Guest guest Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Namaste friends, When I found a really nice muhurta a few months back, I started a called "" to discuss the hidden meanings in Vedas, Upanishats, Puranas etc. I plan to occasionally post my random thoughts on the list, mostly on spiritual/philosophical matters. Please excuse me for posting this on astrology lists. In future, I will move all my non-astrological spiritual mails to this and stop posting on the astrology related lists. If you are interested, please to . You can see the archives without subscribing at: /messages Please note that it is not intended to be a high volume list and instead meant to be an archive of my writings on spiritual matters and deeper meanings of scriptures. I will not write everyday, but only occasionally. * * * The following Vedic hymn is used at the beginning of several Vedic homas (fire rituals), when the Fire god is welcome into the fire pit. It is verse 4..58.3 from RigVeda and 12.10 from MahaNarayanopanishad. This text is in ITrans transliteration. catvAri shR^iMgAstrayo asya pAdA dve shIrShe saptahastAso asya | tridhA baddho vR^iShabho roravIti maho devo martyAm Avivesha || Literal translation: "He has 4 horns, 3 legs, 2 heads and 7 hands. This bull is tied 3-ways and roars splendidly. This supreme god possesses all beings." Obviously, this has to be interpreted figuratively and not literally. Here is my interpretation: This verse extols the role played by Agni, fire god. The Agni burns within us as the bhootaagni in the subtle body. It burns as jatharaagni and others in the gross body. It drives all our actions. Shringa not only means a horn, but also a summit or a pinnacle. Agni is the fire witin us and is the basis for all our actions. The four purusharthas (purposes of the existence of a being - dharma, artha, kaama and moksha) that we fulfill through our actions are the four peaks of the Agni that provokes us to act. The crowns from the actions of Agni within us are these four purusharthas. Legs are the basis on which one stands. They provide the foundation and basis. The three gunas - sattva, rajas and tamas - are the basis for the Agni within us. It stands on the basis of our gunas and provokes us to act. If the three gunas did not exist, the Agni within us could still exist as chidagni (the existential fire), but it wouldn't move (chetana). The three gunas are fundamental to the movement (chetana) of chidagni, which enables all our actions. That is why this Agni within us that provokes us to act has 3 legs. Seersha not only means head, but also means the front portion or what is seen. It basically refers to the identity, how one comes across. The two fronts of this Agni that provokes all actions within us are Purusha and Prakriti - the male and female energies. Surya and Chandra nadis (Pingala and Ida) within the subtle body represent these two fronts of the Agni that makes us act. They represent actions in the gross body through the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathic nervous system, respectively. One is the face of objective thinking and actions of an active nature, while the other is the face of subjective thinking and actions of a passive nature. The Agni that burns within us and makes us act results in various actions that wear one of these two as the front/face. Hands are the karmendriyas. It is with hands that we act in the world. They are the acting agents. The fire that burns within us acts through the physical body and its tissues. The dhaatvagnis (fires burning in the seven dhatus or tissues of the vital body) are the seven hands of the master fire burning within us and making us act. Through them, the fire carries out all its actions. This fire of action is tied with 3 ropes. The tridoshas of beings - kapha, pitta and vaata - are the 3 ropes with which it is tied and its actions are restrained and also kept in balance by these 3 ropes! This fire within us roars like a bull and is responsible for all our thoughts and actions. It is this fire that is responsible for the actions of every being in this creation - from Brahma to Vishnu to Shiva to you and I. This fire possesses all beings and make them act in this world. Thus, this hymn eloquently describes the subtle nature of the bhootaagni that burns within us and that is responsible for all our actions. Though we invoke an external fire when performing homam, it is supposed to represent (and strengthen in the course of time) the internal fire. No wonder a hymn giving this detailed and symbolic description of the internal fire is chanted when establishing the fire in the homa kundam! May the light of Brahman shine within, Narasimha ------------------------------- Homam manual and audio: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homam Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.net Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.org Sri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org ------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Bhai Sahab Shri Narsimhaji, If I am not mistaken, then you are owner of "Vedic Astrology" Group. I was unceremoniously banned from this Group, six months back,without notice,without warning, no chance to explain, and without knowledge of other members, and the foremost important point,was that,without any fault of mines. I had written about this to you, and you had also wrote back,(for which I did thank you) that You do not personally look the affairs of this group due to lack of time and given over to someone else, and when You come to Bombay You would check the case.But of course I do not expect you to remember that at this point of time, we all being occupied with our own things,though I can retrieve our correspondence