The mysterious Consciousness and its time-ruled universe.
(Vedic Sanskrit words related to Time, Periodicity, Space, Transitions, and related Divinity and Physicality, with Quotes from the Upanishads and the Vedas. )
Introduction.
We have presented in this article various Vedic words related to time, periods, directions, space, and the associated deities or the divine personalities of Consciousness. The structured index provided below mentions briefly the topics covered. References to the original texts of the Upanishads and Vedas, word-by-word translations, and brief commentary on the quoted verses have been provided.
As the divinity leaves its impression everywhere, this article describes some of the animals whose characters reflect certain features of time, and who are mentioned in the texts.
Certain subjects of modern physics, like particles, spin, curvature, and inflation, are cited while describing the activities of Consciousness.
We have also mentioned some characters and the related mythical/historical events which exhibited the personality of the divine time, including some references to the ancient Egypt and the state of Odisha in India.
A section on the chariot festival has been presented—the chariot in which the eternal time (mahaakaala) travels.
This discussion on time has led to the discussion on four eras and four castes, or the four qualities that time imparts to beings as it transits from one era to the other. The four castes are the parts of the body of the divine time.
The non-English words are mentioned in italic fonts, and they are the Sanskrit words in the Itrans (Indian Language Transliteration) version. The Sanskrit English Dictionary by Sir Monier Williams may be referred to; it is available on the Internet at <https://www.sanskrit-lexicon.unikoeln.de/scans/MWScan/2020/web/webtc/indexcaller.php>
This article is written following the teachings received from the great seer Shri Bijoy Krishna Chattopadhyaya (1875-1945). and his principal disciple, Shri Tridibnath Bandyopadhyaya (1923-1994).
(debkumar.lahiri@gmail.com)
------------------------------------------------------------
Index.
1. kaala (time) and kaama (desire).
3. The desire, eye(look), iikShaNa.
4. chakra the weapon of viShNu. savana.
5. The words kShana and iikShaNa, the fragmented time.
6. chakSh and chakShu.
7. kha (the void), and khaNDa (the fragments, particles). aakaasha the divine sky.
8. brahmaaNDa—the egg that is the universe.
9. kaNa and kShaNa. The fundamental particles, space and time.
10. kaNa/kaNaa, and kanya.
11. kanyaa and vaak. The virgin and betrothed girl. vaak and praaNa as the conjugal pair, and the mind.
12. Etymology of the word j~aana. The ego and the soul.
13. sva (the soul) and shva (the regulation).
14. Words related to shva (the regulation) and shvi (inflation).
15. ashva, or the horse. shvi—to inflate. Horse Sacrifice.
16. ashva—the horse that carries us beyond death.
Egyptian god 'Ra and goddess Raet-Tawy'.
immutable Soul. sadyojaata shiva.
43. New moon night—amaavaasyaa.
44. Full moon night—puurNimaa.
45. raatri suukta—a hymn to the night.
46. Some remarks on the word shikhaNDi.
47. Synchronization—samaya, samaaja, saramaa
and paNi.
48. savana.
49. The deities of the life and somaayaga.
50. The seven saama—the seven type of regulations
emanating from the divine eye aadiya the sun. The
seven musical meters.
51. The words araNya—two sacred syllables 'ara' and
'Ni'. jaatavedas.
52. ratha—the chariot.
53. The words kala, kaala, and kalaa.
gaayatrii, mother of the Vedas.
58. Large scale cycles of time—the four eras
(yuga), and the four castes (of the Hindu
society).
59. The four castes as the expression of the
Universal Being.
60.The four castes among the deities.
61. yuga.
62. Consciousness eats
everything: from the vulture-foods to the dog-foods.
63. The chariot and the dog of the king
yudhiShiThira.
64. Creation.
-----------------------------------------------------------
1. kaala (time) and kaama (desire).
The main word in Sanskrit for 'time' is 'kaala'. The words kaala and another word, kaama convey almost the same meaning. kaama means 'desire', and 'kaala' is the action that is created by kaama or by the desire of 'Consciousness'. So, what lies within Consciousness as desire, or kaama, is revealed as kaala in the form of time or events. Whatever Consciousness desires, Consciousness becomes that, achieves that.
In the two words kaama and kaala, the syllable 'kaa' is common. The Sanskrit letter 'ma' means 'mirtyu' or death. Similarly, the Sanskrit letter 'la' means 'laya' or annihilation.'ka' is the first Sanskrit consonant; it denotes the beginning of 'perception'.So, 'kaama' or 'kaala' implies the entire event from the beginning 'ka' to the end, i.e., 'ma' or 'la'. The flow of Consciousness is felt as 'aging', and is called aayu. aayu is vaayu or the air in the external, and when we breathe vaayu in, it becomes aayu.
Consonants are called vya~njana (manifesting) varNa (alphabets, colours). So, kaama = ka+a+ma, and kaala = ka+a+la, imply the flow of Consciousness manifesting an event from the beginning (ka) to the end (ma/la). The letter 'a' in the middle represents the state of 'spread or continuity', which is felt as the existence between the beginning and end.
2. The flow of time. praaNa and vaayu (the divine air).
kaama is the desire to achieve in the self what is desired, and so it involves touch. Any desire is primarily the desire to touch (sparsha).
The flow of Consciousness is called vaayu or the divine air. vaayu, or divine air, is also known as praaNa. praaNa is also called vital air. praaNa = pra + ana. pra = prathama, or 'the first'; ana = animation. When Consciousness is active, it is called praaNa, and every event is initiated by praaNa.
The flow of air (vaayu) or praaNa creates the sense of touch.
The first twenty-five Sanskrit consonants, beginning with the letter ka and ending with the letter 'ma' are arranged in a matrix of five rows and five columns. These consonants are called sparsha (touch) varNa (alphabet); these consonants are articulated when the tongue touches different parts of the mouth or when the two lips touch each other.
Sound (shavda) and touch (sparsha) are the two initial manifesting forms of Consciousness; shavda (sound) is the first form when Consciousness manifests to become something or some form. Any such 'thing' or 'form' is a conscious formation, and any manifestation or action of Consciousness is an act of 'knowing'. Activation of sound means splitting of Consciousness from 'Oneness' to that particular form as the sound; when this happens, duality is created. sparsha, or the touch, is the 'duality entangled to Oneness'. A touch can only exist if there is a second or different entity.
So, what we have discussed so far implies that the words kaala, kaama, and praaNa are about the desire and actions of Consciousness. The flow from ka to ma, i.e., from the beginning to the end, is the realization of kaama or the realization of the desire of Consciousness.
3. The desire, eye(look), iikShaNa.
Our desires shine in our eyes or vision; all our feelings are kindled within our eyes.
The sun in our planetary system is the divine eye as manifested physically and is the source of our light (vision) and time. We are subjected to periods of time by the sun. Thus, the motion or time, i.e., the action of the foot, and the vision or the eye, characterize the sun. This aspect of Consciousness, from whose movement (foot) the perceptible universe (vision/eye) and its time are generated, has been addressed in verses 1.22.16 through 1.22.21 of the Rik Veda; it mentions the foot (padam) of viShNu (divine personality of praaNa or Vishnu) as an eye spread like the heaven.
The verse is quoted below:
tadviShNo paramaM padaM sadaa pashyanti suurayaH|
diviiva chakShuraatatam || (Rik Veda 1.22.20.)
Meaning
tad (that) viShNO (Vishnu's) paramaM (supreme) padaM (foot) sadaa (all the time) pashyanti (see) suurayaH (the deities); divi (heaven) iva (like) chakShuH (the eye) aatatam (spread all over)-----
The deities see the supreme foot of that viShNu all the time; (it is) an eye like heaven, spread all over.
The sun is also called 'viShNu tejase'----the effulgence of viShNu. The word viShNu is from the root word 'vish', which means 'to enter', and from the word 'nu', meaning 'indeed'. Consciousness, who indeed has entered into every entity, or Consciousness, who is in every entity, from whose vision every entity is created, is called viShNu.
In Hinduism, the eyes, which are the sensory organs of vision, correspond to the feet; the feet are classified as the working organs of vision.
4. chakra the weapon of viShNu. savana.
One of the weapons of viShNu is the chakra. 'chakra' means 'a wheel', 'a cyclic period'. The chakra as a weapon, is generally considered a spinning wheel with sharp edges that acts as a missile.
The chakra of Lord Vishnu is called the sudarshana chakra. sudarshana = su (good, beautiful)+darshana (vision).
'su' also means 'to press out', 'to extract'.
So, sudarshana-chakra means the cycles or periods of time that are emanating from praaNa or viShNu, or pressed out of praaNa. What is pressed out is called savana which means time, or a span of time. Our life consists of three savana analogous to morning, noon and evening. We will discuss savana later.
Another meaning of savana is sa (saha) vana.'saha' means 'with' or 'along with'. 'vana' means what is pristine, what has never changed, the one who is immutable, and eternal. nava' means 'new'.The word vana has the opposite meaning to the word nava. ' vana=va+na; nava=na+va. The syllables 'va 'and 'na' are arranged in reverse order in the words vana and nava. So, savana means flowing or changing with the One, who never changes (vana). Consciousness is remaining unchanged, immutable at one end, and is changing or becoming new at the other end. Thus, Consciousness is flowing as time and, simultaneously, is ever still, immutable, and never born (aja)! This is savana.
5. The words kShana and iikShaNa, the fragmented time.
The word kShaNa means instantaneous time or a moment. Each moment of an event is a kShaNa. kShaNa = kSh(kSha) + ana----an element of ana or praaNa; kSha implies kSharaNa or decay.
Consciousness, who is also our immutable Soul, decays or splits from its Oneness to duality and still remains immutable and unchanged, with no sign of decay at all. The splitting or decaying Consciousness multiplying into many is called praaNa or ana. Each step in such splitting or multiplication is a kShaNa.
The Vedic word iikSh means 'to look', 'to consider', 'to desire'. iikShaNa is the noun form of the verb iikSh.
iikShaNa = ii +kShaNa; 'ii' means 'shakti' or capability of Consciousness. Thus, by the look, or iikShaNa, Consciousness brings about changes; a change means splitting into duality and creation of time. Time means the regulation that governs the created entity as the 'duality' or the event.
In Chandogya Upanishad, verse 6.2.3, it is quoted that in the beginning, the creator performed iikShaNa to multiply itself. Thus, when Consciousness desires to become many, Consciousness looks to multiply, and that creates the forms or perceptible entities (vision) and time (kShaNa).
6. chakSh and chakShu.
Like the verb iikSh, there is a similar verb, chakSh. 'chakSh' means 'to become visible' and also 'to see'. The word 'chakShu' means 'the eye'. The word chakShu is derived from the verb 'chakSh'. So, following the meaning of the verb 'chakSh', the word chakShu means the seat of 'vision', as well as the seat of creating vision, i.e., 'to become visible'.
Etymologically, chakSh means ch+ kSh; ch/cha implies 'char'. 'char means 'to move'. So, 'chakShu ', or the eye, is the centre of (i) viewing, (ii) creating vision, and (iii) creating motion. Thus, eye is the centre where both vision is created and perceived, and from where time (motion) originates. This is the mystery of the vision.
7.kha (the void), and khaNDa (the fragments, particles). aakaasha the divine sky.
We have earlier mentioned that the first consonant ka, represents the beginning. So, ka means kaala or praaNa, who is the active Consciousness and the initiator of every activity or event.
The second consonant is kha. kha means 'void' or 'sky'. Thus, the word khaga means ' a bird'; khaga = kha (void/sky)+ga (to go)= the one who flies.
Now, the letter kha = k(ka) + ha. The letter ha denotes 'void' or the field where everything exists as 'annihilated' form or without 'dimensions' or 'forms'. Thus, kha means the void, or the void form of Consciousness or Knowledge. Here, everything exists as 'sound' or 'shavda'.
khaNDa = khaM/kham +Da; khaM =kha = void; Da = sound that echoes, reverberates, or keeps announcing. So, khaNda is a creation from the void form of Consciousness, and its continuity or existence is represented by Da, the repeated sound. (This repetition is probably exhibited in nature as the spin of the fundamental particles.)
Thus, every event, every particle, and every fragment is being generated as the shavda or sound, from kha, or from the void form of Consciousness. kha is also called aakaasha (the sky). aakaasha = 'aa' (spread all over)+ 'kaasha' (shining; kaash = to shine).
Like the sense of touch is related to the flowing air, or to vaayu—the divine air, similarly, the sound is related to aakaasha, i.e., to the divine void.
8. brahmaaNDa—the egg that is the universe.
The word 'brahmaaNDa' means 'universe'. The word brahma means the Consciousness who is growing forever and surpassing everything. This word, 'brahma', originates from the verb bRiMh, which means 'to grow great'. The word 'aNDa' means 'am/an'+ 'Da' = the sound that is generated from 'ama' (radiant Consciousness) and who is 'ana' or 'praaNa'. Consciousness, while radiating out from the core of Oneness, takes the form of aNDa or the seed-word for every entity to be created. This is why the word 'aNDa' also means an 'egg' from which emerges an entity by the fervour of the hatcher.
The 'seed-word' manifested as aNDa contains all the stages of the entity throughout time and space.
So, 'brahmaaNDa' means the 'egg' of the Consciousness who is brahma (brahman). The universe is called brahmaaNDa because Consciousness has created the universe out of its fervour to create.
9. kaNa and kShaNa. The fundamental particles, space and time.
The two words kaNa and kShaNa are similar to the letters ka and kha.
'kaNa' means a particle, and this word has originated from the verb 'kaN'; 'kaN' means to become small. kaN also has other meanings like 'to wink', 'to sound'.
Another word, 'kan,' means 'to shine'; it also has a different meaning: 'to go.'
The meanings of these two words, kaN and kan, conform to the properties of fundamental particles that we observe in photons, in radioactivity, and in other fundamental particles.
In this context, "kShaNa" (a moment of time) implies consciousness as "kaNa," i.e., as conscious particles emanating from kha; kha is the void form of Consciousness and is also called "aakaasha." aakaasha means the all-spread (aa), shining (kaash), and conscious field of manifestation, or the firmament. We have discussed aakaasha in the Section 7 above.
kaNa or kaNaa (particle), means that during creation, in the nascent state, or in the beginning, Consciousness becomes just perceptible, or about to be perceptible, leaving the state of void. This is how the fundamental particles are created. This nascent state exhibits 'transient' properties. kShaNa also means 'transient'.
kShaNa is ana or praaNa decaying (ksha) or splitting as many. 'praaNa' or 'ana', in its innumerable split forms, is nourishing us. These forms nourishing us are called anna. The general meaning of 'anna' is 'food'.
In verse 1.2.5 of Brihadarnyaka Upanishad, it is mentioned that the Creator created anna or the fragments of ana or praaNa as kaNa-----kaniiyaH annaM karishya----I shall make the anna as kaNa/kaNaa. This is how Consciousness splits. So, Consciousness, who thus creates itself in grains or as particles, as the seeds, is called kanyaa.
kanyaa is a form of shakti or the faculty of Consciousness. Consciousness as kanyaa is controlling the splitting and fragmentation of the self-manifesting (svayamprakaasha/ sayam prakaasha) Soul.
10. kaNa/kaNaa, and kanya.
The word kanyaa means daughter, a virgin, or a little girl. As explained in the previous section, etymologically, kanyaa means the aspect of Consciousness that controls the formation of kaNa/kaNaa (particle form of Consciousness), or the state of formation when Consciousness is about to become perceptible by leaving the state of void or aakaasha. The letter-string 'yaa' in the word 'kanyaa' means 'yamana' or 'regulation'.
11. kanyaa and vaak. The virgin and betrothed girl. vaak and praaNa as the conjugal pair, and the mind.
vaak is the capability (shakti) of Consciousness to change. The words 'vaak' and 'kaala' carry almost the same meaning and significance. Further, in the Upanishads, vaak and praaNa are considered as the couple whose conjugation has created the divine mind, and from the divine mind the physical universe is created.
Thus, in verse 5.8.1 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, it is said: vaacham (vaak) dhenu (as a milch cow) iti upaashiita (to be worshipped).......tasyaaH (her) RiShavaH (bull is) praaNaH (praaNa) manaH (mind is) vatsaH (the calf)-----vaak to be worshipped as a milch cow, praaNa is her bull, and mana (the mind) is the calf.
