Mithra, varuna, devas, aditi, rivers, earth and
heaven, all grant the wish
Continued from part 2Concluding part.
Mandala -5
5-41-5: This richa mentions of sun eclipse by Rahu.
5-42-17: This richa is one liner mantra for obtaining
abundant & ceaseless happiness.[Urao
deva anibadhey syam]. उरो देवा अनिबाधे स्याम
5-43-full: Entire richa is invitation mantra for various deities, pleading them to come to the venue of ygna and accept libation and offering. This can be used in day to day puja also.
5-44-6; This richa mentions the scientific fact that earth
is enveloped by water vapor and gases. So here again modern science seems drawing
from vedic knowledge.
5-51-11 to 15: Swasti Mantras.
5-52-17:First time the river Yamuna is mentioned in Rig in
this richa.
5-61-19:First time the river Gomati is mentioned in Rig in
this richa.
5-78-5 to 9: These five richa are for safe child birth and can be
recited when pregnant women is in labour.
5-80-5: This richa is very unusual in the sense that it uses
the simile to describe the ‘Usha’- goddess of dawn- as a very fair and young
lady coming out of water after bath! This reminds me of Ursula Anderson’s scene
in a famous Bond movie.
5-82-full: Entire sukta is very potent stuti of Savita and can
be used to remove poverty, gain riches & ultimate wisdom.
5-85-7&8: Prayer of Varuna for forgiveness and wiping all sins
done by us, knowingly or un-knowingly, like resorting to unfair means in
gambling, cheating, hurting near and dear ones and immediate neighbor.
Mandala -6
6-5-7: Beautiful Stuti of agni for wish fulfillment, having
great off springs and hoards of wealth.
6-9-3: Richa says ‘Vaishwaner’- a form of fire resides not
only in every heart but manifest everywhere in universe and keeps creating and
destroying various life forms, suggesting that is main source of life and
evaluation. {observation- Agni (fire)
has many forms in Rig, based on the place it burns- vaishwaner is the fire
which burns in every heart. A burning essentially consumes oxygen and produces
carbon dioxide and energy. Similar chemical reaction happens in heart proving
some form of fire is burning in every heart. This was the fact known to sages
and suggests that they knew the function of the heart and what it’s inhales and
exhales.}
6-20-1: This richa is mantra for obtaining victorious, wise
and extremely successful son.
6-21-10: This richa confirms that in earlier days, Non-Aryans
were converted in to Aryans. This richa is in fact a prayer to Indra to convert
non-Aryans (dasa- to be precise) to Aryans.
6-25-4: This richa explains the chief reasons of war simply as - fertile land, source of
irrigation (water), sons and offspring (populace) and cows (wealth and
livestock, or women). Even to this date humans go to war for these very
reasons!
6-28-full: Entire sukta is in the praise of cows. It’s prayer of
Cows. They have been prayed as goddess, Indra, Surya etc. Sages request for
peace, health and wealth.
6-45-31: This is first time River Ganga appears in Rig. It’s
intriguing to note that took a while for Ganga to be mentioned in Rig.
6-46-7: This is very beautiful richa as its wishes and prays
Indra for the unity of the society and the nation and seeking the prosperity
that the unity would bring in.
6-47-1 to 5: In the praise of Som.
6-53-3: This richa is very uncommon in the sense that it
prays to Pusha Dev to teach some kindness to the businessmen and trader
community and exhort them to donate for the social causes, indicating that even
8500 years ego our country’s businessmen were miser and seldom came forward for
charity/CSR.
Mandala -7
7-13-2 : Mantra for removing/curing curses- ‘shraap’
7-15-13: Mantra for destroying enemies and preventing
distress.
7-33-11,12,13: Richa says that Rishi Vashishtha was the son of
Urvashi and Mitra-Varuna and his birth place was Pushkar (Rajasthan).
