It is the oldest book in any Indo-European language and contains the earliest form of all Sanskrit mantras that date back to 1500 B.C. – 1000 B.C. Some scholars date the Rig Veda as early as 12000 BC – 4000 B.C. The Rig-Vedic ‘samhita’ or collection of mantras consists of 1,017 hymns or ‘suktas’, covering about 10,600 stanzas, divided into eight ‘astakas’ each having eight ‘adhayayas’ or chapters, which are sub-divided into various groups. The hymns are the work of many authors or seers called ‘rishis’. There are seven primary seers identified: Atri, Kanwa,Vashistha, Vishwamitra, Jamadagni, Gotama and Bharadwaja. The rig Veda accounts in detail the social, religious, political and economic background of the Rig-Vedic civilization. Even though monotheism characterizes some of the hymns of Rig Veda, naturalistic polytheism and monism can be discerned in the religion of the hymns of Rig Veda’
Mantra pushpam
The Rig Veda Text Translation , Click the Link right below.
* Translation by Griffith in 1896
I Laud Agni, the chosen Priest, God, minister of sacrifice,
The hotar, lavishest of wealth.
* Translation by Sa_yan.a and Wilson
1.001.01 I glorify Agni, the high priest of the sacrifice, the divine, the ministrant, who presents the oblation (to the gods), and is the possessor of great wealth. [Agni = purohita, the priest who superintends family rites; or, he is one of the sacred fires in which oblations are first (pura) offered (hita); deva: a god, the bright, shining, radiant; fr. div, to shine; or, one who abides in the sky or heaven (dyusha_na); or, liberal, donor (in the sense of giving); r.tvij = a ministering priest, he is also the hota_ (Aitareya Bra_hman.a 3.14), the priest who presents the oblation or who invokes or summons the deities to the ceremony; fr. hu, to sacrifice; or, fr. have, to call; ratnadha_tama: lit. holder of jewels; ratna = wealth in general; figuratively, reward of religious rites].’_Agni Sukta.
This is recited even today as the first Mantra in Brahma Yagnam, which is performed by the Brahmins daily.
The Rig Veda is organised into Mandalas,Ten in Number.
Mandals are ‘Family Books’
The First Mandala is the Invocation of Agni-quoted above.
The primary Deity of the Brahmin is Agni.
Agni is presumed to reside the right palm of the Brahmins who have practiced the Vedas.
It is ordained that Brahmins are expected to Bless the others with their left palm and not the right palm, and that too without touching the one who is being blessed.
There is an anecdote of recent origin.
Sadasiva Brahmendra, a Vedic scholar and a Yogi lived in Kumbakonam,Tamil Nadu, India, in the eighteenth century.
King Thondaman of Pudukkottai was close to him.
Envious of this, some courtiers informed the king that Sadasiva Brahmendra was insulting the king by Blessing him with his left hand.
When Sadasiva Brahmendra met the king the next time, Sadasiva touched the seat near him with his palm downwards; the chair flared up in flames and Sadasiva Brahmendra smiled at the King and blessed him with his left hand.
The Ultimate authority for The Hindus is the Vedas.
Map of Vedic India
Those who follow the Vedas are Astikas, meaning “It is”
Those who deny it are ‘Nastikas, “Deniers’
Now the terms Astika and Nastika are used to denote Faith in God,Refuting God respectively .
This is incorrect.
The Vedas are not written nor were they originated from some one.
It is believed to be The Breath, both Inhaling and Exhaling of the Creator, Brahma>( Usvaasa and Visvaasa)
These , in turn were reported to have been revealed to Brahma in a flash when He did penance , contemplating Lord Narayana from whose Navel Brahma evolved
Vedas are sounds.
Brahma converted them into language with the help of his consort Goddess Sarasvati.
These sounds are intuitively grabbed by the Seers later from the Ether.
As such the Vedas were not authored.
So they are called ‘Anaadi’ beginning-less.
The Vedas are four in Number.
Rig,
Yajur, (has Shukla or White Yajur;Krishna Yajur, Black Yajur)
The Samhitas (Sanskrit saṃhitā, “collection”), are collections of metric texts (“mantras“). There are four “Vedic” Samhitas: the Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda, and Atharva-Veda, most of which are available in several recensions (śākhā). In some contexts, the term Veda is used to refer to these Samhitas. This is the oldest layer of Vedic texts, apart from the Rigvedic hymns, which were probably essentially complete by 1200 BCE, dating to c. the 12th to 10th centuries BCE. The complete corpus of Vedic mantras as collected in Bloomfield‘s Vedic Concordance(1907) consists of some 89,000 padas (metric feet), of which 72,000 occur in the four Samhitas.
