” or sages wrote the Vedas. It is stated that the Vedas contain many “Suktas” or words of wisdom, wise sayings, attributed to several sages.
Before reciting the Veda mantras, it is customary to mention the name of the Rishi or sage concerned with that particular portion, the “chandas” or metre in which the mantra appears or is composed, and the Devata or the presiding deity of that mantra.
A theory has been put forward that evolved persons called “Rishis” or sages wrote the Vedas. It is stated that the Vedas contain many “Suktas” or words of wisdom, wise sayings, attributed to several sages.
Before reciting the Veda mantras, it is customary to mention the name of the Rishi or sage concerned with that particular portion, the “chandas” or metre in which the mantra appears or is composed, and the Devata or the presiding deity of that mantra.
By definition, the Vedas are “Apourusheya” or of non-human origin. “Pourusheya” is the work of humans. Since the Vedas are not the work of humans, the Rishis who were human beings could not have written them. If they had written them, they (the Rishis) would have been called Mantra Kartas or the composers of the mantras. But in actual fact, they are called only Mantra Drishtas or the seers of the mantras. This means that the Rishis “found” or discovered the Vedas and did not compose them or create them.
What does it mean when one says that Columbus discovered America? Did he create America? No. He helped bring America, which was already in existence, to the notice of the world. Newton, Einstein, and other famous scientists did not create the laws for which they are honored. Does an object fall due to the gravitational pull not existent earlier to Newton? These scientists understood the laws already in operation but made them known to the world for the first time. Likewise, the Rishis cognized the mantras already in existence and made them known to the world.
The mantras had always existed. Since the Rishis discovered them, their names are associated with the mantras. Therefore, credit is due to the Rishis for having brought the already existing but till then unknown Veda mantras to the knowledge of men. We, therefore, bow to their memory by touching our head when mentioning their names. This is the gesture in recognition of their great service. We acknowledge it by mentioning their names before the recital of the mantra. Well, if the Rishis discovered the mantras, where were they existing before discovery? If they are called ‘anadi’, does it mean that they were always there? Where did they exist? In space?
If we suppose that the Veda mantras appeared along with the first creation, it would imply that the great Lord created them along with the world. Did God write the Vedas and keep them in storage so that the Rishis may subsequently discover them in parts? In any case, if the Vedas came into being with the first creation, they cannot be said to be without beginning. The present creation by Brahma is calculable in terms of time. The four Yugas (Krita Yuga, Theta Yuga, Dwaapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga) have each a specified duration of time. A thousand four-yuga cycle is reckoned as a day for Brahma as distinct from night. Another thousand four-yuga cycle constitutes his night. On this basis, it is believed that today Brahma is just over fifty years of age. His span of life is one hundred years, calculated on this basis. Before that, this Brahma was not there; another Brahma was in existence. Therefore, the present Brahma and creation are not ‘anadi’. Then what is ‘anadi’?
The Paramatma must have existed before Brahma, before any Brahma. Brahmam, or the impersonal God, existed at all times.
He is the time continuum, from which the universe and all matter appear and disappear from time to time. The Paramatma does His creation through Brahma, maintains the creation through Vishnu, and annihilates through Rudra (Shiva). Eventually, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva also cease to exist as such. That is why Brahma’s age is calculable. After completion of his term of one hundred ‘Brahma Varsha’, he merges with the Paramatma. Then another Brahma takes over.
Getting back to the Vedas, did the Paramatma or the Supreme Being create the Vedas before any of the Brahmas, before creation itself?
It is known from the Sastras that the Vedas existed prior to creation because Brahma himself is said to have undertaken creation with the aid of the Veda mantras which merely existed as sound in space. This is borne out by one of the Puranas, Srimad Bhagavata, which, amongst other things, describes how Brahma created the worlds.
Then, Is it correct to assume that both God (Paramaatma) and Vedas are anaadi? Upon reflection, it seems that this assumption is not accurate. If we understand that God created the Vedas before the world, it implies that there was a time when the Vedas did not exist. This suggests that, though created before the universe and life, the Vedas were created only after God created the “time concept.”
This discredits the epithet “anaadi.”
If God and the Vedas were anaadi, then God could not have created them. If he did create them, they would have a beginning. Everything emanated from Iswara. Since nothing exists apart from Him, both Iswara and the Vedas must have existed side by side without a beginning. But this still seems incorrect. If the Vedas are uncreated by Iswara and have no independent existence apart from Him but still are anaadi (without a beginning), how is this possible?
The Brihadharanyaka Upanishad (2.4.10) clears up this confusion. It states that the Vedas in the Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva forms are Iswara’s breath, “Nishwasitam” (draft is the word used denoting exhalation of breath).
Can we exist without breathing? Similarly, the Vedas are the life breath, as it were, of the Paramaatma or the supreme self. If the Paramaatma, who has no beginning in time, exists forever (without any end in time), then the Vedas as his life breath are naturally anaadi, as they coexist with Him or it.
The crucial point to note is that even God is not said to have brought the Vedas into existence. It would be incorrect to say that we created our breath. It has existed since we started existing. Iswara and the Vedas are the same. Even He cannot be said to have created them. They have always coexisted.
Vidyaranya, who wrote the Veda Bhaashya (commentary on the Vedas), regarded his guru (teacher) as Iswara or God himself. In praising his guru, Vidyaranya says, “Whose ‘niswasitam’ are the Vedas!” This emphasizes that the Vedas are not even the creation of Iswara.
Lord Krishna states in the Gita, “I am the person who is to be known by all the Vedas — (Vedaischa Sar-vairahamev vedyah.)” Rather than calling himself the one who made the Vedas, he calls himself the subject of all Vedanta — Vedantakirt — not Vedakrit. He calls himself the one who knows all the Vedas — Vedavit. In his absolute and conceptual state as described in the Vedanta, Iswara and the Vedas coexisted before he made himself the end-product of human evolution, even before creation.
In conclusion, the Vedas are considered “Anaadi” or without a beginning in terms of time. While it is logical to assume that a book has an author, it is believed that the Vedas were discovered by the Rishis or sages and not composed by them. They were always in existence, and the Rishis merely brought them to the knowledge of men. The Vedas are of non-human origin and are associated with the Paramatma, who existed before Brahma and at all times. The Rishis are recognized for their great service by mentioning their names before reciting the mantras. Therefore, the Vedas are considered to have no beginning because they have always existed in the time continuum of the Paramatma.
