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Secret of the Veda
Sri Aurobindo breaks new ground in interpreting the ancient Vedas. His deeper insight into this came from his own spiritual practices for which he found vivid allegorical descriptions in the Vedas. Sri Aurobindo was able to uncover the mystery of the double meanings, the inner psychological and yogic significance and practices and the consistent, clear sense brought by this psychological view of the Vedic hymns. Finally, the true inner meaning of the Veda and its relevance to the seekking after self-realization and enlightenment is revealed.
651 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
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About the author
Sri Aurobindo
1,175 books425 followersSri Aurobindo (Bengali: শ্রী অরবিন্দ Sri Ôrobindo) was an Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, major Indian English poet, philosopher, and yogi. He joined the movement for India's freedom from British rule and for a duration (1905–10), became one of its most important leaders, before turning to developing his own vision and philosophy of human progress and spiritual evolution.
The central theme of Sri Aurobindo's vision is the evolution of life into a "life divine". In his own words: "Man is a transitional being. He is not final. The step from man to superman is the next approaching achievement in the earth evolution. It is inevitable because it is at once the intention of the inner spirit and the logic of Nature's process."
The principal writings of Sri Aurobindo include, in prose, The Life Divine, considered his single great work of metaphysics,The Synthesis of Yoga, Secrets of the Vedas, Essays on the Gita, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity, Renaissance in India and other essays, Supramental Manifestation upon Earth, The Future Poetry, Thoughts and Aphorisms and several volumes of letters. In poetry, his principal work is Savitri: a Legend and a Symbol in blank verse.
The central theme of Sri Aurobindo's vision is the evolution of life into a "life divine". In his own words: "Man is a transitional being. He is not final. The step from man to superman is the next approaching achievement in the earth evolution. It is inevitable because it is at once the intention of the inner spirit and the logic of Nature's process."
The principal writings of Sri Aurobindo include, in prose, The Life Divine, considered his single great work of metaphysics,The Synthesis of Yoga, Secrets of the Vedas, Essays on the Gita, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity, Renaissance in India and other essays, Supramental Manifestation upon Earth, The Future Poetry, Thoughts and Aphorisms and several volumes of letters. In poetry, his principal work is Savitri: a Legend and a Symbol in blank verse.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 12, 2016
The Open Secret
At first glance, the title of the book might give the impression that it is an esoteric defense of some Vedic ‘secret’. It is true that some spiritual teachers like to emphasize the esotericity of works to claim the easy defense - “you are not spiritual enough to understand such works” - to western scholars.
Contrary to this, Aurobindo approaches the text like any genuinely curious scholar and puts together a coherent interpretation of the hymns, seen more from the Upanishadic tradition than from the materialistic/ritualistic tradition that is adopted by historic commentaries. His object is not to veil, but to uncover; not to assert that the meaning is secreted away in an inaccessible spiritual realm, but to show that the meaning is easy enough to access consistently.
Useful to understand one potent way of looking at the Rig Vedic hymns - what Aurobindo calls the ‘psychological’ way - suffusing the hymns with psychological symbols.
In addition, Aurobindo’s interpretation is also based on a fascinating philological exploration of the hymns. Even more importantly, this reading helps to understand the multiple meanings of the many commonly used sanskrit words and comes in very handy to understand the meanings of the hymns independently even if the reader doesn’t want to travel the road prepared by Aurobindo.
While it should not be taken uncritically, Aurobindo’s criticism of early brahmin and western scholarship is also vital to a good understanding - especially so since scholarship available to the modern reader is heavily biased towards those interpretations.
As Aurobindo is not hesitant to say, this is only an exploration of possibilities, an attempt at uncovering the spiritual ‘Secret of the Veda’ from the elaborate ritualist vein under which it is enclosed - he constantly invites us to adopt a particular symbol and see ‘how far it takes us’ - only if he feels it consistently applicable throughout the hymns does he adopt it. This is quite reasonable and I found it acceptable to quite a degree.
The biggest contribution Aurobindo makes is to establish an alternate framework for the Rig Vedic symbols and to ground them in credible first-hand research and scholarly commentary. The beginning reader would be served well to consult Aurobindo while reading the original hymns. However, the reader should also be aware that in translation Aurobindo departs greatly from what might seem at first glance to be the ‘evident’ meaning of the hymns - but this is only because he has chosen to elaborate the symbolic meaning that he believes he has uncovered.
This is useful but should not be read in isolation. The best way would be to treat Aurobindo as one more commentary along with Sayana, Dayananda and the modern scholars, read all of them and then form our own interpretations of the original sanskrit hymns.
This book only gave me company through the early Fire Hymns, after which I have been left to my own devices by Aurobindo. Even though I skipped ahead with him and read the ‘selected’ hymns, I am not sure I will come back to his translations when I read them again in the course of my own progress.
I think that is okay, for even as we part company, his method stays with me.
August 13, 2016
The Vedas, until I read this book, were mysterious, superficial and materialistic to the point of being nonsensical. The verses didn't make scientific or even rational sense.
However, having read the book, I now understand the mystical nature of the knowledge that ancient Indian seers wanted to hand down to generations. I see why so many things in Hinduism are so twisted, so ritualistic and incorrect. The hidden meaning of the words and passages become clear upon reading the book and every chapter is another experience in thinking, "wow! that was a surprise!"
The book is not an easy read, just as Sri Aurobindo's other works. Written in English that most of us long stopped speaking or reading, it takes effort and a generous help from a dictionary. But all the effort is, in the end, worth it.
However, having read the book, I now understand the mystical nature of the knowledge that ancient Indian seers wanted to hand down to generations. I see why so many things in Hinduism are so twisted, so ritualistic and incorrect. The hidden meaning of the words and passages become clear upon reading the book and every chapter is another experience in thinking, "wow! that was a surprise!"
The book is not an easy read, just as Sri Aurobindo's other works. Written in English that most of us long stopped speaking or reading, it takes effort and a generous help from a dictionary. But all the effort is, in the end, worth it.
January 29, 2022
Swing open, O ye Doors divine. And give us easy passage for our expanding; farther, farther lead and fill our sacrifice.
Essential reading for anyone who wants to make any claim about the contents of the Veda, or more generally, an informative read for individuals interested in comparative Indo-European philology, Aryan migration, the psychological underpinnings of ancient symbolism, and the underlying commonality of all so-called mythology.
Personally, while I've been able to appreciate the brilliance of Indian philosophy over the past few years, the Vedas (particularly the Rigveda) have always eluded me. It simply does not make sense that the first portion of the Vedic texts, the same texts whose final portions are the Upanishads, would be a bunch of nature-worshipping rituals full of descriptions of conquering other races and drinking an elusive Soma wine. This is furthered by the fact that every single work of orthodox (astika) Indian philosophy, including the supposedly revolutionary Advaita Vedanta, considers itself as explaining the essence of the Vedas - belief in the supremacy of the Vedas is why nontheistic philosophies like Samkhya are orthodox, but other similar philosophies like Buddhism and Jainism are not. To ignore this and consider the Upanishads as a revolution, as modern scholarship has done (and as I also used to do), thus seems inconsistent with the vast indigenous literature that continues to consider the Vedas as supreme.
In fact, Sri Aurobindo describes his own past confusion, which describes exactly where I was till I read this book -
Like the majority of educated Indians I had passively accepted without examination, before myself reading the Veda, the conclusions of European Scholarship both as to the religious and as to the historical and ethnical sense of the ancient hymns. In consequence, following again the ordinary line taken by modernised Hindu opinion, I regarded the Upanishads as the most ancient source of Indian thought and religion, the true Veda, the first Book of Knowledge. The Rig Veda in the modern translations which were all I knew of this profound Scripture, represented for me an important document of our national history, but seemed of small value or importance for the history of thought or for a living spiritual experience.
How does one go about changing this opinion then? It seems to me that while a true understanding (but more importantly, self-experience) of the symbolism of the Vedas is still quite difficult, this book is a massive help for anyone interested in doing the same. It's worth noting that its thesis is simply that there exists a symbolic side to Vedic hymns, which the Rishis were able to hide within the naturalist-ritualistic external significance, by exploiting grammar - the fact that Sanskrit roots can mean multiple different things. Hence, the cow becomes divine illumination, agni becomes the will-force of the divine, the horse becomes spiritual strength, ritam becomes the truth, and so on. His thesis has been more than proven here.
On an unrelated note, he provides an original view of linguistic development towards the beginning of this book -
My researches first convinced me that words, like plants, like animals, are in no sense artificial products, but growths, — living growths of sound with certain seed-sounds as their basis. Out of these seed-sounds develop a small number of primitive root-words with an immense progeny which have their successive generations and arrange themselves in tribes, clans, families, selective groups each having a common stock and a common psychological history.
He also relates Vedic imagery to its Puranic counterpart, thus challenging the theory that the "Vedic religions" are wholly foreign to the traditional aspects of Hinduism -
This Vedic imagery throws a clear light on the similar symbolic images of the Puranas, especially on the famous symbol of Vishnu sleeping after the pralaya on the folds of the snake Ananta upon the ocean of sweet milk...For they have given a name to Vishnu’s snake, the name Ananta, and Ananta means the Infinite; therefore they have told us plainly enough that the image is an allegory and that Vishnu, the all-pervading Deity, sleeps in the periods of non-creation on the coils of the Infinite. As for the ocean, the Vedic imagery shows us that it must be the ocean of eternal existence and this ocean of eternal existence is an ocean of absolute sweetness, in other words, of pure Bliss.
There is a lot, lot more to this than just what I've written above - particularly on the role of symbolism in prehistoric societies and the profound knowledge of those periods globally - but I don't see any point in filling up a review with quotes. One only wonders why this book has been unduly ignored by academic scholarship on the Vedas.
Essential reading for anyone who wants to make any claim about the contents of the Veda, or more generally, an informative read for individuals interested in comparative Indo-European philology, Aryan migration, the psychological underpinnings of ancient symbolism, and the underlying commonality of all so-called mythology.
Personally, while I've been able to appreciate the brilliance of Indian philosophy over the past few years, the Vedas (particularly the Rigveda) have always eluded me. It simply does not make sense that the first portion of the Vedic texts, the same texts whose final portions are the Upanishads, would be a bunch of nature-worshipping rituals full of descriptions of conquering other races and drinking an elusive Soma wine. This is furthered by the fact that every single work of orthodox (astika) Indian philosophy, including the supposedly revolutionary Advaita Vedanta, considers itself as explaining the essence of the Vedas - belief in the supremacy of the Vedas is why nontheistic philosophies like Samkhya are orthodox, but other similar philosophies like Buddhism and Jainism are not. To ignore this and consider the Upanishads as a revolution, as modern scholarship has done (and as I also used to do), thus seems inconsistent with the vast indigenous literature that continues to consider the Vedas as supreme.
In fact, Sri Aurobindo describes his own past confusion, which describes exactly where I was till I read this book -
Like the majority of educated Indians I had passively accepted without examination, before myself reading the Veda, the conclusions of European Scholarship both as to the religious and as to the historical and ethnical sense of the ancient hymns. In consequence, following again the ordinary line taken by modernised Hindu opinion, I regarded the Upanishads as the most ancient source of Indian thought and religion, the true Veda, the first Book of Knowledge. The Rig Veda in the modern translations which were all I knew of this profound Scripture, represented for me an important document of our national history, but seemed of small value or importance for the history of thought or for a living spiritual experience.
How does one go about changing this opinion then? It seems to me that while a true understanding (but more importantly, self-experience) of the symbolism of the Vedas is still quite difficult, this book is a massive help for anyone interested in doing the same. It's worth noting that its thesis is simply that there exists a symbolic side to Vedic hymns, which the Rishis were able to hide within the naturalist-ritualistic external significance, by exploiting grammar - the fact that Sanskrit roots can mean multiple different things. Hence, the cow becomes divine illumination, agni becomes the will-force of the divine, the horse becomes spiritual strength, ritam becomes the truth, and so on. His thesis has been more than proven here.
On an unrelated note, he provides an original view of linguistic development towards the beginning of this book -
My researches first convinced me that words, like plants, like animals, are in no sense artificial products, but growths, — living growths of sound with certain seed-sounds as their basis. Out of these seed-sounds develop a small number of primitive root-words with an immense progeny which have their successive generations and arrange themselves in tribes, clans, families, selective groups each having a common stock and a common psychological history.
He also relates Vedic imagery to its Puranic counterpart, thus challenging the theory that the "Vedic religions" are wholly foreign to the traditional aspects of Hinduism -
This Vedic imagery throws a clear light on the similar symbolic images of the Puranas, especially on the famous symbol of Vishnu sleeping after the pralaya on the folds of the snake Ananta upon the ocean of sweet milk...For they have given a name to Vishnu’s snake, the name Ananta, and Ananta means the Infinite; therefore they have told us plainly enough that the image is an allegory and that Vishnu, the all-pervading Deity, sleeps in the periods of non-creation on the coils of the Infinite. As for the ocean, the Vedic imagery shows us that it must be the ocean of eternal existence and this ocean of eternal existence is an ocean of absolute sweetness, in other words, of pure Bliss.
There is a lot, lot more to this than just what I've written above - particularly on the role of symbolism in prehistoric societies and the profound knowledge of those periods globally - but I don't see any point in filling up a review with quotes. One only wonders why this book has been unduly ignored by academic scholarship on the Vedas.
July 29, 2010
Aurobindo's writings on the Vedas are an absolutely invaluable resource. He combines scholarship with practical insight and effectively restores the Vedas to their rightful place as the foundation of all later Indian philosophy. If you're reading the Vedas without having at least exposed yourself to Aurobindo's interpretive approach, chances are that you are missing much of what is going on there.
unfinished
December 3, 2018I think Karen Thomson's take on the Rigveda (http://www.rigveda.co.uk), as 'a still undeciphered text' where a lot of mistranslations have occurred, is the way to go.
An example from Aurobindo is I.92.4 "where we have without any possibility of mistake the cow as the symbol of light" (p.125-6), a rather baffling image. But Thomson (at http://www.rigveda.co.uk/asut2.pdf) makes plausible that instead of 'cow' one should translate 'morning ray'.
Also, Aurobindo's approach of reading the Upanishads into the Rigveda feels very speculative. It would of course give the texts a much deeper meaning, but that doesn't mean it's the historically correct one.
But a lot of Western 'scholarship' on the Rigveda is probably wrong too.
Another telling example of mistranslation is on p.462, Aurobindo's translation of V.25.8 (from a hymn to Agni): "Luminous are thy flaming radiances; there rises from thee a vast utterance like the voice of the pressing-stone of delight"
A pressing-stone that has a voice sounds weird, but according to Thomson the word 'grāvan' doesn't mean 'pressing-stone' (which has been the official translation for millenia) but 'a man whose primary role is singing and praising', which seems to clear up things a bit.
An example from Aurobindo is I.92.4 "where we have without any possibility of mistake the cow as the symbol of light" (p.125-6), a rather baffling image. But Thomson (at http://www.rigveda.co.uk/asut2.pdf) makes plausible that instead of 'cow' one should translate 'morning ray'.
Also, Aurobindo's approach of reading the Upanishads into the Rigveda feels very speculative. It would of course give the texts a much deeper meaning, but that doesn't mean it's the historically correct one.
But a lot of Western 'scholarship' on the Rigveda is probably wrong too.
Another telling example of mistranslation is on p.462, Aurobindo's translation of V.25.8 (from a hymn to Agni): "Luminous are thy flaming radiances; there rises from thee a vast utterance like the voice of the pressing-stone of delight"
A pressing-stone that has a voice sounds weird, but according to Thomson the word 'grāvan' doesn't mean 'pressing-stone' (which has been the official translation for millenia) but 'a man whose primary role is singing and praising', which seems to clear up things a bit.
May 20, 2024
This one is the essential reading for anyone wanting to get a glimpse of the richness of our traditional literature and knowledge. Sri Aurobindo's language is flawless and so are his interpretations.
January 1, 2019
Since the inception of the study of the Vedas, through both Indian and European scholarship, the age and subsequent obscurity of the Rig Veda has caused considerable confusion in attempts to interpret its meaning and this has commonly resulted in either naturalistic/ritualistic interpretations or historical ones. Whilst not denying that these interpretations may possess some exoteric validity, in Secret of the Veda, Sri Aurobindo aims to demonstrate the esoteric psychological/spiritual inner layer of the text.
