Ep-2: Apaurusheyatva of Vedas - Why Vedas are eternal & authorless | Ashish Dhar & Aditya Raj Sinha

In the second episode of the Dharma 101 podcast, Aditya and Ashish discuss the most foundational, yet easily misunderstood and misrepresented, belief of Hindu Dharma, which is Apaurusheya of the Veda. Being an astika means acknowledging the Veda as the supreme source of authority. Major schools of Hindu philosophy consider its supremacy to be based on its eternality and the fact that it is a beginningless tradition, implying that the Vedas were not authored by humans but have existed forever. This position may be unpalatable to the modern mind but as we unpack the philosophy and logic operating behind the idea, the depth of the Dharmic tradition reveals itself and lays to rest many an allegation of obscurantism by the nay-sayers.

Chapters

00:00 - Highlights
1:48 - Initial comments
8:43 - Structure of Vedic knowledge
11:42 - Names, Forms, and History
17:35 - Why Veda is the supreme source of authority
26:47 - Comparison with Sikhism (Guru Granth Sahib)
32:02 - Nature of sound (Vak/Shabda)
37:51 - Nuances of Vedic learning
44:51 - Questioning authority
51:30 - Reasoning & Propaganda
1:01:36 - Similar claims of other religions
1:09:31 - Importance of birth & Conversion to Hinduism
1:16:00 - Swami Karpatri ji & concluding remarks

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