Welcome to the 7th issue of Veda Gyan.

In the last few issues we learnt about Samaveda, and Yajur Veda. In this issue we shall learn about Rig Veda. This is one of the oldest repositories of information available to mankind. We are unable to exactly state the period to which this Veda belongs because a lot of conflicting conclusions are arrived at.


This Veda contains ten thousand verses forming 1017 poems in 8 chapters grouped in ten mandalas. These poems adore the Gods as Indra, Agni, Rudra, Asvins, Mitra, Varuna, Maruths, and Ribhus. About two thirds of this Veda is dedicated to Agni and Indra alone.

This Veda contains many veils, which are very difficult to overcome or understand. This Veda gives three more descriptions of Brahman namely Iswara, Hiranya Garbha, Viraj.

Rig Veda also mentions the Rishis to whom these hymns were revealed they are Visvamitra, Vasishta, Bharadwaja. This Veda has an interesting story as its base!

The story of Vrtrasura!

Vrtrasua was a dreaded asura with a lot of powers granted by way of boons by Brahma for his penance. He kidnapped the Sun God and kept him as a hostage and made the entire Devas subservient to him. The universal creation suffered in the absence of Sun God, as he is the sustainer!

All Devas deliberated this predicament and tried to find a solution. They consulted the three principal Gods namely Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma.

They called the lord of the Devas, the Indra and told him that he had to lead an army to fight this dreaded asura and obtain release of the Sun God! But the problem was how to locate his hideout? Who should drive Lord Indra to his destination? Who should advise the Lord on war logistics?

It was decided that Brhaspati the guru of all devas would advise Indra on logistics and accompany him in his chariot. A hound called Sarama was employed to hunt down the asura in his mountainous hide out! Aswini devatas who were famous for their swift footedness were sent to smoothen the passage to Lord Indra of any resistance!

All devas were deployed to fight along with Indra and obtain the release of the Sun God. What ensued was a terrible and prolonged fight between the asura who was located at a deep cave of a mountain. After a long battle Indra manages to emerge victorious in his battle and set the Sun God free!

He achieves this victory only after he uses his new weapon called thunderbolt that is made of the backbone of a Rishi called Dadhichi. This bone for the weapon is obtained by Indra on the advise of Brhaspati as the gift from the maharishi himself after he gives up his body for the sake of welfare of Devas!

Titbits
Now let us take up the “Why” of the vessel full of water kept on the banana leaf topped with mango leaves and coconut. Here the vessel represents the human head and the water represents the knowledge of divine that is profound, and the mango leaves represent vigour and vitality and life. The rice represents all embodied creation. The recitation of Varuna japa is done first and all the powers of cosmos like Lord Varuna, Mitra, the three principal deities and other gods are established therein.

Rig Veda states that the human head is also known as Dronakalasa, which is given an outward expression by this arrangement of Poorna Khumba!

Sprinkling of Turmeric powder smeared rice when some one does pranam is again a symbol. The turmeric powder is a good insecticide and does not allow the rice to attract any insects. By using the rice after removing the chaff from the paddy is to prevent it from growing into a rice plant! Now this smeared rice is sprinkled upon the person doing the pranam to signify that he or she should live longer and be healthy and also attain the purpose of this birth by detaching themselves from knots of this vicious birth and death cycle. To live with the consciousness that everything belongs to the divine and is given to the human race to conduct their life with contentment.

Once a person lives with the consciousness that everything belongs to the divine his thoughts and deeds do not perpetuate and will not necessitate another birth in this world! This is pure philosophy and may be difficult for you children, to comprehend.

So do not worry about the significance now!

Ø Paatraviseshenyastam gunantharam vrjati silpamaadhatu |

Jalamiva samudrasuktau muktaphalatam payodasya ||

This verse states that a drop of rainwater that falls into the shell becomes a pearl; similarly the knowledge embedded into a good sishya is firm and attains glory!

There may be a heavy rain over the surface of the ocean but only a drop enters the shell and transforms into a pearl!


Six Gunas of the Lord!

The six gunas are: Ever expanding knowledge, bhalam (strength),

iswaryam( wealth), veeryam( valour), sakthi ( power), and Tejas (lustre).

Narayana’s sleeping posture upon the Aadishesha on the waters of vast ocean

Is to represent that he resides in pure knowledge or consciousness and can be

Apprehended after making the organs of perception submissive to the divine will!

News from the past !

This is the news item that appeared in the Madras Musings Oct. 04 issue.

The book named Vaimanika Sastra authored by Bharatdwja Maharishi explains in detail about various aircrafts. NASA has a copy of this book!

The book describes minute details of many ideas about designs of aircrafts, kind of alloys they used to build aircrafts, the kind of food and clothing the pilots need!

It also describes something very interesting that is 5,19,800 airways between the seven lokas!!!

Technical drawings based on this book of aircrafts were done in 1870 in Mysore.

In Melkot(Karnataka) efforts were made as an on going project to synthesise the alloys mentioned in the book

Zeppelin’ blimp has a similar shape aerodynamically to Tripura Vimana described in the book.

The 1950-soyuz crafts resembled Rukma Vimanam of the book.

A flight has been recorded in 1895 AD in India earlier than the Wright brothers!

The life sketch of a great saint Jayadeva.

Near the city of Puri in Orrisa where Lord Jaganatha with his brother Bhalarama and sister Subhadra reside, there was a village called Bilvagaun. In that village lived a pious couple namely Narayana Sastri and Kamalabai.Their life was fully devoted to Vishnu and they knew nothing other than HIM. But one thought was always troubling Kamalabai was that they did not have a son. Every time she prayed to Lord she would only express this desire and continued her service to Lord. One day Lord appeared in the dream of Narayana Sastri and told him that he would be blessed with a son!

Narayana Sastri instead of feeling happy felt angry with his wife for having asked for such a boon form all pervasive God! He felt ashamed and hung his head in shame!

On that very night Lord appeared in Narayan Sastri’s dream as a Brahman and told him that it is God’s will. Days passed and a child was born to them. They named him as Jayadev and was brought up as a devotee of Narayana.

Attaining marriageable age his parents searched and found a gem of a girl called Padmavati among their relatives. The marriage was performed with all the gaiety

And the young couple started their life. It was all dedicated to the Lord once again.

Daily poojas and bajans were routine. Jayadeva developed extraordinary ability to compose songs in praise of the Lord Jaganatha.He started composing ashtapatis called Geetha Govindam that is quite popular even today!

One day early in the morning during his composition while singing as Krishna addressing Radha , Jayadeva sang that his head was so hot and splitting and called upon Radha to place her cool like a lotus petal foot on his head! Immediately Jayadeva felt immensely sad for having sung like that and reprimanded himself and tore the palm leaf to pieces. Soon after he called his wife Padmavati and told her that he is going to the river to take his bath and would return for his morning pooja.

Within few moments Padmavati heard the foot steps of her husband and came out wondering what happened. There she saw Jayadeva having applied oil to his head

Coming hurriedly towards her. Jayadeva asked her to immediately bring him the palm leaves and the pen and added that he would add a line before he forgets. Padmavati as directed brought him the leaves and the pen. Jayadeva wrote a few lines and went back to take his bath satisfied.

On his return he performed his pooja and then asked Padmavati to bring him the palm leaves. He was awe struck! He could not believe his own eyes. He asked Padmavati whether she wrote anything. Padmavati replied that it was him who wrote on the leaves with oil dripping from his head! And also pointed out the oil stain on the leaves. The very same line he had written was found in the leaf!

He was overwhelmed with joy at the truth that Padmavati had received the grace of Lord. He ended that ashtapati with words that said, “the husband of Padmavati has won”


Bye now! See you in the next issue.