Inspiration Behind My Work For And On Vedas:
My interest in Vedic research has its roots in my childhood. I vividly recall stories told by the elders of my family about the value and importance of mantras and the way they could be put to achieve positive or negative results. I, Panduranagarao Malyala, would like to share with you some of those stories that left an impact on me and led me to my ultimate destination of preserving Vedic heritage.
Story Of King Janamejaya And Takshaka:
King Pareekshit who ruled India about 5000 years ago, was cursed by sage Srungi that he’d be killed by the most venomous snake Takshaka. Despite the best of his efforts to escape, king Pareekshit was killed by the snake. Determined to avenge his father’s death, Pareekshit’s son Janamejaya, conducted sarpa yagam to kill the entire snake species, in Sarpavaram village near Kakinada. Copper plates were found near the place confirming Janamejaya’s gifts of land to the Brahmins. Greatest of the snakes were invoked by mantras to fall in the fire pit. The chief priest envisioning that Takshaka sought Indra’s refuge, chanted “Sa Takshaka Indraya Swaha” ordering Takshaka to fall in the fire pit along with Indra and his throne. As they starting falling from the heavens, Sage Asteeka came to the rescue of the snake species and convinced Janamejaya that Takshaka was only an instrument in the divine plan.
This story taught me that mantra is “apratihata” (one that can never be destroyed). As a lean built child in primary school, my ability to chant mantras rescued me from bullying by older kids.
Story Of Vrittasura:
According to my Guru, Sri Soora Adhyapaka Kompella Sriramamurthy Avadhani, the mantra must be clearly uttered with proper intonation to produce desired result; or it boomerangs. He illustrates it with the example of demon Vrittasura who chanted the mantra wrongly to mean that he be killed by Indra instead of the Indra to be killed by him.
Story of Sage Vidyaranya:
About 1400 AD, under Muhammed Bin Tughlak’s rule, Saint Vidyaranya performed penance to protect the Vedas and Hindu culture from mohammedan attacks. Goddess Bhuvaneshwari blessed him with a shower of gold coins indicating an area (the present Hampi-Vijayanagaram) where a kingdom could be established. With the saint’s brother as the prime minister, the Vijayanagara Empire was formed that patronized Vedic scholars and encouraged Vedic study.
I performed Mahalakshmi yagna in Kolhapur in 1993 and ’94 to be able to procure funds for the inception of Veda pathasalas and do my part for the spread of Vedic consciousness. With my goal of 600 schools, 4 schools are up and running in India till date and I have been blessed by the vision of Divine mother who ordered to continue my efforts with Her grace by my side.
Konaseema, a beautiful peninsula on the banks of Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, India is home for renowned Veda Pundits, yagnas and vedic studies for about 600 years now. As per the copper plates (sasanas) available here, King Prolaya Nayaka of Orugallu met a Vedic scholar Vennaya Pundit, donated an agraharam (village) in his name to promote and protect vedic studies, holy scriptures and Brahmins from being destroyed by Mohammaden attackers. Vennaya and his brother Ganapayya pundit offered the revenues from their agraharam to Goutameswara and Kesava Swamy temples and spent the rest in spreading the Vedic culture.
With the efforts of the then Minister Kala Venkata Rao, the once remote konaseema is now well connected to its district headquarters, Kakinada. It became a higher learning center and a place of scholarly importance, housing the pundits who made it their home after the fall of Vijayanagara Empire in 16th century. Academically and financially affluent pundits performed numerous yagnas here till 1980 for universal peace and brotherhood; it is sad to see the glory diminish these days for lack of support. (Source: Veda Sara Ratnavali by famous scholar Sri.Uppuluri Ganapathy Sastry from Kakinada who is considered an avatar of Saraswati, the presiding deity of knowledge and learning. He participated in Veda Purusha Saptaha Yagnam conducted by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in 1962. Kakinada town has honored him with Sri. Uppuluru Ganapathy sastry Veda Parishat.)
Some Interesting Stories Of Vedic Knowledge In Modern Days:
Atomic Energy-Hitler: As a teenager, I remember the tales by my father and teacher that Hitler called for some Vedic scholars from Rajamundry to visit him in Germany to create atom bombs and rockets as given in some chapters of the Vedas. These bombs exploded at the slightest friction, so he sent for a scholar named Dandibhatla Viswanatha Sastry of Rajamundry, an expert in Atharvana and Krishna Yajurveda to resolve the issue, which he did after studying a few verses from those Vedic chapters. Sri Sastri’s picture can be found in a University in Frankfurt.
