A bird’s eye view of Vedas – xv

A bird’s eye view of Vedas – xv

(Copy right protected by Dr. G.S. Tripathy)

In order to feel the soul ascetics have gone the way of starving the body. To make the soul strong, the realist would feed the body feeling the joy of life.

The wise see with the spirit and the mind, has been said by veda. Spirituality sees with the soul hence.To see with bodily eyes is not glorious. Things that uplift and enable to feel with the body.

A Muni prays in the Rig Veda

Give sight in our eyes
Give sight to our bodies that they may see
May we survey and discern this world
May we look on thee, Surya
The most lovely to behold
See well with the eyes of men

(R.X.158.4.5)

So runs another verse – God-ordained
We see for hundred years
And we will live for hundred years

(Rig.VII.66.16)

Yagur Veda adds to this

“We will hear for a hundred years
And speak for a hundred years
And will hold our heads high for
A hundred years.”
Yes, even more than a hundred years.

(Y.VS.26.24)

That of a perfect body and a perfect mind is having the realistic ideal of life. After perpetual youth this leads to the striving.

In THY friendship, we will be ever youthful says a sage in Rig Ved.

We read much about heaven in the mythologies both Hindu and Greek. But there is scanty in the Vedas. The wonder of life and the beauty and glory of the earth have been interpreted much in the Vedas. One of the most magnificent poetic expressions on the subject in the world literature is the great Paean to the earth in the Atharva Veda.

The most beloved of all is this world of ours, “Ayam Lokah PriyATAMAH” – says Atharva Veda. This is the address to a diseased man.

To bring health and happiness we now know to be an essential condition of the existence of life on the earth is called upon in the Rig Veda as follows.

“May the air blow his balm
Carrying joy and health to our hearts
May he prolong our lives.”

As a stern fact death is accepted. It is faced bravely and serenely (Yagur Veda XI.15). One should live the full period of life, it is insisted and live joyfully for hundred years or more.

In the attitude of worship, the joy of life is evident pertaining to a Realist. In the Vedas, the mood of worship is not a gloomy one. Like song and poetry worship is an overflow of the joy of the soul.

As per Rigveda( R.VIII.42 – 31)
“Agni, the Joyous, much beloved……………….
We worship with joyous hearts”

That man is not conceived to be a mean and sinful creature which is another aspect of vedic Realism. He is conscious of a Divinity on the other hand within himself. In the mother’s womb, we have established our perpectual brotherhood with harmony. A sage of Rigved uttered addressing God. After describing the creation of man the Atharava. Veda says – God’s enter into him having fused that the moral man is complete. Hence to be human is to be divine also.

God is in heaven to others. God is in the universe to the Vedic Realists. See me here is the revelation. PASYA MEHA He is in the hearts of every body – irrespective of human beings. The home of man is presided over by the Deity Agni addressed as Grihapati. Agni is the master of the household. As the beloved house hold friend – he has been spoken. (Yagur ved:- VS.2.27) He is the guest of the House (Rig. V.4.5). In the dwelling of man if it is properly built and there can be divine beauty. Following blessing has been received by beautiful man

“There be the House to the Beautiful man
Like the lake of lotus
Ornamented around, beautiful as the divine mansion.”

Vedic Collectivism:- On the collectivistic ideal of life, Vedic society is based.

In the first place, the ideal of conjugal union is found there. The presence of the master and mistress of the household is required in every Yagna. Through thousands of years in this country Bharat, the marriage hymns in the Rig Veda reproduced in the Atharva veda with interesting supplements, have been the means of consecrating marriage bonds. A most idyllic and romantic picture of the conjugal life has been given by them. The monogamous ideal has been included, in the first place, the notable features of the conjugal life.

“You two live here, do not get separated. Full span life is to be enjoyed by you. With sons and grand sons go on dancing in your limited sphere of your own house, (Rig.X.85.42)

“You two together, laughing and merry, arising in the happey home, enjoying with great power. Spend the shining morning with god cattle at your disposal in a good home.” (Atharva.Veda). Rigveda also speaks like this.(R.VIII.31.8)

In the second place with the household, the wife is given equality of status. As he is the mistress of the house she is as much a mistress with equal status.

At home rather the wife is made to be the higher authority. When the wife is the mistress, the husband shall be the ruler.

Over her father-in-law and mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law. She is asked to be the queen.

Atharva ved says – “Be there be a queen after reaching your husband’s house.”

Between husband and wife mutual love is contemplated. The Rig veda says “-------- father of the daughter has selected a husband for his daughter whom she mentally admired.”

To pre-marital love there is a reference in the Vedas. The girl in love is termed is JARINI and the lover is termed as JARA. In a simple sense, these terms are used without any bad odour about them.

The re-marriage of a woman, is clearly mentioned in the Atharva veda,(Ath.IX.5.27). This is most remarkable. In the vedic conception of love and marriage and domestic life for a modern man, is the openness and naturalness in the contemplation of sextual side of life guarding the total absence of taboo and represson. To weave the romantic picture of love and mutual attraction the mind of the sages is sophisticated enough. But the biological aspect is clearly viewed and expressed with almost scientific objectivity. Be a mother of heroic children is the blessing to the bride. (Rigveda)

According to Atharva veda after establishing the poetic relation between the couple, the newly married husband says or May we two be parents, may we two be of one mind.”

One of the distinguishing characteristic of the Vedas is the tender regard for womanhood. For a woman the courteous address is the same as for a Goddess _____ she is often described as “Kalyani” the blissful.

As a mark of divine beauty, the woman’s smile has been treated. With devine loveliness, the mother’s kiss for the child is invested with. For divine purity, the purity of the chaste wife has been a point of comparison. (Rig.I.73.3)

In the appearance of the finely-robed loving wife before her husband, similarly, a comparison for the glorious sacred word appearing spontaneously before the sage-poet has been found. (R.X.71.4)

Among the vedic seens – there are noble female deities like USHAS, saraswati, Aditi etc. In such a remote age woman had an exalted position not reached by her under later civilization for a long period of time in the west is quite remarkable.

Through the working of the eternal order – RITA – the same is the problem of social life as a whole relating to the problem of domestic life which is to establish the harmony and concord that exist in nature.

Indicating the collective actions of the people, in the vedic ideology the prefix sam (com) is found to be attached to words. Similarly a collective relation is implied by samana (common). For the idea of union sa and saha also have been used. In this connection Atharva veda (III.30) may be referred to for the saga to address a family group.

Hence conjugal union comes first and the unity of the family afterwards. Like the spokes of a wheel round the nave the family is desired to assemble round the sacrificial fire (Athaeva veda).