Bhagavan is the one who has bhaga,

 Bhagavan is the one who has bhaga, the six-fold virtues in absolute measure.

भगः अस्य अस्ति इति भगवान्
bhagaḥ asya astiiti bhagavān

The one who has bhaga is called bhagavan. It is said in the Vishnu Purana (6.5.74)

ऐश्वर्यस्य समग्रस्य वीर्यस्य यशसः श्रियः।
ज्ञान-वैराग्ययोश्चैव षण्णां भग इतीरणा॥
aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ |
jñāna-vairāgyayoścaiva ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīraṇā ||

1 Total and absolute overlordship,

2 power,..virya;

3 wealth, sri;  

4 dispassion, vairagya

5 fame ,yasas;

6 knowledge, jnana

These six absolute virtues, then, constitute bhaga and the one who has this six-fold bhaga is Bhagavan.

To have all knowledge, jnana, is to be free from all ignorance. Thus the one who has all jnana does not require a mind, perception, or a means of knowledge with which to know. If we require a mind to know, there is always ignorance. Thus, whoever is endowed with a mind in order to know cannot be Bhagavan. Bhaga, therefore, is jnana, all knowledge.

Total, absolute, dispassion is also called bhaga. The one who has total, absolute dispassion, vairagya, has no longing, no insecurity. He or she is full.

Virya is absolute power or sakti meaning the capacity to create, to sustain, and to resolve. The one who has this absolute power is called the Almighty.

Absolute fame, yasas, means all fame, including your own or anyone else’s. This is also bhaga. One who is endowed with the ability to sing, for example, may gain some fame, a ray of glory, but that fame belongs to the Lord, the one who has all fame.

The Lord also has all wealth, all resources - Sri. Any wealth you may have really belongs to Bhagavan, the Lord, and you are only a trustee of whatever resources you happen to have

.
Finally, the one who is not caused, who is not ruled by anyone, who is not subject to the laws of someone else, has the bhaga called aisvarya - overlordship.

We, as individuals have to go by the laws of nature; we cannot go against them. Even an engineer who is responsible for planning, commissioning, and running a thermal plant cannot touch a live wire without facing the consequences. In other words, the engineer cannot behave as he or she likes merely because he or she caused the electricity to be generated. It was because of the laws alone that the engineer was able to generate electricity in the first place

.
The one who does not subject himself to the law or laws of another is the Lord. If the Lord is ruled by someone else, then that someone else becomes the Lord; and it is this Lord that we are talking about.

These six absolute virtues, then, constitute bhaga and the one who has this six-fold bhaga is Bhagavan.

A City Night-Piece By Oliver Goldsmith

 

A City Night-Piece

By Oliver Goldsmith

The clock has just struck two, the expiring taper rises and sinks in the socket, the watchman forgets the hour in slumber, the laborious and the happy are at rest, and nothing wakes but meditation, guilt, revelry, and despair.

The drunkard once more fills the destroying bowl, the robber walks his midnight round, and the suicide lifts his guilty arm against his own sacred person.

Let me no longer waste the night over the page of antiquity or the sallies of contemporary genius, but pursue the solitary walk, where Vanity, ever changing, but a few hours past walked before me, where she kept up the pageant, and now, like a froward child, seems hushed with her own importunities.

What a gloom hangs all around! The dying lamp feebly emits a yellow gleam; no sound is heard but of the chiming clock, or the distant watch-dog. All the bustle of human pride is forgotten; an hour like this may well display the emptiness of human vanity.

There will come a time when this temporary solitude may be made continual, and the city itself, like its inhabitants, fade away, and leave a desert in its room.

What cities, as great as this, have once triumphed in existence! had their victories as great, joy as just and as "Unbounded, and, with short-sighted presumption, promised themselves immortality!

Posterity can hardly trace the situation of some; the sorrowful traveler wanders over the lawful ruins of others; and, as he beholds, he learns wisdom, and feels the transience of every sublunary possession.

"Here," he cries, "stood their citadel, now grown over with, weeds; there, their senate house, but now the haunt of every noxious, reptile; temples and theatres stood here, now only an undistinguished heap of ruin.


They are fallen: for luxury and avarice first made them feeble. The rewards of the state were conferred on amusing and not on useful members of society. Their riches and opulence invited the invaders, who, though at first repulsed, returned again, conquered by perseverance, and at last swept the defendants into undistinguished destruction."

How few appear in those streets which, but some few hours ago, were crowded! and those who appear now no longer wear their daily mask, nor attempt to hide their lewdness or their misery.

But who are those who make the streets their couch, and find a short repose from wretchedness at the doors of the opulent?

