> 3a. Question for Cardemeister > Posted by: "Rick Archer" [EMAIL PROTECTED] rick_archer > Date: Tue Oct 30, 2007 3:07 pm ((PDT)) > > A friend wants to know:
> Do you have a copy of the 10th Mandala? I'm looking for a hymn that > describes creation there, how from nothing came something "that one > unbreathed upon breathed of his own strength" or something like that. Is > there any way you could help me locate that hymn? The Hymn of Creation Rig Veda, Mandala 10, Sukta 129, Verses 1-7 The rishi is Paramatma (under his name Parameshthin), The devata is Paramatma (the author of the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the various entities/bhavas - which are the subjects of the hymn), The chhandas is ?. This is from the 10th mandala (circle) of Rig Veda - the mandala of Purusha, Atman, the Self - consisting of 192 suktas. This is sukta 129 out of 192; it has passed the halfway point of the man- dala (from the 1st sukta - 100% fullness of emptiness - to the 96th sukta, 100% fullness of fullness); it is about 1/3 of the way back up toward the beginning of the mandala (100% fullness of emptiness) - so this sukta con- tains about 33% fullness of emptiness increasing and 66% fullness of full- ness decreasing. It would be the natural balancing partner to the 33rd sukta; the sum total of each pair of opposites across the diameter of the mandala (circle) is zero. They arise in pairs and balance each other out. As a side note, please remember that the surface meaning of the words is a very superficial level of vedic cognition (and even more so when it's gone through translation into other languages - in this case English). For example, just refer to the surface meaning of the 1st words of Rig Veda (agnim ile purohitam...) and then to the actual truth cognized in the vibrational quality of those sounds (ah/fullness, g/emptiness, nim/eternal continuance of this 'yin/yang' vibration between fullness and emptiness). With that in mind, take the translated surface meaning of the words, included below, with their proper weight. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Translated by H. H. Wilson (This is the version reprinted by the TM movement decades ago, possibly because it was copyright-free and thus easily available.) 1. The non-existent was not, the existent was not; then the world was not, nor the firmament, nor that which is above (the firmament). How could there by any investing envelope, and where? Of what (could there be) feli- city? How (could there be) the deep unfathomable water? 2. Death was not nor at that period immortality, there was no indication of day or night; that One unbreathed upon breathed of his own strength, other than That there was nothing else whatever. 3. There was darkness covered by darkness in the beginning, all this (world) was undistinguishable water; that empty united (world) which was covered by a mere nothing, was produced through the power of austerity. 4. In the beginning there was desire, which was the first seed of mind; sages having meditated in their hearts have discovered by their wisdom the connection of the existent with the non-existent. 5. Their ray was stretched out, whether across, or below, or above; (some) were shedders of seed, (others) were mighty; food was inferior, the eater was superior. 6. Who really knows? Who in this world may declare it? Whence was this creation, whence was it engendered? The gods (were) subsequent to the (world's) creation; so who knows whence it arose? 7. He from whom this creation arose, he may uphold it, or he may not (no one else can); he who is its superintendent in the highest heaven, he assuredly knows, or if he knows not (no one else does). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- II. Translated by Jean LeMee, Hymns from the Rig-Veda, pp. 23-32 Neither non-being nor being was as yet. Neither was airy space nor heavens beyond; What was enveloped? And where? Sheltered by whom? And was there water? Bottomless, unfathomed? Neither was there death nor immortality, Nor was there any sign then of night or day; Totally windless, by itself, the One breathed; Beyond that, indeed, nothing whatever was. In the Principle darkness concealed darkness; Undifferentiated surge was this whole world. The pregnant point covered by the form matrix, From conscious fervor, mightily, brought forth the One. In the Principle, thereupon, rose desire, Which of consciousness was the primeval seed. Then the wise [Shiva], searching within their hearts, perceived That in non-being lay the bond of being. Stretched crosswise was their line, a ray of glory. Was there a below? Was there an above? There were sowers of seeds and forces of might: Potency beneath (Vishnu) and from on high the Will [Shiva]. Who really knows, who could here proclaim Whence this creation flows, where is its origin? With this great surge the Gods made their appearance. Who therefore knows from where it did arise? This flow of creation, from where it did arise, Whether it was ordered or was not, He, the Observer, in the highest heaven, He alone knows, unless...He knows not. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- III. Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith, pp. 633-634 1. Then was not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it. What covered in, and where? and what gave shelter? Was water there, unfathomed depth of water? 