Veda Chanting

Courtesy: Sri.S.Venugopal

Veda Chanting

And then, I should also let you know what Bhagavan said on the 29^th of October. All the boys were sitting in the front rows. It was a very pleasant evening. The weather was fine, very cool.

Bhagavan said, "The weather and the climate are like Kodaikanal. You'll enjoy the whole of Puttaparthi and Prashanthi Nilayam as if it is air-conditioned." (Laughter)

And then some boys said, "Swami, we want to recite Vedam."

Baba said, "Ah, wait."

Then I said, "Swami, Veda chanting is auspicious. If they chant Veda it will be auspicious for everybody. All devotees will be very happy to hear the Veda chanting. Please permit it."

"Mmm, come on then. This man is recommending it. (Laughter) All right, you can do it."

And they started Veda chanting - reciting Veda. Then, at the end of the line of boys, I saw young children - little kids - they too started chanting Veda. I saw their lip movement.

Then I said, "Swami, I think the children are also joining the Veda chanting."

"What? The children know it much better than the big boys!"

 He asked the older boys to stop and called those children.

"Come, sit. Come on, chant Veda."

 They started chanting Veda better than the big boys, I tell you.

 Then Swami said, "See? Can you chant like that? Can you recite Veda?"

 I said, "Swami, I was not a student of Your Institution. How do You expect me to chant Veda? No. For the simple reason they studied here, they have learned it. For the same reason -- I have not studied here -- so I don't know Veda chanting."

           "Oh ho! Manchidi knack (meaning, good trick)! Instead of saying, 'I don't know,' you say that you are not a student of the school, eh? Good. All our boys and girls, all children, including grown-up boys and Ph.D. students from all the three campuses -- Brindavan, Prashanthi and Anantapur -- they all know Veda. They all know how to chant Veda."

Then I said, "Swami, Your Institutions are the very symbols of Vedic culture, ancient traditions -- the very metaphor of Veda. So I'm not surprised."

On the same day of October 29^th Baba said, "In Veda chanting, there are two portions. One part is Namakam. The second part is Chamakam."

Namakam and Chamakam were the two parts in Veda chanting on that day.

Swami started explaining, "Namakam, the first part means, 'I don't want anything.' Nama -- Na means 'no', while ma means 'want'. 'I don't want anything.' 'I don't want anything' is the first half. While the second half, Chamakam means 'I want.' 'I want' indicates being full of desires. What do they desire? 'Oh God, grant us pure air; grant us good drinking water; bless us with good food.' That is Chamakam - prayers of request."

Well, you must have understood by now that I am an extrovert. I cannot keep anything to myself. I immediately ask, take Divine risks, and face spiritual dangers and threats. (Laughter) But, I can't help it. I am born with this openness. What to do?

  Then I asked, "Swami, while we say, 'I don't want anything, Namakam,' why should we also say, 'I want everything, Chamakam'? Why both these types of prayers? Either we should pray, 'I want it,' or pray, 'I don't want it.' What is the point of saying both?"

  Baba immediately replied, "Both are there in Veda so that those people who have desires will recite Chamakam and those people who have no desires will recite Namakam. That's all. The Vedas give provisions for both these types of people, for both categories of people."  

  Further Bhagavan also said, "Look here, those ancient sages did penance for a long time and they said, 'Vedaha Vedam Purusham Mahantam Aditya Vurnam Thamasah Parasthath.' This is a quotation from Veda. The sages said, 'Vedaha Vedam Purusham Mahantam.' 'We have seen God.' Saints said, 'We have seen God.' 'Purusham Mahantam.' 'Purusha is God. We have seen this Purusha.' 'Vedah Vedam, Purusham Mahantam.' 'We have seen God.' Where? 'Thamasah Parastat.' 'Beyond darkness.' 'Beyond darkness, we have seen God.' "

              What does this mean? Beyond the darkness of ignorance, there is Effulgence, or the Light of Divinity.

  Then Bhagavan said, "And saints declared that God is everywhere, inside and also outside. 'Anthar Bahirscha Thathsarvam'. 'Antha' means 'inside'. 'Bahirscha' means 'outside'. 'Thathsarvam' means 'Divinity is present everywhere'. 'Vyapya' means 'spread'. 'Narayana Sthitha' means 'God is installed everywhere, inside and outside.'" That's what Bhagavan said, explaining Veda that day.