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There are innumerable references to dance and music in the Rig Veda (RV), the oldest book in the world. Music originated in the Samaveda. Over 20 dialogue poems in the Rig Veda show us the dance dramas enacted at the end of Yaga, Yajnas (Fire sacrifices) . The Saptaswaras – 7 notes of music — and different musical instruments are in the Vedas. For a Vedic poet, even the dawn looks like a dancer in the sky.
Dawn is personified as a young beauty. She is well decked like a dancer, appearing in the east (RV 1-92-4)
Atharvana Veda (AV) Bhumisuktam shows us that the Vedic society led a happy life with dance and music.
Let us continue our review of Bhumi Sukta (Hymn to Earth). We have already covered up to 36 stanzas out of 63 (AV 12-1).
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MY COMMENTS
Look at stanza or Mantra 41
The poet described earth as a place where men dance and sing. But it was a heroic race where the sounds of war drums were also heard. There is no history without war. 2000 year old Tamil Sangam literature described the continuous wars fought between three Tamil Kingdoms- Chera, Choza and Pandya. We read about the great wars in Mahabharata and Ramayana. In fact, no society lived without wars.
But the big difference between Hindu society and other societies is Hindus did only Dharma Yuddha and gave back the kingdoms won, to the original rulers. They accepted only tributes.
Even today at any one time, at least 50 wars are fought in different parts of the world according to Economic Times Annual Survey.
If there is no war, Western society will die. They sell arms and provoke fights. If the countries refuse to give them oil, they bomb them and massacre the leaders under some lame excuse. We saw it in Iraq and Libya recently.
In short, the wars have been there from time immemorial whether it is Egypt or Babylonia or India.
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Mantra/stanza 37
God hating Dasyus are mentioned by the poet. Dasyus mean thieves in Kalidasa’s work. They were not only criminals, they did not worship God as prescribed in the book. We see such people even today in atheistic and Marxist groups. Criminals have no religion or any set of rules.
Mantra 38
All the three Vedas are referred to and the fire sacrifice is praised; we must remember that we read these lines in the fourth Veda known as Atharva Veda. We see such Yaga scenes even in 2000 year old Sangam Tamil Literature. The Tamil poets praise Choza king for conducting Rajasyua Yagna and Pandya king for erecting Yupa Poles through out his land. Later inscriptions also confirm it. We also read about eagle shaped Yaga Altar of Karikal Cholza. Kalidasa introduces the Pandya king to Princess Indumati as one ‘with wet clothes after the Avabrutha bath/snan of Asva Meda Yagna’.
From Kanyakumari to Kashmir we see the same scenes. Around second century CE, it spread throughout South East Asia.
Mantra 39
Seven Sages are mentioned by the poet. Millions of Brahmins around the world salute the Seven Rishis, thrice a day. Sangam Tamil literature praise the Seven Rishis as worshiped with joined hands (Kai Thozu Ezuvar). 2700 years ago, Panini in his Ashtadhyayi, gave the names of seven rishis in the same order.
Mantra 40
Poet prays for wealth to all the community. Plural ‘US’ is used.
Mantra 41
Please see above dance and music in the society.
Mantra 42
Here we see the description of an agricultural community. This reference to rice and barley in addition to many references in the oldest Rig Veda, smashes the faces of the Max Muller and Marxist gangs who projected Vedic Hindus as nomads. Very next mantra talks about the cities created by Gods.
Manta 43
Variously employed community and Cities created by Devas/gods figure in this stanza. Here we have to look at a word in mantra 39 which describe Rishis as ‘World Building Rishis’. Krishna also confirmed in Bhagavad Gita those certain rishis or seers were equal to him. Seven Rishis were not only progenitors of human race, but also they the one who created essential things. If one reads the history of all ancient cities in India, one will know they are created by Devas/Gods. There is no holy city in India which has no link to a god or a seer.
Bhumi sukta confirmed everything said in the Rig Veda.
There are 20 more stanzas in this beautiful hymn on earth.
WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN Post No. 10,453 Date uploaded in London – – 16 DECEMBER 2021
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How did Vedic seers find magical herbs?. There are lots of names of herbs in the Vedas, particularly Atharvana Veda. Vedic seers might have found the herbs by intuition or trial and error methods. But a few Suktas/hymns clearly show that they found the magical herbs by watching animals like mongoose, boar and snakes. Tamils used Tiger nail and tiger tooth as amulets. Veera Shivaji of Maharashtra used tiger claws to kill his enemy Afzal Khan. But thousands of years before the Tamils, this Vedic hymn refers to Tiger Amulet. All amulets are referred to as ‘Mani’ in Vedas. There is a belief among the the Tamil Siddhas (medicine men cum miracle men) that the the mongoose gained its anti dote to poison from the Arukam Pul . They have watched mogoose going back to the field where there is more Arukam pul and come back to fight the snake; eventually the snake is killed; mongoose survived. This grass has magical powers. Cynodon Dactylon = Arukam Pul in Tamil; Duurvaa, Dhoob in Sanskrit Vedic seers, who lived long ago, also wondered how the mongose survives after biting highly venomous cobra and other snakes. Then they found out that the secret lies in the medicinal grass.