from our records. Anyway, I am not here to plead that case here, but this sort of injustice, if again committed in this New Forum, if I choose to become a member, then all the respect I have for You,would diminish, which I would not wish, since I have placed you on a high pedestal, and that image I would like to remain always within me. Because though Laloo Prasad does not drive any single train In India, yet if any train suffers an accident, fingers would be pointed at him. I do not wish this to happen to you. Therefore.......... All the best for Your new Forum.. regards, Bhaskar. , "Narasimha P.V.R. Rao" <pvr wrote: > > Namaste friends, > > When I found a really nice muhurta a few months back, I started a called "" to discuss the hidden meanings in Vedas, Upanishats, Puranas etc. I plan to occasionally post my random thoughts on the list, mostly on spiritual/philosophical matters. > > Please excuse me for posting this on astrology lists. In future, I will move all my non-astrological spiritual mails to this and stop posting on the astrology related lists. If you are interested, please to . You can see the archives without subscribing at: > > /messages > > Please note that it is not intended to be a high volume list and instead meant to be an archive of my writings on spiritual matters and deeper meanings of scriptures. I will not write everyday, but only occasionally. > > * * * > > The following Vedic hymn is used at the beginning of several Vedic homas (fire rituals), when the Fire god is welcome into the fire pit. It is verse 4.58.3 from RigVeda and 12.10 from MahaNarayanopanishad. This text is in ITrans transliteration. > > catvAri shR^iMgAstrayo asya pAdA dve shIrShe saptahastAso asya | > tridhA baddho vR^iShabho roravIti maho devo martyAm Avivesha || > > Literal translation: "He has 4 horns, 3 legs, 2 heads and 7 hands. This bull is tied 3-ways and roars splendidly. This supreme god possesses all beings." > > Obviously, this has to be interpreted figuratively and not literally. Here is my interpretation: > > This verse extols the role played by Agni, fire god. The Agni burns within us as the bhootaagni in the subtle body. It burns as jatharaagni and others in the gross body. It drives all our actions. > > Shringa not only means a horn, but also a summit or a pinnacle. Agni is the fire witin us and is the basis for all our actions. The four purusharthas (purposes of the existence of a being - dharma, artha, kaama and moksha) that we fulfill through our actions are the four peaks of the Agni that provokes us to act. The crowns from the actions of Agni within us are these four purusharthas. > > Legs are the basis on which one stands. They provide the foundation and basis. The three gunas - sattva, rajas and tamas - are the basis for the Agni within us. It stands on the basis of our gunas and provokes us to act. If the three gunas did not exist, the Agni within us could still exist as chidagni (the existential fire), but it wouldn't move (chetana). The three gunas are fundamental to the movement (chetana) of chidagni, which enables all our actions. That is why this Agni within us that provokes us to act has 3 legs. > > Seersha not only means head, but also means the front portion or what is seen. It basically refers to the identity, how one comes across. The two fronts of this Agni that provokes all actions within us are Purusha and Prakriti - the male and female energies. Surya and Chandra nadis (Pingala and Ida) within the subtle body represent these two fronts of the Agni that makes us act. They represent actions in the gross body through the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathic nervous system, respectively. One is the face of objective thinking and actions of an active nature, while the other is the face of subjective thinking and actions of a passive nature. The Agni that burns within us and makes us act results in various actions that wear one of these two as the front/face. > > Hands are the karmendriyas. It is with hands that we act in the world. They are the acting agents. The fire that burns within us acts through the physical body and its tissues. The dhaatvagnis (fires burning in the seven dhatus or tissues of the vital body) are the seven hands of the master fire burning within us and making us act. Through them, the fire carries out all its actions. > > This fire of action is tied with 3 ropes. The tridoshas of beings - kapha, pitta and vaata - are the 3 ropes with which it is tied and its actions are restrained and also kept in balance by these 3 ropes! > > This fire within us roars like a bull and is responsible for all our thoughts and actions. It is this fire that is responsible for the actions of every being in this creation - from Brahma to Vishnu to Shiva to you and I. This fire possesses all beings and make them act in this world. > > Thus, this hymn eloquently describes the subtle nature of the bhootaagni that burns within us and that is responsible for all our actions. Though we invoke an external fire when performing homam, it is supposed to represent (and strengthen in the course of time) the internal fire. No wonder a hymn giving this detailed and symbolic description of the internal fire is chanted when establishing the fire in the homa kundam! > > May the light of Brahman shine within, > Narasimha > ------------------------------- > Homam manual and audio: http://www.VedicAstrologer.org/homam > Free Jyotish lessons (MP3): http://vedicastro.home.comcast.net > Free Jyotish software (Windows): http://www.VedicAstrologer.org > Sri Jagannath Centre (SJC) website: http://www.SriJagannath.org > ------------------------------- > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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