Most of the book consists of Aurobindo employing his philological method to explain the use of symbolism within the Rg Veda. We learn that the Cows of the Rg Veda represent the divine light and that the Pani's who steal them in the text represent it's concealing in an un-purified conciousness, the seven great rivers represent the metaphysical streams that flow to the Superconscient, and Surya himself represents not just the physical sun but the Superconscient truth itself.
I am not a philologist nor am I in anyway an expert on the Vedas but I found his interpretation compelling and illuminating and it is now easy to consider the Upanishads and Puranas as later developments within the same spiritual philosophy rather than as any kind of spiritual revolt against a ritualistic/materialistic tradition.
I would recommend this text to anyone curious about the Rig Veda and its relationship to the rest of Hinduism as a religious tradition.
Most of the book consists of Aurobindo employing his philological method to explain the use of symbolism within the Rg Veda. We learn that the Cows of the Rg Veda represent the divine light and that the Pani's who steal them in the text represent it's concealing in an un-purified conciousness, the seven great rivers represent the metaphysical streams that flow to the Superconscient, and Surya himself represents not just the physical sun but the Superconscient truth itself.
I am not a philologist nor am I in anyway an expert on the Vedas but I found his interpretation compelling and illuminating and it is now easy to consider the Upanishads and Puranas as later developments within the same spiritual philosophy rather than as any kind of spiritual revolt against a ritualistic/materialistic tradition.
I would recommend this text to anyone curious about the Rig Veda and its relationship to the rest of Hinduism as a religious tradition.
April 9, 2012
Sri Aurobindo has revealed the truth in this book that how The Vedic scriptures were miss-interpreted and what should be the real meanings of Vedic Hymns.
January 5, 2018
The greater genius than the Rishi is Sri Aurobindo who is the writer par excellence. He - in this book - is able to creatively imagine the Vedas in a new light, a shade contrary to that of indologists, orientalists, and traditional historians. With the conception of consistent and profound symbols in the Vedas he is able to send quivers through the reader's body.
April 4, 2024
Unveiling the Mysteries of the Universe: A Review of "Secret of the Veda" by Sri Aurobindo
"The Secret of the Veda" by Sri Aurobindo is a profound and illuminating exploration of one of the oldest scriptures in the world—the Rig Veda. In this seminal work, Aurobindo delves deep into the symbolic language and spiritual significance of the Vedic hymns, unlocking their hidden meanings and unveiling their timeless wisdom.
At the heart of the book is Aurobindo's revolutionary interpretation of the Vedic texts. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of Sanskrit and his profound spiritual insights, Aurobindo reveals the Veda not as a collection of primitive rituals and superstitions, but as a profound and sophisticated body of knowledge that holds the key to understanding the nature of existence itself.
One of the book's most compelling aspects is Aurobindo's exploration of the symbolic language of the Veda. He demonstrates how the hymns are filled with rich and intricate symbolism, representing not only the external world but also the inner realms of consciousness. Through his meticulous analysis, Aurobindo reveals the Veda as a map of the spiritual journey, guiding seekers on the path to self-discovery and enlightenment.
But "The Secret of the Veda" is more than just an academic study—it is also a deeply spiritual work that speaks to the soul. Aurobindo's profound reverence for the Vedic tradition shines through on every page, as he invites readers to enter into a dialogue with the ancient sages and seers who composed these timeless hymns. His writing is imbued with a sense of awe and wonder, inspiring readers to contemplate the mysteries of the universe and their place within it.
In conclusion, "The Secret of the Veda" is a groundbreaking work that offers a fresh and illuminating perspective on one of the most ancient and revered scriptures in the world. Aurobindo's insights are as relevant today as they were when the Vedic hymns were first composed, offering readers a profound and transformative vision of reality. Whether you are a scholar of ancient texts or a seeker on the spiritual path, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression.
"The Secret of the Veda" by Sri Aurobindo is a profound and illuminating exploration of one of the oldest scriptures in the world—the Rig Veda. In this seminal work, Aurobindo delves deep into the symbolic language and spiritual significance of the Vedic hymns, unlocking their hidden meanings and unveiling their timeless wisdom.
