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 ॥

List of tadbhava Sanskrit words (i.e. words derived from Sanskrit words) in Hindi, Kannada and Tamil

Here's a list of words in some Indian languages (mostly Hindi, Kannada and Tamil) that are derived from Sanskrit words (hence called tadbhava words). This list only contains words that are commonly unrecognized as tadbhava words, either due to a long series of changes, very unpredictable changes that make the connection to the original word unclear, or just simply because nobody has documented the words or paid attention. This list will be an active one, with words being added as and when I find or recollect them. 

As a native or near-native speaker of these 3 languages, and having a linguistic talent for quickly learning new languages as well as analyzing origins of words, I can confidently verify to the authenticity of this list. I consider myself blessed to have had the opportunity to study Sanskrit early in school and thus get a firm foothold in Sanskrit literature. Not only is the study of the rich literature a source of bliss in itself, and a perpetual reason for intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic satisfaction, but it is always a thrill to discover a word in Sanskrit literature and make a connection to an obvious derivative (tadbhava) word in a vernacular language. The following list also shows that Sanskrit has always been a pan-Indian language from the earliest times and has influenced all languages, be they northern or southern. In fact, Patañjali the author of the great grammar commentary Vyākaraṇa-Mahābhāṣya mentions the variations of the verb 'to move' in different regions of India (udīcyeṣu - in the north, kambojeṣu - in the northwest, prācyamadhyeṣu - in the east and central regions, āryeṣu - in the central heartland, between the Sarasvati and Drshadvati rivers around Kurukshetra). He also mentions a characteristic of the Sanskrit spoken in the southern regions - "priyataddhitāḥ dākṣiṇātyāḥ" - "the southerners are fond of derivative descriptive words". 

Any inputs from readers are always welcome. The format of the listing will be:

      English meaning: Sanskrit word --> (any intermediate morphs) --> final word in the language

Hindi

1. Ox or oxen: बलीवर्दः balīvardaḥ --> (बइल्ला ba-illā Prakrit) --> बैल bail  [I discovered this connection when I was reading Śūdraka's Sanskrit play Mṛcchakaṭikaṁ, which has one of the characters speaking in Prakrit and using the word ox. It then flashed across my mind that this is the derivation of the Hindi word.]

2. Stone or rock: प्रस्तरः prastaraḥ --> पत्थर patthara

3. Brick: इष्टकः iṣṭakaḥ --> ईंठ īnṭha 

4. Black magic: यातु  yātu  -->  जादू  jādū  [This connection was sparked when I was reading Vasiṣṭha's hymn in the Ṛg Veda 7.104.15 - adyā murīya yadi yātudhāno asmi, "May I die today if I am a black magician" which is a vow.]

