tarpaṇa mantras

8/7/2019 tarpaa mantras

1/26

tarpaa mantras

I propose to give the ks and a few non-k mantras whichare used in tarpaa.

As most of us are probably aware the word tarpaacomes from the root tp meaning, to satisfy, to satiate,to please. This rite, therefore, is believed to satisfy thosefor whom it is addressed or performed, viz., devas, pits,is, etc.

The mantras discussed below figure in the pit tarpaawhich is to be done on prescribed days/occasions.

|

||yta pitara somy gambhrai pathibhi prvyai |praj asmabhyam dadato rayi ca drghyutva caatarada ca ||

This mantra is taken from atharva veda, where it appears(in the paiplda sahit) with slight differences asshown below:

( )* :

..


2/26

( )* | : |

| || ..

atharv i (yamo mantroktca)* |bhurigstra pakti:chanda |

yta pitara somyso gabhrrrai pathibhi pityai|

yurasmabhya dadhata praj ca ryaca poairabhina sacadhvam || atharva veda 18.4.62

* yama is the devataa also.

This verse also, reportedly appears in some other textssuch as the hirayakein gyhyastra,mantra brhmaa,kauika stra etc., also partly or with differences;

anyway, it is not a k in the correct sense of the term.{a yata pitarah somyasah (HG. somyah) AV. 18.4.62";

Hiranyakesi Grihyasutra.2.10.5". P: a yata Kau9.S3.27.See eta pitarah,

and cf. para yata.}

Come Ye ! O soma-loving pits ! by unfathomed(profound) paths which the manes of yore (also) trod, andgive us wealth, long life and progeny.

Long life is one of the boons asked for from the pits.But the actual words used are drghyutvam ca


3/26

ataradam ca meaning a long life of a hundredautumns. Prayers for long life of a hundred autumns arefrequent in the vedic texts as compared to the later ones.There is evidence to show that people in the gvedic

times generally might have had long lives. Even then onehundred years was something to be aspired for. When wehear stories of is doing penance (tapas) for hundreds orthousands of years from later puras, we mustremember that these are all mere flights of fancy anduntrue. In the case of this verse also, it is the i who ishimself asking for a life span of one hundred years, notany ordinary man in the jungle (if we suppose there were

no streets in those times). Hence the wrong notion thatthe is are some superhuman beings or divine beings, isentirely false and is one of the inputs given by theorthodoxy to bewilder and thus beguile the gulliblefollowers.

. ....

| |

| || .

....sakd cchinna barhirrmdu |syona pitbhyastvbharmyaham |asmin sdantu me pitara somy |


4/26

pitmahai prapitmahaicnugai saha || tai.br.3.7.4.10

Note : This mantra is recited for offering sana for the

pit s. It, again, is not a k and found only in thepastamba rauta straAnd taittirya brhmaa.

Come at once, my manes (pit s), accompanied by thegrand fathers and great grandfathers), be seated beforeon this soft couch of sacrificial grass that I keep for you(meaning the two darbha grasses* placed during tarpaa

as seat for the pit s) (which is) unbroken (and) soft aswool.

* Please see the extent to which the import of the wordsuttered as mantra and our actual action are at variance.Here, we keep two blades of coarse darbha grass, mostprobably in a brass plate with rim, large enough to holdthe poured water, but tell the pit s, in a rather straight-

faced way that we have placed a soft couch of sacrificialgrass, unbroken ( not torn, in this context) and soft aswool. Now, if we put ourselves as guests of someoneelse and he offers some rough and abrasive seat anddescribes it, nevertheless, as woolly soft how will wefeel?

- - -

. . ..

- | - | - |

|


5/26

|| 0..

i - ymyanaakha | chanda - triup | devat -pitara |

udrat avara ud parsa unmadhyam pitarasomysa |asu ya yuravk tajsteno:'vantu pitaro haveu ||R.V. 10.14.6

May my pits, the low, mean ones, the middle ones andthe noble ones, obtain the havis of the highest quality.

Let all of them who know this rite (tarpana) becomeinoffensive, non-hurting and protect me, hearing thisappeal from me.

