28 Mar 2022
[Shri J.S.R. Prasad asked:- God Brahmā wrote the Vedas and God Datta is God Brahmā. The author alone knows the actual meaning intended by him. Others may misunderstand and misinterpret. Since You are the incarnation of God Datta, I request You to give the actual intended meaning of the following mantra or hymn: Vijñānaṃ yajñaṃ tanute, Karmāṇi tanute'pi ca, Vijñānaṃ devāssarve, Brahma jyeṣṭhamupāsate.]
Swami Replied:- This is the best method of recognising the human incarnation. Scholars identify through knowledge only and ordinary souls identify through miracles. Recognition by miracles alone is not correct because even demons perform miracles. In fact, the Veda told that God shall be recognized through knowledge only (Satyaṃ jñānam anantamṃ Brahma, Prajñānaṃ Brahma). The Gita also says that knowledge alone is the real identification of God (Jñānītvātmaiva me matam).
i) Vijñānaṃ yajñaṃ tanute:- Vijñānaṃ means logical analysis, which shall be done when the sacrifice is performed. If you analyse sacrifice (refer to My analysis of Yajña or Homa), you will clearly understand that feeding hungry guests with ghee-cooked food is the real meaning of Yajña and not burning ghee in the physical fire. Since food is burnt without offering to the guest possessing hunger fire (Vaiśvānarāgni), sacrifice (Yajña) is mentioned first among the rituals of worship of God. This ritual (Yajña) is mentioned prominently in the beginning itself even though it is one of the general rituals mentioned in the second line as Karmāṇi.
ii) Karmāṇi tanute'pi ca:- This means that other methods of worship of God like pouring milk etc. on statues are also to be analysed logically to prevent the wastage of food which is strictly prohibited by the Veda (Annaṃ na paricakṣīta)
iii) Vijñānaṃ devāssarve:- The possessor of logical analysis is said to be an angel. An angel is made of sattvam quality and sattvam generates knowledge (Sattvāt saṃjāyate jñānam). Even Krishna advised Arjuna in the end of the Gita to analyse deeply whatever told by Him and then accept it. The word ‘deva’ also means incarnation of God. This means that all the incarnations of God preach spiritual knowledge giving deep logical analysis so that it penetrates everyone’s heart.
iv) Brahma jyeṣṭhamupāsate:- The analysis of knowledge shall be done deeply before performing rituals, which are the practical ways of worship of God. After doing such analysis, the path will be perfectly correct. The Gita says that one shall do analysis and know the truth before performing rituals (Jñātvā kurvīta karmāṇi). Even before attaining the correct knowledge, you have to analyse logically so that you can differentiate between true and false arguments as told by Shankara (Sadasadvivekaḥ).
The four authorities for spiritual knowledge are the Veda, secondary scriptures, logical analysis and experience (Śruti, Smṛti, Yukti, Anubhava). The first two authorities can be doubted due to the fear of insertions and deletions (prakṣepa). The last authority, which is experience, can also be doubted because the experience of a defective person cannot be taken as truth just like the appearance of two moons in the sky for a person having defective eyes (Netra taimirika doṣasya dvicandra darśanavat). The remaining only authority is logical analysis that satisfies the consciousness of everybody. This point is explained by the above mantra and this is the intended meaning of the author, God Datta.
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