RigVeda and the Systems of Approach to the One

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Dear List Members,

Here is posting no. 12

Best wishes to all.

 

-- Himanshu

 

 

 

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RigVeda and Indian Systems of Approach to the One :

(notes from selfstudy - svaadhyaaya)

 

XII : Flight of Shyena -- the Hawk.

 

---- Himanshu B. Dave

 

aha.m suve pitaram asya muurdhan mama yonir apsv anta.h samudre |

tato vi ti.s.the bhuvanaanu vi"svotaamuu.m dyaa.m var.sma.nopa sp.r"saami ||(7)

[RV X-125-7] [X-10-13-7]

 

{I bring the fathers upon the head of this [heaven]. My birthplace is in the

midst of the waters, in the ocean. From there I spread through all beings and

[at the same time] touch this heaven with my body. (7)}

 

Vaak, in contact with Atma as paraa vaak, comes down to Vaikhari level.

 

I am the creator of the Sky --- the father of this World --- over the

Basis, Paramatma. My Cause is established in Waters and Samudra (the

movements of one's mind). That is why I am spread out throught the Creation

and also touch the Heaven with my body.

 

The deepest part of my individual Self, which says "I", is prepared by vaak

only, as an covering over the Basis, Paramatma. Waters refers to the total

mass of the consciousness of a person, Samudra here refers to the waves

on the surface of this consciousness, the movements of mind.

 

The Vaak is in contact with Paramatma (because she is inseparable part of

Paramatma) at the same time she provides the Creation. She is the link

between Paramatma and the percieved world.

-oOo-

 

Throughout RigVeda, the birds are compared to thoughts in general and Shyena

(hawk) and Garutmaan (eagle) are compared to a very special thought, the

residual thought "I am" of a seeker as he approaches the One. Just as a bird

is a kind of link between the earth and sky, this thought is a link between

the manifestation and the Basis.

 

A boy flying a kite also establishes a link between the earth and sky. When

he (jiiva) flies the kite (the pure "I am" thought), his pleasure knows no

bound.

 

The free, unrestricted flight of a Shyena bird is very much similar to the

residual perceptions of a Yogi as he goes deep in meditation. Though flying

high (at highly abstract level, div), it is able to see clearly the objects

on the earth (the worldly objects in their true form).

 

We consider in this posting a few mantras talking about Shyena, the high

flying, aloof, observer.

 

First, a mantra which does not name it as Shyena, but calls it supar.na, from

Mandala X, sukta 55, by .r.si b.rhaduktha.h belonging to clan of vaamadeva :

 

 

"saakmanaa "saako aru.na.h supar.na aa yo maha.h "suura.h sanaad anii"da.h |

yac ciketa satyam it tan na mogha.m vasu spaarham uta jetota daataa ||(6)

[RV X-55-6] [X-4-13-6]

 

{Powerful with internal power, a purple coloured bird, mighty, heroic,

ancient, having no nest. He knows the Truth and is not purposeless. He is the

conqueror and distributor of desirable wealth. (6)}

 

"saakmanaa -- by [own] power, ability;

"saaka.h -- powerful, able; i.e., able without any external help;

aru.na.h -- purple coloured; RigVeda uses coloured coding to denote

states of awareness :

red/orange --> waking state, well agitated;

yellow --> waking state, active;

green --> in meditation;

blue --> very deep in meditation;

purple --> simultaneously deep in meditation and

aware of the external world; Shambhavi

Mudra or Vishnupada;

supar.na.h -- having powerful wings; shyena; Self or Ego of the Yogi

who is in the purple state, i.e., outwardly dealing

with the world, but internally very calm;

 

sanaad ani"da.h -- without a resting place or nest since ancient times;

shyena has really no nest, it does not reside in one

place; it is placeless; Or, he does not make a nest;

yat ciketa -- knows as its ability,

tat satyamit -- that Truth;

na mogha.m -- not purposeless; unfailing;

spaarha.m -- desirable;

vasu uta jetaa -- he wins from the enemies wealth;

uta daataa -- giver [to the worshipper];

 

Shyena is supposed to bring Soma, the Bliss, from the Heaven, to the

worshipper. The following t.rcaa (a sukta consisting of a group of three

..rcaa only), from Mandala X, sukta 178, by .r.si ari.s.tanemi.h, describes

it :

 

 

tyam uu .su vaajina.m devajuuta.m sahaavaana.m tarutaara.m rathaanaam |

ari.s.tanemi.m p.rtanaajam aa"su.m svastaye taark.syam ihaa huvema || (1)

 

indrasyeva raatim aajohuvaanaa.h svastaye naavam ivaa ruhema |

urvii na p.rthvii bahule gabhiire maa vaam etau maa paretau ri.saama || (2)

 

sadya"s cid ya.h "savasaa pa~nca k.r.s.tii.h suurya iva jyoti.saapas tataana |

sahasrasaa.h "satasaa asya ra.mhir na smaa varante yuvati.m na "saryaam || (3)

 

[RV X-178-whole] [X-12-28-whole]

 

{Let us invoke that Tarkshya for our welfare, who is mighty, employed by

gods, the victorious, who overtakes chariots, defeater of enemies, the

swift. (1)}

 

{Repeatedly invoking the grace as of Indra, let us mount upon it for our

welfare as upon a ship. O Heaven and Earth! vast, expanded, manifold,

profound, may we not have any harm now due to [Tarkshya's] coming to or

going away from you. (2)}

 

{He who has rapidly spread out the waters, by his strength, for the five

types of men, like the sun by its light -- giving thousand, giving hundred,

on his way, like an unfailing arrow, none can stop it. (3)}

 

