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Rk
Rc + kvip = Rk. The meaning of the verbal root rc is “to glorify” (through song or through ordinary language). Rk means “hymn”. In ancient times, with the beginning of civilization, the sages used to look upon the various manifestations of nature as the play of one God and they composed hymns for that god. When they used to sing in the name of Úśa, Indra, Parjanya, Mátarishvá, Varuńa, that singing was called sáma. At that time script had not yet been invented, so the disciples used to learn by listening to the verbal teachings of the guru. These were all words of truth, words of knowledge and since they were words of knowledge, since they elevated the uncultured human beings towards the light of culture, they were called veda, or knowledge.
The meaning of the verbal root vid is “to know”. The word veda is derived by adding the suffix al to the verbal root vid; it means “knowledge”. Seeing the written form of the word veda many phoneticians are of the opinion that it is derived with the suffix ghaiṋ; nevertheless it is derived with the suffix al and it is masculine. And due to the fact that there was no script and it had to be learned by hearing it from the mouth of the guru, its other name was shruti (shru + ktin). The verbal root shru means “to hear”. One meaning of the word shruti is “ear”; its other meaning is “that which is learned by hearing with one’s ear”, or veda. Each shloka of the oldest portion of the Vedas was called a rk. When many rks were collected together to create a certain idea or expression, it was called súkta. Many súktas together would comprise one mańd́ala.
Rgveda
The Rgveda is very old. Moreover, it is certain that Krśńadvaepáyańa Vyása had divided the Vedas into three separate parts – the oldest portion, the middle-age portion, and the late-era portion – well before the Jain era. Here I use the words “well before the Jain era” because the Vedas are mentioned in the Jain scriptures, which were written in the Prákrta language. The propounder of the Jain religion, Varddhaman Maháviir, was born a little over 2500 years ago, and the Prákrta language originated between four thousand and five thousand years ago. Thus, whatever portion of the Vedas is considered to be the most recent, it is certainly more than five thousand years old. And in regard to the Jain scriptures, certain portions of it were composed before the era of Varddhaman Maháviir by certain other Jain saints; still they are in no way more than five thousand years old.
The time of the composition of the Rgveda was approximately between fifteen thousand years ago and ten thousand years ago, that of the Yajurveda between ten thousand years ago and seven thousand years ago, and that of the Atharvaveda between seven thousand years ago and five thousand years ago. The Sámaveda is not a Veda at all. The word sáma means “song”. The Sámaveda was made later on from the music portions of the three Vedas, that is, the Sámaveda is found within the Rgveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. When the Vedas were first divided they were divided into the Rk, Yajuh, and Atharva – these three parts. But the Sámaveda is mentioned in the Jain scriptures, that is, the Vedas had already been divided into three parts at the time of the origin of the Jain scriptures, and the Sámaveda had already been created from the music portions of the three Vedas. Just as the Vedas could not be written down due to the lack of written script, it may also be that the early Jain saints, however old they may have been, were not able to record their teachings through the medium of written script. Varddhaman Maháviir’s time was after the discovery of script, thus in his time the Jain scriptures were written down and they were written down in the Prákrta language of that time.
Varddhaman Maháviir’s birthplace was Vaeshali in eastern India. Magadha and Rarh are the lands of spiritual propagation. Thus, it is an easily discovered fact that whatever he spoke or wrote was in the prevalent Mágadhii Prákrta language of the day. So it will not be enough to say that the language of the Jain scriptures was Prákrta – there were seven main Prákrta languages. The language of the Jain scriptures was one among them, that is, Mágadhii Prákrta.
There was no script during the time of the Rgveda, so it was not written down. Nor was there any script during the time of the Yajurveda, so it could also not be written down. Written script was invented during the time of the Atharvaveda. But since the Rk and Yajuh portions of the Vedas could not be written down, during the time of the composition of the Atharvaveda, that is, at the time of the composition of the last portion of the Vedas, people thought that the Vedas should perhaps not be written. Thus the Atharva portion remained unwritten like the Rk and Yajuh portions.
