SAI SPEAKS TO SADHAKA

Sadhaka: All those who are loyal to Bharathiya culture accept the Vedas as authoritative sources for every aspect of life. They assert that the Vedas are the roots of their faith. What exactly does Veda mean? For what reason has the Veda acquired such importance?

Sai: My dear fellow! Born in India that is Bharath, parading yourself as a Bharathiya, you are not aware of what Veda means! Well. Veda is the name for a mass of divine knowledge. Veda teaches the Truth that cannot be revised or reversed by the passage of time through the three stages - past, present and future. The Veda ensures welfare and happiness for the three worlds. It confers peace and security on human society. The Veda is the collation of Words that are Truth, which were visualised by sages who had attained the capacity to receive them into their enlightened awareness. In reality, the Word is the very Breath of God, the Supreme Person. The unique importance of the Veda rests on this fact.

Sadhaka: But, in the field of worldly life, on the daily, material stage, what light can one expect from the Vedas?

Sai: Every being that lives in the world strives to possess what it desires and avoid what it dislikes. Know that the Veda instructs how to succeed in both these endeavours. That is to say, it lays down what has to be done and what should not be done. When these prescriptions and prohibitions are followed, one can earn the good and avoid the evil. Veda is concerned with both the material and the spiritual, both this world and the beyond. If truth must be told all Life is Veda-filled. One cannot but observe its injunctions. 'Veda' is derived from 'vid' which means 'to know'. So, Veda means and includes all knowledge, Jnana. Man is distinguished from other animals by the Jnana that he is endowed with. Devoid of Jnana, he is but a beast, a pasu.