Vedic Sanskrit words related to vision, time, motion, control
The Sanskrit words written in italics are the intrans version of Devanagari words. These words are available in the Sanskrit English Lexicon by Sir Monier Williams at <http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/>
(i) chakShu --eye. Root word is chakSh meaning 'to see'.
The word chakSh can be considered as made of two words (i) cha and (ii) kSha
cha implies chamana meaning 'act of sipping'.
(In Bengali / Bangla language, 'chakha' means 'to taste')
kSha implies kShaNa meaning 'moment, time, manifestation with time' ; kSha also implies kSharaNa or decay or flow of time and successive unfolding of events.
Thus 'chakShu' or eye is the center of 'manifestation' (kSha) as well as the center of 'feeling' (cha---sipping).
Consciousness manifests and feels what is manifested. This is the fundamental character of 'Consciousness'. These two personalities are indha and indra as mentioned below.
(ii) indra and indha---The entity or the deity located in the eye. (Refer Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 4.1.2).
The entity or the deity located in the right eye is called 'indra'.
'indra' means who 'feels' or 'observes/ sees' everything.
indra = idam (it) + dra (seeing or viewing or viewer). indra is also called indha.
'indha' means who is shining , radiant or illuminated. This is the manifesting personality.
Upanishad has said , though he is 'indha' still he is regarded as 'indra'.
(iii) nayana---eye. nayana is connected to the root word 'naya' meaning 'leading' and 'nI' meaning 'to lead'.
'ayana' means 'locus', 'course', 'circulation', 'patterns of movement', 'apparent motion of the sun'. Sun is the divine eye.
Eye is the leader of all sensory organs. You are looking at a thing means you are moving and reaching to it.
(iv) netra--eye. netra = Leader. Eye leads all the sensory organs. Vision is the leading sense.
ne > nI = to lead. tra = traaNa = rescue. netra---One who leads you to rescue; who leads you to what you desire. By vision, we move toward what we desire or where we intend to reach.
(v) Sun or the divine source of light and vision and motion (time) is also called mitra meaning 'friend'. Thus, the sun ushers us to a new day, to a desired time or event. So, the sun is mitra.
Sun or sUrya is the divine eye. Upanishads have said that the entity who is in the sun is the same one who is in the eye. What is eye in us and which is the center of vision in our inner sky, is the same as the sun in the outer space.
sUrya (sun) = sU + r + ya
sU = to set in motion, to initiate.
r>ra = brightness, fire etc. ; (rUpa = shape or vision. )
ya = control
Thus sUrya means from whom an 'event' is initiated and set in motion, it is manifested with a shape or form and it is controlled. The sun is also called the radiance (teja) of viShNU . viShNu has been addressed by his 'eye' and the 'foot' in the Vedas. The sun is the centre of vision(light /eye) and motion (time/foot) in our planetary system.
This is the function of the center of vision.
The sun is the centre of vision (light /eye) and motion (time/foot) in our planetary system. This is the function of the center of vision.
Thus, the word iikShaNa means ‘act of viewing’.
Also, iikShaNa means ii (motion/energy) + kShaNa (element of time,
a moment).
So, iikShaNa means the action of the Consciousness by which time and space or vision are created.
(vi) akShi = eye. akSha = a wheel, axis.
akShi ---which controls and senses the wheel or periodicity of time.
(The periodicity in the earth is created from the sun--the eye in the external space.)
(The relation between eye and time, as presently known to the modern science is explained in a simple manner in the following internet publication on 'The eyes role in circadian rhythm entrainment' available in the link <https://www.chronobiology.com/the-eyes-role-in-circadian-rhythm-entrainment/> ).
(vii) pash, pashya, paash, pashu.
pash----to see.
pashya----act of seeing.
paasha----leash, tether, a thing that binds and restrains / controls the movement.
pashu----animal---a being who is controlled by surveillance (pashya).
paasha and akSha maalaa are two instruments held by many deities.
akSha (axis) maalaa---- (garland > orbit).
paasha----an instrument or an action that keeps the motion of a moving entity controlled---- a tie, a cord, a string or an equivalent device.
So, paasha and akSha maalaa are two instruments by which a deity controls all who are under His/Her domain. The act of paasha creates an orbit along which the subject (pashu) travels. (Also refer to the meaning of nayana above.)
(viii) dRik, dRishya, Rik
The word 'da' means 'to donate', 'to bestow', 'to give'.
dRik---sight.
dRik= da + Rik.
Rik :
Where all the physicality is held without physicality is the mind, 'mana' or 'manas'. As all words are definitions of the mind, similarly the physicality or the external universe is the definition of the mind of Universal Consciousness. In terms of veda or feelings of the Universal Consciousness, this divine mind which is the origin of all defined, shaped and measured entities is called Rik. Thus any mantra or expression of the mind is an expression of Rik. Thus, Rik is behind all expressions, behind the shapes, dimensions and colours and so behind the 'eye'. (Thus, in Chandogya Upanishad, it is stated that 'chakShu eva Rik, aatmaa saama---eye is the Rik and the soul is the saama).
So, dRik = da + Rik----The action by which the Rik or the Conscious words (mantra) are taking the shapes or dimensions or becoming visible.
Thus, the words yaadRik (yaadRish) meaning 'whatever like' and taadRik (taadRish) meaning 'in that way' implies 'whatever is the Rik, the realization or materialization is accordingly'.