They have been observing eagles bringing the magical Soma herb. Throughout the Vedas, they have been singing about eagles bringing Soma herb. Now in this hymn Vedci seers praise the animals for brinhg herbs. xxxx
My Comments First let me draw your attention to the important messages inthe 28 mantra hymn. Mantra 14 Tiger amulet : Tamil epic Silappadikaram, dated 2nd century CE, refers to Tiger Tooth Amulet in Tamil Nadu. Later Peria Puranam also refers to it in the Kannappa Nayanar episode. Atharvana Veda called it ‘Vaiyagro Mani’. (Vyaagra becomes Tiger in English) Rama is praised as Tiger among Men by Valmiki. That sloka of Valmiki is used in Tirupati Venkateswara Subrapatha as the first sloka. xxx Mantra 23 Wild boars find the roots just by smelling. They are very quick in identifying the edible roots. Mongoose- Also referred in VI-139-5
Mantra 23 says, ” Well doth the wild boar know a Plant, the mongoose knows the Healing Herb. I call , to aid this man, the Plants which the serpents and Gandharvas know. This mantra and other mantras proove that the Vedic seers observed the animals and learnt many herbal secrets. xxx Mantra 2 It says the Father of the herb- Heaven, Mother – Earth and the Root- Sea. Wherver the word ‘sea’ comes, interpreters say it is ‘Sky’ or water in the sky, in the form of clouds. But there may be other meanings. We need to look for a better interprtation. Mantra 16 It priases the mysterious Soma plant. Mantra 21 Addressed the herbs as HEALING PLANTS. They are called Children of Prisini/earth. xxx Mantra 20 It praises Asvaththa (Ficus religiosa which he Buddha used to attain wisdom), Darba, King of Herbs Soma, barley and rice. Asvaththa or Peepul is praised through out the Vedas. Dharba grass is used in every Brahmin house even today without which they cant do any ritual. Sticks of Asvaththa are used as fuel in Havan or Yaga or Yagna xxx Mantra 6 A plant called Arundhati is also mentioned in many hymns. It is identified as Silachi. It is also in IV-12-1; V-5; VI-I-59-1 Mantra 9 The herb AVAKA is identified as Blyxa octandra; it is also mentioned in IV-37-8 xxx Mantra 28 Foreigners culd not explain this and rejected it as FANCIFUL EPITHETS. No body knows the exact meaning of Five Arrows and Ten Arrows; We have to do more research. All numbers such 99 rivers, 9+90 rivers, 3, 330, 3330 Gods are all ignored by foreigners. xxx Theme of the Mantra according to commentators:- The hymn, which extols the excellence of Medicinal Herbs, is an incantation designed to restore a sick man to health. This verse can be compared with the Rig Vedic hymn 10-97, Praise of Herbs. xxxx FULL HYMN:–
Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895], at sacred-texts.com
HYMN VII; ATHARVANA VEDA; BOOK 8; SUKTA 440 ; MEDICINES A charm to restore a sick man to health 1.The tawny-coloured, and the pale, the variegated and the red, The dusky-tinted, and the black,—all Plants we summon hither- ward. 2..This man let them deliver from Consumption which the Gods have sent. The father of these Herbs was Heaven, their mother Earth, the Sea their root. 3.The Waters are the best, and heavenly Plants. From every limb of thine have they removed Consumption caused by sin. 4.I speak to Healing Herbs spreading, and bushy, to creepers, and to those whose sheath is single, I call for thee the fibrous and the reed-like, and branching. Plants, dear to the Visve Devas, powerful, giving life to men. 5.The conquering strength, the power and might which ye, victo- rious Plants, possess, Therewith deliver this man here from this Consumption, O ye Plants: so I prepare the remedy. 6.The living Plant that giveth life, that driveth malady away, Arundhatr, the rescuer, strengthening, rich a sweets I call, to free this man from scath and harm. 7.Hitherward let the sapient come, the friendly sharers o f my speech. p. a341 That we may give this man relief and raise him from his evil plight. 8.Germ of the Waters, Agni’s food, Plants ever growing fresh and new, Sure, healing, bearing thousand names, let them be all collected here. 9.Let Plants whose soul is water, girt with Avakās, piercing with their sharp horns expel the malady. 10.Strong, antidotes of poison, those releasers, free from Varuna, And those that drive away Catarrh, and those that frustrate magic arts, let all those Plants come hitherward. 11.Let purchased Plants of mightier power, Plants that are praised for excellence. Here in this village safely keep cattle and horses, man and beast. 12.Sweet is their root, sweet are these Plants’ top branches, sweet also is their intermediate portion; Sweet is their foliage, and sweet their blossom, combined with sweetness is their taste of Amrit: food, fatness let them yield, with kine preceding. 13.These Plants that grow upon the earth, whate’er their number and their size, Let these with all their thousand leaves free me from Death and misery. 14.May the Plants’ Tiger-amulet, protective, guardian from the curse, Beat off the brood of demons, drive all maladies afar from us. 15.Before the gathered Plants they fly and scatter, as though a lion’s roar or fire dismayed them. Expelled by Plants, let men’s and kine’s Consumption pass from us to the navigable rivers. 16Emancipated from the sway of Agni, of Vaisvānara, go, covering the earth, ye Plants whose ruler is Vanaspati. 17.May these be pleasant to our heart, auspicious, rich in store of milk, These Plants of the Angirases which grow on mountains and on plains. 18.The Plants I know myself, the plants that with mine eye I look upon, Plants yet unknown, and those we know, wherein we find that power is stored, p. a342 19.Let all the congregated Plants attend and mark mine utterance, That we may rescue this man here and save him from severe distress. 20.Asvattha, Darbha, King of Plants, is Soma, deathless sacrifice Barley and Rice are healing balms, the sons of Heaven who never die. 21.Lift yourselves up, ye Healing Plants, loud is the thunder’s crash and roar. When with full flow Parjanya, ye Children of Prisni! blesseth; you. 22.We give the essence of that stream of nectar of this man to drink: So I prepare a remedy that he may live a hundred years. 23.Well doth the wild boar know a Plant, the mungoose knows the Healing Herb. I call, to aid this man, the Plants which Serpents and Gandhar- vas know. 24.Plants of Angirases which hawks, celestial Plants which eagles. know; Plants known to swans and lesser fowl, Plants known to all the birds that fly. Plants that are known to sylvan beasts,—I call them all to aid this man. 25.The multitude of herbs whereon the Cows whom none may slaughter feed, all that are food for goats and sheep, So many Plants, brought hitherward, give shelter and defence to thee! 26.Hitherward unto thee I bring the Plants that cure all maladies, All Plants wherein physicians have discovered health-bestowing power. 27.Let Plants with flower and Plants with bud, the fruitful and the fruitless, all, Like children of one mother, yield their stores for this man’s perfeet health. 28.From the Five-arrowed, from the Ten-arrowed have I delivered thee, Freed thee from Yama’s fetter and from all offence against the Gods, —- Subham–
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Sun is the most important God to Hindus. How do we know that?
