Sri Aurobindo - some aspects of His Vision

PART VI

Veda, Upanishads and Gita

[ NOTE : The series was begun with this subject : "the Veda, Upanishads and the Gita ", on the 4th of December 1961. It was the day on which Sri Aurobindo withdrew from the body. So, the series was begun with salutation to him in the words of the late C. R. Reddy, the Vice Chancellor of Andhra University.

" In all humility and devotion I hail Sri Aurobindo as the sole sufficing genius of the age. He is more than the hero of the nation. He is amongst the saviours of humanity, who belong to all ages and all nations, the Sanatanas, who leaven our existence with their eternal presence, whether we are aware of it or not. " ]

Agni : Agni is said to be all the other gods, he is the One that becomes all; at the same time he is said to contain all the gods in himself as the nave of a wheel contains the spokes, he is the One that contains all and yet as Agni he is described as a separate deity, One who helps all the others, exceeds them in force and knowledge, yet is inferior to them in Cosmic position and is employed by them as messenger, priest and worker - the creator of the world and father, he is yet the son born of our works, he is, that is to say, the original and manifested indwelling Self or Divine, the One that inhabits all.¹

VEDA

It is not possible to deal with the three subjects at length; for each of them might easily require a life-time for study.

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¹The Life Divine, P. 145

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It is Sri Aurobindo's interpretations of these that can be attempted in outline; for even a detailed exposition of one subject, like the Veda, would be outside the scope of the attempt. On the Veda alone he has written two voluminous books : "On the Veda" and "Hymns to the Mystic Fire. " It would be possible only to indicate in what particular respect Sri Aurobindo's interpretation is marked by his own Vision.

How Sri Aurobindo came to the study of the Veda :

Sri Aurobindo is not a scholar who takes up the work of interpreting the Veda; his entry in the Vedic literature is best given in his own words :

" First, it seems to me advisable to explain the genesis of the theory in my own mind, so that the reader may better understand the line I have taken or, if he chooses, check my prepossessions or personal preference which may have influenced or limited the right application or reasoning to this difficult problem. "²

{ I }

" Like the majority of educated Indians I had passively accepted without examination; before myself reading the Veda, the conclusions of European scholarship both as to the religious and as to the historical and ethical sense of the ancient hymns. In consequence, following again the ordinary line taken by modernised Hindu opinion, I regarded the Upanishads as the most ancient source of Indian thought and religion, the true Veda, the first book of Knowledge...."

" My first contact with Vedic thought came indirectly while pursuing certain lines of self-development in the way of Indian yoga, which without my knowing it, were spontaneously converging towards the ancient and now unfrequented

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²On the Veda, P. 42

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paths followed by our forefathers. At this time there began to arise in my mind an arrangement of symbolic names attached to certain psychological experiences which had begun to regularise themselves; and among them there came the figures of three female energies, Ila, Saraswati Sarama, representing severally three out of four faculties of the intuitive reason, revelation, inspiration and intuition. Two of these names were not well known to me as names of Vedic Goddesses, but were connected rather with the current Hindu religion or with old Puranic legend, Saraswati, goddess of learning and Ila, mother of the Lunar dynasty. But Sarama was familiar enough. I was unable, however, to establish any connection between the figure that arose in my mind and the Vedic hound of heaven, who was associated in my memory with Argive Helen and represented only an image of the physical Dawn entering in its pursuit of the vanished herds of Light into the cave of the Powers of darkness. When once the clue is found, the clue of the physical Light imaging, the subjective, it is easy to see that the hound may be the intuition entering into the dark caverns of the subconscious mind to prepare the delivery and out- flashing of the bright illuminations of knowledge which have there been imprisoned. "³

{ II }

"It is my stay in Southern India which first seriously turned my thoughts to the Veda. Two observations that were forced on my mind, gave a serious shock to my second- hand belief in the racial division between Northern Aryans and Southern Dravidians. The distinction had always rested for me on a supposed difference between the physical types of Aryan and Dravidian, and a more definite incompatibility

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³ On the Veda, P. 42-43

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between the Northern Sanskritic and the Southern non-Sanskritic tongues. ......I could not, however, belong in southern India without being impressed by the general recurrence of northern or " Aryan" types in the Tamil race......"