5. Serpent/snake: सर्पः sarpaḥ --> साँप sānp

6. God (Krishna): कृष्ण kṛṣṇa  --> कान्हा kānhā

7. Knot:  ग्रन्थः grantha  --> गाँठ gāṅṭh

8. Father-in-law: श्वशुरः śvaśuraḥ  --> ससुर sasur

9. Mother-in-law: श्वश्रू  śvaśrū  --> सास sās

10.  Daughter-in-law: वधू vadhū  --> बहू bahū 

11. Son-in-law: जामातृ jāmātṛ -->  जमाई jamāī

12. Brother-in-law (wife's brother): स्यालः syālaḥ  --> साला sālā

13. Sister-in-law (husband's sister): ननान्दृ nanāndṛ --> ननद nanad

14. Barren (earth or woman): वन्ध्या vandhyā --> बाँज bānj

15. Conversation/news: वार्ता vārtā  --> बात bāt

16. Old (person): वृद्धः vṛddhaḥ --> बुड्ढा/बूढा buḍḍha/būḍhā 

17. Sugar: शर्करा śarkarā -->  शक्कर śakkar

18. Rain: वर्षा varṣā --> बरखा barkhā

19. Camel: उष्ट्र: uṣṭraḥ --> ऊँठ ūnṭha

20. Youth: युवन्  yuvan --> जवान javān
 
Kannada

1. Brick: इष्टकः iṣṭakaḥ --> इट्टिगे  iṭṭige

2. Festival:  पर्व  parva --> (पब्ब pabba) --> हब्ब habba

3. Color:  वर्णम् varṇaṁ --> बण्ण baṇṇa

4. Flour: पिष्टम् piṣṭaṁ --> (पिट्टम् piṭṭaṁ) --> हिट्टु hiṭṭu

5. Money/currency: पणम् पण्यम् paṇaṁ/paṇyaṁ --> हण haṇa

6. Village: पल्ली pallī  -->  (पळ्ळी paḷḷī) --> हळ्ळि haḷḷi

7. House lizard: पल्लिका pallikā  --> हल्लि halli
 

8. Town: पत्तनम् pattanaṁ  --> पट्टण paṭṭaṇa

9. God (Brahma): ब्रह्म brahma  --> बोम्म bomma [The 'o' is really a short sound in Kannada, and doesn't have an equivalent in Sanskrit which only has the long 'o' sound]

10. God (Krishna): कृष्ण kṛṣṇa  -->  किट्ट kiṭṭa [Of course, this is a more colloquial usage, but it does show how Kannada transforms the Sanskrit sounds.]

11. Lakshmi (wife of god Vishnu): लक्ष्मी lakṣmī --> लकुमी lakumi
[This is a more colloquial/rural usage, but also used in old poetry to adjust for rhyme or meter.]

12. Knot:  ग्रन्थः grantha  -->  गण्टु gaṇṭu 

13. Daughter-in-law: स्नुषा snuṣā --> सोसे sose 

14. Sister-in-law (husband's sister): ननान्दृ nanāndṛ --> नादनी nādnī 

15.  Barren (earth or woman): वन्ध्या vandhyā --> बंजे banje

16. Conversation/news: वार्ता vārtā  --> मातु mātu 

17. This/that: इदम्/अदः idaṁ/adaḥ --> इदु/अदु idu/adu [In this case, the borrowing could be in either direction.]

18. Sugar: शर्करा śarkarā --> सक्करे sakkare 

19. Bird: पक्षी pakṣī --> हक्की hakki


20. Cow: पशु paśu --> हसु hasu [Although the Sanskrit word means 'animal' in general, the cow has always been the animal par excellence in India.]

21. Zero: शून्यम् śūnyaṁ --> सोन्ने sonne

22. Sound/noise: शब्दम् śabdaṁ  --> सद्दु saddu

23. Thousand: सहस्रम् sahasraṁ --> सासिर/साविर sāsira/sāvira 

24. Riverbank: तट: taṭaḥ --> दड daḍa

25. Camel: उष्ट्र: uṣṭraḥ --> ओण्टे oṇṭe





26. Root: वेर: veraḥ --> बेरु beru 
      [ incidentally, the Sanskrit शृङ्गवेर:  śṛṅgaveraḥ ("horn root") is the origin of the English "ginger"]

27. Tail: वालः vālaḥ --> बाल bāla
       [ apparently वालः vālaḥ is itself a Prakritization of वारः vāraḥ because Yaska in his Nirukta explains वालः as "दंशवारणार्थम्" daṁśa-vāraṇārthaṁ, i.e. "used to get rid of biting insects (by animals)", so the root word suggests वारः vāraḥ as the original word]



Tamil

1. World: लोकः lokaḥ  --> उलगम् ulagaṁ

2. Village: पल्ली pallī  -->  पळ्ळी paḷḷī

3. House lizard: पल्लिका pallikā  --> पल्लि palli

4. Color:  वर्णम् varṇaṁ --> वण्णम् vaṇṇam 

5. Lord/Master: स्वामी svāmī  --> चामी cāmī 

6. God (Brahma): ब्रह्म brahma  --> पिरम pirama

7. God (Krishna): कृष्ण kṛṣṇa  --> कण्णा kaṇṇā

8. Sir/Madam: श्रीमान्/श्रीमती  śrīmān/śrīmatī  --> (तिरु) तिरुमान्/तिरुमती (tiru) tirumān/tirumatī 
    [The same transformation happens with Śrīpati - The Lord of Śrī - Lord Vishnu - Tirupati the world- famous Hindu temple of the seven hills.]

