Being Ancient Does Not Guarantee It Is Right

To ensure that the rituals envisaged in the Vedas should continue incessantly, Vyasa divided the Vedas into four parts. Originally, the Veda mantras were all together, as a single corpus.

When the modern Indologists try to say that – Rigveda was written five thousand years back, Yajurveda was written three thousand years back – just understand that it is nonsense.

Number one, these are not books written by someone or even a group of people. Vedas are called aporusheya – not written by anyone, not even by Rishis. They are not the authors of Vedas. They are called Rishis because they received these mantras. The mantras existed even before the Rishis came into existence.

ऋषति प्राप्नोति सर्व्वान् मन्त्रान् इति ऋषिः

Every single scripture of Sanatana Dharma attributes division of Vedas to Veda Vyasa. Before Vyasa – Veda mantras existed as a single corpus.

And the modern paid Indologists say that Rigveda was written 1000 years back and Samaveda was written three thousand years back. They are at least kind enough to say that Vedas were written thousand years back. Ignorance of these people is so much, agenda of these people is so crooked – that after some time they will show you Veda published in 1900 and tell you that – see, published only in 1900, the author must be fifty years old when he published, he must have written 10 years back, so the Veda was written in the year 1890. This is the kind of logic they use when they try to date the scriptures.

And they are the modern scholars. And what gives you the feeling that just because it was written 1000 years or 5000 years back it is good? Shastra itself says –

पुराणमित्येव न च साधु सर्वे

Just because it is old does not mean that it is good. Just because it is in Sanskrit, it does not mean it is correct. Crooks take advantage of all these.

The other day, heard someone selling gemstones on the TV. She says – Agnimeele... This is a mantra from Rigveda. It says – everyone has problems, by wearing gemstones, they can be solved. Hotaram ratnadhatam – means wear gemstones. This is the height of cheating, this is height of deception, and this is the height of our own ignorance about our scriptures. Someone sells gemstones saying Veda mantra Hotaram... means wear gemstones to solve your problems.

Veda Vyasa divides Vedas into four parts not once – I am using the term divides and not divided with a purpose. Vyasa divides Vedic corpus every time Dwapara Yuga comes. To be more precise, Vyasas divide Vedic corpus into four parts every time Dwapara Yuga comes.

Every Dwapara Yuga, it is a new Vyasa, it is a different Vyasa. So Vyasa is not a person, Vyasa is position. In the present Dwapara Yuga – or the Dwapara Yuga of the present Chaturyuga, Satyavati’s son Krishna Dwaipayana became Vyasa. In the previous Dwapara Yuga, Jatukarnya was Vyasa. In the coming Dwapara Yuga – that is, after the present Kali Yuga will get over, then Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dwapara Yuga will come – in that coming Dwapara Yuga, Drwonee will become Vyasa.

And we are here dating Vedas, when they were written, even the publisher’s name. Because, as Yugas progress, man’s intellectual capacity also weakens. His devotion and dedication also weaken. In the earlier Yugas, men could learn and practice the entire Vedic corpus. Not anymore. In Kali Yuga, the mental capacity will be still less.

So Vyasas divide the single Vedic corpus into Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda every time a Dwapara Yuga comes. The division is made based on their usage in yajnas. Even after simplifying the learning and practice of Vedas in this manner, Vyasa still felt this is not going to reach the masses.

Vedas are for the intellectuals. All the dharma, how one should conduct himself and herself to progress spiritually and attain the highest goals – they are all hidden in the Vedas. How can the masses come to know about these? So Vyasa authored Puranas. Vyasas author Puranas every time Dwapara Yuga comes, elaborating the lofty principles of dharma contained in the Vedas in simple language and through stories (stories not fiction) – stories of various incidents that took place in the past, analyzing them for right and wrong.

In this manner, through Puranas, Vyasa takes to the common man the great principles contained in the Vedas in a simple, interesting, and lucid manner.

• Why would a vast body of knowledge be split into parts? - To make learning and practice manageable as human attention, memory, and time shrink across generations.

• What does it mean to say something is not authored by humans? - It means that the content is revealed or discovered, not composed, and that humans only received and preserved it.

• How can multiple experts disagree on when a tradition began? - Dating oral traditions is hard; evidence is fragmentary, methods vary, and assumptions differ.

• Does age alone prove truth or value? - No. Age shows survival, not correctness. Claims still need sense, coherence, and results.

• Can language prestige make an idea correct? - No. A statement remains true or false regardless of whether it is in Sanskrit, English, or any other language.

• How should I test grand claims tied to sacred verses? - Ask for the exact verse, a clear translation, the traditional commentary, and practical evidence. If any link is missing, be skeptical.

• What is the practical difference between mantra, stotra, and story? - Mantras are for recitation in set ways, stotras praise or describe, and stories explain principles through examples.

• Why do stories matter if principles already exist? - Stories carry nuance, show consequences, and help non-specialists grasp subtle ideas without technical training.

• What is the risk of mixing commerce with scripture? - Selective quoting, false promises, and emotional pressure can replace reasoning and ethics.

• If a role repeats across ages, what does that imply? - The office matters more than the individual; the function is timeless even as people change.

• Why link divisions of knowledge to ritual use? - Organizing by use helps practitioners find the right material fast and preserve correct procedure.

• How can a text be both one and many? - A single source can be curated into branches, recensions, and guides while remaining rooted in the same core.

• What should I do when scholars and tradition conflict? - Compare methods, check sources, understand the aim of each side, and withhold judgment until you see solid reasons.

• How do I avoid being misled by sacred-sounding claims? - Verify context, demand precise citations, consult respected teachers, and keep an eye on who benefits.

• What is the point of translating lofty ideas into simple language? - Inclusion. It lets more people live the ethics, not just admire them from a distance.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi