Maya in the Vedas: Understanding the Hymns: RV. IV.58.3

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--- "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk wrote:

> In RV IV.58 where you have quoted the

> 6th rik, I am

> interested in the 3rd rik:

 

Namaste Professor,

This is the promised follow up to the earlier mail.

I see this sUkta as being a perfect example of the

vision of the One flowing into the 'many' and

reuniting although it has never been in parts.

Particularly this is through the flow of inspirational

though and speech. You may remember that I have often

written, on this site, of the 'sweetness' of Sruti and

here it begins the first Rk. The poet calls out for

inspiration from 'That One', for the uncovering from

'the depths' of The Word' which will manifest as words

(mantra), cows, in the heart/mind of the poet.

The immense power of the inspired word (the buffalo)

sounds in the 'place of ritual'. This mighty sound, in

Rk 3, eneters into the ritual activity which

essentially in within the heart/minds of the

participants in the physical event. I would say that

at this level it is an undivided sound, a 'roar' in my

experience, maybe at the level of pashyanti although

this is a later concept in the four levels of speech.

For the purposes of giving meaning that sound has to

divide into syllables and words and phrases etc. That

is how I understand Rk 3. Then comes the 'meaning'

enacted and expereinced in the ritual process before

the final verse so beautifully re-unites the parts in

the whole:

'The universe depends upon thy power and might within

the sea, within the heart, over the surface of the

floods.'

 

You know professor, I sit in awe at the feet of these

poets, tears well up in the sharing of the beauty of

their vision.

 

Now back to Rk 3. Griffith and Wilson were dependant

upon Sayana so you get from them accordingly a rather

adhibhaudika interpretation. ( Incidentally, I have

been in contact with the author of the Flaez site and

found that he follows the Geldner/Sayana literal

interpretation of the Rks. No spiritual insight at

all, most disappointing, but what wonderful work he

has done for us in setting up this site.)

I am copying for you below the footnotes of Griffith

of Rk3 and then Wilson.

 

Hopefully we can talk some more on this and also the

use of the flaez site.

 

Thank you for giving me something follow up, its the

only way I can learn,

 

Ken Knight

 

I am giving you the details of the metre and to whom

the sUkta is dedicated:

RgVeda IV 58.3

Deity Agni, Surya,waters,cows or ghrita

Metre

Trishtup: 4 padas 11 syllables

11. JagatI 48 syllables 4 padas 12 syllables each 2

padas per line

Griffith Footnote

3 Four are his horns the four horns of Agni as

identified with sacrifice are said by Sayana to be the

four Vedas, and, if identified with Aditya, the four

cardinal points. The three feet are, in the former

case, the three daily sacrifices, in the latter,

morning, noon, and evening. The two heads are, in the

former case, the Brahmaudana and the Pravargya

ceremonies, in the latter, day and night. Similarly,

the seven hands are explained, alternatively, as the

seven metres of the Veda or the seven rays of the Sun

; and the triple bond as the Mantra, Kalpa, and

Brahmana, prayer, ceremonial, and rationale, of the

Veda, or the three regions, heaven, firmament, and

earth. The Steer is, either as sacrifice of Aditya,

the pourer down of rewards, and the loud roaring is

the sound of the repetition of the texts of the Veda.

Mahidhara’s explanation differs from that of Sayana.

The four horns are priests ; or nouns, verbs,

prepositions, and particles ; the three feet are the

Vcdas, or the first, second, and third persons, or the

past, present, and future tenses; the two heads are

two sacrifices, or the agent and object ; the seven

hands are the metres or the cases of the noun;

and the three bonds are the three daily sacrifices,or

the singular, dual, and plural numbers.

 

Wilson translation and comment.

4.058.03 Four are his horns; three are his feet; his

heads are two, his hands are seven; the triple-bound

showerer (of benefits) roars aloud; the mighty deity

has entered among men. [This verse is preferentially

applied to Agni, identified either with yajn~a or with

A_ditya; the four horns of the yajn~a are the four

vedas; of A_ditya, the four cardinal points of the

horizon; the three feet of yajn~a are the three daily

sacrifices; of A_ditya, morning, noon, evening; the

two heads of yajn~a are two particular ceremonies

termed brahmaudanam and pravargya; of A_ditya, day and

night; the seven hands of yajn~a are the seven metres;

of A_ditya, the seven rays, or the six seasons and

their aggregate, or the year, the seventh; the term

vr.s.abha phala_na_m var.sita_, the rainer of rewards,

applies to yajn~a and A_ditya; so does roraite, he

roars, implying the noise made by the repetition of

the mantras of the vedas; the three bonds of yajn~a

are: mantra, kalpa and bra_hman.a, the prayer, the

ceremonial; the rationale of A_ditya, the three

regions, earth, mid-air and heaven; another view is to

limit vr.s.abha ka_ma_nam vars.ita_ to yajn~a; the

four horns are the priests: the hota_, udga_ta_,

adhvaryu and brahma_; the three feet are the three

vedas; the two heads the havirdha_na and pravargya

rites; the hands are the seven priests, or seven

metres; the three bonds the three daily sacrifices;

Nirukta 13.7 applies the verse to yajn~a].

 

 

 

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‘From this Supreme Self are all these, indeed, breathed forth.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

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