9. Fruit: फलम् phalaṁ  -->  पळम् paḷam

10. Thousand: सहस्रम् sahasraṁ -->(सासिरम् sāsiram)--> आयिरम् āyiram

 

 

Essential nature of Agni in the Rig Veda

The general notion among most people who have heard of the Rig Veda, whether Hindu or non-Hindu, whether layperson or specialist, regarding the contents of the Rig Veda is that it is a collection of stutis, or "praises" of personified forces of nature. So, for example, Agni is the god of fire, Vāyu is the god of wind, Sūrya is the god of Sun, and so on.

While these descriptions of the gods are correct, it is a hundredfold more clear that that is not the end view of the hymns. The tangible forces of nature are seen as manifestations of the gods, so that the gods in and of themselves are something much more. Yāska, the author of the Nirukta the oldest commentary on the Rig Veda outside of the Brāhmaṇas, has it right when he explains the mantras at three levels: adhibhūtam, adhidaivatam, and adhyātmam. The first level is the physical phenomenon; the second level is the anthropomorphic theism; the third level is what I like to call the level of Existence. The conventional translation of "adhyātmam" is "spiritual". But what does it really mean to be spiritual or to talk of spirituality? Pure and absolute Existence or Being is meant. The Universal Spirit is the principle of pure Being and at the root of the mystery of creation. The usual descriptions of all-pervasiveness, absolute singularity and the principle of pure consciousness are remembered.

Agni in the Rig Veda is a symbol par excellence for this Universal Spirit. The use of a divine fire as a symbol for the Supreme One is well-known in many cultures, for example, in Greek philosophy (particularly Heracleitus) and Christian theology. Here, I intend to quote specific verses from the Rig Veda which plainly show what the sages envisioned as Agni.

1. Viśvāmitra Gāthina, RV 3.26.7

  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||

 "I am Agni, by birth omniscient; the light is (or, emanates from) my eye and immortality is (or, originates from) my mouth. I am the three-fold light measuring the universe, I am inexhaustible heat, sacred offering is my name."

The very first phrase "I am Agni" says it all - the great sage Viśvāmitra is here expressing his realization of absolute unity with Agni, the realization that there is only one consciousness that is the essence of the individual and the universe. This is an exact paraphrase of "अहं ब्रह्मास्मि - aham brahmāsmi", "I am Brahman" of Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.

2. Bharadvāja Bārhaspatya, RV 6.9

   अयं होता प्रथमः पश्यतेममिदं ज्योतिरमृतं मर्त्येषु । 4a

ayaṁ hōtā prathamaḥ paśyatemamidaṁ jyotiramṛtaṁ martyeṣu 

"He is the first invoker. Look at him - this light immortal within mortals."

The Sanskrit words used here are significant. In the same breath Agni is called "इमम् - imam", "him" (male) and "इदम् - idam", "it" (neuter).  So Agni is at the same time, a god to be worshiped, and the One Existence to be internally realized.

  ध्रुवं ज्योतिर्निहितं दृशये कं मनो जविष्ठं पतयत्स्वन्तः । 5a

dhruvaṁ jyotirnihitaṁ dṛśaye kaṁ mano javiṣṭhaṁ patayatsvantaḥ

"The firm light, which is blissful and subtler than the mind, is hidden within the senses."