These are strangers, wanderers, and orphans, whose circumstances are too humble to expect redress, and whose distresses are too great even for pity.

Their wretchedness rather excites horror than pity. Some are without the covering even of rags, and others emaciated with disease: the world has disclaimed them; society turns its back upon their distress, and has given them up to nakedness and hunger.

These poor shivering females have once seen happier days and been flattered into beauty. They have been prostituted to the gay, luxurious villain, and are now turned out to meet the severity of winter.

Perhaps, now lying at the doors of their betrayers, they sue to wretches whose hearts are insensible, to debauchees who may curse but will not relieve them.

Why, why was I born a man, and yet see the sufferings of wretches I cannot relieve!

Poor houseless creatures! the world will give you reproaches, but will not give you relief.

The slightest misfortunes of the great, the most imaginary uneasinesses of the rich, are aggravated with all the power of eloquence, and held up to engage our attention and sympathetic sorrow.

The poor weep unheeded, persecuted by every subordinate species of tyranny; and every law, which gives others security, becomes an enemy to them.

Why was this heart of mine formed with so much sensibility! or why was not my fortune adapted to its impulse!

Tenderness, without a capacity of relieving, only makes the man who feels it more wretched than the object which sues for assistance. Adieu.

-- Oliver Goldsmith

this poem makes me cry.
for quite a few, times did not change, unfortunately,

the poem is true even to day, ----despite enormous change for a few others

peace mantras for daily chanting

 quote

''Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu:
May Peace & Happiness Prevail

Amma has chosen some peace mantras for daily chanting by her devotees and disciples. One of those invocations is Om lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu. Although this mantra does not appear in any of the existent Veda sakhas [Vedic branches], it is an expression of the universal spirit that we find therein1. Let's take a look at what context it appears in and what meaning it carries. The sloka as a whole reads as follows:

svasti prajabhyam paripalayantham nyayeana margena mahim maheesah
gobrahmanebhya shubamsthu nityam lokah samastha sukhino bhavanthu

May there be well being to the people;
May the kings rule the earth along the right path;
May the cattle and the Brahmins have well being forever;
May all the beings in all the worlds become happy;
Peace, peace and peace be everywhere!

The sloka is an invocation for harmony and blessings for all of creation. In ancient days the social structure and form of government differed from ours in many ways, that is why we need not take the literal meaning of this sloka, but the essence.

For peace and harmony to prevail, the kings--i.e. the politicians and leaders--should have a healthy approach towards their subjects and govern according to principles of dharma. This, we sadly note, is very rare indeed in today's world where power and wealth seem to be the prime motivation for the ruling elite. Nevertheless, the ideal remains as it is, and as Amma's teachings are personally influencing countless politicians all over the world, there might yet be light at the end of the tunnel.

Brahmin is one who has either realised his oneness with Brahman, the Absolute, or one who has dedicted his life to the pursuit of that realization. Such selfless people are the enlightened thinkers who provide society with a healthy understanding of life. They give guidance to all sections of society, including the political leadership. A Brahmin can also mean a brilliant intellectual who is using his talents to selflessly serve society. Thus for a stable and bright society, it is essential that these Brahmins are healthy. The sage who gave voice to this mantra obviously does not assert Brahmin-hood as a hereditary vocation as found today.

There are many examples in history to demonstrate that Brahmin-hood is an inner quality not dependent on the social status that prevails upon one's birth. We need only to look back to the great sage Veda Vyasa, also known as Krishna Dvaipayana because he had a dark complexion and was born on an island. He was born to a fisherwoman but possessed one of the greatest minds of all times and is universally accepted as a great rishi. He codified the Vedas and composed original works that are famed all over the world for their exquisite spiritual content. Among them are popular works like the Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagavatam, as well as profound treatises on the Ultimate Reality like the Brahma Sutras. In spite of his humble origins, Sage Vyasa is one of the most revered among the plethora of India's spiritual giants.

Amma was born in a community of fisher folk. She was educated only up until the fourth standard and speaks only her mother tongue. Also, most striking of all, she has never studied the scriptures. Yet their wisdom flows from her lips unceasingly, rendering the most abstract truths in simple ways that most anyone can understand. Who would then deny Amma's Brahmin-hood? Amma is directing the world with her wisdom, speaking to large audiences throughout the world, even at the United Nations.

