CWTVKS Volume 6

HYMN 20

Now begins the second chapter of the first Eighth. This hymn, the third in the fifth section of the first Circle, beginning with ayam devāya, has eight Riks addressed to the Ribhus. The Rishi and the metre are as before.

The Ribhus are humans who have attained divinity by their askesis; they are the deities in this hymn. It is said that they are the sons of Sudhanvan Angirasa. Some say that they are solar rays. To us both are acceptable. The Truth, the Supreme Light, is denoted in the Veda by the Sun. Rays of this Sun, manifestations of the Consciousness descending on this field of Matter, gross and inert, uplift man who is in the gross body in which the consciousness has become inert. Thus these are the rays of the Sun. And these very Rịbhus become special powers of man by virtue of his development. And man becomes immortal by a divine birth, by a divine state effected by that special power. How then are they spoken of as sons of Sudhanvan? Dhanva is a field with no water, denoting inertness, sheer Matter. Just as the Hill is the place where Cows are hidden or denotes darkness that covers the Waters, similarly the arid land seen to be without sap, by the power of evolution, by accepting the divine rays descending, by absorbing the higher essence, acquires a splendour and blooms forth the glory of the Ribhus as Sudhanvan (fair arid land).

Thus there is coherence either way. Having, in all ways, attained to divinity by virtue of their action and knowledge, these work to help man to attain to divinity. And whatever acts they do they become divine acts only. The actions of the Ribhus are mentioned in symbolic language only. There are about a ten and more hymns in the Rik Samhita addressed to the Ribhus. Everywhere the language is the same, actions are the same, their fruit is the same. It is clear from a mere look on their face that without resort to the hidden symbolic meaning, it is not possible to explain in a straight manner those hymns that are like riddles. There is no doubt about it. We will demonstrate further on.

Ribhu, Vibhva, Vaja — these three are spoken of. The singular denotes their collectivity. And due to their association all are indicated by the word Ribhu, the eldest of them, one of the appellations. The speciality of each of the three is celebrated by the name itself. Ribhu, the eldest, builds by the intellect and by the activity forms conforming to the qualities of Immortality. Vibhva brings about its extension. Vaja effects the plenitude of the divine light and substance. These are called the carpenters, the artisans of immortality for man.

This is the first Rik.

1. ayam devāya janmane stomo viprebhirāsayā, akāri ratnadhatamah.
   ayam devāya janmane stomah viprebhih āsaya akari ratna’dhātamah.

ayam stomah this special laudation; viprebhih by the illumined; āsayā by the mouth, by the chief Prana (indicated by the word mouth); akāri is made; of what kind? ratnadhā tamaḥ bears enjoyments excellently; for what purpose? devāya for the God, the host of Ribhus; of what kind? janmane being born or born.

āsayā : third person singular of the word āsya; the termination ya is dropped and ā is substituted in its place.

janmane : Skandasvamin says that this termination man indicates present participle and is capable of indicating the past as well. Sayana has it as being born’. The Ribhus are gods born of the glory of the Truth-Light. This laudation is done by the illumined humans who have attained to their light and power, for the divine birth sought to be attained by the effectuation of the work of the Ribhus. And this is set in speech, by means of the chief Prana that is capable of gaining access to the heart of the gods. By that the laudation becomes patent. The purpose of this laudation is to establish in the inner being of man felicities of superb ecstasies, denoted by the term ratna, wealth. This is the import of the first Rik of the hymn. Now begins the narration of the fulfilment of the Ribhus in the share of the sacrifice and their doings.

Tr. For the divine host in birth is this laud of utmost felicities chanted by the mouth of the illumined.

This is the second Rik.

2. ya indrāya vacoyujā tatakṣurmanasă hari, śamibhiryajñamāśata.
   ye indrāya vacaḥ’yujā tatakṣuḥ manasā hari iti śamibhiḥ yajñam āśata.

ye which Ribhus; indrāya for Indra; vacoyujā speech-yoked (they are yoked by speech), well harnessed by the power of speech of the Ribhus; hari coursers of Indra; manasā by the mind; tataksuh carved out, procured, is the meaning; those Ribhus śamibhih (name of action) by making one bowl fourfold, etc.—being spoken of presently—; yajñam āśata (as to pervade. Imperfect tense is Vedic), attained the sacrifice, for enjoyment.

