Perfection and Education

The vedic sages posed the question of perfection in each activity. What is the source of ability of the human being to perform certain activities? Can s/he develop capacities to do actions like singing, painting or composing which s/he may not currently possess?

The vedic sages declare that each deva is a conscious being associated with a particular type of cosmic power. By following certain psychological practices such as aspiration, faith and by chanting the verses, each human being can enter into a conscious relationship with these cosmic forces or devās. The relationship can be very intimate like father, son, friend, spouse and so on. Then the particular deva is pleased to manifest his power in that human being. These powers continue to increase or grow in the human as the corresponding degree of aspiration increases. This idea of the deva manifesting his power in a human is called as the birth of the deva referred to in the RV in hundreds of verses by words like janayan or jagnāna etc. These powers increase in man indicated by the words like vardhayan, ūti. Hence each deva has two births dvijanma in Veda, one at the cosmic level, the other in each human being.

The first to take birth in man is Agni, the leader. There are many verses such as (1.68.4) which declare that he sits inside us and guides us. We should remember that man is primarily a thinker, secondarily a doer. Agni infuses the energy and makes the will strong and makes him/her do the work. All the work is done by Gods. Agni worships on behalf of man. He is prayed to perform yajňa (2.9.4). Agni is the leader of yajňa, the collaborative effort.

Becoming acquainted with these psychological powers may take a long time. Once some degree of mastery is established, then the person embarks onto the second stage. In this stage, s/he enquires whether each psychological power that has come to his attention has a universal fount or source from which the corresponding power in all other humans is derived.

According to the vedic sages, education means getting the knowledge or power directly from the main source. The book is only an instrument.

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