Aanandha Yoga Ch-2e

It means that …… ‘Brahman is Aanandha'. The entire universe came out of this 'Aanandha'. That which was born out of 'Aanandha' is sustained in 'Aanandha'. And finally it merges into 'Aanandha’. (Brahman is the Supreme God, believed by the Sanaathana dharma. This is not to be confused with the four headed Brahma Deva – the creator)
This is a very important sloka in the Vedas. If we have to understand this, first we have to know, what is 'Aanandha', what is 'Brahman', 'who' is the one who reaches it, etc., Vedas is like a big ocean and it is very difficult to understand its depth. Immaterial of the huge amount of information contained in the Vedas, it is enough if we know what is required for us.

Trying to Understand Vedas

Vedas – Vedas can be broadly classified into two. The first ¾ is known as karma kaanda and the remaining ¼ part is know as Gnaana kaanda, and also known as Veda-antha (last part of Vedas) 'Vedhaanta'.

Karma kanda –
Karma kanda explains all the rituals that are to be performed. For every individual From birth to death, there is a mantra for every occasion, yagas, rituals etc.,
When a mother is pregnant, a ceremony called Seemandham or valaikaappu.
When a child is born, its naming ceremony along with Aayush homa, for the longivity of the life. Then the upanayanam, which marks the second birth of the individual. Then the marriage. And finally when a person is dead, the death ceremony. And the Shradda rituals after the death. The details of all these rituals and how to perform it are found in this karma kaanda.

Gnaana kaanda –Gnaana kaanda tries to explain to us that there is a Supreme power, known as the ParaBhrahman, who is the source of all this entire universe. (This ParaBhrahman is not to be misunderstood with the four headed Demi-god BrahmaDeva, who is believed to be the creator god.) It goes on to explain that this Supreme Power is the embodiment of ‘Aanandha’ (Bliss). And that who ever reaches him, will also reach that state of ‘Aanandha’. The meaning for Upa-nishad in Sanskrit is taking one near. Gnaana Kanda, The last part of Vedas is also known as ‘Upanishad’, or taking one nearer to 'Parabrahman or 'Aanandha'.

If one has to go beyond this cycle of birth and death, then one has to take the path of ‘Aanandha’ and reach that Supreme Power ‘Parabrahman’ an embodiment of ‘Aanandha’. And for doing so, one has to understand the ‘Upanishads’.

In our present day eduation system, we aspire to do Master’s degree, M.Phil, Ph.D etc., For doing so one has to spent 12 years of schooling, 3 to 5 years of graduate studies, 2 years of Post graduation, and only after that several years for Ph.D., Upanishads is like the Ph.D., But what is so difficult, our Rishis have made is simple for us, by giving us the Puraanas, ithihaasas, etc., which is actually an extract of the Vedas and upanishads. The following can be considered as our Holy books.

Vedas = 4
Upanishads = 108 (but according to Shri Vaishnava sampradhaaya only 10)
Ithihaasa = 2 (Ramayana and Mahabharatha)

Mahabharatha has about 1,25,000 verses and in it, in the central most part is ‘Bhagavat Gita’ consisting of 700 slokas. ‘Bhagavat Gita’ is the advice of Bhagwaan Shri Krishna to Arjuna. It is actually an essence of the Upanishads.

Savopanishado gavo dhogdha gopala nandhanaha, partho vatsaha sudhirbhoktha dugdham geethamrutham mahat

सवोपनिशदो गावो दोग्धा गोपल नन्दनः, पर्थो वत्सह सुधिर्भोक्ता दुग्धम् गीतम्रुतम् महत्

so says the Gita Dhyaana sloka….
The meaning for this is …… all the Upanishads are like the cows and Partha (Arjuna) is the calf and on his behalf Lord Krishna is milking the cows and giving it not only to Arjuna but to all. Bhagawan Shri Krishna has condensed the Upanishads for us and given it in a simple form.


And for people who cannot understand even Bhagavat Gita, Puranas have been given by our Rishis. There are 18 Puranas and they are –
1. Brahma Purana
2. Padma Purana
3. Vishnu Purana
4. Vaayu Purana
5. Bhaagavat Purana
6. Naradhiya Purana
7. Markandeya Purana
8. Varaha Purana
9. Agni Purana
10. Bhavishya Purana
11. Brahma Vaivartha Purana
12. Linga Purana
13. Vamana Purana
14. Kurma Purana
15. Matsya Purana
16. Garuda Purana
17. Brahmaanda Purana
18. Skaandha Purana

Out of this Shrimad Bhaagavata Purana is very important. There are 12 Cantos in it. The story of Shri Krishna is written in great detail in the 10th Canto of this. Apart from this all the main points described in the Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad gita, is given here in very simple story forms.