CWTVKS Volume 6

HYMN 28

Fifth in the sixth Section, is the hymn of nine Riks beginning with yatra grāvā. The Rishi is as before. The first six are anuştubh in metre, the rest in gāyatri. Of the first four, Indra is the deity; of others it will be clear in the course of the commentary.

1. yatra grāvā prthubudhna ürdhvo bhavati sotave, ulūkhalasutānāmavedvindra jalgulaḥ.
   yatra grāvā prthu’budhnaḥ urdhvaḥ bhavati sotave ulūkhala’ sutānām ava it ūm iti indra jalgulaḥ.

Words like stone, mortar, extract-container, etc. denoting the utensils in sacrifice, used in this hymn would appear at first sight to be of utmost help to the solely ritualist interpretation. But if the meaning of the hymn is examined, by making the external sacrificial ritual a pretext, profound secrets of the Vedic yoga are seen hidden in the symbols of sacrificial implements. Before showing that, we shall give meaning to the terms in the Mantras, following the thought of the old commentary.

yatra in which ritual (in the external or the inner, sacrifice); sotave to press out; grāvā stone for pressing; prthubudhnaḥ broadbased; ürdhvaḥ reaching high-above, high placed, says the ancients; bhavati is; in that ritual, indra O Indra; ulūkhala sutānām those poured out by the mortar (genetive in the sense of accusative) or the juice collected in one place; ava it jalgulaḥ the preposition ava is the synonym for below?, it in the sense of certainty, jalgulaḥ drink; avet recognising that it is thine, drink, says Sayana. Divine, high above, Indra, come here below and drink, the Soma pressed out by the earthly mortar, say we.

jalgulaḥ : gala to eat; the frequentative affix ya is dropped. Vedic Present 2nd person singular. The penultimate vowel becomes u. Rest is Vedic.

Tr. There where the broad-based stone is high above to press, O Indra, drink with eagerness the pourings of the mortar.

This is the second Rik

2. yatra dvāviva jaghanā’dhişavanyā kṛtā ulūkhalasutānāmavedvindra jalgulaḥ
   yatra dvau’iva jaghanā adhi’savanyā krtā ulūkhala’sutānām ava it um iti indra jalgulaḥ.

yatra in which ritual; adhişavaṇyā in which Soma is poured out, the platters for pouring in (șuñ to pour out with prefix adhi; from that abstract noun; the affix ya is Vedic); dvāviva jaghanā like two hips; kṛtā are laid (ā in Veda) simile of hips to denote that the ever associated platters for pouring are broad and two; the rest ulūkhala, etc. is explained.

Tr. There where the two platters, like two hips, are laid, O Indra, drink with eagerness the effusions of the mortar.

This is the third Rik.

3. yatra nāryapacyavamupacyavam ca sikșate, ulūkhalasutānāmavedvindra jalgulaḥ.
   yatra nāri apa’cyavam upa’cyavam ca śikṣate ulūkhala’sutānām ava it ūm iti indra jalgulaḥ.

yatra in which sacrifice; nārī wife of the human sacrificer or the divine Purusha-his Shakti; apa- cyavam egress; upacyavam ca and ingress, coming in; śikṣate learns, habituates herself, understands by practice; the rest as before.

apacyavam : form of cyun to go with prefix ара.

śikṣate : siks in the sense of acquiring knowledge; in the outer sacrifice, the wife of the sacrificer goes out of the sacrificial hall, comes back to it again—this is the purport intended by the terms apacyava and upacyava, says Sayana.

Tr. Where the woman learns the egress and the ingress, O Indra, drink with eagerness the effusions of the mortar.

This is the fourth Rik.

4. yatra manthām vibadhnate rasminyamitavā iva, ulūkhalasutānāmavedvindra jalgulaḥ.
   yatra manthām vi’badhnate raśmin yamita- vai’iva ulūkhala’ sutānām ava it ūm iti indra jalgulaḥ.

yatra in which rite; manthăm the churning staff (word is mathin; ntha in the accusative is Vedic), ‘instrument to churn the infusion’ says Sayana; vibadhnate they tie; illustration thereto : rasmin reins; yamitavai iva to control, like (yam to stop; the termination tavai for tum); just as they tighten the reins to control the horse, similarly they specially tie the churning staff with ropes; in the outer ritual, the churning staff is the rod for churning curds; the churning staff, the stone, the mortar, etc. in the context of the inner sacrifice, will be discussed at the end of the hymn.

