Vasu, Rudra & Aditya (part -11)

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SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

So the repayment has to be done.

 

But how?

 

The departed ones are in their loka. Their days and nights and surroundings

are different. How are they to receive what we offer?

 

The all compassionate Bhagavan has all the ways and means meticulously made

for this purpose.

 

This is Him. In Him we live. In Him we do karma. In Him we create our karma

and in Him we destroy those karma. In Him we make the repayment too.

 

His wonderful system of 3 has this aspect also to facilitate this repayment.

 

 

He has created devathas at all levels and for this purpose too…

(Brihadaranyaka -Chapter IX—Yajnavalkya and Vidaghdha)

 

1

 

Then Vidaghdha, the son of Sakala, asked him: "How many gods are there,

Yajnavalkya?"

Yajnavalkya ascertained the number through the group of mantras known as the

Nivid and said:

"As many as are mentioned in the Nivid of the Visve—devas—three hundred and

three and three

thousand and three."

"Very good," said Sakalya (the son of Sakala) and asked again:

"How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"

"Thirty—three."

"Very good," said Sakalya and asked again:

"How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"

"Six."

"Very good," said Sakalya and asked again:

"How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"

"Three."

"Very good," said Sakalya and asked again:

"How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"

"Two."

"Very good," said Sakalya and asked again:

"How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"

"One and a half."

"Very good," said Sakalya and asked again:

"How many gods are there, Yajnavalkya?"

"One."

"Very good," said Sakalya and asked:

"Which are those three hundred and three and those three thousand and

three?"

 

2

 

Yajnavalkya said: "There are only thirty—three gods. These others are but

manifestations of them."

"Which are these thirty—three?"

"The eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras and the twelve Adityas—these are

thirty—one. And Indra and

Prajapati make up the thirty—three."

 

3

 

"Which are the Vasus?" asked Sakalya.

"Fire, the earth, the air, the sky, the sun, heaven, the moon and the

stars—these are the Vasus; for in

them all this universe is placed (vasavah). Therefore they are called Vasus.

 

4

 

"Which are the Rudras?" asked Sakalya.

"The ten organs in the human body, with the mind as the eleventh. When they

depart from this

mortal body, they make one's relatives weep. Because they make them weep

(rud), therefore they

are called Rudras.

 

5

 

"Which are the Adityas?" asked Sakalya.

"There are twelve months in the year. These are the Adityas, because they

move along carrying

(adadanah) all this with them; therefore they are called Adityas."

 

(end quote)--------------------

 

They are the three devas belonging to Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah, namely the

Vasu, Rudra and Aditya who are the presiding figures for Agni (speech etc),

Water (Mind) and Earth or Food (Prana)

 

This is substantiated by the following verses from Chandogya.

 

------------------(begin quote)-------------------

Chapter VI — Meditation on the Vasus

 

1

 

On the first of these nectars the Vasus live, with Agni (fire) at their

head. Truly, the gods do not eat or drink. They are satisfied by merely

looking at the nectar.

 

2

 

They retire into that red colour and rise up from that colour.

 

3

 

He who thus knows this nectar becomes one of the Vasus, with Agni (fire) at

their head; he is satisfied by merely looking at the nectar. He retires into

that red colour and again rises up from that colour.

 

4

 

As long as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so long does he,

like the Vasus, enjoy rulership and sovereignty.

Chapter VII — Meditation on the Rudras

 

1

 

On the second of these nectars the Rudras live, with Indra at their head.

Truly, the gods do not eat or drink. They are satisfied by merely looking at

the nectar.

 

2

 

They retire into that white colour and rise up from that colour.

 

3

 

He who thus knows this nectar becomes one of the Rudras, with Indra at their

head; he is satisfied by merely looking at the nectar. He retires into that

white colour and again rises up from that colour.

 

4

As long as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, twice as long

does it rise in the south and set in the north and just so long does he,

like the Rudras, enjoy rulership and sovereignty Chapter VIII — Meditation

on the Adityas

 

1

 

On the third of these nectars the Adityas live, with Varuna at their head.

Truly, the gods do not eat or drink. They are satisfied by merely looking at

the nectar.

 

2

 

They retire into that dark colour and rise up from that colour.

 

3

 

He who thus knows this nectar becomes one of the Adityas, with Varuna at

their head; he is satisfied by merely looking at the nectar. He returns into

that dark colour and again rises up from that colour.

 

4

 

As long as the sun rises in the south and sets in the north, twice as long

does it rise in the west and set in the east and just so long does he, like

the Adityas, enjoy rulership and sovereignty.

 

----------------------(end quote)------------------------------

 

Two clues emerge from these verses.

 

The most obvious one is that they take that which is of their Nature as

denoted by the colour (red, white and dark). Here comes the relevance of

using Thilam (eLLu) in tarpaNam.

 

The next less obvious one is the duration that they have to be propitiated.

 

And an additional information on these three deities is their connection

with three generations of pithrus and not with just one's own parents.

 

>From tarpaNAm manthras we understand another alignment of these deities.

 

The first generation (parents ) are in Vasu rupam, the Agni tattwa.

 

The second generation (grand parents) are in Rudra rupam. (water tattwa)

 

The third generation (great grand parents) are in Aditya rupam. (Earth

tattwa)

 

This means, we draw our physical nature (of coarsest variety as told by

Upanishads quoted before) from our parents. The resemblance to parents is

because of this.

 

We draw our medium elements, the elements of the fluids in our body from our

grand parents. Medically too it has been seen that even if a person is not

afflicted with heart disease and high blood pressure and if his father has

had it, there is a strong likelihood that his son will get afflicted with

this problem to the vital level (Water element). Thus the strength or

weakness or whatever of the fluid level is inherited from the grand parents.

 

 

We draw the subtlest elements of Earth (Food or prana) from Great grand

parents. This can be characterized as the mental faculties. In my quarter

century experience in combined palm reading and horoscope reading, I have

come across un-assailable evidence for mental disorders traced to mistakes

or rather crimes committed by great grand parents! Whatever we think or do,

not only affects us, it affects our progeny as well. The one knowing

astrology and seeing living examples will vouchsafe this!

 

If one wishes to safe guard oneself from afflictions to the three levels,

physical, vital and mental, the one and only medicine is to do pithru karma

in all earnest.

 

For the time being, let us concentrate on the relevance of eLLu in this

context.

 

(To be continued)

 

Regards,