We know that because millions of Brahmins look at sun in the morning , mid noon and evening and recite the most powerful Mantra in the Four Vedas known as Gayatri Mantra.
We know it because millions of RSS workers and Yoga practitioners do Surya Namaskar (12+1 times) every day in the morning.
We know it because Savitar, Aditya, Bhaga, Surya and Mitra are found in hundreds of hymns in the Vedas.
xxx
Muir in his original Sanskrit Texts say,
“I regard it (EYE) as the most Sun like of all the organs of sensation” -Socrates
Plato in his Republic , VI .18, quoted Socrates.
This is not the only one instance which connects Socrates to the Vedas. Scores of books have been published showing Greek philosophers’ knowledge of the Vedas. From Pythagoras to Alexander, all show that they knew Hindu concepts.
I went further down the road and found out even Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar knew Socrates drinking poison. (Please see the links at the end of this article; my article written in 2011)
This Socrates matter is from the footnote to Atharva Veda Mantra Canto/Book 5, Hymn 9 (Sukta 151)
Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895], at sacred-texts.com
HYMN IX
A prayer to Heaven and Earth for protection and assistance
1All hail to Heaven! 2All hail to Earth! 3All hail to Air! 4All hail to Air! 5All hail to Heaven! 6All hail to Eartht! 7Mine eye is Sīirya and my breath is Vāta, Air is my soul and Prithivī my body. I verily who never have been conquered give up my life toe Heaven and Earth for keeping. 8Exalt my life, my strength, my deed and action; increase my understanding and my vigour. Be ye my powerful keepers, watch and guard me, ye mistresses of life and life’s creators! Dwell ye within me, and forbear to harm me.
‘Eye is surya’ is found throughout the four Vedas starting from starting from the most famous Purushasukta of Rig Veda (RV 10-90). It is recited every day in temples and orthodox Brahmin houses.
Eye and Sun:- also AV. 5-24-9; RV.10-16-3
Scores of references are in the Vedas about sun light treatment for skin problems, killing seen and unseen germs, known and unknown germs etc.
Even the half baked 30 + Europeans who translated Vedas into European languages 150 years ago use the Vedic words ‘known and unknown’, ‘seen and unseen’ in their translations!
Xxxx
TWO UNSOLVED MYSTERIES
I don’t know when the NASA and Russian scientists would solve the two puzzles in the Vedas.
One is about Valakhilyas travelling before sun. (Please see the link at the bottom; my article written in 2011)
NEW MYSTERY!
We don’t know what the Vedic Rishis meant when they sang three Ribhus live in the Solar Sphere. One day NASA would explain it and then we can boast again “IT IS AREADY SAID BY OUR VEDIC SEERS!!!”
What did they say about ‘THREE LIVING IN SUN’?
Ribhus are three sons of Sudhanvan. They are found in the Rig Veda , the oldest book in the world.
Ribhus are descendants of seer Angiras. Their names are Ribhu, Vibhvan/Vibhu and Vaaja; collectively called RIBHUS from the name of the eldest.
Through their assiduous performance of good works they obtained divinity , and became entitled to receive praise and adoration. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DWELL IN THE SOLAR SPHERE. There is an indistinct identification of them with the rays of the sun.
(We know that Hydrogen is converted into Helium every second and billions of hydrogen bombs explode every second in the Yellow type Star sun and we receive different types of rays, both harmful and helpful)
Helium is derived from Sanskrit word Suryan (H=S; L=R;M=N according to linguistic rules)
But I don’t know whether they meant the elements in sun.
Ribhus show us one more thing. Professor Wilson says, “They prove the admission, at an early date, of the doctrine, that men may become divinities”.
This is a typical ADVAITA concept found in Bhagavad Gita and Tamil Veda Tirukkural (50); Bhagavad Gita 4-10. Father Athanasius of Alexandria also said it. Egyptian port Alexandria had a very big Hindu colony. So Athanasius said God became man so that men could become Gods; he probably justified all the Avataras of Vishnu!
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FOUR CUP MYSTERY
The Ribhus are said to have made Four sacrificial Cups out of single chalice. (Sanskrit word Kalasa becomes Chalice in English ;C=K; also Vedic word Samiti=committee; Vedic word Sankha=Conch)
Tvashtar made only one cup. Saying that the Ribhus made four out of one may signify some innovations made by them.
Ribhus are also attributed the manufacturing of Indra’s chariot and ‘horses’. If they have stopped saying they made chariots, then we may say they were great design engineers or just skilful carpenters; but the word they made ‘Horses’ may mean they built some space shuttles for Indra’s Inter Galactic Space Trips. Even today we use the word ‘Horse power’ for powerful engines, though no horse is used!