At the heart of the book is Aurobindo's revolutionary interpretation of the Vedic texts. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of Sanskrit and his profound spiritual insights, Aurobindo reveals the Veda not as a collection of primitive rituals and superstitions, but as a profound and sophisticated body of knowledge that holds the key to understanding the nature of existence itself.
One of the book's most compelling aspects is Aurobindo's exploration of the symbolic language of the Veda. He demonstrates how the hymns are filled with rich and intricate symbolism, representing not only the external world but also the inner realms of consciousness. Through his meticulous analysis, Aurobindo reveals the Veda as a map of the spiritual journey, guiding seekers on the path to self-discovery and enlightenment.
But "The Secret of the Veda" is more than just an academic study—it is also a deeply spiritual work that speaks to the soul. Aurobindo's profound reverence for the Vedic tradition shines through on every page, as he invites readers to enter into a dialogue with the ancient sages and seers who composed these timeless hymns. His writing is imbued with a sense of awe and wonder, inspiring readers to contemplate the mysteries of the universe and their place within it.
In conclusion, "The Secret of the Veda" is a groundbreaking work that offers a fresh and illuminating perspective on one of the most ancient and revered scriptures in the world. Aurobindo's insights are as relevant today as they were when the Vedic hymns were first composed, offering readers a profound and transformative vision of reality. Whether you are a scholar of ancient texts or a seeker on the spiritual path, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression.
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January 23, 2024A study of the way of writing of the Vedic mystics, their philosophic system, their system of symbols and the truths they figure, and translations of selected hymns of the Rig-Veda. Is there at all or is there still a secret of the Veda? Sri Aurobindo asks in the opening sentence of this book. He examines the ritualistic and naturalistic theory of nineteenth-century European scholars and then sets forth his own view: The hypothesis I propose is that the Rig-veda is itself the one considerable document that remains to us from the early period of human thought of which the historic Eleusinian and Orphic mysteries were the failing remnants, when the spiritual and psychological knowledge of the race was concealed, for reasons now difficult to determine, in a veil of concrete and material figures and symbols which protected the sense from the profane and revealed it to the initiated... To disengage this less obvious but more important sense [of the Vedic ritual system] by fixing the import of Vedic terms, the sense of Vedic symbols and the psychological functions of the Gods is thus a difficult but necessary task, for which these chapters and the translations that accompany them are only a preparation. Contents: The Problem and its Solution: A Retrospect of Vedic Theory; Modern Theories; The Philological Method of the Veda; Agni and the Truth; The Victory of the Fathers; The Conquest over the Dasyus; Selected Hymns; Hymns of the Atris; The Origins of Aryan Speech . Subjects: Indology, Philosophy
December 17, 2025
What a magnificent book. Aurobindo gives a unique interpretation of the Ṛg-Veda, tracing psychological and spiritual symbolic meanings to the hymns. For instance, 'cow' refers to the 'radiances' that get rid of the darkness of ignorance; 'Varuna' refers to the supramental eternal consciousness. He traces the philosophy of the Veda, and notes that far from being merely primitive nature-worship, or a historical document of tribal skirmishes; the Veda is a sophisticated and beautiful compendium of philosophical hymns which talk about removing the darkness of ignorance and attaining illumination from the light of the eternal consciousness. Aurobindo's prose is spiritually rather edifying.
September 17, 2023
Sri Aurobindo enlightened me in this book with several hyperboles that are found in other commentaries. He brings forth the the knowledge of light largely attributed to Gau word in Sanskrit. Impressed with detail similarities pointed out between Sanskrit words and Greek words.
December 31, 2020
Sri Aurobindo has opened up the symbolic meaning of the Veda to bring its significance for inner spiritual growth and development to modern seekers.
December 31, 2020
the inner significance and the dual sense, exoteric and esoteric, of the language of the Vedic Rishis is fully revealed and numerous translations of hymns illustrate this, revealing finally the true secret of the Rig Veda.
February 1, 2023
Astonishing book. Study of greatest & earliest poetry. Psychological interpretation of Rig Veda which is not just a mere sacrificial ritualistic work but what is Rig Veda for ?
Sayana's interpretation & study of Vedic God's amazing
Sayana's interpretation & study of Vedic God's amazing
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