Humans, having attained divinity by their action, the Ribhus came to own a share in the sacrifice. It is to be noted that the fruit of sacrifice, the summit of all action, is the fulfilment of special divine Powers that exalt man. So endowed, the Ribhus, perform divine functions in order to uplift other humans who are ripe and competent and help Indra the King of the gods. Among these actions, this is the chief : to fashion in man the settled form of the steeds of Indra, the life-forces speeding the divine mind. In this action, their means is the truth-willed mind; the horses fashioned by it are well-yoked by speech itself and bring about the play of the pure divine mind. Other actions are spoken of in the subsequent Rik

Tr. They who by the mind fashioned steeds for Indra, yoked by speech, attained the sacrifice by their actions.

This is the third Rik.

3. takṣannāsatyābhyām parijmānam sukham ratham, taksan dhenum sabardughām.
   taksan nāsatyabhyām pari’jmānam su’kham ratham taksan dhenum sabah’dugham.

Those Ribhus nāsatyābhyām for the Ashvins, of the purpose of the Ashvins; sukham happy; ratham carriage of speedy movement; takşan fashioned (absence of ă in the Veda); what kind of carriage? parijmānam going on all siaes (form of aj to go with the prefix pari) and more; they sabardughām yielder of nectar; dhenum Cow; taksan fashioned.

sabar is a name for nectar, says Skandaswami; milk, says Sayana.

Two actions of the Ribhus viz., fashioning of the carriage for the Ashvins and of the nectar-yielding Cow are spoken of. The occupation of the Ashvins, physicians of the gods have been spoken of earlier. The Ashvins are the gods presiding over the Yoga-journey of man in other worlds, in other states, all over. Note that they favour the material man with longevity, health, youth, strength, fullness and the like; the vital man with capacity for activity and enjoyment; the mental man with the power of light abundant with joy. In every way, in all his being, they fill man with pure bliss and strength. And this is another act of theirs; fashioning the Cow. What does it mean? This Cow is the primal Light, Aditi. It is said elsewhere that the Ribhus remove the skin enclosing her and cleanse : ‘By your thinkings you have freed the Cow from the hide’ (4.36.4). And also it is said that this Cow is of the form of the Universe; ’who fashioned the Cow of all-form and all-impelling’ (4.33.8). And Mother Aditi alone can be the impeller of the universe and of the form of the universe, she who is the Infinite Consciousness. And her son it is who is the jiva, the soul of man. He is separated from his mother in consciousness. The cause is the enclosing skin. And that, it should be noted, is the product of Nature, becoming of ignorance. In brief, on its termination, these Ribhus effectuate in the human being the formation of the nectar-yielding Cow coming into her own functioning, of Aditi the Infinite Consciousness.

Tr. They fashioned for the Ashvins the happy car going on all sides, fashioned the Cow nectar-yielding.

This is the fourth Rik.

4. yuvānā pitarā punaḥ satyamantrā rjūyavaḥ ộbhavo viștyakrata.
   yuvānā pitarā punariti satya’mantrāḥ rjū’yavaḥ, ļbhavaḥ vișți akrata.

ṛbhavaḥ these gods presently in question; pitarā heaven and earth celebrated as the father and the mother, the old parents; punaḥ yuvānā again youthful; akrata made (Aorist of kṛ Atmanepada, substitution of a usual termination dropped; form is Vedic); by what means? vișți by spreading (this is the termination of instrumental case singular; so says Skandasvamin. This is the form of vișțr to pervade. viştayaḥ endowed with pervasion, says Sayana); what kind of Ribhus? satyamantrāḥ they whose mantras are true, so they say, or, according to Skandasvamin, of true speech; according to Sayana, unbelying potency of mantras; still better, they in whose mentations is the truth; again of what kind? rjūyavaḥ desiring straightness for themselves; the word rju here suggests the dominant quality, desirous of straightness, these become straight, hence in their thoughts or mantras mentated, there abides only truth, not untruth.

Another important action of the Ribhus is stated in this Rik. And that is bringing about the youthfulness of the old parents, almost worn out. The earth-special field of material consciousness denoted by the term physical—is the Mother. The heaven-special field of the predominantly pure mental consciousness—is the Father. The Ribhus remove the worn-out condition of both the parents who have been old for very long and bring about an energetic freshness in them. And glories of Truth like light and strength, the divine directness of the true thoughts of these gods who walk straight path, may help in this task.

Tr. The Ribhus rendered the parents young again by their pervading, the truth-thoughted, desirous of straightness.

This is the fifth Rik.

5. sam vo madāso agmatendreņa ca marutvatā, ādityebhișca rājabhiḥ.
   sam vaḥ ſadāsaḥ agmata indreņa ca marut-vatā, ādityebhiḥ ca rājabhiḥ.

