“Soul (Atman) is the real guide in life of a person. It is the inner self of man and knows the truth and the untruth. Because of one’s selfishness, stubbornness, malevolence and ignorance, man rejects the truth and inclines toward Untruth”. (Swami Dayanand Saraswati in Satyarath Prakash)
Who am I? I am not a body- I have a body Vedic concept of Self -Realisation
OMkar Veda Nirmayi– God revealed Vedas (Guru Nanak Dev ji)
Vedas are the most precious Gift for which West has been indebted to The East, forever – Francois. M. Voltaire
It is high time Vedic teachings, guidelines and thoughts reach each and every House/Home of the Seekers of Vedic Knowledge to save mankind from self destruction.
Atma (Soul), Jivatma (manifested Soul) and Jiva (Spirit) as described in Vedas
Atharva Veda tells us when Soul (Atma) was provided to human being Vedic knowledge (Brahmajanan) was revealed. Thus human soul contains all the knowledge of VEDAS.
Rig Veda says that PURPOSE of Human Birth as already known to human soul is to assist the Grand Designer (Vishwa Karma) in the maintenance of His Grand wondrous Design. Rig Veda further enlightens us when soul administer the gross body a person moves toward self realization and he/she starts following cosmic laws of necessity (Vedic Rta) relating to iddm nan mam (nothing for self all for society), path of moderation, humility, love for the entire animate and inanimate life/things and many other such cosmic laws. Conditioned by our sensate values and material knowledge of inert matter, we only see the superficial side of our identity i.e. the Ego self encased in a sheath (kosha). Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
However, Vedas categorically say “Atma” cannot be cognized by any of the senses and say sense organs.” However, if you do not separate ecology, science of good governance, science of Axiology with three kind of values (trivarga) and enlightenment and also do not resist the flow of life with our inner wakening, one can communicate with the soul being Vachispatiah.
It is the Soul which makes a person separate and distinct individual.
The Spirit is the cause of his/her social being and along with mahabhuta– five main elements and three gunasof purity, activity and stupor, is the cause of good or bad actions of the individuals. The right and virtuous path is only known to the manifested soul (jivatma), which is nearest on self-realization and farthest when phenomenal and the material worlds become the closest (A.V. X-8-8).
The individuals who know and understand the Spirit as the powerhouse of creativity in them create subtle waves of nobility, love, and harmony even if they sit silently in any gathering or assembly. Chhandogya Upanishad describes Spirit as the Creative force, which hides behind all animate and inmate life/things, moves us, moves the planets and moves the universe.
Yajur Veda 34-43 refers to human beings as tri-ani pada i.e. having three bodies in one- divine (causal body where soul resides near the heart), spiritual (subtle body energized by spirit residing in shuniya (cosmic void ) and gross body where senses and sense organs reside).
The soul makes a person divine animal, spirit makes a person social animal and senses and sense organs make a person material and economic man.
Hence in the Vedas a man is divine, social and material animal. Many hymns in Rig-Veda 1-70-2, 1-65-1 and others mention that God lives in our souls as a true preceptor (Guru). The term Guru in Vedas is from Gu-darkness and Ru- to dispel. Thus Guru is dispeller of both inner and outer darkness.
The souls of human beings remain immortal. Based on accumulation of past and present karma – thoughts, deeds and actions, it becomes fierce, calm, terrible, fearless, ignorant and enlightened, trembling and steadfast, forbearing and nonbearing, passionate and ascetic and a prey to bewilderment (Y.V. 39-7). Thus the quality of manifested soul is different for each individual. The purity of the manifested soul and keeping it free from the effect of bad, corrupt and evil deeds, thoughts and desires make it as our philosopher, guide and friend.