Similarly another verse from the Chandogya Upanishad quotes, ......tad vaa etad (they are this) mithunaṃ (couple) yad (who are) vaak cha praaNaH cha (vaak and praaNa) Rik cha saama cha (Rik and saama).----They who are vaak and praaNa, Rik and saama, are this (conjugal) couple. (Extract from Verse 1.1.5 of the Chandogya Upanishad.)
The capability or faculty of Consciousness is Consciousness itself. So, Consciousness is known as svayam-shakti. 'svayam' means 'the soul', and 'shakti means 'the capability'; 'shakti' also means 'the consort'. As vaak splits Oneness into many, the domain of vaak and praaNa is created; praaNa is the active Soul splitting into many, and thus (as we have mentioned earlier), in praaNa, the duality that is created is held in the Oneness. This is the fundamental 'entanglement'.
Consciousness gets defined during the formation of an entity, or duality. The created entity is the particular definition of Consciousness; such an entity is called a vaakya or a word of Consciousness. vaakya means a word or a sentence. This definition or defined state happens in the domain of Consciousness called the mind (mana, manas). In the mind or mana/manas, Consciousness becomes 'measurable'. A related word, maana, means 'measurement, dimension'.
Thus, this perceptible universe is made of the words, or vaakya, of Consciousness articulated in the mind of Consciousness.
The words that we think and the words that we articulate are the forms of vaak. Consciousness, who creates and annihilates the universe, is present in us as our words that we keep speaking as long as we remain awake.
Though She (Consciousness) is so mighty, this might is not noticeable in the formed words or in vaakya, which are her fragments or small-minute forms. Thus, She is regarded as a little girl, or kanyaa.
In Her honour, a betrothed virgin is called vaagdattaa (vaak + datta)---, promised by vaak. She is also called svyaMvaraa*, i.e. the one who by herself (svayaM) selects/chooses her husband (varaa).
(* svyaM =soul; varaa (feminine gender of vara)= who chooses. In ancient India, a king's daughter used to select the groom by herself. vara>vRi; vRi= to choose.)
Every word is formed when vaak embraces the soul, or praaNa, in Her way, unique to every word or every creation.
Whatever shape or form Consciousness takes, Consciousness remains unperturbed, immutable, and untainted, as it is, despite the formation. Thus, vaak remains virgin despite conjugation. One of the celebrated ladies who knew this was kuntii, the mother of the Pandavas; she remained a virgin even after getting a child from the Sun-god. (Refer to the epic Mahabharata.). This is why kuntii was also called pRithaa. pRithaa means the female 'who is isolated' (pRiThak).
12.Etymology of the word j~aana. The ego and the Soul.
We are living in our Consciousness. Consciousness is called j~naana; this word, i.e., Consciousness or j~naana has two parts: j~na and ana. j~na is the immortal, immutable constant form of Consciousness, and ana is praaNa, who is the dynamic Consciousness, and the domain of time. Whatever we sense, perceive, or feel, it is a part of ana; we, or our 'selves' are parts of ana.
j~na is 'assertion-less self'. When I see a tree, the perception of the tree, along with 'myself seeing the tree', is created in Consciousness. 'Myself' (I) and the associated perception originate from j~na. When I sleep, I cease to exist along with the perceptions; I and the perceptions dissolve in j~na, but j~na remains constant, unchanged. Since j~na always exists, even though I do not exist during sleep, I can still recall that I was asleep. It is for the same reason we have instincts of death or annihilation.
Consciousness as j~na is there everywhere; this means it is the same eternal Soul everywhere, and we introduce ourselves as 'I am' because this 'I am' is the assertion of the Soul (aatman) or j~na. j~na is also called 'sva' or 'svyam'. The ego, i.e., 'I am', is called ahaM or ahaMkaara. (Refer to verse 1.4.1 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.)
13. sva (the soul) and shva (the regulation).
As mentioned before, sva is the soul. 'sva' or 'Soul' means the one from whom no one can identify one's difference. In sva, there is only Oneness; and whatever sva becomes as a different entity, it is made of sva; sva is also called j~na, and ana is its faculty. Thus, everything is j~naana or Consciousness. j~na means the one who 'knows'. The sound of the articulated word j~na resembles the sound when 'know' is articulated. From the knowing or the knowledge of Consciousness, everything happens, and everything is created. j~naana means 'knowledge'. We have explained the etymology of the word j~naana in the previous section. So, no knowledge or perception can exist without sva or j~na.
shva means Consciousness as the regulator, or the regulation of Consciousness. The unperturbed, ever-calm sva is shva or the regulator of the universe. shva is shakti or the faculty of Consciousness. The word shaasana means administration or regulation.
So, the above describes the two aspects of Consciousness:
(i) sva ---- the Soul, the Oneness, and in that Oneness everyone is included.
(ii) shva----the regulation of the Soul, by which all that is created as different from One, and is brought back to Oneness.
This is the reason that shva or shvan also means 'time'. We are evolving with time, and becoming aware of our origin, and thus going back to our origin.
14. Words related to shva (the regulation) and shvi (inflation).The deities called rudra are eleven in number; they are the mind, the five sensory organs, and the five organs for working or action. indra, the divine observer, leads rudra.
The eleven Rudras (rudra) reign over our following faculties or organs of an entity:
The etymology of the word vRiSh is vRi>vRih/ (to grow) + Sh (to break into fragments)—growing great as well as fragmenting into multiple forms.
dasraa yuvaakavaH sutaa naasatyaa
vRiktabarhiShaH|
aa yaataM rudravartanii || (Rik Veda Verse 1.3.3.)
yaj~nena yaj~nam ayajanta devaastaani
dharmaaNi prathamaanyaasan| te ha naakam
mahimaanaH sachanta yatra puurve saadhyaaH
santi devaaH|| (Rik Veda 1.164.50.)
Meaning.
yaj~nena (by yaj~na/by sacrifice) yaj~nam
(sacrifice) ayajanta (performed the sacrifice
/performed yaj~na) devaaH (the deities) taani
(such) dharmaaṇi (practices) prathamaani (in the
beginning) aasan (existed).
te (They) ha (indeed) naakam (in the heaven)
mahimaanaH (the great ones) sachanta (gather)
yatra (where) puurve (earlier) saadhyaaH
(conquerable) santi (are) devaaH (the deities).
Consolidated meaning.
anvaahaaryapachana agni/dakShiNa (southern)-agni has four domains or four aspects, and they are ap (the divine water), dik (dik =direction; disho/dishaH [nominative, plural] =directions), nakShatra
atha (now) adhyaatmam (in every individual)—--
idam (this) eva (indeed is) muurtaM (embodied
/physical) yat (what is) anyat (different from)
praaNaat (praaNa) cha yat cha (and what is) ayam
(this) antaraatman (within the self/within)
aakaashaH (the sky); etat (this is) martyam
(mortal), etat (this is) sthitam (static), etat (this is)
sat (reality); tasya (that) etasya (this) muurtasya
(embodied entity's), etasya (this) martyasya (mortal
entity's), etasya(this) sthitasya (static entity's),
etasya (this) sata (reality's), eSha (this is) raso
(essence) yat (what is) chakShuH (the eye)—sato
(the reality's) hi (indeed is) eSha (it's) rasaH
(essence)--- Now, in every individual: this is
indeed embodied/physical, what is different
from praaNa and this sky within; this is
mortal, this is static, this is reality; that this
physical entity's, this mortal entity's, this static
entity's, this reality's, this is the essence that
what is the eye— it is indeed the the reality's
essence. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 2.3.4.)
The eye (vision) has been termed an organ or the seat
of Consciousness that ensures our sense of existence
and the sense of reality that makes us feel secure.
Thus, in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, it is
mentioned that the personality of the eye, or the deity
of the eye, told Consciousness (praaNa) that the sense
of security that it (the eye) provides is Consciousness
(praaNa) itself. (Refer to verse 6.1.3 of the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.)
yatra supto na ka~nchana kaamaM kaamayate na ka~nchana svapnaM pashyati tatsuShuptam; suShuptasthaana ekiibhuutaH praj~naanaghana evaanandamayo hyaanandabhuk chetomukhaH praaj~nastRitiiyaH paadaH.
Word-word meaning.
yatra (where) supto (the being in sleep) na ka~nchana (not any) kaamaM (object of desire) kaamayate (longs for) na ka~nchana (not any) svapnaM (dream) pashyati (sees) tat (that is) suShuptam (perfect state of sleep).
suShupta sthaana (the place/state of sleep) ekiibhuutaH (unified into oneness) praj~naana-ghana (dense with consciousness) evaa (indeed) aanandamayo (blissful) hi (indeed) aananda (bliss)-bhuk (enjoys) cheto (consciousness/knowledge)-mukhaH (mouth/source) praaj~naH (praak—before; j~na—consciousness; who already knows everything; in whom everything is already known) tRitiiyaH (third) paadaH (state). (Mandukyua Upanishad, Verse 5).
The perfect state of sleep is when the being in sleep does not long for anything of desire and does not see any dream; the state of sleep is the state of unification in oneness, verily dense with Consciousness, indeed blissful, and certainly living in bliss, the source of all knowledge, where everything is already known; it is the third state. (Mandukyua Upanishad, Verse 5).
In this state, in aahavaniiya, we go beyond all our definitions. Here is a quote from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (Verse 4.3.22):
atra pitaapitaa bhavati, maataamaataa, lokaa alokaaH, devaa adevaaH, vedaa avedaaH; atra steno'steno bhavati, bhruuNahaabhruuNahaa, chaaNDaalo'chaNDlaH, paulkaso'paulkasaH, shramaNo'shramaNaH, taapaso'taapasaH, ananvaagataM puNyenaananvaagataM paapena, tiirNo hi tadaa sarvaa~nchokaanhRidayasya bhavati|
Word-to-word meaning
atra (Here) pitaa (father) apitaa bhavati (becomes no father), maataa (mother) amaataa (no mather), lokaa (worlds) alokaaH (no world), devaa (deities) adevaaH (no deities), vedaa (knowledge) avedaaH (no knowledge). atra (Here) stenaH (a thief) asteno bhavati (becomes no thief), bhruuNahaa (an abortionist) abhruuNahaa (no abortionist), chaaNDaalaH (an impetuous person) achaNDaalaH (not impetuous), paulkasaH (a person with carnal lust) apaulkasaH (not with carnal lust), shramaNaH (a labourer) ashramaNaH (no labourer), taapasaH (an ascetic) ataapasaH (no ascetic), ananvaagataM (not subjugated ) puṇyena (by virtues) ananvaagataM (not subjugated ) paapena (by the vices), tiirNo (transcendence) hi (certainly) tadaa (then) sarvaan (all) shokaan (griefs) hRidayasya (of the heart) bhavati (happens). (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 4.3.22)
Consolidated meaning.
Here (in this state of sleep), a father becomes no father (i.e., the personality of fatherhood or the quality that creates fatherhood is no longer active), a mother becomes no mother, the worlds become no world, the deities are no longer deities, and there is no specific knowledge or sense. Here (in this state of sleep), a thief is no longer a thief, an abortionist is no longer an abortionist, an impetuous person is no longer impetuous, a person with carnal lust is no longer lustful, a labourer is no labourer, and an ascetic is no ascetic; (the being in the state of sleep) is not subjugated by the virtues and not subjugated by the vices; then transcendence beyond all the griefs of the heart happens. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 4.3.22)
Further, it is said in the subsequent verses of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad that all the faculties related to vision, hearing, taste, thought, etc., exist in the state of sleep, as all such faculties of Consciousness are imperishable; they never die. One such verse is quoted below:
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 4.3.23
yad vai tat (that there) na pashyati (it does not see) pashyan vai (even seeing) tat (at that time) na pashyati (it does not see), na hi (certainly not) draShTuH (observer’s) dRiShTeH (vision) viparilopo (becomes extinct) vidyateH (it exists) avinaashitvaan (due to perpetuity). na tu tat (not from it) dvitiiyam (different) asti (exists) tataH (from it) anyat (separately) vibhaktaM (divided/ segregated) yat (that what) pashyet (it will see). (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 4.3.23.)
That, there (in the domain of sleep), it (the being/entity/the Soul) does not see; even while seeing, it does not see; certainly, the vision of the observer does not become extinct; it exists due to perpetuity. Not anything that is different from it (different from the being/entity/the Soul) exists so that it can look at it. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 4.3.23.)
It is mentioned in the Chandogya Upanishad (Verse 4.13.1.) that the luminous form of aahavniiya agni is vidyut. If your mortal form is offered to aahavniiya agni, it will become a divine form that is beyond mortality and infinite. (We have explained vidyut in Section 30(iv) above.)
etaavaan (such is) asya (His) mahimaa (greatness)
tato (from which is) jyaayM cha (but greater)
puuruShaH (the eternal being; the Soul)
paado'sya (on one step of Him) vishvaa (all)
bhuutaani (the entities) tripaad asya (on His three
other steps) (exists) amRitaM (eternal) divi (div/ the
divinity)----- Such is His (Soul's) greatness
(vastness), but the Soul is greater than that.
All the entities of the universe exist on one of
His steps; the eternal divinity exists on the rest
of His three steps. (Rik Veda verse 10.90.3)
Thus, behind the tangible universe, there is
eternity, and despite manifesting itself from the
beginning of time, Consciousness still remains
undefined and unknown. Even after knowing,
Consciousness remains unknown--why? Because
when we know, we become a separate knower or a
perceiver, separate from our origin. Thus in the verse
4.5.15 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad it is said:
(i) yena (by whom/by the one) idaM (this) sarvaM
(all) vijaanaati (is known) taM (the one) kena
(how) vijaaniiyaat (will you know)---How will you
know the one by whom all this is known? (How
will you know the one by whom one knows
everything?)
While remaining unknown, praaNa, who is aahvaniiya
agni, keeps calling us all the time so that we merge
into praaNa. The word 'aahvaana' means 'to call'. It is
the call of aahvaniiya agni. This incessant calling by
the voice of the Silence means praaNa is nourishing
us by the form called 'unknown' or 'avij~naataM'.
Verse 1.5.7 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says
that vaak is the mother, and mana, or the mind, is the
father; the verse further says that praaNa is prajaa, or
the child of vaak and mana. This is because what is
unknown or praaNa, that becomes 'known', defined
and measurable by the union of mana (mind) with
vaak. That which is measurable and defined that
belongs to the domain of mana and mind.
Consciousness, or the Soul (aatman) in the beginning
created itself as praaNa and vaak. From the union of
praana and vaak, mana, or the divine mind, is created.
From the union of mana and vaak, all that is in the
domain of the mind is created, and that makes the
perceptible universe. The creation, or the entities so
created from the mind, are called prajaa (offspring),
and thus praaNa, who is unknown, becomes known or
measurable as prajaa, or the created entities.
It is for this reason, in the Upanishads, that
sometimes vaak and praaNa are described as the
parents and the mind (mana) as the offspring;
and sometimes vaak and mana are described as
the parents and praaNa as the offspring (prajaa).
32. vaak, praaNa, mana, and indra.
What we have described above as vaak, praaNa,
mana, has been described and explained in three
verses of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. We will quote
the verses below.
(i) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 1.5.11—
vaak, pRithivii, and agni.
tasyai (that) vaachaH (vaak's) pRithivii (the
earth/physicality) shariiram (is
the body) jyotiiruupam (luminous form) ayam
(this) agniH (agni) tad (that) yaavatii eva (as much
as is) vaak, taavatii (that much is) pRithivii (the
earth/physicality), taavan (that much is) ayam
(this) agniH (agni) ---That vaak's body is the earth
(physicality/realized universe), and the
luminous form is this agni (the divine fire/
illuminating Consciousness captured within the
body or physical form); as much as is that vaak,
that much is the earth (physical universe), and
that much is this agni. (Brihadaranyakan Upanishad
Verse 1.5.11).
This means, Consciousness as vaak has captured or
created itself in every form of the physical universe.
