From: ck@csug.cs.reading.ac.uk (Chandrasekhar Kambhampati)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil,soc.culture.indian,soc.cuture.indian.telugu
Subject: Re: Atharva veda, Manu, common sense ( Re: A thought...)
Date: 11 Sep 92 07:44:15 GMT
Organization: University of Reading


sp2@cec1.wustl.edu (Sundara Pandian) writes:

>In article <ck.716051487@reading> ck@csug.cs.reading.ac.uk (Chandrasekhar Kambhampati) writes:
>>
>>(once posted by : jayanth@hathi.eng.ohio-state.edu)(This is a real gem)
>>
>>  " Shakyo vaarayithum jalena hruthabukh chathrena sooryathapo
>>   Nagendro nishitankooshena samadho dhandena gaurgardhabaha
>>   Vyadhirbheshaja sangrahaishcha vividhaihi mantraihi prayogairvisham
>>   Sarvasya aushadham asti shasthrey vihitham MOORKHASYA NAASTI
>>   AUSHADHAM "
>> 
>>Meaning:

 <some bits and pieces deleted.......>

>>sangrahaishcha ) of a variety ( vividhaihi ) of medicine and mantras.
>>There exists ( asti ) a cure/medicine ( aushadham ) for everything (
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>Sarvasya ) in the shastras/scriptures ( shasthrey ) but there is no
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>cure ( NAASTI AUSHADHAM ) for a fool ( MOORKHASYA ).

>       There is a wrong opinion among many people that the fourth veda,
> Atharva veda is full of hymns about cures to all diseases- a complete
> medical science. The thirteenth part of Atharva veda has about 41 hymns
> on healing art for things like winning a spouse,to win a woman's love,
> to win affection,to cure jealousy,to compel a man's love,for virile
> power, etc. This healing art is composed of charms, incantations,prayers,
> and the like. This is also observed among the tribal peoples surviving
> in many parts of the modern world. But this is not the rationalist 
> medicine that is being advocated in the modern world.

Dear, oh dear. Saar. No one is talking of the Atharva Veda.
Since you seem to be inclined to shoot first and that too straight from
the hip; let me help you young saar!
Shastras in the subhshita quoted above, doesnot mean the Atharva Veda.
Taken in the modern context, it could mean 'knowledge in books etc'.
Read the next subhasita and the meaning.

 An Aside: There is a lot of gap between reading, and acquiring knowledge in a
shallow haphazard manner, and genuine interest and understanding of that
knowledge. Thats the difference between an ordinary doctor, and a good
doctor.

>>
As I said
>>
>>         " yatra naasti swayam pragnya, shastram tatra karoti kim
>>           lochanabhyam viheenasya darpanam kim karishyati"
>> 
>>Meaning:
>> Where there is no commonsense, of what use are the shastras
>>(or knowledge in books)? Of what use is a mirror to a man without eyes?

>      What do the shastras speak of the common-sense ?

Of what use are books/knowledge if there is a lack of common-sense. You
saar, are definitely deficient in your understanding of not only
sanskrit, but also in your maturity, and depth of knowledge. 

Quoting some piece of text to justify your stance is no measure of ones
real understanding - just because one is literate, it doesnot
necessarily mean one is educated! This is the essence of the second
subhashita, Saar! 

An understanding of the text, the times it was writen in are just as
important as reading them. Shooting off your mouth, in this case your
fingers doesnot do much in your favour, but just shews up your
impatience and perhaps your petulance ...........