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Valakhilyas: 60000 thumb-sized ascetics who protect Humanity
31 Dec 2011 — A blog exploring themes in Tamil and vedic literature … Please find the article: Valakhilyas: 60,000 thumb-sized ascetics protect humanity ..
Strange Link between Lord Shiva, Socrates and Thiruvalluvar
18 Sept 2011 — Lord Shiva also took poison for the sake of the Devas (the demigods in Hindu tradition). Now let us look at it in detail. Thiruvalluvar in his …
22 Feb 2014 — … Delphi oracles and Tamil fortune tellers, Drinking poison: Shiva Socrates and Valluvar, Know thyself in Pyramids, Tirumular and Socrates …
Socrates’ Meeting with a Hindu Saint | Tamil and Vedas
22 Feb 2014 — A passage in Eusebius relates an encounter between Socrates and a Hindu Sage. The passage runs: Aristoxenus, the musician tells the following …
60 second interview with Socrates | Tamil and Vedas
13 Jun 2021 — tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com. Tiru Valluvar , author of Tamil Veda Tirukkural, says that man becomes god in two of his …
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There are numerous poems on NATURE in the Vedas. Many of the European translators missed them. Though there are articles on the subject, I have not come across a book on Nature in Vedas. The poems on Rains and gale force Wind are translated by all the foreigners in English without any appreciation. The poems in Sanskrit can be compared with Sangam Tamil poems, though they were composed many thousand years after the Vedas.
Forest fire and its effect on animals and birds, description of deep and dark forest, pythons devouring animals, earth quakes, different types of birds and animals, gale force wind, early morning scenes, roaring seas etc are described vividly by the poets. Earth quake is called ‘wandering earth’! Foreigners noticed only early morning scenes and appreciated them(DAWN= USHAS). Vedic Rishis talk about flying mountains and Indra cutting their wings. Probably they meant landslides after heavy rains.
Strangest thing about foreigners’ translations is that they could not even identify all the “sacrificed” things in the fire during Asvamedha. Many of the herbs are not recognised. Different species of snakes and frogs are given names, but we don’t know what they are.
Tamil Sangam book Malaipadu Kadaam and later Tamil epic Silappdikaram have very good narrations of Forests, Rivers and Water Falls. Forest orchestra is given in different pictures. We may compare it with Kalidasa’s description.
xxx
Let me compare only one verse from the Atharva Veda (AV) and the Bharati’s poem on Rains. Bharati was the greatest Tamil poet of modern era. He was a great lover of nature and Vedas.
Here is the poem from AV (4-15):-
BOOK 4; HYMN XV
A charm to hasten the coming of the rains
1.Let all the misty regions fly together, let all the rain-clouds sped by wind, assemble. Let waters satisfy the earth, the voices of the great mist-enve- loped Bull who roareth.
2.Let them show forth, the strong, the bounteous Maruts: let plants and shrubs be hung with drops of moisture. Let floods of rain refresh the ground with gladness and herbs spring various with each form and colour.
3.Cause us who sing to see the gathering vapours: out burst in many a place the rush of waters! Let floods of rain refresh the ground with gladness; and herbs spring various with each form and colour.
.4Apart, Parjanya! let the troops of Maruts, roaring, swell the song. Let pouring torrents of the rain that raineth rain upon the earth.
5. Up from the sea lift your dread might, ye Maruts: as light and splendour, send the vapour upward! Let waters satisfy the earth, the voices of the great mist-enve- loped Bull who roareth.
6.Roar, thunder, set the sea in agitation, bedew the ground with thy sweet rain, Parjanya! Send plenteous showers on him who seeketh shelter, and let the owner of lean kine go homeward.
7.Let the boon Maruts, let the springs and coiling serpents tend! you well. Urged by the Maruts let the clouds pour down their rain upon. the earth.
8.Let lightning flash on every side: from all the regions blow the winds! Urged by the Maruts let the clouds pour down their rain upon the earth.
9.May waters, lightning, cloud, and rain, boon springs and serpents tend you well. Urged by the Maruts let the clouds pour down their rain upon the earth.
10.May he who hath become the plants’ high regent, suiting our bodies, Agni of the Waters, May Jātavedas send us rain from heaven, Amrit and vital breath to earthly creatures.
11.Sending up waters from the flood and ocean Prajapati move the sea to agitation! Forth flow the moisture of the vigorous stallion! With this thy roar of thunder come thou hither,
12.Our father, Lord divine pouring the torrents. Let the streams breathe, O Varuna, of the waters. Pour the floods down: along the brooks and channels let frogs with speckled arms send out their voices.
13.They who lay quiet for a year, the Brāhmans who fulfil their vows. The frogs, have lifted up their voice, the voice Parjanya hath. inspired.
14..Speak forth a welcome, female frog! Do thou O frog, accost the rain. Stretch thy four feet apart, and swim in the middle of the lake.
15.Khanvakhā, ho! Khaimakhā, ho! thou in the middle, Taduri! Fathers, enjoy the rain from one who strives to win the Marutes heart.p.
16.Lift up the mighty cask and pour down water; let the wind blow, and lightnings flash around us. Let sacrifice be paid, and, widely scattered, let herbs and plants be full of joy and gladness.
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MY COMMENTS
1.Bull- Rain God Parjanya; god of thunderous rain cloud. Bulls and cows are used for various gods in the Vedas.