Consciousness is called praaNa when Consciousness
thus multiplies into many forms. Thus, as much as is
vaak, that much is the earth or the physical domain,
and that much is agni or praaNa-agni. Now we have
mentioned earlier that the physicality is perceived
in the mind, and the mind is the domain where entities
become measurable. Thus, the Consciousness, or
praaNa, who has become all the physical forms, is
the divine mind, or mana, and every form that
has been created as tangible and measurable is
created out of mana, or mind, by the faculty vaak.
Thus, vaak unites with the divine mind, or mana, to
create the tangible universe. This has been stated in
the next verse (1.5.12) of the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad.
(ii) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 1.5.12---
mana, div(dyu), and aaditya.
atha (now) etasya (this) manaso (mind's/divine
mind's) dyauH (divinity is) shariiram (the body)
jyotiruupam (the luminous form) asou (that)
aadityaH (aaditya; the sun) tad (that) yaavat (as
much) eva manaH (is the mind) taavatii (that much
is) dyauH (the divinity) taavaan (that much) asou
(that) aadityaH (aaditya; the sun).
tau (they two) mithunaM (in copulation) samaitaam
(got into) tataH (from that) praaNaH (praaNa)
ajaayata (was created) sa indraH (he is indra),
sa (he is) eshaH (this) asapatnaH (unrivaled)
dvitiiyo (duality; the one what is different) vai (is
indeed) sapatnaH (rival) na (never) asya (his)
sapatno (rival) bhavati (becomes) ya (who) evaM
(this) veda (knows)--- Now this mind's (divine
mind's) divinity is the body, and the luminous
form is that aaditya (the sun); that as
much is the mind, that much is the divinity,
and that much is that aaditya (the sun).
The two got into copulation, and from that
praaNa was created; he is indra, he is this
unrivaled one; duality (the one that is different)
is indeed the rival. Never does a rival exist for
the one who knows this.
Here, the divine mind is the father; it is
mentioned as 'manaH pitaraH' (mind is the divine
fathers) and 'mana pitaa'(mind is the father) in the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, verses 15.6 and 1.5.7,
respectively.
dyu/div, or divinity, is the domain of Consciousness
(divine mind), whose characteristic is self-
manifestation.So, divinity or heaven is the body of
the divine mind.
The luminous form of the divine mind is mentioned as aaditya (the sun) in the verse. As mentioned earlier, aaditya is the sphere within whichatha (Now) etasya (this) praaNasya (praaNa's)
apaH (water/ap) shariiram (is the body)
jyotiiruupam (the luminous form) asau (that)
chandraH (the moon; lunar domain) tad (that)
yaavaan (as much as) eva praaNaH (is praaNa),
taavatya (that much) aapaH (thewater/ap), taavaan
(that much) asau (that) chandraH (the moon), ta
(te/they) ete (these) sarvaeva (all are) samaaH (the
same), sarveH (all are) anantaaH (infinite& eternal);
sa (that) yo (who) ha (indeed) etaan (this) antavata
(limited/perishable) upaasteH (worships/practises)
antavantaṃ sa lokaM (the location or domain that is
perishable) jayati (wins); atha (and now) yo (who)
ha (indeed) etaan (this) anantaan (infinite and
eternal) upaasteH (worships/practises) anantaṃ sa
lokaṃ (the location or domain that is eternal and
infinite) jayati (wins/achieves)---Now this praaNa's
water/ap is the body, the luminous form is the
chandra (the moon; lunar domain); that, as
much as is praaNa, that much is the water (ap),
and that much is that chandra (the moon); they-
- all these—are the same, all are infinite &
eternal.
That whoever worships this limited/perishable
domain indeed wins the domain that is
perishable; and now, whoever worships this
infinite and eternal indeed wins the domain that
is infinite and eternal.
Thus, it is said that vaak, praaNa, mana/manas
(mind) are the same, i.e., they are the aspects of
Consciousness, and they are eternal and infinite.
33. akSha (axel, axis,orbit), akShi (eye).
akShaya (undecaying) and viruupaakSha
(the vision creating difference).
The word 'akSha' means 'axle', 'axis', and also 'orbit'. The word 'akshi' has originated from the word 'akSha'; akShi, means 'eye'. The word 'aksha' is from the verb 'akSh', meaning 'to pervade, to reach'. We have mentioned earlier (in Section 3) about the all -pervading eye, or the vision of viShNu, who is the divine personality of praaNa, or Consciousness, striding through the worlds. (Refer to Rik Veda verses 1.22.16 through 1.22.21.)suutra means a thread or a string; maalaa means a
garland. We are struck by the vision of the divinity,
and we experience our orbital motion or the
regulation applied to us. At the same time, we spin.
We spin around the Soul in me as the axis. We have
mentioned this Soul in every individual as j~na in
Section 12 above; j~na is the assertion-less self.
Our every perception, every feeling has j~na or the
assertion-less self, at the root; j~na is the immutable
Soul. In every perception, Consciousness is creating
the assertive self called 'I' or 'I am' and also creating
the associated perception. As "I", Consciousness gets
involved with the perception, and as j~na
Consciousness is the origin of 'I' and perception.
Consciousness creates everything by knowing. As the
immutable soul, i.e., as j~na/aatman, Consciousness
parokSha means paro akSha; paro= beyond, greater.
So parokSha means the axis of revolution around
aaditya or the sun--- around the Soul located in aaditya, around the universal Soul.
It is the same soul, same observer 'I' who dwells in the eye as well as in aaditya---the center of universal Oneness, the domain of aditi (the goddess who is without duality).
Rik Veda Verse 10.127.3
niru svasaaramaskRitoShasaM devyaayatii |
apedu haasate tamaH ||
Meaning.
niH u svasaaram askRita uShasaM devi aayatii apa it
u haaste tamaH----niH-askRita (enabling) u
(besides) svasaaram (the sister) uShasaM (uShaa)
devi (the goddess) aayati (comes) apa (removes)
id (indeed) u (and) haastae (destroys)
tamaH (darkness/ignorance)---- Besides enabling
the sister, uShaa, the goddess comes; indeed,
removes and destroys the darkness.
The word 'uShaa' is the goddess of dawn and is
related to the word 'uSh', meaning 'to warm', 'to
initiate with warmth'.
She carries the first rays of praaNa, to break the
darkness, and this is done aided by her sister raatri.
Whatever raatri grants, uShaa, the goddess of dawn,
carries that into the day. The day is the domain of the
deity mitra, and mitra is aided by varuNa. (We have
described mitra and varuNa in Section 24(vii)
above.
36. uShaa, oShadhi, soma , vibhavarii.
Both the words uShaa and oShadhi are related to the
words uShmaa and uShNa. uShmaa/uShNa means the
warmth of praaNa that has kept us alive.
Verse 3.13.8 of Chandogya Upanishad says that
the warmth of our body is the direct/discernible
evidence of praaNa dwelling in the body.
tasya (that's/praaNa-agni's) eSha (this is) dRiShTiH
(visible/direct evidence) yatra (where/that) etat
asmin (in this) shariire (body) saMsparshena (by
touching) uShNimaanaMṃ (the warmth)
vijaanaati (knows)— This is visible/direct
evidence (of the presence of that) 'praaNa',
when one feels by touching the warmth in this
body. (Extract from verse 3.13.8 of the Chandogya
Upanishad.)
praaNa, Consciousness, is flooding us incessantly
with the streams of senses and perceptions. These
streams, or the flow of Consciousness, are soma and
have kept the creation intoxicated with the animation,
dynamism, and spirit. In every activity of ours, the
goddess uShaa ushers in uShmaa. praaNa is giving out
soma and warming with uShmaa radiating out of its
every form.
Every form that is holding uShmaa is called oShadhi.
The medicinal plants and herbs are also called oShadhi
because the extracts from such herbs or plants cure
ailments, bring healing by restoring the normalcy in
the activities of praaNa in a being. The sap or the
extract and the associated spirit are parts of soma.
praaNa, who is dakShiNa-agni, its luminous form is
chandra/chandramaa, and it is effusing soma. The
lunar domain, also known as the palace of King
soma, is called vibhaa-purii. vibhaa means 'lustre'--
lustre of soma, and purii means 'mansion'. The
goddess uShaa is known as vibhaavarii, and it is also a
name for the starry night! The word 'varii' means a
female or a goddess, who chooses her consort. varii is
from the verb vRi, meaning 'to cover' or 'to embrace'.
raatri, the goddess night, is embracing lustrous praaNa
or soma.
In the Prashnopanishad, it is mentioned that night is
the appropriate time for cohabiting. (Refer to
Prashnopanishad verse 1.13.) When praaNa lies
down, when at rest, then it is the shiva form of
Consciousness. Thus, this union of praaNa and raatri
(rayi) is shiva-raatri, and it is also the name of the
festival when shiva (Lord Shiva) is worshipped on the
fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of the second
month of the spring season.
37. raatri and rayi. Wealth and the ear.
We have mentioned in Section 35 that raatri has
been mentioned as rayi in the Upanishad.
In the dictionary, raya means 'stream', 'current',
'course', etc. The word 'rayi' is related to the word
'raya'. The word 'raya' is about the inner space or
antariikSha. raya = ra (rava=sound) +
ya (controlling=yamana, flowing, joining); ya is a
semi-vowel and implies internal regulation, flow, and
connectivity.
The semi-vowel ya is classified as antastha, i.e.,All that we perceive in the physical universe exists
within us as sound (rava) or as words. So, raya means
the course/courses in the inner space where our
perceptions or experiences are processed.
Everything exists in the inner space, or antariikSha
as sound/words, and this is the (divine) wealth that
exists within. This is why rayi also means 'wealth'.
The sound within is shruti (listening), and the centre
of all listening is called shrotra, or the ear.
Thus, in verse 6.1.4 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad,
it is quoted: yo (The one who) ha vai (indeed)
saMpadaM (sampada/wealth/accomplishment) veda
(knows) saM (duly) ha (certainly) asmai
(for the one) padyate ([one]achieves) yaM
(whatever) kaamaM (the desire) kaamayate (the
one desires);
shrotraM (the listening/the essence of listening) vai
saṃpat (is the wealth/sampat)) shrotre (in the
listening) hi (crtainly) ime (these) sarve (all) vedaa
(knowledge/Vedas)) abhisaMpannaaH (are
accomplished) saM (duly) ha (indeed) asmai (for the
one) padyate (achieves) yaM (whatever) kaamaM
(the desire) kaamayate (desires) ya (who) evaM
(like this) veda (knows) —The one who indeed
knows sampada (the divine wealth), certainly
achieves duly (for the self) whatever the one
desires; the listening (the essence of listening) is
the (divine) wealth/sampat; certainly all these
are accomplished in the listening.
The one who knows like this, duly for the
one (duly for the self), the one indeed achieves
whatever one desires.
Thus raatri who is rayi, is the queen of antariikSha,
and everything in her kingdom is held in 'listening'
or 'shruti'. The illumination here is that of the moon
(chandra), i.e., which is reflective; all reflected within.
In Prashnopanishad (verse 1.5) it is said:
aadityo (aaditya/the sun) ha vai (is indeed) praaNo
(praaNa) rayiH (rayi is) eva (indeed) chandramaa
(the moon) rayiH (rayi) evaa etat (is these) sarvaM
(all) yat (whatever) muurtaM (witform/physical) cha
(and) amuurtaM (without form) cha (and/also)
tasmaad (that is why) muurtiH (a form) eva
(is certainly) rayiH (rayi)------aaditya (the
Sun) is indeed praaNa, rayi is indeed
chandramaa (the Moon); rayi is all these,
whatever with form (physical), and also without
form; that is why any form is certainly rayi.
Thus, vaak who is also called raatri, is rayi, and
everything is her wealth. This is why she is also
daatRi, i.e. the goddess who grants what we desire.
Whatever we experience or listen to, it is retained in
the inner space or antariiKsha as memory. Memory is
called smRiti in Sanskrit. smRiti means, what remains
in darkness as dormant or dead, i.e., mRita, becomes
alive and radiant, i.e., soma, during the time of recall
or remembrance. (smRiti—soma+mRita):it is the
night (raatri) and the moon (soma) together.
(In this context, it is noteworthy that the work on
'morphic resonance and morphic fields' was conducted
by the scientist named Dr. Rupert Sheldrake. There
are many YouTube presentations and articles regarding
this subject on the Internet.)
38. raatri, nishaa and nidraa(sleep).
nishaa is another name for the goddess raatri. This
word, nishaa, means the goddess in whom everyone
lies down and rests.
nishaa = ni (within) + shaya (sleep)+ a ('a' denotes
female gender).
Thus, we rest in her when we are withdrawn from our
external orientation, or from the state of wakefulness.
So, she is also called nidraa, i.e., sleep. nidraa =ni
(in/within) + draa (draavaNa= fuse)= state of getting
fused or blended within. During the state of deep
sleep, we get blended with the Soul.
39. The mesmerizing night (raatri). rajanii. The
Egyptian god 'Ra and goddess Raet-Tawy'.
One of the names of raatri is rajanii. The word rajanii
is from the verb raj, which means 'to dye', 'to
illuminate with colour'. rajanii means the 'coloured
goddess'. The night is dark because in her (in the
goddess raatri,) all illumination remains within her by
her attraction. She is called kRiShNaa because she
attracts. The word kRiShNa means 'dark and
attractive', and kRiShNaa is the feminine form
of kRiShNa. The related root word is kRiSh, which
means 'to attract'. The dark goddess Night impels all
the ignorance, or tama.(Refer to the Rik Veda verse
10.127.3 quoted in the Section 35 above.)
Here is another verse (10.127.2) from the Rik Veda:
orvapraa amartyaa nivato devyudvataH|
jyotiShaa baadhate tamaH||
(RikVeda verse 10.127.2)
Word-word meaning.
orvapraa--aa (as far as) uru (vast) apraaH (filled)
amartyaa---a martyaa---not mortal, immortal
nivato---depth/down
devyudvataH--devii (the goddess) udvataH
(up/above)
jyotiShaa --by the light
baadhate---resists
tamaH--the ignorance
Consolidated meaning.
As far as (it goes), the immortal goddess has
filled above and below by the light (by her
illumination), resisting the (infringement of)
ignorance. (Rik Veda Verse 10.127.2)
(We have mentioned above that raatri (rayi), the
goddess of night, keeps the rays/the light within
her, by her attraction (kRiSh), and so she is known
as kRiShNaa.)
While departing to set, aadiyta (the Sun) or praaNa,
along with her consort raatri (rayi), the goddess of
night, is described as looking at the immortals and
the mortals, enabling them to rest in their respective
places. This is stated in a Rik Veda verse (1.35.2).
Rik Veda Verse 1.35.2:
aa kRiShNena rajasaa vartamaano niveshayann
amRitam martyaM cha |
hiraNyayena savitaa rathenaa devo
yaati bhuvanaani pashyan || (Rik Veda verse
1.35.2).
aa -- all pervading
kRiShNena --- along with the attractive /dark
rajasaa ----(along with) rajas; raj = to imbue with
colour, to dye; rajas --who imbues/permeates with
colours
vartamaano ----existing/moving
niveshayan--- enabling to rest in place, to settle
amRitam-- the divine entity
martyaM----the mortal entity
cha--- and
hiraNyayena --by the golden
savitaa ---savitaa>savitRi---who is pressing out the
soma, or creating the savana or the periods (as
morning, day, dusk/ beginning, continuity, end)
rathenaa ---(by the) chariot ---the frame that holds
the motion; rathena>ratha= ra (rii= going, motion)+
tha (stationary; stha/sthaaNu=stationary)---motion
held in a stationary frame.
devo----the deity
yaati ---travels, moves on
bhuvanaani---the worlds
pashyan---seeing, beholding
Meaning
Along with the (goddess of) attractive darkness
permeating all, travels savitaa (savtRi) the Sun
God in his golden chariot, enables the immortal
and the mortal to settle; the deity beholding the
worlds as he moves on. (Rik Veda verse 1.35.2.)
It appears that the names of the Egyptian Sun
god 'Ra' and his female form (or the consort) 'Raet
Tawy' are related to the aspects of Consciousness
mentioned as 'raatri' and 'rayi' in the Upanishads.