" But what then of the sharp distinction between Aryan and Dravidian races created by the philologists ? It disappears. "

" On examining the vocables of the Tamil language, in appearance so foreign to the Sanskrit form and character, I yet found myself continually guided by words or by families of words supposed to be pure Tamil in establishing new relations between Sanskrit and its distant sister, Latin and occasionally, between the Greek and the Sanskrit.......And this Dravidian language that I came first to perceive what seems to me now the true law, origins and, as it were, the embryology of the Aryan tongues. "4

" It was, therefore, with a double interest that for the first time I took up the Veda in the original, though without any intention of a close or serious study. It did not take long to see that the Vedic indications of a racial division between Aryan and Dasyus and the identification of the latter with the indigenous Indians were a far flimsier character than I had supposed. But more interesting to me was the discovery of a considerable body of profound psychological thought lying neglected in these ancient hymns. "5

{ III }

" I was helped in arriving at this result by my fortunate ignorance of the commentary of Sayana. For I was left free to attribute their natural psychological significance

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4 On the Veda, P. 45

5 Ibid, P. 45

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to many ordinary and current words of the Veda, such as dhi, thought or understanding; manas, mind, mail thought, feeling or mental state; manisha, intellect, ritam truth; to give their exact shade to kavi, seer, manishi, thinker vipra, vipaschit, enlightened in the mind and a number of similar words;.."6

{ IV }

"On one condition this transformation into psychological complexion is frequently complete, the condition that we should, admit the symbolic character of the Vedic sacrifice. We find in the Gita the word Yajna, sacrifice, used in a symbolic sense for all action, whether internal or external, that is consecrated to the gods or to the Supreme ... I found in the Veda itself there were hymns in which the idea of the Yajna or of the victim is openly symbolical, others in which the veil is quite transparent... If the yajna is the action consecrated to the Gods, I could not but take the yajaman as the doer of the action.. he must be the soul or the personality as the doer. But there were also the officiating priests, hota, ritwij, purohit, brahman, adhvaryn... I found the gods were continually spoken of as priests of the offering and in many passages it was undisguised by a non-human power or energy which presided over the sacrifice. "7

{ V }

" The Angirasa legend and Vritra mythus are the two principal parables of the Veda; they occur and recur everywhere ... when we have determined their sense, we have

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6 On the Veda, P. 46

7 Ibid, P. 49-50

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determined the sense of the whole Rik Samhita. "8

" We have concluded that the Angirasa Rishis are bringers of the Dawn, rescuers of the Sun out of the darkness, but that this Dawn, Sun, Darkness are figures used with a spiritual significance. The central conception of the Veda' is the conquest of the Truth out of the darkness of Ignorance and by the conquest of the Truth the conquest also of Immortality.9

" The seven divine Angirasas are sons or powers of Agni," powers of the Seer-Will, the flame of the divine force instinct with divine Knowledge which is' kindled for the victory.10

THE RIG VEDA

Sri Aurobindo's interpretation of the Veda is psychological and spiritual. It unveils the mystic import of the Vedic symbols on the basis of internal evidence. Sri Aurobindo argues that corresponding to the school of Vedic mysteries there were such schools in Egypt, Greece and Asia Minor.

That Sayana's Bhashya-commentary-is not the sole undisputed authority on the meaning of the Vedic hymns is amply proved by Yaska's Nirukta, the first attempt at preserving the Vedic knowledge current in Yaska's time. Yaska is prior to Sayana, and he admits triple interpretation of every hymn-Tan-Adhibhautik, Adhidaivik, Adhyatmik-and in the course of his exegesis mentions more than twenty schools and individuals who give different interpretation of the hymns.

Yaska in his introduction admits ten unknown-anavagaam- categories showing clearly the uncertainty that prevailed in his times about the meaning of the Veda.

