Fwd: RE: [asthikasamaj] What is a yagnya cow ?

[Guest guest]

This is a nice explanation from another group.

 

venkat

 

 

asthikasamaj, Kris Krishnan

<kriskrishnan wrote:

 

Venkatji

 

http://www.ramanuja.org/purusha/sukta-3.html

 

From the attached translation you will see that Sloka 7 needs to be

read in conjunction with the verses that follow:

 

Verse 7

 

saptAsyA san paridaya: | tri: sapta: samida: krtA: |

deva yad yajnam tanvAnA: | abadhnan purusham paSum || 7 ||

 

(asya) For this sacrifice (sapta) seven were (paridaya:) the

 

sheathing logs, the fences. (tri:sapta) Thrice-seven, that is

 

twenty one (samida:) the samit-wood firebrands (krtA:) made,

 

(yad yajnam) for the sacrifice for which (devA:) the gods

 

as (tanvAnA:) as performers of the sacrifice (abadhnan) bound

 

(purusham) the purusha (paSum) as the beast of sacrifice.

 

 

 

 

The yAgAgni, the sacred fire of the sacrifice, is invoked on

a vedi, or altar, that is always sheathed, or fenced. sAyaNA

gives us this: ``aishTikasyAvAhavanIyasya traya: paridaya:

uttaravedikAstraya: AdityaSca saptama: paridhi pratinidhi

rUpa:''. Three fences are in the uttaravedi part, three in the

AvAhanIya, and Aditya is the seventh sheath, or fence.

 

 

Nothing had been created at this point. So what were the

paridi-s? The seven chandas-s, or metres, gAyatri,

trishTup, brhatee, pankti, ushNuk, anushtup, and jagatI

may be the seven here. However, later verses would seem to

go against this hypothesis. The chandas-s seem to be later

creations, as the basis of speech. The maitrAyaNi upanishad

suggests prthvi (earth), ap (water), tejas (fire), vAyu ( air),

AkASa (space), ahamkAra (ego), and buddhi (intellect) as

these seven. The five elements or panchabhUtas among these,

(prthvi, ap, tejas, vAyu, AkASa), along with the

five subtle principles or tanmAtras, the five active senses or

karmendriyas, the five discerning senses or jnAnendriyas,

combined with anta:karaNam, darkening, are said to be the

twenty one samit firebrands, in the painkI brAhmaNa.

 

 

Seven were the fencing logs

 

Thrice seven the firebrands made

 

When the gods bound the Purusha

 

As the beast for their sacrifice.

 

 

 

 

 

Verse 8

 

tam yajnam barhishi prokshan | purusham jAtam agrata: |

tena devA ayajanta | sAdhyA RshayaS ca ye || 8 ||

 

(tam) That (purusham) purusha (yajnam) of the sacrifice,

 

(jAtam) who was (agrata:) in the beginning, (sAdhyA:) those

 

achievers (prokshan) sprinkled him with holy water (barhishi)

 

on the sacrificial bed of straw. (tena) By this means (devA

 

RshayaS ca) did the gods and the seers (ye) who where,

 

(ayajanta) sacrifice.

 

 

 

 

Here is the Purusha himself bound as the beast of sacrifice.

This beast has to be sanctificed, on a sacred bed of straw, with

holy water. The word barhis indicates this straw. According

to the Yogaratna, virAt (the all), barhis and prakriti are

synonyms. In this sense, all of nature is the stage for this

sacrifice, and Purusha the sacrifice to be offered. He was

firstborn and foremost of creation. The word sAdhyA:

according to Ranganathamuni includes all devas, RSHis,

suras, and dwellers of Vaikuntha. However, in other places,

it has been interpreted to mean something like an analogue to

``bodhisattva'' -- those who have the potential of freedom from

time, but have not yet actually achieved it. In the sense that

SAdhyam indicates possibility of achievement, I tend towards this

view.

 

 

Him, firstborn of all of this

 

The sanctified, on a bed of straw

 

By Him did the seers,

 

Those great ones,

 

By Him did the gods too

 

Sacrifice.

 

 

 

 

 

Verse 9

 

tasmAd yajnAt sarvahuta: | sambhRtam prshadAjyam |

pashUGs tAGS cakre vAyavyAn | AraNyAn grAmyAs ca ye || 8 ||

 

(tasmAt) From that (yajnAt) rite (sarvahuta:) called sarvahut

 

(sambhrtam) was gathered (prshad-Ajyam) ghee mixed with

 

yogurt. From this (cakre) were created (pashoon) beasts,

 

(vAyavyAn) denizens of the air, (AraNyAn) denizens of the

 

woods, (grAmyAn) and denizens of the villages.

