Importance of Rigveda: Hymns of Vaisvamitra
Here we outline the importance of Rigveda in Hymns of Vaisvamitra. The rest of the essay on hymns of Vaisvamitra is published in blogs started with HV, standing for Hymns of Vaisvamitra.
Praise, Truth, Self-realisation
In the very first verse after referring to the importance of
Agni, the sage says:
होतारं
रत्नधातमम्,[1]
(1.001.1.2)
The recitation of
the prayers of Rigveda, holds such wealth as to make one faint. What is this
wealth that the prayers of Rigveda hold?
In the fifth verse of
this hymn, the sage says:
अग्निहोता कविक्रतुः सत्यश्चित्रश्रवस्तमः. (1.001.5.1)[2]
Agni! The
recital of Rigveda inspires sages to experience truth and the most desirable
wonderful glory [truth (सत्य) experience (अश्) wonderful (चित्र) glory (श्रवस्) most wished for (तमः)].
Thus it seems that the purpose of the recital of Rigveda is to
actually experience truth. What is the nature of this truth? In a later
hymn, this is revealed to be knowledge of the self, or experiencing the soul
within. This line reads:
इन्द्र स्तोममिमं मम कृष्वा युजश्चिदन्तरम (1.010.9.2)[3]
This eulogy is my furrow to Indra, as well as to concentrate my attention
upon experiencing the soul within.
These verses reveals that the eulogies of Rigveda had a dual purpose. They
did praise gods, but their recital enabled the experience of truth (सत्य) (1.001.5). And the nature of this truth is that of
experiencing the soul within (1.010.9). The term in which this
idea occurs is युजश्चिदन्तरम i.e. to concentrate my attention upon/unite (युज्) experience (अश्) soul (चित्) within (अन्तरम्). In contemporary language, this is called self realisation The word युज् has another meaning which makes sense in the
context: to unite. So the term could also meant to unite (the words) with the inner
experience of the soul (1.010.9). Both interpretations imply self-realisation.
Threefold Knowledge, Realisation, Brahman, and Union
Another verse reveals
strikingly the relation between knowledge, realisation, Brahman, Union and
Indra. The verse reads:
गायन्ति त्वा
गायत्रिणो अर्चन्ति अर्कम् अर्किणः[4] | ब्रह्माणस्त्वा शतक्रत
उद्वंशमिव येमिरे || (1.010.1)[5]
Sing of the
Director thou, the song of the threefold knowledge, shines before the flash of
lightning bright; Thou are in possession of the breath of Brahman; on the
backbone of Shatakratu (Indra), as it were, you having acquired established
union.
The poet here is
addressing himself. He calls upon himself to sing of the ‘Director’ (गायन्ति त्वा) implying that the world is a play directed by the
One. Then he continues: (sing) the song of the threefold knowledge (गायत्रिणो).[6] This song of threefold
knowledge, he says shines ‘before the flash of lightning bright’(अर्चन्त्यर्कमर्किणः)[7] . What is this flash of lightning before which shines the threefold
knowledge?
The next line
clarifies: Thou art in possession of the
breath of Brahman (ब्रह्माणस्त्वा)[8]. Thus, the poet possesses the
‘breath of Brahman’ which is like a flash of lightning, that lays bare and
illuminates the threefold knowledge. Many yogis have referred to the flash of
light that accompanies the experience of self-realisation. Vaisvamitra connects
this flash to the three fold knowledge and the breath of Brahman.
How did he get this breath
of Brahman? The second line continues: “on
the backbone of Indra (शतक्रत) , as it were, you having acquired established union (उद्वंशमिव येमिरे). This says two
things. First it suggests that it is Union denoted by ये that has helped the sage to acquire the breath of Brahman. The second, that
it is on the backbone of Indra that this achievement rests. We will revert to
this in our discussion of Indra.
The union referred to in
the verse is known contemporaneously as Yoga, is presumably union of individual
soul with the divine. It is remarkable that the sage describes the song of
threefold knowledge (गायत्रिणो) as shining before the flash of lightning, suggestive of realisation (अर्चन्त्यर्कमर्किणः), and
confirms it by the next line, where he describes himself as possessing the
breath of Brahman (ब्रह्माणस्त्वा).
This is the truth with
which Rigveda is concerned.
Apart from the recital at
the ‘homa’, there seems to have been an effort to spread the knowledge of this
inner truth by bards singing it in samaveda style (गि), going to the houses of individual men. Thus, the
sage says:
Rich lord, lord of wealth: for a singer (of samaveda) to go to a man to
grant inner knowledge is praiseworthy; Homa is a way suited for protection.
This verse suggests that
singing the Rigveda served the purpose of transmitting or granting inner
knowledge or ‘knowledge interior’ (गृणन्त). In contrast, homa ceremonies were for ensuring
protection.
[1] होतारं रत्न – धा - तमम् : Reciting prayers of Rigveda (होतृ = होतारं) wealth
(रत्न ) holds (धा) so as to faint away (तमम्)
[2] अग्नि - होता कवि - क्रतुः सत्य – अश् – चित्र – श्रवस् - तमः :
Agni (अग्नि) reciting rigveda (होता) sage (कवि) inspiration (क्रतुः) truth (सत्य) experience (अश्) wonderful (चित्र) glory
(श्रवस्)
most wished for (तमः)
[3] इन्द्र स्तोमं - इमं मम कृष्वा युज् – अश् – चित् - अन्तरम : Indra (इन्द्र) eulogy
this (स्तोमं-इमं = स्तोममिमं) my (मम) furrow (कृष्) as
well as (वा) (कृष्-वा = कृष्वा) to concentrate my attention upon (युज्) experience
(अश्)
soul (चित्) within (अन्तरम्)
[4] We have broken down this long word for the
benefit of the reader. It actually is : गायत्रिणोSर्चन्त्यर्कमर्किणः
[5] गा - यन्ति त्वा गाय – त्रि - णो अर्च् - अन्ति अर्कम् अर्किणः | ब्रह्म – अण् – अस् - त्वा शतक्रत उद् – वंशम् - इव ये – मि - रे ||
Sing (गा) Director (यन्तृ = यन्ति) thou (त्वा) song (गायः) three (त्रि) knowledge
(णः
= णो) shine (अर्च्) before (अन्ति) flash of lightning (अर्क = अर्कं) bright (अर्किन् = अर्किणः) | Brahman (ब्रह्म) breath
(अण्) in possession of (अस्) thou (वा) performer
of hundred sacrifices (Indra) (शतक्रतु = शतक्रत) on (उद्) backbone (वंशम्) as
it were (इव)) Union (यः = ये) establish
(मि)
having acquired (रः = रे)
[7] shine (अर्च्) before
(अन्ति)
flash of lighting (अर्क = अर्कं) bright (अर्किन् =
अर्किणः)(अर्च्-अन्ति-अर्कम्-अर्किन् = अर्चन्त्यर्कमर्किणः)
[8] Brahman (ब्रह्म) breath
(अण्) in possession of (अस्) thou (वा)
(ब्रह्म-अण्-अस्-त्वा = ब्रह्माणस्त्वा)
Rich (वसुर्) lord
(इन्द्र) lord
of wealth (वसुपतिं) singer of samaveda (गि) to go (इर्) man (भिर्) grant
(गृ)
knowledge (ण) interior (अन्त) praiseworthy (ऋग्मिय = ऋग्मियम्) | Homa (होम) a way
(गन्त
= गन्तु) suitable (अरम्) protection (ऊति = ऊतये)
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