2 an 3.The seers want to see plants of different shapes and colours following the rain. This reminds me of Vibhutbhushan Vandopadhyaya’s Aranyak novel. The hero of the story Yugal Prasad plants different species in different places in the forest and wait eagerly for the next flowering season. When he sees that his efforts bear fruits, he celebrates it.
5. Gives the science behind rains; sea water evaporates and comeback as showers
7. Coiling serpents are called Ajagaras= goat swallowing pythons. Tamil poets describe the elephant devouring pythons in Sangam Tamil poems.
8.Flashing lightning streaks are described in ‘Pallup pattu’s of Tamil Literature.
9.Even snakes are welcomed. The Rishis saw them as part of Nature’s cycle.
10.Agni ripens the plants. Rain is compared to Amrit which is echoed by Tiruvalluvar in Tamil Tirukkural couplet 11.
11. The vigorous stallion= fertilising rainy cloud. Even horse is used to denote clouds. Roaring seas are beautifully described
12. The seers wait for the croaking frogs. It shows their love for nature
13.Frogs are compared to Brahmins on vow of silence for a year. |This point is in Rig Veda Frog hymn as well. It may be interpreted in two ways.
The Brahmins change their sacred thread ceremonially after rainy season in Upakarma ceremony. On that day they resume again Paninian studies and Vedic learning. We do it even today. That is the time when frogs also come to life again.
The second interpretation is certain Vratas (vow or fasting) stipulate one year silence for Brahmins. But I will support the first interpretation.
14. It is also about frog; particularly a female frog which is a symbol of fertility.
15. Strange names of frogs. (It is already dealt with in my old article)
Some communities believe that rain also brings new type of plants and seeds. That is also possible with strong winds blowing from different directions.
xxx
BHARATI ON RAIN
In Tamil Original with my literal translation;
Read my translation and Professor ASR’s translation at the end. Most of the Atharva Vedic points are covered by Bharati.
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I have been reading the Sanskrit Vedas through English books for over 50 years. Most of them by foreigners and a few by Marxist professors; very rarely one or two by genuine patriotic Hindus. When I lived in Madurai until 1986, I got very good books from the Victoria Edward Hall Library and Madurai University Library. Since January 1987 , I have been living in London where I have got two excellent libraries – The British Library and the University of London Library. Some local council libraries also had some very good books donated by Hindu scholars. But I have never tried to read the Vedas from A to Z. Now I have started reading the Rig Veda from First Mandala/Book. I started in April 2021 and I will be finishing the first Mandala very soon. Then I would have covered 191 hymns out of 1025 hymns. That means a long way to go.
The reason for writing now is to tell you the wonders I found so far.
Fables
I thought that the earliest fables are from the Upanishads dated around 8th Century BCE. Later we find many fables in Ramayana and Mahabharata. Buddha Jataka stories are polluted with Bodhisatva and moreover the originals are ‘stolen’ from the ancient Hindu folk lore. Abroad, we hear about Aesop fables rivalling with our Panchatantra and Hitopadesa.
But the origin for these fables, particularly animal fables lie in the oldest book in the world – The Rig Veda. Even before finishing the first book with 191 hymns, I read, quail caught by a wolf, but saved by the miraculous Twins Asvins. In two or three hymns, we see the eagle or falcon bringing the Soma plant. I have already written about the origin of Santa Claus Reindeer cart. It is actually in the Asvin Mantras ! Asvins carts are drawn by deer, swans and other birds etc. we also read about flying horses with a horn in the Rig Veda!
Signatures in songs
I used to wonder why the Tamil Hymn singer Tiru Gnana Sambandr used his name in every decad (Ten Poems) as a signature (Mudra) and why all others such as Purandaradasa, Thiyagaraja, Muthu swami Dikshitar, Bhakta Meera, Kabir and others followed him in placing their name in the last line. Sambandar, the Boy Wonder of Tamil Nadu, lived 1400 years ago. But the origin of such Mudras is in the Rig Veda. Agastya who has over 25 hymns in the First Book (Mandala) alone finish few of his compositions with Manharya, Son of Mana says this . Kutsa Angirasa finish his poems with a phrase or line invoking Aditi, Sindhu, Earth and Heaven.
In Meera Bhai’s compositions we see Meera ke Prabhu Girdhara Nagara, in Kabir poems ‘his name’, in Dikshitar’s ‘Gurukuha’ etc.
So, all these saints followed the rig Vedic rishis/seers. Even today the composers place a Mudra in the new compositions.
As I have mentioned elsewhere three greatest contributions of Vedic Hindus to the world civilization are 1. Decimal System, 2. Domestication of Cow and announcing it as Mother because the cow’s milk is the closest to Mother’s milk and Domestication of Horses and yoking them with wheeled chariots.
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THE VEDAS WE LOST
We have four Vedas now – Rik, Yajur, Saama and Atharvana. Vedas are the oldest and biggest collection of religious works in the ancient world. The scholarly world wonder about Vedas for two reasons:
All the hymns, over 20,000 in number, have been passed by mouth. This is unheard in any part of the world. Vedas clearly say it should not be written and must be heard and remembered. Until this day it is followed in traditional Vedic schools.
The second wonder is that there is no such bulk of literature in any part of the ancient world. Though we have some religious texts in Egypt and Babylonia, they are nowhere near the Vedas quantity wise or quality wise.
I can add one another wonder; that if we draw a line in 800 BCE, we see a huge volume of literature in India and a very few in the other parts of the world. This shows again two things:-
India is the land where civilization originated and spread to other parts of the world. Bhimpetka in Madhya Pradesh has 40,000 year old rock paintings which mean, in the centre most part of India, in the deepest forest, men lived in India.
