A pun on the first verse of Kalidasa's Raghuvamsha

The first verse of the celebrated Sanskrit poet Kalidasa's famous epic poem Raghuvamśa ("the story of the dynasty of Raghu", a king of the solar lineage of India) is as follows:

वागर्थाविव संपृक्तौ वागर्थप्रतिपत्तये ।
जगतः पितरौ वन्दे पार्वतीपरमेश्वरौ ।।

"I bow to the mother and father of the world, Pārvatī and Parameśvara (Ṥiva), who are inseparably conjoined, just like a word and its meaning are inseparably conjoined for the purpose of comprehension."

This is the classic meaning of the verse. However, clever scholars probably discovered that they could put a pun on the last word by splitting it slightly differently.

First method of splitting:

पार्वती - परमेश्वरौ  = Pārvatī and Parameśvara

Second method of splitting:

पार्वतीप - रमेश्वरौ =  Pārvatīpa and Rameśvara
                             =  Pārvatī's husband and Ramā's husband
                             =  Ṥiva and Viṣṇu

In the second case, the word पितरौ is easily translated as "two fathers" instead of the special meaning of "father and mother" for the first case.

This seems to be a clever way of showing the equivalence of the two great Gods Shiva and Vishnu with the aim of calming sectarian rivalries and conflicts.

Another verse from Bhartrhari shows this same equivalence:

महेश्वरे वा जगतामधीश्वरे जनार्दने वा जगदन्तरात्मनि ।
न वस्तुभेदप्रपत्तिरस्ति मे तथापि भक्तिस्तरुणेन्दुशेखरे ।।

"I do not see any fundamental difference between Shiva the Overlord of the universe, or Vishnu the Inner Soul of the universe. But still my affection is for the one who has the newborn moon as an ornament (Shiva)."

This verse also gives a glimpse of the Hindu idea of picking your own "Ishta devata" or personal deity based on your temperament and liking. As the spiritual principle is the same, there is no inequality in the devotion or piety.

Agni -- Part 3: Divine Darkness, or Light within the Darkness, or Divine Death, or Death before Life

If you are reading this before the articles "Agni - Part 1 and Part 2", it is strongly recommended that you read them first as they will prepare the way for ideas discussed here.

I must once again express my gratitude and reverence to Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (AKC), one of the pioneers of Perennial Philosophy, who was a true Vedic sage - a rishi - in his comprehensive and integral, but at the same time deep and genuine, understanding of Vedic metaphysics. I also continue his use of 'metaphysics' in preference to 'philosophy' or 'spirituality', as the former term accurately describes the system of ideas, concepts and teachings of the Vedic literature and deep enlightenment regarding the "non-physical" or "beyond-physical", i.e. "meta-physical" state that should result from the triple action of ṥravaṇa, manana, nididhyāsana (learning, pondering and meditating) that is the famous classic path of Vedanta. Truly, there is no difference between what has been called "Rig Veda, etc.", i.e. the "Karma Kāṇḍa" and the "Upanishads", i.e. the "Jñāna Kāṇḍa" except the age of the language and turn of phrase. But then, there is the real difference that the older Rig Veda uses much more complex symbolism than the younger Upanishad. The trick to unraveling symbolism is that the same symbol can stand for many things at many levels.

At the outset, I would like to emphasize my shortcomings in comparison to the genius of AKC in his energetic synthesis of different verses of the Rig Veda and Upanishads. Although every essay of his has countless gems of interconnected deductions, the following essays in particular contain material that is pertinent to my present endeavor:
1. A New Approach to the Vedas
2. The Darker Side of Dawn
3. Angel and Titan: An Essay in Vedic Ontology
4. The Vedic doctrine of 'Silence'
5. The Tantric doctrine of divine biunity
6. Kha and other words denoting 'zero' in connection with the Indian metaphysics of space
7. On the one and only transmigrant
8. Vedic 'Monotheism'
9. Vedic Exemplarism

I shall proceed to list key ideas and concepts in as logical an order as I can think of, with references from the Rig Veda and other texts that AKC has used and also a few more that are obviously in context. The overarching goal is to show by interconnecting the texts, that the rishis of the Rig Veda had fathomed the deepest secret, the deepest and most profound truth about the nature of reality. They had experienced the ultimate, irreducible state of "enlightening darkness" which level of oxymoron is the only way to describe that supreme, absolute, irreducible state of Existence-Knowledge.

1. Agni and other "Gods of Light/Heaven" are in fact "dark" in their origin. Their original state, i.e. before creation and manifestation of the universe is described.

Pañcaviṁśa Brāhmaṇa 25.15.4: सर्प्या: वा आदित्याः   sarpyāḥ vā ādityāḥ   The Gods are really serpents.

AKC reiterates that the descriptions of Gods prior to "coming into the light" is ophidian (serpent-like). This should not connote any vicious, terrifying or repulsive images that one may have of real-world snakes. The deep significance of the intricate symbol of serpent is noteworthy.

The long and unsegmented body of the serpent symbolizes the totality of all Being or Existence in its undifferentiated state. In fact, the most prominent myth in the Rig Veda is that of Indra cutting up the serpent Vritra into pieces that become parts of the universe. However, the myth that precedes this shows Indra and Vritra as best friends before creation of the universe. Therefore, antecedent to separation of things in creation, all Existence was in the form of a serpent, so to speak.