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8 On the Veda, P. 277

9 Ibid P. 278

10 Ibid P. 278

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The Western scholarship almost, entirely relies on Sayana and it is not so much interested in finding the meaning of the hymns as in interpreting the meaning assigned to them by Sayana. But as I have just shown, the meaning of the hymns had become vague and uncertain even in Yaska's time. Sayana's Bhashya could hardly be accepted as their most authoritative exposition. Besides the Western Schools are more interested in finding the history, social customs, institutions in the Vedas which might support their hypothesis of a primitive Indian world.

Much has been made of the word ' Arya ' by foreign scholars and their Indian followers. The word 'Arya' occurs 33 times in the Rig Veda; 22 times it is applied to Indra, 6 times to Agni. The remaining five references do not indicate any racial conflict.'¹¹The word Dasa occurs 80 times, and Dasyu 70 times.

Sri Aurobindo's interpretation is based on :

1. Internal evidence of the Vedic hymns. He regards Veda as of one piece; even a cursory glance would show that all the Mandals deal with one subject- matter, and have a common form. It must therefore lead to one significance.

2. There are special words used in the Veda which are the key-words and have a double-meaning; this has grammatical justification.

3. Metrical development of the hymns indicates a high degree of cultural advance.

4. All through the Veda symbols arc used profusely- even the ceremony of sacrifice, yajna, is symbolic including even the participants and the materials.

5. The psychological words used in the Veda indicate

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a highly developed society, at least an intellectual oligarchy.

6. The gods and their functions are symbolic and psychological.

7. The legends in the Veda arc also symbolic and capable of psychological interpretation.

Special words with philological justification:

Ex:' go ' means both' cow' and ' ray of light'; Parashara is regarded as a proper name; but in the hymns it carries its root-meaning - " one who overcomes the enemies" It is used as an adjective of Indra in the hymns. ' Gotama ' means " One, most full of light". Dirghatamas, " One, who is, or was, long in darkness ". Vrita " One who covers "; Vrika " One who tears "; Vishwamitra "The friend of all " " Universal friend; " Panis " The trafficker "; Dhenu " One who nourishes. "³

Sacrifice-yajna-", in the Veda is symbolic. Sacrifice really is a means of interchange between men and the gods. Sacrifice in the Veda is Adhwara, a pilgrimage, and a battle. The officiating priests: Hota, one who calles; Adhwaryu, the priest of the journey; Ritwik, one who sacrifices at the

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² Dwibarhi' -" One who is nourished or increased Ivy two worlds " Sayana X. 116.1 (At times even Sftyana stumbles into correct symbolic sense ).

³ For further clarification refer to "Studies in Vedic Interpretation" by the author, Chowkhambha Sanskrit Series, Benaras.

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right season according to law; Brahma the voice of Rhythm the reciter of the word of creative power welling from the soul.

The fruits of the sacrifice - go, ashwa, rayi, ratna^ vira, praja, tanaya - also are symbolic.

The offerings— ghrita, soma, purodash - are also symbolic.4

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4 .32. Yajna is symbolic. In 1.163 Ashwa is symbolic - the whole Sukta being dedicate to Ashwa e. g. "The Horse has the horns of gold and feet of steel; it has the speed of mind - he was like another inferior Indra. " Soma is symbolic in 1X.113.

Pressed out by the Truthful speech, by truth, by faith and by Tapas. O Indu - flow for Indra's sake.

Where the light is unfailing, in the plane wherein the Heaven ( of mind ) is established, where the peoples are full of light - there, O Soma, make me immortal.

'go' is symbolic in III. 30. 10; cows here arc identical with light, and light is one with 'rivers' and with vani, speech :

gives the seed, the Bull of Immortality, in whom rests the self the moving and the unmoving. 'Ghrita' is symbolic. Even Sayana at times accepts the symbolic sense e. g. VI. 55.1. Sayana

Words formed from showing the various symbolic appli :

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A small list of psychological words5 used in the Rig Veda showing clearly that the Vedic Rishis were far from a. primitive state of culture.