The Atharvaveda’s ádarsha puruśa (the first propounder or main propounder was called ádarsha puruśa at that time) was Brahmarśi Atharva. He was most likely from Central Asia, but this is not to say that one can say for certain that he was not an original inhabitant of India. Still, there is no doubt that the propounders of the later portions of the Atharvaveda were inhabitants of India, especially Maharśi Vaedarbhi because Vidarbha was the name of a settlement in the central-western portion of India.
Krśńadvaepáyańa Vyása is renowned as Vedavyása for having divided the Vedas into three main portions (Rk, Yajuh, and Atharva). There is a great difference of opinion about this word vyása. There are many historical figures named Vyása, however, careful observation shows us that Vyása is not a name; it is a hereditary title. Vádaráyańa Vyása, Saiṋjaya Vyása, Vivasvata Vyása – their titles were all Vyása, not their name.
The name of the Vyása who divided the Vedas was Krśńadvaepáyańa Vyása. He was born in a fisherman’s family (Kaevarta [a fishing caste]) on a blackish island(1) that rose out of the waters of the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamuna at Prayag, and for this reason the people gave him the name Krśńadvaepáyańa.(2) This Krśńadvaepáyańa or Vedavyása was the composer of the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata was composed long, long, long after the Vedas, but nonetheless it is undoubtedly more than three thousand years old.
Although the Rgveda is mainly concerned with hymns, it also contains various tales and anecdotes. While not all of these stories and tales carry equal spiritual value, they are representative of the cultural heritage of those ancient humans. They paint a portrait of the gradual advancement of human thinking and the structure of society. When considered from this point of view, the language, literature and expression of the Rgveda is of special value to the world. While it is true that there was no script during the Rgvedic age, phonemes and phonetic expression as well as the order of the sounds, interpolation and placement (the method of arranging the sounds) were in existence. The different Rgvedic styles of pronunciation for the various letters were in vogue which the followers of the Rgveda would learn orally from the guru in subsequent times. I have talked about this to some extent here and there in our language books. If time permits I will discuss the subject further at a later date.
In the Vedas, especially in the Rgveda, a special rule can be seen for the naming of the rks and súktas. Normally the rk is named according to the name by which the Supreme Consciousness is addressed. Where the Supreme Consciousness is not addressed by any particular name, then that súkta, or in certain cases that rk also, is named with the help of the first word. The third characteristic is that in most cases the rks were composed in certain metres.
There are seven main metres: gáyattrii, uśńika, triśt́upa, anuśt́upa, brhatii, jagatii and paḿkti. Besides this, because there was no authoritative grammar in that language (that is, the Vedic language) whereby differences between the metre and the prevalent unwritten grammar of the day could be resolved according to rules, the custom was in vogue of violating the grammar according to one’s convenience by cutting, reducing, increasing or even changing sounds in order to keep the metre intact. One accepted name of the rk 310/62 that we generally call the gáyattrii mantra is savitr rk – not gáyattrii mantra. Gáyattrii is the name of a particular metre, not the name of a mantra or a rk. In the concerning rk, Parama Puruśa is addressed as “Savitá” (the word is derived by adding the suffix trń/trc to the verbal root sú). Thus the rk’s name is “Savitr Rk”. At the beginning of one súkta in the first mańd́ala of the Rgveda we find:
Násadásiinno sadásiitadániiḿ;
Násiidrajo na vyomá paro yat.
At the beginning of the súkta the word násada has been used, thus the name of the súkta is násadiiya súkta.
The aforementioned “Savitr Rk” has been composed in the gáyattrii metre. Each line of the gáyattrii metre contains eight syllables. It has three lines, thus it is composed of twenty-four syllables. The rk is as follows:
Tatsaviturvareńyaḿ
Bhargo devasya dhiimahi
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayát
[The Supreme Father who did create the seven strata of manifestation – we meditate on His divine effulgence so that He may guide our intellect towards the path of blessedness.]
If we analyse the rk we find eight syllables in the second line: bhar, go, de, va, sya, dhii, ma and hi. In the third line there are: dhi, yo, yo, nah, pra, co, da and yát. But in the first line we see only seven syllables: tat, sa, vi, tur, va, re and ńyaḿ, that is, it is one syllable shorter. Thus, in this case, at the time of pronouncing it, the pronunciation of that time, and of today also, will be in violation of the current unwritten grammatical rules of that day – tat, sa, vi, tur, va, re, ńi and aḿ.
