Metaphors in the scriptures

[dattaswami]

Metaphors in the scriptures

 

The Veda has clearly told that the Sun is not God (Nedam tat). Therefore, the Veda said that no item in the nature is the Lord (Neti Neti). Such natural objects are called representatives or models (Pratika). A teacher always teaches with the help of similes and models. The Veda is the theory class in which the preaching about the Lord is done with the help of similes. The world is the laboratory in which one can observe these models with concentration and know the qualities of the Lord. Such a concentrated observation is called meditation and it reveals the nature of the Lord very clearly. Meditation does not mean constantly staring at the model. Meditation also does not mean closing the eyes and retaining the model in the mind. There is no use of such meditation, when it does not reveal the concept of the Lord. Clear knowledge should be the fruit of meditation. Keen observation of any model should give the clear concept.

 

The Lord is like a science professor. The Veda is like the correspondence course, which the sages read. They observed the models in the laboratory (world) and understood the concepts by themselves. Gradually the sages disappeared and ordinary human beings came in their place. Some did not understand. Some scholars misunderstood and misinterpreted the Veda. The result was that the rose flower was mistaken to be the girl. The sun was confirmed to be the Lord. The models like sun, fire, air, water, earth etc., were confirmed to be God or Goddess. Each river has become a Goddess. The power of the Lord called ‘Maya’ is constantly dynamic and it moves the world. Therefore ‘Maya’ was compared to a river. But now, each river has become the Goddess. The whole Veda gives the description of several natural items as similes to the Lord and to the power of the Lord. These natural items were called as God or Goddess (in a metaphorical sense) due to many similarities. Ignorant people have misunderstood it all. Therefore, the Lord came in the human form and gave the correct interpretation. It is just like the admission in a college instead of a correspondence course. In the college, the professor teaches everything clearly. Such college professors are Krishna, Jesus, Buddha, Mahavir, Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhva etc.

 

A model also exists, which indicates the concept that the Lord comes in human form. The students prepared this model. By the will of God, the human beings prepared the statues in human form, which indicate the incarnation of the Lord in human form. This model tells us that a particular human being alone is the Lord and not every human being. If every human being is the Lord, the statue should have been a general human being. The statues that are worshipped are of certain special human beings like Rama and Krishna. But again the same ignorance continued and people thought that the statue itself is the Lord.