Chapter 7: The Race To Be Oldest | AN IMMORTAL'S QUEST FOR VEDIC SOMA

In Chapter 7: The Race to Be Oldest Ashvatthama begins to recognise a powerful pattern shared across civilisations: everyone wants to claim the oldest religion, scripture, language, homeland and revelation. A Hindu pundit carries the Veda, a Jewish scribe holds the Torah, a Zoroastrian priest protects the Avesta, while Egyptian, Greek and Chinese scholars defend their own ancient traditions. What initially appears to be a harmless competition soon reveals a deeper struggle for authority and power. If a scripture is declared the oldest, does that make its teachings unquestionable? If a language is called divine, do other languages become inferior? When traditions claim ancient borders, grievances or hierarchies, can history become a weapon against people living in the present? Ashvatthama also reflects on how institutions can transform the teachings of spiritual figures. Jesus may become an instrument of imperial doctrine, Buddha may be honoured as an avatar while his egalitarian message is weakened, and Ashoka may become a national symbol while his commitment to dhamma is forgotten. Rejecting inherited labels, Ashvatthama adopts a new identity: a free-will human. He does not reject his ancestors, but refuses to become their prisoner. This chapter asks whether a tradition should be respected simply because it is ancient—or because it makes humanity kinder, freer and less violent. Perhaps the greatest tradition is not the one with the earliest date, but the one that still makes cruelty harder. 📖 From An Immortal’s Quest for Vedic Soma by Ramakant Rai. #QuestForSoma #VedicSoma #ancientcivilizations #history #religion #philosophy #Ashvatthama #humanity #buddha #newdelhi #london #mumbai #banglore #newyork #losangeles #vedicsomamystery #mystery