At the beginning of the mantra, (৺)oḿ bhúrbhuvah-svah (৺)oḿ is added and after the mantra (৺)oḿ is again added. These are not originally from the Rgveda; they are from the Atharvaveda. The mantra is the collective expression of the seven-layered manifestation of Parama Brahma – bhúrbhuvah-svah-maha-jana-tapa-satya. But where the crude, subtle and causal worlds are used as a short form of the seven lokas then only bhúrbhuvah-svah, the names of these three lokas are used; for them the word mahávyáhrti [supreme utterance] used to be used. They are not a portion or a part of the original Rgvedic “Savitr Rk”. For purposes of practice the pronunciation of the “Savitr Rk” is:
(৺)oḿ bhúrbhuva-svah (৺)oḿ tatsaviturvareńyaḿ
Bhargo devasya dhiimahi
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayát (৺)oḿ.
By adding this mahávyáhrti the meaning of the “Savitr Rk” is strengthened. It was added for this reason. By adding the mahávyáhrti the meaning of the mantra becomes clearer. “In this bhúr-bhuvah-svah, that is, crude, subtle and causal worlds, we are meditating on the excellent effulgence of Savitá, or the father, so that he might guide our dhii, or intellect, to the path of truth.” Awakening the inspiration to get spiritual direction from Parama Puruśa with the help of this mantra is called “Vedic initiation”. Later on, when the person gets proper instructions in spiritual practice for moving on the spiritual path then that is called “Tantric initiation”.
The Rgveda was considered the chief Veda in ancient times, not only because of the value of its antiquity, but because Vedic initiation was more or less based on the “Savitr Rk” of the Rgveda, although as regards the adjustment between the spiritual world with the material world for a spiritual aspirant, the Yajurveda surpasses the Rgveda in importance. In terms of pronunciation and phonetics the Yajurveda is quite different from the Rgveda. The Yajurveda had closer contact with Tantra. And the Atharva was mixed with Tantra at nearly every step. At one time the orthodox priests declared the followers of the Atharvaveda to be socially outcast; they said atharvánnaḿ má bhuiṋjiitháh, that is, the food of the followers of the Atharvaveda should not be accepted.
Rktha
By adding the suffix thak to the verbal root rc we get the word rktha. The etymological meaning of the word rktha is “one who is praised by people repeatedly”. Colloquially rk means “transferable wealth” – “gold”. Gold is also a transferable, highly praiseworthy form of wealth. For this reason rktha also means “gold”. Pitrrktha means “paternal wealth”. The etymological meaning of rkthásiina is “one who is sitting on money”; its colloquial meaning is “one who possesses much wealth but does not engage in charity and meditation, who does not want to be generous even in regards to his own needs”. It is as if one had taken the vow: “hands closed forever, open-handed never, never, never.”
The word rkthásiina reminds me of a small anecdote. There was a certain Shethji [merchant] who suddenly started suffering severe stomach pains. At the time he was seated on his gaddi [cushion] (in business gaddi means “the establishment’s throne”). He called his scribe [munsii] and said: “Munsiji, my stomach aches terribly. Munsiji, mar gayo, mar gayo, mar gayo [dying, dying, dying]. ”
Munsiji replied: “Shethji, why are you saying: ‘Munsi, mar gayo’? I am not dying; you are dying. You should say: ‘Shethji, mar gayo, mar gayo, mar gayo’.”
The wealthy Shethji then said: “Munsiji, what should I take to get some relief from the pain?”
“Drink a bottle of soda water,” the Munsiji replied.
“How much will a bottle of soda-water cost?” asked the Shethji.
“Twenty-five paise,” replied the Munsiji.
“I won’t drink the bottle, just the soda-water,” said the Shethji. “How much will that cost, I mean if I don’t take the bottle?”
“It still costs twenty-five paise,” replied the Munsiji. “You have to return the bottle.”
“What if I pour the soda-water into a cup and drink it, what then? Then I hardly keep the bottle for even a second. Will it still be twenty-five paise?”
While the Shethji was discussing the price of the soda-water the pain in his stomach increased even more.