This compares with the "आत्माऽस्य जन्तोर्निहितो गुहायाम् - ātmā asya jantoh nihito guhāyām", "The Spirit is hidden within the creatures" of Kaṭha Upaniṣad.

  वि मे कर्णा पतयतो वि चक्षुर्वीदं ज्योतिर्ह्ृदय आहितं यत् ।

  वि मे मनश्चरति दूरआधीः किं स्विद् वक्ष्यामि किमु नू मनिष्ये ॥ 6

vi me karṇā patayato vi cakṣurvīdaṁ jyotirhṛdaya āhitaṁ yat  |

vi me manaścarati dūraādhīḥ kim svid vakṣyāmi kimu nū maniṣye ||

"My ears and my eye fly forth striving to see the light that is spread wide within the heart. My mind wanders far away - what can I speak of, and what can I think?"

This verse almost appears modern in its candid description of the internal processes when the sage is in rapture of his vision of the Light, when he has lost himself in the One Consciousness, such that he is beyond speech and thought. The last phrase "किं स्विद् वक्ष्यामि किमु नू मनिष्ये - kim svid vakṣyāmi kimu nū maniṣye" is an exact paraphrase of "यतो वाचो निवर्तन्ते अप्राप्य मनसा सह - yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha", "From which speech and mind turn back, not having reached" of Taittirīya Upaniṣad.

  विश्वे देवा अनमस्यन् भियानाः त्वामग्ने तमसि तस्थिवांसम् ।

  वैश्वानरोऽवतूतये नोऽमर्त्योऽवतूतये नः ॥ 7

viśve devā anamasyan bhiyānāḥ tvāmagne tamasi tasthivāmsam |  vaiśvānaro'vatūtaye no'martyo'vatūtaye naḥ ||

"All the gods bowed down to you in fear, O Agni, when you were dwelling in the darkness. May the Universal Man protect us, may the Immortal protect us for well-being."

Now, the curious part here is that Agni was dwelling in darkness. How can the paragon of light be in darkness? This opens up a whole discussion on the deeper Vedic metaphysics that Ananda K. Coomaraswamy has propounded. We shall see more on that in a future post. "Vaiśvānara", Universal Man, is a famous name of Agni. Yāska's Nirukta gives the etymology as "viśvebhyo narebhyaḥ jāyate, viśveṣu nareṣu vidyate iti va", "he is born from all men, or that he is within all men."

3. Trita Āptya, RV 10.5

   एकः समुद्रो धरुणो रयीणामस्मद्ध्ृदो भूरिजन्मा वि चष्टे ।

   सिषक्त्यूधर्निण्योरुपस्थे उत्सस्य मध्ये निहितं पदं वेः ॥

ekaḥ samudro dharuṇo rayīṇāmasmaddhṛdo bhūrijanmā vi caṣṭe |   siṣaktyūdharniṇyorupasthe utsasya madhye nihitaṁ padaṁ veḥ ||

"He is the One Ocean, container of all matter, having many births he sees inside our hearts. He suckles in the lap of the secret couple, the dwelling place of the Bird is within the fountain."

This one is very cryptic in its symbols. The four feet of the verse all seem disjointed. Ocean is a very common symbol in the Rig Veda for the all-encompassing and infinite Supreme Unity, and here it is enhanced by the word "Eka", one, which fortifies the concept. The meaning of "bird dwelling in the midst of a fountain" eludes me.

This entire hymn is full of intricate symbolism, most of which is at present beyond my understanding. But it only goes to prove that Agni (and other gods) are complex concepts with an advanced metaphysics behind them. I shall present a few fragments, and one or two full verses from this hymn.

  ऋतस्य पदं कवयो नि पान्ति गुहा नामानि दधिरे पराणि । 2b

ṛtasya padaṁ kavayo ni pānti guhā nāmāni dadhire parāṇi

"The sages protect the dwelling place of the Cosmic Order (or Motion), and take on higher secret names."

