Swami has said that there is a constant mantra in the body of man from birth to death.Which of the following produces this mantra?

Swami says: We must understand how one’s breath itself becomes manthra. It is so because we have the word Soham in the breath itself and when we inhale and exhale the breath we continuously utter the word Soham.This word Soham means “I am God - I am that” and simply means Thath thwam asi or “That art thou.” Therefore, this manthra of breath represents the swaswarupa.As soon as one is born and even before one is able to see anything and experience anything, this breath is the very first thing that a new-born baby will experience. This breath and manthra tells us the aspect of life and expounds it to the world through the sound koham which means “Who am I?”This word koham comes in the form of a manthra and takes the form of a question. With the question “Who am I?” everyone begins his life. Because one starts his life with this question in the first instance, Brihaspati can also be called Prathama.Because Brihaspati and Vachaspati could answer this very first question, they turned into Maharishis. To this question the answer they gave towards the end of one’s life is Soham. If we really understand the work of the rishis we will find that these rishis have raised the question koham and provided the answer to this question. Because they were able to give the answer to this very basic question, they have passed this worldly test. Life is the very foundation for living and this is a thing which we know. Just as for living, life is the basis, so also for the question, manthra is the basis.

Who grouped the Vedas into the collections?

Swami says: It was Vyasa, who was a partial manifestation of Narayana (or Vishnu) Himself and son of Sage Parasara. He had mastered the scriptures and spiritual treatises. He himself was a great sage. He was a skilful coordinator. In order to promote the welfare of mankind, he compiled the Veda into four parts and facilitated righteous living by all. He divided the Veda into four and prepared five collections (samhithas).He clarifies: The Yajus-samhitha has separated itself into two, the Krishna Yajur-veda collection and the Sukla Yajur-veda collection. So the total became five.

What is the name for the third complementary component that is Vedanta, the highest spirituality?

Swami says: These Upanishads themselves form the Vedanta. Memorising the Vedas is of no avail; Vedanta has to be understood and assimilated. Knowledge can never reach consummation until Vedanta is mastered.He emphasizes: They can be mastered only by intelligent discrimination (viveka). They deserve to be so mastered. Four goals are laid down for humans in the scriptures: righteousness (dharma), prosperity (artha), moral desire (kama), and liberation (moksha).Learning (vidya) can be classified under two heads: The lower and the higher. While in the four Vedas, the earlier portion of ancient scriptures, deal with the first three lower goals, the later portion of the ancient scriptures, the Upanishads, deal with the last, the higher goal.

Of the four collections of the Vedam (Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva), mantras contained in one of them are called the siddha mantras. Swami in fact has said this Veda is latent in the other three Vedas just as yoga is present in Karma, Upasana and Jnana. He says that the contradiction that arises between the internal aspects or feelings and the external aspects or feelings can be removed by the knowledge of this Veda.Which of the four Vedas does He describe thus?

Swami says: According to tradition, for Gayatri Parameswari, there are three feet namely Yajur, Rig and Sama Vedas. Mimamsa stood as her body and Atharva stood as the head of Gayatri Parameswari. Thus, while Atharva Veda had acquired such a prominent place over time, we are still giving prominence only to the other three Vedas.He further says: The Atharva Veda has given us clearly a description of what nature is and the laws that govern matter as well as spirit. From this Veda, we can also learn what path we must take in order that we may escape the sorrows and pain which are to be found in this world.Because Atharva Veda has taught us how to overcome the strength and power that is stronger than ours, it is also regarded as one which tells us about all the weapons with which we should defend ourselves. We should not consider Atharva Veda as something connected with the secrets of material weapons, or weapons with which one fights another in this material world. Atharva Veda has really given us the weapons with which we can fight the inner human problems like sorrow and pain. An individual who has gained control over the mind is far stronger than an individual who has gained control over the material world.

Swami lists nine names for the Vedas: Sruthi, Anusrava, Thrayee, Amnaya, Namamnaya, Chandas, Swadhyaya, Agama, Nigamagama.

One of these nine was applied to the Vedas because they were handed down from father to son and generation to generation by the process of teaching and learning.

Swami says: Sruthi means “That which was heard”. The guru chants the Vedic hymn, and the pupil listens with one-pointed attention and reproduces it with the same voice modulations. This process is repeated until the pupil masters the hymn. Hence, the name Sruthi is relevant.The name Anusrava means the same: “That which was heard serially.”Now, the word Thrayee. It means “the Three”. In the beginning there were only three collations in the Vedic scriptures - the Rig, Yajur, and Sama-vedas. These three alone were considered important. So this word was used, and it has stayed.The word “amnaya” is derived from the root “mna” which means “learn”. Since the Vedas had to be learned continuously and in a steadfast manner, they were collectively known as Amnaya and also as Namamnaya.“Chandas” means a poetic metre, which can be set to music, as in Sama-veda. So the Vedas themselves were indicated by that name.The name Swadhyaya was applied to the Vedas because they were handed down from father to son and generation to generation by the process of teaching and learning (swadhyaya).Agama means “that which has come, originated”.“Nigamagama” is an elaboration of the same word. The Vedas originated from the breath of God, and each syllable is sacred. Each word is a mantra. The Vedas are all mantras.