The Munsiji said: “Shethji, with the condition you’re in now you will have to call a doctor. The soda-water won’t do now.”
“If I call a doctor,” asked the Shethji, “how expensive will it be?”
“It costs ten rupees for the visit plus the cost of the medicine, let us say five rupees. Fifteen rupees, more or less.”
“How expensive will it be if I die?”
“Let me see. Four rupees for the wood, two rupees more for the pot, pitcher, rice and sesame, again two rupees for bamboo, rope and all that, about two rupees, let us say, for the burial ground assistant – about ten rupees in all. The bearers won’t take any additional fee.”
“So if we call the doctor,” the Shethji said, “it will cost about fifteen rupees. And if I die it will cost about ten rupees, which means a savings of five rupees. I’m a businessman. What I understand is profit, the rise and fall of prices, so Munsiji, please arrange it so that I die.”
What the Munsiji arranged after that, nobody knows. For such a type of Shethji we can easily use the word rkthásiina.
Rju
The meaning of the verbal root rńj is “to move straight ahead” or “to move with ever-accelerated speed”. By adding the suffix uku to rńj we get the word rju. The meaning of the word rju is “one who moves straight ahead” or “that which is straightforward”. If a room has a window in the eastern wall and directly across from it is a window in the western wall, then we say that the two windows are rju-rju. In many places in Bengal rju-rju is pronounced “roojoo-roojoo”. This is not a mistake. The Atharvavedic pronunciation of the letter r is “roo”. Thus it is not to be condemned if one writes rju-rju and pronounces it “roojoo-roojoo”. But there is no need to spell it ruju-ruju; it can be spelled rju-rju.
Rju path means “straight path”, one that does not bend right and left. In yogic sádhaná [spiritual practice] rju-márga also means suśumná-márga.(3) Among the three principal nad́iis [psychic-energy channels], the suśumná is straight while the two on either side of it, the id́á and the piuṋgalá, curve right and left. Just as in practical life, a straight life, a rju life,(4) is beneficial and leads to welfare, in spiritual life also the straight path is the path of welfare. This straight path is the suśumná márga. The curved motion of the id́á and the piuṋgalá cannot ultimately help the spiritual aspirant to move upwards. Sarahacharya, a Bengali poet of the Buddhist era, has written:
Ujure uju cháŕi má leu re báḿka;
Niaŕi bohi má jáu re láḿk.
[Do not leave the straight path and take the crooked one. When the pond is nearby why do you go far?]
Here uju means rju. Rju/ruju/uju. This verbal root rńj also used to be written with the long rr in ancient times, that is, both rrnj and rńj were correct.
Rńa
One meaning of the verbal root rńj is “to move with increasing speed”. Rńj/rrńj + kta gives us the word rńa. The etymological meaning of rńa is “that which entangles a person in net after net in each moment”; its colloquial meaning is “debt”. One who gives a loan is called uttamarńa (uttama + rńa) and one who takes a loan is called adhamarńa (adhama + rńa). In ancient times rńa used to be spelled with a long rr but both spellings are correct.
According to the scriptures there are four kinds of debts which cannot be paid back. They are: debt to one’s father, debt to one’s mother, debt to one’s ácárya and debt to one’s guru. The debt of affection that binds a person to his or her father as the source of his or her birth and as the person who rears them cannot be discharged. The saints and sages have said: “If one dedicates oneself to the welfare of every man on earth then the debt to one’s father can be paid back a little, but not completely. Similarly, if one dedicates oneself to the welfare of every woman on earth then one’s debt to one’s mother can be paid back a little, but not completely. If one tries without discrimination to bring knowledge to all human beings then one’s debt to one’s ácárya(5) can be paid back a little, not completely. As regards one’s debt to guru, if one tries to propagate spiritual ideology amongst all people of the world then one can, to a very small extent (like a bubble in the sea), pay back one’s debt to the Tantra guru(6) from whom one has received instructions in the path of spiritual sádhaná.” This debt is almost completely non-dischargeable. Bengal’s poet, Satyendranath, has written at the end of one of his poems:
Milaner mahámantre má nave diikśita kari dhiire;
Mukta haiba deva-rńe morá muktaveńiir tiire.