Now, one might wonder about the cattle in this prayer, saying to one's self: "What on earth have I, a city-dwelling modern person, to do with cattle? Shouldn't I rather be praying that my BMW stays in good condition?" We need not be too literal-minded. The ancients didn't use language in such a one-dimensional way as we do. If we contemplate deeply on the meaning of any given mantra, it is likely that it will reveal more and more layers of meaning. "Cattle" signifies nourishment and abundance in general. In ancient time cattle served as a sort of bank account. The number of cattle a person had was the measure of his wealth. Also, the milk was the primary source of livelihood for a large portion of society. Milk and milk products such as ghee comprised the majority of the offerings made into the sacrificial fires used in formal ritual worship. Thus cows are mentioned in many ancient texts as a symbol of plenty. It can be taken symbolically, like "the daily bread."

In today's society, such a prayer, if taken literally, has also a special irony, for cattle ranches around the world have become breeding grounds for diseases like the mad-cow epidemic. When cattle and the rest of the animal kingdom are devoid of well being, humanity will also suffer. Thus harmony between humans and the rest of creation is also stressed in this prayer. Actually cow can be taken as representative of the entire animal kingdom. The Sanskrit word for cattle is "go," which is a most profound Vedic symbol and has many subtle spiritual meanings. Two such secondary meanings are "earth" and "mother," and as such the sloka could also be a prayer for the welfare of Mother Earth. So we need not be worried that God will send a herd of cattle charging through our living room when we pray thus.

The most important aspect of the mantra is that the sage does not pray only for his clan or nation but for the whole world or, more precisely, all the worlds2. This, as Amma tells us and shows us, is the correct way to pray. Instead of asking for something for our self, Amma advises us to pray for the whole creation. Praying for the welfare of all sentient beings--all humans, all animals, all plants—our mind becomes more expansive. Through such prayer we slowly can go beyond our limited egocentric concepts of self to identify with the entire creation, recognising its true nature to be none other than our own. And as we too are part of the world, we also are benefited from the blessings of the prayer.

Amma's whole life is a constant endeavour to bring happiness to as many beings as possible. Her life verily is this prayer in action. She is showing us the correct attitude by which not only to pray but also by which to live.

While chanting Om lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu next time, let us try to feel deeply for all living beings, and make a resolve to live in this selfless spirit.

May peace and harmony prevail.

—Vedarat'' unqute 

google search

Beyond Aadhaar Blog by V S Krishnan

 

Beyond Aadhaar Blog by V S Krishnan

Beyond Aadhaar Blog by V S KrishnanUnique Identification project was introduced by the Government of India in order to provide a distinct identification to every citizen of India.   Apart from giving the Government agencies a clear proof about the identity of the recipients in its welfare programme, the Aadhaar card also helps the individual in his dealings with the various agencies of the Government.  This identification is issued based on the individual's date of birth, place of birth, location etc.   He may be performing different duties at different places but this Aadhaar card with a number and image on it clearly authenticates the genuineness of his identity.  

But apart from giving an authentic fact about the location, age or image of the individual, the Aadhaar card does not go beyond.  These are identifications which pertain to his personality and the role he performs as member of the family and society and as citizen of a country.  Do these functions reveal his true identity?  They do not, because what they reveal are matters material and what they do not reveal are matters spiritual. 

Normally, we identify a person by various means of his name, his profession, his relation, his character, interest etc.  In other words, we identify him by the functions he carries out by means of his body and mind.  Are these criteria enough to identify a person?  Is the individual consists of only his body and mind?  Body is merely an instrument by which one performs certain duties.  Body is the instrument one possesses and the body cannot become the possessor.   Body can only feel the sensation but body cannot perceive.  Nor mind is the cognizer.  Body and mind are only aids by which the individual perceives a truth.  There is 'somebody' beyond the body who is conscious of the working of the body and mind.  There is 'somebody' behind the eyes who sees, there is 'somebody' behind the mind who thinks and there is somebody behind the ears who listens.  Kena Upanishad says:  “That which is not thought by the mind and that by which mind is thought, is the unique identity of the person, the Self. 

But the individual does not agree.  Having identified himself with the body, he thinks that his true identity consists of what his mind tells him: "I am the body".  It is this misconception that lands him in sorrows and miseries.  Though he listens to discourses, goes to temple and read scriptures, his plight is miserable because he is not able to transcend his personality beyond the realm of his body and mind.   His personality is divine, vast and universal which is beyond barriers.  It transcends to infinite regions, but just because he associates himself with his mind and body, he becomes a localized personality.  He should stop mixing up of his body and mind with his unique identity.  He should realize that it is his Consciousness, illuminated by the Self that gives him the awareness of his existence.  It is this Consciousness that serves as the mind behind the mind, the hearer behind the ears, and the seer behind the eyes.  It is this consciousness that forms his true identity.  But the individual does not agree. 