7-35-1 to 13: Shanti Stotra. These 13 richas of 2 stanzas each
prays to almost all known rigvedic gods and physical features like mountains,
woods, rocks, rivers, seas for peace and prosperity.
7-41-2 to 6 : ‘Bhag’ Sukta – Stuti of Bhag.
7-48-2: Mention of ground water, obtained by boring
7-55-full: This sukta is for bringing sleep to all. Sleep to men,
women and domestic dogs. Perhaps this is the first sukta wherein Dog and Pigs
have been mentioned. Though ‘vastospati’ is the deity of this sukta, the
description in second richa gives impression that his appearance/behavior is
like dog. Richa 3rd and 4th clearly refers to some canine
and cajole him to sleep or go after thieves and dacoits. Another fact emerges
that this sukta tries to allay the fears of being robbed, attacked, or killed
in night by hidden enemies.
7-56, 7-57, 7-58: ‘Marut’ Sukta. All these three sukta are stuti of
Marud-gana.
7-59-12: Maha Mrityunjay
Mantra.
7-60-12 & 7-61-7 : Prayer of Mitra-varuna for
removing all distress. It can also be used as stuti of devi Durga.
7-66-16: Surya Stuti for a centenarian life.
7-83-Full: This entire
sukta of 10 richas can be invoked at the time of going into war. The deity of
this sukta is ‘indra-varuna’. All richas of this sukta prays to indra-varuna
for protection, support and thereby victory in the war. This suka also mention
the ‘das ragya’ battle, in which 10 kings fought with King Sudas who was
supported by Indra-Varuna hence was able to defeat the combined forces of 10
kings. I call this Sukta as ‘yudhopnishad’.
7-86-06: Sage Vashishtha spells out the various ways by which
man can commit sins, which includes anger, misunderstanding, confusion and
gambling. This also involves involuntary
acts of ignorance and even some time God’s will (destiny or predisposition) can
also put a man on to wrong path.
7-89-full: Prayer to Varun for forgiveness for all omission and
commissions in adhering to rituals and other duties.
7-99-Full & 100-Full: These 2 suktas of 7 richas each
are stuti of Vishnu and gives some detail of his immense power. Sage says, man
can know about earth and space, but it’s only He who knows the ‘parma- loka’.
He is said to be the omnipresent and the one who holds the universe in its
place. These are the aspects of Vishnu which later got explained and emphasized
in great details in Purans.
7-101-full & 102 Full: ‘ Parjanya’(Rain God) Stuti’. Can
be used for enticing rain.
7-103-full: Stuti of Frog. Perhaps the most unconventional richa
of Rig so far.
{Observation - Sukta 101 to 103 are in praise of rain god "Parjanya", it also mentions frog as a deity- his direct connection with rain.. perhaps this is the source of traditional frog-weeding ritual performed in rural India for enticing rain, and it works!}
7-104-9: Richa for protection from those who are in the
position of power and conspiring against us out of sheer jealousy. Indra and
Soma are collectively requested to throw them before venomous snake and into
the lap of god of sins.
7-104-full: Entire sukta is plea to Indra and Soma for destroying
the Rakshashas (Evil/Demons) by all means.
Mandala -8
8-18-13 &14: Richa for protection from and destroying the jealous
enemy. It says ‘He, who wants to kill us because of jealousy, should get
destroyed by his own deeds alone and we remain protected. We never come across
such men’.
8-26-21 &; 22: ‘Vayu’ is described as son-in-law of ‘Brahma’
(Twashta).
8-27-07: This richa decodes the rituals of inviting gods in
Ygna: by stoking the fire, and enriching it with Soma, putting the oblation in
place and cutting/trimming and spreading the sacred grass- kush.
8-27-13: Dev stuti for
wish fulfillment, wealth and peace.
8-28-05: The wishes of gods (deva) are
suprime. So happens as they wish. No demon and no men can change that.
.