Notes :

1. Please observe the adjective avk; it means, inthe vedic context, not hurting, inoffensive, safe,

etc.. Here, the pits are entreated to become avkwhich means that, if unpropitiated, they would causehurt or harm.

2. The word vk means wolf in present day Sanskritbut

different meanings like jackal, owl, crow, thief,kshatriya, dog,

etc., have been given as meaning by Indianlexicographers.It, therefore, appears as though the gvedic people,including the is who composed this (and otherverses in which the word avk is used in thissense), lived in fear of wolves, dogs, thieves, owls


6/26

and what not. Hence, it should be evident that theseis were mere human beings, not possessing anysupernatural abilities, etc., (contrary to theindoctrination of orthodox religion). Consequently

the oft-heard refrain that the vedas areapaurueya, that the is, due to their superhumanabilities, captured the ethereal vibrations of thehighest mystical and esoteric import etc., etc.

3. The pits are classified in different ways. One view isthat they get ranked in accordance with the merits orpuya earned by performing the various sacrificial

rituals while on this earth.

Essentially, the gvedic people, had not come tobelieve in transmigration of souls or rebirth. Theirbelief was that the people who die, go to anotherworld and exist there for ever as pits.

The belief in rebirth was a later import into Hinduism. In

the present context when Hindus believe in rebirth, thefollowing extract from the book History of theDharmasastras, Vol IV by Bharat Ratna,Mahamahopadhyaya, Pandurang Vaman Kane, on thetopic of rddha(which will apply also to tarpaa)seemsappropriate:-

A firm believer in the doctrine of karma, punarjanma (re-

incarnation) and karma-vipaka (explained above) mayfind it difficult to reconcile that doctrine with the beliefthat by offering balls of rice to his three deceasedpaternal ancestors a man brings gratification to the soulsof the latter. According to the


7/26

doctrine of punarjanma (as very clearly and succinctlyput in Br. Up IV. 4.4 and Bhagavad-gita 2.22) the spiritleaving one body enters into another and a new one. Butthe doctrine of offering balls of rice to three ancestors

requires that the spirits of the three ancestors even afterthe lapse of 50 or 100 years are still capable of enjoyingin an ethereal body the flavour or essence of the riceballs wafted by the wind. Further, Yaj. I. 269 (which is thesame as Mark. 29. 38, Matsya-pura 19.11-12, Agnipura 163. 41-42) provides that the grand-fathers (i. e. pitrs) being themselves gratified (by theofferings of food in rddha) bestow on men (their

descendants) long life, progeny, wealth, learning,heaven, moka (final beatitude), all happiness andkingdom. In the Matsya-pura (chap 19 verse a) aquestion is asked by the sages how food which abrahmana (invited at a sraddha) eats or which is offeredintofire is enjoyed by departed spirits that might haveassumed (after death) good or evil forms of bodies. The

answer given (verses 3-9) is that fathers, grand-fathersand great-grandfathers are identified with Vasus,Rudras and dityasrespectively according to Vedic passages, that the nameand gotra (mentioned at the time of rddha), themantras uttered and faith carry to the pits the offeringsmade, that if one'sfather has become a god (by his gooddeeds) the food offered in rddha becomes nectar and

follows him in his state of godhood, if he has become adaitya (an asura) then (the food) reaches him in the formof various enjoyments, if he has become a beast then itbecomes grass for him and if he has become a snake thesraddha food waits on him as wind (serpents aresupposed to subsist on wind) and so on. Verses 5-9 of the


8/26

Matsya, chap, 19 are quoted as from Markandeyapuraby the rddha-kalpalata p. 5. vivarpa on Yaj. I 265 (p.171 of Tri. ed.) also raises the same objection and givesseveral replies. One is that this is a matter entirely based

on stra and so when stra says that pitrs are gratifiedand the performer gets desired objects no objectionshould be raised. Another reply is that the gods Vasusand others that have access everywhere have the powerto gratify pitrs wherever they may be situated. He doesnot call the questioners( nstika) as some other and laterwriters do.