  ऋतायिनी मायिनी सं दधाते मित्वा शिशुं जज्ञतुर्वर्धयन्ती ।

  विश्वस्य नाभिं चरतो ध्रुवस्य कवेश्चित्तन्तुं मनसा वियन्तः ॥

ṛtāyinī māyinī saṁ dadhāte mitvā śiśum jajñaturvardhayantī |  viśvasya nābhim carato dhruvasya kaveścittantum manasā viyantaḥ ||

    

"The Cosmic moving pair, endowed with powers copulate and create the Baby, themselves growing. The Baby is the center of all that moves and moves not. They weave the thread of the Sage with deep insight."

Obviously the Baby is Agni as Kumǟra, the ever-newly born. That he is described as the center (hub or navel) of the universe (i.e., all that is stationary or moving) is significant as he is also described elsewhere as the First Manifested Principle. So he is the unaffected effector of all creation, the state of convergence of opposites.

  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 ||

"He is both non-existence and existence in the highest sphere ("parame vyoman"), Dakṣa's birth from Aditi's womb! Agni is surely our first-born of Cosmic Order, in the primeval state he is both the Bull and the Cow."

"Parame vyoman" is difficult to translate - another translation is "highest heaven or Empyrean, etc. But essentially the idea is that of a non-physical state, prior to creation and prior to space and time cognition. So, it is a state of unity, absence of opposites or multiplicity, but a state of potentiality from which all opposites come out. "Pūrve āyuni" is not a specific point in time, rather it is the cyclical state of undifferentiated existence before creation. Similarly, when Agni is called "first-born", it is in regard to his first manifestation after a new creation has emanated. "Both bull and cow" shows that Agni is the source of the principles of creation.

        Aditi is in mythology Dakṣa's daughter - Aditi Dākṣāyaṇī, and Dakṣa is the foremost progenitor (Prajāpati). However in this verse, the relations are reversed. When a duality emerges from an original singular unity, the two parts of the duality can only be seen as creating one another. In terms of metaphysics, the idea of a 'second' has meaning only in context of a pre-existing counterpart, the latter in turn presupposing the existence of the former. Yāska describes the gods as "itaretarajanmānaḥ", born from one another.

In this verse, we clearly see that Vedic Agni is identical to Brahman of the Upaniṣads, described in terms of opposites, and the ultimate state of unity from which come all opposites.

4. Vasuśruta  Ᾱtreya, RV 5.3.1

   त्वमग्ने वरुणो जायसे यत्त्वं मित्रो भवसि यत्समिद्धः ।

   त्वे विश्वे सहसस्पुत्र देवास्त्वमिन्द्रो दाशुषे मर्त्याय ॥

tvamagne varuṇo jāyase yattvaṁ mitro bhavasi yatsamiddhaḥ |

tve viśve sahasasputra devāstvamindro dāśuṣe martyāya ||

"You, Agni, are Varuṇa when born, and you are Mitra when kindled. O Son of Strength, in you are all the gods, and you are Indra to the mortal worshiper."

In this verse, it is clear that Agni is identified with all the other gods, and in fact is said to envelop all gods. The verses following this one elaborate on Agni's identity with other named gods. A similar theme is found in Gṛtsamada Bhārgava's hymn RV 2.1 where Agni is literally identified with nearly all the named gods of the Vedic pantheon. No other god is accorded this kind of universal description. 

An observation is that the concept of Agni preceded the use of fire as his symbol, rather than the other way around. Most modern scholars start with the physical fire and then attribute a "development" to an abstract god. However, the few verses quoted here show that fire is just one aspect of Agni even in the oldest hymns. In other words, physical fire and the act of offering in yajña were implemented as being the most excellent form of Agni, the Universal Spirit.

5. A few more verses:

    अग्ने कदा त आनुषग्भुवद्देवस्य चेतनम्  ।  RV 4.7.2a  Vāmadeva Gautama  

"O Agni, when shall I have a flash of insight (consciousness - cetanam) of you, God?

