Vedic Tradition and Modern Crisis

The present book is a compendium of scholarly contributions at the All India Seminar held at South Delhi Campus in January, 1998. It covers a wide range of Topics on the 'Vedic Tradition and the Modern Crisis'. From many angles and aspects the topic has been dealt. All these scholars have tried to look afresh on various modern problems and their solutions in the light of Vedic thought and traditions. The present study will surely encourage and stimulate the scholars to explore this vast treasure house of knowledge viz. the Vedas. I hope that it will help in moulding our modern day socio-political and spiritual thinking in the wider and far- reaching interest of our nation and the world community. Introduction by Prof. Pushpendra Kumar is of an additional interest for better understanding of the subject.

The present book 'Vedic Tradition and Contemporary Crisis' deals with the topic 'Modern Crisis' which is horrifying the present world. Each and every person, nation, world organizations like U.N.O., Commonwealth Countries and Asian Nations are busy in searching the befitting answer to the modern crisis, which may make the mind of the world community at peace and individuals may live happily in this complex world. It is this question which make us to think that what about the Vedic Traditions in India. Whether these traditions make the person to overcome the bad effects of the crisis and make him ready to face the consequences of the Modern Crisis.

The Vedic tradition has a powerful message for contemporary humanity which is gripped with a crisis, the nature of which is difficult to be described in the ordinary and familiar terms of sociology, economics and polity. This message can be discerned only if we consent to look upon the Vedic tradition not merely in its outer religious import but in its deeper pursuit of knowledge. Veda is essentially and esoterically a book of knowledge, the knowledge that is terrestrial, supra- terrestrial and cosmic and supra-cosmic, that knowledge has constantly expanded from the ancient times to the present day, and if we take the trouble to study this great line of development, we shall find in it the solution to the most essential part of the contemporary crisis.

The Vedas are the oldest source of Indian Culture and tradition. They propound the most complete, holistic perspective of the universe. Man has been referred to in the Veda most frequently as martya, i.e., mortel.