 

 

 

 

There is no holding back in the sRshTi yajna, it is

``sarva-hut'', the offering of all. At yajnas, what is called

by sources like Renou and LeMee as ``the clotted fat'' or ``the

oil of the sacrifice'', curds mixed with ghee (clarified butter)

was collected. Ranganathamuni is of the opinion that for

this yajna, the prshadAjyam was ``potency'' of wondrous hue

(prANijanana hetu-bhUtam vicitravarNam jagatkAraNa hetu

bhUtam vIryam prshadAjyam bhavati) --- appearing as a

means by which animals might be born, of wondrous hue,

a potency that appeared as a means of the cause of the world ---

this was the prshadAjyam, the seed of all creation. The exact

synonym of semen, retas, is not mentioned, but I think that in this

case we may safely assume this is what is meant. With this

did Brahma create the birds, and wild and tame animals.

 

 

From that offering

 

Of all was drawn

 

The wondrous seed

 

Of all creation

 

With that did He

 

Give forms to all,

 

birds and beasts

 

Of field and forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Verse 10

 

tasmAd yajnAt sarvahuta: | Rca: sAmAni jajnire |

chandAGMsi jajnire tasmAt | yajus tasmAd ajAyanta || 9 ||

 

(tasmAt yajnAt sarvahuta:) From that Sarvahut rite (Rca:)

 

the Rg veda mantras and (sAmAni) sAma veda mantras

 

(jagnyire) were got. FRom that did (chandAmsi) did the metres

 

too (jagnyire) come forth. (tasmAt) From that were (yaju:) the

 

yajur veda mantras (ajayata) born.

 

 

 

 

sAyaNa gives this derivation for sarvahut: ``sarvAtmaka

puruSHo yasmin yajne hooyate so ayam sarvahuta:'' --

that yajna in which Purusha, the soul of all, is offered as

sacrifice, that rite is sarvahut. Of the Vedas, the Rg concerns

itself with recited hymns, in praise of nature and its deities,

such as Agni, Indra, the Adityass,the Maruts, and so on. The

sAma chants are those of song, the basis of music. Yajus,

the Veda of the adhvaryu priests, is that of the methods, and

formulas for the rite. Along with these comes forth chandas,

the metre or rhythm of hymning.

 

 

From that rite

 

Of the giving of All,

 

Did the recited hymns

 

And the sung come forth

 

And from that came

 

The poetic metre

 

And from that arose

 

The ritual hymns.

 

 

 

 

 

Verse 11

 

tasmAdashvA ajAyanta | ye ke cobhayAdata: |

gAvoham jagnyire tasmAt | tasmajjatA ajAvaya: || 10 ||

 

(tasmAd) From that (ajAyanta) were born (asvA:) horses,

 

and beings with (eke ca) only one and (ubhayAdata:) two

 

rows of teeth. (gAva:) Cattle (jagnyire) were made (tasmAt)

 

from that. (tasmAt) From that (jAta) were born (ajA:) goats

 

and (Avaya:) sheep.

 

 

 

 

The most common interpretation I have seen for ``ye ke

cobhayAdata'' is all animals with two rows of teeth. The one

here, I have seen only in aNNa's Tamil translation.

However, it appeals to me as innately right. As for animals with

one row of teeth, I cannot think of any except whales with their

baleen. Someone with a better knowledge of zoological

orthodonty may be able to help me here =). All the animals

specifically mentioned here, presumably had been tamed, and

were counted as wealth in Rg Vedic society.

 

 

From that were born stately horses

 

Beasts with one and two rows of teeth

 

Cattle too, were born thereof

 

And goats and sheep with them created.

 

FHRS_USA

CC: hinducivilization ; asthikasamaj;

nithyakalyan

apexpreci2000

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:32:31 +0530

[asthikasamaj] What is a yagnya cow ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jai Sri Ram

 

Priya members,

 

I happened to study the Purusha suktham (Rig Veda 10.8.90)recently. In

it , sloka 7 reads thus.

 

saptAsyAsan paridhaya: | tri: sama samidha: krutA:|devA yadyagnyam

tanvAna: | abadhnan purusham pasum |

 

" For this yagnya the pancha bhootas and the day and night became seven

margin lines of the yagnya. The twenty one thatvas became the samidh(

the sticks used for yagnya). The devas started the yagnya and tied

Lord Brahma as the yagnya cow. "

 

Now, my question is- What is a yagnya cow ? Is it for sacrifice or

just for its sacred presence ? Do any of you have any idea?

 

Venkat

http://sanatanavenkat.blogspot.com

http://bharataagamas.blogspot.com

gita_dharshan

 

 

 

 

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