Solar eclipse in Rig Veda

[Guest guest]

Dear List,

 

The five shlokas, 5-9, in the 5th Mandala, 40th Sukta, of the Rig Veda refer to

solar eclipse. These shlokas tell how Atri discovered the Sun through his

Turiya Yantra (Turiyena Brahmana), when the Sun was enshrouded by Svarbhanu.

Svarbhanu (Rahu) is illusion or maya belonging to asura races, who kept the Sun

concealed. When the Sun was thus concealed, the three worlds became

incapacitated and dumb. Atri, worshipped the gods and then through his Turiyena

Brahmana and mantras, placed the eye of the Sun in the sky by dispelling the

darkness/illusions of Svarbhanu. The Sun told Atri, that only he and Varuna

were his friends. No one, not even Indra, could rescue the Sun from Svarbhanu,

save Atri.

 

yatva surya svarbhanustamasavidhyadasura

achetravidhyatha mugdho bhuvananyadidhayu (5)

 

svarbhanoradha yadindra maya avo divo vartamana avahana

gaham suryam tamasapabratena turiyena brahmanabindadatri (6)

 

ma mamimam tava santamatra irasya dugdho bhiyasa ni garit

tvam mitrl asi satyaradhastau mehavatam varunashcha raja (7)

 

grano brahma yuyujana saparyana kirina devannamasopashichan

atri suryasya dibi chaturadhatsvarbhanorapa maya aghukshat (8)

 

yam vai surya svarbhanustamasavidhyadasura

atrayastananvavindannajhanye ashaknuvan (9)

 

Best regards,

 

Sarbani

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Sarbani, for your comments and sending these excellent

Shlokas from the Rig Veda.

 

I humbly submit this for your consideration:

 

One coded meaning in these shlokas occurs to me. Turiya is the

fourth state of spiritual consciousness (beyond waking, dreaming, and

deep sleep) attained through meditation. (In the shlokas Atri

worships God and uses Turiya Yantra and mantras). Atri is the great

sage, and only he could rescue the Sun. Atri also means "the eater

or the traveller". The consciousness (chit) is known to be the

consumer or eater or experiences, through the fire of perception. So

the hidden meaning seems to be that only the wise yogi (Atri), with

attention fixed in the third eye (Sun in sky), has the power to

destroy darkness (Asura Svarbhanu or Rahu), and thus allow the soul

(the Sun) to shine once more in spiritual realization of Self. The

Sun's (soul's) friends are Atri and Varuna.

 

According to Sri Paramahansa Yogananda in his Bhagavad Gita

commentary (God Talks With Arjuna The Bhagavad Gita, pub. by SRF,

1995) on sloka X:30:

 

"Varuna, "all-encompassing", is the diety of the ocean -- the oceanic

cosmic consciousness of God."

 

and in commentary on sloka X:31 he says:

 

"Makara is a mythical sea creature, the vehicle of Varuna, 'God of

the ocean'. Marara is sometimes referred to as a shark, the

undisputed mightiest of fishes. This mythical creature is the emblem

on the standard of Kamadeva, 'desire', showing desire's deference to

this higher power. The spiritual significance is that the presence

of God, inherent in man's consciousness, becomes active in the ocean

of samadhi consciousness as a divine predator devouring all little

fishes of the devotee's earthly desires."

 

Of course all this is available thorugh the blessings of Sat Guru.

 

Hare Rama Krishna

 

 

, "Sarbani Sarkar" <sarbani@s...>

wrote:

> Dear List,

>

> The five shlokas, 5-9, in the 5th Mandala, 40th Sukta, of the Rig

Veda refer

> to solar eclipse. These shlokas tell how Atri discovered the Sun

through his

> Turiya Yantra (Turiyena Brahmana), when the Sun was enshrouded by

Svarbhanu.

> Svarbhanu (Rahu) is illusion or maya belonging to asura races, who

kept the

> Sun concealed. When the Sun was thus concealed, the three worlds

became

> incapacitated and dumb. Atri, worshipped the gods and then through

his

> Turiyena Brahmana and mantras, placed the eye of the Sun in the sky

by

> dispelling the darkness/illusions of Svarbhanu. The Sun told Atri,

that only

> he and Varuna were his friends. No one, not even Indra, could

rescue the Sun

> from Svarbhanu, save Atri.

>

> yatva surya svarbhanustamasavidhyadasura

> achetravidhyatha mugdho bhuvananyadidhayu (5)

>

> svarbhanoradha yadindra maya avo divo vartamana avahana

> gaham suryam tamasapabratena turiyena brahmanabindadatri (6)

>

> ma mamimam tava santamatra irasya dugdho bhiyasa ni garit

> tvam mitrl asi satyaradhastau mehavatam varunashcha raja (7)

>

> grano brahma yuyujana saparyana kirina devannamasopashichan

> atri suryasya dibi chaturadhatsvarbhanorapa maya aghukshat (8)

>

> yam vai surya svarbhanustamasavidhyadasura

> atrayastananvavindannajhanye ashaknuvan (9)

>

> Best regards,

>

> Sarbani