Faith is based on the acceptance of the authority of the Vedas which are considered sacred and believed to be of divine origin, and not the outcome or effort of any human being.
It is also believed that the seers and rishis in the Upanishads have been endowed with the power to discover and see the Veda mantras which are unmanifest. Such divine power or inspiration alone is behind the words and works of great masters, acharyas, seers, poets and thinkers is what Adi Sankara asserts most emphatically, pointed out Sri B. Sundarkumar in a discourse.
Adi Sankara himself is an example of a compassionate acharya whose works include not only philosophical treatises on the Vedanta but also devotional hymns to deities that teach one to seek spiritual grace and succour. In a verse in the Saundarya Lahari, Adi Sankara describes the form of the Goddess as ‘pure like the autumnal moonlight, who wears the moon on her crown made up of the jada or mass of twisted hair; and of Her hands that grant all boons and promise protection from fear and also hold the crystal beads and a book of knowledge.’
He asks, how can the poetic works of people, who bowed to Her and got Her blessings, not be fully charged with the sweetness of honey, milk and grape juice, analogies that are pure and natural sources of sweetness and benefit all. The Ramayana is noted for its sublime content and sheer lucidity. It has the power to inspire and confers spiritual grace while the poetic excellences continue to give delight and aesthetic satisfaction.
Likewise great works are the result of divine inspiration that confers on them unsurpassed greatness, sweetness and grace. They are valuable assets. This truth accounts for the strain of humility of the composers.
