WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN

Post No. 10,578

Date uploaded in London – –    19 JANUARY   2022         

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LET ME CONTINUE MY COMMENTARY ON THE MOST FAMOUS SECUALAR HYMN IN THE ATHARVA VEDA (AV) KNOWN AS ‘BHUMI SUKTAM’ OR ‘HYMN TO MOTHER EARTH’.

We have seen up to Mantra 28 out of 63 Mantras or stanzas in the hymn. Hindus spread the Five Elements concept (Pancha Bhutas) through out the world. They allocated separate qualities/Gunas and attributes to Water, Fire, Air, Earth, and Space/Ether. They also used them as similes. Earth has the Fragrance as its special Guna/quality. Fragrance is Gandha in Sanskrit. Tamils also use this. Another quality of earth is PATIENCE.

We dig it, excavate it, plough it, turn it upside down and yet it always helps like our own Mother. So, her virtue is Patience according to Tamil and Sanskrit scriptures. Here we see Tamil poet Tiru Valluvar repeat what the Atharva Veda seer said:-

“The earth supports the men who dig at it. Similarly, bear with those who scorn you; that is the best virtue”- Kural 151

Another translation of the same couplet,

“Just like the earth which supports the men who dig it,

Men of virtue bear with those who heap scorn on them” – 151

Sangam Tamil literature book Paripatal also has this comparison (2-55 Paripatal)

This is an echo of AV mantra 29; Vedic seer praises ‘Patient Earth’.

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Mantra 30 is about the usefulness of Water. It helps us to maintain our body clean.

There are two important points here.

Hindus take bath every day before worshipping God. Whether one lives in cold Himalayas or scorching Kanyakumari, they take a shower. This explodes the Aryan Migration Myth proposed by the Max Muller gang and Marxist Gang. Water is part and parcel of a Hindu’s life. From birth to death he must use water according to scriptures . that shows Vedic Hindus belong to tropical region and NOT Central Asia or Siberia.

Mantra 30 is also used by Tamil poet Valluvar in his Kural couplet,

If rains fail, festivals of the year and the daily worship of God will cease -Tiruk Kural couplet 18

In Mantra 29 , the Vedic seer warns the Anti God trespassers saying ‘we offer them an unpleasant welcome’.

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Mantra 31

Here again the poet is apologetic for treading on earth and requests Mother Earth to be pleasant in all the four directions. This is a genre followed by Hindus until this day.  They ask for a shield or armour which will protect them from bad things coming from four or eight directions. In Sanskrit those mantras are called Kavasam/shield/Armour. Tamils also recite it every day.

Here the poet repeats ‘May I not stumble while I live in this world’. He said it already in a previous verse.

The poet is not talking about physical stumbling; he talks about moral stumbling. He prays to Mother Earth that he should not deviate from the moral path. He should not fall in bad habits.

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Mantra 32

Again the Vedic poet talks about protection in all the four directions North, East, West, South (NEWS).

We also get another picture of ancient India; like today there were robbers who waylaid the people and took all their valuables. This is in 2000 year old Sangam Tamil literature and earlier Vedic literature. Pusan was the God who protected them according to Vedas. Poet prays for protection from such attacks. Damayanti episode in the Mahabharata gives us a vivid description of such an attack ( I have already written about it).

But the important message in this Mantra or stanza is ‘Take Deadly Weapons Far Away from Us’. The poet prays for a peaceful world where there is no war. Rig Veda is full of wars and battles; so do Sangam Tamil literature. If we open a history book, we read more about wars than good things. The world has already suffered from two World Wars in our own time. The annual review of Economic Times says that at any time there are at least 50 battles or clashes happening in the world. In our own time we saw George Bush of America and Tony Blair of Britain used lame excuse to attack Libya and Iraq. Politicians are modern day robbers that is mentioned in the previous Vedic verse.

A Tamil poet by name Bharatidasan also prayed for Warless World. That became a popular song in two Tamil films (Puthiyator Ulakam Seyvom; ketta poridum Ulakaththai Verodu Saippom)

Kanchi Paramacharya Swami of Tamil Nadu wrote a beautiful Sanskrit verse, that was sung by the famous singer M S Subbalakshmi in the United Nations Organisation. He also emphasized that the world should Renounce War (Yuddham Tyajatha). He simply echoed the AV poet’s prayer. In one Rig Vedic hymn the poet/seer says in crystal clear term ‘We don’t want War’.

Here is Kanchi Shankaracharya’s message:-

English Translation

With Friendship please serve,

And conquer all the hearts,

Please think that others are like you,

Renounce war for ever,

forsake competition for ever,

forsake force to get,

Some one else’s property,

For Mother Earth is a wish giving cow,

And God our father is most compassionate,

Restrain, Donate and Be kind,

To all the people of this world.

May All People of this World be Happy and Prosperous

May All People of this World be Happy and Prosperous

May All People of this World be Happy and Prosperous

(I have underlined the words from Rig Veda and Upanishad)

Sanskrit Original

Maithreem Bhajatha , Akhila Hruth Jethreem,

Atmavat eva paraan api pashyatha

Yuddham thyajatha , Spardhaam Tyajata , thyajatha Pareshwa akrama aakramanam

Jananee Prthivee Kaamadughaastey

JanakO Deva: Sakala Dayaalu

Daamyata Datta Dayathvam Janathaa

Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam

Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam

Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam.

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LINGUISTIC TITBITS

Millions of Brahmin Hindus do thrice a day Sun Worship with water, known as Sandhyavandanam. They worship all important Vedic Gods, Goddess Gayatri and the Four Directions. The Sanskrit words found in the Mantra 31 for directions are used by Brahmins until today. Another wonder is that those Sanskrit words are used in Sangam Tamil Book Purananuru (verse 229 by Kudalur Kizar) in Tamilised form!

To be continued…………………………..

TAGS- earth, patience,  Kural 151, Atharva Veda, No war, Maithreem Bhajatha