RE: Vedic Term "Rtam "and its many meanings : Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

A friend recently sent this note to me and asked me

to comment on the significance of the Vedic Term

" Rtam " on behalf of his friend.Inview of the importance

of the concept of Rtam as one of the most important concepts

of Vedam , I thought you might be interested in this

posting . The word Rta or rtam is quite complex and has

many meanings . I will share with you what little I know

and seek the blessings of Veda Purushan in this effort .

 

The question from the friend of my friend is as follows :

>> Namo Narayana!

>>

>> I was wondering if you could help me out with a term

>>I've come across in a lecture. My professor was

>>using the word "Rta" and said it was from the

>>Vedas. He said it was synonymous with the Confucian

>>term Tao. I don't think he knows much of anything

>>about Vedas, though, so I wanted to see if I could

>> get accurate info. from you ( Sri Jaganathan ).

 

First , the most ancient of the Vedams , Rg Vedam has

42 rks , which start with Rta or its different cases

and adjectives . Here is the frequency of occurence

of the manthrams starting with the Rta and its dative ,

vocative and other vibhakthis:

 

KhAndam 1: 6 Rks ; KhAndam 2: 3 Rks ; KhAndam 3: 5 Rks;

KhAndam 4: 8 Rks ; KhAndam 5: 5 Rks ; KhAndam 6: 2 Rks;

KhAndam 7: 1 Rk; KhAndam 8: 4 Rks ; KhAndam 9: 2 Rks;

KhAndam 10(Final KhAndam ): 7 Rks.

 

It will be wonderful to study the meanings of all these

42 Rks to gain a measure of understanding of the depth

of meaning of the Vedic term , " Rtam". Inview of the

need to be brief , I will stay away from that temptation .

 

Rtam is the pinnacle of the ethical ideals

that Bhagavan Himself represents as " DharmO

VigrahavAn" or the embodiment of DharmA .

 

Rtam is the virtue of virtues , the axle that holds the

wheels of the dharma chakram . That virtue of virtues

is simply Truth or SATYAM . The Nigantu defines

this SATYAM as having six synonyms , one of which

is Rtam :

 

" Bhat , srath , sathrA , addhA , ItthA , RTAM ithi

shat SATYA NAAMAANI " ( Nigantu III.10) .

 

It has been pointed out this description of Satyam

and its six synonyms is given by an YajamAnA about

to undertake a Yajna Or Vratha DhIkshai or vow of

abstinence during the entire duration of the vratham .

 

This vratham of truthfulness is undertaken in front of

the Vrathapathi , who is Agni , who is none other than

the Lord Himself . In these circumstances , Truth or Rtam

is equated to reality or Godhead; anrtam or falsehood

or ungodly entities are perishable ( satyamEva JayatE ).

 

While taking this vow or observing the Vratham ,

the Yajna karthA recognizes that the sacredness of

this dharmic pursuit confers on him a divine body

DURING THE OBSERVANCE of the vratham and

he is no longer a mere mortal . As a result ,

the Vratha karthA is convinced that he is bound

to speak the Truth (satyam ) and nothing but the Truth.

 

Swami Satya Prakash Sarasvathi quotes Yajur Veda

Passage , " AgnE vratapatE vratam charishyAmi tacchakEyam

tanmE rAdyatAm , idhamaham anrutAth SATHYAMUPAIMI ( YV 1.5)

(Meaning ) : O Lord of Vrathams (vows ) ! I will now

observe the vow (for the Yaj~nam ) O adorable Lord !

May I have the strength for the observance of this vratA

with your blessings ! may I conclude this Vratam

successfully (with Your grace). NOW INTO TRUTH FROM

UNTRUTH DO I ENTER .

 

The truth here is rtam and the untruth is anrutam .

>From mere man , the vrata karthA elevates himself

to that of divinity and thereby aspires to speak

the truth and act in consonance with the eternal

dharmam (rtam ) . From asatya (anruta ) state ,

he wishes to enter the satya( rtam ) state to

qualify himself for the observance of the role

as yajamaanA for the Yaj~nam .

