Decode, Don't Just Devote: A Vedic Call to Enquiry

By adapting the vision of Kāvyakaṇṭha Śrī Gaṇapati Muni

Faith or blindness: "when following becomes falling"

In the heart of Sanātana Dharma lies a spiritual force that has shaped the destiny of Bhārata for millennia. Yet, this force has been stifled—not by external aggression alone, but by a slow erosion of one of its core principles: vimarśa, or the power of reasoned inquiry.

Nearly a century ago, during the Silver Jubilee celebration of the Śrī Kṛṣṇadevarāya Āndhra Bhāṣānilaya (1927), the great ṛṣi and visionary, Kāvyakaṇṭha Śrī Gaṇapati Muni, gave a lecture that pierced through centuries of cultural hypnosis. His words still echo with startling relevance:

"Faith without inquiry is bondage. And blind reverence to tradition without discernment leads to decay."

Faith and Reason: Mutually Opposed?

The Muni observed that Indian society had been systematically conditioned to consider questioning as avinaya—a sign of disrespect or disobedience. Scriptural study became a passive act. Once a text or teacher attained “prāmāṇika buddhi”—credibility in collective perception—it became taboo to examine or question their teachings.

This has led to a dangerous polarization: faith (śraddhā) without vimarśa (deliberation). This imbalance is at the root of our spiritual confusion today.

"We have become like sheep," the Muni said, "content to follow rather than to know."

The Danger of Bhāvadāsya: Ideological Slavery

This unthinking devotion has produced a culture of bhāvadāsya—a psychological servitude to ideas, people, or traditions simply because they appear credible or popular. Śrī Gaṇapati Muni boldly declared that such passive acceptance contributed to the fall of India into foreign hands. Colonizers quickly grasped this mental vulnerability and exploited it, while we, heirs of a majestic philosophical heritage, failed to protect it.

"Even in our Purāṇas and Itihāsas," he pointed out, "there are layers of interpolations and alterations. Who is verifying them? Who is asking whether these are truly the words of Vyāsa or Vālmīki?"

The Muni called for a revival of critical Sanskrit literacy among the youth—not to destroy faith, but to anchor it in wisdom and direct experience.

Veda as Authority—But Not Beyond Interpretation

Unlike later texts, like Brahmanas, Puranas etc., the Vedas are śruti—that which is a direct revelation in deep states of trance of Seers, and are considered apauruṣeya (not man-made). Yet, even they demand interpretation, contemplation, and realization.

The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad declares:

tad vijijñāsasva – tad brahma“ That—enquire into That, that is Brahman.”

Śrī Gaṇapati Muni emphasized that even the Vedas encourage inquiry (vijijñāsā) and do not prohibit reasoning. In fact, true svādhyāya (self-study) is a yogic path where one must awaken vimarśa first, and then earn the right to prāmāṇika buddhi (authentic trust).

The Collapse of Critical Vedic Study

Since the 12th century, with the monumental commentaries of Śrī Sāyaṇācārya on all four Vedas, few in Bhārata have dared to re-examine the Vedic mantras with fresh insight. Fear of committing aparādha (sin) has turned seekers into parrots, and inquiry into heresy.

Ironically, Western indologists with no background in our language, culture, or dharma took the liberty to reinterpret the Vedas, often absurdly. Their works flooded our institutions, and we, disconnected from Sanskrit and our own adhyātma, accepted them as gospel.

Is it not tragic? With the blood of ṛṣis flowing in our veins, the sound of mantras echoing in our hearts, we failed to decode our own scriptures, but allowed foreigners to do it for us.

When ‘Vedic’ Becomes a Label, Not a Source

In the name of attracting crowds under the banner of the “Vedic,” we increasingly hear self-proclaimed gurus and popular preachers assert that a particular mantra, ritual, or sensational story “comes directly from the Veda.” But what is the proof of such claims?

The only legitimate authority can be the Vedas themselves. Yet, are these claims ever verified? Though the Veda Saṁhitās exist, most people are unable to examine them—not because the truth is inaccessible, but because the Vedas are vast, the language is profound, and the discipline required to study them is demanding. Many lack the time, training, or Sanskrit proficiency, and this gap has been exploited for centuries.

As a result, people have been continuously misled in the name of the Vedas—through innumerable purāṇic exaggerations, meaningless ritualism imposed by self-serving intermediaries, and even social discrimination justified falsely in the name of scriptural authority. These distortions were never the vision of the ṛṣis.

The original ideology of the seers—rooted in wisdom, universality, and inner realization—has been corrupted to serve power, privilege, and personal gain. Therefore, a fundamental question confronts every sincere seeker today:

Are we listening to the truth as revealed by the Veda, or are we merely consuming what later scholars and intermediaries wanted us to hear, believe, and practice?

The Trap of Pop-Spirituality

Turn on a TV channel or browse YouTube, and you’ll find a cacophony of self-styled guru-jis, astrologers, and “Vedic influencers.” One contradicts the other, each claiming divine sanction. This leads to spiritual panic, not peace. Instead of tapas or svādhyāya, seekers run from one discourse to another, wasting lifetimes without practice or clarity.

In this storm of confusion, the Muni reminded us:

“Ask if it is truly in the Veda. Not Puranas. Not Itihasas. But the Veda.”

The Lalitā Sahasranāma calls the Divine Mother "vimarśa-rūpiṇī vidyā"—She is the embodiment of deliberative knowledge. Reason is sacred, not profane.

Sanskrit: The Key to Cultural Liberation

The wisdom of Bhārata is encoded in Sanskrit—the language of the gods (daivī vāk). Śrī Gaṇapati Muni stressed that every Indian must learn Sanskrit. Without it, we are at the mercy of flawed translations and malicious misinterpretations.

Even Mahābhārata, he said, has its origins in Ṛgveda. Only by going back to the mantra—the sound-body of the Vedas—can we uncover the truth.

A Call to the Youth of Bhārata

Śrī Gaṇapati Muni did not merely criticize. He acted. He composed Bhārata Caritra Parīkṣā, a critical examination of the Mahābhārata, to awaken the spirit of inquiry. He called on the youth of India to take up this task—not as rebellion, but as svadharma.

Let us not become bhāvadāsas—slaves to ideas. Let us become tapasvins, burning with the fire of wisdom, faith, and fearless reason.

Conclusion: Vimarsa Is Yoga

In the words of the Muni:

"Svādhyāya is a Yoga. And in that Yoga, the path begins with vimarśa. Only then will prāmāṇika buddhi—genuine insight—emerge."

In a time where confusion reigns and spiritual commerce thrives, returning to the roots of our dharma with the twin flames of faith and reason is the need of the hour.

The future of Bhārata lies not in repeating the past blindly, but in resurrecting the spirit of inquiry that once defined its greatness.

|| Indro Viswasya Rajati ||