[Advaita-l] Apaurusheyatva of Veda

[श्रीमल्ललितालालितः]

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On Sat, Sep 10, 2011 at 00:32, Omkar Deshpande <omkar_deshpande at yahoo.com>wrote:

> How does apauruSheyatva avoid this problem? Because one still has to
> subordinate the authority of the scripture to the strength of the logic used
> to prove that my scripture is apauruSheya,


It was already replied. svataH-prAmANyam is the answer.


> and when human beings change their thinking to rely more on the logic used
> in modern historical analysis, that also threatens the authority of my
> scripture in a basic way.


There is no less logic used in establishing authority of veda-s.
Now, the change is that we are more and more dependent on 'now available
resources', as fossils, etc. As long as we have 2000 years old evidence, we
are not going to accept anything older than it existed. This is rigidness
and not logic.
And philological evidences were never out of doubt-area. Same is the case of
evolution theory. Search of internet about both will lead to many results.
Moreover, evolution theory is difficult to prove. It's mere a different
belief system for most of us.

So, for those who have faith in evolution theory, there is no Ishvara, no
anAdi and apauruSheya veda. So, trying to mix two different systems will
take you nowhere.

Sticking to one will at least provide mental peace as one of elderly member
of our group is enjoying(because of his faith).


> Modern science has argued that the earth has an origin if we go back about
> 4.6 billion years. Even setting aside evolutionary theory (which would
> restrict the existence of 'humans' on earth to within the last 5-7 million
> years), for any scripture to be maintained as eternal, one would still need
> to invoke some special supernatural way by which the scripture existed prior
> to the existence of humans, or prior to the existence of the earth,


They were with Ishvara in the form of seed, if you accept Ishvara.


> and how it originally got transmitted to human beings.


Ishvara transferred veda-s to heart of brahmA, and he gave it to other
R^iShis through guru-paramparA. purANa-s may help you more.


> Such explanations would still be needed to uphold apauruSheyatva, and that
> would require faith too, if I'm not wrong.
>

If apauruSheyatva, Ishvara, brahmA and transfer of veda-s to R^iShi-s are
taken as mere case of faith, it will mean that they didn't exist at all. And
trying to justify them is a useless job.

So, what's the way ?
First of all determine that pramaNa-s do not need faith.
Second shabda is a pramANa.
Third svataH-prAmANyam.
Fourth apauruSheyatvam.
It will make you understand stand of mImAMsaka-s and vedAntin-s.