The rddhakalpalat of Nandapandita (about 1600 A.D.) enters upon an elaborate reply to these persons(whom he dubs atheists) that aver that the performanceof sraddhas for departed fathers and the rest, whoaccording to the particular actions of each go to heavenor hell or to other forms of exist-ence serves no purpose. He asks: why is rddhauseless? Is it because there is no prescriptive text laying

down an obligation to perform it or is it because rddhaproduces no consequences or is it that it is not provedthat pits and the rest are gratified by rddha? To thefirst he replies that there are such passages as 'thereforea wise man must perform rddha with all hisefforts that lay down the obligation; nor is the 2ndobjection proper, since Yaj. I 269 does declare therewards ( of rddha ) viz. long life etc. Nor is the third

alternative acceptable. In the rddha rites it is not thatthe mere ancestors named Devadatta and the like arethe recipients and that they are denotedby the words pitr, pitmaha and prapitmaha, but thatthose words denote them, as accompanied by thesuperintending deities viz. Vasus, Rudras and Adityas.


9/26

Just as by the words Devadatta and the like what isdenoted is not merely the bodies ( so named ) nor merelythe souls, but what is denoted by the words is individualsouls as particularised by the bodies; in the same way

the words pit and the like denote Devadatta and otherstogether with the superintending deities (viz. Vasus,Rudras and dityas ). Therefore, the superintendingdeities viz, the Vasus and the rest, being gratified by thefood and drink offered by the sons and the rest, gratifythose also viz. Devadatta and the rest and endow theperformers (of sraddha ) with such rewards as maleprogeny and the rest. Just as a woman expecting to be a

mother becomes gratified by partaking of the food anddrink for which she has a longing in pregnancy and whichis given to her by another person for the sustenanceof the child in the womb, she satiates also the child in herwomb and endows those that offer her the food and drinkfor which she has longings by bestowing on them somereward in return. Thus the pitrs denoted by the wordsfather, grand-father and great-grand-father are the

deities Vasus, Rudras anddityas, and not merely (human beings called )Devadatta and the rest.Hence these deities of rddha become the recipients (ofgifts) in the rddharite, are gratified by the rddha and gratify in their turnthe ancestors of human beings. The rddha-kalpalatthen quotes 18 verses from the mrkaeya pura

many of which are found in chap. 28 (verses 3 ff) of theprinted text. It is said that just as a calf finds its ownmother from among many cows that are scattered about,so the mantras repeated in rddha carry the food to thepits.


10/26

The explanation offered by the rddhakalpalat relyingon passages of the mrkaeya pura is notsatisfactory and is rather far-fetched. The mrkaeyaand the Matsya appear to agree with the doctrine ofvednta that immediately on leaving one body thesoul has recourse to another body, either as a godor a man or a beast or a snake &c . The hypothesispropounded is that the food and drink offered in rddhasbecomes transformed into various substances for the useof the ancestors (Matsya 141. 74-75). But the greatdifficulty in accepting this explanation is that theancestors might die at different places, while rddha

may very often be performed at one place faraway from those places. It is difficult to believe that thegrass growing in one place where the ancestor has beentransformed into a beast as a result of hisevil actions is the same that might have been producedfrom the substances offered in rddha at a placehundreds of miles away. Further, if one or all the threeancestors have been transformed into beasts or the like

how can they recognise their offspring- and bestow onthem long life, wealth &c ?

If the Vasus, Rudras and dityas bestow these, it isbetter to say so directly and affirm that pits cannotbestow any thing on their progeny. It appears veryprobable that the worship of ancestors by meansof rddhas was a very ancient institution and that

the doctrines of punarjanma and karmavipakawere comparatively later ones and that Hinduismbeing all-embracing retained the institution of rddhaswhile adopting also the doctrine of metempsychosis. Theinstitution of rddha is from one point of view anexcellent one. It provides an occasion for remembrance


11/26

of one's ancestors and relatives that were dear and nearwhen living. The ryasamja objects to the institution ofrddha and interprets pits in the gveda as meaningliving men in the Vnaprastha stage.

