Vedic literature is a most precious treasure of Indian wisdom. The literature is vast, and includes not only the four Vedas but also Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upani-shads. As a part of the history of India, this literature constitutes a source material for understanding various aspects of Indian culture as it has grown and developed over millennia. For every lover of India, therefore, it becomes essential to turn to the portals of the Vedic literature. An attempt has been made in this book to present to a beginner some of the most important portions of this vast literature. The Veda contains secret knowledge, and the language used to express that knowledge is symbolic and, therefore, not easily intelligible. Sri Aurobindo, has, in his great work Secret of the Veda, expounded his discovery of the secret knowledge that is contained in the Veda. An attempt has been made to reflect that discovery while expounding selected passages which have been collected in this book. India is passing through a period of Renaissance, and it is felt that the recovery of the knowledge contained in the Veda is an essential task, since the future can securely be built only if it is based on the foundations which were built in the ancient times. This book will, therefore, be found relevant to the needs of all those who are keen to conceive and formulate a meaningful vision of the future of India.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kireet Joshi
Kireet Joshi (b. 1931) studied philosophy and law at the Bombay University. He was selected for I.A.S. in 1955 but in 1956 he resigned in order to devote himself at Pondicherry to the study and practice of the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. He taught Philosophy and Psychology at Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education at Pondicherry and participated in numerous educational experiments under the direct guidance of The Mother. In 1976, Government of Indian invited him to be Educational Adviser in the Ministry of Education. In 1983, he was appointed Special Secretary to the Government of India, and held this post until 1988. He was Member-Secretary of Rashtriya Veda Vidya Pratishthan from 1987 to 1993. He was appointed Vice-Chairman of the UNESCO Institute of Education, Hamburg, from 1987 to 1990. In the Ministry of Education, he was incharge of Higher Education. National Commission on Teachers, Languages, Youth Affairs and UNESCO affairs. He had been the Chairman of Auroville Foundation and is currently the chairman of Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR). His published works include: Sri Aurobindo and Integral Yoga, Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, Education for Character Development, Education for Tomorrow, Education at Crossroads, Philosophy and Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and other Essays and Veda and Indian Culture.
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