Satyam----------------- Truth of being

Ritam------------------- Truth of movement, of action, a law

Brihat------------------- Vast, all-pervading

Dhi----------------------- Intellect

Mati---------------------- Thinking

Manisha------------------ Mentalising

Jna----------------------- To know

Budh ---------------------To be aware, to awake

Chetana------------------ Consciousness

Chit----------------------- To be conscious

Chitti---------------------- Consciousness

Achitti ---------------------Unconsciousness

Dha with Ava-------------- To place (the mind) upon (something).

Man----------------------- To think

Vicheta------------------- One supremely -conscious

. Sumana------------------ One with a happy state of mind or thought

Shiva---------------------- The beneficent

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Kalyana-------------------- Welfare, state of spiritual attainment.

Dhira--------------------- One who has the calm intellect

Vipra--------------------- One who is illumined

Medhavi------------------ One who is a genius ( of quick comprehension )

Vicharshani---------------- One who has the illumined sight

Vipaschit------------------- One whose consciousness is illumined

Pracheta ------------------- One whose consciousness is expanded, active

Kavi------------------------ The Seer

Kratu----------------------- Will

Rishi ---------------------- One with a vision

Daksha-------------------- One with will or power

Hridaya--------------------The heart

Mayas------------------ Bliss

Bhadram---------------- Happy beauty

Rayi -------------------- Delight

Ratnam------------------Shining joy

Moda-------------------- Sweet-intoxicating-delight

Pramoda------------------ More intoxicating delight

Vid ------------------------ To know

Vidwan -------------------The knower

Swasti ---------------------Happy state of being

Varna----------------------Delight

Vana---------------------- Delight

Sumati--------------------- Happy state of mind

The use of these words containing various psychological functions and even shades, e. g. Dhi, Mali, Chetana etc., shows the advanced state of the Vedic seers.

VEDIC GODS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS,

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SYMBOLIC 6

The first Sukta of the third Mandala (iii. 1 ) of Vishwamitra

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6 A monogram in the Vedic gods has been written by Sri Aurobindo. It is now the foreword to the Hymns to the Mystic Fire.

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is symbolic ; there the relation between Agni, Rivers and Waters is stated indicating the symbolic nature of the god Agni as well as that of the Rivers and the Waters.

In 1.26.2 Agni is said to be Sada Yavishtha manma- bhih7 " Eternally, the most youthful by thought-forces ". In 1.73.2 Fire is said to be Satya manma " One with truthful thoughts ".

In IV. 39. 1-6 Dadhikravan has only spiritual functions. So also in IV. 40 Dadhikravan, a form of Agni, is spoken of as performing the functions of the Gods. In IV. 40.5-the last Rik; Dadhikravan is so openly symbolic as to leave no •doubt in the minds even of the most reluctant.

Saraswati, either the river or goddess, or both, is Sadhayanti Dhiyam nah " perfects our intelligence "; Usha the goddess Dawn is Yuvati pnrani the " semipiternal young beauty ", and Agni, the god of Fire, representing the Divine Will, is " the Divine guest in the mortals. "

In III. 32. 12 Vishwamitra says to Indra: "The sacrifice becomes thy increaser, 0 Indra, and the sacrifice in which Soma is pressed is dear to thee; thou, worthy of sacrifice, protect the sacrifice by the sacrifice; may this sacrifice guard thy thunderbolt in the killing of the coverer. "

Also in I. 31. 1. Agni is not the material fire : "Thou, 0 Fire, art the original Angirasa Seer, thou, a God, hast become the beneficent comrade of the gods. " Further in I. 31. 7 the Rishi says " 0 Fire, thou upholdest the mortal in the highest status of immortality for inspired hearing day after day; for him who desires the double birth, thou makest for him, the seer, delight and enjoyment. "

" 0 Fire, thou art easy to sacrifice to for men, thee the Bhrigus established among men for ( attaining ) divine birth, beautiful like delightful wealth. " I. 58. 6.

Here the aim of the sacrifice is clearly stated to be the

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7.

