NUMBERS OF PRINCIPLES

the number seven plays plays an exceedingly important part in vedic system, as in most very ancient school of thoughts. we find it recurring constantly, - the seven delights, " सप्त रत्नानी "; the seven flames, tongues or rays of agni, "सप्त ज्वालः "; seven forms of the thought principle, "सप्त धितायः " ; seven rays or cows " सप्त गवः "; seven mothers or fostering cows "सप्त मातृ" , "सप्त धेनवः ". all these set of seven depends upon vedic classification of fundamental principles, the tattvas of existence. these seven principles are : 1. pure existence - सत ; 2. pure consciousness - चित ; 3. pure bliss - आनंद ; 4. knowledge of truth - विज्ञान ; 5. mind; 6. life; 7. matter.

in the veda then we find the number of principles variously stated. the one was recognised as basis and continent; in this were two principles divine and human, mortal and immortal. the dual number is also otherwise applied in two principles, heaven and earth, mind and body, soul and nature, who are regarded as the father and mother of all beings. 

the triple principle was doubly recognized, first in the threefold mundane principle, mind,life, body upon built the triple world of veda and puranas. but full number ordinarily recgnised is seven. this figure was arrived at by adding the three divine principles to the three mundane.

also the seven rivers are conscious currents corresponding to the sevenfold substance of ocean of being which appears to us formulated in the seven worlds enumerated by puranas. it is their full flow in human consciousness which constitutes the entire activity of being, his full treasure of substance, his full play of energy. in vedic image, his cows drink of the water of the seven rivers. 

THIRD HYMN- ASHWINI

In The third hymn of madhuchandas appear ashwinis.

They are first described as ashwins, swift footed lords of bliss, much enjoying, -“ drawatpaani subhaspati, purubhuja”. The word “shubh”, is capable of signifying either light or enjoyment, but here appears with adjective “purubhuja”, much enjoying, and verb “canasyatam”  meaning  take delight, thus should be taken in sense of weal or bliss.

Next twin gods are described as “ashwins, divine souls many auctioned , thought holding”, who accept and rejoice in words of mantra , “ with an energetic thought” – “purushamsasa nara saviraya dhiya dhisnaya”, nr in Vedas is applicable both to god and men,  and does not simply mean a man. It meant originally strong or active, and then a male and is applied to male gods, active divine powers or souls or purushas opposed to gnah, who are their energies.

“sawas” and it’s adjective savira, give idea of energy, but always in association of farther idea of flame or light. “savira” is therefore a very appropriate epithet for “dhi”, thought full of shining and flashing energy. “dhisnaya” is connected with “dhisana”, intellect or understanding. 


"dastra yuvakavah suta nasatya vriktbahirsah, aa yatam rudravartani"

ashvins are described as "effectual in action", powers of movement, fierce moving in their paths," dasra nasatya rudravartani. vedic epithet dasra can be taken in sense of doing, acting , shaping, accomplishing. 

nasatya can be taken from nas as to move as ashvins are riders on horse that they are described often by motion, swift footed, fierce moivng in their paths. 
rudra must have meant at one time, shining deep coloured red. fierce and violent is therefore likely to be as good sense of for rudra as "red". 

the ashwins are both "hiranyavartani", and "rudravartani", because they are both powers of light and of nervous force; in the former they have bright gold movement, and in later they are violent in their movement. in one hymn (V. 75.3) we have the combination "rudra hiranyavartani", violent and moving in path of light. 


ashvins are riders of horse, the ashwa, symbolic of force and especially of life energy and nervous force, the prana. their common character is that they are gods of enjoyment, seekers of honey; they are physicians , they bring back youth to old, health to the sick, wholeness to the maimed. 

another characteristics is movement, swift, violent, irresistible; their rapid and indomitable chariot is constant object of celebration and they are described here as swift footed and violent in their paths. they are like birds in their swiftness, like mind, like the wind ( V77.3 and 78.1). they bring in their chariot ripe or perfected satisfaction to man, they are creators of bliss, mayas. 

they show that ashwins are twin divine powers whose special function is to perfect the nervous or vital being in man in sense of action and enjoyment. but they are also powers of truth of intelligent actions of right enjoyment. they are powers that appear with dawn, effective powers of action born out of ocean of being who are able to mentalise securely the falicities of higher existence by a thought faculty which finds or come to know that true substance and true wealth. 

अश्विना यज्वरीरिषो दरवत्पाणी शुभस पती | पुरुभुजाचनस्यतम || 
"o riders of steed, swift footed, much enjoying, lords of bliss, take delight in energies of sacrifice. 

