R.gveda and Hindu cosmological cycles of time

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Thanks to Arun for providing this URL.

 

http://www.aaronsrod.com/time-cycles/index.html Exegesis of Hindu Cosmological

Time Cycles by Dwight William Johnson (updated on 14 November 2003). It appears

that the knowledge of cosmological time cycles and sexagesimal counting, moved

out of Bharat into Greece.

 

R.gveda has metaphorical intimations of cosmological time cycles in the

following r.ca-s (efforts not necessary to read in them literal descriptions of

a spoked- (or, tri-partite-)wheel ratha -- because they talk of a wheel with

three naves!) The process is soma; the metaphor is drawn from Di_rghatama

Aucitya's understanding of cosmological time cycles (r.ca 48 in particular):

 

Two interpretations:

 

Interpretation 1:

A seven-named horse does draw

this three-naved wheel...

Seven steeds draw the seven-wheeled chariot...

Wise poets have spun a seven-strand tale

around this heavenly calf, the Sun.

(RV 1.164.1-5)

Twelve spokes, one wheel, navels three.

Who can comprehend this?

On it are placed together

three hundred and sixty like pegs.

They shake not in the least.

(RV 1.164.48)

 

Interpretation 2:

1.164.01 I have beheld the Lord of men with seven sons; of which delightful and

benevolent (deity), who is the object of our invocation, there is an

all-pervading middle brother, and a third brother, well fed with (oblations of)

ghee. [seven sons: seven solar rays; A_ditya, the seventh son of Aditi; a third

brother: V_yu and Agni, the younger brothers of A_ditya: Parames'vara = A_ditya,

the three sons refer to the attributes of Parames'vara of creating, preserving

and destroying].

[The su_kta enunciates the doctrines of veda_nta, the spiritual unity of Brahma_

and the universe; A_ditya or the sun, is glorified aqnd identified with all

creation. S'aunaka explains the su_kta at the level of repentance for a crime:

if a bra_hman.a has committed theft, he may expiate the offence by fasting three

nights and repeating the su_kta silently].

1.164.02 They yoke the seven (horses) to the one-wheeled car; one horse, named

seven, bears it along; the three-axled wheel is undecaying, never loosened, and

in it all these regions of the universe abide. [One-wheeled car: either the orb

of the sun, or time, or a year; the seven horses may be the seven solar rays,or

the six seasons, with their aggregation and year; or the six doublemonths, and

the intercalary month; or the seven days of the week; the wheels of the car, as

typical and identical are said to be one; one horse; eko as'vo saptana_ma = the

Sun or A_ditya, either as the absorber of the seven flavours, or as praised by

the seven r.s.i; it may be a pun, since sapta = a horse, seven; three-axled

wheel: the day with its three sandhya_s; or time, past, present and fugure; all

these regions: all things are dependent upon time, which of itself is

imperishable: ana_dinidhanah ka_lah, time is without beginning or end].

1.164.03 The seven who preside over this sevenpwheeled chariot (are) the seven

horses who draw it; seven sisters ride in it together, and in are deposited the

seven forms of utterance. [The seven: either the solar rays or the seven

portions of a year: ayana (solstine season), month, fortnight, day, night, hour;

seven horses: seven wheels and seven horses are the seven solar rays; seven

sisters: either the rays of the run, or the six seasons and the aggregate year

of the six double and one intercalary month; seven forms of utterance: seven

notes of music as employed in chanting the praises of the Sun; or, if gava_m is

used in the sense of water, the seven forms may be the seven divine rivers].

1.164.04 Who has seen the primeval (being) at the time of his being born; what

is that endowed with substance which the unsubstantial sustains; from earth are

the breath and blood; but where is the soul; who may repair to the sage to ask

this? [Tha endowed with subtance: asthanvantam yad anastha_ bibharti = lit.,

that which having bone the boneless sustains; the boneless is the prakr.ti of

the sa_n:khya, or the ma_ya_ of the veda_ntins, which is formless matter, or

spiritual illusion, from which the material and visible world proceeds; where is

the soul: bhu_mya_ asur-asr.g-a_tma_ kva svit: bhu_mi = sthu_la s'ari_ra, gross

body; asuh = breath, the su_ks.ma s'ari_ra, or suble body; asr.j = blood, the

aggregate elements of which the body is formed; a_tma_ or cetana_, the thinking

principle, although connected with gross and subtle form, is nowhere perceptible

as a separate object, and not to be apprehended, either by pupil or teacher].

1.164.05 Immature (in understanding) undiscerning in mind, I inquire of those

things which are hidden (even) from the gods; (what are) the seven threads which

the sages have spread to envelop the sun, in whom all abide? [immature: pa_kah =

lit. ripening, being or making mature; here, it is equated with paktavyah, what

is to be matured; apakvamatiraham, I of immature mind; seven threads: sapta

tantu_n = seven forms of the soma sacrifice, or the seven metres of the vedas;

the seen: vatse bas.kaye adhi: vatse = sarvasya niva_sa bhu_te; bas.kaye =

a_ditye; the lit. meaning is, a yearling calf, just as vatsa also means a calf;

the term vatse is already used, hence, bas.kaya = time or the sun].

1.164.48 The fellies are twelve; the wheel is one; three are the axles; but who

knows it? within it are collected 360 (spokes), which are, as it were, moveable

and immoveable. [The wheel is the year of twelve months; the three axles are the

three doubble seasons, or hot, wet and cold; and the three hundred and sixty

spokes are the days of the lunar-solar year; stanah s'as'ayah, s'aya_na,

sleeping; dehe vartama_nah, abiding in the body].

http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati/rigveda/rvbook1.htm

 

 

 

 

 

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