Hare Krishna to one and all.
This question was asked to me by my friend and I was quite taken aback.
He said "Puranas , mahabarata and all the prominent scriptures were written by Vyasa Maharshi. What is the proof that Vyasa Deva existed?". I somehow managed to convince him but we both agreed it was not such a sound argument.Please help.
Also, he asked "What is the proof that Vyasa Deva had not written something out of his own will, what he considered right ?"
To this I answered that he was not the only scholar at that time and other scholars would have checked and pointed out mistakes.
Further, he asked me "What if it was a major scam like in Da Vinci's Code Book where it is claimed that the Bible was written based on the perceptions of religious heads?"
I could not answer this.
Please help.
Hare Krishna!
Replies
Hare Krishna to one and all.
Vedic knowledge is considered Apaurusheya or unborn, that which Lord Bramha heard from the Supreme Personality of Godhead and transmitted to his sons - the 7 sages namely Bhrugu, Atri, Agastya, Vashistha, Angiras, Pulaha, Pulastya, Kashyapa and Narada for the betterment of mankind. The sons of Bramha and their descendants spread Vedic knowledges in Shruti form or oral transmission until the time of Vyasdeva and were thus preserved in the long course of Vedic Bhagvat history. Hence the Vedic literatures are known as Sabda Pramana or revealed scriptures.
Vyasdeva first divided the immense Vedic literatures existing during his time into 4 parts namely Rigveda, YajurVeda, SamaVeda and Atharveda and wrote it in written format which until now where orally transmitted for the people of Kaliyuga and passed on to his various disciples namely Vaishampayana, Paila, Sumanta, Romharshana and Yadnyavalkya. VedVyas also composed the longest epic namely Mahabharat consisting of 110000 verses which describes the authentic history of Bharat at the end of Dwaparyuga when Lord Krishna performed his earthly pastimes and alsocomposed Srimad Bhagvatam Purana after composing the epic Mahabharat on the advise of his Guru Narada Muni which describes the entire history of the cosmos, earthly planet and of the various Vishnu incarnations that occurred including Krishna incarnation to save devotees and kill the demons.
Thus VedVyas is a real personality and is considered as a literary incarnation of Lord Krishna who existed 5000 years ago on the earthly planet at the time of the Mahabharat era and was the son of Parashar Rishi and Matsyagandha. He fathered the sons of Kuru race at the insistence of his mother Satyavati whose husbands had died. Tell your friend all these facts and tell that the Bible and Da Vinci Code cannot be compared to our epics, Vedic literatures. Christian history is linear and Sanatan Vedic Dharma history is cyclical which follows Manvantar-Yuga cycle and there lays the difference of your doubt. So our history is not mythology but it is real history.
Hare Krishna . Pamho
This is a classic chicken - egg problem since the religious practices are based on shastras and reading shastras itself is an important element of practicing religion.
1. Proof that Vyasa Deva existed ?
There can be no inarguable proof for existence of any historical personality like Buddha, Kind Asoka, Chanakya, Jesus Christ, King Louis XVI or Srila Vyasadev. Also there can be no inarguable proof that these personalities did not exist.
2. What is the proof that Vyasa Deva had not written something out of his own will, what he considered right ?
Parts of Scriptures predict future with mind boggling precision and accuracy
Example - There are predictions of King Asoka, Chanakya Pandit, Buddha , Kalki etc. It is not possible to speculate on predictions or concoct with one's mind. This means scriptures are beyond time. Which means they have a supernatural source. In this case Vyasadev was empowered by lord to compile scriptures.
One thing is that we have to be first convinced ourselves before we can try and convince others. The only way we can be convinced is by phalena paricéyate - means by ascertaining the result.
Scriptures can be understood as useful resource that give us directions. Like a map, U go one km north from here u'll find a post office, then take a right and move for 1 km u'll see a river etc. Scriptures along with the final destination give us intermediate stages also. If a person is too argumentative on saying how can I believe a map, it could be a scam etc then its not possible to convince them theoretically.
Best thing is to inspire and support them in taking a few steps and asking them to check for themselves if they are able to perceive the results as expected. Best thing is scriptures very clearly say - U do this , then u get this result. U do that then the result will be that. Like scriptures clearly indicate the benefits of chanting, it can be practically experienced
People who have used the map and reached their destinations may not hold everybody's hand and walk throughout the path. People who haven't used the map(me) are traversing the cycle of birth and death in maya.
YS Bharat
Hare Krishna !
Thanks Mr. Bharat.Your answer solves most of the questions mentioned.