It may be noted that the texts support both views. Theat. Br. expressly says that food is offered to the father ofthe sacrificer in the words 'this is for thee.' Visnu Dh. S.75. 4 "He whose father is dead may put down a pinda forhis father&c. On the other hand Manu III. 384 states that fathersare spoken of as Vasus, grandfathers as Rudras &c andYaj. I. 269 provides that Vasus, Rudras and dityas are

the pits and the devatas of rddha. These latter are tobe explained as con-taining an injunction to contemplateupon the pitrs as Vasus,Rudras &c.

As stated below (p. 347) with regard to theRgvedic passages, it was on account of thesupposed power of pits to benefit or harm the

living that the cult of the dead became aprominent feature in primitive societies. Offeringsand ceremonies which may have in most ancient timesbeen prompted in part at least by the desire to placatethe ancestors are continued as tokens of pure affectionand remembrance. Various beliefs about pitrs arementioned in post-Vedic Literature. The Baud Dh S II 8 14summarizes a brhmaa text stating that pits 'move'

about in the form of birds. The Auanasa-smti andDevalaquoted by the Kalpataru say the same thing. In the Vyupura - it is stated that at the time of rddha theancestors enter the brahmanas (invited ) after assumingan aerial form and that when the best of brahmanas are


12/26

honoured with clothes, foods, gifts, eatables, liquids,cows, horses and villages, pits become pleased. ManuDh 189 and the Auanasa-smti also support this notionthat pits enter the invited brahmanas. The

Matsyapura (18. 5-7) enjoins: pindas should be offeredto the departed for twelve days after death, since theyserve him as food on his journey and give him greatsatisfaction. Therefore, the soul leaving the dead body isnot taken to the abode of the departed for twelve days(after death), the departed spirit hovers near his house,his sons, his wife for twelve days. Therefore for ten daysafter death milk ( and water ) should be placed (hung

up ) in space for ten nights for reducing all torments (ortroubles of the departed ) and for the removal of thefatigue of the journey (that the departed spirit has tomake ). The Visnudharmasutra 76 ( 20. 34-36 ) provides"the departed spirit enjoys in the world of pits the foodoffered in rddha with the utterance of the word'svadha'; whether the departed is in the state of a god orin the place of torments ( Hell ) or in the form of a lower

animal or a human being, the rddha food offered by hisrelatives reaches him; when rddha is performed, theperformer and the departed soul both certainly securevigour ( or prosperity )."(emphasis mine)

It will be observed that according to Dr. Kane, the tenetsof vednta, postulate that the departed soul takes a new

birth immediately. I feel it is, therefore, necessary for allthe people who swear by advaita vednta to re-examinetheir position and decide whether the performance ofrituals for satisfying the pits is not in contradiction to thedoctrine of vedanta, or, whether vednta itself hascontradicted the vedas.


13/26

The next mantra is the second of three ks recited whilegiving the oblation (sesamum and water) to the father;

- - -

. . ..

- | - | -

| || .

. 0..

i - yama vaivasvata | chanda - triup | devat -agira pitratharvabhgusom

agiraso na pitaro navagv atharvo bhgavasomysa |te vayam sumatau yajiynmapi bhadre saumanase

syma || . ve. 10.14.6

May we receive the blessings of our pits - navagvagirases, atharvas, and bhgus and its beneficialresults, who deserve soma drink, and are worthy of beinginvited for the sacrificial rite (yajna).

Note :

The word navagv is often used in association withagirases. Two other epithets used in conjunction withagirases as pits in relation to yama, are daagv andvirpa. The last word may mean one with many-coloured,variegated, etc., as also deformed, misshapen, horrible-


14/26

looking, etc. But the latter set of meanings are of laterorigin and here we can safely take the virpa agirasesas many-coloured, or of various categories ( a sort ofmiscellaneous, other than the navagvs & daagvs).

In regard to navagv and daagv, there are manyinterpretations given by scholars. syaa gives, inrespect of the above k, its meaning as nava + gv, , i.e., those who comenewly and induce fresh happiness (in us). But navagvsare mentioned more times and appear the mostprominent. syaa refers to a story of how the agirases

performed a very grand yga in which some of themattained the fruits of the said yga in nine months whilethe others took one more month to achieve their aim andthus the two groups came to be called navagvs anddaagvs. In RV 6.22.2 there is reference to seven wisemen (vipra) who were our ancestors and navagvs.From these and various other circumstances thenavagvs seem to be the most important of the

agirases and not as described by syaa.