2. Agni is in fact explicitly described as a serpent, or with actions of a serpent.

Gotama Rāhūgaṇa (RV 1.79.1): अहि: धुनिः  ahiḥ dhuniḥ    A raging serpent

 Aitareya Brāhmaṇa 3.36: एष ह वा अहिर्बुध्न्यो यदग्निर्गार्हपत्य:   eṣa ha vā ahirbudhnyo yad agnir gārhapatyaḥ   This Agni Gārhapatyaḥ (i.e. the foundational fire) is truly the serpent of the deep.

 Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 7.3.2.14: अद्भ्य उपोदासृप्तं पुष्करपर्णे   adbhya upodāsṛptaṁ puṣkaraparṇe     He had crept out of the waters onto a lotus leaf. 

In the last reference, Agni is likened to a serpent slithering out from the water onto a lotus leaf. This description is loaded with several related doctrines. The lotus (puṣkara) is the symbol of an individual manifested world. As Agni is the First Manifested Principle (i.e. "God") in any world (prathamajā ṛtasya), it is consistent with other references linking Agni to the lotus (for example, RV 6.16.13: Atharvan churned Agni from the Lotus, from Viśva's head).


3. Agni is 'endless' or 'infinite' before manifestation or creation

The last reference tells us Agni was a slithering unsegmented Being until he crept up onto a lotus leaf, at which point, he is in a world that he created by virtue of his creeping up onto it. Before that, he is said to have no hands or feet. This is significant as the foot is a discrete mode of motion. A foot needs a solid distinct "ground" upon which to move in finite, discrete, measured "quanta". However, slithering needs no "ground" as it is a continuous, non-discrete motion that is non-differentiated or "unmeasured". Thus, the foot is the symbol for a distinct manifestation or a created world. Hence, the footless serpent is the symbol for the state prior to creation, prior to distinct entities.

Vāmadeva Gautama (RV 4.1.7): अनन्ते अन्तः परिवीत आगात्  anante antaḥ parivīta āgāt  Enveloped in the infinite, may he come to us. 

 Vāmadeva Gautama (RV 4.1.11): स जायत... बुध्ने रजसः अस्य योनौ ... अपादशीर्षा गुहमानो अन्ता   sa jāyata... budhne rajasaḥ asya yonau... apādaśīrṣā guhamāno antā   He is born in the depths of space (or waters - compare Ahi Budhnya, serpent of the deep, above) in his own womb... Without feet and without a head, he conceals his ends.

'Conceals his ends' essentially means infinite. Here again, the image of a serpent with its tail in its mouth comes to mind, such that the Being is continuous, unsegmented (without intervals or gaps), full of infinite potentialities prior to manifestation.

Because Agni is infinite, he is never exhausted after emptying out all the potentialities to manifest the universe. This is corroborated by Viśvāmitra Gāthina (RV 3.26.9): "शतधारमुत्समक्षीयमाणं  śatadhāram utsam akṣīyamāṇam  -  He is an inexhaustible fountain of a hundred streams."


4. Agni dwells in the Darkness prior to creation

The idea of Agni, the exemplar of worldly light, dwelling in darkness is very paradoxical and strange at first. However, this reveals the highest conception of the Vedic sages which they symbolized as Agni. Perhaps we might get a better understanding by looking at the instances in the Rig Veda:

Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya (RV 6.9.7): विश्वे देवा अनमस्यन् भियानाः त्वामग्ने तमसि तस्थिवांसम्  viśve devā anamasyan bhiyānāḥ tvām agne tamasi tasthivāṁsam  -  All the Gods bowed in fear to you, Agni, when you dwelt in the Darkness.


RV 10.51.5: एहि ... तमसि क्षेष्यग्ने सुगान्पथः कृणुहि देवयानान् वह हव्यानि सुमनस्यमानः  ehi ... tamasi kṣeṣi agne ... sugān pathaḥ kṛṇuhi devayānān vaha havyāni sumanasyamānaḥ  -  Come ... you are dwelling in the darkness ... make our paths easy-faring and carry sacred offerings, being of good will to us.

  
 RV 10.124.1: इमं ... यज्ञमेहि ... असो हव्यवाळुत नः पुरोगाः ज्योगेव दीर्घं तम आशयिष्ठाः  imam yajñamehi aso havyavāḍuta naḥ purogāḥ jyogeva dīrgham tama āśayiṣṭhāḥ  -  Come to this sacrifice, O Life-eternal, carrier of sacred offering and our leader. You have stayed too long in darkness.

These verses show the fundamental doctrine in the form of myth, i.e. by the use of Gods as personalities pleading Agni to come out of the darkness and set the sacrifice "rolling" by creating paths and carrying offerings between the worlds, which in effect causes the worlds to be created.

There is a more profound metaphysical doctrine hidden in those descriptions of Agni dwelling in the darkness. As already pointed out, it is a paradox that the paragon of light should stay in darkness. This should give us the clue that physical light is not meant here. Agni is the pure self-consciousness and existence that is the foundation of all empirical experience. Agni is the pure "I" that is the final and ultimate irreducible state of singular existence-consciousness from which worlds are created and into which they dissolve. Such a state is characterized by complete absence of multiplicity of names and forms, which implies absence of the Light of Creation that exposes, differentiates and defines the forms and names that constitute the universe.

