[Advaita-l] SHIVA NAMA - THE HEART OF THE VEDAS - DEIVATHIN KURAL

[Keshava Mahadeva]

DEIVATHIN KURAL - MAHA PERIYAVA'S WORDS:

If we have a very costly gem, where will we keep it? Will we keep it in a
room which is in front or adjacent to the backyard? We will keep it in a
box and in a room which is in the middle and is safe. In the same manner,
Shiva Nama which is "Jivaratnam" has been kept very safely in the Vedas.

So there are four Vedas: Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharvana. Yajur is split
into two -> Shukla and Krishna Yajur Veda. So totally five in number.

According to the Chronological order Yajur Veda comes second and Sama Veda
comes third.

So the order is:

Rig Veda
Shukla Yajur Veda
Krishna Yajur Veda
Sama Veda
Atharvana Veda

In this the middle is Krishna Yajur Veda. In the Krishna Yajur Veda,
*Taittiriya
Aranyakam* is the middle.

In Taittiriya Aranyakam, there are 7 cantos, out of which *4th canto* in
the middle.

In the middle of the 4th canto is the *5th chapter*.

In the middle of the 5th chapter is *SRI RUDRAM*.

In Sri Rudram, *PANCHAKSHARAM* is central.

In the Panchaksharam, the word *SHIVA* is central.

If we consider the Vedas as a body, Shiva Nama is the soul and life of the
Vedas.