The third mantra recited for oblation to the vasus (father)is, again, not a k but a yajus, from the vjasaneyisahit ; in the mdhyandina version which I have thereis a slight difference asmin yaje svadhaymdayantu as now recited, is changed to asmin yajesvadhay madanto, but the meaning does not change

much.

. . ().

|


15/26

||.. ().

yantu na pitara somyso:'gnivtt

pathibhirdevaynai |asmin yaje svadhay mdayantu* adhi bruvantu teavantu asmn ||v. sa. (mdhyandina)19.58

May our agnivtt pits, worthy of being offered soma,come through the path of the devas (devayna) (and) tothis rite (yaja) along with svadh and gladden us, speakfor us and protect us.

* mdayantu means gladden us; madanto meansrejoice, addressed to the pits themselves.

Note :

agnivtt, agniu + tt = eaten by agni, i.e., thosewho have been cremated (after death), and thus pits ingeneral, seems to have been the sense in which thesamhitas used this term. But later, in Mahabharata, etc.,the agnivtt are a class of pits who neglected themaintenance of the sacrificial fire. Manu gives analtogether different picture as may be seen from thefollowing extracts of Ch. III thereof:-(I have included some extra verses relating to Manusdicta regarding rddha also.)

187. On the day before the Sraddha-rite is performed, or on theday when it takes place, let him invite with due respect at leastthree Brahmanas, such as have been mentioned above.

188. A Brahmana who has been invited to a (rite) in honour of themanes shall always control himself and not recite the Veda, andhe who performs the Sraddha (must act in the same manner).


16/26

189. For the manes attend the invited Brahmanas, follow them(when they walk) like the wind, and sit near them when they areseated.

190. But a Brahmana who, being duly invited to a rite in honour ofthe gods or of the manes, in any way breaks (the appointment),becomes guilty (of a crime), and (in his next birth) a hog.

191. But he who, being invited to a Sraddha, dallies with a Sudrawoman, takes upon himself all the sins which the giver (of thefeast) committed.

192. The manes are primeval deities, free from anger, careful ofpurity, ever chaste, averse from strife, and endowed with great

virtues.193. Now learn fully from whom all these (manes derive) theirorigin, and with what ceremonies they ought to be worshipped.

194. The (various) classes of the manes are declared to be thesons of all those sages, Marici and the rest, who are children ofManu, the son of Hiranyagarbha.

195. The Somasads, the sons of Virag, are stated to be the manes

of the Sadhyas, and the Agnishvattas, the children of Marici, arefamous in the world (as the manes) of the gods.

196. The Barhishads, born of Atri, are recorded to be (the manes)of the Daityas, Danavas, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Snake-deities,Rakshasas, Suparnas, and a Kimnaras,

197. The Somapas those of the Brahmanas, the Havirbhugs thoseof the Kshatriyas, the Agyapas those of the Vaisyas, but theSukalins those of the Sudras.

198. The Somapas are the sons of Kavi (Bhrigu), the Havishmatsthe children of Angiras, the Agyapas the offspring of Pulastya, butthe Sukalins (the issue) of Vasishtha.


17/26

199. One should know that (other classes), the Agnidagdhas, theAnagnidagdhas, the Kavyas, the Barhishads, the Agnishvattas,and the Saumyas, are (the manes) of the Brahmanas alone.

200. But know also that there exist in this (world) countless sonsand grandsons of those chief classes of manes which have beenenumerated.

201. From the sages sprang the manes, from the manes the godsand the Danavas, but from the gods the whole world, both themovable and the immovable in due order.

202. Even water offered with faith (to the manes) in vessels madeof silver or adorned with silver, produces endless (bliss).

203. For twice-born men the rite in honour of the manes is moreimportant than the rite in honour of the gods; for the offering tothe gods which precedes (the Sraddhas), has been declared to bea means of fortifying (the latter).