In contrast, this "Agni dwelling in darkness" is a "Dark Light". Compare this to Chandogya Upanishad 1.6, "The white light of the sun is 'sa' and the extremely dark blue black light is 'ama' and together they make 'saama'." So Vedic tradition symbolizes a dark light that is behind the white light of the sun. This 'Dark Light' is the 'Agni dwelling in darkness' which is a Silent Observer existing alone in inaction. The same concept is found in Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.3.6-7:

 

अस्तमित आदित्ये याज्ञवल्क्य चन्द्रमस्यस्तमिते शान्तेऽग्नौ शान्तायां वाचि किंज्योतिरेवायं पुरुष इत्यात्मैवास्य ज्योतिर्भवति … । ६। कतम आत्मेति योऽयं विज्ञानमयः प्राणेषु हृद्यन्तर्ज्योतिः … । ७।

astamita āditye yājñavalkya candramasyastamite śānte'gnau śāntāyāṃ vāci kiṃjyotirevāyaṃ puruṣa ityātmaivāsya jyotirbhavati … । 6। katama ātmeti yo'yaṃ vijñānamayaḥ prāṇeṣu hṛdyantarjyotiḥ … । 7।

When the sun has set, and the moon has set, and the fire is extinguished and speech is silent, what light is available to man? The Self is indeed his light… Who is this Self? The one who is full of consciousness, who is within the senses, the light within the heart…

 

In other words, this Self is the Light within the Darkness, which is also the symbolism of Agni as seen in the afore-quoted verses.

This is the state of Brahman of the Upanishads. The famous Nāsadīya Sūktam (RV 10.129) confirms the same concept: 

तम आसीत्तमसा गूळ्हमग्रे ... आनीदवातं स्वधया तदेकं तस्माद्धान्यन्न परः किञ्चनास   tama āsīt tamasā gūḷham agre ... ānīd avātam svadhayā tadekam tasmāddha anyan na paraḥ kiñcanāsa   In the beginning darkness was covered by darkness ... That One breathed without breath; other than That One there was nothing else.

The above Rig Veda verses depict the myth of creation where the "Gods" are eager for Agni to come out of the darkness, i.e. project the First Ray of Universal Light, which is also depicted in different myths. One of them is that Agni-Ahi Budhyna the Primordial Serpent crept up on a lotus leaf. Another one is  Indra slaying the Primordial Serpent under the name Vritra and cutting him up into parts that become the universe (along with releasing the waters of life). The true meaning of the Vedic yajna is to realize the original unity of the Serpent, and ritually effect the conjoining of the parts of Agni or Prajapati to make him whole. This is the true meaning of Agnicayana. This inner meaning of the ritual was adopted by Upanishad sages to various degrees, for example, as the Inner Fire Ritual (āntaram agnihotram) to be effected intellectually to realize the Primordial Unity.

Thus, it has been shown that Vedic metaphysics has always been consistent in its essential doctrine, while only changing in language and idiom.

The continuity has been carried on into Puranic symbolism. The most conspicuous example of Vedic serpent symbolism is the mythology of Vishnu resting on the thousand-hooded serpent Ananta Shesha.

The name of the serpent is variously Ananta (Infinite), Shesha (Remnant), Adi Shesha (Primordial Remnant). So obviously this is the same infinite Vedic serpent Agni-Ahi Budhnya. Shesha is what remains after creation. But he is Ananta Shesha, i.e. Infinite Remnant, which is an overstatement of the concept that what is infinite is never emptied out.

Vishnu is the Supreme God of the universe, whereas Ananta is the Godhead, the source of the God. This may come as a little shock to devout Hindus. Vishnu emerges out of Ananta, and rests on Ananta as his foundation. Vishnu is manifested in the universe, "visible" and active as the universal consciousness. Ananta is unmanifested, "invisible" as the Silent Observer existing alone in inaction. Of course, in the end Vishnu and Ananta are one and the same.

Agni -- Part 2: Supreme singularity, reconciliation of opposites

In the previous post, some examples were given of Agni verses from the Rig Veda, that were in simple and non-cryptic language. These clearly showed that the sages conceived of Agni as the Supreme Unity of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss. The proportion of such simple and straightforward statements are few and far between. Even as it was demonstrated in Trita Āptya's hymn RV 10.5, use of intricate and cryptic symbolism is the norm. Although it is impossible to unravel every bit of symbolism in the Rig Veda, some linked verses and some explanations from the Brāhmaṇa literature help reveal the deep metaphysics behind some of the topics.

Here is one example that requires a little more explanation than the simple verses.

1. Vāmadeva Gautama, RV 4.40.5

    हंसः शुचिषद्वसुरन्तरिक्षसद्धोता वेदिषदतिथिर्दुरोणसत् ।

    नृषद्वरसदृतसद्व्योमसदब्जा गोजा ऋतजा अद्रिजा ऋतम् ॥ 

haṁsaḥ śuciṣad vasur antarikṣasad-dhotā vediṣad atithir duroṇasat |

nṛṣad varasad ṛtasad vyomasad abjā gojā ṛtajā adrijā ṛtam  ||

"The Swan present in the waters (or light), as Vasu in the atmosphere, as the priest in the altar, as the guest in houses. In men he is present, in gods, in Cosmic Order, in space - he is born from the waters, from the earth, from the Cosmic Order, from the mountains. He is Cosmic Order."