O Ribhus, vaḥ yours; madāsaḥ the delight (delighted by them, hence the delights; the termination as is Vedic), soma juices; marutvatā by him accompanied by Maruts; indreņa ca by Indra and; rājabhiḥādityebhiḥ ca with the sons of Aditi, Varuna, etc.; samagmata meet (aorist of gam with prefix sam, Atmanepada; affix dropped, Vedic). Or it may be this way. The delights reach well to you along with Indra accompanied by the Maruts, also with the shining Adityas. These Ribhus obtain Soma, the essence of immortality and full of bliss, and bring it to the sacrifice of man. Along with them, the Maruts (powers of intelligence full of life-force), Indra (divine consciousness of the pure mind), kings like Varuna, etc. (glories of divine purification, etc.) come together. This is the sense.

Tr. Your Soma-juices join with Indra accompanied by Maruts, with the shining hosts of Adityas.

Thus ends the first group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.

This is the sixth Rik.

6. uta tyam camasam navam tvaşțurdevasya nișkſtam, akarta caturaḥ punah.
   uta tyam camasam navam tvaşțuḥ devasya nişkſtam akarta caturaḥ punariti.

uta and again; tvașțuh of Tvashtri who presides over the affair of fashioning the universe; devasya divine; navam new; nişkſtam fashioned; tyam that; camasam the drinking vessel holding Soma, the nectar-delight, (which is) one; punaḥ again; caturaḥ divided fourfold; akarta did. (The Ribhus, the subject, has to be understood.) navam : the form denoting the act of praise from nu.

akarta : did. Aorist of krjn, ta is substituted and affix dropped.

The form is Vedic. The gods in the sacrifice drink the nectarious juice of Soma from Chamasa, the drinking bowl of four arrays. In the beginning Tvashtri, the architect of the forms in the universe, gave man only one Chamasa; by himself it is now new-made, well fixed. That is the physical body, the holder of the waking consciousness. In it is the essence of all experience, denoted by the term Soma-juice offered to the gods for drink. Manifestations of the Light of Knowledge, the Ribhus marshall that one Chamasa of the material body fourfold. The provisions for such action are built from the planes of existence subtler and higher than the physical earth. Thus, here, the first vessel is the material body. When that itself is made fourfold, the other three come to be fashioned. They are the vital body, the mental body and the causal body-origin of all the three.

Tr. And new-made by God Tvashtri, the vessel they again fashioned fourfold.

This is the seventh Rik.

7. te no ratnāni dhattana trirā sāptāni sunvate, ekamekam suśastibhiḥ.
   te naḥratnāni dhattana triḥā sāptāni sunvate ekam’ekam suśastibhiḥ.

te Ye, O Ribhus, of the divine actions spoken of before; naḥour (connected with us); sunvate to the sacrificer; ratnāni enjoyable felicities dhattana establish (the substitute tana is Vedic); what are these felicities? triḥā thrice repeated; sāptāni multiples of seven categories formed resulting from seven numbers (sāpta is a multiple of seven. The à in sapta is Vedic. Here by multiple, the thing multiplied is denoted. Otherwise it will be in singular); tāni those felicities; ekamekam each one; susastibhiḥ with radiant expressings, that is to say well-extracted (establish).

By getting for man a happy fourfold body, the Ribhus render him fit for dwelling on the plane of Truth-Consciousness. When he is thus made perfect, they are able to establish in essence (or pithily) the Delight of the universal existence of seven principles like earth, etc. in each of the three—his body, life and mind-severally. Hence it is said, “establish the sevenfold felicities in each thrice’.

Tr. Ye, Ribhus, establish for our sacrificer the felicities of seven kinds, triply; each separately with perfect expressings.

This is the eighth Rik.

8. adhārayanta vahnayo’bhajanta sukṛtyayāsf¹

vahnayaḥ the bearers, Ribhus who manage the sacrifice to secure immortality and the like for man; sukſtyaya by means of the deed comprising the happy action of fashioning a single bowl into four, etc.; deveșu of the gods (locative for genetive); yajniyam due in sacrifice; bhāgam the portion to be distributed among the gods serverally according to injunction; adhārayanta you bore; abhajanta and apportioned.

When the human consciousness is ready, the Ribhus are able to sustain constant currents of Ananda. Hence they are able, by their fulfilling deed, to distribute and give to each of the gods manifested by the Sacrifice, the appropriate share replete with Ananda. That kind of distribution according to the share is the utmost requirement for the smooth performance and complete fruition of the sacrifice.

This is the purport.

Tr. The bearers by their happy deed bore and distributed the sacrificial share of the Gods.

Thus ends the second group in the Second Chapter of the first Eighth.