The soul has been addressed by various names and epithets in the Vedas
Samrat (the ruler of the body), Vaishva Deva, Teja, Vak, Agneye, Prajapati in chapter 39 of Yajur Veda. Each name or epithet indicates its attributes, like the controlling lord, the nourisher of human beings, the just ruler etc., It is also called Twashta – subtle soul. In Bhagvad-Gita apart from atma, jivatma, words like sah (self), dehin, deha, sharirin, shariri are used (B.G.3-42, 14-11 and 12, 2-18). All these later epithets generally mean lord of the body.
The Spirit which is the life force has also its intermediaries, mind, will, intellect and ego, which are much higher and powerful than the body self i.e. gross body consisting of senses, sense organs etc. However, the Spirit becomes more or less effective in the gross body, not so much with age but kind of activities towards perfection or otherwise. With evil activities, thoughts and desires the gross body can start degenerating even at young age and the spirit gets weaker. Many of the physical sicknesses are related to your activities and thoughts and get further aggravated with idleness that Bhagavad-Gita describes as sin. Since God is perfect, the spirit always aims at perfection and in this movement towards perfection; it helps the gross body to remain healthy.
R.V 6-47-9 mentions soul as twashta– the subtle soul shines when senses are under control and sattavic guna of purity and truthfulness is predominant. According to Atharva Veda XI-8-30, the manifested soul (jiva atma) in the body administers it. The gross body of human beings is the soul holding body. Those individuals, who do not allow the soul to administer the body, normally are devoted to the letters of the scriptures and not the spirit behind their teachings. They camouflage their materialistic outlook in the form of fake spiritualism. According to Bhagavad-Gita, such persons cannot attain Vivek (determinate intellect B.G.2-42 to 44). However, where the body is administered by the manifested soul, even the human beings become Brahma and can say “Aham Brhaman Asi”- I am Brahman. This stage of perfect control of the body by manifested soul is described as “Chhavo” or “Shava”. According to Atharva Veda XI-8-34, at this stage the soul in the human body becomes the highest force and vigour. As Vachisptiah you can even communicate with it.
COMPILED BY
VAIBHAV GUPTE
Global Hinduism 
1. Unfortunately
we were taught that Vedas belong to upper caste Hindus. We were forced to
believe that only Brahmins are expected to study Vedas. None ventured to
understand what was the truth and what was the purpose of the atheist and
leftist parties for blaming the Vedas like this.
2. Is
it not true that the so called leftists and intellectuals in India,
particularly a group from JNU was eagerly doing their worst to tarnish Indian
culture and heritage including Vedas.We were wrongly informed even by Dr.
Ambedkar that, Vedas are meant for Savarnaas. The policy of divide and
rule was implemented by one and all in India.
3. All
the politicians and intellectuals did this for getting the minority votes and
support from the so called intellectuals. Even the good strong Hindus
also think (even believe ) even now that low caste should not read
or listen to Vedas. Without knowing anything about dharma saastra and without
understanding anything about Vedas and keeping eyes and ears closed, many
Hindus talk against Vedas. They are ignorant about Vedas ! They are ignorant
that they are ignorant !
In US the Vedas are played in surgical theatre, US
parliament, US
provincial assembly, NASA and so on. Keep in your mind that Vedas belong to the
Hindus, Christians, Muslims and every Indians. It has been recognized as
the oldest literature of the human race by UNO.
Vedas cannot be compared with Bible or Koran or any other religious books. It
never talks about god the way it is mentioned in other religion. The god
concept of Hindus in puraanas and other books are different from Vedas. Vedas
always focus on nature and what are present in nature including in human
beings. It gives the messages of virtues of human Endeavour. Never talks of
hell or heaven in the sense it is mentioned in religious books, including in
puraanas. Vedas convey the messages if the meaning is studied. It also is
useful for listening as told earlier for giving the neurological effect, even
if meanings are not known.
Vedas are world heritage, as declared by UNESCO, can
be used by one and all, world over. The first and most important message on
should know and remember is that Vedas can be compared only with Vedas. Whether
it is the message, writings, chanting, learning and interpreting Veda
mantras.No other text can be equated with Vedas. For knowing Vedas one
should listen or try to study Vedas. There is no other alternatives