Hymn Agni, Rigveda 2.1

The hotar, lavishest of wealth. 2 Worthy is Agni to be praised by living as by ancient seers. He shall bring. hitherward the Gods. 3 Through Agni man obtaineth wealth, yea, plenty waxing day by day, Most rich in heroes, glorious. 4 Agni, the perfect sacrifice which thou encompassest about Verily goeth to the Gods. 5 May Agni, sapient-minded Priest, truthful, most gloriously great, The God, come hither with the Gods. 6 Whatever blessing, Agni, thou wilt grant unto thy worshipper, That, Angiras, is indeed thy truth. 7 To thee, dispeller of the night, O Agni, day by day with prayer Bringing thee reverence, we come 8 Ruler of sacrifices, guard of Law eternal, radiant One, Increasing in thine own abode. 9 Be to us easy of approach, even as a father to his son: Agni, be with us for our weal. HYMN II. Vayu. 1 BEAUTIFUL Vayu, come, for thee these Soma drops have been prepared: Drink of them, hearken to our call. 2 Knowing the days, with Soma juice poured forth, the singers glorify Thee, Vayu, with their hymns of praise. 3 Vayu, thy penetrating stream goes forth unto the worshipper, Far-spreading for the Soma draught. 4 These, Indra-Vayu, have been shed; come for our offered dainties' sake: The drops are yearning for you both. 5 Well do ye mark libations, ye Vayu and Indra, rich in spoil So come ye swiftly hitherward. 6 Vayu and Indra, come to what the Soma. presser hath prepared: Soon, Heroes, thus I make my prayer. 7 Mitra, of holy strength, I call, and foe-destroying Varuna, Who make the oil-fed rite complete. 8 Mitra and Varuna, through Law, lovers and cherishers of Law, Have ye obtained your might power 9 Our Sages, Mitra-Varuna, wide dominion, strong by birth, Vouchsafe us strength that worketh well. HYMN III. Asvins 1 YE Asvins, rich in treasure, Lords of splendour, having nimble hands, Accept the sacrificial food. 2 Ye Asvins, rich in wondrous deeds, ye heroes worthy of our praise, Accept our songs with mighty thought. 3 Nisatyas, wonder-workers, yours arc these libations with clipt grass: Come ye whose paths are red with flame. 4 O Indra marvellously bright, come, these libations long for thee, Thus by fine fingers purified. 5 Urged by the holy singer, sped by song, come, Indra, to the prayers, Of the libation-pouring priest. 6 Approach, O Indra, hasting thee, Lord of Bay Horses, to the prayers. In our libation take delight. 7 Ye Visvedevas, who protect, reward, and cherish men, approach Your worshipper's drink-offering. 8 Ye Visvedevas, swift at work, come hither quickly to the draught, As milch-kine hasten to their stalls. 9 The Visvedevas, changing shape like serpents, fearless, void of guile, Bearers, accept the sacred draught 10 Wealthy in spoil, enriched with hymns, may bright Sarsavad desire, With eager love, our sacrifice. 11 Inciter of all pleasant songs, inspirer o all gracious thought, Sarasvati accept our rite 12 Sarasvati, the mighty flood,-she with be light illuminates, She brightens every pious thought. HYMN IV. Indri 1 As a good cow to him who milks, we call the doer of fair deeds, To our assistance day by day. 2 Come thou to our libations, drink of Soma; Soma-drinker thou! The rich One's rapture giveth kine. 3 So may we be acquainted with thine innermost benevolence: Neglect us not, come hitherward. 4 Go to the wise unconquered One, ask thou of Indra, skilled in song, Him who is better than thy friends.

Viṣṇu, inspite of sparsity of explicit mention or dedication in Ṛgveda, has a central place in spiritual striving, in its very first hymn. Viṣṇu is a wise spiritual purpose or satyaḥ (one of three possible meanings) in Rg: i.1.5. Nightly spiritual vigils of sages, their soul submitted servilely to the guardian of immortality, director of the attentive, upright and non-violent are indicated in Rgs i.1.7-8. This is Viṣṇu, called Vardhamāna here. He is called dīdiviḥ who could also be Bṛahaspati to allow for possible practices of sage followers of Indra. ‘Servile submission’ to Viṣṇu seems to mean here - to keep one’s own self, ego, individuality, one’s very soul, as it were, in self control and self-restraint. This is ‘dāsa bhāva’. Thus, spiritual striving (i.e., devotion, meditation, religious contemplation), servile submission to Viṣṇu, a wise purpose for man and god, are all present in the very first hymn of Ṛgveda.

