Basic HTML Version
scriptures like the Vedas, Valmiki Ramayana and Mahabharata endorsed
beef-eating . A rejoinder to H.T. articles was published in the Hindustan
Times dated 10th January, 2002 and further as a rejoinder to the book by
Mr. Jha, two articles entitled "Clouds over understanding of the Vedas" were
authored by B.D.Ukhul under guidance of Shri Bharat Bhushan Vidyalankar.
These articles came to be placed on the website www.aryasamaj.org and a
petition on line also came up which was signed by about 3000 persons from
all over the globe pleading the publisher to withdraw this book. Full text of
these articles can be seen and downloaded by the readers from the website.
The signatories of this petition have abundantly condemned and criticised
Mr. Jha for his deliberate attempt to denigrate the Hindu ethos and depict
the Vedas in adverse light. This Voice of protest can be read on the website
www.petitiononline.com/vedas/petition.html and they convey the inner
feelings of majority of Indians and others all over the world who lent us
support against the designs of Mr. Jha. This task could be accomplished
through the active support and encouragement of Shri Anupam(USA), co-
ordinator of this website who is rendering a yeoman service to the cause of
spreading the message of the Aryasamaj and Swami Dayanand Saraswati,
the founder of Aryasamaj who brought the Vedas back to us.
MISINTERPRETATION VIS-A-VIS TRUE MEANING
In the present write-up, only the part pertaining to the references
quoted by Mr. Jha from the Rg Veda in his book are being reproduced to
reveal as to how the Vedic hymns have been grossly misinterpreted. It is
revealing that the deductions of Mr. Jha are based on the commentary of
the Vedas by Sayanacharya which was rendered into English by H.H.Wilson.
It is equally satisfying to emphasize here that answer to these misleading
interpretations only came from the Bhashya or Commentary of the Vedas
by Swami Dayanand Saraswati and its English translation by Swami Satya
Prakash Saraswati and Shri Satyakam Vidyalankar. On the strength of this
noble commentary it was possible to repudiate the thesis of Mr. Jha and it
also leads us to infer that there is dire need for the Aryasamaj to project the
Vedas' commentary by Sw. Dayanand Saraswati all over the world because
he was the pioneer to bring out the true spirit of the Vedas.
In the realm of the Vedic interpretation, we owe debt to Swami
Dayanand Saraswati His commentaries were based on the Nighantu and
Yaska's Nirukta and he thought deep and delved deep to arrive at the rightful
adhyatmik and yogic spirit of the mantras. The opinion of a great saint-
philosopher Sri Aurobindo Ghosh will be most pertinent to quote in this
regard. "In the matter of Vedic interpretation I am convinced that whatever
may be the final complete interpretation, Dayananda will be honoured as
the first discoverer of the right clues. Amidst the chaos and obscurity of old
ignorance and age long misunderstanding his was the eye of direct vision
that pierced to the truth and fastened on that which was essential. He had
( 2)