But could you please shed some light or refer me to someone who could do so regarding the landmarks in the path of religion. I want to reply my friend precisely and convince him.
Thanks for your time and patience.
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
This is a case of doubting Thomases. What is the proof that Vyasa deva existed? Well, the proof is the scriptures he has left behind. Without existing, he couldnt have written. Why would someone else write them and give the name of Vyasa deva? Has he ever asked whether Shakespeare existed or not? Why - because it is mentioned in recorded history? Again, I will say that our scriptural history records the birth and pastimes of Srila Vyasadeva, why not believe? Our scriptures are far far more ancient than recorded history of modern times, which keeps on getting updated, whereas there is never any updation of Srimad Bhagawatam or any of our scriptures.
Regarding whether Vyasadeva wrote something out of his own will, any and every writer gives a mention whether his work is fiction or non fiction. We believe all the writers of the world, right? Then why dont we believe this one writer? Why the doubt?
Regarding it being a Da Vinci Code type of scam, the Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction. Why take it so seriously?
Now let me try to convince you the other way - when we are doing a geometry theoram, we start with some assumptions right? We write down the assumptions first, then we prove the theory and end with proving that the assumptions were right. While reading any book of say accountancy or engineering, we have to again start with assumptions, sometimes they are not even proven to be right, but the whole subject is dependent on them. That same way, there are certain assumptions to read the scriptures also. That is the reason we give a lot of importance to the Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita written by Srila Prabhupada. It is pretty long, 20 + pages, still it is important to read it. It lays down the principles to follow while reading Gita (they hold true for Bhagawatam also).
The nine stages of devotion also start with Adau Shraddha - there has to be basic faith, otherwise one will keep on questioning.
OK, another way of explaining is - there are a lot of examples of people who left their material wealth and designations to take a path of spirituality and read and followed the path of the scriptures. They did not go back to their earlier material life, neither they lamented that they left everything. On the contrary, they experienced bliss and became examples for generations to follow. Do you know any example of someone who was on the spiritual path, left it and joined the material world, and became an achiever in the material world and an example to people? If there was nothing in this path, why would people renounce and be happy, content and never want to go back to the material world?
I hope I have been able to help you somewhat.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
Tell your friend that that before we wanna go in depths of anything whether physics,archaeology,history..we all rely on research about that thing with the available resourses;for that we need to study,analyze by ourself with our wisdom,common sense and then only arrive at the conclusion for anything...................whoever is having true quest of almighty or his existence must explore this thing with knowledge and its every possible implementation in daily life;the lord being antaryami knows and fulfills the core desires of every true seeker whichever the path is.......but it should be honest............e.g,,,the great swami vivakananda and swami dayananda were the great atheist once when they found only dogmas,superstitions within the religion and they had guts to reject that and search for the truth with their wholehearted desire...they poured the blood of their hearts for that and they finally get that thing;i,e answered by the godhead in his ways.
It is the main problem of most of hindus today that they don't find anytime to read their shastras in their life although they hv ample time for pubs,movies,tv and gossiping..........how many hindus really read their scriptures really or wanna learn from it.NONE!!!!!!!!(or perhaps very few).....and we worship strange self-made god babas,mazars.........and our stones only.......how many admire the krishna of gita and mahabharat than just having ears on rasleela of krishna....how many admire the manliness and bravery of rama than only his tears for sita and softness for everyone........it is this only that had made india weaker and the hindus were not able to save their holiest temples and places of worship by attacking looters and barbarians......who crushed their temples to pices again and again....and we worshipped only krishna of rasleela .........no the fiery krishna of battlefield and fear-shading cosmic form.......no narshima .........this is the root of all our physical and mental slaveries ever since thousands of ages till today that we left our religion and shastras to a handful of people and became ignorant the result we faced in countless humilitaions under malechhha rule.
if u donno believe in vyas,puranas just by hearing others' views,your queries or some "THE DA VINCHI CODE" type ....movies............u will always be stucked with that with your same weakness not even able to break the shackles of lazyness and undetermined attitude and then always commenting and dobting the existence of god and shastras..........................if u truly wanna know the truth,please have some faith if not in lord then have in yrself ,your determination ,your strength that u would find what is true and supreme irrespective of all arguments on mental debates only....read shastras,live them,learn and u would get to know 100% what u waana if u r really desirous of exploring rather than believing on anybody's talks..............................before vyas's mahahbharata,we had the eternal vedas and upnishads and several purans too;although some purans were written later....................the knowledge was always there and will be there all is needed the strength to admire and live it.
Hare Krishna!!!1