The word 'Ra' resembles the word 'raya', also the word
'ravi' means 'the sun', and 'rava' means 'sound'.'
The word 'Tawy' resembles the word 'rayi'. The word
'Raet' resembles the word 'raat'; 'raata' means
'bestowed' and 'raatri' means the goddess who
bestows. (We have mentioned in section 35 that
'raatri' means 'daatRi', i.e., 'the goddess who gives—
donates what is desired.) In this context, the English
word 'rest' seems to be connected to the Egyptian
word 'Raet'. Night, or raatri, is the time to rest.
40. raatri, rati, mithuna (cohabitation), and
viirya (virility).
The word rati signifies the sexual union and pleasure,
amorous enjoyment. rati is also the divine
personification of the above aspects and is the wife of
kaama deva. kaama is the desire of the Soul to
become many. We have discussed kaama and kaala at
the beginning of this article.
The word rati is related to the word rata. rata means
'attached', 'engaged', 'one staying in another'.
We mentioned in the previous section about the
attraction by raatri the goddess of night. She holds us
in her. She is also the faculty by which the sperm
and seeds are held in the progenitor and in pitRi-loka
(the world of the divine fathers). She is inherently the
power or faculty by which the two partners stay in
each other; such an act of staying is also called rati,
and another name for it is mithuna. We have earlier
narrated the mithuna of vaak and praaNa, and that of
vaak and mana (mind) in Section 32 above.
In Consciousness, mithuna, rati, or intercourse means
the splitting of Oneness, or the Soul, into two, and
then each one staying in the other, fulfilling each
other's desire. The knowledge of mithuna, or rati,
allows one to be in full self-control and constant
awareness of the unfazed Soul or Oneness, while in an
act of intercourse. The goddess who relieves or
enlightens one with this power of rati is raatri. tri =
tra= traaNa= act of rescuing, relieving. Thus in the
verse 1.13 of Prashnopanishad, it is said:
brahmacharyam (roaming in brahma/being active in
brahma) eva (indeed is) tad (that) yad (that/when)
raatrau (during the night) ratyaa
(in the intercourse) saMyujyante (engages)----It is
indeed an act in brahma (brahman) when,
during the night (raatri), one engages
in intercourse. (Quoted from verse 1.13 of
Prashnopanishad.)
raatri bestows rati, or the power to hold during
cohabitation: this means the one who gets this
power, called rati, is the one who remains
attached to the immutable soul in every moment
of existence and never feels detached. This is
the meaning of brahmacharya: to roam in
brahma. This is why it is said— aatmnaa vindate
viiryaM——by knowing the Soul, one attains the
strength.The word 'viirya' means strength, as
well as virility. (Refer to Kenopanishad verse
2.4.)
Every action is an act of cohabitation (mithuna); in our every moment the self gets in touch with the perception and becomes that. We don't perceive anything without becoming it. But at the same time, in the core, we remain untouched, unchanged as the immutable Soul.
However, if one does not know this, then whatever
time it might be, one actually cohabits during the time
called day (divaa).
Night time means the time that carries the Goddess
Night (raatri), and daytime means the time that
carries 'aha', the god of the day. Day means the time
when creation, manifestation, and splitting happen; it
is not the time of the 'unified state'.
Here is a quote from the verse 1.13 ofPrashnopanishad : praaNaM (praaNa--vitality) vaa
(indeed) ete (these) praskandanti (spurt/effuse) ye
(who) divaa (during the day) ratyaa (in the
intercourse) saMyujyante (engage)—These (persons), who, during the day, engage in
(Any perception or formation, or creation in
Consciousness is the outcome of the union of vaak and
praaNa, and vaak and mana. We have narrated this
before in this article.)
41. raatri as nakta.
'nakta' is another word for 'night' or 'raatri'. 'nakta'
means the one who is characterized by 'na'.
'na' means negative, and 'na' also means bliss or joy.
It is the joy of finding no one else but the self or the
Soul everywhere. Thus, black is the colour of 'joy or
bliss'.
This blissful negative form of Consciousness has been
described in the Upanishads, and here is a part
quoted from the Chandogya Upanishad, Verse 7.24.1:
yatra (where) na (nothing) anyat (other than/other
than the Soul) pashyati (sees) na (nothing) anyat
(other than/other than the Soul) shRiNoti (hears)
na (nothing) anyat (other than/other than the Soul)yatra (where) anyat (other than/other
than the Soul) pashyati (sees) anyat (other
than/other than the Soul) shRiNoti (hears) anyat
(other than/other than the Soul) vijaanaati
(experiences) tat (that is) alpaM (less/limited) yo
(who) vai (is indeed) bhuumaa (bhuumaa>bhuuman-
-infinite abundance) tat (that is) amRitam (immortal)
atha (and then) yat (that what is) alpaM (less/
limited) tat (that is) martyM (mortal)---Where one
sees nothing other than the Soul, hears nothing
other than the Soul, and experiences nothing
other than the Soul, that is 'bhuuman' — the
infinite abundance, and now, where one sees
things as different from the Soul, one hears
things as different from the Soul, and one
experiences things as different from the Soul,
that is less (limited), that is mortal.
The universal Soul who has expressed itself in
infinite abundance, is called bhuumaa (bhuuman), and
in the Chandogya Upanishad, it is mentioned that
bhuumaa (bhuuman) is the bliss—yo (that what) vai
(indeed is) bhuumaa (bhuuman-- the infinite
abundance) tat (that is) sukhaM (bliss)
na (not) alpe (in limitaion) sukham (pleasure/bliss)
asti (exists) bhuuma (bhuuman-- the infinite
abundance) eva (is indeed) sukhaṃ (the bliss)—That
is indeed what bhuuman (the infinite
abundance) is—that is the bliss. Bliss does not
exist in what is limited; the infinite abundance is
indeed the bliss. (Quoted from verse 7.24.1 of
the Chandogya Upanishad.)
42. Night in fifteen phases and the phaseless
immutable Soul. sadyojaata shiva.
We have mentioned earlier about praaNa as
prajaapati, i.e., praaNa who is rearing and nourishing
the creation. This act of rearing and developing the
creation is intended to bring about self-realization
in every entity; every entity ultimately realizes it
as 'bhuuman'.
This act of regulation of Consciousness that
nurtures, develops, and transforms us is appearing as
the cycles of time or events and is known as
samvatsara. We have narrated 'saMvatsara' earlier.
praaNa who is prjaapati and manifesting as
saMvatsara, has sixteen 'kalaa'. (Refer to Verse
1.5.14 and 1.5.15 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.)
The word 'kalaa' is the feminine form of the word
'kala'. 'kala' means the act of calling, or simply
'calling'. The dictionary says that 'kala' is a low or
soft inarticulate sound, like humming or buzzing. kala
is the calling of Consciousness, calling back everyone
to get merged into its Oneness; we have mentioned
this call as the voice of Silence, in Section 32 above.
As explained before, this call is initiating changes in
us; Consciousness who is calling us back, is
aahavaniiya agni. Consciousness as dakShiNa-agni is
changing and transforming us, and this is the
regulatory action of the lunar domain, and is
appearing as time.
Faculty of Consciousness changing us is kalaa, and it
has been stated that there are fifteen aspects of kalaa.
Each kalaa, is an aspect of goddess raatri, and in each
such capacity she illuminates and fills the being with
somaa, with the streams of perceptions and senses,
and this is her waxing form; and then she withdraws
the streams and illumination, and this is her waning
form. Withdrawing means taking back into Oneness.
Now, the first aspect (kalaa) consists of 'full moon and
new moon personalities of Consciousness together;
the other aspects are the first phase of lunar waxing
and waning together, the second phase of lunar
waxing and waning together, the third phase of waxing
and waning together, and so on. This makes the
fifteen kalaa. Now, it has been stated in the above-
mentioned verses of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
that there is a sixteenth kalaa, which is called
dhruvaa. dhruvaa is the feminine form of the word
dhruva. 'dhruvaa' means the one who is constant or
never changes. This means in every change, in
every waxing and waning, there is a constant form;
there exists the eternal, immutable Soul in the
background of the activities. Thus, it is mentioned: sa
(He) eSha (this) saMvatsaraH (saMvatsara)
prajaapatiH (prajaapati) ShoDashakalaH
(having sixteen kalaa), tasya (his) raatraya (raatri
--the goddess of night) eva (is indeed) pa~nchadash
kalaaH (fifteen kalaa) dhruvaa (the immutable form)
evaa (indeed) asya (his) Shodashi (sixteenth)
kalaaH (kalaa); sa (he) raatribhiH (by the nights)
evaa (indeed) cha (and) puuryateH (filled) apa
cha kShiiyate (cha--and/also; apa kShiiyate—
drained) —He, this saMvatsara is prajaapati
having sixteen kalaa; raatri (the goddess
of night) is indeed his fifteen kalaa; dhruvaa—the
immutable form is indeed his
sixteenth kalaa. He
is indeed filled by nights and also drained. (Part
quoted from the verse 1.5.14 of the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad.)
In the next verse 1.5.15 of the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad, the sixteen phases are mentioned in the
context of every individual. Thus, the immutable soul
in every being has been mentioned as the dhruvaa
kala, or the kalaa that is immutable and eternal.
The treasure, or vitta, has been mentioned as the
other fifteen phases, or kalaa. 'vitta' means 'wealth' or
'treasure'; the formation in Consciousness that we
achieve at every moment of our existence is a wealth;
it is a unique form of existence (vid) or posture
(kalaa). Each of the fifteen Kalas (kalaa) is a posture
of the goddess raatri, a way she has embraced the
immutable soul.
The word 'vitta' which means 'wealth', has originated
from the verb 'vid'. 'vid' means 'to know'. 'vid' also
means 'to exist'. Each knowing or perception, and
the corresponding formation or existence in
Consciousness, is a wealth or acquirement.
Every number has a character besides its numerical
entity, and the perception of that character brings us
nearer to the divine personality of that number.
raatri in fifteen (panchadasha) phases (kalaa)
coexists with praaNa, or prajaapati. The creation
belongs to prajaapati. Ten is dasha in Sanskrit, and
the word dashaa means a 'state' or 'situation'. A
created entity is represented by the number ten,
because it is a situation or a state created from
Consciousness. For the same reason, gRihapati agni,
whose one of the aspects is the physical or materialized
universe, is assigned the number ten. agni-
maNDala or vahni-maNdala means the sphere
(maNDala) of agni, or vahni. agni- maNDala, or vahni-
maNdala has been described as having ten phases, or
kalaa.
praaNa or prajaapati is functioning in every being in
five forms, which are called praaNa, vyaana, apaana,
samaana, udaana. (Refer to the Prashnopanishad,
Chapters Three and Four.) So, praaNa or prjaapati has
fifteen (five + ten) aspects or kala (which are also
fifteen phases or postures of the Goddess Night).
The sixteenth phase has been mentioned as aatman,
or the immutable soul in every being, in verse 1.5.15
of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
The word for sixteen is ShoDaSha in Sanskrit.
ShoDaSha = ShaD (six) + dasha (ten). ShaD, or 'six'*,
is the number for sweetness and represents the
sweetness of the immutable soul, or praaNa.
(*Six is the number for sweetness. A honeybee has
six legs. Aromatic compounds are built on basic rings
of six carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms. A sugar
crystal has a hexagonal prism shape. The word sex in
Latin means six. Six is ShaD/ShaSh/ShaT in Sanskrit.)
The number sixteen, or ShoDaSha, implies the
immutable Soul amidst all the changes that are
happening by the action of fifteen kalaa of raatri, who
is the faculty or consort of the Soul. So behind
every change, there exists the never-changing,
constant (dhruva) Soul. Thus, in the context of the
presence of the immutable One behind the changes,
every event is a 'nascent ', because the origin of the
event does not age. The Soul, as 'nascent', or as
'a newborn baby', is worshipped during the ritual
named 'shiva-raatri.(Refer to Section 36 above for
shiva-raatri.) The Soul (shiva) is then called
'sadyojaata', i.e., sadyo/sadyas (just) jaata (born).
sadyojaata-shiva is bathed with honey (madhu),
during the ritual.
The last part of verse 1.5.14 of the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad says that on the day of the new moon,
prajaapati enters every being with his sixteen kalaa
and emerges in the morning. This means, our every
morning, our every instantaneous personality in
Consciousness is the emergence of Consciousness, or
praaNa, as prajaapati with his sixteen kalaa. Thus, in
every moment of our existence, in every frame of our
personalities, there is dhruvaa kalaa (the immutable
form) and the fifteen kalaa of raatri.
Thus, the last portion of verse 1.5.14 is as below:
saH (he) amaavaasyaaM (in the new moon)
raatrim (night) etayaa (with these) ShoDasyaa
(sixteen) kalayaa (kalaa) sarvam (all) idaM (these)
praaNabhRit (reared by praaNa/creature)
anupravishya (entering) tataH (from that) praataH
(in the morning) jaayate (generates itself)
tasmaad (this is why) etaM (in this) raatrim (night)
praaNabhRitaH (a creature's) praaNaM (life) na
(do not) vicchindyaat (sever/take away) api (even)
kRikalaasasya* (from/of a lizard) etasyaa (of this)
eva (indeed) devataayaa (deity's) apachityai
(honouring) -----He (prajaapati), in the night of the
new moon, after entering with these sixteen
kalaa into this all reared by praaNa, generates
himself in the morning from that state; this is
why, in this night (of the new moon), never take
the life away, even from a lizard, in the honour
of this deity. (Last portion of verse 1.5.14 of the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.)
The above words tell that our every moment is a form
of prajaapati (praaNa) with his consort raatri (vaak)
in her fifteen forms and the immutable Soul or the
Oneness as the sixteenth form.)
[* In the above verse, the word kRikalaasya is the
singular genitive case of the noun kRikalaasa. The
general meaning of the word kRikalaasa is 'a lizard,' a
chameleon.' Etymologically, the word means:
'kRi' ( to do, make) + 'kala' (neutral state of kaala
from where action of time originates) + 'as' (to take
place, to come into existence) + 'a' = anything
whatsoever created by the action of time. So, the
word kRikalaasa may mean any trivial entity or being.
The word 'cockroach' may have originated from the
word kRikalaasa.]
43. New moon night---amaavaasyaa.
Generally, the word amaavaasyaa means the time of
the new moon. In the above verse, the clause
'amaavaasyaaM raatrim' has been used to say 'in the
night of new-moon'. We have explained the word
amaa in Section 30(v) above. amaa means the
Consciousness who is beyond measure. a = without;
maa = measure. The main word is ama, which means
the One who is everything, from 'a', i.e., what is not
realized, what is without any tangibility, to 'ma', i.e.,
what is mortal, or realized/physical, what is muurta or
embodied. So, ama/amaa is Consciousness, who is
everything, and everything is included within it. The
word vaasyaa is from the root word 'vas', meaning 'to
dwell'. Thus, amaavaasya means 'staying with 'ama/
amaa', and this is the significance of the new moon
period: everything is covered by 'ama/amaa', or
everything is within ama/amaa; this is the significance
of darkness. As amaa/ama is everything, so every
entity and every being dwells with ama/amaa; this is
why one of the meanings of the word amaa is 'with' or
together'.
Here is a clause from verse 5.2.6 of the Chandogya
Upanishad: amo (ama) naamaa (name) asi (is)—
your name is ama;
te (you) sarvam (all) idaM (this)—certainly,
together with you(exists) all this.
44. Full moon night---puurNimaa.
puurNimaa means the full moon night or the full moon
period. The word puurNimaa originates from the word
puurNa, meaning 'full', or 'complete'.
puurNimaa means the complete, full expression of the
moon, or chandramaa, who is the elixir soma, flooding
everyone's innerspace, or antariikSha, with the
senses, perceptions, and feelings. The word 'puurNi'
means the 'flood' or 'stream' for filling (puura).
puurNimaa means the one who is endowed with the
aspect of flooding, filling everyone with consciousness,
i.e., with the streams of sound, touch, vision, taste,
and smell, with the feelings. This is why the waxing
period of the moon is called aapuuryamaana (filling)
pakSha (period), as mentioned in Section 30(iii).
