[Advaita-l] Apaurusheyatva of Vedas

[Shyam]

PranAms

An interesting excerpt relevant to the subject under discussion from the BhAmati of VAchaspati -
 
>>>>
"Hence
 it is that they are sarvajna-kalpa. i.e. like the Omniscient One. The 
knowledge of the Omniscient One extends to all things. Likewise the 
subject matter of the teaching extends to all things. Hence the 
likeness...the attribute of the Omniscient One is knowledge of all 
themes...sarvajnasya gunah sarvavishayatA...that attribute pertains to 
the ShastrA as well, since all themes belong to that as well...when a 
sacred teaching with an extensive theme origniates from the PurushA then
 He possesses more extensive knowledge than that sacred teaching..tatopi
 shastrAt adhikataravijAna....this is the construction.


For
 His creation of the Vedas without effort there is cited Scripture “Asya
 Mahato BhUtasya (Br.Up 2.4.10)” Even by those who recognize the 
Eternality of letters (Mimamsakas) the non-eternality of words and 
sentences must be admitted. A word is indeed composed of letters 
differentiated by sequence. A sentence is similarly composed of words 
sequentially arranged and differentiated. Letters themselves are eternal
 and can have no temporospatial relationship – but not so in the case of
 words, as they are defined by sequence, which latter is a property of 
manifestation, and hence non-eternal. And similar it is for sentences 
also. 





Just
 as a danseuse faithfully reproduces the sequence of moves and gestures,
 taught by her instructor, even so a pupil, follows the same sequence of
 words as taught by his preceptor, even though the sound manifestations 
of the two are different. Thus there is no dispute between those who 
uphold the eternality or non-eternality of letters as to the creation of
 words/sentences – be they vernacular laukikA or Scriptural VaidikA – 
there is difference only in respect to the absolute freedom of the 
individual with regards to the Vedic sentences. The Jaimaniyas – who do 
not believe in a creation or destruction – teach a beginning-less and 
uninterrupted transmission of the VedA like ourselves. BUT those in the 
tradition of VyAsA, hold that though, according to the doctrine of 
creation and destruction, established in the Scriptures (Shruti, Smrti),
 the Supreme Self, due to His association with beginning-less avidyA, is
 omnipotent and omniscient, is the Creator of the VedAs, but is not 
entirely independent in respect to them, as He has to faithfully 
reproduce their sequence in such manner as to conform to the earlier 
ones….The Jaimaniyas too prefer to interpret apauruseyatva as 
signifiying the absence of freedom for the One who creates..and this 
matches with our interpretation as well albeit for a different reason. 


Nor
 is it proper to urge that if revealed by one person, there would be no 
faith (ekasya pratibhane anashwasa iti yuktam) What is revealed by many 
(ignorant or wise, and yet affected by some defect) is indeed equally 
not worthy of faith. That alone is worthy of faith when revealed by him ,
 who possesses true knowledge and is free from all defects, even though 
he is but one. 
>>>>

Hari OM
Shri Gurubhyoh namah
Shyam

--- On Thu, 9/15/11, Omkar Deshpande <omkar_deshpande at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Omkar Deshpande <omkar_deshpande at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Apaurusheyatva of Vedas
To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Date: Thursday, September 15, 2011, 3:48 PM

Dear Sri Raghav,

<<<1 The vAkya-s (just the words) come up chronologically first and then later
the words are understood  by even those very Rishis who uttered the words...
...