First Flight: While Wright brothers flew on December 17th, 1903, a German did so on September 13 1896 and an Indian Shivaram Bapuji Kadelkar did on August 14th 1895. Hundreds of years ago, Maharshi Bharadwaja wrote the Vymanika Sastra (Science of Aeronautics) as propounded by Subbaraya Sastry of Mysore and translated by GR Josyer to English. The then British rulers arrested Sastry and confiscated the material.
Pythagoras Theorem: Saint Apastamba’s sulabha sutras formulated to find the area of circular homa kundas are said to be plagiarized by Pythagoras.
Vedas might have a theory superior to Einstein’s law E=MC2.
The Satapatha Brahmana 7.1.2.23 and Gayatri Mantra talk about Universe being threefold (triloka): Prithvi (Earth), Antariksha (the space in between) and Dayu (Heaven). Krishna Yajurveda 23.12 (7-4-45) 43 Pannam-18th Anuvakam-45th Panasa suggests the existence of a softer intermediate space called Pilipila. Modern science says the matter and energy are interchangeable but the Vedic science says there is Pilipila in between.the two.(Ref: Modern Science in Vedas- 1 and 2 by Dr. Sakamuri sivaram Babu and Arjunadevi-Guntur-A.P.India published in 2007). Both Vedic and modern science agree upon a continuous dance of creation and annihilation of particle energy everywhere in the universe - Siva tandavam as per Hindu mythology, Rigveda discusses this cycle in detail.
Vedic View: The Universe rotates, shaped like an egg.
Modern View: The Universe is still and it resembles the surface of a sphere.
McCauley’s Educational Act of India (dated Feb 2nd 1854) aims at transforming Indians to be English in taste, morals and opinion. I strongly feel the process of westernization has brought about a psychological slavery among Indians who’d opt to be Engineers rather than Vedic scholars, given a choice.
To conclude, Vedas are a vast storehouse of knowledge, abundant information and solutions waiting to be discovered by dedicated youngsters who are determined to protect their heritage and academic wealth, a path shown by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in his discourses.
My interest in Vedic research has its roots in my childhood. I vividly recall stories told by the elders of my family about the value and importance of mantras and the way they could be put to achieve positive or negative results. I, Panduranagarao Malyala, would like to share with you some of those stories that left an impact on me and led me to my ultimate destination of preserving Vedic heritage.
Story Of King Janamejaya And Takshaka:
King Pareekshit who ruled India about 5000 years ago, was cursed by sage Srungi that he’d be killed by the most venomous snake Takshaka. Despite the best of his efforts to escape, king Pareekshit was killed by the snake. Determined to avenge his father’s death, Pareekshit’s son Janamejaya, conducted sarpa yagam to kill the entire snake species, in Sarpavaram village near Kakinada. Copper plates were found near the place confirming Janamejaya’s gifts of land to the Brahmins. Greatest of the snakes were invoked by mantras to fall in the fire pit. The chief priest envisioning that Takshaka sought Indra’s refuge, chanted “Sa Takshaka Indraya Swaha” ordering Takshaka to fall in the fire pit along with Indra and his throne. As they starting falling from the heavens, Sage Asteeka came to the rescue of the snake species and convinced Janamejaya that Takshaka was only an instrument in the divine plan.
This story taught me that mantra is “apratihata” (one that can never be destroyed). As a lean built child in primary school, my ability to chant mantras rescued me from bullying by older kids.
Story Of Vrittasura:
According to my Guru, Sri Soora Adhyapaka Kompella Sriramamurthy Avadhani, the mantra must be clearly uttered with proper intonation to produce desired result; or it boomerangs. He illustrates it with the example of demon Vrittasura who chanted the mantra wrongly to mean that he be killed by Indra instead of the Indra to be killed by him.
Story of Sage Vidyaranya:
About 1400 AD, under Muhammed Bin Tughlak’s rule, Saint Vidyaranya performed penance to protect the Vedas and Hindu culture from mohammedan attacks. Goddess Bhuvaneshwari blessed him with a shower of gold coins indicating an area (the present Hampi-Vijayanagaram) where a kingdom could be established. With the saint’s brother as the prime minister, the Vijayanagara Empire was formed that patronized Vedic scholars and encouraged Vedic study.