[I initiate humanity steadily into the great mantra for union with the Supreme; I will free myself from my debt to the guru and attain salvation by the bank of the river of liberation. ]
Rta
The meaning of the verbal root r is “to move rhythmically”, “to advance without resistance”. By adding the suffix kta to r we get the word rta. Rta means “influential”, “enriching”, “revealing the fact”, “truth”. That over which the influence of vyathá [pain] has spread is vyathá + rta = vyathárta. That over which the influence of shoka [grief] has spread is shoka + rta = shokárta. That over which the influence of vanyá [flood] has spread is vanyá + rta = vanyárta.
In the opinion of the yogic scriptures there is an ideological difference between rta and satya. That which is a fact, which has happened or happens, is called rta. And the ideation used for the welfare of the people is called satya. Parahitárthaḿ váunmanaso yathárthatvaḿ satyam. “Using one’s mind or speech out of a spirit of welfare for others is satya.” It is said that one should take the shelter of satya, not rta. If a person takes shelter in your house out of fear of a wicked person and afterwards that wicked person comes up to you and asks: “Is that fellow here?”, in that case, an innocent person’s life is endangered. Here, if one is to follow satya then one will have to say: “No, he is not here.” In this way an innocent person will be saved from being murdered or tortured at the hands of a wicked person.
If, by dint of sádhaná, a person can elevate his or her unit existence and bring the crude, or conscious mind to the level of the subtle, or subconscious mind, and thereafter, going even higher, elevate the subtle or subconscious mind to the level of the causal, or unconscious mind, then in that condition the person gains full awareness of the past, present and future. This experience or realization in the path of sádhaná comprises a state similar to the stance of the supreme attainment of intuition. About this state it has been said: rtambhará tatra prajiṋá.(7) I have just said that this state is very close to the state of supreme thought, supreme ideation. In this supreme state all mind, all consciousness, is merged in the Supreme Cognitive Force [Citishakti]. They become one. This state is the supreme attainment, the supreme stage, or unbounded conciousness.
Rta is spelled correctly with a short r, but both short r and long rr were used to spell naerta [southwest], that is, both naerta and naerrta are correct. According to a old Puranic tale, Naerta was the name of a demon.
Rtu
By adding the suffix tu to the verbal root r we get the word rtu. Generally, words derived with the suffix tu are masculine. The import of the word rtu is “one who comes in one’s own rhythmic motion, in one’s self-rhythm, whether others want it or not”. Thus the etymological meaning of the word rtu is “any characteristic division of time”, whether it be age, year, season, month, fortnight, week, day, hour, minute or second. But colloquially, rtu means “that measure of time which is distinguished by specific characteristics” such as griiśma rtu [summer season], varśá rtu [rainy season], and so forth. Generally, in the equatorial and tropical regions of the earth one rtu [season] is two months.
Rśi
The verbal root rś has many meanings, one of which is “to rise upwards”. This verbal root rś is used for moving up from one floor of a house to one above it. By adding the suffix in to the verbal root rś we get the word rśi whose etymological meaning is “one who rises upwards”; its colloquial meaning is “a person of elevated mind, elevated intellect, elevated thought”. Although the feminine form of the word rśi is rśyá, the word rśi can also be used as common gender. That is, a woman can be called rśi just as a man can. And rśyá can also be used. Persons of elevated consciousness have been called rśi since Rgvedic times.
Just as every mantra is composed in a certain metre, and just as most of the mantras address Parama Puruśa with a special name, similarly each mantra had its draśt́á-rśi [seer-rśi](8) who, after realizing the truth in his or her sádhaná, or meditation and concentration, would then teach it orally to his or her disciples.
Since the Rgvedic age, rśis have been mainly divided into four categories: maharśi, devarśi, rájarśi and brahmarśi. Those persons who executed their worldly duties as required and at the same time cultivated meditation, concentration, sádhaná, philosophy (árańyak and upaniśad) and so on in search of a higher world, and having attained perfection in that spiritual path, would do service to the world, were called maharśi (for example, Maharśi Vishvámitra).
