In this article, we shall summarize the key elements of Vedic religion – the ONLY religion for all human beings.

(Please note that by religion we imply Dharma in this article and not a cult. English being a hopelessly approximate language that evolved in a coarse culture fails to provide equivalents of words like Dharma, Karma, Brahmcharya etc. Thus we have to live with these approximations. Until the day comes when Vedic culture and vedic language become the mainstay due to rationality of human beings in the world, such gaps in communication will continue to remain.)

Please note that Vedas belong to an era when the only cult, community or religion was that of humanity (another very poor approximate of word Manushyata). While Vedas elaborate on a large number of deep subjects and provide a complete framework to reach up to ultimate levels of bliss and truth, following points summarize what it takes to become followers of Vedic religion. Regardless of one’s knowledge, views, ideology or intellect if she or he follows these points, she or he is following the Vedic religion. If one does not follow any rituals, any tradition or any norms, but adheres to these points, she or he is following the Vedic religion.

This alone is the religion that Agniveer wants to preach, and this alone is the true and only way to bliss. You would find many of these points common in various cults and religions. That is because Vedas remain the original source of everything good. Whatever is good in these other cults is inherited from the Vedas. Thus if one is following any good practice, it is Vedic dharma. No one can survive without being Vedic for a moment. The effort in life should be directed towards eliminating the unnecessary additional waste that is not Vedic and yet we keep pulling like a donkey.

So here is a summary of Vedic religion. Embrace them and live a life of bliss beyond imaginations! (To review original Hindi text, please visit Introduction to Vedas (Hindi) and review chapter named Vedoktadharmavishaya.)

1. The last Sukta of Rigveda (10.161) summarizes the whole essence of what humans should do to imbibe the Vedas. The entire Vedas have to be understood in context of this Sukta which emphasizes on the most differentiating trait of human beings – unity – in purpose, method and approach. Here is a summary list of the dictates of Vedic religion in this Sukta:

Rigveda 10.161.2
- walk together in the path of truth without bias, injustice and intolerance
- talk to each other to enhance knowledge, wisdom and affection without malice and hatred
- keep working together to enhance knowledge and bliss
- follow the path of truth and selflessness as exemplified by noble people

Rigveda 10.161.3
- Your analysis of right and wrong should be unbiased and not specific to particular set of people
- You should organize together to help everyone enhance their health, knowledge and prosperity
- Your minds should be devoid of hatred and should see progress and happiness of all as one’s own progress and happiness and you should only act for enhancement of happiness of all based on truth
-  Work together to eradicate falsehood and discover truth
- Never ever deviate from path of truth and unity

Rigveda 10.161.4
- Your efforts should be full of enthusiasm and for bliss of everyone
- Your emotions should be for one and all and love everyone the way you love yourself
- Your desire, resolve, analysis, faith, abstinence, patience, keenness, focus, comfort etc all should be towards truth and bliss for all, and away from falsehood.
- Keep working in synergy to increase each others’ knowledge and bliss.

2. Yajurved 19.77
- All humans at all times should have passion only for adoption of truth and rejection of falsehood. This should be a continuous process and one should keep detaching faith from what one discovers to be false and keep attaching faith to what one discovers to be true based on analysis, logic, facts and evidence.

3. Yajurved 36.18
- Humans should never hate any other living being and interact with each other with love and affection
-  Humans should consider all living beings as their friends and work for prosperity of everyone

4. Yajurved 1.5
- All human beings should resolve to accept only truth and reject the falsehood. Even the prayer to Supreme should request only eradication of falsehood and embrace of truth alone.

5. Yajurved 19.30
- When one resolves to adhere to truth, she becomes eligible for bliss and truth. When she becomes eligible, she starts getting rewards in form of knowledge and satisfaction. Such rewards strengthen the resolve and enhance the faith towards pursuit of truth. As the faith enhances, so does the bliss and knowledge one gets. And eventually this leads to ultimate bliss or Salvation.