Although this verse is attributed to Sūrya, it is obvious that most of the epithets are those of Agni - not that there is any real difference between Agni and Sūrya in the highest level. However, when dealing with the hymns attributed to individual gods, it is consistent to observe what epithets are used for each god. 

Now, Hamsa is the swan, which although not an aquatic animal, still spends most of its life on water. It breathes air, can fly and walk on land, but chooses to sit in water. As such, the swan is a beautiful and apt symbol for the Supreme One, which chooses to express itself in manifestation of the world. In the Rig Veda, waters (plural) are the symbol of the universe with its potentialities. The universe is infinitely capable of producing and reproducing forms and life-forms. Hence, the Supreme One by choice, for play, has come into the universe as consciousness in living creatures. The Swan is the Samsārī, the Eternal Migrant, who is always on the move, in the form of space and time. 

         The only other occurrence of a single swan in the Rig Veda is in Parāśara Śāktya, RV 1.65.9:

                               श्वसित्यप्सु हंसो न सीदन् क्रत्वा चेतिष्ठो विशामुषर्भुत्

                          śvasityapsu haṁso na sīdan kratvā cetiṣṭho viśāmuṣarbhut

Agni "breathes sitting in the waters like a swan, by his power he is omniscient, waking at dawn for men." Clearly the Swan is Agni. 

'Priest of the altar' and 'Guest in the home' are well-known descriptions of Agni. "Amṛto martyeṣu - the immortal within mortals" as Agni is described (e,g., RV 4.2.1) matches "nṛṣad - in men". Three terms are related: ṛtasad, ṛtajā, ṛtam. The first one means "is present in Cosmic Order", the second "born of Cosmic Order", the third "is the Cosmic Order".  These three terms coming together in this verse demonstrate the very core of Vedic philosophy. In a majority of hymns the gods are described as born from Cosmic Order, adhering to Cosmic Order, keepers of Cosmic Order, etc., resulting in a popular (especially among Western Indology specialists) notion that the gods are somehow subservient to, and are "governed" by, Cosmic Order. The image that these Western scholars create is that of a rowdy bunch who are kept in discipline by this matronly Cosmic Order. However, in this verse, Agni is the Supreme All-in-One. He is the Cosmic Order, he is the soul of Cosmic Order, he embodies it, and is the child of Cosmic Order. By extension, all the gods are an embodiment of Cosmic Order, which is an expression of their essential nature.

Moreover, this triple epithet of Agni only reflects the consistent metaphysics that we will see below.


Supreme singularity, or reconciliation of opposites

A supreme, all-encompassing, spiritual principle which is the material and efficient cause of the universe is expected, not surprisingly, to be described in terms of opposites. This supreme "singularity" would be the state of neutralization of worldly opposites, a state of existence where the manifested opposites of worldly existence have no meaning, or from which state the opposites emerge to form the structures of the world. This state of singularity is the supreme, self-luminous Observer who knows his own existence, and who exists both before the universe comes into being and after the universe is dissolved. 

The Upanishads and Vedanta declare this non-dual state of existence as the ultimate reality. Not surprisingly, the Rig Veda is already full of such descriptions with regard to Agni. Comparing this to the Big Bang theory of modern physics, the energy is the state of singularity when there was no space, time or matter. The total energy content cannot increase or decrease, so it will always exist regardless of the specific structure of matter, space or time. However, the one missing piece in this theory is an absolute observer that validates the existence of this state.

Here we will see some specific ways in which Agni is described as a unity of opposites or dualities.

1. Energy and Matter, or Eater and Eaten, or Consumer and Consumed
This duality is perhaps the most fundamental in the universe. In fact, this duality is the basis for the separate existence of things that make up the structure of the universe. If everything was one, then what would eat what? Then there would be no grass, no deer, no tigers, no separate entities, no protons, neutrons or electrons or atoms or molecules. However, because there is evidence of recycling of things in the universe, there must be a single source of all opposites. This is what the sage Viśvāmitra Gāthina (RV 3.26.7) realized as his identity with Agni:

अग्निरस्मि जन्मना जातवेदाः घृतं मे चक्षुरमृतं म आसन् ।

  अर्कस्त्रिधातू रजसो विमानो अजस्रो घर्मो हविरस्मि नाम ॥

agnirasmi janmanā jātavēdāḥ ghṛtaṁ me cakṣuramṛtaṁ ma āsan|  

arkastridhātū rajaso vimāno ajasro gharmo havirasmi nāma||

 "agnirasmi janmanā jātavēdāḥ I am Agni, omniscient by birth" - here the sage has a flash of illuminating realization that he and the universal observer are one and the same. "ajasro gharmo havirasmi nāma I am Eternal heat, as well as the sacred food offering." - here the symbols of the sacrificial ritual are used to denote the universal opposites of energy and matter, eater and eaten. He is both of them. This is the realization of the oneness behind all forms that recycle interchangeably.