The meaning of puurNimaa as experienced by the
seers is expressed in the following verse (known as
the shanti mantra (the sacred words of peace) of the
Upanishad: oM puurNamadaH puurNamidaM
puurNaatpurNamudachyate|
puurNasya puurNamaadaaya
. puurNamevaavashiShyate॥
oM shaantiH shaantiH shaantiH॥
puurNam (fullness) aadaaya (drawn)
puurNam (full) eva (only) avashiShyate (remains)
oM shaantiH (peace) shaantiH (peace) shaantiH
(peace)— oM! Full is that; full is this.
From the full, the full emerges.
(When) fullness is drawn from the full,
Full only remains.
oM! Peace, peace, peace!
Another meaning of the word puurNimaa is 'purNi
(completeness)' + 'maa (measure)'—the one who is
whole or complete is experienced by us in parts or
measures.
45. raatri suukta---a hymn to the night.
Here is a hymn to raatri, the divine personality of
Consciousness as the goddess of night, whose veil is
protecting us and whose affection is leading us to
eternity.
saama-vidhaana braahmaNa, Verse 3.8.2.
oM raatriM prapadye puunarbhuuM mayobhuuM
kanyaaM shikhaNDiniiM paashahastaM yuuvatiiM
kumaariNiimaadityaH shriichakShuShe
vaantaH praaNaaya somo gandhaaya aapaH
snehaaya manaH anuj~naaya pRithivyai
shariiraM||
Meaning.
oM
raatriM — to the night;
prapadye — we submit;
puunarbhuuM (punar--repeatedly; bhuuM--creating;
puunarbhuuM = creating herself repeatedly);
mayobhuuM— mayo>mayas= delight; bhuuM--
creating; mayobhuuM---creating herself out of delight;
kanyaaM— kanyaa a girl; kanyaa=kana +ya; kana
= small and shining--divine form of conscious particles
that builds everything---conscious alphabets or letters;
split forms of Consciousness; Consciousness as words;
kanya= Consciousness in fragments, splitting from
Oneness'
shikhaNDiniiM —shikhaNDiniiM>shikhaNDinii; shi ---
to grant, to bestow, to sharpen or make prominent;
khanDinii----split, divided; shikhaNDinii means
Consciousness who splits or divides itself prominently
creating the male form (puruSha) and the female form
(prakRiti, shakti); (refer to the character named
ShikhaNDii (shikhaNDii) mentioned in the epic
Mahabharata).
paashahastaM—paasha hastam--paasha holding in
hand (hasta); paasha= paa (to nourish) + sha (shaas-
-to restrain, to regulate; paasha also means 'divine
leash'; paashahastaM---holding the divine leash to
keep every creature in its intended orbit.
yuuvatiiM —yuuvatiiM>yuvatii----a young woman;
yuvatii>yuv; yuv= to unite, to attach; yuvatii = the
female who is attached; so, raatri as yuvatii is consort
/faculty of the Soul, the two are always united. raatri
is the same as vaak, and vaak is in union with
praaNa; praaNa is the active form of Soul.
kumaariNiim (kumaariNiim> kumaarii= a maiden;
kumaarii is the feminine form of the word kumaara;
kumaara = ku (evil, guilt) + maara (killing,
destroying)---who destroys the evil; kumaarii =
female personality of Consciousness destroying ku, or
evil, and is also known as kaumaarii shakti; she
remains ever maiden/immaculate despite taking the
various word forms, or forms in Consciousness. This is
because in her, in Consciousness, everything happens
in the environment of Oneness, the Oneness in which
duality is included. So, this is how She remains a
maiden, or immaculate virgin, despite creating every
word, or every entity; she never goes beyond
Oneness, even after going into duality or creating
herself as the universe.Duality is the root cause of fear
and experiencing death, and it is the source of all evil.
This kumaarii is making me know that in my every
articulation, in my every formation in Consciousness, I
remain unperturbed in the Oneness or in the
immutable Soul, even getting associated with
whatever I perceive, and I never get obsessed by
them or overwhelmed. The one who knows kumaarii
is the one whose word can remove all evils; such
a knower is invincible.
skanda, or kaartikeya, who is deva-senaapati,
or the general (senaapati) of the soldiers of the deities
(deva), is also called kumaara.
aadityaH shriichakShuShe—aadityaH (the
sun) shrii (radaince) chakShuShe (for the eye)--(She
as) the sun is for supporting the radiance of the eye
(faculty of vision).
vaantaH (the air) praaNaaya (for the vital air)—
(She as) the air is for supporting the vital air.
somo (soma) gandhaaya (for the olfactory and
breathing function)— (She as) the soma is for
supporting the olfactory / breathing function (in us).
aapaH (water) snehaaya (for the tenderness)—(She
as) the water is for supporting (our) tenderness.
manaH (as the mind) anuj~naaya (for the
resolution)— (She as) the mind is for supporting (our)
resolution.
pRithivyai (the earth) shariiraM (the body)----(She
as) the earth (physicality) is protecting (our) body.
Consolidated meaning.
oM! We submit to raatri (the goddess of night),
who is creating Herself repeatedly, creating
Herself out of delight, kanyaa (the divine girl
splitting into fragments), shikhaNDinii (splitting
herself into male and female forms),
paashahastaa (holding the divine
leash to keep every creature in its intended
orbit), yuuvatii (always attached to her consort
praaNa), kumaarii (the divine immaculate
maiden, never touching the duality);
(she as) the sun is for supporting the radiance of
the eye (faculty of vision), (she as) the air is for
supporting the vital air, (she as) the soma (elixir
of the moon) is for supporting the olfactory/
breathing function (in us), (she as) the water is
for supporting (our) tenderness, (she as) the
mind is for supporting (our) resolution, (she as)
the earth (physicality) is protecting (our) body.
(Verse 3.8.2 of saama-vidhaana braahmaNa.)
46. Some remarks on the word shikhaNDi.
1. Consciousness is shikhaNDi, because it is the origin
of both maleness and femaleness. This mystery is
embedded in the character of Shikhandi (shikhaNDi)
described in the epic Mahabharata. Shikhandi
(shikhaNDi) was connected to the famous warrior
BhiShma (bhiiShma) who conquered the desire for sex
and remained a bachelor forever.
told by shiva that the female child would eventually
become a man. shikhaNdi was the princess named
amba in the previous birth. At some point in her life,
Shikhandi (shikhaNdi), met a kind of divine being
called a yakSha, whose name was sthuuNa- karNa,
a male being. sthuuNa-karNa exchanged his sex with
shikhandi, and thus shikhandi became male.
(Refer to<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikhandi>).
shikhaNdi after becoming male, became a warrior
in the battle of kurukShetra, and was instrumental
in vanquishing the great personality (Bhishma)
bhiiShma
2. The word shikhaNDi (shikhaNDin) also means a
peacock. A peacock is the vehicular bird of the
deity skanda or kaartikeya. A peacock is also
called mayuura.
I am quoting below what we published about mayura
in a separate article:
"A peacock is called mayuura. mayuura = me (my) +
uuraH (uurasa>ourasa---sap, secretion from what
belongs to the self, secretion from the heart ---
seminal fluid). So, mayuura= me uuraH -----my
virility. Among the many calls a peacock makes, one
call sounds as ' may-awe' as if saying 'me uuraH —
my virility'. This is a loud nasal sound made at the
dawn and dusk. (Refer to
<https://birdavid.com/peacock-sound/>.) Thus, a
peacock's voice in a way carries the message of the
virility in its very direct words, as if it is announcing
the presence of vaak in its call. Consciousness, who
is vaak, from her we have acquired our reproductive
capabilities, including the faculty of conceiving."
(Refer to "Consciousness, our physical existence, and
the related Vedic-Sanskrit words." in the link
https://vedicsanskritwords.blogspot.com/2023/05/con
sciousness-our-physical-existence.html)
3. shikhaNDin= shi (shiras=head) + khaNDin
(consisting of pieces). The word shi is a verb, and it
means 'to grant', or 'to bestow'. shiras, or the head, is
that location in Consciousness or in the 'Knowledge'
which is the centre of regulation and from where
everything is granted.
When Consciousness grants and bestows,
Consciousness splits from Oneness into vaak and
praaNa. This is why Consciousness is called
shikhaNDin, i.e., the one who is splitting out from the
head. This is culturally exhibited as a tuft or
lock of hair on the crown of the head by certain
members of Brahmin communities, and this lock of
hair is called shikhaa. The peacock exhibits a beautiful
crest, or shikhaa, and this is why a peacock is also
called shikhi.
4.The male members of the Shikh community
of India, who are hailed for their valour and service to
the Indian army, also maintain a tuft of hair on the
head and keep it covered by a turban. Their valour and
participation in the military, and the headdress they
display, remind us of the divine army general (deva-
senaapati) named skanda/kaartikeya with his peacock
(shikhi).
47. Synchronization---samaya. samaaja,
saramaa and paNi.
The word samaya means 'appointed time', 'right time',
etc. samaya = sam (together with, along with)+aya
(going)---going together, synchronized motion, etc.
So, samaya means the time or regulation that creates
synchronized activities.
The word 'samaaja' means 'society'. samaaja implies
sama, or synchronized living with 'aja', or with the one
who is eternal. aja = a (without) + ja (generation),
i.e., who is never born, or the eternal one.
We mentioned in Section 14 that the word shva/shvan
means both time and dog.There is a goddess, who is a
'divine hound', and she has been mentioned in the Rik
veda. Her name is saramaa. saramaa = sa (saha =
along with) +ramaa (delighting, rejoicing). She is the
personified divinity that always coexists with the
pleasure, or the experience, that we experience in the
physicality. Physicality is a part of divinity.
Every moment in the physicality (mortality) has a
divine (immortal) counterpart. So, the divinity always
remains along with the physicality. saramaa is known
as a deva shunii (the divine female dog).
In the Rik veda, it is mentioned that saramaa as a
messenger of indra, the king of heaven, approached
the trading community called paNi and asked them to
return the cows/cattle that they had stolen from heaven.
paNi is related to the word paaNi, meaning 'hand', as
well as a 'trading place', and both the words have
originated from the verb paN, meaning 'to trade'.
In fact, the word paaNi for the hand means any
functional organ or faculty of ours. In every action of
ours, there is a trade between the external world
and the inner world. Every action is a to-and-fro
movement from inside to outside and vice versa.
Whatever we do, it leaves a print in the external
world, and the associated experience or perception
modifies us internally.
We have earlier described elaborately how we and the
physical world are being regulated by divinity. As we
are obsessed with the external world or with
physicality, we can not see how divinity is nourishing
us and enabling our realization at every moment.
We are enjoying our conscious existence every
moment without acknowledging the role of the divinity
active with us all the time. This unawareness is
the stealing of the divine cows. Cow is 'go' in Sanskrit
and is from the verb gam, meaning 'to go'.Our sensory
and functional organs are called go, because we are
moving or roaming in our Consciousness by these
organs or by these faculties which we have got from
the Consciousness, and which are the forms of
Consciousness. This is the fact that was conveyed by
saramaa to the traders called paNi, who were trading
without acknowledging indra or the heaven, and thus
stealing the divine cows. (Refer to the Rik Veda verses
10.108.1 and the subsequent verses. )
48. savana.
One of the meanings of savana is time or period. As
discussed before, the activities of Consciousness
driven by its desire (kaama) are felt as time (kaala).
Our Soul or Consciousness in active form is called
praaNa or ana. The word savana has originated from
the verb su and the word ana; su means 'to move',
'to extract'; and ana means praaNa, Consciousness
flowing as our life. Consciousness is flowing and
extracting from its Oneness all that we are perceiving
and experiencing, and that makes life. This is savana.
Our lifespan has been considered as made of three
savana. The first twenty-four years of life have been
stated as the morning period, and this period is called
praataH- savana; praataH>praata=morning, savana=
period.
The next forty-four years are the maadhyaMdina
savana or the middle term, the midday and
afternoon. maadhyaMdina = maadhyam>madhya
(middle) + dina (day). maadhyama means 'central'
and also that which is 'medium' or which permeates
everything. dina means 'a day' and also 'what is
divided'. dina is from the verb 'do' which means 'to
divide.' Thus, Consciousness as the day, or as dina,
appears in three divisions: morning (praataH-
savana), noon (maadhyaMdina), and evening
(tRitiiiya savana; tRitiiiya = third). The period assigned
for the third (tRitiiya) savana is forty-eight years. So,
an ideal/complete life span is one hundred and sixteen
years (116=24+44+48).
We have discussed previously the sixteen phases of
the moon (soma/chandra/chandramaa).The immutable
Soul, who is called dhruva, is the sixteenth phase
(Kalaa) and the Soul's or praaNa's consort/faculty.
raatri (the goddess of the night), also the faculty of
the Soul/praaNa, has fifteen phases (kalaa), and
together they make the sixteen phases (kalaa) of
prajaapati, by whose regulation our life flows. So,
if we know this regulation and prajaapati, we live 116
years, i.e., we identify ourselves with prajaapati. The
number one hundred is the number that represents
fullness. Living a hundred years means experiencing
the entire period from birth to death as the
expansion of Consciousness as praaNa. Such
expansion happens with Consciousness as an
immutable, unchanged Soul (j~na) in the core. (We
have explained the words j~na and ana in section 12
and various other sections above.)
So, this j~na, who is immutable and has also been
mentioned as dhruvaa (the sixteenth phase/kalaa),
along with vaak or raatri (having the fifteen phases/
kalaa) is making every moment of our existence.
Knowing this keeps me always in Consciousness,
unchanged and immutable at one end, and creating
my own phases at the other end. This leads to
experiencing the completeness (100 years) of the life
that is regulated by Consciousness possessing 16
phases (kalaa). This is living 116 years. (Refer to the
Third Chapter, Sixteenth Part of the Chandogya
Upanishad.)
49. The deities of the life and somayaaga.
In the sixteenth part of the Third Chapter of
Chandogya Upanishad, life has been described as
yaj~na. yaj~na means the sacrificial performance that
enables one to see the regulation (ya/yaj) of the
immutable soul (j~na). The regulating Soul is called
praaNa and also prajaapati.
Thus, verse 3.16.1 of the Chandogya Upanishad says
puruSho (the being/the entity) vaava (is also)
yaj~na—(every) being is also yaj~na (an act of
sacrifice, or an outcome of the regulation of the Soul).
After saying this, the sage describes the three Savanas
(savana) as mentioned above.
We have explained the meaning of the word savana
in Section 48 above. Another meaning of the word
'savana' is the 'extraction of soma'. su= extraction,
ana= praaNa: Consciousness effusing as streams of
perceptions, as sound, light, touch, etc., as the events
of life, or soma.
So, here in this part of the Chandogya Upanishad, the
life of every individual has been stated as the
soma-sacrifice or soma-yaaga (soma-yaj~na).
The first 24 years of the life are regulated by
Consciousness as the divine personalities called vasu.
We have mentioned that the first season, spring
(vasanta), is ruled by the deities called vasu.
(Refer to Sections 24(ii), 24(iii), and 24(iv).)
savana starts with the deities called vasu, who take
care of our dwelling and dressing. vas means to wear,
to dwell, to shine, etc. The regulation of a deity or a
group of deities happens with a specific pattern
/appearance and periodicity/meter; this is called
Chanda. Chanda acts as aachChaadana or a shroud,
protecting the beings who are being controlled by the
deities. So, the first 24 years of life belong to the
domain of the deities called vasu, and the regulation
follows a rhythmic meter or a beat named gaayatrii.
gaayatrii is a type of Vedic meter (Chanda), and any
verse that is composed of this meter has three
stanzas. Each stanza is composed of eight syllables,
making the total number of syllables 24,
corresponding to the 24 years of dominance by the
deities vasu.
Thus the structure of gaayatrii Chanda is 8-8-8.
In this context, it is to be noted that the deities vasu
are also eight in number.
Again, the gaayatri mantra, which is sung to
worship the goddess gaayatri, is also of 24 syllables.
gayatrii is the goddess, and the divine personality of
Consciousness who relieves and rescues our faculties,
our sensory and working organs. We have mentioned
before that these faculties are called go. They are also
called gaya. gaya = ga+ya; ga= gacChati — goes;
ya=aayati-arrives.