204. Let him first invite a (Brahmana) in honour of the gods as aprotection for the (offering to the manes); for the Rakshasasdestroy a funeral sacrifice which is left without such a protection.

205. Let him make (the Sraddha) begin and end with (a rite) inhonour of the gods; it shall not begin and end with a (rite) to themanes; for he who makes it begin and end with a (rite) in honourof the manes, soon perishes together with his progeny.

Sufficient inputs for deciding (or getting confused with)the meaning of the term agnivtt, I think!!

Now we come to the mantra recited fir giving the first

oblation to the rudras (grandfathers). This is also from thevjasaneyi sahit, not from the gveda.

. . .


18/26

| || . . .

rjam vahantramtam ghtam paya klla parisrutam |

svadhstha tarpayata me pitn || vja. sa. 2.34 - strong, powerful, eminent, vigorous

- to carry, transport, convey - round, around, about, fully, abundantly, richly

- a kind of intoxicating liquor prepared from herbs;flowing around or over, foaming, fermenting

- water,a sweet beverage, also a heavenly drinksimilar to amrita, the food of the gods, (VS)blood, flesh

- standing, staying, abiding, being situated in- containing refreshment, owning svadha

May (this offering of) nectar, ghee, milk (water) (and)

kllam* and parisrutconvey strength, power, vigour, tomy pits who are abiding (situated in) svadh, and satisfy(them).

* The word "kllam"has several meanings as shownabove. But, in the earliest usages, it reportedly meantonly a sweet beverage prepared from herbs, the detailsofwhich are probably not known now.

The second mantra for the grandfathers(pitmahs) :

. . .

||| . . .


19/26

pitbhya svadhvibhya svadh nama |pitmahebhya svadhvibhya svadh nama |prapitmahebhya svadhvibhya svadh nama | vja.

sa. 19.36

This originally is from the vjasaneyi sahit; but therethe word svadhyibhya is used in the place ofsvadhvibhya:, the latter being found in the pastambarauta stra. This is what is adopted now for the tarpaamantra.

pitbhya = to the pitssvadhvin (svadhyin) = containing refreshment (owningthe svadh)svadhvibhya = owning the svadhsvadh nama = prostration, svadhpitmahebhya = to the grandfathersprapitmahebhya =to the great grandfathers

Prostrations unto the fathers who own (are abiding in)svadh, svadh;Prostrations unto the grandfathers who own (are abidingin) svadh, svadh;Prostrations unto the great grandfathers who own (areabiding in) svadh, svadh.

Note :

Here the last "svadh" is a mandatory utterance of thename of svadh which alone will convey (transport) theofferings to the pits according to the smtis.


20/26

The third mantra for the tarpaa for pitmahs isas under:

. . ..

|

|| . . ..

ye ceha pitaro yeca neha ymca vidma ym u ca na

pravidma |agne tn vettha yadi te jtavedastay prattam msvadhay madantu || pa. g. 8.21.3

This is gveda with slight change, adapted into thepastamba ghyastra. In both the the gveda andvjasaneyi samhit versions, the second line is differentas shown below :

. . ..

| . . 0..

tva vetthayati te jtavedassvadhbhiryaja suktajuasva | . ve. 10.15.13

[The i chanda: & devat for this mantra are akhaymyana, triup and pitara respectively. (, :,- , , )]

. . .


21/26

| . . .

tva vetthayati te jtavedam svadhbhiryajam suktam

juasva | vja. sa. 19.67

I feel this difference (whether intentional or because oferror made by scribes when writing the palm leafmanuscripts) makes a significant change in the "import ofthis mantra" as explained below:

The . ve. and vja. sa. versions say to agni, jtaveda,"you know (them - our pits); you, alongwith svadh bepropitiated with this yaja".

I do not have a copy of the pastamba rauta stra toverify. But the tarpaamantra as we recite it today, (Ihave referred to both a 1999 book by R.S. Vadhyar &Sons, Palghat and an 1899 grantha lipi book published byone prabhkara mudrkara l of cinddrikh nagara(?) and find the same words in both) seems to say "O agni! if you know (them - our pits), you, alongwith svadh bepropitiated with this yaja". This happens because of thechange of "vetthayati te" to "vettha yadi te". We have afew Sanskrit scholars among our members and I requestthem to say if my doubt is valid and throw further light onthis.