2. Male and Female
This duality is another fundamental aspect of the manifested universe. Mythologies of all ancient cultures have a creation myth that has a first male and first female that produce the world. Even modern genetics expounds two fundamental types of chromosomes in DNA, X and Y that are gender-related. And yet, when the ultimate origins are questioned, logically there would have had to be a gender-neutral state from which the duality emerged, because neither a male nor a female by itself could produce the universe - by their very definition, they need to come together for any production or reproduction. Here by 'male' and 'female' we should understand 'donor' and 'recipient' or 'force' and 'potential', which denote more universal metaphysical  ideas than mere sexual identity in mammals.  
             To recognize and realize the state of gender-neutrality requires insight into the deeper reality of all things, which is an absolute, universal observer.  This is what the sage Trita Āptya (RV 10.5) realized as Agni:

असच्च सच्च परमे व्योमन् दक्षस्य जन्मन्नदितेरुपस्थे ।

  अग्निर्ह नः प्रथमजा ऋतस्य पूर्व आयुनि वृषभश्च धेनुः ॥ 7

asacca sacca parame vyoman dakṣasya janmannaditerupasthe |  

agnirha naḥ prathamajā ṛtasya pūrva āyuni vṛṣabhaśca dhenuḥ ||

 
 "pūrva āyuni vṛṣabhaśca dhenuḥ Before creation, he was both Bull and Cow" - here the very culturally universal symbols of bull and cow are used for male and female. Before the manifestation of the universe, the potentialities of maleness and femaleness were undifferentiated in Agni, but then came forth as concrete forms in the manifested universe. 

Another observation in the hymns to Agni is that although he is a male deity for all practical purposes, he is identified with all the female deities as well. For example:


Vāmadeva Gautama (RV 4.1.20) 
"विश्वेषामदितिर्यज्ञियानाम् - viśveṣām aditir yajniyānām - Of all gods, he is Aditi" It is well-known that Aditi is the mother of all gods.

Gṛtsamada Bhārgava (RV 2.1.11)
"You, Agni, are the goddesses Aditi, Bhārati, Iḍā and Sarasvati."


3. Father and Son; Father and Daughter
Another fundamental duality in relationships is that of progenitor and offspring. In the universe, for all practical purposes, the father of a creature cannot be the creature's son. Nor is it logical to say that a father is his daughter's son. This generational differentiation is a linear progression that is a natural outcome of reproduction. 

However, after realizing the non-duality of existence, there is no escape from the knowledge that such relationships of the universe have no meaning behind or beyond the universe. Or, from the perspective of first origins, the son cannot have been without the existence of a father, but the father would have to be someone's son. So the ideas of 'father' and 'son' are of mutual origin from a source where there is neither father nor son.  This is the realization of the sage Parāśara Śāktya (RV 1.69.2) regarding Agni:

"परि प्रजातः क्रत्वा बभूथ भुवो देवानां पिता पुत्रः सन् "
"pari prajātaḥ kratvā babhūtha bhuvo devānām pitā putraḥ san"  
"Manifested everywhere by your power, you have become the father of the gods, being already their son."
So the sage is reiterating the realization that Agni is all and all is Agni.

Moreover, from the Trita Āptya verse quoted above, it is seen that Agni's primeval state of non-duality implies that Dakṣa is born from Aditi, who is his daughter. As observed above, this is due to the metaphysical need for a first origin. This same  Dakṣa-Aditi symbolism is elaborated in another hymn RV 10.72.4:

"अदितेर्दक्षो अजायत दक्षाद्वदितिः परि"
"aditer dakṣo ajāyata dakṣād u aditiḥ pari"
"From Aditi was born Dakṣa and from Dakṣa was Aditi born"


4. Unmanifest and Manifest, or Non-existence and Existence, or Non-being and Being
This duality is a rather subtle subject of metaphysics and philosophy, but no doubt it is much closer to the question of first origin and to the absolute non-dual reality. In all of Indian philosophy, this duality has two words: Asat and Sat. However, these same two words are used in slightly different meanings in different contexts in the Rig Veda and Upanishads, hence the three different pairs of dualities in the heading. 

Subtle distinctions need to be made between the three pairs of dualities. 'Non-being' is a null, an absolute nothing. 'Being' is the opposite - a 'something', a final, irreducible absolute state of "is-ness". When this 'Being' has not taken on a specific mode, it is 'Non-existence', whereas 'Existence' is a mode of 'Being'. 'Unmanifest' is the state of 'Existence' that is imperceptible to a set of mind and senses, whereas 'Manifest' can be perceived by a mind and a group of senses.

For sure, neither Rig Veda nor Upanishads teach a state of pure nothing or null as it goes against all spiritual experience. So undifferentiated 'Being' is the ground zero or absolute reality of the Rig Veda and Upanishads. From this clarity, we can understand that in chapter 6 of Chandogya Upanishad, Sat means 'Being', which is why it is asked, "How can Being arise from Non-being? It cannot be so. Hence Being alone was in the beginning." Similarly, in Rig Veda 1.164.46, Sat could mean 'Being' or 'Existence', "There is one Being or Existence, though sages describe it in many ways."

