WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN
Post No. 10,645
Date uploaded in London – – 9 FEBRUARY 2022
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Kavi Ushanas was one of the most celebrated poets of Rigveda. Two great Tamil poets also were from the same family. In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna said that he was Poet Ushanas among the Kavis/poets . Kavi Ushans is in Zend Avesta as well.
Kava Us ( corrupted in Shahnamah as Kaikkaus) is Kavya Ushanas of the Vedas. He is one of the great heroes of the Iranians and believed to have been a ruler of Iran .
2000 year old Sangam Tamil literature also had several poets cum kings. In Hindu literature Bhoja Vikramaditya was an all rounder. He was a scientist, artist ,a poet and an able ruler. Janakar was a philosopher cum ruler. In the same way Ushanas was a poet cum ruler. Moreover, Kavi meant one who could see far, who has a good vision. In short a visionary. Hindus , in post Vedic days identified Ushanas with Shukra, also known as planet Venus . He was the Asura Guru, which fits very well with the Zoroastrian religion.
Vedic hymns associated him with Indra. He called himself Kavya Ushana, R V 4-26-1 and is invoked by the name Kavi Ushna, RV 1-130-9.
This Kavya Ushna, meaning Ushana, son of Kavi, installed Agni as a high priest for mankind RV 8-23-17; he led the heavenly cows/clouds to pasturage RV 1-83-5 and made Indra’s iron club, by which the god killed his enemy Vritra.
In the Bhagavad Gita 10-27, Krishna identified himself with poet Ushanas.
If we know that the word Indra is only a title and not one person and if we understand that Asura had good connotation in the oldest part of Rigveda, description of Ushana as Asura Guru would not surprise us . Even in Tamil, the Kavya clan is called ancient ( Tol in Tamil) . The author of the oldest Tamil book called himself Tol Kavya; in Tamil, Kavya is changed to Kappiya. Another poet called himself as Kaappiyaatru Kaapiyanaar.
According to Mahabharata, Ushanas had four sons, who offered sacrifice to Asuras. In the Iranian legend he does not appear blameless; he is said to have been so proud and self-conceited as to endeavour to fly up to heaven, for which arrogance he was punished.
But his Asura connection is confirmed both by the Hindu and Parsi scriptures.
Xxx
Danava and Danu
Both Danava and Danu, as enemies of God, figured in both the scriptures. Druj, as a demon or a bad virtue is also portrayed the same way in both the religions.
Danava, as enemies of God, in Yasht 5-73 and AV 4-24-2
In the Rigveda, it is often a name of the arch demon Vritra, with whom Indra is fighting.
In the legend of Tishtrya of Zend Avesta, some particulars are similar to Indra and Brihaspati in the Vedas. Tishtrya cannot bring the rain from the sea Vouru-kasha over the earth, if not assisted by the prayers of men. In the same way Indra cannot release the celestial cows/clouds from the rocky caves, without the assistance of Brihaspati, who is the representative of the prayers sent up by men.
Lord Krishna also explained this Prayer- Rain Link in the Bhagavad Gita
Men’s sacrifice only brings the rain…
Lord Krishna says,
“From food creatures come into being; from rain is the birth of food; from sacrifice rain comes into being and sacrifice is born of work.”—Bhagavad Gita 3-14
Dr Radhakrishnan compares it with
Manu 3-76 and RV 10-117-6
Manu says ,
“An offering cast properly into the fire /sacrifice approaches the sun; rain is created from the sun, from rain comes food, and from that progeny”.
Now we know these two scientific facts : 1.cloud seeding (Yaga smoke) helps raining; 2.Sun evaporates sea water and it becomes food and produces food.
In the next part I will show how Vedic Nabhanethishta is figuring in the Zend Avesta.
Source book- The Parsis by Martin Haugh, first published 1878 with my inputs.
To be continued……..
Tags- Kavi, Ushanas, Kavya, Tolkappiyar, Danava, Danu, Rain-Prayer link
Tamil and Vedas 