Primary Elements and Brāhmaņas

Abstract

Vedas are undoubtedly the powerhouse of wisdom. The Brāhmaṇas are the books which vividly explain the Ādhidaivika (subjects related to the nature and devas which signify the physical forces or powers) and Ādhibhautika (the primary elements) contents as mentioned in the Vedas. What modern science is able to disclose about the secrets of the physical world in recent years, has already been presented in a simple and fascinating manner in Brāhmaṇas. Their grasp of the details of the creation of the universe is vast and comprehensive. These books help us to understand the form of the universe prior to its creation and about the stages in its formation. But being the literature of remote past, many of the terms used there, lost their real meaning. Efforts should be made to identify them and to relate them to the scientific terms of modern science so that more and more cosmic secrets, already well-established in Brāhmaṇas, can be well understood. Vedic hymns are not merely praise of the nature (God) but these definitely refer to the various physical forces working under the eternal laws of the One Great Being and also unfold the primary elements of creation—the āpaḥ, agni, pṛthvī etc. in a scientific manner.