IPI, 2009

RV 1.43 ṛṣi: kaṇva ghaura; devatā: rudra, 3 rudra, mitrāvaruṇā, 7-9 soma; chanda: gāyatrī, 9 anuṣṭup

IPI, 2010

ṛṣi: avasyu ātreya; devatā: aśvinīkumāra; chanda: paṅkti Rishi by affirming them within one's consciousness seeks the delight of Ashvins

IPI , 2010

Sri Aurobindo says:"The hymns of the Rig Veda addressed to the two shining Twins, like those addressed to the Ribhus, are full of symbolic expressions and unintelligible without a firm clue to their symbolism. The three leading features of these hymns to the Ashwins are the praise of their chariot, their horses and their rapid all-pervading movement; their seeking of honey and their joy in the honey, madhu, and the satisfying delights that they carry in their car; and their close association with the Sun, with Suryā the daughter of the Sun and with the Dawn. The Ashwins like the other gods descend from the Truth-consciousness, the Ritam; they are born or manifested from Heaven, from Dyaus, the pure Mind; their movement pervades all the worlds,—the effect of their action ranges from the body through the vital being and the thought to the superconscient Truth. It commences indeed from the ocean, from the vague of the being as it emerges out of the subconscient and they conduct the soul over the flood of these waters and prevent its foundering on its voyage. They are therefore Nāsatyā, lords of the movement, leaders of the journey or voyage."

Vedanta Kesari, July , 2024

The 121st Sukta in Rigveda’s 10th Mandala is attributed to Rishi Hiranyagarbha, identified as the son of Prajapati.1 Prajapati is the Devata, denoted by ‘Ka’. This Sukta, using Trishtup Chandas (meter), consists of 10 mantras. The Sukta’s title derives from both its Rishi and Devata. Interchangeably used, Prajapati and Hiranyagarbha represent the conscious creative force. The Taittiriya Samhita2 supports their synonymous usage. It is to be noted that Hiranyagarbha is stated as the oldest teacher of Yoga. This analysis aims to explore the profound meanings embedded in the two mantras each in every part and complete the discussion in five parts. The third and fourth Mantras are discussed in this part 2.