The Brahmanas are prose texts that discuss, in technical fashion, the solemn sacrificial rituals as well as comment on their meaning and many connected themes. Each of the Brahmanas is associated with one of the Samhitas or its recensions. The Brahmanas may either form separate texts or can be partly integrated into the text of the Samhitas. They may also include the Aranyakas and Upanishads.
The Aranyakas, “wilderness texts” or “forest treaties”, were composed by people who meditated in the woods as recluses and are the third part of the Vedas. The texts contain discussions and interpretations of dangerous rituals (to be studied outside the settlement) and various sorts of additional materials. It is frequently read in secondary literature.
The Shrauta Sutras, regarded as belonging to the smriti, are late Vedic in language and content, thus forming part of the Vedic Sanskrit corpus.[27][28] The composition of the Shrauta and Grhya Sutras (c. 6th century BCE) marks the end of the Vedic period, and at the same time the beginning of the flourishing of the “circum-Vedic” scholarship of Vedanga, introducing the early flowering of classical Sanskrit literature in the Mauryan and Gupta periods.
While production of Brahmanas and Aranyakas ceases with the end of the Vedic period, there is a large number of Upanishads composed after the end of the Vedic period. While most of the tenMukhya Upanishads can be considered to date to the Vedic or Mahajanapada period, most of the 108 Upanishads of the full Muktika canon date to the Common Era.
The Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads often interpret the polytheistic and ritualistic Samhitas in philosophical and metaphorical ways to explore abstract concepts such as the Absolute (Brahman), and the soul or the self (Atman), introducing Vedanta philosophy, one of the major trends of later Hinduism.
Shakas.
A shakha (Sanskritśākhā, “branch” or “limb”), is a Hindu theological school that specializes in learning certain Vedic texts, or else the traditional texts followed by such a school.
An individual follower of a particular school or recension is called a śākhin.[5] The term is also used in Hindu philosophy to refer to an adherent of a particular orthodox system.
One who belongs to a particular Shaka must learn from a Guru, The Preceptor.
Gayatri Mantra is the most celebrated Mantra of the Hindus.
This Mantra precedes all Mantras for the three Varnas,Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas
Smritis declare ,
‘There is nothing for a Man in this world who neglects his parents
There is nothing for a Man here and beyond who neglects Gayatri Mantra”
It is ordained that for one who neglects parents nothing auspicious will accrue and no Mantra,Japa,Yagas, Yagnyas will yield results for one who does not recite Gayatri Mantra.
Gayatri is the Mother of all the Mantras.
‘Gayathreem Chandasaam Maadheethi’
Gayatri is the Mother of all Veda Mantra’-Narayanopanishad.34
What one can visibly see is a Glow in the face, mental tranquility and mental toughness to tide over difficulties if one were to recite the Mantra in the way it has to be, that is in Five Padas, the total mantra is to be recited in five groups.
Various meanings of the words used in the Gayatri Mantra.
Bhuh
Bhuvah
Svah
Earth
Atmosphere
Beyond Atmosphere
Past
Present
Future
Morning
Noon
Evening
Tamas
Rajas
Sattwa
Gross
Subtle
Causal
The Gayatri mantra is composed of a metre consisting of 24 syllables – generally arranged in a triplet of eight syllables each. Therefore, this particular meter (tripadhi) is also known as the Gayatri Meter or “Gayatri Chhanda.”
The Mantra
Aum
Bhuh Bhuvah Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yo nah Prachodayat
“O thou existence Absolute, Creator of the three dimensions, we contemplate upon thy divine light. May He stimulate our intellect and bestow upon us true knowledge.”
Or simply,
“O Divine mother, our hearts are filled with darkness. Please make this darkness distant from us and promote illumination within us.”
Let us take each word of the Gayatri Mantra and try to understand its inherent meaning.
