In plain words
we use the words 'Bharata' and 'Vedānta'. Now, even though all the religious sects currently in circulation may appear and seem immature, and however incomprehensible their aims may seem, if one inquires into them, reads them and scrutinizes them carefully, it becomes clear that the teachings of the Upanishads alone are the root of all of them. The Upanishads have sunk so completely and so deeply into the Bharatiya nation — into the Hindu religion — that they are, for this very reason, worshipped in forms such as images. Even today, whether in our own homes or in temples, the Upanishads adorn the very place of worship. Having formed an inseparable bond with our own life, they have remained permanently settled within it.
The Vedas are endless — 'Anantō vai vedaḥ', 'Endless indeed is the Veda' — but their essence was gathered and divided into four, and propagated for the welfare of the world. These four are the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, and the Atharvana Veda; as four divisions they have brought about the welfare of the world, redeeming human beings, upholding Dharma, and proclaiming Satya, through acts of worship, rites of adoration, song, and other disciplines. They have set forth an ideal standard for every human being's daily life. Whatever a Bharatiya does, knowingly or unknowingly, it remains, in one way or another, in keeping with the authority of the Veda. From marriage to the shraddha rite, Bharatiyas follow the authority of the Veda alone. To disregard the Veda, which is the very form of this foundational authority, is simply not in a Bharatiya's character. Whether Dvaitin, Advaitin, or Vishishtadvaitin, Bharatiyas live their lives bound strictly to that authority. Yet if one follows and practices it knowingly, its fruit becomes all the greater — and bliss is the result.