So much for the accuracy of transmission/adaptation etc.,

of vedic verses. The complete mantra as we recite itnow means:-

Those pits who are (present) here, those who are not,those whom we know because of their nearness to us intime and those whom we don't know due to the efflux of


22/26

time, all the pits if known to you O agni ! you bepropitiated.

(

. )The original verse, as appearing in the vjasaneyisahitand gveda give a different meaning which is moreacceptable, I feel. They say, "O, jtaveda ! you knowthem all; please partake of these offerings withsatisfaction in this properly conducted yaja."

The three ks given below constitute the mantras for the

(three) offerings (tarpaa) for the prapitmaha or greatgrandfathers. These are continuous ks and form part of askta in praise of vivedevas.

"vivedevas" is a special category among the gvedicdeities. Unlike agni, indra, rudra, viu etc., it is notpossible to fix their identity or the exact import of thatterm. It will take a separate post and, may be, I shall

attempt it in future sometime. For the present let us besatisfied with the fact that our scriptures state that thepits can come - in forms invisible to human eyes, ofcourse - only if they are accompanied by the threevivedevas called purrava, rdraka and sajaka.

In gveda the word purru means far and wide. purravameans crying much or loudly. There is also the famousking purravas. Which of these is the inspiration fornaming one of the vivedevas in this way is not clear.

rdraka means, wet, moist, born under the constellationof rdr(), the name of a particular king inviupura, and, ginger in its undried state (according


23/26

to yurveda). May be that is the reason that raw ginger( ) is considered an essential requirement for anyrddha cooking!

"sajaka" is a word which does not seem to have anymeaning; the closest one can say is "one with a name",that is all.

That apart, the verses under consideration appear to meas some of the most appealing verses of the gveda, andcan very well be part of one's daily prayers; these cancertainly be adopted as the motto by environmentalists,

the green peace foundation, etc., as well.

- - -

. . ..

- | - | - |

| || . . . 0.

i - gotama rhgaa | chanda - gyatr | devat -vivedev |

madhu vt tyate madhukaranti sindhava |

mdhv na santu oadh || . ve. 1.90.6= sweet, delicious, charming, delightful (in R.V., T.S.)

= to wish for sacrifice (), to wish for speech = to observe the sacred law, be regular or proper

= the winds


24/26

= to flow, to stream = sweet (R.V.) = herbs, plants

May the winds flow sweet according to the sacred lawand be regular; may the rivers flow with sweet waters;may the herbs and plants become sweet (tasteful,promoting health) to us.

- - -

. . ..

- | - | - |

| || . . . 0.

i - gotama rhgaa | chanda - gyatr | devat -vivedev |madhu nakta utoaso madhumat prthivamraja |madhu dyaurastu na pit || . ve. 1.90.7

book shows instead ofas seen in the .

= night/s = and= mornings=sweet, honeyed, pleasant, agreeable = earthly, terrestrial

= dust, sand


25/26

= sky= in gveda this means juice, drink, nourishment,

food, but the usage of pit indicates that the reference isto pit, father.

Make the night(s) sweet (providing good sleep) and themornings sweet (bringing good days); may the dust of theearth (soil) be sweet (productive, rich); may the sky besweet (favourable, by giving abundant rains - accordingto syaa) to us as father.

- - -

. . ..

- | - | - |

|

|| . . . 0.

i - gotama rhgaa | chanda - gyatr | devat -vivedev |madhumnno vanaspati madhumm astu srya |mdhvrgvo bhavantu na || . ve. 1.90.8

() = containing, possessing, sweetness :

pleasant : agreeable = forest trees= let it be, be it so = sweet

(plural nominative of) = cows= become


26/26

= to us

May the trees of the jungle be sweet (useful) to us; maythe sun be sweet to us; may the cows become sweet to

us.

tarpaṇa mantras

Documents