June topic: mAyA in the Vedas: RV. VI. 47

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Namaste All,

Again, sorry about the length but this is like trying

to stop a runaway train. Also apologies because this

post gets a bit 'preachy' mid-way through but it

appeared that way when I sat down to write so I have

left it unabridged. These posts are no longer

pre-written but being written 'on the hoof' between

the usual daily activities:

 

RV. VI. 47

 

Rshi: Garga

Deity: Soma. Indra. BRhaspati.

Metre: TrishTup, 19 BRhatI, 23 anushTup, 34

gAyatrI, 25 DvipadA, 27 jagatI

 

We now move from the most infrequently quoted hymn,

RV.X.177, to the most frequently quoted on the subject

of mAyA:

RV. VI.47, in particular stanza 18:

 

ruupáM-ruupam prátiruupo babhuuva tád asya ruupám

praticákSaNaaya |

índro maayaábhiH pururuúpa iiyate yuktaá hy àsya

hárayaH shataá dásha ||

 

‘In every figure he hath been the mode: this is his

only form for us to look on.

Indra moves multiform by his illusions; for his Bay

Steeds are yoked, ten times a hundred.’

 

This is Griffith’s translation and does he mean by

translating mAyAbhiH that this is Indra’s

deceitfulness?

If so he is sublating, a good advaitin word that, a

snake onto a rope.

In stanza 15 we read kRNóti puúrvam áparaM sháciibhiH

‘With power, he makes the last precede, the foremost

follow.’ And this hymn is all about power, mighty

force.

The power to appear in many forms, ten times a

hundred, from the first to the last, the supreme to

the least. Indra himself represents such power.

Wilson comments on stanza 18 that ‘Indra presents

himself as Agni, Vishnu or Rudra or any other deity

who is the actual object of worship, and is really the

deity to be adored: He is identifiable with each.

Indra is also here identified with parameSvara, the

supreme first cause that appears as many through the

emanation.

 

Therefore this is a simple example of mAyA being used

to indicate that power of the One to become many while

remaining undiminished by addition or subtraction.

 

Maybe it is at this point we should introduce the

verbal root of mAyA as mA: to measure out. There is a

certain lady, a group member who is not to be

forgotten, out there with ‘her two little gems’, who

is probably jumping up and down impelling me to point

out that mAyA, as wisdom, skill etc is a feminine noun

whereas mAya, which means the ‘measuring out’ is

masculine, feminine and neuter, grammatically that is.

 

This is not merely stated to excite ‘that lady’ for

there is another very important hymn RV.I.159 in which

we find the following:

 

2. utá manye pitúr adrúho máno maatúr máhi svátavas

tád dháviimabhiH |

surétasaa pitáraa bhuúma cakratur urú prajaáyaa

amR'taM váriimabhiH ||

 

‘With invocations, on the gracious Father's mind, and

on the Mother's great inherent power I muse.

Prolific Parents, they have made the world of life,

and for their brood all round wide immortality.’

 

Mother and Father together hold and manifest the

power. You need two pieces of wood in the ritual in

order to produce the flame. Fire is waiting in both to

leap forth from their union.

 

This measuring is in accordance with Rta………see first

stanza of RV I.159, ‘the wise, the Strengtheners of

Law.’……………… but Rta is the substratum as the

controlling power, it does not do the measuring.

 

That action is for the powers known as ‘the gods’. To

measure means that we have to establish a beginning, a

middle and an end. This has an element of reality, as

much as the piece of rope previously seen as a snake,

but the ‘ropeness’ of the rope is the superior Reality

controlling the forms of all ropes.

 

This hymn is dedicated to the Asvins and centres upon

the skill and artistry in their measuring out of the

‘creation/emanation’ into its many forms. This

artistry is mAyA and is a function of the ‘gods’ who

even themselves take on many forms while remaining

one, their essential truth, satyaM.

 

té suunávaH svápasaH sudáMsaso mahií jajñur maatáraa

puurvácittaye |

sthaatúsh ca satyáM jágatash ca dhármaNi putrásya

paathaH padám ádvayaavinaH ||

 

‘These Sons of yours well skilled in work, of wondrous

power, brought forth to life the two great Mothers

first of all.

To keep the truth (satyaM) of all that stands and all

that moves, ye guard the station of your Son who knows

no guile.’

 

té maayíno mamire suprácetaso jaamií sáyonii mithunaá

sámokasaa |

návyaM-navyaM tántum aá tanvate diví samudré antáH

kaváyaH sudiitáyaH ||

 

‘They with surpassing skill, most wise, have measured

out the Twins united in their birth and in their home.

They, the refulgent Sages, weave within the sky, yea,

in the depths of sea, a web for ever new.’

 

Note that last word of the first stanza which is

translated as ‘know no guile’, ádvayaavinaH.

Do you recognise the a-dva at the beginning? The ‘son’

stands firm, protected, in the truth, satyaM, of

‘not-twoness’ while in the presence of those which

‘stand’ and those which ‘move’.

Here also is the use of the image of the spider’s web,

well known to Vedantins.

Notice how it is ‘ever new’. Everything changes from

one millisecond to the next. Why then do we delude

ourselves by trying to fix it and control it? That is

a fruitless attempt to impose our idea of unity on

diversity while ignoring the substratum of Unity that

is already there.

 

That latter is the deceitful art of delusion, not the

artistry of mAyA. With this desire to fix and control

comes duality and the pleasure/pain cycle. Hence we

find it necessary to send out our pleas for help when

we find ourselves, still under delusion, under attack.

We here send our plea to the asvins for their help.

Really though it is all just the controlling power of

Rta, beyond the relative distinctions of good and bad,

pervading all.

 

In this hymn we discover where the ‘magical power ‘of

mAyA is stated, for the Twins are called magicians,

mAyino. Are magicians deluded by their skills? They

display their artistry for the amusement of themselves

and their audience but they are never fooled. Some in

the audience (why aren’t they called the vidience)

will want to know how the trick is done and some will

just enjoy it and some will marvel at the artistry of

the magicians.

 

As the Incredible String Band sang back in the 1970’s:

’Maya, Maya. All this world’s but a play. Be thou the

joyful player.’ [some may like to look up their lyrics

on the Net and wonder at the insights that were flying

(pataMga) around at that time.]

 

There is a glorious hymn to Varuna in which the singer

begins by proclaiming: ‘Sing forth a hymn sublime and

solemn’….’Set intellect in hearts, fire in waters,

sUrya in heaven and soma on the mountain.’ Then the

Rishi declares:

 

 

imaám uu Sv aaaàsurásya shrutásya mahiím maayaáM

váruNasya prá vocam |

maáneneva tasthivaáM+ antárikSe ví yó mamé

pRthiviíM suúryeNa ||

 

‘I will declare this mighty deed of magic, of glorious

Varuna the Lord Immortal,

Who standing in the firmament hath meted the earth out

with the Sun as with a measure.’

 

These hymns are great, are they not, or am I deluding

myself?'

 

 

 

‘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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