This is the final segment of Asya Vamasya Sukta of Rishi
Dirghatamas. I cannot close without paying the highest respect possible to this
remarkable ancestor of ours. It is a privilege to be able to say that we are
his heirs.
One other remark. In Mantra 46, I did not give the well-known Sanskrit version of the statement that "There is only one Truth; the wise call it by different names". It is "Ekam Satyam, vipra bahudha vadanti".
Mantra 48: “The wheel is single. There are twelve fellies (segments
of a wheel to which spokes are attached). There are three naves (axles). Who
has understood this? Three hundred and sixty spokes are fixed together, and
they cannot be loosened.”
The wheel stands for time – cyclic, rhythmic and for a year
with 12 months, 3 seasons and 360 days and 360 nights. They cannot be altered;
they move with no variation. The poet is struck with the mystery of time and
its cyclic occurrence.
Mantra 49: “O Sarasvati, you feed us all the best things
from your breast which cannot be exhausted;
giver of wealth and riches and knower of Vasus, please nourish us.”
I think, the rishi is referring to the river Sarasvati,
which was an important river in the Vedic days. It must have been a rich source
of food and the site of a great vedic civilization at one time. We know that it dried over a period of time and it is
believed that people moved east towards Ganga after this major event.
Sarasvati comes from saras meaning water and the word
saras comes from the root word sru, to flow. We are also told
that in Vedic days, the river Indus was called Sindhu, which means “to flow”.
An earlier name for Indus river was susoma. The land of Sindhu became
Hindustan in Persian.
Mantra 50: This is an exact reproduction of Purusha Sukta 10:90:16. Therefore, scholars
will argue whether Asya vamasya Sukta was an earlier one, or Purusha Sukta.
Either way, here is the translation of the hymn. “The devas
performed yagna by means of yagna. They were laid as the earliest
duties or law (dharma). Those great sages attained higher abodes where
Sadhya devas dwell.”
The idea of yagna performing yagna or the “egg or chicken”
riddle was always part of the Vedic ideas. “Prajapati sacrificed himself in the
beginning from which Devas came” say the puranas which came later. Purusha
sukta says that. But the seeds of this idea were there earlier, it seems. The
rishis also wondered about how the first life started. “Fire is produced from
fire; life from life” says Aitreya Brahmana 1:16.
By the time devas attained higher abode or heaven, and the rishis got there, it was already the abode of the Saadhya Devas. Who were they? Sādhya (साध्य) are devatās who play important roles in Purāṇic stories. They were the grand-children of Dakṣa-prajāpati. It is said that ten of the sixty daughters of the Prajāpati were married to Dharmadeva. Dharmadeva’s sons by his wife Visva were the Viśvadevas and the sons by Sādhyā were the Sādhyas. In other words, these devas were already in the higher abode when the rishis were performing sacrifices.
Mantra 51: “The same water moves up and down with the
passing of days. The clouds (from above) give life to earth and the fire (from
earth, below) give life to heaven.”
The poet seems to emphasize the mutual relationship between
humans and the devas (deities). Humans perform sacrifice (agni) and feed
the devas. In turn, the devas give rain to earth so humans can grow food for
themselves and to send to the devas through agni in sacrifice. This
mutual relationship is mentioned in many Vedic and Puranic text.
Mantra 52: “I pray
to/invoke Sarasvan (Surya), who is celestial, golden-winged (rays) bird (Suparnam,
divyam, vaayasam), who is growing (bruhantam) and who is born of waters (apaam garbham)
for protection.”
Every word in this hymn can be easily understood. In Vedic
Sanskrit, ocean of this earth is arnava and the celestial ocean is sarasvan. Sarasvan is the sun because he is one who
stores water. Vedic texts mention the understanding the rishis had of the sun
drying up the oceans by taking the waters up and giving back as rain.
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