 

In a similar spirit , Atharva Vedam passage (AV.XII.1.1)

elaborates further on this concept of Rtam .

It proclaims: satyam bruhat , rtamugram , dhIkshA

tapO Brahma Yaj~na: pruthivIm vArayanthi

 

According to this manthram , the 8 virtues that

nourish and sustain this world are : Satyam (truth) ,

bruhat ( the vastness with its three cosmic divisions) ,

rtam ( the right attitude of vratha kaari) , ugram

( formidable majesty) , dhIkshA ( consecration , Initiation ) ,

Tapas ( austerity ,study and teaching ) , Brahman

( motivation for learning as one of its many meanings )

and Yaj~nA ( dedication to the sacred rite and the sacred

rite itself in a spirit of selfless dedication and for

the well being of the world and its beings ) .

 

The importance of Yaj~nam and its close connection

with rtam , satyam is summarized in the following

Yajur Veda manthram ( XVIII.6):

 

rtam cha mEamrutham cha mEayakshamam cha mEanAmayaccha

mE jIvAthusccha mE dhIrgAyuthvam cha mEanamithram

cha mEabhayam cha mE sukham cha mE sayanam cha mE

sushAsccha mE sudhinam cha mE yaj~Ena kalpathAm

 

In this resonant passage , a moving plea is made to

the Vrathapathi , Yaj~na NaarAyaNan : " May my

religious rite (rtam ), my immortality (amrutham ),

my freedom from consumption and disease ( Kshaya rOgam ),

my life , my longevity , my freedom from enemies ,

my freedom from danger, my happiness , my lying down

(sayanam) , my fair dawn ( susha ) , my fair day

(sudinam ) PROSPER BY SACRIFICE (YAJ~NAM )".

 

The fearlessness , security , safety , universal

love and freedom from hatred , efforts , victory in

those efforts to conquer anrtam and asatyam ,

the discriminating intellect and more are sought

as fruits of the Yaj~nam performed with rtam .

Many of these prayers are tied with the central Vedic

doctrine of Rtam or dharmam .

 

TaittirIya Upanishad proclaims : BrahmavidApnOthiparam

(II.1.1).Here , it proclaims that the knower of Brahman

attains the Highest good and attaining that highest good .

That Highest , Brahman is defined as three fold :

Satyam(rtam ) Jn~Anam anantham BrahmA( Brahman is

reality/truth,knowledge and infinity ). It goes on to

define Brahman as " yathO vA imaani bhUthAni jAyanthi,

yEna jAthAni jIvanthi, yath prayantyabhisamvisanthi"

( TaittirIyam III.1.1: "Develop your desire to know well

that from which all things are born, in which they live

on being born and into which they enter , when they

perish : That is Brahman )".

 

The TaittirIyA passage II.6.1 states

" whoever knows Brahman as non-existent

becomes himself non-existent indeed . Whoever knows

Brahman as existent , him therefore they know as existing ".

This is Satyam , Rtam in the Vedic sense , the very

essence of the teachings of Upanishads , the Siras

of VedAs .

 

In the post-Vedic period , Rtam was

called Dharmam . The fundamental

nature of Dharmam (rtam ) is understood

from the two revelatory statements : "KrishNam

dharmam SanAtanam and RaamO vigrahavAn dharma:".

 

To protect the DharmA from decline , to maintain

the rtam , the Lord appears in every yugam

( Dharma samsthApanArthAya sambhavAmi yugE yugE ).

That the world civilization stands on the foundation

of Rtam ( dharmam ) is understood from another Vedic

passage :dharmO visvasya jagatha: prathistitha:

dharmE SARVAM prathishtitham .

 

This concept of dharmam is also standing in

for discipline ( vrata , Rtam ).Discipline

and the disciplined life has its sweet fruits as

stated by another famous veda Manthram :

" madhu vAtA rtAyatE madhu ksharanthi

sindava: --- gaavO bhavanthu na: "

 

Lest the posting get even longer , I stop here

and salute the Veda PurushA for His blessings

to empower us with rtam .

 

DaasOham , V.Sadagopan