Gleanings from Rig Veda: When Science was Religion Paperback – 14 Jan. 2016

Wonderful book! I am surprised this is not part of compulsory reading at school..!!!

Grateful to come across this book.

I had been searching for interpretations of the Vedas that made sense to me. The typical early Western views of these ancient texts did not resonate. I could not discern *why* most of the Western translations seemed to miss the mark. Then it dawned on me - The authors who translated the Vedas did so within the lens of their *own* experiences and religious knowledge. Some authors colored (and in some cases, twisted) Vedic concepts to fit the prevailing attitudes of their times, because to do otherwise would have invited intense opposition (and worse).Knowing that Sanskrit is a multilayered, multidimensional language, and that the Vedas (especially the early writings) are much more profound than is generally known, I wanted to break free from the limitation imposed by numerous, inadequate, poor translations of the Vedas. I found myself focusing on native Sanskrit scholars, whose life's work revolved around teaching and learning the rich variety of Sanskrit writings. I even started to learn to read and write Sanskrit, inspired by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - a very terse, satisfyingly brief, "get-to-the-point" teaching on consciousness.The Vedas emphasize the pursuit of awareness and the necessity of shattering illusions. In spite of my best efforts, I realized that I required more guidance than I could muster on my own. I NEEDED to truly understand Vedic universal concepts. I cannot explain what was driving me. I knew the Vedas held some of the answers to age-old questions, but I could not make may way through the flowery language and allusions. However, I kept searching, and my search led me to the book "Gleanings From the Rig Veda".Quite frankly, this is an astonishing book. It is richly packed with information. I found myself underlining key concepts on nearly every page. I was making notations in the margins. I reveled in the richness and oddly practical spiritual and scientific information.I don't want to spoil the fun for the reader, but here are a few gems from the book: Page 12: "Thought is the currency in Bhu Loka (earth)". Page 13: "Consciousness surmounts the stumbling block of thought process, a product of space-time by mere awareness." Page 27: "Neither does the mind long for anything nor does it reject anything." Page 39: "Strictly speaking there is no male and female in the transcendental context." Page 67: "God is not in the temples, mosques or churches. We are clearly informed thus, by the Upanishads. We are told God lives in our hearts." (Reminds one of the Gospel of St. Thomas, does it not?)The author, Mr. Moorthy, respectfully shows the parallels between Western thought and the ancient Vedic writings. Since I straddle both worlds, I find the unification of these two sides very refreshing. The logical, rational, scientific side of existence is reconciled with the larger, primal, creative side. I thank Mr. Moorthy for this incredible effort, for this opus on the deeply intense interpretation of the Vedas. This book is worth its weight in gold!

Makes a lot of interesting points. Worth the read.

Challenges the view that ancient scriptures are all about other worldliness and illusions. 'Interpretation' is the deciding factor.

Well written with explanation related in present-day science. Easy to understand and quality of the paper is also good.