8-31-full: Entire sukta is in praise of married
life and ygna performed by couple as their duty. It praises the couple who
wishes to perform ygna for pleasing the God. Donning golden shining jewellery
and clad in beautiful attires, flanked by their daughters and sons and,
performing all the rituals of ygna, such couples are the bedrock and building
block of society and society exists
because of such couples. They gain all the grants of Gods and wealth and
fortune. They get long life. In last 4 richas it professes that the couples who
perfrom ygna never perishes, the couple who does puja of Devas continuously
prosper and remains rich. Incidently it also explicitly mentions or rather exhorts
to perform sex as couple (r-9) for procreation and immortality and as a means of fulfilling wishes of god,
the creator.
In my opinion, the brahman(purohit)
conducting any ygna or Puja must recite and bless the yjaman couple by last 4
richas (15-18) of this sukta.
8-56-12: Plea to Aditi for granting sinless
long life for self and progeny and for protection from the others envy.
8-56-Full:This entire sukta is prayer of
Aadityas for getting freed from all sins, bondages, limitations and reincarnation.
8-91-02: This richa is
noteworthy because of two facts one- that it is compiled by a woman sage (Apala)
and second it offers Som to Indra which has been obtained by crushing the soma
vine by teeth… (Thou
roaming yonder, little man, beholding every house in turn,
Drink thou this Soma
pressed with teeth, accompanied with grain
and curds, with cake of meal and
song of praise.-
Griffith’s translation of Rig)
8-91-04: In this richa sage Apala says that
she has been abandoned by her husband and now wish to befriend with Indra.
Mandala -9
Entire 9th mandala,
comprising 114 sutkas, is dedicated to ‘Pavaman Soma’
9-10-8: Som is the navel (center) of the
ygya. May I hold this som in my navel too. This way I complete the ygya.
9-18-1 & 9-23-7: Som is intoxicant and chief among
all intoxicants.
7. When he had drunken
draughts of this, Indra smote down resistless foes:
Yea, smote them, and
shall smite them still. – Griffith’s translation of Rig.
9-33-6
: This richa mentions another
physical fact that there are four oceans on this earth.
9-67-27 : Mantra for all round purification. -
Purify me, ye General Gods; O Jatavedas, make me pure.
– Griffith’s Translation
9-67-31 & 32 : Two richas exemplifying the
importance of Sukta 67, which has been compiled by a group of sages. It says
that this sukta 67 is the sum and necter of the vedas and those who recites
this happens to eat such food/grain which is devoid of all sin and which is
already purified by wind god ‘Vayu’.
9-83-01 : Those can not drink and digest the
unbriddled energy of Som who hasn’t purified his mind and body by doing
highest penance and ‘tapa’.
9-91-02 : The sage of this richa is
‘Marich-Kashyap’,i.e Marich,of Kashyap clan. He mentions in this richa that this
stuti is offered to Som by ‘offsprings of Nahush’. This proves the historical
existence of Nahush, who had built the famous arc to save one pair of all the
species during the great deluge. (in
abrahamical religion he is referred as Noah).
9-91-06 : First mention of agricultural
field. This richa appeals to Soma to do
good to fields and seeks his blessings for good yeald.
9-92-04 : Total count of Devas as per Rig is 33
(trya-ekadash; three multiplied by eleven)- which later seems to be exaggerated to 33 crores, and seven
secred rivers.
9-96-05
: Som is said to be the progenitor of all devas; Vishnu,
Indra, Ea rth, Fire and Sun.
9-96-22 : Love-cheats existed even then. The
simile used in this richa mentions flowing Som in the pot as cheats goes to
his friend’s wife.
9-97-38 : There were paid employees even then.
In this richa sage uses the simile that Soma should give him money in the
manner as employees are paid. Same simile is repeated in 9-103-1
9-112-02 : This richa lists the materials used
in making arrow. The head of arrow was made of sharp white stone, body was made
of wood.
