Shivoham!
Now let’s move further in understanding the subject of Yajna or the Fire Ritual.
When we perform a Yajna we invoke Yajnapurusha (यज्ञपुरुष ). It should be understood that though Devatas (the divine entities) are omnipresent but they do not become available without our calling or inviting them. Yet another point – If you know someone (Devata) and that person knows you then only the invitation is justified and looks good. Of course there is this innate joy in feeding someone whom you know or familiar with. To desire that very joy I invite the supreme soul of this visible universe; The Sun who is Lord of all the Ganas, the supreme in the pratyaksha devatas. This is the mantra from Veda –
गणानां त्वा गणपति गं हवामहे |
प्रियाणां त्वा प्रियपति गं हवामहे |
निधीनां त्वा निधिपति गं हवामहे |
अृषीणां त्वा अृषिपति गं हवामहे |
विधिनां त्वा विधिपति गं हवामहे |
वसूनां त्वा वसुपति गं हवामहे |
धनानां त्वा धनपति गं हवामहे |
प्रभानां त्वा प्रभपति गं हवामहे |
ग्रहाणां त्वा ग्रहपति गं हवामहे |
ज्योतिषां त्वा ज्योतिष्पति गं हवामहे |
वसो मम | आहमजानि गर्भधम् |
आ त्वं अजासि गर्भधम् ||
- यजु 23/29
वसो मम = O Lord! You reside in my heart. अहम् आ अजानि = I have known you fully – You are very familiar to me. गर्भधम् = It is known that you are the only one who holds the source of light in your heart. Aaditya Hridaya (The mandala of Sun) is the only source of energy and life. त्वं अजा असि = You are the unborn (eternal) nature (prakriti). आ गर्भधम् = You truly hold and support the whole world and its creatures inside you.
I bow down repeatedly to such Sun God who is ArdhaNaareeshwar (अर्धनारीश्वर).
Purusha has been called Yajna. पुरुषो यज्ञ इति | (हरिवंश पु0 3/10/4)
ज्ञा + क = ज्ञ – the knower | या + ड = य – One who moves | य + ज्ञ = यज्ञ – The knower and the goer (moving), The one who knows all, who is reaches everywhere, Sun (Soorya) | पू + उ = पु – One who purifies | रु दीप्तौ रवति + चु = रु – Self-Illumined | सो + क = ष – Highest, the End, Salvation, Noble | पु + रु + ष = पुरुष – Purifier, Bright, one that annihilates darkness, SUN | Therefore the Sun is Purusha (पुरुष) and this very Sun is Yajna (यज्ञ). Yajna was created first in the beginning, before anything else. Follow mantra says –
ब्राह्मणो जज्ञे प्रथमो दशशीर्षो दशास्यः |
स सोमं प्रथमं पपौ स चकारारसं विषम् || (अथर्व वेद – 4/6/1)
ब्राह्मणः दशशीर्षः दशास्यः = Having been born in Akasha (Brahm) the Sun is Braahmana. Since it removes darkness of the 10 directions and therefore is called DashaSheersha (The one having 1o heads). He enters the mouths of 10 directions each in the form of light and that’s why the Sun is called दशास्य. Therefore Sun himself is (रावण = रु + णिच् रावयति – ते + ल्युट् ) Raavana. Raavan means the one who is illumined.
स प्रथमः जज्ञे प्रथमं सोमं पपौ = This Sun is the one who is the first born entity, he drank Soma (water) – He took away (kidnapped) the humidity, this very humidity or Soma (सोम) is Sita (सीता).
स चकार अरसं विषम् = That Sun dried (Arasam) the poison (too moist earth – muck) – and made the earth pure and illuminated with light. He destroyed the poison of darkness and lethargy and inertia (Arasam). कृ करणे करोति – कुरुते, हिसायाम् कृणोति – कृणुते से चकार |
The flame (ज्योति), Light (प्रकाश) and Sunrays (सूर्यरश्मियाँ) ; They are Sita (सीता). These are worshipped in the world. The Mantra to this effect is –
सीते वन्दामहे त्वार्वाची सुभगे भव |
यथा नः सुमना असो यथा नः सुफला भुवः || (अथर्व वेद – 3/17/8 & अृग वेद – 4/57/6)
Who is Sita? Grammatical genesis has been given for the word. सो अन्तकर्मणि स्यति + क्त = सित (तमान्तक) + टाप् = सीता, दीर्घदेशः | सि बन्धने सिनोति – सिनुते, सिनाति – सिनीते + क्त + टाप् = सीता, दीर्घत्वम् | जल राशि को बाँधकर अपने भीतर रखने वाली, ग्रहों को एक सूत्र में पिरोने वाली, विश्व को अपने में जकड़ने वाली – सीता | Sita is is the one who holds the water bodies within, the one who keeps the order of celestial bodies, the one who keeps the wold world in her grip or ambit.