I performed Mahalakshmi yagna in Kolhapur in 1993 and ’94 to be able to procure funds for the inception of Veda pathasalas and do my part for the spread of Vedic consciousness. With my goal of 600 schools, 4 schools are up and running in India till date and I have been blessed by the vision of Divine mother who ordered to continue my efforts with Her grace by my side.
Konaseema, a beautiful peninsula on the banks of Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, India is home for renowned Veda Pundits, yagnas and vedic studies for about 600 years now. As per the copper plates (sasanas) available here, King Prolaya Nayaka of Orugallu met a Vedic scholar Vennaya Pundit, donated an agraharam (village) in his name to promote and protect vedic studies, holy scriptures and Brahmins from being destroyed by Mohammaden attackers. Vennaya and his brother Ganapayya pundit offered the revenues from their agraharam to Goutameswara and Kesava Swamy temples and spent the rest in spreading the Vedic culture.
With the efforts of the then Minister Kala Venkata Rao, the once remote konaseema is now well connected to its district headquarters, Kakinada. It became a higher learning center and a place of scholarly importance, housing the pundits who made it their home after the fall of Vijayanagara Empire in 16th century. Academically and financially affluent pundits performed numerous yagnas here till 1980 for universal peace and brotherhood; it is sad to see the glory diminish these days for lack of support. (Source: Veda Sara Ratnavali by famous scholar Sri.Uppuluri Ganapathy Sastry from Kakinada who is considered an avatar of Saraswati, the presiding deity of knowledge and learning. He participated in Veda Purusha Saptaha Yagnam conducted by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in 1962. Kakinada town has honored him with Sri. Uppuluru Ganapathy sastry Veda Parishat.)
Some Interesting Stories Of Vedic Knowledge In Modern Days:
Atomic Energy-Hitler: As a teenager, I remember the tales by my father and teacher that Hitler called for some Vedic scholars from Rajamundry to visit him in Germany to create atom bombs and rockets as given in some chapters of the Vedas. These bombs exploded at the slightest friction, so he sent for a scholar named Dandibhatla Viswanatha Sastry of Rajamundry, an expert in Atharvana and Krishna Yajurveda to resolve the issue, which he did after studying a few verses from those Vedic chapters. Sri Sastri’s picture can be found in a University in Frankfurt.
First Flight: While Wright brothers flew on December 17th, 1903, a German did so on September 13 1896 and an Indian Shivaram Bapuji Kadelkar did on August 14th 1895. Hundreds of years ago, Maharshi Bharadwaja wrote the Vymanika Sastra (Science of Aeronautics) as propounded by Subbaraya Sastry of Mysore and translated by GR Josyer to English. The then British rulers arrested Sastry and confiscated the material.
Pythagoras Theorem: Saint Apastamba’s sulabha sutras formulated to find the area of circular homa kundas are said to be plagiarized by Pythagoras.
Vedas might have a theory superior to Einstein’s law E=MC2.
The Satapatha Brahmana 7.1.2.23 and Gayatri Mantra talk about Universe being threefold (triloka): Prithvi (Earth), Antariksha (the space in between) and Dayu (Heaven). Krishna Yajurveda 23.12 (7-4-45) 43 Pannam-18th Anuvakam-45th Panasa suggests the existence of a softer intermediate space called Pilipila. Modern science says the matter and energy are interchangeable but the Vedic science says there is Pilipila in between.the two.(Ref: Modern Science in Vedas- 1 and 2 by Dr. Sakamuri sivaram Babu and Arjunadevi-Guntur-A.P.India published in 2007). Both Vedic and modern science agree upon a continuous dance of creation and annihilation of particle energy everywhere in the universe - Siva tandavam as per Hindu mythology, Rigveda discusses this cycle in detail.
Vedic View: The Universe rotates, shaped like an egg.
Modern View: The Universe is still and it resembles the surface of a sphere.
McCauley’s Educational Act of India (dated Feb 2nd 1854) aims at transforming Indians to be English in taste, morals and opinion. I strongly feel the process of westernization has brought about a psychological slavery among Indians who’d opt to be Engineers rather than Vedic scholars, given a choice.
To conclude, Vedas are a vast storehouse of knowledge, abundant information and solutions waiting to be discovered by dedicated youngsters who are determined to protect their heritage and academic wealth, a path shown by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in his discourses.