Words :

tyamuu -- that welknown;

taark.sya.m -- son of t.rk.sa.h, the Shyena; he was told by gods to

bring Soma from heaven;

devajuta.m -- being directed or employed by the gods; Yaska says in

Nirukta (10-28) that this may mean "for pleasing gods".

sahaavaana.m -- heroic, victorious;

tarutaara.m -- winner in battle, or, overtaker of chariots;

ari.s.tanemi.m -- whose chariot is not broken; or, whose weapon is not

destroyed;

p.rtanaaja.m -- winner over enemies;

aa"su.m -- fast, swift;

 

raati.m -- donation; grace;

aajohuvaanaa.h -- invoking again and again;

ruuhema -- may we ride;

urvii -- extended;

p.rthvii -- earth;

etau -- on coming, i.e. when Tarkshya arrives;

paraitau -- on going;

ri.saama -- may we not be destroyed;

 

"savasaa -- by [his own] power;

apa.h -- waters; consciousness; but here bliss that is felt in

consciousness;

tataana -- spread out;

pa~nca.h k.r.s.tii.h -- five types of men; the four "priests" and the

yajamaana;

ra.mhi.h -- motion;

varante -- stop, resist;

"saryaa.m -- an arrow which divides the target into two;

yuvati.m na -- as an arrow get stuck in the target;

 

Shyena overtakes chariots, i.e., it moves faster then normal cognizers. Once

we ride Shyena, we do not expect any problems in travelling to and fro from

Heaven and Earth, i.e., the exhilarated and normal states. Shyena rapidly

spreads bliss. It moves like an arrow (because it is arrow itself, RA here;

remember the arrow of Rudra?), splitting the target (aanandamaya

ko.sa.h). Not only it splits but gets stuck in the target.

 

Let us consider the following two mantras from Mandala X, sukta 144, by

..r.si supar.na.h :

 

 

ya.m supar.na.h paraavata.h "syenasya putra aabharat |

"satacakra.m yo3 hyo vartani.h || (4)

 

ya.m te "syena"s caarum av.rka.m padaabharad aru.na.m maanam andhasa.h |

enaa vayo vi taary aayur jiivasa enaa jaagaara bandhutaa || (5)

[RV X-144-4,5] [X-11-17-4,5]

 

{The Soma whom Suparna, the son of the hawk brought from afar, the giver of

many boons, who is the activator of Ahi --- (4)}

 

{whom the hawk brought to you, [indra], with his claw, beautiful,

unassailable, purple-coloured, the creator of food. By that, food and

age was was prolonged for living, by it friendship was awakened. (5)}

 

Words :

"satacakra.m -- provider of many boons, wealth;

ahyo.h -- of Ahi, asura.h v.rtraasura.h;

vartani.h -- director, activator;

 

ya.m -- indicates Soma;

caaru.m -- beautiful;

av.rka.m -- unassailable;

padaa -- by feet, claws;

aru.na.m -- purple coloured; (refer to a previous mantra for

meaning of colours in RigVeda)

andhasa.h -- of food (annasya)

maana.m -- creator by means of yajna;

vaya.h -- annam, food;

jiivase -- for [our] life;

taari -- giver;

bandhutaa -- circle of friendship, loving attachment;

jaagaara -- awakened;

 

Note that Syena is activator of Ahi (routine thoughts) also. The Shyena

increases alertness to various kinds of inputs and also prolongs life time

of the meditator. Though this is lower level interpretation of the mantras,

this is also an observed fact. The most important result is that flight of

Shyena awakens "friendship", with whom? With Self, aatmaa.

 

 

The last mantra that we consider in this posting is by .r.si ku"sika.h of

bhaaradvaaja clan, in Mandala X, sukta 127 and it indicates that after the

flight the Shyena rests :

 

 

ni graamaaso avik.sata ni padvanto ni pak.si.na.h |

ni "syenaasa"s cid arthina.h || (5)

[RV X-127-5] [X-10-15-5] [Ratri sukta]

 

{Men have reentered [their homes], and animals and birds and the

hawks, who eye their prey with desire. (5)}

 

"Men" indicate the various functions of the brain, here the word used is

graamaasa.h which indicate those functions of the brain dealing with

routine, day-to-day activities. They have come to rest.

 

Animals (padvanta.h) means thoughts related to activities of the sense organs.

Birds (pak.si.na.h) thoughts related to emotions;

Shyena are thoughts which constitute meditation itself; the prey of Shyena

is Soma.

 

This mantra is from the famous Ratri sukta. When Ratri arrives these events

take place; but what is Ratri? After end of meditation session or with

spiritual progress when the seeker establishes contact with the world again,

unafraid of the bonds, it is said that Ratri has arrived. Shyena has come to

rest after the flight, but with a promise of flying again, when Usha will

arrive. And so till it flies again :

 

{The straight flying Shyena, conveys Soma from far. The bird, attended by

gods, brought for a particular purpose the adorable, exhilarating Soma,

having taken it from high heaven.}

[RV IV-26-6]

 

For those of you the readers, who have been following this series regularly,

the meaning of this mantra should be perfectly clear.

 

Observing that Flight of Shyena in reverence and wonder, we come to end of

this posting.

 

udutya.m jaatavedasa.m deva.m vahanti ketava.h | d.r"se vi"svaaya suuryam ||

{The horses are taking suurya, the Knower of all beings, upwards at high

speed, for showing Him to the World.}

 

..o bhadra.m no apivaataya mana.h |

 

-- Himanshu