Page 42 - Journey to Infinity

thus putting them on the right path.
1. Mantra Drishta— Seer of Mantra; Mantra means mystery of Nature, a remedy, a plan or scheme. Whoever is alert in grasping this is a Rishi. Innumerable are such persons — but seven are of distinction; Bharadwaja, Agastya, Jamadagni, Atri, Goutame, Viswamitra and Brahaspati. These are seven principles of Nature that are found in the ethereal atmosphere, Akasha Mandala, in the form of Veda or Knowledge. Apart from these are all those personalities (indi¬viduals) who are related to the special attributes of these Rishis and are subordinate to them.
2 .Yantra Drishta— the seer of the instrument which runs according to certain laws. The word Niyantru in Sanskrit means one who controls time, space and matter, and keeps them in order. Such a Rishi is called Aditya, which is the name of a deity that shines like the sun.
3. Tantra Drishta — the seer of the current of the movement of nature or vitality, and one who spreads this current. Such a Rishi is called Rudra. He shows the way through practical experience.
4. In addition to these there are Vasus and Dhruvas. Among men those who are conversant with the secrets of these, and participate in the activities of knowledge, meditation and higher knowledge or science — Vigyana — are called Rishis. Such men are found in every country and every race, their names and language being different i.e. Abdal, Kutub, Avatar, Vali, Nabi, Savabit, Sayyare, Sadhu, Sant etc.
These Rishis of India have given such a special name to Veda, by hearing, comprehending and accepting which the essence of the Veda can be easily realised. That name is Sruti. That which has been heard, is being heard and will be heard is also called Sruti. It is also known as Sruta which means that which is heard. A special meaning of Sruti is divine law, divine principle and divine secret which, again, is theVeda itself. Now-a-days it is also called Surat. The Rishis heard it before, and heard it within themselves; and we can hear the same thing for ourselves according to the laws laid down by the Rishis. Sruti is that which is only heard — the original independent and unmixed sound. Smriti is a remembered law or code of conduct-Dharma Sastra —which is mixed sound. Sruti being an independent original sound is an authority in itself, and Smriti being a remembered thing depends on another authority.
Sruti is the name of that sound which can be heard but which is not bound by word, letter and lip pronunciation. Smriti can, to a certain extent, be called the imitation of that original sound which is bound by the tongue, lips, teeth and intonation etc.