सीते वन्दामहे = O Rays of Sun! we worship (adore/praise) you.
सुभगे त्वा अर्वाची भव =O Embodiment of never ending light! You manifest in front of us – Introduce yourself to us/ Give your darshanam – reveal your secrets.
यथा (त्वम्) नः सुमना: असः = In all the ways (anyways) be benevolent to us / be dear to us.
यथा (त्वम्) नः सुफलाः भुवः = In all possible ways you bring good results to us. Be benevolent to us.
Sita means – One, that of white color, a thing that is entangled in itself. The rays of light are the entanglement of 7 colours and when together they are white – this is called Sita. These seven-folded energies is Sita – is also called saptjihvaa (One with seven tongues or flames).
Sun Rays are full of (soaked with / impregnated with) sweet-nurturing water (rasa). This is the basis of Surya Chikitsa (Solar Power Healing Therapy or सूर्य चिकित्सा ). The Following mantra describes it.
घृतेन सीता मधुना समक्ता विश्वैर्देवैरनुमता मरुद्भिः |
सा नः सीते पयसाभ्याववृत्स्व ऊर्जस्वती घृतवत् पिन्वमाना ||
-(अथर्व वेद – 3/17/9 & यजुर्वेद – 12/70)
First the anvaya ( अन्वय – grammatically breaking down the shloka and rearranging the words to derive clear meaning).
विश्वैः देवैः मरुद्भिः अनुमता सीता | मधुना घृतेन सम् अक्ता सीता | ऊर्जस्वती घृतवत् पिन्वमाना सीता | सा (त्वम्) नः पयसा अभि – आ – अव – वृत्स्व |
Now the meaning of the mantra –
Sita is revered by all the Marutas.
Sita is full of sweet water. Sita is one with energy or shakti. Sita is nurturing like Ghrit (clarified butter), she is fluid and beautiful. Sita is the one that irrigates the world. O Sita! Grace us with movement, enthusiasm and inspiration.
घृतम् उदकनाम (निघण्टु 1/12) | अभ्याववृत्स्व = Reach, Be near, Impregnate, to Fill, to complete, to decorate. Sita is the power of destruction. The owner who is unable to keep her under control is destroyed by her. If managed and controlled it creates happiness and peace. Here’s mantra to this effect –
इन्द्रः सीतां नि गृह्णातु तां पूषाभि रक्षतु |
सा नः पयस्वती दुहामुत्तरामुत्तरां समाम् || (अथर्व वेद – 3/17/4)
इन्द्रः = Lord or owner of Indriyas – Mana (mind) or Jeevaatma (soul)
सीताम् = Tri-folded (sat, raj, tama) nature and innate nature of self.
निगृह्णातु = Should control
ताम् (सीताम्) पूषा अभि – रक्षतु = This Sita should be well protected by Poosha (Sun God) – She should be protected so that she does not lose her nature.
सा (सीता) नः पयस्वती = The same very Sita be full of milk of nutrition and affluence for us.
उत्तराम् उत्तराम् सा (सीता) नः दुहाम् समाम् = Going forward this well protected Sita continue to give us benefic results – happiness and peace.
Sita is of Sun, from Sun, in the Sun and for the sun. This Sita is Sun or Dashrath – The one who moves in all 10 directions. This Sun is Janaka father of all life forms. This Sun is Rama (The one who is loved by all).
I bow down to this Sita who is born of Brahmn.
More in the next post..
-Acharya Agyaatadarshan Anand Nath
The Yajna is performed by invoking YajnaPurusha. We choose to invite Sun God here. We are quoting mantras from Athrava Veda that are used in Yajna propitiating the Sun God. The Sun God has been equated with the divine force of nature - Sita. There is no difference whatsoever among Janaka, Sita, Dashrath, Rama or even Ravana. The one who approached to the drama of life as expansion of play of the Brahmn receives the fruit of Yajna - The Ultimate wisdom! This series on Vedic wisdom is being presented here as my own understanding of the teachings given out by beloved VedaGurudev Shri Atharvan ji Maharaj.
Its all about you! 