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attainment of " divine birth " which would make man realise Immortality, the Delight of the Eternal. "

In I. 62. 2. the Rishi exhorts the gathering "to hold up powerfully a great surrender-a salutation; by that surrender our ancient forefathers, the Angirasas, knowers of the path, discovered the Ray Cows. " Here the effectivity of the salutation - surrender - to Indra is stressed and the Angirasas found out - not the animal - cows - the Ray-Cows by pursuing the path he knew.

It has been argued sometimes that the Veda speaks of the gods but not of the One, Infinite, the Brahman; therefore- the schools of monistic Vedanta are not really founded on the Veda, though they offer to the latter Up homage. This is not true though it must be emphasised that as the Vedic Seers are not laying down any school of philosophy they speak not primarily about the One. But there are clear statements to show that to them the multiplicity of the gods was not a dividing bar, they hold that all the gods were the names and aspects of the One :'

. Legends : The Vedic legends at first sight appear, to be historical or a mixture of myths and history, but on • closer examination they are found to contain symbolic sense. The Angirasa legend, in particular, is one such.

In IV. 3. 11 "Angirasa seers are said to break open the- hill-(mountain) by the truth ! and they united themselves with the Ray-Cows; the heroes happily sat round the Dawn; when Fire was born then Heaven ( higher mental world ) became manifest"8

The breaking open of the hill or mountain by the Truth indicates the symbolic nature of the mountain and that the. action of the Angirasa seers.

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8 These translations are from the " Hymns to the Mystic fire".

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In V. 1. 8 Agni is clearly symbolic and so is Vrishabha, the Bull. " The purifier, he is rubbed bright and pure, he ' who is proclaimed by the seers, one who is the dweller in his own house, and is our benignant guest; the Bull of the thousand horns because thou has strength of that, 0 Fire, thou precedest in puissance all others ".

In VIII. 9.4 the Rishi says that the Ashwins became conscious of Vritra-the Coverer-by the sweet (or honeyed) Soma drink ! thus Vritra and Soma must bear symbolic significance.

III.39. 5 says "Indra with the ten Dashgwa Rishis found out the Sun living in darkness—That Truth ". Here the finding of the Sun is the finding of that Truth.

In X.62.3 the Angirasa seers "make the Sun ascend in heaven by the Truth"—Ritena Suryamarohayat divi....

In VII. 23. 3. Indra is said to " have killed many Vritras" and he obstructs by his might both heaven and earth. Some hymns that bear symbolic sense :

It may be of interest to point out, in conclusion, certain hymns that evidently bear a spiritual or symbolic significance.

I. 163. This whole Sukta dedicated to Ashwa-the Horse- is openly symbolic. The Horse rises from the sea, and is swift like the hawk, he is Yama, and also Aditya. It is Horse with golden horns and steel hooves, it has speed of mind, the Horse is like inferior Indra !

I 50. 10. " Looking beyond the darkness, we saw the Light beyond, higher still we entered ( went to ) the godhead, the Sun, the Highest Light among the gods. "

This is, clearly, the expression of the experience of the ascent of human consciousness to the Light above the mind.

V. 15. 2. " By the Truth they hold the Truth that holds a!l, in the might of the Sacrifice, in the Supreme ether, they who reached the gods seated in the Law that is upholder of heaven, reached by the godheads born the unborn. "

V. 19.1. " State upon state is born, covering upon covering has become conscious and awake, in the lap of the Mother

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he sees. "

V. 62.1. " There is a Truth covered by a Truth, where they unyoke the horses of the Sun; the ten hundreds stood together, there was That one; I saw the greatest (best, most glorious ) of the embodied gods. "

VIII. 58. 2. "It is only one Fire that is kindled in many ways, one Sun that dominates over all; one Dawn that makes all this shine, it is the One that has become various by all this."

I. 115. I. " The Sun is Self of all that is moving and unmoving. "

I. 20.1. " This hymn of praise is made for the divine birth - for the birth of the god. "

II. 6. 7. " O Fire, thou movest within having knowledge of both the Births. "

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