Harking back to the Trita Āptya verse quoted above, Agni is said to be "Asat and Sat at the highest level (parame vyoman - literally "highest heaven" or "highest space", meaning the highest state or sphere of existence, above and beyond the mundane world)". In the next line, Agni is called "the first-born of Cosmic Order". We have to reconcile these two descriptions. Since Cosmic Order implies a fully functional universe, Agni is here the "first ray of the light of consciousness" in a specific universe. In other words, he is the personal God. However, in the highest state, far removed from the universe, where there is no notion of Cosmic Order due to the absence of a Cosmos, Agni is "both Existence and Non-existence", in other words, he is undifferentiated Being. This line of thought is confirmed by the last quarter of the verse "before creation, both Bull and Cow". So, what will become the gender duality of bull and cow within the Cosmos, is undifferentiated Bull-Cow before creation, i.e. before Cosmos, i.e. both Existence and Non-existence, i.e. Pure Being in the highest state, i.e. the state of non-dual singularity. This same concept is also found in the famous Nasadiya hymn, RV 10.129: "There was neither non-existence nor existence then", "That One breathed without breath on its own." 

5. Moving and Stationary; Moving and Unmoving
Aristotle is pretty famous for the concept of the "unmoved mover" as a first principle. However, this concept was nothing new. Thousands of years before Aristotle, the Rig Veda is full of such descriptions of the Supreme Unity, the Absolute Singularity of Existence and Consciousness in terms of opposites. 

Viśvāmitra Gāthina (RV 3.55.7) describes Agni as:
 द्विमाता होता विदथेषु सम्राडन्वग्रं चरति क्षेति बुध्नः।
"dvimātā hotā vidatheṣu samrāṭ anvagraṁ carati kṣeti budhnaḥ"

"The one who has two mothers (heaven and earth), or the one who is the creator of two (heaven and earth), who is the sovereign in spiritual conferences, he moves ahead even while he rests as foundation." 

First, the description of Agni as "son of two or creator of two" shows again the fundamental concept of Agni as the unifying "bridge" who transcends opposites and yet from whom opposites emerge. Then he is said to move even as he sits. This is an exact paraphrase of Īśopaniṣad, "तदेजति तन्नेजति", "It moves, it moves not".

Also, Trita Āptya (RV 10.5.3) says, "विश्वस्य नाभिं चरतो ध्रुवस्य - viśvasya nābhiṁ carato dhruvasya - He is the center or origin of all that moves and all that is stationary." In other words, Agni is the single source of opposites created in the universe. Or rather, Agni is the state of Existence-Consciousness that transcends worldly opposites.

Any genuine metaphysical description of the ultimate reality can only use negations of worldly opposites, as the state of ultimate reality is one of uniform, undifferentiated, "non-lumpy" existence as well as pure awareness of the existence. Existence and knowledge of existence are inseparable because if I don't know I exist, then I am a null, a non-existent. These ideas lead to the root of all knowledge and experience, and to the deepest truth of all, which we shall see in the next post. 

We have explored some deep spiritual (or, more accurately, metaphysical - which means "beyond physical" - which actually represents the idea of "spiritual" in the sense of non-corporeal) conception of Agni in the Rig Veda that correspond perfectly with the teachings of the Upanishads. Agni is realized and recognized by the sages as the non-dual singularity and the absolute observer that is the Brahman of Upanishads. In the next post, we shall see a much deeper level of meaning in some of the Rig Vedic verses that are only rarely seen in the Upanishads. 

I must mention Ananda K. Coomaraswamy here as my inspiration and indirect teacher. He is a true sage in the likeness of the Vedic sages in his deep insight into the meaning of Vedic and Upanishadic texts, and his profound wisdom in connecting all texts into a systematic whole. His collected writings on the Vedas are published as "Perception of the Vedas" by Manohar Publishers, and is available on Amazon.


http://www.amazon.com/Perception-Indira-Gandhi-National-Centre/dp/8173042543/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433056188&sr=8-1&keywords=perception+of+the+vedas 

AKC completely rejects the methods of modern Western oriental scholars who look at the Rig Veda as a document of history devoid of metaphysical and spiritual content. He considers the Rig Veda as just the opposite - as dealing with eternal matters and not of any historical events, and this is also the traditional view. He shows with scholarly rigor and precision that each of the terms in the Rig Veda have a specific interpretation in metaphysics and that the Vedic verses were composed with the intention of expressing these metaphysics. The sages of the Rig Veda took the underlying metaphysical theory for granted when composing the verses so that there is no systematic exposition of the doctrine, but AKC recovers it by consolidating scattered verses throughout the text. He also shows the complete equivalence of the Vedic verses with the later Upanishads excepting linguistic changes in modes of expression. Another important discussion is on the real meaning and purpose of Vedic yajna (sacrifice) which is always an emulation of the "First Primal Sacrifice" done by the Gods to create the universe.

In summary, these essays are an insightful presentation of the theory of Vedic metaphysics on universal and individual Consciousness, God and the source of God, and other topics of spiritual significance.

This book is a must-have, if you are a lover of metaphysics and like to ponder deeply on questions about the nature of "God" and the universe, and the relation of individual multiplicities of existence to the single unity of undivided existence, and how different traditional systems are set up to lead to enlightenment.

 

Three Sanskrit verses, three generations and a good sense of humor!

This is an account of how three Sanskrit verses and a great sense of humor kept three generations connected through remembering and re-telling of funny tidbits.