   मा निन्दत य इमां मह्यं रातिं देवो ददौ मर्त्याय स्वधावान् ।

  पाकाय गृत्सो अमृतो विचेता वैश्वानरो नृतमो यह्वो अग्निः ॥  RV 4.5.2  Vāmadeva Gautama

mā nindata ya imām mahyaṁ rātim devo dadau martyāya svadhāvān |

pākāya gṛtso amṛto vicetā vaiśvānaro nṛtamo yahvo agniḥ ||

"Don't criticize that the omnipotent God has given me, a mortal, this Bliss - to me, immature, Agni the Blissful, the Immortal, the Wisest, the Universal, the manliest, the youthful."

   त्रिरस्य ता परमा सन्ति सत्या स्पार्हा देवस्य जनिमान्यग्नेः ।

  अनन्ते अन्तः परिवीत आगाच्छुचिः शुक्रो अर्यो रोरुचानः ॥  RV 4.1.7  Vāmadeva Gautama

"There are three highest truths, the desirable births of the god Agni. He came clothed in the infinite, pure, white, benevolent, brightly shining."

          Saying that Agni is clothed in the infinite, is tantamount to saying he is infinite. The significance of the three births are explained in different ways: his 3 forms of fire, lightning and sun; the three sacrificial fires of Gārhapatya, Dakṣiṇa and Ᾱhavanīya; the Father, the Mother and the ever newly born Son. 

   

   शतधारमुत्समक्षीयमाणं विपश्चितं पितरं वक्त्वानाम्  ।

  मेळिं मदन्तं पित्रोरुपस्थे तं रोदसी पिपृतं सत्यवाचम्  ॥  RV 3.26.7  Viśvāmitra Gāthina

"The inexhaustible fount of a hundred streams, the wise, the father of all sacred speech, the sparkler, rejoicing in the parents' lap, him do you, Heaven and Earth, satiate, the speaker of truth."

  परि प्रजातः क्रत्वा बभूथ भुवो देवानां पिता पुत्रः सन्  ।   RV 1.69.2  Parāśara Śāktya

"You are born all around by your greatness, being the son of the gods, you are also their father."

This is very significant, that Agni is both the father and son of the gods. Further explanation will be needed to expand this metaphysics.

   क इमं वो निण्यमा चिकेत वत्सो मातृृर्जनयत स्वधाभिः ।

  बह्वीनां गर्भो अपसामुपस्थान्महान्कविर्निश्चरति स्वधावान् ॥   RV 1.95.4 Kutsa Ᾱṅgirasa 

"Who has seen him, the Hidden One? This child has generated his mothers by his power. The offspring of many, he the omnipotent, the great sage has come forth from the womb of the waters."

    विश्वेषामदितिर्यज्ञियानां विश्वेषामतिथिर्मानुषाणाम् ।

  अग्निर्देवानामव आवृणानः सुमृळीको भवतु जातवेदाः ॥   RV 4.1.20  Vāmadeva Gautama

   

"Aditi of all the gods, guest of all humans, Agni bringing here the protection of the gods, may he the Omniscient be benevolent to us."

         Here, Aditi in the primary sense of the word, is the mother of all the gods. Etymologically, "Aditi" means infinite. Both senses of the word are very appropriate in this verse - as seen from above, Agni has been called infinite, the father of the gods, and both male and female (Bull and Cow). It follows naturally that Aditi = Agni.

In the foregoing, some verses pertaining to Agni have been translated. These verses are in plain and simple language, without the use of intricate symbols. Although such verses form a small percentage of the hymns, they show the heart of the Rig Veda. This has also been an exercise in interpreting a coherent whole by stitching together parts taken from different verses. By ensuring to always keep the whole in view, each individual verse can be meaningfully explained. As seen above, a consistent metaphysical doctrine of Agni emerges naturally from the hymns.