अश्विना पुरुदंससा नरा शवीरया धिया | धिष्ण्या वनतं गिरः || 
"o riders of steed, male souls effecting a manifold action, take joy of words, o holders in intellect, by a luminously energetic thoughts. "

दस्रा युवाकवः सुता नासत्या वर्क्तबर्हिषः | आ यातंरुद्रवर्तनी || 
" i have piled the seat of sacrifice, i have pressed out the vigorous soma juices; fulfillers of action, powers of movement come to them with your fierce speed on the path. "

mantra 8 & 9 of second sukta for MITRA VARUNA

MANTRA-8

   with the ritam ( truth ) as agency, ritena; 

    increasing the action of the truth in man, rtavrdha; 

    touching or reaching the truth, enabling the mental consciousness to come into successful

    contact act with and possession of truth consciousness, rtasprsa;

    mitra and varuna are able to enjoy the use of vast effective will power, kratum brantam asathe;

MANTRA -9

    the two requisites in which vedic rishis always insist are light and power, the light of truth                  

    working in effective enlightened will. thus mitra varuna are shown to us in closing verse of hymn    

    working in full sense of truth, kavi tuvijaata urukshaya.

    kavi means possessed of truth consciousness and using it's faculties of vision.

    tuvijata is multiply born, for tuvi means force. by birth of god is always meant in veda their

    manifestation; thus tuvijata means "manifested multiply", in many forms and activities. 

    urukshaya means dwelling in wideness.  

mantra-7 , sukta-2 for MITRA VARUNA

mitra is "putdaksha", possessed of purified judgement; varuna is "risadas", he destroys all hurters or enemies. 

there are two obstacles which prevent the intellect from being a perfect and luminous mirror of truth consciousness ; first impurity of discernment or discriminative facultywhich leads to confusion of truth, secondly the many causes or influences which interfere with the growth of truth by limiting its full application or by breaking up connection and harmony of thought that express. 

varuna is "risaadas", destroyer of enemy, of all that seek to injure the truth. mitra, represents love, joy, and harmony, the foundation of mayas, and is "putdaksha".  working with purity of varuna and imparting that purity to discernment, he enables to get rid of all discords and confusions, and establish the right working of strong and luminous intellect. 

MITRA VARUNA- 1

after indra vayu, mitra varuna is called in 7-9 mantras of second sukta. 
"mitram hue putdaksham, varunam cha rishadasham| dhiyam ghritancin saadhanta |7|
riten mitravaruna vritavridhavritashprisha| kratum brihantmashathe |8|
kavi no mitra varuna, tuvijata urukshaya daksham dadhate apasam |9|

in previous mantras indra and vayu have been called upon to perfect the nervous mentality, 

"niskrtam dhiya" by thought. but this thought has itself to be perfected, enriched and clarified before mind can become able of free communication with truth consciousness. therefore varuna and mitra, powers of truth are invoked " accomplishing luminous thought, " dhiyam ghritancin sadhanta.

"dhi" means thought or intellect.
"ghrta"- root "ghr" conveys idea of a strong brightness or heat. , it also mean to sprinkle or anont, greek chrio. it is capable of being used to signify any liquid, but specially bright thick liquid. thus it inwardly indicates rich and bright state or activity of brain power, (medha) as basis and substance of illuminated thought.

by "dhiyam ghritacim" therefore means the intellect full of rich and bright mental activity.

INDRA VAAYU - gods of second sukta.

first three verses are addressed to vayu alone, next three to indra & vaayu.
indra is psychological interpretations of hymns representing mind power. the word for sense- faculties "indriya" is derived from his name.
his special realm is "swar", a word which means sun or luminous, being akin to surya, the sun. surya represents illumination of ritm (truth) rising upon mind. swar is that plane of mental consciousness which directly receive illumination.

vayu is always associated prana or life energy, which contributes to the system all the ensemble of those nervous activities that in man are support of mental energies governed by indra. their combination constitutes normal mentality of man.

indra and vaayu awaken in consciousness ( cetathah) to the flowing of soma which represents ananda, divine delight of being. this is to say, the mind power and life energy working together in human mentality are to awaken to inflowings of this ananda. ananda thus received constitutes a new action preparing immortal consciousness in mortal & indra and vayu are bidden to come and swiftly perfect these new workings.

vedas, the revelation

Veda is the creation of an age anterior to our intellectual philosophies. in that original epoch thought proceeded by other methods than those of our logical reasoning and speech accepted modes of expressions which in our modern habits would be inadmissible. 

the wisest then dependent on inner experiences and the suggestions of intuitive mind for all knowledge that ranged beyond mankind's ordinary perceptions and daily activities.
their aim was illumination, not logical conviction,
their ideal the inspired seer, not the accurate reasoner. 

the rishi was not the individual composer of the hymn, but the seer, (drasta )  of an eternal truth and an impersonal knowledge. the language of veda itself is sruti, a rhythm not composed by intellect but hear, a divine word that came vibrating out of infinite to the inner audience of the man who have previously made himself fit for impersonal knowledge. 

the word itself, drsti, and sruti, sight and hearing are vedic expressions. these and cognate words signify, in esoteric terminology of hymns, revelatory knowledge and contents of inspiration.

in the vedic era of revelation there is no suggestion of miraculous or the supernatural. the rishi who employed these faculties, had acquired them by a progressive self-culture. knowledge itself was a travelling and a reaching, or a finding and a winning; revelation came only at the end and light was the prize of final victory.