Tr. Where, they fasten the churning staff with a rope as with reins to control (the horse), O Indra, drink with eagerness the effusions of the mortar.

This is the fifth Rik.

5. yacciddhi tvam grhegrha ulūkhalaka yujyase, iha dyumattamam vada jayatāmiva dundubhiḥ.
   yat cit hi tvam gļhe’gļhe ulūkhalaka yujyase iha dyumat’tamam vada jayatām’iva dundubhiḥ.

The four Riks devoted to ’Indra, are over. According to the Vedic terminology, the ulukhala being mentioned, they say that this and the Sixth Rik have the ulūkhala for their deity. The nature of ulūkhala, etc. in the inner sacrifice will be considered further on. We first give the meaning of the mantras without contradicting the ritualistic sense.

ulūkhalaka O mortar; yacchiddhi even though; tvam you; gļhe gặhe in house and house you are yoked, still; iha in this ritual; dyumattamam exceedingly luminous; vada make resplendent sound; illustration thereto; jayatāmiva dundubhiḥ like the victory cry of the conquering heroes sounded by special musical instruments like the drum you make a resplendent sound.

Tr. O mortar, even though you are set in every house, here, give forth your resplendent sound, like the drum of the victor.

Thus ends the twentyfifth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.

This is the sixth Rik.

6. uta sma te vanaspate văto vivātyagramit, atho indrāya pātave sunu somamulūkhala.
   uta sma te vanaspate vātaḥ vivāti agram it atho iti indrāya pātave sunu somam ulūkhala.

uta and again; vanaspate ulūkhala Vanaspati, tree is the material, Ulukhala, mortar is its modification; word of cause to denote the effect; te your; agramit in the front itself; vātaḥ wind; vivāti sma blows fast indeed. “By the speed of the strokes of the pestle, the wind blows,” says Sayana; atho thereafter; indrāya for Indra; pātave to drink, for his drinking; somam sunu press the Soma.

Tr. O lord of the forest, the wind blows fast in front of you, O mortar, for Indra that he may drink, press forth the Soma-juice.

This is the seventh Rik.

7. āyaji vājaśātamā tā hyu’ecā vijarbhrtaḥ. hari ivāndhāmsi bapsatā.
   āyaji ityā’yaji yāja’sātamā tā hi uccă vi’jarbhịtaḥ hari iveti hari’iva andhāmsi bapsata.

Neither in this nor in the eighth Rik is the word musala, pestle, mentioned. Here āyaji and further on vanaspati being in dual, the mortar and the pestle are referred to—so it is said. We will discuss the purport later; here we state only the meaning of the terms.

āyaji all over in the sacrifice (the termination i in the instrumental sense of yaj); vājasātamā what gives strength in opulence, exceedingly powerful; tā hi those indeed; uccā loudly; vijarbhrtaḥ sport again and again (the root har with the prefix vi, frequentative ya is dropped; duplication); illustration thereto : andhāmsi foods; bapsatā eating; hari iva like steeds of Indra.

bapsatā : bhas to eat, Present Participle 3rd conj.; prohibition of n on account of non-repetition; hence āyaji, etc. is taken to be in masculine. This coheres with the vanaspati further on.

Tr. Implements of sacrifice, best of strength- giver, sport high on like the two bay horses munching noisily.

This is the eighth Rik.

8. tā no adya vanaspati rşvāvrşvebhiḥ sotſbhiḥ, indrāya madhumatsutam.
   tā naḥ adya vanaspati iti rşvau rşvebhiḥ sotſbhiḥ indrāya madhu’mat sutam.

adya now; vanaspati, lords of the forest; rşvau (name for greatness) best; tā you both; rşvebhiḥ with the great; sotſbhiḥ pressors; indrāya for Indra; madhumat naḥ our soma substance; sutam press out (sun to press, elision conjugational sign is Vedic).

Vanaspati are the mortar and pestle, say the commentators. But the term pestle is not mentioned; the platters for pressing out are two and are made of wood; so may they not be meant?

Tr. O Lords of the forest, mighty with the mighty pressors, press out today the most sweet Soma juice for Indra’s drink.

This is the ninth Rik.

9. ucciștam camvorbhara somam pavitra ā srja, ni dhehi goradhi tvaci.
   ut sistam camvoh bhara somam pavitre ā srja ni dhehi goh adhi tvaci.