6. Atharvaved 12.5.1,2
- Shrama – extreme efforts and Tapa – desire to withstand challenges and troubles happily for sake of one’s goal – are the two basic characteristics of humans that they should never leave.
- Through Shrama and Tapa, humans can unravel the greatest mysteries of the world and understand the knowledge of Brahma or Supreme
- Shrama and Tapa should be utilized to adopt truth and reject falsehood
- Shrama and Tapa should be utilized to enhance one’s wealth and prosperity of the nation
- Shrama and Tapa should be utilized to gain fame based on truth alone

7. Atharvaved 12.5.3
- One should use one’s own things and not steal from others
- One should ensure that everyone trusts each other completely. Trust cannot come without passion for truth and hence truth should be adhered to in all situations
- One should make greatest efforts to protect true knowledge, scholars and innocent people
- One should indulge in extracting best benefits through Yajna – by selfless acts of general benefits for all, promoting true knowledge and applying this knowledge in all fields
- One should never be lazy and continue putting efforts for the Yajna

8. Atharvaved 12.5.7-10
(These mantras provide a complete snapshot of Vedic religion)Oja – Bravery in following truth
Teja – Fearlessness
Saha – To follow truth regardless of happiness, sorrow, loss, gain
Bala – To continue increasing physical and mental strength through study, Brahmacharya, discipline, exercise etc
Vaak – To speak sweetly for propagation of truth
Indriya – To direct all the 5 sense organs, 5 action organs and mind towards truth and righteousness and away from sins
Shree – To put all efforts and plan for creation of a powerful country based on truth, justice and honesty and bringing down those rulers who are corrupt, impotent, devoid of self-respect and selfish
Dharma – To continuously accept truth and reject falsehood and bring benefit for all human beings and living beings through this process
Brahma – To promote scholars and noble people who would propagate knowledge
Kshatra – To promote brave people who would protect nation and people, and severely punish those who harm innocent people or attempt to denigrate the society
Visha – To promote commerce and trade and work towards propagation of global economy devoid of discrimination
Twishi – To promote and publicize noble virtues and truth alone
Yasha – To work for global fame based only on truth and noble virtues
Varcha – To establish a sound education system for all men and women
Dravinam – To explore for more and more wealth based on above traits, safeguard the existing wealth, enhance the safeguarded wealth and investing wealth to promote knowledge and noble virtues
Ayu – To put all efforts to increase one’s lifespan
Roopam – To wear good clean clothes take showcase dignity and respect
Naam – To work towards setting examples so that others are also inspired towards path of truth
Keerti – To propagate true knowledge so that we also get fame
Prana Apana – To control breathing patterns to eliminate diseases and enhance longevity
Chakshu Shrotra – To use sense organs to continuously explore truth and reject falsehood
Paya Rasa – To have drinks that enhance health and vitality – like milk, water, medicines etc
Anna Annadya – To have good food that is beneficial for health as per methods of medical sciences
Ritam – To worship only the ultimate Ishwar who is Supreme and none else
Satyam – To have no absolutely differences in what one knows, speaks and acts upon
Ishtam – To desire only total bliss through worship of one and only one Ishwar through noble acts as described above
Poortam – To plan and act for fulfillment of Ishtam as defined above
Praja – To educate masses and new generation in all true fields of knowledge and actions
Pashava – To care for animals as well

The mantra uses ‘Cha’ meaning ‘and’ several times to emphasize that apart from those mentioned above, any other trait that promotes truth and wisdom and eradicates falsehood and grief from among masses should be readily adopted.

Other texts based on Vedas elaborate this subject of religion or Dharma in greater detail and so do many other mantras of Vedas. Some of the other excellent elaborations on Dharma are found in Taittriya Aranyak 7.9,11; 10.8; 10.62,63; Mundakopanishad 3.1.5,6 and Purva Meemansa 1.1.2 which states that whatever is advised by Ishwar in Vedas (as explained above) is Dharma.

(You can read them in detail in Rigvedadibhashyabhumika or Introduction to Vedas by Swami Dayanand in Chapter named Vedoktadharmavishaya. Its a compulsory reading for those desiring to understand the Vedas.)

The definition of Dharma or religion as per Vaisheshik Darshan 1.1.2 is “ Whatever leads to happiness and ultimate bliss or Moksha for entire world – alone is Dharma”.

All human beings should follow this religion or Dharma alone and reject everything else that does not comply with it, or are unnecessary additions over it. This alone is the religion for all human beings. Humans do not have two religions. So accept only this religion, as described above, and reject everything else!