Second thing is all Latin and Greek words can be traced back to Sanskrit and Tamil roots. So languages and script also migrated from India to other parts of the world. ( I have shown it in my 70 plus articles)
When we compare it with the lost portions of the Vedas, we have more wonders.
The oldest Grammar and Linguistics book in the world is Ashtadhyayi of Panini dated by Goldstucker around 800 BCE.
The grammar book and its commentary Mahabhasya give us some information about the lost portions of the Vedas.
Vedic schools = Charana in Sanskrit
Branch = Saakhaa in Sanskrit
Most of the Vedic charanas were founded by rishis whose names were also used for Gotra/clan appellations
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WHAT KANCHI PARAMACHARYA SAID:-
KANCHI SHANKARACHARYA SRI CHANDRA SEKARA INDRA SARASVATHY (1894-1994) SPOKE ABOUT THE LOST VEDIC SAAKHAAS (BRANCHES):-
“The Vedas in their infinitude being like the expanse of an endless ocean, no one has been able to master them. Even so in the remote past there were individuals conversant with a large number of shakass.
Since the Krta yuga there has been a decline in the powers of man.
Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa knew all the 1180 recensions / shakass of the Vedas revealed to the world by various sages.
The Saama Veda had the highest number of shakaas/ branches/ recensions, 1000.
In the Rig Veda there were 21 .
In the Yajus 109 (Shukla/White Yajur Veda – 15 and Krsna/Black Yajur Veda- 94)
And in the Atharva Veda -50
Visnu Purana mentions the number of Shaakaas to be 1180; another scholar says there were 1133 shaakaas.
During 5000 years or more since Veda Vyasa divided the Vedas, many Saakhaas have been lost. Out of the 1180, we are in the unfortunate position of only six or seven.
Rig Veda has only one Saakhaa now- Saakala Saakhaa or Aitareya shaakaa
Saama Veda 997 shakaas lost;
Shukla /White Yajur Veda – Maadhyandina Saaskhaa and Kaanva saakhaa
Krsna/ Black Yajur Veda – only Taittiriya Brahmana is extant.
We should be guilty of a grave offence if the seven or eight Saakhaas of the 1180 that still survive become extinct because of our neglect.; there will be no expiation for the same.”
For full details in Tamil, please go to Deivathin Kural; for full details in English, please go to ‘Hindu Dharma- The Universal Way of Life’, Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, Mumbai, 2000
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Vedic literature
Thieme , tracing Panini’s (Paaninii) references to their original sources has shown that Panini derived his grammatical material from the texts of the Rigveda , Maitraayanii Samhitaa , Kaathaka Samhitaa, Taittiriya Samhitaa and Atharva veda, probably also from the Saama veda. To these may also be added Saakalya pada paatha of the Rigveda which has supplied him with material for Suutras 1-1-16-18
P Thieme , Paanini and the Veda, p.63
Thieme further points out that some of the Vedic forms used by Paanini cannot be traced back to any extant Vedic works. Possibly they were derived from some text or saakhaa of the black Yajurveda which was known in his time but now lost to us . p 64 of the above book
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Under Rigveda comes this paragraph in Agrawala’s boo
4.Bahuvricha
Paanini mentions the Aamnaaya and dharma of the Bahuvrcha school as Baahuvrichya 4-3-129
And refers to Bahuvricha as the name of Charana 5-4-154 .
That this school once enjoyed wide distribution, is shown by Patanjali speaking in terms of the Bahuvrichas while referring to the Rigveda recensions
Ekavimsadidhaa baahuvrichyam 1-9
The Bahuvrichas are referred to in the Satapatha Brahmana 11-5-1-10 and quoted a dozen times in the Aapastamba Srauta sutra. None of these citations can be traced to the two Rigveda brahmanas known to us , viz. Aitareya and Kaushiitakii and Keith was led to observe that ‘it is perfectly certain that he — Aapastamba – meant some definite work which he may have had before him and in all probability and all his quotations came from it .
Keith , Rigveda brahmanas, p.496
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Panini mentions by name certain other Vedic schools , whose exact affiliations are not known. E.g.
Taitila – Kadru in sutra 6-2-42
It contains an allusion to the students of Aachaarya Titilin, also mentioned in the aforesaid Vaarttika 6-4-144
Patanjali mentions Karudaah and Kaankataah as names of schools 4-2-66; 2-286
Of which the former appears to be students of Kraudi mentioned in the Kraudyaadi gana 4-1-80
The Kaankata Brahmana is referred to in the Aapastamba Srauta- suutra 14-2-4 along with other unknown texts- see Keith, J R A S .1915, page 498
The schools of Karmanda and Krisaasva which are known only from panini 4-3-111 and those of Kaasyapa and Kausika 4-3-103 were confined to their sutra works only, showing to what extent specialisation under the Vedic charanas had advanced . the Kausikas belonged to the Atharva Veda , but the affiliations of the other three are not known .
Pages 317 to 328 , India as known to panini, V S Agrawala, university of Lucknow, 1953
Brahmanas, came after Samhitas and they are dated from 1000 BCE. Of all the lost brahmana works that of Saatyaayana has been quoted most frequently according to B K Ghosh (Fragments of Lost Brahmanas).
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Vedic Hindus were keen observers of the sky. They recorded all the 27+1 stars even before the world started writing in their languages. Some parts of old testament were written in 9th century BCE. Zend Avesta of Persians came around that time. Latin and Tamil literature came vey late, just 2000 years ago.