(ix) dRish---Rish = da + Rish----The action by which the Rik or the Conscious words (mantra) are transformed into time or flow of events or regulation. The word 'sh' implies shakti (power) and shaasana (ruling). (We have already stated above that vision and time are interrelated.)
Thus word RiShi means 'the seer' or who can see through the time eternal or who is omniscient.
(x) darsha, darshana----looking, viewing; derived from the root word dRish.
aadarsha--mirror----aa (aatman--soul) + darsha (viewing). Thus, aadarsha means the soul or assertion-less self in us, behind every moment of existence of the 'assertive self' or 'I am'. We are reflected in the colours of joys and sorrow in this mirror. (yathaaH aadarshe tathaaH aatmani----as in a mirror, so in the soul----Kathopanishad Chapter 2, Catno 3, Verse 5.)
(xi) ruch, Rich, arch,archana, char,charaNa
ruch---to illuminate, to be splendid, to brighten. This word is connected to the word Rich.
Rich--to praise. Rich--the verses of Rik veda.
If Ri is expanded it becomes ar. Thus, the word arch is derived from Rich. arch means to praise, to sing; it also means 'shining or bright'.
The word archana means act of chanting or offering hymns or psalms and is derived from arch. Similarly, the word archi meaning ray, is from the word Rich.
The word char means ' to move, to roam about, to pervade, to spread'. char is an inversion of arch.
Thus from the Rik, where the vision of Consciousness is located, from there, the light or illumination, the shapes and colours , the time and motion and the self praising hymns of the Universal Consciousness are coming out.
Thus a tree, a flower, a star, and everything is a shining view of the Consciousness and every thing is speaking out its name, its words, exhibiting its shapes and hues---everyone is singing the hymns. Thus, everything is in motion, in the flow of time and what is vision and visible is the 'truth' or the 'reality'!
Thus the moving, spreading Universal Consciousness named vishNu has been described with his 'eye' and 'foot' in Rik veda.
The word ' foot ' is 'charaNa' in Sanskrit. charaNa is derived from the root word 'char' mentioned above.
Thus corresponding to the sensory organ (j~naanendriya) eye, foot / leg is the functional organ ( karmendriya ).
In Brihadaaranyaka (vRihadaaraNyaka) it is said that the creator at the first stage of creation, traveled by chanting hymns----sa (he) archan (chanted the self praising words or hymns ) acharat (and moved).
(charaNa ganga----It is interesting to note that charaNa ganga is a sacred stream in the shrine called 'vaiShNa devI '. The word vaiShNa is related to the word viShNu and 'vaiShNa devI ' is the consort or shakti of viShNu.
(xii) rochana, rochanaa, go-rochanaa----shining, radiant, yellow pigment. It is from the root word ruch.
go rochanaa
go---Sensory organs or senses (with which we move around and in the process we get nourished).
go rochanaa----The shine or radiance of the senses. These radiance is visible in the eyes.
Thus the Vedas (Chandogya Upanishad) have stated: The red streaks of the eyes belong to the Rik veda, the white in the eyes belongs to the yajur veda, the black of the eye belongs to the sama veda.
The deeper black has been termed as belonging to the 'kShobha'.
kShobha means agitation or vibration ----the vibration of feelings of veda (vedana) within the soul, within Oneness.
rochanaa is offered to the goddess during a ceremony called adhivaasa.
(xiii) loch, lochana, luk, loka, aaloka
lochana---eye; illuminating. It is from the root word loch.
loch means 'to see'.
Another word 'luk' also means to see and may be related to the English word 'look'.
The word ' loka ' means 'a place', 'world', ' a domain'.
The word ' aaloka ' means 'light', 'seeing'.
All the above words are connected. From the view, from the sight, the 'space or domains' are created. (It is interesting to note the words 'sight' and 'site' sound somewhat alike.)
Thus Rik veda has described the eye of viShNu as 'divi iva chakShuraatatam'-----(Vishnu's) eye is like the heaven (manifesting, self illuminated plane) spread everywhere.
(xiv) The eye and the sense of realization.
It is mentioned above that the space is created from the act of vision
of the Consciousness. This is why our sense of realization is strongly
associated with our sense of vision. Thus, it is said in Upanishad that the
‘eye is the truth and is the sap of all that is realized or materialized’.
Here is a quote from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (verse
2.3.4):
etat martyam etat sthitam etat sat
tasya etasya muurtasya, etat martasya etasya sthitasya,
etsaa sataH---eShaH rasaH yat chakShuH---sataH hi eShaH rasaH”.
Meaning
idam eva (it is) muurtaM (materialized form)----it is the materialized
form (In Veda, ‘idam meaning ‘it is’, is used to address ‘the
body/earth/physical world, what is existing or already formed’.)
sataH hi eShaH rasaH----this is the sap of what is tangible.
"...It is the materialized form that what is different from (the state of) Consciousness who is beyond physical, that what is different from the sky inside the entity; it is mortal/physical, this is stationary state, this is the state realized. Eye/ vision is the sap of what that is materialized, of what is mortal/physical, of what is stationary, of what is tangible; this is (indeed) the sap of what is tangible." Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (verse 2.3.4)
(debkumar.lahiri@gmail.com)
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