Vedas are the beautiful gifts of an intuitive age of mankind. It has two parts, the knowledge aspect and the ritualistic side, the gyanakanda and the karmakanda. One can enter into yoga through either or both. The gyanakanda, is contained in the Upanishads and by meditating upon the verses of the Upanishads with which one deeply connects, an inner door can open upon the truth that the verses contain. The Isha followed by the Kena, Katha, Mandukya and select verses from others are very helpful in this regard. The advantage is that we have elaborate commentaries by Sri Aurobindo on the Isha and the Kena.
The ritualistic aspects of the Vedas are much more difficult to practice. They are elaborate, time-consuming and require the presence of a Master who not only knows the verses correctly and the details of the process but, more importantly, has developed an inner bond with the gods whom the mantras invoke. Besides, unlike the Vedantic yoga that can bring us straight into contact with the Divine, the karmakanda goes through the complicated zigzag of the gods.
Sri Aurobindo has already integrated all the useful elements in the practice of his yoga, plus other aspects that are not developed in the Vedas. The Synthesis of Yoga already contains all that is necessary of the Vedic yoga. Those who practice Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga do not need to practice the Vedic yoga separately.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