Those who, having taken birth in the race of devas (Nordic, Alpine and Mediterranean sub-races and the Caucasian race), had established themselves in spiritual consciousness through sádhaná, were called devarśi (for example, Devarśi Nárada).
Those who had to take care of great social responsibilities (such as a king) but at the same time were able to saturate the urges of their heart and their intellect with spiritual consciousness were called rájarśi (for example, Rájarśi Janaka).(9)
Those who infused their existence with a current of spiritual inspiration throughout their lives were called brahmarśi (for example, Brahmarśi Kańva, Brahmarśi Atharva).
During the time of the Atharvaveda, its propounder or originator (in the Vedic language ádarsha puruśa), Atharvá, was honoured as brahmarśi. A number of rśis were revered as maharśi, some of whom deserve special mention. They were Maharśis Atri, Aungirá, Aungirasa, Pulaha, Pulasta, Satyaváha, Vashiśt́ha and Vaedarbhi. Those who believe that the Vedas were composed entirely outside of India cannot go unopposed. At least not in the case of the Atharvaveda. There is clear proof that the rśi named Vaedarbhi was a man of Vidarbha, that is, the Nagpur-Amaravatii region. It is hard to imagine Maharśi Vaedarbhi travelling all the way to Central Asia and staying there to compose the Atharvaveda. On the other hand it may well be that the entire Atharvaveda was not composed in India. Maharśi Atharvá was the ádarsha puruśa of the Atharvaveda. He was also respected as an elderly person. Even today we say about very aged people: “He has become Atharvá.”
Bear in mind that rśi and muni are not the same thing. I have already said quite a lot about rśi. The word muni has two primary meanings. One meaning of muni is “contemplative entity”, or “intellectual”. The second meaning of muni is “one who has dissolved one’s mind into Parama Puruśa”. Na munirdugdhabálakah munih saḿliinamánasah. (Muni does not mean “small child”; muni is one who has merged his or her mind in the Macrocosmic mind.)
Rkśa
Another meaning of the verbal root rś is “to scratch”, “to bite”, “to cut into pieces”. By adding the suffix sa to the verbal root rś we get the word rkśa. Its colloquial meaning is “bear”. If we climb a mountain which is bare, or bereft of plants and trees, and full of stones, then we will scratch and cut our hands and feet. Thus another colloquial meaning of rkśa is “mountain”. If any particular country is cut and bitten until it sheds blood and is forced to the brink of destruction, then we can say about that country: “At one time this was a golden land but nowadays it is destitute, ruined, rkśa.” It is only fitting that every righteous person in the world make efforts to increase the wealth of the world’s rkśa countries.
Footnotes
(1) The alluvial land of the Yamuna is a little blackish in colour and the alluvial land of the Ganges is yellowish.
(2) Krśńadvaepáyańa means “coming from a black island” – Trans.
(3) The central nad́ii or psychic-energy channel through which the kulakuńd́alinii passes. –Trans.
(4) Yá buddhih shreyaskárińii sá buddhih muktidáyińii [“The beneficial intellect which runs after the Divine bestows liberation”]. Its reverse is Yá buddhih preyaskámińii sá buddhih práńaghátinii [“The intellect which runs after mundane pleasure is harmful”].
(5) Colloquially, one who taught the alphabet, phonetics, understanding of sound, and etymology used to be called ácárya; etymologically, ácárya meant “one who teaches others rightly through the medium of their own conduct” – Ácarańát pát́hayati ya sa ácáryah [“One who teaches by one’s exemplary conduct is an ácárya”].
(6) A Tantra guru also used to be called a kulaguru. The sádhaná in which the kulakuńd́alinii is raised and which establishes a person in the knowledge of Brahma was called kulasádhaná or kaolasádhaná. One who taught this kulasádhaná or kaolasádhaná was the kulaguru. In this case kulaguru does not mean “family preceptor”.
(7) “At that point there is omniscience.” This comes from Patanjali’s Yoga Sútra. –Trans.
(8) Originally there was no alphabet. Since there was no script, one did not say lekhaka-rśi [writer-sage] but rather draśt́á-rśi, that is, “that rśi who has seen the truth in his or her meditation”.
(9) Hrdá maniisá manasá bhiklrptah [“saturating the heart and mind in consciousness”].