Chapter 7, Theosophy (Brahmavidya)

To the question, whether or not the Vedas contain all the sciences, our answer is that they do contain the root principles of all; the sciences. Of these, the first in importance is Theosophy (Brahamavidya) which we shall now briefly explain.

We read in the Rigveda I.6, 15,5. “We invoke God for our protection. He is the Ruler and Maker of the Universe and of all that moves and does not move. In Him the intellect finds satisfaction. He imparts strength and vigor. O Supreme Lord! Protect through Thy grace our knowledge and riches which thou causest to grow. Do thou guard and sustain us always without remiss so that we may obtain all kinds of happiness.

On this subject see also RigvedaI.2,7,5, which we have already explained in the chapter.
on the subject matter of the Vedas while treating of the Vijnana portion.

The Yajurveda XXXII. 11, says: “The Supreme Lord pervades the Bhutas [the great elements, Akasha, etc.] through and through. He pervades the directions East, etc. and sub direction South East, etc. He pervades the heavenly bodies, the sun, etc. and circumscribes them and knows them completely.

He is the maker of the subtle primary substances. The soul, which by means of its inner faculties (Antah karana) and powers attains and realizes the presence of and holds communion with the all-blissful and Free Lord, obtains emancipation.

The Atharvaveda X.4,7, 38, says : “He alone should be known as Brahma, who is.
Greater than the greatest and deserving of adoration by all men; who fills us with happiness (with His presence) and possession of true knowledge, who survives the resolution of this effect (the Universe) into its causes. In Him the thirty three devas, the Vasus and others find their support and he upholds them as a tree does the branches round it.

There are the following verses of the Atharva Veda XIII.4.16 to 18, 20 and 21 which say: “There is neither a second, nor a third, nor a fourth, nor a fifth, nor a sixth, nor seventh, nor an eighth, nor a ninth, nor a tenth God.

He pervades the Universe and therefore, it also is bound up with Him – there being a close connection between the pervader and the pervaded. He suffers all. He is one, one and one only. He the Omnipotent Being is the only support of all the devas, the above
mentioned Vasus etc., He supports them in their causal form even after Dissolution. The nine negative particles (in these verses) beginning with the ordinal second and ending with the zero (10th) show that God is one and one only and Vedas most emphatically deny the existence of a second Deity.

They affirm the existence of one God only and absolutely prohibit the worship of a second God. Being the indwelling ruler of this two-fold Universe, the animate and the inanimate, He alone sees it. There is no one else to see it. Of Him, however, not one can be said a seer.

The word one occurs thrice in one of these verses. This means that there is no second God equal to or greater than Him. It also indicates that there can be no other God of the same or of a different genus, nor can there be a division in His essence. Thus the existence of a second God is absolutely denied.

He is one and one only. He is the one intelligent principle the like of whom there does not exist. He alone without the help of another has made this world and supports it because He is All-powerful.
The Vedas contain numerous verses like those quoted above, e.g., the verses beginning with the words “Sa paryagachchhukram etc.” which treat of Theosophy. We do not quote them here for fear of increasing the bulk of the book. We shall explain then in the course of our commentary on the Vedas at their proper place.

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