9-113-07 to 11 : Very emotional yet intelligent appeal
sage makes to Som to transport him to such worlds where resides all the light,
wisdom, peace, happiness, health and wishes to become immortal in such world.
Som is also referred as ‘Amrit' - (immortality nectar) at many places.
Mandala -10
10-5-7 : Before the universe was created,
there was God existing in form of invisible fire (agni) as (avyakta). After the
universe is created he became ‘satt’ and menifest as visible fire. Fire is the
first born and is both male and female at the same time.
10-1 to 10-8 : These eight suktas seems to be aimed at revoking agni for
esnuring win in ensuing war as last 2 richas of the eighth sukta explains that
after doing the ygna sage ‘Trit’, compiler of these 8 suktas, pickedup the arms of his father and went to
war and secured the win over his enemy.
10-9-8 & 9: Mantras for bathing. This invokes water god to remove all the
sins and wrongdoing while we pour it on our head, we enter into pond/river.
10-10-Full : This is very unsual Sukta with very
explicit sexual contents.This entire sukta is a conversation between Yama and
his twin sister Yami, children of Surya or Vivaswan (Sun) and Sarnyu. Here Yami
wants to have sex with her twin brother and pleads with him which Yama refutes
vigorously and succeeds in dissuading Yami and makes her leave him alone and
find another man for fulfillment of her sexual desires. Four richas of these
sukta 2,3,8 & 10 are noteworthy. R-2: clarifies that spies of supreme God
eyes each and every corner of universe, day and night and each creature and every
act of one is recorded and reported, establishing the fact that the Yama has
been entrusted with the task of keeping
the record of the acts of humans and accordingly award rewards/punishments after death. R-3: Yami
proclaims that Deva’s like them are above human morality and can happily engage
in such incestuous relationships, though this is strongly refuted by Yama in
next richa. R-8: Yama repeats the same fact that God has eyes everywhere and
nothing can be hidden from Him. R-10: Yama prophesies that time will come in
future when brother and sister would engage in sexual act, shunning all
morality.
10 -14,15,16,18 & 56: These
suktas are complete Hindu ‘Karmakanda' - (Birth, Marriage, Death and other rituals); richas to be recited while cremation of
dead and afterwards and for worshipping the dead forefathers.
10-14-Full : This is very important sukta that
for the first time in Rig, it mentions of the list rites, the dead, the
cremation ground, the corpse, Yama and his four-eyed dogs who protects the the
dead, the path on which the spirits goes after death and the duty of Yama, the
knower of each every deed, good or bad, of every creature to award the
afterlife according to the deeds. It also mentions the ‘Pitars’ (the dead
forefathers) and how one unites with the forefathers after death. It also
mentions that Yama is the giver, taker and controller of ‘Aayu’ (age or
lifespan). This also mentions that South is the direction which belong to the
Pitras and it’s from this direction that they come. To this date Hindus follows
this. (fact repeated in 10-17-9). These richas codifies and forms the foundation of Hindu ‘KarmaKanda’
10-15-Full : This again is description of ‘KarmaKanda’. This sukta is for the reverance of
‘Pitars’. To this date Hidus do ‘Pitra-Tarpan’ or ‘Pinda-Daan’ once a year
remembering and worshipping the dead
forefathers. This entire sukta is meant for ‘Pitra-Tarpan’. It also
clarifies the preferred mode of last rite i.e cremation – burning the corpse in
fire. It clarifies that offers to Pitars to be made with ‘Swadha’. ( not ‘Swaha’)
10-16-Full : This again is description of ‘KarmaKanda’. This sukta describes the act of
cremation and shuld be recited while the corpse is put on pyre and burning. It
prayes agni to liberate the dead, prayes to Yama to give better after life to
the dead. It mentions the indistructable, immortal part of corpse, ‘the Atma - Soul’,
which belongs to the agni and seeks its reincarnation. This postulates that
eyes of dead should go to Sun and the breath the Vayu, the Atma (solul) to Space and
rest of the body should go the flora and vegetation. It also pleads with agni
(fire) to burn the corpse with elan and
ease so as to cause little or no pain to the dead body.
