On June 30, 2023, Shri Shankar Shikshayatan organised the national seminar on Sharirikavimarsha. This was the third meeting on Sharirikavimarsha. The meeting focused on the seventh chapter of the book on Brahmavijnana authored by Pandit Madhusudan Ojha.
The main speaker was Prof. Kamlakant Tripathi of Sampoornanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi. Other speaker was Dr Kuldeep Kumar of Himachal Pradesh Central University. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Santosh Kumar Shukla, Centre for Sanskrit and Indic Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University and convener, Shri Shankar Shikshayatan.
In the seventh chapter, Ojhaji has dealt with 42 principles of paurusheya-apaurusheya through six schools of thought. Six conclusions have been drawn from this examination: 1) Veda is not created by anyone and exists on its own. There are 13 proofs of Veda; 2) Veda is created by ishvar. There are seven proofs; 3) Veda is created by ishwar’s incarnations and there are seven proofs; 4) Veda is born of nature and this has been discussed in seven ways; 5) Veda is created by rsis and there are seven proofs; and 6) Veda is created by villagers and there are three arguments to prove it.
Dr Kuldeep Kumar, in his presentation, threw light on some of the principles. He pointed out that in the 28th principle, it has been proved that veda and yajna were same. Brahma is yajna and rik, yaju and sama vidya are yajna. In the 35th principle, Rigveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda have been divided into two–in one part is Rigveda and in the second is Yajurveda and Samaveda. Rigveda is called Agni-Brahma and Yajurveda and Samaveda are Soma-Brahma. Rigveda is related to Brahma, Yajurveda to Bhrigu and Samaveda to Angira. Rigveda is connected to prithvi, Yajurveda to antariksha and Samaveda to dyuloka.
Prof Kamlakant Tripathi spoke about the first principle which stated that Ishwar was imbued with knowledge, and this could be known from the term, Brahma. Veda too is knowledge and is known as Brahma. A synonym for Ishwar is Pranav, similar to that of Veda. From Ishwar, the universe is created. Likewise, from Veda is the universe created. Veda is indestructible.
In his address, Prof. Shukla said atma-shastra (knowledge of self) has been divided into five parts in Sharirikavimarsha. These are Veda-shastra, Upanishad-shastra, darshan-shastra, Mimamsa-shastra and Gita-shastra. Pandit Madhusudan Ojhaji has given an exceptional rendition of the form of Veda. There is vivid account of the context of Veda and the great teacher of Veda, Brahma. Brahma is full of compassion, omnipresent and hiranyagarbha.
The meeting was organised and coordinated by Dr Lakshmi Kant Vimal and Dr Manishankar Dwivedi of Shri Shankar Shikshayatan. The meeting was attended by students, teachers and other scholars from various universities and educational institutions.