THE WORD

VEDIC VAK AND JOHANNINE LOGOS

Authors

  • Antony Edanad S.H. Monastery, Chethipuzha, Kerala

Keywords:

Aum (Om), Brahman, Gospel of John, Greek Philosophy, Holy Spirit, Indian Philosophy, Jesus Christ, Logos, Prophets, Sabda, Vak, Vedas, Word, Word of God

Abstract

The presentations of the Word in Vedic literature and in Johannine writings have evidently their specific social, cultural, and religious milieus, and their differing perspectives and doctrinal backgrounds. Nevertheless, we find striking similarities between them. The similarities cannot be explained by postulating the dependence, either direct or indirect, of one on the other. Since it is not likely that either of these two traditions is dependent on the other in its view of the Word, the similarities between the two can best be understood as the result of common elements in the humans’ encounter with the divine. When humans belonging to different cultures and social conditions experience the same divine reality, it is only to be expected that there will be similarity in the expressions of that experience. The particular expressions of that experience are determined by the variables of human existence, thinking and articulation, and thus there will be differences too between them. In the Indian context, the Vedic concept of Vāk and the Biblical idea of the Word serve as a bridge between the Hindus and the Christians involved in religious dialogue. And the Vedic concept of Vāk may help the Christians to appreciate better certain aspects of God’s word. 

This article was originally published in Augustine Thottakara, CMI, ed., Indian Interpretation of the Bible. Festschrift in Honour of Prof. Joseph Pathrapankal, Bangalore: Dharmaram Publications, 2000, 161-180. Reprinted with permission.

Author Biography

Antony Edanad, S.H. Monastery, Chethipuzha, Kerala

Prof. Emeritus Antony Edanad, CMI holds a Licentiate from Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome and a Doctorate in Biblical Theology from Gregorian University, Rome. He was Professor of Sacred Scripture and Theology at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, Bangalore, where he was also dean of the Faculty of Theology and VicePresident. He is author of the books Christian Existence and the New Covenant GodWorld-Man: Towards an Integral View of Divine Revelation; Balivediyile Thiruvachanam (Malayalam, Exposition of liturgical bible readings); Jeevante Suvisesham -Commentary on the Gospel of John (Malayalam); Yohannante Velipad –Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Malayalam); and joint translator of the New Testament from Greek into Malayalam. He has authored many articles in English and Malayalam on Bible and theology. Email: edanad@gmail.com

 

References

K. Luke, “Some Aspects of the Rgvedic Conception of ‘Vak’,” Jeevadhara 1 (1971).

Raimundo Panikkar, The Vedic Experience. Mantramañjarī, London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 1977.

Ralph T.H. Griffith, The Hymns of the Ŗgveda, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1973.

V. Madhusudan Reddy, The Vedic Epiphany, vol. 1, Hyderabad: Institute of Human Study, 1990.

Bhartŗhari, Vākyapadīya; also K.A. Subramania Iyer, Bhartŗhari. A Study of the Vākyapadīya in the Light of the Ancient Commentaries, Poona: Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute, 1969.

Tandra Patnaik, Śabda. A Study of Bhartŗhari’s Philosophy of Language, New Delhi: D.K. Printworld, 1994.

Georg Fohrer, History of Israelite Religion, trans. David E. Green, London: S.P.C.K., 1972.

A.D. Pusalker, “Cultural Interrelation between India and the Outside World before Asoka,” in Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, ed., The Cultural Heritage of India, vol. 1, Calcutta: The Radhakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, 1958.

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Published

2019-09-30

How to Cite

Edanad, A. (2019). THE WORD: VEDIC VAK AND JOHANNINE LOGOS. Asian Horizons, 13(03), 263–280. Retrieved from https://dvkjournals.in/index.php/ah/article/view/2181