10-18-4 & 5 : These two richas are mantra for
protection from accidental death.
10-17-01&02 : These two richas describes the
marriage of Saranyu with Sun and also that she could not bear the aura and heat
of Sun and hid among human population as a mare and gave birth to twin brother
Ashwinis, the Horse headed Devas of physics, medicine and engineering and most
intimate friends of Indra.
10-18-08 : This richa very explicitly exhorts
and request the wife of dead man to come to senses and go home to look after the
offspring and her husbands home/property as by marrying and giving birth to offspring
she has fulfilled the duty of a wife, now she should leave the place of the
dead and go home. This is strong refutal to medieval hindu ‘Sati’ system.
10-20-01 : Mantra
of Agni for purifying the mind
10-22-11
: Mantra of Indra for fulfilling all desires
10-24-06
: Mantra of Ashwinis for happy and safe travel and return
10-34-full : This is another unusal sukta. The
lord of this sukta is a board game which was played with dices and was
primarily used for gambling. It describes the devastating effects of gambling
on the life of gambler. The richas of this sukta dipcts the nature, actions, frame of mind
and predicament of a gambler so vividly that it’s amazing to note that as a
race, we humans have not much changed in some of social aspects even after 8000
years!
10-34-03 : This richa very clearly mentions that
wife of gamblers soon leaves him, his mother-in-law deplores him, no one
respects a gambler and no one gives any thing to him even when he is in need.
10-36-14
: Surya Mantra for obtaining long life
10-40-Full : This entire sukta, compiled by a
female sage Ghosa, comprising 14 richas are very heart rendering praise of
Ashwinis, asking them to grant a very
happy marital life, full of marital bliss and love. Ghosha compiled this sukta
when she was about to be married off and her groom had arrived at her door.
10-48-09 : Indra himself is the compiler of
this sukta (10-48). In this sukta he is referred as ‘Vaikuntha Indra’ (Vaikuntha
is the abode of lord Vishnu). In this sukta Indra speaks of himself and in this
richa he clarifies he makes his worshippers worshipped by others, the same
thing later lord Vishnu proclaims in later scriptures.
10-59-full : Sukta for expelling death and obtaining
very long life. Richa 4,5,6,7 & 8 are most important.
10-60-04 :
This the first time King ‘Ikshwaku’ is mentioned in this richa. Note that as
per purana Ikshwaku was the founder of Ikshwaku clan, in which King
Raghu and later Lord Rama took birth.
10-60-12
: Stuti for hand/Palm
10-62-Full : Swasti Stuti. Invocation of all gods,
invitation and prayers for wellbeing.
10-71-Full : The deity of this Sukta is
‘Knowledge’ (‘Gyan’) itself. Knowledge is praised in this sukta.
10-71-02 :This
is the first time in the Rig that goddes ‘Laxmi’ has been mentioned about.
10-72-Full: This sukta explains the chronology of
creation of universe, gods all things. This sukta forms the basis all creation
stories and principles in hindu religion.
10-75-Full : This sukta is a prayer of all rivers.
All the major revers of North India, Afganistan and Pakistan are deities of
this Sukta.
10-75-05
: First time Ganga and Yamuna are mentioned in the same breath along with
Sindhu, Sraswati and other 5 rviers of Punjab.
10-84-Full: This entire sukta, comprising 7
richas, is a prayer of ‘Manyu’ (anger), synonym of fire, for winning the battle
and competely decimating the enemy. A must for any army going to a war.
10-85-3 & 4: Real soma is not physical, which is
obtained by crushing the soma vine, and those who do not perform ygna can’t
taste that real Soma, which metaphysical. Richa 4 says no mortal being,
residing on this earth can drink this nector, soma.