The address is best taken to oneself; there is no diminution in the ritualistic meaning.

camvoḥ of the chamasa bowls—they being mentioned in dual, they mean platters for pressing out; śişğam what remains after pressing out; somam Soma; udbhara salvage, collect (bha for hr and graḥ); collecting, pavitre in the filter for purifying; asrja bring and put; having poured goḥ adhi tvaci on the base of cow-hide; ni dhehi set.

Tr. What remains, hold in the two chamasa vessels, pour the Soma on the filter and set the residue on the cow-hide.

We shall now by way of discussion only deal with the purport of the hymn. The thought has been deliberated upon substantially and can be seen elsewhere.⁵

With the stone above, the thunderbolt of Indra, endowed with executive power impregnated with the light of knowledge, remover of the many coverings, striker of inert solid and liquid elements obstructing the flow of the Soma juice which is the delight hidden in the human mind-life-body, the achiever of the plasticity of the wooden elements like matter which are the basis of the hidden Soma juices processed by its own blows—thus with the initiator of the flow of the sap of delight is the pressing of Soma effected. To denote all this it is first said in the first Rik "in which inner sacrifice the stone widebased is above”.

When the inner sacrifice is in progress, there are other equipments symbolised by the two platters for the extraction.

In the second Rik are stated : only when these two are there in the place of platters (for extraction) representing the powers of knowledge and action as the twin mind and life in the body, inseparably joined, engaged in one task, for the extraction of the essence of all experience of the sacrificer, the sap is pressed out in his body represented by the mortar; by the simile of the hips are indicated that these platters for extraction are paired like the heaven and earth; and life and mind represented by these two are inseparable and well-harmonised.

As the inner sacrifice proceeds, the power pervading the whole being of. man the sacrificer, natural characteristic like the light to the sun, inseparable, supervises wide awake for the effectuation of the sap in the body denoted by the mortar, its double movement of ascent and descent.

Thus the coming from above, the descent denoted by the term upacyava; the going up from the base of the body, the mode of movement denoted by the term apacyava; and the knowledge to gain control over both is being acquired by the Shakti, Power of man, denoted by the term nāri who learns the esoteric science in the inner body. This is stated in the third.

Just as in the outer sacrifice, they fasten the churning rod in the infusion for the firmness of the vessel, similarly in the inner sacrifice, the spinal chord is made like the Mandara hill in the churning of the nectar, by, special divine Power, the causes leading to the pressings of Soma, in order to establish an almost stunning stillness in the body for holding the sap of the Soma of delight that is being pressed out by the special play of the power of knowledge and action arising from the association of mind and life. This is stated in the fourth.

Thus having stated in this quartette of. Riks, the implements and the actions aiding the pressing of the sap of pure delight extracted from the body, the Rishi prays ’Lord Indra, do thou accept such Soma.’

Then in the next four Riks, the seer celebrates the ritual of pressing the Soma-juice. The two platters in which the Soma is squeezed are the two platters of extraction; they being wooden are referred to by the word vanaspati. Here first, in the two Riks, it is the body-denoted by the word ulūkhala (mortar) that is lauded. The body is the foundation of life and mind denoted by the two platters of extraction. That too is vanaspati because it is a product of evolution of bulbs and roots and fruits. Even though ‘in house and house’ the body of each man is yoked, still that body is special in which Soma is pressed out; hence let there be the cry of victory, O body, though you are inert, you bring to birth Soma, you have acquired knowledge. This is chanted in the fifth Rik.

Your powerful, executive, life is spurred to action in front, therefore press out Soma, release the essence of all experience, hidden in you, immersed in your deepest, dense regions of obscurity which is to be given to the gods. This is proclaimed in the sixth Rik.

In the seventh are compared with the horses of Indra, life and mind in the body, the vanaspati, loudly exultant, full of strength, endowed with the power of enjoyment.

Along with special powers, great, endowed with high status, causing the effusion of Soma, you both press the honey-sweet Soma for the acceptance of Indra—thus are addressed in the eighth, life and mind denoted by the term vanaspati.

In the last, the ninth, is stated : let the Soma juice be deposited for Indra in the pure body, the perfect vessel, denoted by the term wooden jar.

Here must be kept in mind what was said as to what is to be done before the depositing of the pressed out juice in the jar of the body.

The residual Soma in the platters of life and mind which are like the bowl, is taken and poured into the pure place above the body for purification and spread on the cow-hide of physical matter which is the protective covering—cow denoting the ray of light of consciousness; and this sap so purified and cultured should be deposited in the material body denoted by the term wooden jar. This is what is said.

Thus ends the twenty-sixth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth. ⁶