The Gayatri Mantra. Silently thinking or speaking or chanting the Gayatri Mantra influences the physical body, clears the emotional body, leading one to the inner heart1. The Gayatri stimulates and facilitates insightfulness and awakening to the Truth within all. Our energy centers, levels and rhythms are activated by the measure of breaths that are drawn in through the nostrils and released during recitation of the Gayatri Mantra (even during silent repetition)2. This balances electromagnetic rhythm and energy currents in the body with prana. Prana is an undetectable life force energy which is similar to orgone3. During recitation, all elements of the mantra are in use; even the breath is a precision instrument. It all works together, like an orchestra and the conductor. The breath, voice, meditation and intention, efficiently and effortlessly function (like the sun efficiently and effortlessly shines).
The First Word Om (Aum)
It is also called Pranav because its sound emanates from the Prana (vital vibration), which feels the Universe. The scripture says “Aum Iti Ek Akshara Brahman” (Aum that one syllable is Brahman).
When you pronounce AUM:
A – emerges from the throat, originating in the region of the navel
U – rolls over the tongue
M – ends on the lips
A – waking, U – dreaming, M – sleeping
It is the sum and substance of all the words that can emanate from the human throat. It is the primordial fundamental sound symbolic of the Universal Absolute.
The “Vyahrities”: Bhuh, Bhuvah & Svah
The above three words of the Gayatri, which literally means “past,” “present,” and “future,” are called Vyahrities. Vyahriti is that which gives knowledge of entire cosmos or “ahriti”. The scripture says: “Visheshenh Aahritih sarva viraat, praahlaanam prakashokaranh vyahritih”. Thus, by uttering these three words, the chanter contemplates the Glory of God that illumines the three worlds or the regions of experience.
The Remaining Words
Tat simply means “that” because it defies description through speech or language, the “Ultimate Reality.”
Savitur means “Divine Sun” (the ultimate light of wisdom) not to be confused with the ordinary sun.
(Aachamya+Wear Pavithram(*) + Put Durbha Aasanam under the legs + Wear Two Dharbha
between the Pavithram)
AUM SUKLAAM BARADHARAM VISHNUM SASHI VARNAM CHATHURBHUJAM PRASANNA
VADHANAM DYAAYETH SARVA VIGNOPASSANTHAYE – OM BHUHU, OM BHUVAHA, OM
SUVAHA, OM MAHAHA, OM JANAHA, OM THAPAHA, OOGUM SATHYAM OM
THATSAVITHURVARENYAM BARGO DEVASYA DEEMAHI DHEEYO-YONA
PRACHOTHAYAATH – OM AAPO JYOTHEERASO AMRUTHAM BRAHMA
BHURBUVASUVAROM OM OM OM.
MAMOPAAKTHA SAMASTHA DHURITHAKASHAYADWARA SRI PARAMESWARA
PREETHYARTHAM –
THATHEVA LAGNAM SUDHINAM THATHEVA, THARABALAM CHANDRABALAM
THATHEVA, VIDHYABALAM DAIVABALAM THATHEVA, SRI LAKSHIPATHE AGRIYUGAM
SMARAAMI – APAVITHRA PAVITHROVAA SARVAA VASTHAAM GATHOPIVAA –
YASMARETH PUNDAREEKAAKSHAM – SABAAHYA ABHYANTHARAHAA SUCHIHI,
MAANASAM VAACHIKAM PAAPAM – KARMANAAM SAMUPARJITHAM – SRI RAMA
SMARANENAIVA VYAPOHATHI NA-SAM SHAYAHAA – SRI RAMA, RAMA RAMA – THITHIR
VISHNU – THATHAA VAARA NAKSHATRAM VISHNUREVACHAA YOGASCHAA KARANAM
CHAIVAA SARVAM VISHNU MAYAM JAGATH SRI GOVINDA, GOVINDA GOVINDA – AADYA
SRI BAGAVATHAHAA, MAHA PURUSHASYA, VISHNO RAAGNAYA,
PRAVARTHAMAANASYA,
SHUBHE DINE SHOBHANE MUHURTE ADYA BRAHMANAHA, DWITHEEYA PARAARDHE,
SWETHA VARAAHA KALPE, VAIVASWATHA MANWANTHARE, ASHTAAVIGUM
SATHITHAME, KALIYUGE, PRATHAME PAADHE, JUMBOO DWEEPE (For North America – KRAUNCHA DWEEPE), BHAARATHA VARSHE (For North America – RAMANAKA VARSHE), BHARATHA KHANDE (For North America – UTTARA OR GOTEERTHA OR AINDRA KHANDE), MEROHO DAKSHINE PAARSHWE DANDAHAARANYA SHAALIVAHANA
SAKAABDE, ASMINNU VARTHAMAANE, VYAVA HAARIKE, PRABHAVAADHEENAAM
SHASHTYAA SAMVATSARAANAAM MADHYE
IN CANADA, USA:
JAYA NAAMA SAMVATSARE, DAKSHINAAYANE, VARSHA RITHOW, Sravana MAASE,
KRISHNA PAKSHE, ADHYA PRATHAMAAYAAM SUBHATHITHOW SOMA VAASARA
YUKTHAAYAAM, SRAVISHTA UPARI Sravana NAKSHATRA YUKTHAAYAAM – SRI
VISHNU YOGA, SRIVISHNU KARANA, SUBAYOGA, SUBAKARANA, EVAM GUNA
VISESHANA VISISHTAAYAAM, ASYAAM PRATHAMAAYAAM SUBHATHITHOW..