My grandfather was reportedly a pretty good scholar of Sanskrit and some sacred Hindu literature as well as ceremonial rites (he used to preside over all the family ceremonies - house-warming, sacred thread investiture, special family worship like yajñas and homas... he was also one of the priests at my father's wedding ceremony). He would project a very austere and dignified bearing with his bright white dhoti which always had crisp creases and was never sloppy, and his Śrīvaiṣṇava Iyengar nāmam (mind you - it's the tenkalai version which is the more elegant one with a strong square and a base!). He was fun and not stern with his grandchildren at all, but we all had a big dose of respect for him. I got to see him more closely than my cousins as he lived with our family quite a long time. Oh by the way, my father was fifth of ten children - five sons and five daughters.

What I didn't know about my grandfather was filled in by my father. For example, he had a penchant for well-tailored suits! Who would've thought that someone so seemingly steeped in hallowed conservative tradition was also so open-minded! Also, he used to play tennis, and collected ties and fancy fountain pens in equal numbers. Let me assure you that for his time (early 20th century) he would have been a culture shock to his peers who would've been conservative to a large extent. It is apparent that my grandfather's traits were passed on mostly to my father among all his children.

My dad, just like my granddad, was very cosmopolitan in his outlook and he managed to keep tradition and modern influences very well-balanced. He was a star basketball player in college, loved traditional Indian cuisine, and was one of the very rare few of his generation to collect and listen to all kinds of Western music - from Mozart to Metallica! Even I was surprised and skeptical of his interest in all these widely differing genres of music, but hey - to each his own. At the same time he was also quite familiar with Sanskrit literature and had read the Upanishads. On the other hand he was the eccentric who introduced wine into our family circle and even made grape wine at home a couple times. He is still remembered for that more than anything else because any alcohol was a taboo of the highest level. Of course he is also acknowledged for his dedication to his family (he remained single until all his sisters got married so that he could financially support them).

Clearly, among the traits passed on from granddad to dad was a good sense of humor that didn't consider anything too sacred but didn't take cheap shots just for the sake of making something funny.

Also, I had my own view into my dad's traits, and I found not only the sense of humor but also that I found him funny in ways in which he tried to show off his knowledge of Sanskrit. But what made it funny was that sometimes he wouldn't remember a complete verse, but instead of getting defeated by that, he would turn it into a challenge for me. Here's where we get into the first verse.

शुष्को वृक्षस्तिष्ठत्यग्रे   śuṣko vṛkṣastiṣṭhatyagre

So my dad blurted this phrase and asked me to repeat it. Granted, it's a tongue-twister, but I'm not his son for nothing... so I said the phrase and that was it. He said his dad used to recite the whole verse but he himself only remembered the first half of the first line. After this first time, we'd both have some fun just saying it fast and slow, in different tones, like a jingle. We'd bring this up in social gatherings and throw it out there for others to pronounce. And then for many years this phrase slipped to the back of my mind until I was reminded of it in an online Kannada lecture by Shatavadhani R. Ganesh. He was giving an example of poetics and he recited the whole verse, and I jumped when I heard it. I stepped the video back and replayed it, this time with alert ears and a pen and paper. So now I finally have the full verse!

The second verse has a really funny twist to it given by my granddad and luckily it has come down to me. To understand the joke requires some knowledge of South Indian food, Sanskrit poets and Hindu deities. So here goes...

उपमा कालिदासस्य coffee coffee सरस्वती        upamā kālidāsasya coffee, coffee sarasvatï

This is so hilarious that I'm still chuckling as I write this and say it over and over again. The humor will probably be evident to someone who is familiar with Upma or Uppittu which is a South Indian delicacy. It is a savory dish made from semolina and vegetables and spices, and is a popular breakfast dish. Kālidāsa is the most celebrated classical Sanskrit poet and dramatist. Sarasvati is the Hindu goddess of wisdom and learning.
      It is a common practice in South India to top off a breakfast of Upma with a cup of coffee. What my granddad has done here is to take the first two words "upamā kālidāsasya" from a verse and added his own joke. So he's having Kālidāsa serve him Upma first, and then Goddess Sarasvati will follow with the cup of coffee! And there's a tune to it, and it's a nice little jingle. Not only that, the syllable count exactly fits the original Anuṣṭup meter, which has 8 syllables in each quarter of a verse or each half of each line.
      It took me a long time before I found the original verse.

The third verse is what my father told me. This time he had the full verse. What was amusing was the subject of the verse and the little story behind it, which I think is only a folk tale.

Let me start from the top and write down the full verses. As a bonus, I've written a Sanskrit commentary on two of them.

1. Dry tree

शुष्को वृक्षस्तिष्ठत्यग्रे तदुपरि कश्चित्सर्पोऽप्यस्ति ।
नीरसतरुरिह विलसति निकटे तदुपरि मणिमयकुटिलभुजङ्गः ॥

Meaning (same for line 1 and 2): There is a dry tree nearby, perched on it is a snake.

Now, the meaning may not show this verse to be special in any way. However, for well-versed (pun intended) experts, line 1 is not as "juicy" (rasamaya) as line 2, which is more mellifluous to the ear. The sounds are softer and "curvy" in line 2, whereas they are sharp and jagged in line 1. This verse reportedly decided which of poet Bāṇabhaṭṭa's two sons would complete his incomplete posthumous novel (which is supposed to be the first "novel" in the world - Kādambarï - which has become the word for novel in all Indian languages).

