Secret of the Veda: Guidance from Sri Aurobindo

The Rig Veda is the wellspring of the spiritual development that characterized ancient India. It has not only been the source for the later developments, such as the Upanishads, the Tantra and the Gita, but is has been the focus of an ancient culture of spiritual discipline, and various religious rituals and sacrifices. When Western scholars and seekers turned their gaze to the writings of ancient India, they also focused much attention on the Rig Veda.Throughout its existence, the Rig Veda has been openly acknowledged as being the "revealed Truth", the "secret words" and the hidden secret. Nonetheless, whenever anyone tried to analyze the significance of the hymns, the stories and legends contained therein, and the sense of the verses, more often than not they were unable to find the "essence" claimed to lie therein. This had led to much confusion over the years and many conflicting commentaries and analyses.Sri Aurobindo began his study of the Rig Veda with a classical Greek and Lati