IN INDIA:
VIJAYA NAAMA SAMVATSARE, DAKSHINAAYANE, VARSHA RITHOW, SIMHA MAASE,
SHUKLA (Upto 7:15 am) / KRISHNA PAKSHE, ADHYA POURNAMYAAM (Upto 7:15 am)
UPARI PRATHAMAAYAAM SUBHATHITHOW SOUMYA VAASARA YUKTHAAYAAM,
SRAVISHTA NAKSHATRA YUKTHAAYAAM – SRI VISHNU YOGA, SRIVISHNU KARANA,
SUBAYOGA, SUBAKARANA, EVAM GUNA VISESHANA VISISHTAAYAAM, ASYAAM
PRATHAMAAYAAM SUBHATHITHOW
THAISHYAAM PRATHAMAAYAAM MITHYAA DHEETHA DOSHA PRAYASCHITHAARTHAM,
DHOSHAVATH APATHANEEYA PRAAYASCHITHAARTHAM SAMVATSARA
PRAAYASCHITHAARTHAM CHA ASHTOTHARA SAHASRA (1008) OR SHATHA (108)
SANGYAYAA GAYATHRI MAHAAMANTRA JAPAM ADHYA KARISHYE (Repeat this sentence
twice).
Remove the two dharbha and put it on the north side (which you kept between the Pavithram).
Slightly wash the hand with little water from the Panchapathram. APA UPA PRASYA.
Prince Siddhartha, The Buddha, enlightened.Founder of Buddhism, A Kshatriya.
Kshatriya are the Warrior group in India.
Kshatriya, from (holder of) Kshatra (rule or authority), is one of the four varnas (social orders) in Hinduism. Traditionally, Kshatriya constitute the ruling and military elite of the Vedic-Hindu social system, as outlined by the Vedas and the Laws of Manu. They were in charge of the protection of the Hindu society by fighting in wartime and governing in peacetime.[1](wiki)
The Caste is determined by disposition.
There is another basic criteria required of a Kshatriya, Compassion, ‘Kshama’
I will be posting a series of Kshatriya Surnames, Brahmin Surnames have been posted already.
”
The Vedic Brahminical hymn, Purusha Sukta is generally attributed to have mentioned the mythical origins of the four Varnas of the Vedic society.The hymn pronounces that Rājanya (from Rājan, tribal head or chief,Rā-rule,Jana tribe) were born from the primordial being or Purusha‘s arms,and is a later addition to the book.[2]The term Rajanya was initially used as a tribe name and denoted the ruling families in the Rig vedic period which referred to a distinct social group.
The term Kashtriya on the other hand originated in later Rig Vedic period, and it gradually replaced the word Rajanya. Etymology of the word Kshatriya has been explained below. The term Rajanya unlike the word Khastriya essentially denoted the status within a linage. Whereas Kshatra(from which the word Kshatriya comes) implied temporal authority and power which was based less on being a successful leader in the battle and more on tangible power of laying claim to sovereignty over a territory, demanding prestations and symbolizing ownership over clan lands.Which later gave its way to the origin of Kingship.Thus the word Rajnaya was replaced by the word Kshatriya. [3]
The later books find some reference to the word Rajanya though it was used to denote specific tribe or political authority,and the word Kshatriya was popular and denoted the ruling class.Later inAitareya Brahmana of the Rig Veda there is a mention of Rajanya requesting a Kshatriya a place in a sacrifice,suggesting lower status of Rajnayas.By Brahminical standards Kshatirya,is superior to Vedic Rajanya.It was a Brahmin authority that decided the status of the two.Thus when the Purusha Sukta was composed during the later Rig Vedic period to elevate the status of Vedic Rajanya ,term Kshatriya was omitted.[2](wiki)
‘Bahu Rajanya Kruthah’ Kshatriyas are born of the Shoulders of the Universal Reality(Purusha Sooktham)
* One may notice some Gothras are from Brahmins,Kasyapa and Vasishta.