2. Death was not then, nor was there aught immortal: no sign was there, the day's and night's divider. That One Thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature: apart from it was nothing whatsoever. 3. Darkness there was: at first concealed in darkness this All was indis- criminated chaos. All that existed then was void and formless: by the great power of Warmth was born that Unit. 4. Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire, the primal seed and germ of Spirit. Sages who searched with their heart's thought discovered the existent's kinship in the non-existent. 5. Transversely was their severing line extended: what was above it then, and what below it? There were begetters, there were mighty forces, free action here and energy up yonder. 6. Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation? The Gods are later than this world's produc- tion. Who knows then whence it first came into being? 7. He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it, Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows it not. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- IV. Translated by Devdutt Pattanaik, Shiva: An Introduction, pgs. 1-5 Approach of Shiva: Man and Woman In the beginning, all was calm. Time and space did not exist. Neither did the gods. Nothing did. Only Brahma, the creator, slept peacefully within his golden lotus, the hiranyagarbha. He was like a child in his mother's womb. Creation was yet to begin. The lotus bloom; Brahma awoke, ready to begin his work. He created the prajapatis, fathers of all creatures who would populate the world. "Go forth and multiply," Brahma told them. "How?" they asked. How indeed? Brahma wasn't sure. Suddenly he heard a divine voice: "You have just created the fathers; what about the mothers?" With that message came the image of the cosmic human being, containing the whole world within itself. It was Ardhana- ranari, its left half was a woman while its right half was a man (note that Shiva's left side is also Vishnu in Shiva's Hari-Hara form). Brahma realized his mistake; he had produced just one half of creation. The other half, the feminine side, had been totally ignored. Brahma created the first woman. She was Ushas. All the assembled prajapatis gazed at her. She was beautiful. Brahma's heart fluttered with excitement and there arose a dark youth with curly hair and a cheeky smile. "Who are you?" everyone asked. "I am Kama, the lord of desire," he said shooting arrows dripping with love into the hearts of all the assembled men. What follows is a summary of Pattanaik's ending of that hymn: Brahma desired Ushas and, in pursuing her, the birds and beasts were created. The prajapatis, witnessing all this were alarmed by the un- disciplined behavior of Brahma, the creator and judged it unforgivable, thinking it would wreck the whole cosmic order, dharma, and desired somebody to stop him. Just as they were fearing that no one dared at- tack the cosmic father, from Brahma's brow arose Rudra, the howler, raising his bow and letting it loose, struck Brahma, pinning him to the sky. Those present recognized Rudra as Shiva by his voice, who was none other than Ardhanaranari, the man-woman image that had earlier in- spired Brahma to create Ushas and bowed to Shiva, the bravest and wis- est of the gods. Brahma thanking Shiva for restraining him made Shiva Pashupati, lord of beasts: he who controls beastly passions. Brahma continuing with creation, but now differently, with Ushas as partner, not her master, created plants and trees and, in ordering their life, was known as lord of all vegetation, Vrikshanath, and then as Bhteshvar, master of the elements, having satisfied the hunger of all creatures, correcting Brahma's mistakes of creation in each instance. In ordering Brahma's terrible creation further in regulating the wheel of life, time, the eternal cycle of births and rebirths, death and re- birth (samsara), Shiva became Mahakala. When Brahma proclaiming to Shiva, "I just create the world, not the mi- sery. My creation is pure creation, neither beautiful nor ugly, right or wrong; it just is; the rest are just perceptions of the mind", Shiva reminded him that the mind was his (Brahma's) creation also. To which Brahma replied: "The mind can be deluded by perceptions or it can be en- lightened by the truth. Whose choice is it?" Whose choice? Who controlled the mind? The question was interesting. Namaste, Michael Michael Dean Goodman, Ph.D. The PremYoga Center, Co-Director PARA - The Center for Realization, Director The Relationship Institute, Director Boca Raton (Palm Beach County) Florida 561-350-3930 * [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dedicated to removing the constrictions to the full flow of life - whether they be physical, mental/emotional, or spiritual - and to the unfoldment of peace, freedom, awareness, love, and ecstasy Spiritual guide (ashtanga yoga/meditation, tantra, vedanta, ayur veda) Counselor * Life Coach * Speaker/Educator * Author Private Sessions * Classes * Workshops & Retreats * Satsangs (Self-inquiry) Clients and programs throughout the United States, Europe, and India Working in person or by phone Free initial consultation to discuss your needs and goals
