Quotations on the Vedas
Origin and Universality
“‘Veda’ means knowledge; it always is. It has neither beginning nor end. It is referred to as an-anta, without end; for it is sound sacred, sustaining, and salutary. It is to be only experienced; it cannot be limited or communicated. Therefore, it is a marvel, an unprecedented phase of personal experience for each one.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba – Sutra Vahini, Chap. 3
“Vedas are very old, have no describable origin and are timeless. Vedas do not need support from any quarter as they support themselves. In fact, Vedas are God’s Breath. […] God is present everywhere, God is omnipresent. Therefore, Vedas, which simply constitute the Breath of God, are also omnipresent, i.e. they are everywhere. The sounds of Vedas, the essence of Vedas, the fragrance of Vedas are indeed to be found all over the world.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Summer Showers in Brindavan 1972, Chap. 2
“The Vedas are Eternal Truths. They existed even before the people of this land discovered, practised and experienced them. Just as Western physicists announced the existence of gravitation after their experiments, the ancients of this land demonstrated the innate authenticity of the Vedas through their own experience. Here too, the Veda existed long before it was discovered and put into practice. Newton’s Laws of Gravitation benefited the whole world. They express universal truths applicable to all places and times. They are not confined to Western countries only. So too, the Veda is Truth, not merely for Bhārat but for all people on earth.”
Sathya Sai Vahini, Chap. 22
“The ancient ṛṣhis performed intense penance to understand the Truth hidden in the Vedas. The vibrations of their spiritual practice have spread throughout the universe. They are not limited to India (Bhārat) or any particular place. They can be practiced anywhere in the world, whether in America or Australia. Being the embodiment of Truth, they do not change according to time or place.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba – 18/10/1993
“The Vedas are the most ancient among the world’s scriptures. They are a vast storehouse of wisdom. They enabled man to have an over-view of the Universe. Historically, they are the earliest known book of knowledge. They are the roots of human culture and striving. Manu has declared: ‘Everything is derived from the Vedas.’ All knowledge, all the principles of right living, all qualities are derived from the Vedas.”
Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 23, Chap. 24
“It is wrongly assumed that the Vedas had only the one section of the population, one caste, one race and one community in view. This is the result of misreading and mistaken inference.
They are concerned, it was said, only with the Bramhins and with the Pundits among them. This, too, is a wrong conclusion. Every Vedic ritual had as its goal the prosperity and peace of the world. The Vedas yearn to establish the welfare of the three worlds – the nether regions, the earth and the heaven. It is a pity that a narrow outlook is foisted by short-sighted people on such profound texts. The Vedas do not allow scope for distinctions on the basis of caste or creed. They assert:
– I shall save whoever keeps Me in memory.
– I shall be beside whoever is beside Me.
– Whoever adores Me in whatever Form and through whichever Name, I shall manifest Myself before them with that Form, bearing that Name.”
Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 15
“The Vedas declared that space and time are essential factors in human birth. Although, superficially, it may appear as if there are differences between the findings of science and the declarations of the Vedas, essentially, there are no differences. The Veda has revealed many truths not discovered by science. Science has not yet found many of the Truths declared by the Vedas.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba – 7/03/1997
“Sanskrit is an immortal language; its voice is eternal; its call is through the centuries. It has embedded in it the basic sustenance from all the languages of the world. Revere Sanskrit as the Mother of languages. Do not ignore its greatness or talk disparagingly about it.”
Sathya Sai Vahini, Chap. 22
“The Vedic literature is the most ancient in the world. It is a treasure house of wisdom. It has contributed to the all-round development of man. The Veda is the first-ever book in human history. It is the birthplace for human culture and the basis for all kinds of powers. All branches of learning have their origin in the Veda. All dharmas and virtues have sprung from the Veda. The Veda is endless, unfathomable, indefinable, and blissful.”
Sathya Sai Speaks 1990, Chap. 16
“The sages in ancient times had the inner vision and experience of the Divine and they gave expression to this revelation through the Vedas. They are applicable to entire humanity for all times.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba – 18/10/1993
“All the Vedas are intent on helping man to become aware of Divinity in him and all around him. Picture for yourselves the peace that seers gained by that awareness, and yearn to learn the lessons the Vedas treasure, for all mankind irrespective of caste, creed, race or nationality.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba – Dasara, 20/10/1982
“Gama and āgama are the names given to the inhaling and exhaling of the Lord’s breath which were the origin of the Vedas. All in all, the Vedas represent the emanations from the breath of the Lord. The great sages who listened to these mantras as revelations from the Divine found the key to them in eight basic letters. All the Vedic mantras with their musical rendering were remembered by reflecting on the eight letters: ‘a, ka, cha, ṭa, ta, pa, ya, śha’. The great seers fostered the Vedas by the use of these letters.”
Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 22, Chap. 29
“Truth is always new. It is never aging. For example, can you say this Earth is old, the sun and the sky are old? They are not aging, they are every day new. Similarly, Vedic wisdom and knowledge are fundamental Truth, eternal and timeless. This Truth is responsible for the renewal and longevity of Creation. Vedic tradition offers the best tools for transforming ourselves and connecting to the Eternal Truth.”
Sri Tathāta
“Everything is there in the Vedas. The essence of all the religions like Hindu, Islam, and Christianity is there in the Vedas. Even Christians sing the glory of God in the same manner. Even the Mohammedans extol the five elements and worship the god for wealth. Hence, God is one for all religions. God is one. There is difference only in names. Mohammedans offer prayers to God five times a day. Hindus also pray to God in the morning and evening. We should never say that the Veda is only for Hindus. Veda is for all.”
Sri Sathya Sai Baba – 6/05/2008