June topic: mAyA in the Vedas: RV. VI. 47 / Prof. R l Kashyap

[Guest guest]

RV. VI.47.18

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.’

 

Namaste All,

In recent posts I have referred to the above stanza

which shows indra as having the power to appear as

many different forms, this power being his mAyA. Also

in discussing I.159 I brought in the concept of the

‘magician’ with the asvins being ‘mAyino’. This is a

useful concept when discussing mAyA in later advaitin

writings as you will know.

 

However last evening’s reading brought the following

which I thought that I should pass on. Professor R.L.

Kashyap has, I think, one of the best sites on the

Vedas although some may be put off by the background

of Sri Aurobindu writings which have their

individualistic interpretations:

 

www.veda.com/org/index

 

He has added several downloads since I last visited

and may I recommend that you visit the site. In his

introductory essay, page 933, he writes the following

in relation to RV VI. 47 which refutes any link

between this power of mAyA and magic.

He states:

‘The mAyA powers in fact have nothing to do with magic

or illusion.. They are his (Indra’s) creative

conscious powers through which he has set in motion

the countless life powers which we behold. These life

forces are imaged as his thousand horses, a failry

common image for life-forces. The Sanskrit word for

the four-footed animals, ashva, is derived from the

word ‘ash’ which denotes strength. Indra’s steeds are

not the animals needed for his transportation, but are

his life powers, and ratha, the chariot, indicates

movement.’

 

Again, I recommend his site as he is clearly more

grounded in this tradition than I am. We will hear

more about the ‘chariot’ when we look at the Rbhus.

 

Ken Knight

 

 

 

 

=====

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

advaitin, ken knight <anirvacaniya>

wrote:

> RV. VI.47.18

> 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.'

>

 

Namaste

 

There is another meaning for Indra. Instead of thinking of 'indra'

as the anthropomorphic king of the divines with mightiest powers and

the like, the esoteric meaning of 'indra' has to be taken into

account when we want to go to into the depth of the vedic

statements.

 

'idam drAvayati iti indraH' -- the one who pulverises this visible

everything.

 

This means that 'indra' stands for the Ultimate Supreme Reality. I

have many times heard my father say this in his expositions. Though

I do not propose that this is the meaning of 'indra' every time the

word occurs, I have a feeling that whenever we are at a dead end in

interpreting vedic statements, we have to take this into

consideration.

 

PraNAms to all students of Rg Veda

profvk

[Guest guest]

advaitin, ken knight <anirvacaniya> wrote:

> RV. VI.47.18

> ruupáM-ruupam prátiruupo babhuuva tád asya ruupám

> praticákSaNaaya |

>

> www.veda.com/org/index

 

 

Namaste,

 

The accurate URL is:

 

http://www.vedah.com/org/index.asp

 

This line also occurs in Katha upan. 2:2:9-10 , indicating the

immanence-transcendence of the spirit .

 

Also see: 2:9:12 ekaM bIjaM bahudhA yaH karoti [the one, who makes

his one form manifold].

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

advaitin, ken knight <anirvacaniya> wrote:

> RV. VI.47.18

> 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.'

> In his

> introductory essay, page 933, he writes the following

> in relation to RV VI. 47 which refutes any link

> between this power of mAyA and magic.

 

Namaste Ken-ji,

 

It would be interesting know Prof. Kashyap's commentary on Rig

Veda 3:53:8.

 

 

http://www.srivaishnava.org/scripts/veda/rv/rvtop.htm (Wilson/Sayana)

 

3.053.08 Maghavan becomes repeatedly (manifest) in various forms,

practising delusions with respect to his own peculiar person; and

invoked by his appropriate prayers, he comes in a moment from heaven

to the three (daily rites), and, although observant of seasons, is

the drinker (of the Soma) irrespective of season.

 

 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv03053.htm (Griffith)

 

8 Maghavan weareth every shape at pleasure, effecting magic changes

in his body, Holy One, drinker out of season, coming thrice, in a

moment, through fit prayers, from heaven.

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

ken knight <anirvacaniya> wrote:

> > RV. VI.47.18

> > ruupáM-ruupam prátiruupo babhuuva tád asya ruupám

> > praticákSaNaaya |

 

Sunderji responds

 

This line also occurs in Katha upan. 2:2:9-10 , indicating the

> immanence-transcendence of the spirit .

>

> Also see: 2:9:12 ekaM bIjaM bahudhA yaH karoti [the one, who

makes

> his one form manifold].

 

Here is one more along the same lines ...

 

 

'One fire burns in many ways: one sun illumines the universe; one

divine dispels all darkness. He alone has revealed himself in all

these forms.'

eka evAgnir bahudhA samiddha

ekaH sUryo visvam anu prabhUtaH |

ekaivoShAH sarvam idaM vibhAty

ekaM vaidam vi babhUva sarvam || Rhg Veda VIII. 58.

 

Hari Aum!

[Guest guest]

--- Sunder Hattangadi <sunderh wrote:

> It would be interesting know Prof. Kashyap's

> commentary on Rig

> Veda 3:53:8.

 

Namaste Sunder-ji

Sorry about mis-typing.

I will e-mail Prof. Kashyap and ask him. He answered

an e-mail a year ago but a later one did not a reply

so we have a 50/50 chance....nb to statiticians.....I

know that that is not true but it was a way of ending

the sentence.

 

Ken Knight

 

=====

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

 

 

 

 

 

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