This is because of the marriage of these Brahmin sages having begotten children from Kshatriya women.
If father is a Brahmin and the Mother is a Kshatriya, the offspring is classified as Brahmin, normally.
People belonging to Kaushika (Kaushik/Kousika/Kousikasa/Koushika/Kausika)
Gotra take Rajarishi Kausikaas their root.
Kausika was one of the names of Visvamitra.
11 Royal clans of 96 clan of Marathas belong to Kaushik gotra including the illustrious house of Shivaji and Rashtrakutas.
2 more clans belong to theVishvamitra gotra.
Kaushika gotra also belongs to Baish clan of rajput which includes in the suryavanshi rajput.
We , the Tamils, have a long and rich cultural History.
And we do have a sense of humor, at times beyond one’s imagination when some one makes astonishing , stupid and brazen claims of the Tamil History.
Tamil Language Modern and Ancient Script.
It is true that Tamil is an ancient language, as old as Sanskrit or even older.
There are references to Tamils, Tamil Kings, Cities of The Tamils in the Vedas, including the Rig Veda,
I have posted quite a few on these subjects.
I have an open mind, be it any subject.
I posted articles that the Rigveda was , in fact, written in Tami,Lord Rama spoke Tamil in Ayodhya, though the evidence was so scanty as to be no evidence at all, expecting rebuttals.
None came.
While trying to prove that Tamil is an ancient Language and Sanskrit is younger to Tamil, Tamils are superior (!?) to every one on the earth, some ridiculous claims, purporting to be Research Papers are doing the rounds on the Internet.
I am posting some excerpts and Links for Stupid Reading, as I have done.
The disturbing fact is that its quotes are authentic but interpretations are plain stupid and motivated.
Unless one has an in-depth Knowledge of Tamil and Hinduism one can be easily misled.
Links:
அசோகன் என வரலாற்றில் எவரும் இல்லை என்பதும் குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது. வரலாற்றில் இல்லாத அசோக=தேவவிரத=பீஷ்மனைச் சந்திரகுப்தனுக்குப் பிறந்தவன் எனக்காட்டி; சந்திர குப்தனின் மகன் கரவேலன்=கண்ணன்=சத்தியவிரதன்=திரிசங்கு என மறைக்கமுயன்றனர். மற்றொரு சத்தியவதி=ஹெலன்; அலெக்சாந்த பூர்ணகாசியப்பனின் அடிமைப் படைத்தளபதி சிவன்படவன்*= செம்படவமீனவனான இலங்கைத்தீவில் வாழ்ந்த செல்யூக்கஸ்நிகந்தனின் மனைவிக்கும் அலெக்சாந்தனுக்கும் பிறந்தவள். இவளைச் சந்திரகுப்தனுக்கு மணம் முடித்து; அவளுக்குப் பிறக்கும் வாரிசுகளுக்கு மட்டுமே ஆட்சி யுரிமையைக் கொடுக்கக் கட்டாயப்படுத்தி; அடிமைகளைக் கொண்டு தங்களது மேளான்மையை நிறுவ முயன்றனர். மேலும் சந்திரகுப்தனை மணக்கும் முன்னரே பராசரனுடன் புணர்ந்து சத்தியவதி=ஹெலனுக்குப் பிறந்தவனே வியாசன் என்ற போதிலும் பராசரன் யார் என்பதில் குழப்பம் உள்ளது. ஆயினும் மரீசி=ரிச்சிகன்= முதல் அலெக்சாந்தனின் பேரனே பராசரன் என்பதை மாபாரதம் உணர்த்துகிறது. பாட்டன் பேரன் என இரு பராசரர்களும்; பாட்டி பேத்தி என இரு சத்தியவதிகளும் இருக்கக்கூடுமோ? இவர்களது உறவில் ஒரு விபரீதப் புணர்ச்சியை உணர்வதைத் தவிர்க்க முடியவில்லை. ஒரேபெயரில் உள்ளோரின் பெயர்களையும்…..
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