By our sensory and working organs, we are always
swinging to and fro; we are going out or orienting
externally, as well as we are returning or orienting
internally. This is gaya, and Consciousness is making
this happen.
So, it is mentioned that as the goddess rescues/
relieves (tatre) gaya, i.e., as She enables our faculties
('go') to function, so she is called gaayatrii. Not only
that, Consciousness is carrying our faculties or
carrying us beyond limitations and mortality, to
eternity. So this is also the act of rescuing gaya.
Here is a part quoted from verse 5.14.4 of
Brihadaranyaka Upansihad:
saa (she) ha (certainly) eSha (this) gayaaM (gaya
tatre (rescues/ relieves); praaNaa (praaNa in various
forms, faculties) vai (indeed are) gayaaH (gaya),
tat (that) praaNaaM (the faculties; the functions of
praaNa/ sensory and working organs) tatre (rescues/
relives/ enables); tat (that) yat (since) gayaaM
(gaya/ faculty of perception and action) tatre
(rescues/relieves) tasmaad (that is why) gaayatrii
(gaayatrii) naama (is the name)—She certainly
rescues and relieves this 'gaya'; praaNa in
various forms (as sensory and working organs)
is indeed 'gaya'; that (gaayatrii) rescues and
relieves the faculties (the functions of praaNa
/sensory and working organs); since that
(gaayatrii) rescues/relieves gaya (faculty
of perception and action), that is why gaayatrii
is the name. (Part quoted from verse 5.14.4 of the
Brihadaranyaka Upansihad.)
After the first 24 years of life, the next 44 years
are regulated by the deities called rudra. We have
described the deities called rudra in Sections 24(v)
and 24(vi). In the domain of vasu, our faculties
develop, and we are dressed to dwell. In the domain of
rudra, we experience what is all destined for us. (We
need to understand that all three savan, or the
periods, act simultaneously.) Chanda, or the meters
of the deities rudra is called triShTubh.
Similar to gaayatrii chanda, the triShTubh Chanda
which belongs to the deities rudra, has the structure
11-11-11-11, i.e., it consists of four stanzas, each
stanza having eleven syllables corresponding to 11
rudras.The dominance of 11 rudras spans over 44
(11*4)years.
triShTubh = tri (three) + stubh (uttering joyful sound,
praising). The three agni (aahavaniiya, dakShiNa,
gRihapati) are satisfied by the soma extracted by
rudra. (Refer to Section 25(v).This is represented by
three stubh (triShTubh), or three articulations of joys
due to the actions of the deities called rudra.
While living during the period regulated by the deities
called vasu, one prays to them, saying that one's
life be extended from the morning (the domain of
vasu) to noon (the domain of rudra).
After the domain of rudra, begins the domain of
aaditya. We have described in detail the deities aditya
and Consciousness as aditi in Sections 19 and 20 and
in many other sections of this article. The period of
this dominance is 48 years. The deities called aaditya
are twelve in number, and they appear as twelve
months.
Each month, each aaditya is taking each of
us to the divinity and Oneness along with the time/
regulation specific to that month. Refer to the clause
'aadadaanaa yanti', explained in Section 19 above.
The Chanda of the deities aaditya is called jagatii.
(Refer to Verse 3.16.5 of the Chandogya
Upanishad.)
The word 'jagatii' is the female form of the word
'jagat'. The origin of these two words is the verb
'gam' which means 'to go, to move'. This is why the
universe is also called jagat, i.e., an entity that is in
motion; motion is the outcome of the regulation of
Consciousness, and is perceived as time.
jagatii Chanda is the rhythm of the regulation of
Consciousness, by which every entity is placed in
motion, every entity is made dynamic. This motion is
taking everyone back to the origin or to the universal
Oneness, by the twelve deities called the aaditya.
The best explanation of jagatii Chanda is the first
stanza of the first verse of the Ishopanishad; it says:
ishaavaasyamidaM sarvaM yatki~ncha
jagatyaaM jagat—iishaa (by the iishaa/by the
ruler) vaasyaM (is shrouded /is made to dwell) idaM
(this) sarvaM (all) yad ki~ncha (whatever)
jagatyaaM (within the moving frame/within the
moving one) jagat (is moving)—By the ruler of
the universe is shrouded all these (and all are
made to dwell), whatever is moving (jagat)
within the moving one (jagatyaaM).
The period of 48 years corresponds to 48 syllables of
jagatii Chanda, and they are arranged in 4 stanzas.
The deities called aaditya are 12 in number, and thus
jagatii Chanda has the structure of 12-12-12-12.
Thus, at the end, mortal life transcends into divinity,
and this is experienced by the one who knows
this regulation of Consciousness. The knower lives the
full life-----puurNaayu----puurNa (whole) aayu (span
of life); the whole span of life has been numerically
described as 24+44+48=116 years. ( Refer to Verse
3.16.6 and 3.16.7 of the Chandogya Upanishad.)
50. The seven saama---The seven type of
regulations emanating from the divine eye
aadiya the sun. The seven musical meters.
The second part of the ninth chapter of the
Chandogya Upanishad describes the seven kinds of
regulations acting on us from the divine eye, the eye
of Consciousness, appearing as the sun in our
terrestrial sky. Thus it is said:
sarvadaa samastena saama maaM prati maaM
prati iti sarveNa samastena saama||
(A part quoted from Verse 2.9.1 of Chandogya
Upanishad.)
Meaning.
sarvadaa (always) samaH (the same) stena (so)
saama (saama) maaM prati (prati—towards; maaM-
—me; maaM prati—towards me) maaM prati
towards me) iti (it is); sarveNa (with
everyone) samaH (same) stena (so) saama (saama)
—Always the same, so (aaditya/the sun) is
saama. '(Looking) towards me, towards me' —
(the way) it is (felt by everyone), so saama.
This is how the sun in our sky, aaditya, Consciousness,
is looking at us; it is the look of the Soul towards the
souls,looking with the feelings of sameness.
This part of the Chandogya Upanishad
narrates seven aspects of saama, which are the
aspects of Consciousness as aaditya, or the Sun, who
regulates our time. We are thus tied and tethered by
time.
Seven aspects of saama.
(i) hiMkaaara.
As long as the Sun does not rise above the horizon,
but the sky is lit with the morning twilight hue of the
sun about to be visible, it is then certain that the Sun
is going to rise. This sense of certainty is called
hiMkaara. him or hiM is an exclamation that carries
the feelings of certainty. Before we see the
self-effulgent Soul or the sun, we are animals, being
slaves of the instincts. So, it is said that the animals
follow the aspect of the sun before the rise.
Thus, verse, 2.9.2 of the Chandogya Upanishad says:
tasmin (on that/ on the sun) imaani (these)
sarvaaNi (all) bhuutaani (beings) anvaayattaani
(depend) iti (thus/like this) vidyaat (should know)
tasya (its/ the Sun's) yat (that what) puraH (pre/
before) udayaat (the rise) (form) sa (that is)
hiMkaaraH (hiMkaara) tad (that) asya (of this
form) pashavaH (the animals) anvaayattaaH
(dependent) tasmaat (that's the reason) te (they
[the animals]) hiM (the sound of assurance/lowing
sound by the animals) kurvanti (make) hiMkaara
(hiMkaara)-bhaajino (share) hi (indeed) etasya
(of this) saamnaH (saammaa)—All these beings
depend on that Sun (aaditya), and thus one
should know.
The form that the Sun has before it rises is
(called) hiMkaara; the animals are dependent on
that form of the Sun (aaditya), and that's the
reason they (the animals) make (articulate) 'hiM'
(the lowing sound the animals make to respond
to or to assure its calves/clan members); they
(the animals) share this (portion) of saama
(praaNa), called hiMkara. (Verse, 2.9.2 of the
Chandogya Upanishad.)
hiMkaara is related to the first musical meter called
saa, and is from saa of saamaa (sameness).
(ii) prastaava.
As the Sun, aaditya, who is saama, showering us
with sameness, who is praaNa and activates in us the
state of wakefulness, who kindles the vision and
realization in us, has tied the human beings
(manuShya) by His time that covers the moments of
first rising (prathamaH--first uditeH---rising). This is
why we, the men and women, aspire; we love to
perform deeds that earn praise; we are enterprising:
we keep living in a state of preparedness to achieve
the laurels.
Thus, the verse, 2.9.3 of the Chandogya Upanishad
says: atha (And now) yat (that) prathamaH
(the first/just) udite (rising) sa (that is called)
prastaavaH (prastaava —the act of presenting) tad
(that) asya (His/aaditya's/Sun's) manuShyaa (the
human beings) anvaayattaaH (are dependent)
tasmaat (that's why) te (they are)
prastutikaamaaH (prastuti— presentation/initiation/
/fond of) prashaMsaakaamaaH (prashaMsaa--
praise; kaamaaH-- lover; fond of) prastaava
(prastaava) bhaaajino (share) hi (indeed) etasya (of
this) hi (indeed) etasya (of this) saamnaH
(saamaa)—And now that (the form of) the (Sun)
(when) just rising, that is called prastaavaH
(prastaava---the act of presenting); the human
beings are dependent on that form of the Sun
(aaditya); that's why they are fond of
presenting/initiating (and are) praise-loving;
they (the human beings) share this (portion) of
saama (praaNa), called prastaava. (Verse 2.9.3 of
the Chandogya Upanishad.)
So, as we evolve from the animal stage to the state of
human beings, we prepare ourselves to know
ourselves and know our divinity.
The regulation prastaava is related to the second
musical meter called re; re is a particle in the Sanskrit
language and a sound generally uttered to dispel
someone or something evil. Thus, those who follow the
prastaava aspect of saama or praaNa, i.e., those who
prepare to implement, first dispel the obstructions,
deflections, and deterrents in the beginning. This is
why, at the beginning of Hindu religious rites, an oath
is taken and evils are dispelled by pronouncing the
sacred words (mantra) as a part of the preparatory
process (prastaava).
(iii) aadi.
After the rise, as the Sun moves up, the time or
the corresponding regulation is called saMgava velaa.
The birds who can fly, i.e., the beings who have
evolved and attained the capability to overcome the
attraction of physicality, follow this regulation called
saMgava velaa. saMgava = saM (joined together) +
gava (cow/cows; the sensory and working organs).
The word 'velaa' means 'time of the day', 'hour', or
'period'. (The English word 'bell', might be related to
the Sanskrit word 'velaa'. A clock bell announces the
hour.)
Our organs, or the faculties, are created out of
Consciousness or praaNa. Organs are the channels in
our Consciousness through which we get connected
with the external world, and the external world gets
connected with us. The external world is the divinity of
Consciousness, and we call it 'external' because of our
limited sense of 'self' or the 'soul'; we do not know
that the external world is part of the universal Soul—
the Soul of every entity.
So, the organs, which we have mentioned as the
channels above, merge into the sameness, which is
saama or praaNa, when the realization happens.
So, during this saMgava vela, the cows, i.e., the
faculties, or the organs, pasture in praaNa, or pasture
with the awareness of praaNa, who is beyond death
and infinite.
Thus, when the saMgava vela arrives, we start flying
above, released from the limitations imposed by
physicality and mortality. This aspect of praaNa or
saama is called aadi. aadi means 'beginning'. It is the
initial state of experiencing the divinity or the
unfolding of divinity. This word, aadi, is from the root
word ad, meaning 'to eat' or 'to experience'. In this
realm of time, we reach the threshold of the divinity,
and so it is said that the birds or the enlightened souls
fly in the (inner sky—antaraakaasha) without any
contrivance, i.e., autonomously.
These flying souls, or the birds, have been mentioned
as vayaaMsi in verse 2.9.4 of the Chandogya
Upanishad. vayaaMsi is the plural form of the word
vayas, meaning 'a bird'. (The word 'vayasa' means
age, i.e., how much time has flown; how much one
has already flown towards the other bank of life.)
We quote below the verse 2.9.4 of the Chandogya
Upanishad: atha (And now) yat (that) saMgava
velaayaaM (the meeting [saM] point/time[velaa] of
the organs [gava] with praaNa ; period after the rise
of the sun and before the noon) sa (that is) aadiH
(aadi/ the beginning) tad (that) asya (of that form)
vayaaMsi (the birds) anvaayattaani (depend)
tasmaat (that's why) taani (they) antarikSheH (in
the inner sky) anaarambaNaani (without any
contrivance) aadaaya (by resorting to) atmaanaM
(the Soul/the Oneness of Consciousness) paripatanti
(fly) aadi-(the beginning/the beginning of the
experience of saama) bhaajiini (share) hi (indeed)
etasya (of this) saamnaH (saama)—And now that
saMgava velaa (the meeting [saM] point/time[velaa]
of the organs [gava] with praaNa ; the period after
the rise of the sun and before noon) which is
aadi (the phase of reaching the threshold
of the world of saama/praaNa), and the birds
(the enlightened souls) follow that; that's why
they fly in the inner sky without any contrivance,
by resorting to the Soul/the Oneness of
Consciousness; (they) indeed share the
beginning (aadi) of this saama (praaNa).
(Verse 2.9.4 of Chandogya Upanishad.)
The regulation aadi is related to the third musical
meter called gaa. gaa is derived from the word
saMgava or gava; recall that saMgava velaa is the
realm of aadi.
(iv) udgiitha.
Now, as the Sun moves further up and reaches
the mid-sky, that state of the Sun/saama/praaNa, or
that period, is called madhyaMdina or the midday
(noon). madhyaMdina= madhya (mid) + dina (day).
We have explained the word maadhyaMdina in section
48 above. maadhyaMdina means the midday period.
.The deities follow this regulation corresponding to the
position of the Sun, when the Sun is in the mid-sky or
when it is exactly (samprati) midday. What
started as aadi reaches its climax when it is
maadhyaMdina, or the midday. This phase of the Sun
or saama is called udgiitha. udgiitha = ud + gii +tha.
ud = above; above the death and all limitations;
gii= gir = words; words or feelings in the inner
plane; Consciousness flowing in our inner space; tha =
tham =sthiti=stability, a resolute status/physical
formation/body/physicality. Thus, Consciousness, who
is above (ud) mortality, who is unbound, who is
flowing as soma or the streams of sensations (gi) in
the inner space (antariikSha), who is the physicality
/mortality, and exists as embodied entities of the
physical universe (tha), is udgiitha. Consciousness
has risen above, ,exhibiting its three self-expressions:
divinity (ud), all-pervading-interconnecting inner space
(gii), and the physicality (tha).
So, the deities follow udgiitha. The verse 2.9.5 of
Chandogya Upanishad is quoted below: atha (And
now) yat (that) samprati (when exactly)
madhyaMdine (the midday) sa (that is) udgiithaH
(udgiitha) tad (that) asya (of this Sun/saama/
/praaNa) devaa (the deities) anvaayattaaH
(follow) tasmaat (that's why) te (they) sattamaaH
(are the most deply rooted in the truth)
praajaapatyaanaam (among the children of
prajaapati) udgiitha (udgiitha/udgiitha aspect of
saama/praaNa) bhaajino (share) hi (indeed) etasya
(of this) saamnaH (saama)—And now that,
when exactly it is the midday, that is udgiitha,
and the deities follow that aspect of this Sun/
saama/ praaNa; that's why, among the children
of prajaapati, they are most deeply rooted in the
truth. (Verse 2.9.5 of the Chandogya Upanishad.)
The fourth musical meter is maa. maa/ma is related
to madhyaMdina, which is the time of udgiitha.The
Sanskrit letter 'ma' represents climax and finality;
like the word 'uttama' which means 'best', 'charama'
means 'extreme'. (Thus, the word sattama used in the
above verse is significant because it ends with the
syllable 'ma'; sattama means 'the most deeply rooted
in the truth [satya].)
(v) pratihaara.
As the Sun starts descending, the first phase of
the descent supports the womb (garbha). This phase
is the period after midday and before the afternoon.
It is the regulation that acts on a being during the
descent from the divinity. This regulation, or this
aspect of saama supports the embryo and the fetus,
allowing them to be held securely inside the womb.
