Know Thy Vedas- Role of Old People as Described in Vedas

From: premsabhlok@yahoo.co.in
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Old People and their role

as described in VEDAS

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In the Vedas the old age is the golden (50 to 75 years) and diamond periods (75 to 100 years) of one’s life. The truthful, trustworthy and independent old people of yore speculated thought and observed the various social and physical phenomenons around them. They found greatest ideas of eternal value in the form of Aryankas, (simple laws for the old people) Rta - the cosmic laws of Nature for mankind. Their aim was perhaps to create concord in society and contributed through their metaphysics, philosophy and even Physical sciences and Scientific temper for the welfare of mankind.

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Vedic Description of Old age.

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Atharva Veda (XIV 1-31 and XIV-2-64 and 71) mentions that young couples should live full length of life together with their children and grand children. Normal age of a person is mentioned as 100 years for those who follow dharma (path of righteousness) and Rta- the eternal laws of Nature. Yajur Veda 3-63 says persons who follow Dharma and Rta can live up to 300 years i.e triya ayusham (triple life). Atharva Veda XI-1-19 say that learned and mighty persons of all divine professions (Varna) should expand to great grandfather/mother and should be able to say “I am the 15th of it”.

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Since Ramayana and Mahabharata are Vedas retold, the Grand Old Man of Mahabharata viz. Bhisham Pitamah who was Commander- in- Chief of Kaurva’s Army at the age of about 270 years was perhaps the 15th of the generation and was killed in the great Mahabharata War as he supported the non-divine Kaurvas.

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Vedic Prayer and Role for Old People

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In the Veda there is prayer for Old people “O God: allot us work to further your Design and Purpose” Rig Veda 1-124-1, 1-46-6 and 4-33-11 mention the purpose of human life is social welfare and help God in the maintenance of His grand wondrous Design. The Old people should aim at providing permanent truths and value systems to the young people by avoiding toxic emotion of resentment, regret, ego and change such feelings through Vivek (discernment) and tranquillity to love, duty, compassion and forgiveness.

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Since many Scriptures and Upanishads confirm the highest meditation is study of Vedas and Bhagavad-Gita says highest virtue is study of Vedic knowledge, Old people can at least spread the Vedic Economics of matter with unsuspected vitality based on dharma and artha, Ramrajya (Vedic concept of righteous state/government), Swaraj-local self government through Vidhata and Sabha and harmonised divine, spiritual and material Vedic knowledge. We can all jointly assist God in the maintenance of Grand wondrous Design by avoiding all kind of social, moral and physical pollution.

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For more details on the beauty of godly Age kindly see Chapter (Vedic Ideal Society) in Glimpses of Vedic Metaphysics on Website http://www.sabhlokcity.com/metaphysics  OR search through google.com, yahoo.com, lulu.com.

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With regards

P. K. Sabhlok

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PS

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Yog Vashishta describes “when child is dissatisfied with his childhood, youth takes over. When youth is plagued by dissatisfaction, old age takes over and it destroys the body.” Thus no particular age is mentioned for the old age. The wrinkles on the gross body give peculiar beauty of the godly age, provided wrinkles are not written on the heart and the spirit does not go old.

2. However, for some there is no such thing as old Age. People can be active at 90’s and old at 30’s. Hence many different views are there about old age. News papers tell us that Habib Miyan of Rajasthan even though became blind at 60, is still active at the age of 138 years.

George Bernard Shaw says

“we do not stop playing because we are old;

we grow old when we stop playing.

Sent by: Maj Gen Pravesh Renjen"
prenjen@hotmail.com