Hindus differentiated stars from the planets; stars twinkle and planets don’t. Stars maintain relative distance and remain static, but planets move. Mahabharata beautifully describe the stars as
Nakshatra means the one which does not move- says Mahabharata- na ksharati iti nakshatra-
Shanti parva 290-36.
Rig Veda says,
One of the sages went on observing the sky day and night, says ,
The pure and alert king Varuna presents a heap in the bottomless sky above the world. The rays of light placed inside dome come down though the source or base in above—Rig Veda 1-27-7
Atharva Veda 13-12-17 and 20-47-14 state that
The stars run away with the night, just like the thieves, for the sun to see the world.
The suns are powerful than the moon and the earth is greater than the moon. The moon is kept in the lap of stars- RV 10-85-2 and AV 14-1-2
Rig veda mentioned some stars out of 27 stars.
Agha-Magha and Arjuni ; Revati ; Punarvasu ; Chitra ;
Tishya .
The word
Nakshatra is used in the Rig Veda at 1-5o-2; 10-68-11; 7-86-1
Taitriya Samhita of Black Yajur Veda 4-4-10 gives all the names of the stars. This means that they observed the path of moon and recorded everything even before other cultures started producing literature. Black Yajur Veda is dated before 1000 BCE.
Here is the list; the deity of the ‘nakshatra’ is given in the bracket-
Kritika –-Agni ,
Rohini – Prajapati ,
Mrgasirsa –Soma ,
Ardra – Rudra ,
Punarvasu- Aditi,
Tisya – Brhaspati,
Aslesa – S arpa,
Magha- P itr
Purva Phalguni – Aryama,
Uttara Phalguni- Bhaga,
Hasta – Savitr,
Chitra – Indra,
Svati – Vayu,
Vishaka – Indra , Agni
Anuradha – Mitra,
Jyeshta – Indra
Vichrti – Pitr,
Purva Ashada- Aapa,
Uttara ashada- V isve Devaah,
Srona – Vishnu,
Svavista- Vasu,
Satabhisaja – Indra,
Purva prostapada – Aja Ekapada ,
Uttara Prostapada – Ahirbudhnya,
Revati- Pusan,
Asvayujau- Asvinau,
Apabharani- Yama.
Knowing that moon, sun and earth are in one line they named new moon day as Amaa vasya;
Amaa means together and Vaasya means residing .
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Here are some more details from our previous posts-
FROM OUR OLD POSTS IN THIS BLOG……………………………..
Ashwini –Alpha, Beta –Aries அஸ்வினி 2) Bharani – No 28,29,41 Taurus பரணி 3) Krittika – Pleiades கார்த்திகை 4) Rohini – Aldebaran Hyades, Alpha, Theta, Gama, Delta and Epsilon Taurus ரோஹிணி 5) Mrigashirsha – Lambda, Phi 1, Phi 2, Orion மிருகசீர்ஷம் 6) Aardraa –Betelgeaux – Alpha Orion திரு ஆதிரை 7) Punarvasu – Castor, Pollux with Procyon Alpha, Beta, Gemini-Alpha Canis Minor respectively புனர் பூசம் 8) Pushya – Gama, Delta and Theta of Cancer பூசம் 9) Ashlesha – Delta, Epsilon, Eta, Rho and Zeta Hydra ஆயில்யம் 10) Maagha – Alpha, Ela, Gama, Zeta My and Epsilon Leonis மகம் 11) Poorva Phalkuni – Delta and Theta Leo பூரம் 12) Utra Phalkuni – Beta and 93 Leo உத்தரம் 13) Hasta – Delta, Gama, Eta, Virgo ஹஸ்தம் 14) Chitraa – Spica, Alpha Virgo சித்திரை 15) Swaati – Arcturus – Alpha Bootes ஸ்வாதி 16) Vishaakha – Alpha, Beta etc Libra விசாகம் 17) Anuraadha – Beta, Delta, Pi –Scorpia அனுஷம் 18) Jyestha – Antares Alpha, Sigma Tau Scorpio கேட்டை 19) Mula – Scorpio, tail stars மூலம் 20) Poorvaashadaa – Delta and Epsilon Sagittarius பூராடம் 21) Uttaraashaada – Zeta and Omicron Sagittarius உத்திராடம் 22) Shraavanaa – Altair – Alpha Aquila திரு ஓணம் 23) Dhanishtha – Delphinus அவிட்டம் 24) Shatabhisak – Lambda Aquarius சதயம் 25) Poorva Bhaadrapada – Alpha and Beta Pegasus பூரட்டாதி 26) Uttara Bhaadrapada – Gama Pagasus and Alpha Andromeda உத்திரட்டாதி 27) Revathi – Zeta Piscum ரேவதி
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Like we have Graha purusa and Vastu Purusa, Varahamihira gives us some information about Nakshatra Purusa:
The FEET of the stellar deity are represented by the star Mula
The LEGS by Rohini
The KNEES by Asvini
The THIGHS by two (Purva/Uttara) Asadas
The PRIVITIES by two Phalgunis (Purva/ Uttara)
The HIPS by Krittikas
The SIDES by Purva and Utthara) Bhadrapadas
The STOMACH by Revati
The BREAST by Anuradha
The BACK by Dhanista
The ARMS by Visakha
The HANDS by Hastha
The FINGERS by Punarvasu
The NAILS by Aslesa
The NECK by Jyeshata
The EARS by Sravana
The MOUTH by Pusya
The TEETH by Svati
LAUGHTER by Sathabishak
The NOSE by Magha
The EYES by Mrgasiras
The FOREHEAD by Chitra
The HEAD by Bharani and
The HAIR by Arudra
Hindus always describe Gods from Foot to Head and human beings from Head to Foot. It is seen in Sangam Tamil and more ancient Sanskrit literature.