10-85-24,25, 26 & 27: Mantra for marrying off and handing
over the daughter to her Husband (Kanyadaan) and blessing him for offspring,
fortune and marital bliss.
10-85-Full: This entire sukta comprising 47 sukta
(4 of which are specifically mentioned above) is the mantra to be recited on
daughter’s marriage. All these richas are very potent blessings for the bride
for her happy, properous, long and peaceful married life, with her husband.
10-86-16&17 : The fidelity, openness and range of
discourses in Rig is amazing, It leaves no aspect of universe untouched. Here in these two richas, Indra and
Indrani explicitly discusses when a male organ is capable of having sex with
women by peneterating and when not.She also happily proclaims how she enjoys
having intercourse with Indra by raising both her thighs. And this is not an
exception. Rig is replete with such richas with explicit sexual contexts,
references, similes and discourse. Something very unsual for such a reverred
religious treatise, perheps the only one in the panthion of religious books.
10-90-Full : (Purusha Sukta) This entire sukta comprising 16
richas are the complete description of supreme god, ‘Virat Purush, (exactly the
same as Lord krishna’s form of ‘Virat Rupa’ in Geeta’) and envelops the entrie
universe and still exceeds the vast expanse of enitre universe. (same as
explained in Geeta). It says, what ever has happened, whatever is happening and
every thing that will happen hence is all He himslef, is as per is his wishes
and he alone knows everything. (again same fact is repeated in Geeta). This
explains the creation of four varna from the body of unborn virat purush, from
mouth the Brahmins, from arms were created kshtriyas, from thighs vaishyas are
created and shudras from the feet.(also mentioned in Geeta).
10-95-Full : Story of Pururava and Urvashi. This
sukta is actaully a conversation between uravashi and Purarva, her husband and
lover, when she decided to leave him and go back to heavens, as per the devine
plan. Pururava had fathered a son from her.
10-95-15: Urvashi consols Pururava saying that
women’s friendship and love is never permanent.
10-97-Full: Entire sukta is prayer of Medicines.
This is not only prayer to medicine but
also discuss its forms it ueage etc.
10-98-Full : This sukta mentions the name of King Shantanu, forefather of
Pandavas and Kauravas, who was the organisor
of this ygna where rishi had complied this sukta, invoking raingods for rains
in the kingdom of Shantanu.
10-101-Full: Entire sukta is the glorification of
agricultural activities, e.g preparing the land, ploughing, irrigating and
sowing and reaping, rearing and tendring animals. Each of these activites are
equated with the yagik activities and has been treated as such.
10-107-Full: Entire sukta explains the importance
of giving ‘Dakshina’ to purohits after every ygna/puja, it’s reasoning, the
main items that are given as dakshina and how it benefits the giver.
10-117-Full : Entire sukta explains the importance
of offering food to hungry-needy and the harm one does to his own wellbeing by
denying.
10-117-05 : Though
the entire sukta emphasise the importance of giving food and alms to
hungry/needy, this particular richa mentions a very philosophical fact that one
must give/donate money to needy and earn good karma as even otherwise money
never remains with one for long and like wheels of chariot men’s fortune keeps
going up and down
10-125-Full : This is the original ‘Devi Sukta’; ancient most devi sukta and
source of all further text on Goddess Durga.
10-126-Full: Stuti of Mitra, Aryma, Agni and
Varun. Excellent stuti for daily recital.
10-129-Full: Sukta explaining Rig vedic
perspective of creation of this universe, the physical world. This further got
expounded in latter day creation philosophy of Hinduism.
10-135-Full: This Sukta is the source of the
story of ‘Nachiket’, the young boy who reached the door of ’Yama - The lord of death’ by himself just to fulfill his father’s word
uttered in anger.
10-145-Full :This richa is compiled by Indrani,
wife of indra and is about distruction of co-wife, and winning back the
husband’s love.
10-155-full: Sukta
for mitigating poverty, impurity and unhappiness
