PREACHERS AGAINST THE TRUE PATH
Chapter XX of The Vishnu Purana clearly says there were ascetics who taught doctrine opposed to those of the Vedas. And the other group of brahmins felt that anyone who uttered words of disrespect to the authority of the eternal, uncreated Veda, was degraded and fallen from his state. Even so if he was, like Krishna, talking of the need to re-understand the teachings of the Vedas.
Chapter VII of Maitri Upanishad explicitly describes to what extent degradation had taken place and how lowly beings too were worshipped along with the Devatas. It says that despite having a groove in front of them, they cling to low shrub. Further, it is stated that they all are under delusion that they are worthy of heaven, but they are not. Even the various groups of priests and sadhus, who are described in detail, are not worthy of heavens. See the conditions of those times in the words of Maitri Upanishad and introspect whether some of the evils described have continued to remain in our present society or not?
VII.8 of Maitri Upanishad says:
Now then, the hindrances to knowledge, O King. This is indeed the source of the net of delusion, the association of one who is worthy of heaven with those who are not worthy of heaven, that is it. Though it is said there is a grove before them they cling to a low shrub. Now there are some who are always hilarious, always abroad, always begging, always making a living by handicraft. And others are who are beggars in town, who perform sacrifices, for the unworthy, who are the disciples of Sudras and who, though Sudras, are learned in the scriptures. And others there are who are wicked, who wear their hair in a twisted knot, who are dancers, who are mercenaries, traveling mendicants, actors, those who have been degraded in the king’s service. And others there are who, for money, profess they can allay (the evil influences) of Yaksas (sprites), Raksasas (ogres), ghosts, goblins, devils, serpents, imps and the like. And others there are who, under false pretexts, wear the read rope, earrings and skulls. And others there are who love to distract the believers in the Veda by the jugglery of false arguments, comparisons and paralogisms, with these one should not associate. These creature, evidently, are thieves and unworthy of heaven. For this has it been said: The world bewildered by doctrines that deny the self, by false comparisons and proofs does not discern the difference between wisdom and knowledge.
This is a very important passage as it tells to what extent degradation had occurred. All types of pseudo-worshippers were present who were not worthy of going to heaven. There were some whose company itself, people were advised, not to keep. And there was a group of evil men who were working to distract the people from the Vedas by the jugglery of false arguments, comparisons and parallelisms. That they are described as thieves and not worthy of heaven tell clearly of the bad times through which Hinduism had to pass through.
It is Self that is described as the cause of all life and in which all life would finally disappear. The times were such that a group had appeared which altogether denied the existence of Self. They even gave false comparisons and proofs to bewilder the people. Since the word ‘The world’ is used, it amply suggests this was not a group of few people but a large number of them had come to believe so, because of the teachings of these false priests. The Upanishad clearly states that the seekers of knowledge and the wise knew the true identity of Self, thereby showing there indeed were men with true understanding, albeit they were few in numbers.
Verse VII.9 of Maitri Upanishad further states the state of affairs during those times. False personalities were created to confuse the people regarding the most revered personalities. Religious beliefs were being doctored and even the good teachings were being deliberately replaced by evil teachings. Worse still, people had begun to accept them as true. Truly, Forces of Misguidance and evil were at work with full force.
VII.9 of Maitri Upanishad says:
Verily, Brhaspati (the teacher of the Devas) became Sukra (the teacher of the demons) and for the security of Indra and for the destruction of demons created this ignorance. By this (they) declare the inauspicious to be auspicious and the auspicious to be inauspicious. They saw that there should be attention to the law which is destructive of the (teachings of the Vedas) and the other scriptures. Therefore one should not attend to this teaching. It is false. It is like a barren woman. Mere pleasure is the fruit there of as also of one who has fallen from the proper course. It should not be attempted. For this has it been said: Widely opposed and divergent are these two, the one known as ignorance, and the other as knowledge. I (Yama) think that Naciketas is desirous of obtaining knowledge and many desires do not rend you. He who knows at the same time knowledge and ignorance together, having crossed death by means of ignorance he wins the immortal by knowledge. Those who are wrapped up in the midst of ignorance, fancying themselves alone wise and learned, they wander, hard smitten and deluded like blind men led by one who is himself blind.
It is clear the conflict between good and bad was at its peak and the chief worry of the followers of the true path was to safeguard the teachings of the Vedas. The distinction between ignorant and wise had diminished or almost evaporated. Those who were ignorant were considered knowledgeable and likewise, vice versa. People doubted the revealed scriptures like Vedas and stories were circulating regarding the identity of Devatas, who were sometimes portrayed playing villainous roles. Some of these stories, like those of the fights between Devatas and demons, were so sporadically spread that they have even reached us as canards. It is extremely doubtful whether they are based on truth. Yet, such was the intensity of these narrations that the sage Yama had to take recourse to one such story to reveal the importance of Vedas and to downgrade the role of demons. This is apparent from the following verse.
See VII.10 of the same Upanishad:
Verily, the gods (read Devatas, as this is the word used in original Sanskrit text) and the demons, being desirous of (knowing) the self went into the presence of Brahma. Having bowed before him they said, Revered Sir, we are desirous of (knowing) the self, so do you tell us. Then, after having reflected a long while, he thought in himself. Verily, these demons are desirous of a self different (from the true one). Therefore a very different doctrine was told to them. On that these deluded (demons) here live their life, with intense attachment, destroying the means of salvation and praising what is false. They see the false, as if it were true, as in jugglery. Therefore what is set forth in the Vedas, that is the truth. On what is said in the Vedas, on that wise men live their life. Therefore a Brahman should not study what is not of the Veda. This should be the purpose.
If we believe this narration to be true, it implies that both the powers of guidance i.e. the Devatas and the powers of misguidance i.e. the Demons have been created by the Divine Forces for a purpose. They both are opposing forces and both work on the humans. For what would be the test for mankind if there were no demonic forces working on them. We will show later that the Quran too says that We are the creator of Noor and Zulmat. Most Muslim commentators have neither understood the term Noor nor the term Zulmat.
Vedas, it is reiterated in the aforementioned Upanishad as well, are the supreme source of all rightful information. And the fact that wise men lived their life waiting for the Devatas to come too can be derived from Vedas and various Upanishads. Since the authenticity and greatness of Devatas is maintained in all books having a Divine association (the Vedas and Gita), nobody can deny their role in this universe created by God. However, since there is a great deal of confusion relating to the true position of the Devatas, we decided to stick only to the Divine Books, viz. the Vedas and Gita and to Upanishads to understand their true role in this creation.
If the Vedas are revealed scriptures, as they are rightly believed to be so, there must be some very strong reason why the entire Vedas (all four of them) talk of the Devatas and nothing else? But if Vedas are full of description of Devatas, why is it that the present Hindu society does not give the same status to the Devatas? Why is it that scholars like Dayanand Saraswati translated the term Devata as steam engines, airplanes, etc. and other commentators showed that the Devatas existed at one point of time but their role is not that important anymore? Surely there is something amiss! Does that mean that the Vedas have lost their relevance now? Never! If this is not so then we will have to accept that we have not understood the Vedas and the Devatas truly till date. The Devatas are, as have been described in various Upanishads, truly the source of all knowledge revealed to guide us and to show us the true path. We have given a verse at the beginning where the Devatas are being invoked to remove our sins, vices and miseries and also for granting all that is beneficial and auspicious for us.
O All-creating Deva please sweep away from us all sins, vices and miseries and grant us all that is beneficial and auspicious.
Still we do not know their true identity! Come, read with us and we will show to you, with proofs, the real identity of Devatas and how we are related and indebted to them in our lives.
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