This aspect of saama or praaNa is called pratihaara.
pratihaara = prati (towards)+ haara (carrying away)
—the act of carrying away from the divinity, or the act
of picking an aspect of Consciousness from the
divinity, to create an entity.
Here is verse 2.9.6 of the Chandogya Upanishad:
atha (And now) yad (that) uurdhvaM (beyond)
madhyaMdinaat (madhyaMdina--midday) praak
(before) aparaahNaat (afternoon) sa (that is)
pratihaaraH (pratihaara---act of carrying away) tad
(that) asya (of it's; of it's form called garbha) garbha
(the embryos) anvaayattaaH (follow) tasmaat
(that's why) te (they) pratihRitaaH (those carried
into the wombs) na (not/does not) avapadyante (fall
down)—And now that (when it is) beyond midday
(and) before afternoon, that is pratihaara (act of
carrying away) (and) that form (of saama/
praaNa) is followed by the embryos; that's why
they do not fall down (from the womb)—they do
not suffer miscarriage. (Verse 2.9.6 of the
Chandogya Upanishad.)
We and the universe are growing in the womb of the
Mother Consciousness, and this is why vaak is called
vaagambhRiNii----vaak + ambhRiNii. ambhRiNii is
derived from the word 'ambhRiNa'. ambhRiNa =
am/ama (power/vigour/tejas---semen virile) + bhRi
(bearing, carrying).
The fifth musical meter is paa. paa means to protect,
or to guard, and is thus related to the protection of
garbha (womb) and pratihaara.
(vi) upadrava.
.Here is verse 2.9.7 of the Chandogya Upanishad:
atha (And now) yad (that) uurdhvam (up/beyond)
aparaahNaat (afternoon) praak (prior) astamayaat
(setting) sa (that is) upadravaH (upa—proximity;
dravaH—running/fleeing/disappearing) tad (that)
Before we are born on earth, we remain within the Fathers, and at the end (nidhana) of our life, we go back to them to exist within them.
apraaNo hyamanaaH shubhro hyakSharaat parataH paraH || (Verse 2.1.2).
saMdhyaa generally means the time, (i) when it is
neither night nor morning, and when the morning is
forthcoming, it is called praataH sandhayaa;
(ii) when it is neither forenoon nor afternoon it is
called madhyaahna sandhayaa;
(iii) when it is neither day nor night, and the
night is forthcoming, it is called saayam sandhya.
These are the three forms of Consciousness that
govern the beginning, continuity, and termination and
are addressed as tri (three)-saMdhyaa.
The word saMdhyaa is related to the word sandhi,
which means a point or domain of 'transition'.
The three saMdhyaa which we described earlier,
correspond to three savana.
(Refer to Section 48 for the description of three
savana.)
We have earlier described the three savana, and they
correspond to the three sandhaya.
praataH savana is manifested from the state of
praataH sandhaya, and that generates the morning
everywhere in the universe, and is the morning in
every event of the universe. praata (praatar) means
'morning'.
madhyaahna sandhaya creates the midday or
maadhyaMdina savana. This is neither forenoon nor
afternoon. This is the period of continuity, when the
development or evolution takes place by the process
of experiencing or assimilating all that Consciousness
imparts to us, and we describe that as our perceptions
or our existence.
The word madhyaahna means madhya (middle) ahna
(day), i.e., midday.
tRitiiya savana is manifested from the state of
saayam sandhaya, and that generates the evening
everywhere in the universe, and is the evening in
every event of the universe. saayam means 'evening'.
Thus, Consciousness is always active: creating the
beginning, existence (continuity), and termination
everywhere. Consciousness is shining with three
colours, corresponding to three dimensions of time,
and three colours of creation, continuity, and
termination; these colours are respectively,
red (lohita), white (shukla), and dark (kRiShNa).
Consciousness as the three samdhyaa is worshipped
as the goddess gaayatrii. gaayatrii is veda-maata
(mother), or the mother of all the veda. The endless
ways in which Consciousness knows Consciousness,
the endless ways in which Consciousness gets itself
within itself, and the endless ways in which we get
ourselves within ourselves are called veda.
Consciousness has constructed every grain of the
universe by its knowledge, by its feelings, and by its
desire. The seat of the feelings is the 'eye' or the
'Sun', and the goddess gaayatrii is said to be located
within the 'Sun—suurya (solar)-maNdala (sphere)-
madhyasthaaM (in the middle of, within)—located
within the solar sphere.
gaayatrii= gayaam (the sensory and working
faculties) tatre (rescues/ relieves)—the One who
rescues the sensory and working faculties from the
mortality or limitations (imposed by time and space)
due to the lack of Self (Soul) knowledge.
In section 49 we have narrated verse 5.14.4 of the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, which says that the
goddess gaayatrii takes our sensory and working
faculties beyond mortality. This transcends us into
divinity or eternity.
praataH sandhyaa is the domain of the Rik veda.
Consciousness creating motion (Ri) and colour/vision
(ka) is Rik veda. This represents any manifestation,
i.e., the morning.
During praataH sandhyaa, the goddess gaayatrii is
mentioned as having the appearance of a 'kumaarii
(a maiden) attached to the Rik veda.
kumaarii means the faculty of Consciousness that
destroys (maara) evil (ku). Through the knowledge of
the Rik veda, we find everything as the expression of
Consciousness; everything in the external universe
becomes a conscious entity, behaving and interacting
consciously, and existing above mortality. This
transformation is the destruction of evil.
(We have earlier explained the word kumaarii in
Section 45 above.)
madhyaahna sandhaya is the domain of the yajur
veda. Consciousness who connects every entity to
every entity, has established the conscious
network everywhere in the universe throughout the
domains of time and space and does so by its
sensation, or feeling, or knowledge, called the yajur
veda.
Being the connector of the universe, Consciousness
is the universal medium and thus is the madhyaahna
sandhaya; madhyaahna means midday, and also
means the day that is in the middle or within every
phase of the day or every manifested entity,
connecting every event of the day from the dawn to
the evening and from the evening to the dawn by
the thread of Oneness.
Thus, our sensory and functional faculties are parts of
the yajur-veda aspect of Consciousness.
This is why yajur-veda elaborately describes the
process of performing various rites or yaj~na. yaj
means to get joined or yoked. yajana is the noun form
of the verb yaj, and means the process of getting
joined with the Consciousness, who is immutable, One
and many simultaneously, infinite and absolutely
independent, and who is everything.The word yaj~na,
the performance or the sacrifice that connects (yaj) to
the immutable Soul who is called j~na. The active
form of j~na is called j~naana, or the knowledge or
Consciousness. j~naana = j~na +ana(praaNa). So,
Consciousness is immutable, untouched, and inactive
as j~na and simultaneously active, multiplying, and
regulating as ana. The action or regulation (ya)
of j~na is called yaj~na, and also the sacrifice or the
work we perform to know j~na is called yaj~na.
The goddess gaaytarii has been described to be in the
form of yuvatii and yajur veda during madhyaahna
sandhyaa. yuvatii means the faculty of Consciousness
that enables one to unite with the immutable
Soul. yu means 'to unite'. (The general meaning of
yuvatii is 'a young woman'.) We have earlier explained
the word yuvatii in Section 45 above.
saayam sandhyaa is the domain of the saama veda.
The goddess gaaytarii has been described as vRiddhaa during saayam sandhyaa. The word vRiddhaa means an old woman and is from the verb vRidh, meaning 'to grow.' A real definition of an old person is one who has realized oneself as Consciousness, though immutable, has expanded from birth to the end of life.Life returns to the origin, to the Soul from whom it
unfolds. This is the wisdom experienced during the
evening of ife or during the period of sayaam
saMdhyaa.
saMdhyaa also means the location where a junction or a confluence exists. Thus, where we dream, it is the confluence of the state of deep sleep and that of awakening, called sandhi (junction) sthaana (place). (Refer to verse 4.3.9 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.)
Thus, the dream is the field of creation. Consciousness
dreams to create. It is stated in the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad, that the state of dream demonstrates that
the Soul or Consciousness is self-effulgent (svayam-
jyoti) and self-manifesting (svayam-prakaasha).
There, it creates everything out of itself, out of the
Soul, without any involvement of the external
world.
Anything and everything is created here in absolute
freedom and is experienced; and still, as the
immutable Soul, Consciousness remains unattached,
and uninvolved (asa~nga). (Refer to Verse 4.3.15 of
the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.)
Thus it is said in Brahma Sutra 3.2.1: sandhye
sriShTiraaha hi---sandhye (in the place of junction)
sriShTiH (the creation) aaha (it is said) hi (indeed)---
It is indeed said that the creation (happens) in
the junction. (Brahma Sutra 3.2.1.)
58. Large scale cycles of time--the four eras
(yuga), and the four castes (of the Hindu
society).
The vision of Consciousness creates the time that
rolls as periods and cycles; and it is mapped in
nature, in the societies, in the qualities of the people,
in the castes and clans, and in the species.
Following is a brief narration of the large-scale time
periods:
1 kalpa =4,320,000,000 years= 4.32 Billion years=1
day of Brahmaa (brahmaa) who has created the
perceptible universe;
1 kalpa = 1000 yuga cycles; yuga is a term for 'era'.
1 yuga cycle = 4,320,000 (solar) years.
1 yuga consists of 4 divisions: satya or kRita yuga,
tretaa yuga, dvaapara yuga, kali yugaa. After kali
yugaa, the time/yuga cycle repeats, starting from
satya or kRita yuga.
When the divinity is perceived very closely, i.e., when
divinity is naturally perceived in every instant of
earthly existence, it is called satya or kRita yuga.kRita
means 'accomplished':creation accomplished with the
creator. The duration of this era (satya/kRita yuga) is
mentioned as 1,728,000 (solar) years.
The next era is called tretaa yuga. When, by the
regulation of Consciousness, the trend of time
changes, the shine of divinity illuminating the society
fades. Thus, it is said that due to this deterioration
(fading), religious rituals were introduced during the
tretaa yuga. Earlier (during satya/kRita yuga), no such
religious practice existed, as satya (the truth)
was naturally visible in every moment of life.
satya/kRita yuga sheds one-fourth of its glory to
become tretaa yuga. Thus, 3/4th of the period of
satya/kRita yuga, i.e., 3/4th of 1,728,000 years, or
1,296,000 years, makes the tretaa yuga.
have described the three praaNa- agni, earlier in this article.
The word tretaa means, 'triad'. Four is a square; it is
the first square of the natural numbers. Consciousness
creates its replica by exponentiating itself. Every
duality is created from Consciousness, and it is a
replica of Consciousness. Thus, in Sanskrit, the word
'varga' means 'a square', 'clan', 'race', or 'species'.
The creator is never complete without the creation;
that's why we said earlier that brahma has four
aspects; this is why, any race, any quality, any entity
or an individual has four divisions, like the four eras
that we are discussing now.
The word tretaa has originated from the word 'tra';
'tra' means 'three', and is related to the word 'traaNa'
meaning 'relief', or 'rescue'. The number three
represents traaNa or relief. Thus, when in the era
tretaa, divinity starts fading, it is necessary to put
efforts by performing yaj~na or by performing the
rites prescribed by the seers. Thus, this redeeming of
the vision by performing the rites is an act of traaNa.
traaNa is the inherent quality that characterizes the
caste or the race called kShatriya. Those belonging to
the kShatriya clan were the kings and warriors in the
ancient society, who were protecting the others from
the adversaries and the enemies. Since they protect
from the wounds (kShata), they are called kShatriya.
kShata = kSha (decay) + ta = decay/wound; as we
are unaware of the immutable, un-decaying Soul and
His regulation as praaNa, we always suffer from
the scars.
Verse 5.13.4 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says:
praaNo (praaNa) vai (indeed) kShatraM (the faculty
that heals a wound)—traayate (rescues) ha
(indeed) enam (it/him/her) praaNaH (praaNa)
kShaNito (from the wound)—praaNa indeed is the
faculty that heals a wound; praaNa indeed
rescues it/him/her from the wound.
The number four belongs to the caste called
braahmaNa. As explained before that number four(4)
implies the creation of duality(2) by Consciousness,
who exponentiates itself (2^2). Thus, the one who
knows oneself as the expression of brahma is a
braahmaNa.
As the divinity further fades by the regulation of
Consciousness, the era called tretaa, transits into the
era called dvaapara. The duration of tretaa yuga
is 12,96,000 years. tretaa when transiting sheds one
third of its glory, and thus, the span of dvaapara yuga
is two third of 12,96,000 years, or 864,000 years.
dvaapara = dvaa (two, difference) + para (engrossed
in, intent upon). This is the era when the spontaneous
orientation to divinity and the soul is remarkably
impeded by the duality of the universe. Thus, the
unobstructed, unrestrained vision perceiving divinity
is further tarnished. Ideas, or the notions that the
immutable soul is different from Consciousness
regulating the universe, that physicality does not exist
seamlessly integrated into divinity, dominate over the
mind during the era called dvaapara. This is the
reason that the doctrines like saMkhya, and brahma
suutra were composed during this era.
Number two is also the number that represents the
caste called vaishya. (Please note that in this context,
the terms caste or varNa, quality or guNa, and
nature or prakRiti are synonymous.)
The word vaishya is from the verb vish; vish means
'to enter', 'to flow into', 'to pervade', etc., which is
essentially an act of oneself with the others (with
'dvaa' or duality.)
Among the four castes, namely, braahmaaNa,
kShatriya, vaishya, and shudra, vaishya is in the
middle position; 'middle position'* means what is in
middle of everything/within everything, or what
pervades everything— this refers to vaishya, the
caste/quality that occupies the middle position.
(* The castes braahmaaNa and kShatriya, are
considered higher castes, vaishya is considered in
the middle level, and shuudra at the lower level. Also,
refer to the verse of Rik Veda quoted below regarding
the relative position of the four castes.)
In ancient society, vasihya used to represent the
people of the business and trading community.
Business or trading is essentially a game of duality
(dvaa): give and take.
When the era 'dvaapara yuga', transits into the fourth
era called kali yuga, it sheds one-half of its strength,
and thus the span of kali yuga is one-half of the span
of dvaapara yuga or one-half of 864,000 years, i.e.
432,000 years.
kali = kal+i; kal = time; i= iha =this; the present
moment.
Under the subjugation of the regulation of
Consciousness during the era kali, we live in the
'present', or we are obsessed with whatever has been
presented to us by the world-order; we cannot
connect present with the past and the future, i.e., by
and large we are unaware of the causes responsible
for our current situation, and we are not aware where
we are really heading to. We are actually having
truncated forms; our origin is obscured, and
our situation after the end of mortal life is also
obscured. Thus, this is living in a single dimension,
and this is the characteristic of the kali yuga. It is a
state of living in sheer physicality.
The total (solar) years from the beginning of satya/
kRita yuga to the end of kali yuga is (1728000+
1296000+ 864000+432000) = 4,320,000 years.,
Thus, the span of kali yuga is one-tenth of the time
required by a complete cycle of yuga. (One cycle of
yuga is the time from the beginning of satya/kRita
yuga to the end of kali yuga.) One-tenth means
'dasha' or the end/final state. (Refer to Section 42
of this article.) So, kali implies the final/last state/
phase on the macro-scale in a cycle of an era or yuga.
This is what we have mentioned before, that the
physicality is the final realized state; this is reflected
in the large-scale cycle of time during the last leg of
the cycle of yuga or era. This explains why there has
been so much progress in the physical sciences during
our time, and so much attachment to the physicality
among the human race. We do not realize that
whatever modern science has discovered or
invented, is a form or an aspect of Consciousness
that has been perceived by the discoverer or the
inventor and, through them, the society. The
discoverer, or the inventor, perceives in Consciousness
whatever has been discovered or invented, and the
others, too, know that in Consciousness.
Consciousness makes everyone to know or perceive as
per one's disposition in Consciousness.
There is One Consciousness, one observer (indra),
who is also Consciousness in every individual and is
the observer in every individual.
kali also means (i) one or a unit, (ii) a bud.
The detailed study, though on a physical scale, of the
nature and life that has taken place in our time and
the worldwide circulation of the related knowledge is,
of course, praiseworthy.