In Sanatana Dharma traditions, divinity is seen in every phenomenon. This is exemplified by the performance of Yajna or Puja offering prayers to both animate and inanimate objects deifing them as Āprī divinities. Same principle applies to the performance of Puja which is more than a mere prayer. It is a communion with the metaphors of divinity by treating the manifestations of the divine as atithi-s, guests invited, invoked and offered respectful आतिथ्य ātithya 'hospitality' in the sacred place of a temple or a puja room or precinct in a home. ātithya आतिथ्य a particular rite, the reception of Soma when it is brought to the sacrificial place (also called आतिथ्येष्टिः) -Comp. -रूप a. being in the place of the आतिथ्य Yajna; आतिथ्यरूपं मासरम् Vāj.19.14. This tradition becomes the doctrine for Pujavidhi, rules for performance of ātithya आतिथ्य when venerating Rudra-Siva and other divinities. The place of work is the place of worship. The smithy, kole.l is a temple, kole.l (Kota language. Mleccha/Meluhha Indian sprachbund). Sivalinga, as a pillar of light. Lingam, grey sandstone in situ, Harappa, Trench Ai, Mound F, Pl. X (c) (After Vats). "In an earthenware jar, No. 12414, recovered from Mound F, Trench IV, Square I... in this jar, six lingams were found along with some tiny pieces of shell, a unicorn seal, an oblong grey sandstone block with polished surface, five stone pestles, a stone palette, and a block of chalcedony..." (Vats, MS, 1940, Excavations at Harappa, Vol. II, Calcutta, p. 370) "In the adjoining Trench Ai, 5 ft. 6 in. below the surface, was found a stone lingam [Since then I have found two stone lingams of a larger size from Trenches III and IV in this mound. Both of them are smoothed all over]. It measures 11 in. high and 7 3/8 in. diameter at the base and is rough all over.’ (Vol. I, pp. 51-52)." See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/04/sivalinga-in-dholavira-depicted-as.html Sivalinga in Dholavira depicted as mēḍhī 'pillar, part of a stupa' (Pali. Marathi) Rebus:meḍ 'iron, metalwork, metal castings' Relief with Ekamukha linga. Mathura. 1st cent. CE (Fig. 6.2). This is the most emphatic representation of linga as a pillar of fire. The pillar is embedded within a brick-kiln with an angular roof and is ligatured to a tree. Hieroglyph: kuTi 'tree' rebus: kuThi 'smelter'. In this composition, the artists is depicting the smelter used for smelting to create mũh 'face' (Hindi) rebus: mũhe 'ingot' (Santali) of mēḍha 'stake' rebus: meḍ 'iron, metal' (Ho. Munda). मेड (p. 662) [ mēḍa ] f (Usually मेढ q. v.) मेडका m A stake, esp. as bifurcated. Āprī divinities are personified objects belonging to the fire-sacrifice, objects such as firewood , sacred grass , enclosure, all regarded as different forms of अग्नि. Budha with consort Ilā (Ila as a woman). Ilā is praised as Idā (Sanskrit: इडा) in the Rigveda; signifies food and refreshment, personified as the goddess of speech and described as mother of Pururavas. She presides over the Earth. She is described as the Mānavi (daughter of Manu) and Ghṛtapadī (with the ghee-dripping foot) and she is represented by a cow. In RV 1.31.11 she is instructress of Manu: 1.031.11 The gods formerly made you, Agni, the living general of the mortal Nahus.a; they made Il.a_, the instructress of Manu, when the son of my father was born. [Nahus.a was the son of A_yus, son of Puru_ravas, who was elevated to heaven as an Indra. Il.a_ institues the first rules of performing sacrifices, hence she is S'a_sani_ = dharmopades'akartri_, the giver of instruction in duty]. She lays down the rules, doctrine śāsana शासन of a yajna and for dharma. Ilā is considered the chief progenitor of the Lunar Dynasty. Ailas are "descendants of Ilā". iḍā f. (metaphorically see id - ), stream or flow of praise and worship (personified as the goddess of sacred speech and action, invoked together with aditi - and other deities, but especially in the āprī - hymns together with sarasvatī - and mahī- or bhāratī http://sanskritdictionary.com/?q=i%E1%B8%8D%C4%81 Ilā is an Āprī divinity. Tiruvengadu Budha temple. http://www.southindiatoursandtravels.com/?Budhan Many animate and inanimate participants in the creation and sustenance of Agni are Āprī deities. The object is the winning of wealth, of Soma (aṁśú). See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2015/05/soma-and-amsu-in-rigveda-as-apri.html Soma and amśu in Rigveda as āprī deified objects of metalwork, transmutation in Vedic texts, metalwork catalogues of Indus Script Corpora One Āprī divinity, a different form of Agni is Indra. Indras is also a rainbow, a divinity of rain: índra m. ʻ the god Indra ʼ RV. Pa. inda -- m., Pk. iṁda -- m.; Kt. ī˜dr ʻ name of a god ʼ, Pr. indr, Kal. in, gen. indras; S. ĩḍra -- laṭhi f. ʻ rainbow ʼ; OMarw. ī˜da, Si. in̆du. WPah.poet. indra m. ʻ god of rain ʼ (← Sk.?). (CDIAL 1572) A cognate gloss indhan points to the relationship with Agni by a play of words creating a metaphor: indhana n. ʻ lighting, kindling, fuel ʼ MBh. [√indh] Pa. indhana -- n. ʻ fuel ʼ, Pk. iṁdhaṇa -- n., P. innhaṇ m., B. indhan (← Sk.?), Aw. lakh. ī˜dhanu, H. ī˜dhan m., G. ĩdhaṇ, ĩdhṇũ n., (North Gujarat) e_dhṇã̄ n. pl. -- Kal. idhōn ʻ tripod to put over the fire ʼ semant. difficult, poss. *indhanakuṭaka ʻ fuel -- store ʼ [indhana -- , kuṭī -- ] H. ĩdhauṛā m. ʻ room for storing wood ʼ. (CDIAL 1584, 1585). Indra is invoked in RV 1.4.2 as a drinker of Soma: RV 1.4: r.s.i: madhucchanda_ vais'va_mitra; devata_: indra; chanda: ga_yatri_ Anuva_ka II 1.004.02 Drinker of the Soma juice, come to our (daily) rites, and drink of the libation; the satisfaction of (you who are) the bestower of riches, is verily (the cause of) the gift of cattle. This provides the lead for identifying participating resources in the Soma yajna deified as Āprī deities. The objects and resources deified are both animate and inanimate. Animate resources include: Narāśaṁsa and Tanūnapāt. Inanimate resources include objects such as samidhā and barhis which are kindled to augment fire in the yajna; in one semantic stream barhis becomes fire itself: बर्हिः Fire. -n. The Kuśa grass. -Comp. -न्यायः a rule of interpretation according to which an expression must be understood in its primary sense rathar than in its secondary sense. This is discussed and established by Jaimini and Śabara at MS.3.2.1 and 2. samidha: sáminddhē ʻ sets fire to, takes fire, sámiddha -- ʻ ignited ʼ RV. [Cf. samídh -- f. ʻ fuel ʼ RV., Pa. samidhā -- f., Pk. samihā -- f. -- √indh] P. sũdhkaṇā ʻ to be kindled ʼ, sũdhkāuṇā ʻ to kindle ʼ. (CDIAL 13225); barhis, Kuśa grass: barhis बर्हिस् m., n. [बर्ह् कर्मणि इसि] 1 Kuśa grass; प्राक् कूले बर्हिष्यासीनो गङ्गाकुल उदङ्मुखः Bhāg.12.6.1; नियमविधिजलानां बर्हिषां चोपनेत्री Ku.1.6. -2 A bed or layer of Kuśa grass. -3 A sacrifice, oblation; ये बर्हिषो भागभाजं परादुः Bhāg.4.6.5. -m. 1 Fire. -2 Light, splendour. -n. 1 Water. -2 Sacrifice. -3 Ether. ¬--4 A kind of perfume. -Comp. -उत्थः, -केशः, -ज्योतिस्m. an epithet of fire. -मुखः (बर्हिर्मुखः) 1 an epithet of fire. -2 a god (whose mouth is fire). -शुष्मन् m. an epithet of fire. -सद् (बर्हिषद्) a. seated on a layer of Kuśa grass. (-m.) 1 the manes (pl.); Ms.3.199. -2 a Pitṛi or deified progenitor. (Samskritam. Apte) Of the ten Aprisuktas mentioned in Gargya Narayana's commentary, I.13 and I.142 both invoke the Narāśaṁsa and Tanūnapāt manifestations of Agni, I.188, III.4, IX.5 and X.110 invoke only the Tanūnapāt manifestation and II.3, V.5, VII.2 and X.70 invoke only the Narāśaṁsa manifestation. Āprīsūkta Ṛṣi Gotra 1.13 Medhātithi Kāṇva Kāṇva 1.142 Dīrghatamā Aucathya Āngirasa 1.188 Agastya MaitrāvaruṇI Agastya 2.3 Gṛtsamada Śaunahotra Śaunaka 3.4 Viśvāmitra Gāthina Kauśika 5.5 Vasuśruta Ātreya Ātreya 7.2 Vasiṣṭha MaitrāvaruṇI Vāsiṣṭha 9.5 Asita or Devala Kāśypa Kāśypa 10.70 Sumitra Vādhryaśva Bharata 10.110 Rāma Jāmadagnya or Jamadagni Bhārgava The āprī ricas 3.4.8-11 = 7.2.8-11 are ascribed in the third book to ViSvAmitra GAthina, in the seventh book to VasiSTha MaitrAvaruNI. Apri devatas include Sarasvatī Nadi, a metaphoric transformation of a river as a divinity invoked in prayer and yajna. It is posited that the veneration of Soma as a divinity in Rigveda is comparable to this metaphoric transformation achieved in chandas prosody tradition. Soma, an object, electrum is deified in a supreme āprī आप्री as propitiatory diction, presenting the entire Rigveda in nuce, in a nutshell related to processing of Soma, aṁśú. Comparable to the metalwork as deified objects, the Indus Script Corpora consisting of metalwork catalogues are also a celebration of the innovations achievd during the Bronze Age with metalcastings, cire perdue techniques of casting and creation of alloys for hardened tools, pots and pans, metalware and weapons. āprī आप्री f. [आप्रीणात्यनया आ-प्री-ड-गौरा˚ ङीष्] Ved. 1 Conciliation, propitiation, gaining one's favour. -2 (pl.) 'Propitiatory verses', a name given to certain invocations addressed to several deified objects in con- secutive order, and said to be introductory to the animal sacrifice; some take the Apris to represent the objects themselves, the verses being consequently called Apri verses. The objects invoked are 12:- Susamiddha, Tanūnapāt, Narāśaṁsa, the divine being bearing invocations to the gods, Barhis, the doors of the sacrificial chamber, night and dawn the two divine beings protecting the sacrifice, the three goddesses Ilā, Sarasvatī, and Mahī, Tvaṣṭṛi, Vanaspati and Svāhā, (all these being regarded by Sāyaṇa to be different forms of Agni); स एता आप्रीरपश्यत्ताभिर्वै स मुखत आत्मानमा- प्रीणीत; cf. also Max Muller's Hist. Anc. Lit. pp. 463-466.(Samskritam. Apte)

Hymns to Surya-Savitri in the Rigveda, 2014

Surya and Savitri are two Supramental Godheads in the Rigveda. One is seen as the Self of all that moves and moves not and the other as the Lord. These hymns are central in the conception of the Divine Manifestation in time and space.