अथ संस्कृतभाषाभाष्यम् -
इति वर्तते श्लोकोऽयं यो बाणभट्टमहाकवेर्पुत्रयोर्मध्ये आगतां स्पर्धामनिर्णयत् । यदा कादम्बरीकृतिमपूर्णां त्यक्त्वा बाणो पञ्चत्वं गतः तदा पण्डितैरिदं विवक्षितं यत् कोऽस्तीदानीं यो कादम्बरीं सम्पूर्णयिष्यति । बाणस्य पुत्रौ विद्वांसौ सन्तावपि कस्मिन् काव्यरसोऽधिकतरोऽस्तीति निश्चेतुं कञ्चिद्वृक्षं वर्णयत्विति कृतम् । प्रथमा पङ्क्तिरग्रजस्य द्वितीया चानुजस्य वर्तते । अनुजः पितुरेवाद्वितीयः प्रतिम इति सर्वैः पण्डितैर्निर्विवादं निश्चितं स्म । स एव कादम्बरीं पूर्णां करोत्विति चादिशन् ॥



2. Kālidāsa's similes

उपमा कालिदासस्य भारवेरर्थगौरवम् ।
दण्डिनः पदलालित्यं माघे सन्ति त्रयो गुणाः ॥

Kālidāsa is known for his inimitable similes, Bhāravi for his depth of meaning, Daṇḍi is famous for his wordplay, but in Māgha all three qualities are seen.

This verse is special because it is a compact reference to four of the greatest poets, and it summarizes what each one is best known for, although it attempts to raise Māgha above the other three.


3. How to get a good meal

भोजनं देहि राजेन्द्र घृतसूपसमन्वितम् ।
माहिषं च शरच्चन्द्रचन्द्रिकाधवलं दधि ॥

"O King, provide us a meal full of ghee (clarified butter) and rich soup. And also give us yogurt made from buffalo's milk, white as the light of the full moon on a clear autumn night. "

The legend behind this verse goes like this: Three novice poets were desperate for a source of income, and heard of King Bhoja's munificence toward artists - considering that the famous Kālidāsa was in his court. So they decided to compose a beautiful verse. It turns out their talent is quite mediocre and they could only manage to compose a single line begging the king for food in uninspired language. In their despair, they turn to Kālidāsa himself to complete the second line of the verse, and he did so. When this verse was read out to King Bhoja, he being something of a poet himself, detected a difference in the style of the first and second lines. Suspecting plagiarism, he threatened the poets with punishment. The poets confessed to using Kālidāsa's help, and didn't make it to king's Bhoja's court after all.

अथ संस्कृतभाषाभाष्यम् -
इदं पद्यं यदि किंचित् हास्यास्पदमिव दृश्येत् ननु तत्र न कश्चन संशयः स्यात् । बह्व्य एव सन्ति कालिदासस्य दन्तकथाः । इयमप्येका वर्तते यत् केचन नवीनकवयः भोजराजस्यास्थाने प्रतिष्ठामिच्छन्तोऽचिन्तयन् - यद्यस्माभिरेकमतिरमणीयं पद्यं रचितं तर्हि राजसम्मुखे तच्छ्रावयित्वा प्रतिष्ठां लब्ध्वा आस्थानकवयो भविष्याम इति । परं नैव मनोरथः केवलः साधयति काव्यप्रतिभां खलु । ते कवयः प्रथमां तु पङ्क्तिं साधारणामेवारचयन् किं तु नैव पद्यपूरणं कर्तुं शक्ताः । विवशास्ते कालिदासमेवाश्रयन् । स कालिदासः साधारणां तां भोजनभिक्षखाद्यवस्तुवर्णिनीमपि पंक्तिं नीत्वा तादृगेव खाद्यवस्तुमाश्रित्यासाधारणां द्वितीयां पंक्तिं रराच ।
         परं भोजराजः स्वयं किञ्चित्कृतकाव्यपरिश्रमः पद्यस्य प्रथमाद्वितीययोः पङ्क्त्योः मध्येऽसंरब्धत्वमवगाहयत् । न एकैव शैली दृश्यतेऽस्मिन् पद्ये द्वितीयायां पंक्तौ दध्नः तादृगतिरमणीयं वर्णनं तु केवलं कालिदासस्य कृतिर्भवितुं शक्नोतीति च निश्चयं गतः । तेषां कवीनामनैतिकमाचारं दण्डयितुमिच्छन् राजापृच्छत्तान्कवीन् - सत्यं वदत कस्येयं कृतिरिति, अथवा मरणमनुप्राप्स्यत इति । भयभीतास्ते कवयः सत्यमेवावदन् । अतएवोक्तं "उपमा कालिदासस्य" इति नान्यः कश्चित्कविरुपमाप्रयोगे कालिदाससमक्षं प्रतिभासति । पुनः पुनरपि पठ्यते उक्त्वा पुनरालोच्यते मयेयं पङ्क्तिः न संतृप्तिः नैव श्रमः ध्यात्वा ध्यातुं वास्याः सौन्दर्यम् ॥