This detailed look at the physical universe by modern civilization reminds me of a verse of the Upanishad, which mentions the diverse forms of Consciousness inside every bud of the universe, forms that are subtler than the subtle. Here is a verse (4.14) from the Shvetashvatara Upanishad:
suukShmaatisuukShmaM kalilasya madhye
viShvasya sraShtaaramanekaruupam|
viShvasyaikaM parivesShtitaaram
j~naatvaa shivaM shaantimatyantameti||
(Verse 4.14 of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad.)
Meaning.
suukShma- ati-suukShmaM (subtler than the
subtlest)
kalilasya (of the bud; kali = bud; kali = a moment of
time) madhye (within) viShvasya (of universe)
sraShtaaram (creator) anekaruupam (many
forms)|
viShvasya (of the universe) ekaM (the single one)
parivesShtitaaram (who encompassing)
j~naatvaa (knowing) shivaM (the lord shiva; one in
whom every thing rests in Oneness)
shaantim (peace) atyantam (endless) eti (comes))-
---
Located within the moments of time that are
subtler than the subtlest exist several forms of
the creator of the universe.
The creator is the sole one who encompasses
the universe; by knowing 'shiva' (the creator
within whom everyone lies at rest), the endless
peace arrives. (Verse 4.14 of the Shvetashvatara
Upanishad.)
The caste, or quality, that characterizes the era kali is
named shudra. shudra = shu (shuch=to lament) +
dra (drenched in, represented by). Because of the lack
of perception of divinity and influence of mortality, we
are afflicted with pain, agonies, and uncertainties all
the time; those who are marked by this agonized
trait are shudra.
59. The four castes as the expression of the
Universal Being.
Rik Veda verse 10.90.12 describes the four castes as
originating from the four parts of the body of the
Universal Being (Purusha or Brahman) or
Consciousness. The verse is quoted below:
braahmaNo'sya mukham aasiid baahuu
raajanyaH kRitaH |
uuruu tad asya yad vaishyaH padbhyaaM
shuudro ajaayata || (Rik veda verse 10.90.12.)
Word-word meaning.
braahmaNaH (braahmaNa) asya (of it) mukham
(face) aasiid (happened/originated)
baahuu (the two hands) raajanyaH (kingly; military
tribe; kShatriya) kRitaH (made) |
uuruu (the two thighs) tad (that) asya (its) yad
(that where) vaishyaH (vaishya)
padbhyaaM (from two feet) shuudro (shuudra)
ajaayata (was born).
Consolidated Meaning.
The 'braahmaNa' originated from its (Universal
Being's) mouth/face; the king's clan 'kShatriya'
is made by the two hands (of the Universal
Being). That's where its two thighs (from there
originated) 'vaishya'. 'shuudra' was born from
the two feet. (Rik veda verse 10.90.12.)
braahmaNa.
The caste, or the quality (of Consciousness) called
'braahmaNa', has originated from the mouth (mukha)
of Consciousness as the Universal Being. As
mentioned before, a 'braahmaNa' is the one who
perceives oneself as the expression of 'brahma'. Thus,
one who has realized oneself as the expression of
'brahma' is the face of 'brahma', or the Universal
Being (puruSha).Thus, such a realized perceiver is
called 'brahmaNa'.
kShatriya.
The arms (baahu) of the Universal Being created the
caste or the quality of Consciousness called kShatriya.
Because by the arms we are protected; arms thwart
an onslaught. If you remember, we have quoted
before that the Upanishad has mentioned that praaNa
is kShatriya.
praaNa, or Consciousness, is protecting us and our
nature every moment by regulating the degree, or
measure (maatra), in every activity of the universe.
It is for this reason that praaNa is called samaana*.
samaana is the personality of ana, or praaNa who
maintains 'saamyataa', or evenness and equilibrium,
everywhere in the universe. Because praaNa controls
degree, or maatra, and also bestows measure, or
maatraa, to create everything and control every
event, praaNa, or Consciousness, is called maata,
or the mother, i.e., the one who provides measure.
(*Refer to verses 3.5 and 3.8 of the Prashnopanishad
for samaana.)
A verse from Prashnopanishad (verse 2.13) is quoted
below:
praaNasyedaM vashe sarvaM tridive yat
pratiShThitam |
maateva putraan rakShasva Shriishcha praj~naaM cha vidhehi na iti || (Prashnopanishad (verse 2.13)Meaning.
praaNasya (praaNa's) idaM (this) vashe (under
control) sarvaM (all) tridive (in the third heaven/in
heaven) yat (whatever) pratiShThitam
(rooted/established) |
maateva (like a mother) putraan (to the son/child)indra slew the demon (asura) named vRitra. (Refer to the Rig Veda verse 1.32.5.) vRitra means one who covers (vRit) the three (tra) shines of Consciousness shining as vaak, praaNa, and mana (or, as aahvaniiya agni, dakShiNa agni, and gRihapati agni). vRitra is a personality of Consciousness. vRitra can't obstruct the vision of indra, who is the universal observer.
indra is the king of heaven. and protecting the heaven from any blemish that can be caused by vRitra. Thus, indra, and the deities associated with him, i.e., varuna, soma, etc., are kshatriya among the deities.
The deities vasu, rudra, aaditya, marut, saadhya and vishvadeva are classified as vaishya (the trading community). (Refer to verse 1.4.12 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.) These deities are called gaNasha, because they exist in flocks. gaNasha > gaNa (in numbers; flock) + sha (characterized). Thus, these deities are related to 'counting' or 'accounting'. The word gaNanaa is from the word gaNa; gaNanaa means 'act of counting/ computing'. They control and trade by numbers. We have discussed the groups of deities called vasu, rudra, aaditya, and their numbers in Section 49 of this article while narrating the various phases (savana) of our life.
We are quoting below verse 1.4.13 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishd regarding the divinity of the caste (varNa) called shuudra:
sa naiva vyabhavat, sa shaudraM
varNamasRijata puuShaNam; iyaṃ vai puuShaa,
iyaM hiidaM sarvaM puShyati yadidaM kiMcha ||
(Verse 1.4.13, Brihadaranyaka Upanishd.)
Meaning.
sa (He) na (not) eva (still) vyabhavat (became
complete) sa (He) shaudraM (shuudra)
varNam (quality; colour; caste; race) asRijata
(created) puuShaNam (who is puuShaNa); iyaM
(this; this earth/physicality) vai (is certainly)
puuShaa (puuShaNa) iyaM (earth) hi (indeed)
idaM sarvaM (all this) puShyati (nourishes) yad
idaM kiMcha (whatever all this)-----He (the
Universal Being) still could not become
complete (He still could not manifest
himself completely). This earth (this physical
form of Consciousness) is certainly (the deity)
'puuShaNa'. This 'puuShaNa' nourishes all this,
whatever all this is. (Verse1.4.13, Brihadaranyaka
Upanishd.)
Thus, the divine form of the race called "shuudra," or the divine form of the quality of Consciousness called "shuudra", is the deity named "puShaNa". The word "puuShaNa" has originated from the verb "puSh." puSh means 'to nourish'. This creation is never realized completely until Consciousness becomes physical, until the race or the quality called shuudra is created.yuga also means 'a couple' or 'a pair'. In every creation, the creator gets coupled with the creature or with the creation. The creator does so to take the created entity through the path of evolution. Etymologically, the word "yuga" means "yu" (yoked, joined, or coupled) + "ga" (going)—going together.
There is a verse in the holy textbook Geeta (giitaa), where Lord Krishna said that to restore dharma (righteousness of the society), He (Consciousness/ the God) creates Himself in every era, whenever there is a deterioration in the order of the society. In the verse (quoted below), there is a term that mentions that He appears through era after era (yuge yuge). The word "yuge" is the singular locative case of the noun "yuga," and so it means "in the era, in the age''. But 'yuge' is also the dual nominative and dual accusative case of the word 'yuga', and in this context, 'yuge yuge means, 'as a pair'. So, whenever anyone is born, during the cycles of rebirth and death, Consciousness creates itself with the born one to retrieve the virtues and destroy the vices in him/her.
(i) To rescue the virtuous ones and to destroy the wicked ones, to duly restore the righteousness I manifest through age to age. (Verse 4.8, Geeta.)
(ii) To rescue the virtuous ones and to destroy the wicked ones, to duly restore righteousness, I manifest along with you. (Verse 4.8, Geeta)
Thus, consciousness creates itself appropriately, or executes its regulation appropriately, in every moment, in our every birth, and in every transformation of ours—always to keep us on the right path of evolution, destroying the evils and enhancing the virtues by remaining connected/coupled to us as a guide or a guru through all the spells and periods; this is the implication of the word yuga.
62. Consciousness eats everything: from the vulture-foods to the dog-foods.
We have discussed the eating habits of Consciousness as mahaakaala and aditi in sections 18 and 19. We will briefly narrate a verse (5.2.1) of the Chandogya Upanishad in this regard.
Chandogya verse 5.2.1.
sa hovaacha kiM me'nnaM bhaviShyatiiti yatkiMchididamaa shvabhya aa shakunibhya iti hocustadvaa etadanasyaannamano ha vai naama pratyakShaM na ha vaa evaMvidi kiMchanaanannaM bhavatiiti || Verse 5.2.1 ||
Meaning.
sa (He--praaNa) ha (then) uvaacha (said) kiM (what) me (my) annaM (anna = food) bhaviShyati (will be) iti (iti = end of the statement).
yad kiMchid idam (all this whatever is there) aa (extended to/including) shvabhya (for the dogs) aa (extended to/including) shakunibhya (for the vultures) iti (iti = end of the statement) ha (then) uchuH ([they] told) tad vaa (all that is) etad (this) anasya (of praaNa) annam (anna= food) anaH (ana) ha vai (is indeed) naama (the name) pratyakShaM (obvious) na ha (never) vaa (indeed) evaM (this) vidi (knower) kiMchana (anything) anannaM (anannaM= an [na—not] +annaM [anna=food ]—inedible) bhavati (becomes) iti (iti=end of statement)-----He (praaNa) then asked: 'what will be my food?'
Then they (the divine personalties of the sensory and functional faculties) replied: 'All this whatever is there, including (the food) for the dogs and that for the vultures. "(All this whatever is there, even the food that the dogs eat and also that the vultures eat.)"
All that is the food (anna) of this ana (praaNa); ana is indeed the obvious name.
Indeed, anything never becomes inedible to such a knower. (Chandogya Upanishad, Verse 5.2.1.)
In this verse, it is said that whatever is there, everything is the food of praaNa, or Consciousness, who consumes everything. Consciousness is assimilating everything, and everything is going back to the Oneness. We have discussed this in sections 18, 19, 20, and 21.
The word shakuni used in the verse is related to the word shakuna. shakuna. = shak+un+a. The word 'shakuna' is from the verb 'shak' and the affix 'un'. The affix un, when added as a suffix to a verb, results in a word that represents the action of the verb or the consequence of the action. 'shak' means''to be capable' or 'to be able to change'. shakuna means the action of time and its consequences that are forthcoming. 'shakuni' means the one who is aware of the action of time.
A vulture is called shakuni, probably because of its habit of eating what is dead or what has been brought to 'termination by the time'. It is so sensitive to the presence or absence of life that it seldom eats any live animal. It eats carrions, and is famous for that. Consciousness removes or eats death and brings the realization of eternity. So, a vulture exhibits this nature of Consciousness, eating the dead.
We have explained the word 'shva' in sections 13 and 14. In the section 14, we have clarified why a 'dog' is called 'shva'. So, in the context of this verse that we are discussing, 'shva' means 'all the time to come', or whatever is going to happen with the passage of time. Hence, by the phrase 'aashvabhya aashakunibhya' it does not only mean that Consciousness eats all that are also eaten by the dogs and the vultures; it means Consciousness eats and assimilates everything that is going to manifest now and will be manifested later.
63. The charriot and the dog of the king yudhiShThira.
In this article, we have already discussed the significance and divinity associated with the terms 'ratha' or chariot, and 'shva' or dog/hound.
The epic Mahabharata described the chariot of the king yudhiShThira. The chariot, or the 'time' that used to carry yudhiShThira, used to be always above the earth or mortality. But when, only once in his life, yudhiShThira spoke a lie, it touched the earth.
When the king yudhiShThira was on his journey, departing from the earth to heaven, he was accompanied by a dog all the way to heaven. This means the time in which he lived on the earth and the time in which he was going to live in heaven were no different for him. For him, the heaven and earth were the same, or his 'earth' was part of the divinity in all respects. Thus, it was the same hound on the earth and the same in heaven.
It is said in the epic Mahabharata that the dog was dharma, or the 'righteousness personified.'
64. Creation
We will end this article with a description from the Rik Veda on the creation of the world and its order. This description is contained in verses 10.190.1,10.190.2, and 10.190.3 of the Rik Veda.
Verse 10.190.1
RitaM cha satyaM chaabhiiddhaat tapaso'dhyajaayata | tato raatryajaayata tataH samudro arNavaH||
Verse 10.190.2
samudraad arṇavaad adhi saMvatsaro ajaayata | ahoraatraaNi vidadhad vishvasya miShato vashii ||
Verse 10.190.3
suuryaachandramasau dhaataa yathaapuurvam akalpayat | divaM cha pRithiviiM chantarikSham atho svaH ||
Word-word meaning.
Verse 10.190.1
RitaM (the realization) cha (and) satyaM (the truth), cha (and) abhiiddhaat (out of the blaze) tapasaH adhi (from meditation; tapas= meditation/warmth; adhi= from) ajaayata (was generated) | tato (then) raatri (the night) ajaayata (was born) tataH (then) samudro (the ocean) arNavaH* (unmanifested letters/root words)||
(*arNavaH is the singular nominative case of the word arNava. arNava is the reverse of varNa. varNa means the effulgent, manifesting letters or alphabet.)
Verse 10.190.2
samudraad arṇavaad adhi (samudra =ocean; samudraad= from the ocean; arṇava= unmanifested letters/words; arṇavaad = from the unmanifested letters/words; adhi = from)
saMvatsaro (personality of full cyclic periods) ajaayata (was generated)| ahoraatraaNi (the days and the nights) vidadhad (placing in order) vishvasya miShato (vishva =world/all; miSh=to blink/to open the eyes;vishvasya miShato= of all those who are blinking/of all those who are going through the cycles of day and night) vashii (the ruler)||
Verse 10.190.3
suuryaachandram (the sun and the moon) asau (that) dhaataa (creator/determiner) yathaa (as) puurvam (before was) akalpayat (conceived/created) | divaM (the divinity) cha (and) pRithiviiM (the earth/physicality) cha (and) antarikSham (the intermediate region/the interconnecting world) atho (and now/thus it is) svaH (the Soul/ the world of the Soul) ||
Consolidated meaning.
The truth and its realization were generated out of the blaze (created) from self-meditation (meditation of the Soul); from that, the night was generated, and from that (from the night was generated) the ocean of unmanifested letters/words. (Rik Veda Verse 10.190.1.)
From the ocean of the unmanifested letters/words, the divine personality of the full cyclic periods was generated, placing the day and night in order—the Regulator of all those who blink (who go through the wake and sleep cycles/who go through the birth and death cycles). (Rik Veda Verse 10.190.2.)
That creator created the sun and the moon (the external and internal control centre of time) as they were before—the divinity (the self-manifesting worlds), the earth (physical plane), the intermediate plane (the plane that connects all), and thus it is the world of the Soul (sva). (Rik Veda Verse 10.190.3.)
Consciousness warms itself by itself and reveals the truth and its realization. The truth is Consciousness itself, and all that it created is the realization.
This process of warming the self is called 'tapas' or meditation. Consciousness does everything by knowing itself by itself.
Then emerged the goddess Night, who keeps hidden under her veil all that would be manifested. All that would be created remains dead, dormant, as the unspoken, silent words or letters, and this is the ocean called arNava. arNava means the unmanifested varNa. varNa means the illuminating conscious letters or the conscious particles that build everything. Like the letters join together, making the words and sentences, these conscious letters build the universe.
The divine personality of Consciousness that is perceived as the cyclic periods, or the years (saMvatsara) emerges from the ocean of arNava, and saMvatsara places the days and nights in order. Consciousness then regulates the day-night/wake-sleep/birth-death cycles.
Comments
Post a Comment