12 signs of zodiac (12 Rasis) represent Kalapurusa (Time in the form of a Person). Likewise the 27 Nakshatras are distributed among the limbs of the Nakshatra purusa.
TAGS– 27 STARS, NAKSHATRA, QUOTATIONS, VEDAS
–SUBHAM–
TRI SANKU NAKSHATRA/ SOUTHERN CROSS IN THE SOUTH SKY
25 Dec 2013 – Kanchi Paramacharya (Shankaracharya). Swamikal said in one of his talks that Zoroaster was from Saurashtra. The reason for Parsees coming …
Zoroaster | Tamil and Vedas
tamilandvedas.com › tag › zoroaster
Posts about Zoroaster written by Tamil and Vedas. … Kanchi Paramacharya Swamikal on Zoroaster Kanchi Shankaracharya in his talk in Chennai in 1932 says: …
9 Jul 2020 – tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com … Kanchi Paramacharya (1894-1994) was not only great Saint but also a great linguist. … They decried the Vedas, and through their Prophet Zoroaster (circa 800 BCE) …
tags – Zoroaster, Saka Dwipa, Sun Worship, Iran, Samba, Varaha Mihira, Veda
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Chanakya’s views on Vedas in Chanakya Niti,
Interpreting the scholarship in Veda in a different manner, as also the conduct prescribed in Sastras, speaking bad words for no reason to a peaceful person, people needlessly subject themselves to torment.
–Chanakya Niti 5-11
Success, Accomplishment
The study of the Veda has no meaning without the performance of the sacrifices, the sacrifice has no meaning without the gifts, without intent there is no success or accomplishment. Hence intent is the root cause of all types of success or accomplishments.
8-10
The homes that do not have the mud caused by the washing of the feet of the Brahmins, where there is no roaring sound of the Vedas and Sastras (Vedic recitation), nor are the sounds of Svaahaa and Svadhaa, are like cremation grounds.
12-10
Numbers
Penance is performed by all by oneself, study by two together, singing by three in the same way, travel by four in the same manner, cultivation likewise with five and battle with so many put together.
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Hindu civilisation has reached its pinnacles during Vedic period itself.
They wrote the first grammar book and they taught grammar in the Vedic school. And even before Panini of seventh century BCE , they had umpteen grammarians. We were fortunate enough to get the Book of Panini (Seventh Century BCE), but others were lost.
We wrote the first Nikandu /Thesaurus and we added the Contents and Index to the Vedas, Even the law book written by Manu, was earlier than Hammurabi who lived in 2600 BCE. The latest version of Manu Smrti, we have today is from second century BCE. Since the name of Manu occurs several times in the RV. Manu refers to Sarasvati river, we know he lived at the time of Sarasvati’s mighty flow. Now due to the satellite picture from NASA and Carbon-14 dating of the underground water by the Bhaba Atomic Research Institute, the date of Sarasvati’s disappearance is fixed 2000 BCE or earlier. So Manu who wrote the original book must have lived well before that. He never mentioned Sati, like the RV. During Vedic period, there was no Sati/widow burning. So the original Manu Smrti belongs to Rig Vedic period. This is confirmed by his definition of Brahmavarta and Aryavarta (Manu Chapter 2). He mentioned the rivers Drsadvati and Sarasvati. Aryas included all the four Varnas/castes according to Rig Veda (10-90).
All the anti Shudra verses in the Manusmrti are added to it during the Sunga period. Sunga Kings were Brahmins. Anyone who reads Manu from top to bottom could easily find the interpolated portions. They go against the natural flow of Manusmrti. They are not only controversial but also contradictory.
Beautiful Vedic Index
Katyayana who lived before 600 BCE counted all the hymns, mantras, syllables in the Rik Veda and prepared the Anukramani/ Index. He did a painstaking research and counted everything in the Vedas, leaving no scope for interpolation or corruption.
Sarvanukramani (Rig Vedic Index) of Katyayana gives the first word of each hymn, the number of the verses, the name and the family of the poets, the names of the deities and the metres of the verses. Saunaka did another anukramani based on the Anuvakas.
Yajur Veda has three anukramanis .
And we have anukramanis for Sama and Atharva Veda as well, one each.
It is strange that someone had such a scientific approach 2600 years ago, when most of Europe was semi civilised or barbaric. If some society has reached the heights of philosophical thought around 850 BCE (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad), no wonder they have mastered numbers grammar, linguistics and language.
Significance of 432,000
The number of syllables in the Rig Veda is 432,000.
This number has a great significance in Hinduism
The total number of years in Kali Yuga is 432,000 years. Other Yugas have the multiple of this number.
Half baked and biased foreigners argued that Yuga cycles and the big numbers are added to Hindu scriptures later. Now this number 432,000 and the very big numbers in the Brahmanas prove them wrong
Katyayana’s count of Verses in the RV is 10,662 (minus the appendix- 10,402)
The words in the RV – 1,53,826
We have lost lot of our Vedic literature. Even during Vyasa’s time (3100 BCE+), Vedas had become very bulky and unmanageable. So he divided it into four (Rik, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana) and gave the responsibility of teaching it to the future generations by the word of mouth. It is great wonder that tradition has been maintained until today. Brahmins deserve great admiration for doing this wonderful task.
Even with all the google, internet and computers in our hands,we find it difficult to analyse all the 20,000 plus mantras in the four Vedas, leave alone the very huge Brahmana literature.
Let us salute the great Vedic Seers and the Brahmins
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