June topic: mAyA in the Vedas: RV. X..177/ Individual Soul

[Guest guest]

Namaste all,

 

Professor Krishnamurthy had asked me to consider the

use of pataMga as 'the individual soul' in this

amazing hymn. As I considered his direction I found

myself returning to old questions of mine, 'Did our

Vedic ancestors have a concept of an individual soul

that is recognisable within our own ideas?' And

secondly, 'How does an individual soul fit into

non-dual philosophies?'

The second is for other studies but I thought that it

would be useful to present some of concepts

identifiable in the Vedic hymns relevant to that first

question. Again, I am giving you information that only

glimpses the immensity of the Vedic vision. Your own

interest can take you further.

 

Individual soul

 

I wonder if the people of the Vedic times had such a

concept?

 

In the West, with our dominant dualistic heritage, we

commonly envisage, at best, an individual particle of

light or drop of water in an all-pervading light or

ocean. Even those who think they are teaching advaita

are in fact followers of Ramanuja…….. although they

probably never have heard of him. As Shankara writes,

‘Besides, the comparison of the soul with a drop of

water is not apt at all; because we have repeatedly

pointed out that the soul is not different from the

highest Atman; but it is the latter which on account

of its connection with the upAdhis is only

metaphorically known as the soul. ‘ (See last posting

on pataMga)

 

I think that this is closer to the context of the

Vedic vision. When I read the Rgveda I do not get the

impression of a people seeking rescue from an

oppressive, disgusting physical environment and

transportation to a garden of everlasting delight. As

stated earlier, they see and feel an all-pervading

power of such immensity and mystery that they want to

join in with the will of that power: Hence the notion

of ‘kratu’, 'will power,’ but more on that later. They

have an understanding of the human psyche and use

words such as manas, hRd, citta, dhI and kratu.

(incidentally, I think a very worthwhile study would

be of the verbal roots jIv, tan,cit, man, jnA, vid and

dhi used in the Vedic context and recorded by Panini.

If anyone has the time and interest maybe we could do

this together off-list some time.)

 

However when we look for an individual soul as we

know it I am not sure that it is there. For example,

when they use the word ‘asu’ it has to do with that

vitality in the individual that releases the universal

power manifesting through the gods. This is linked

with the jiva. Together they overcome the holding

power of the night and so are linked with Dawn, Usha:

RV I 113 16

úd iirdhvaM jiivó ásur na aágaad ápa praágaat táma aá

jyótir eti |

aáraik pánthaaM yaátave suúryaayaáganma yátra

pratiránta aáyuH ||

 

‘Arise! the breath (asu), the life (jIva), again hath

reached us: darkness hath passed away and light

approacheth.

She, for the Sun, hath left a path to travel, we have

arrived where men prolong existence.’

 

RV. I. 140. 7,8

sá saMstíro viSTíraH sáM gRbhaayati jaanánn evá

jaanatiír nítya aá shaye |

púnar vardhante ápi yanti devyàm anyád várpaH pitróH

kRNvate sácaa ||

 

‘Now covered, now displayed he grasps as one who knows

his resting-place in those who know him well.

A second time they wax and gather Godlike power, and

blending both together change their Parents' form.'

 

tám agrúvaH keshíniiH sáM hí rebhirá uurdhvaás tasthur

mamrúSiiH praáyáve púnaH |

taásaaM jaraám pramuñcánn eti naánadad ásum páraM

janáyañ jiivám ástRtam ||

 

‘The maidens with long, tresses hold him in embrace;

dead, they rise up again to meet the Living One.

Releasing them from age with a loud roar he comes,

filling them with new spirit (asu), living (jIva),

unsubdued.’

 

This renewal…......the sun disappears beneath the

horizon and the reappears…......occurs in the tales of

the Rbhus. ( I keep referring to these and you will

find out more about them and their magic power later

on). There is a term ‘vayas’ for the life force of the

individual which is governed by another power in a

lifetime, (ayu), which controls the number of breaths

of a lifetime .......to put it into its nearest

western context. So we read:

 

RV.111.1

tákSan ráthaM suvR'taM vidmanaápasas tákSan hárii

indravaáhaa vR'SaNvasuu |

tákSan pitR'bhyaam Rbhávo yúvad váyas tákSan

vatsaáya maatáraM sacaabhúvam ||

 

‘Working with skill they wrought the lightly rolling

car: they wrought the Bays who bear Indra and bring

great gifts.

The Rbhus for their Parents made life (vayas) young

again; and fashioned for the calf a mother by its

side.’

 

But superior to all these is breath, prANa. Just as

‘That One breathed, without breath’…NasadIya sUkta if

you remember the earlier postings….. so that breath

breathes in us.

 

RV X 59.6

ásuniite púnar asmaásu cákSuH púnaH praaNám ihá no

dhehi bhógam |

jyók pashyema suúryam uccárantam ánumate mRLáyaa naH

svastí ||

 

‘Give us our sight again, O Asuniti, give us again our

breath (prANa) and our enjoyment.

Long may we look upon the Sun uprising; O Anumati,

favour thou and bless us.’

 

Notice ‘Anumati’ there and the verbal root ‘an’ which

gives us the ‘breath’ in Atman.

 

Atman in the Rgveda is often translated as ‘spirit’

because of its basis in breath, and this brings us to

a crucial verse dedicated to the Sun, sUrya:

 

RV.115.1

citráM devaánaam úd agaad ániikaM cákSur mitrásya

váruNasyaagnéH aápraa | dyaávaapRthivií antárikSaM

suúrya aatmaá jágatas tasthúSash ca ||

 

‘The brilliant presence of the Gods hath risen, the

eye of Mitra, Varuna and Agni.

The soul(AtmA) of all that moveth not or moveth, the

Sun hath filled the air (AtmA) and earth and heaven.’

 

RV. VII. 101.6

sá retodhaá vRSabháH sháshvatiinaaM tásminn aatmaá

jágatas tasthúSash ca |

tán ma Rtám paatu shatáshaaradaaya yuuyám paata

svastíbhiH sádaa naH ||

 

‘He is the Bull of all, and their impregnator, he

holds the life (AtmA) of all things fixed and moving.

May this rite save me till my hundredth autumn.

Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.’

 

So this AtmA, in the Rigveda is both the universal and

the individual essence. If we jump forward to the

Upanishads we can find evidence for this non-dual AtmA

evolving into a reincarnating, individual Atman.

(Br.Up.IV.4.3, also have a look at Ch. Up. VIII.12.1,

especially if you have Shankara’s commentary which is

very interesting on this topic but will take us into

that other discussion arising from my second question

above.)

 

So I am left with the same question as I have had for

some time, ‘Did our Vedic ancestors have a concept of

the individual soul as we have inherited it from later

thought.?’ My gut-feeling is that they did not as they

were more of a communal society than we are today in

our urbanised communities. In these the individual

tries to take the universal power of life to achieve

personal goals rather than serve the universal.

'Self-empowerment' books fill the shelves of our

bookshops but they, alas, useful as they are for a

time result in an individual mAyA that is really a

false appearance, an upAdhi.

 

 

Ken Knight

 

‘From this Supreme Self are all these, indeed,

breathed forth.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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