I presume you are referring to ancient scriptural texts. Yes, certainly the meaning is many-layered. Firstly, every Scripture contains elements that are contextual and suited to the framework of the times and the collective ethos. But it also contains elements of eternal value. One can see this clearly in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, where the understanding and execution of dharma, justice for example, is very different from today. But the basis of what Dharma is in its essence continues to be relevant till date. In the Gita, however, much is of eternal value and very little of temporal value or relevant and useful only for the particular frame of Time. In the Vedas, again, the foundations are eternal and as relevant today, but the gods and outer processes have changed and evolved. The yagya in the Gita is primarily inner whereas the Vedavadins take it as primarily inner. The gods and the titans in the Gita are more internalised as psychological forces moving human beings than the typal beings of the Vedas. The understanding of Scriptures evolves as human beings evolve giving them a deeper, more psychological meaning.
The original authors of the Vedas and much of Indian scriptures knew this truth. Therefore, they wrote the texts in a layered way. It was partly because the texts could be misused and partly because much of humanity was, and perhaps still is, not ready for the deeper truths. The meaning therefore is at least in three layers: the outer, the inner psychological and the symbolic and occult. Most commentators know hardly beyond the obvious surface meaning. But this too is very inadequately because one has to not only be the master of language but also know its etymology, evolution of the words. Especially Sanskrit itself has a layered meaning due to the usage of root sounds. So too Latin (Bible), Arabic (Quran), Hebrew and Aramaic (Talmud), or for that matter, Avadhi (Ramcharitmanas). The penetration into the psychological meaning requires an actual practice of the Yoga and, into the symbolic and occult meaning, requires experiences of the inner and higher consciousness. That is, reading too many interpretations based on a sketchy knowledge of grammar alone is quite misleading.
I suppose this clarifies.
Love
Alok Da