A lion cub got separated from its mother in the jungle.    Having separated from its flock, it wandered here and there.  It grew up in the midst of some sheep and gradually acquired all the characteristics of a sheep.  The other sheep also accepted the lion-cub to their fold.  The lion-cub went along with other sheep seeking greener pastures.  Though, over the years, the cub grew up as a big lion, it showed only the qualities of sheep.  It was always fearful and never daring to strike.  One day, when another lion came to attack, the entire flock of sheep ran away and this lion too ran along with other sheep.  The offensive lion managed to keep abreast of this lion and asked:  “Why are you afraid?  You are also a lion just like me”.  “No, I am a sheep”, replied the defending lion.  “Look at the pond below”, the offensive lion said. “You will see your image.  Fearlessness and courage are your qualities.  Do not get identified with qualities that are not yours”.

Just as the lion does not realize its natural state, character and strength, the individual too does not realize his true natural state, the Atmaswarupa, the Self.   The Upanishad says: “You are That”.  “You are the Brahman who symbolizes the eternal reality.   The Self (Atman) within you is the manifestation of Brahman, the Supreme Power.  The Self is Knowledge- Absolute by which all your perceptions and experiences become possible. It is ever-existing and self-effulgent (Nitya Chaitanya). Realize your greatness, the Self.”

Though it would be necessary for us all to possess the Aadhaar card as proof of our identity in this material world, it would be equally necessary for us to realize our natural state, our unique identity, the pure Self, the manifestation of Brahman, which alone would liberate us to a state beyond normal identities

Ashramas

 quote 

Ashramas
Ashrama dharma is fundamental to the Hindu society. It divides man’s life into four stages and specifies what one should do in each of the stages. Historically, it was only few Brahmanas who were found to make it through all the four ashramas. Kshatriyas of yore, used to make it to vanaprastha. Vanaprastha was even more a rare case in Vaisyas.

Brahmacarya
In this stage, one does academic learning. He should go to a guru and learn what is prescribed for him. After some basic education he would move to some specialization based on his interest and performance. This is a stage of learning and celibacy (Rules in Manusmriti 2.173-249). Upanayana or initiation should happen at 5-16 years of age (Manu 2.36-40). Upon completion of study, one should take up grhastha ashrama (Manu 3.1-4).

Grhastha
Grhastha ashrama is the center stage; it is the phase where a person contributes most to the society. For this reason, the Kalpa Sutras devote an entire book Grihya Sutras, for the householder. He sustains the society, financially and otherwise (Manu 6.89-90). Unless in exceptional cases, one is not permitted to bypass this ashrama.
One is supposed to base his pursuits on Dharma, and fulfill his desires. This is a stage of fulfillment. Both purusharthas, Artha and Kama, are to be served here, based on Dharma, the first purushartha. This ensures the fourth, which is Moksha.
Grhastha should perform five sacrifices every day (panca maha yajnas), to please gods, rishis, departed fathers, fellow men, and other living creatures. One is said to be indebted to all these. One’s debts towards his departed fathers are cleared at the end of this ashrama. One is also prescribed eight activities a day, which can be classified into worshipping and pursuing profession/occupatio​n (Manusmriti chapters 3-5).
Having lived half his life, one should take up vanaprastha ashrama (Manu 5.169).

Vanaprastha
At this stage one gives his property to his heirs or donates it, goes into seclusion, and does penance. One becomes inward looking. He still contributes with his experience, through advice and teaching. Having fulfilled his desires in the previous ashrama, one is expected to win over senses and sensuous pleasures. Thus his work is also more dispassionate and detached, as he does not seek any specific result from the work. It will be for the benefit of society alone. Though one is supposed to celibate, he is not required to renounce or live alone. One can take his wife or live with any other person. One is also permitted to earn his livelihood though not to save/accumulate. But unless there is a specific need, he does not enter the city – usually people needing a vanaprasthi’s advice go to him instead of him visiting people.
One still has debts towards rishis and gods at this stage, and does teach as well as performs sacrifices to propitiate the devatas. His primary debt towards pitris is cleared as he obtains progeny and raises them in grhastha ashrama, though he continues giving oblations to pitris during vanaprastha (Manu 6.1-32).

Sanyasa
In this stage one renounces the world and detaches from his social and family relations. One should not earn in this stage, or have any material possession of his own. Whatever few attachments he has with his relations or social ambitions are also given up. Man does all work purely for moksha at this stage. Technically, a sanyasi has no debts, and lives only as long as his karmaphala remains.
In general, Brahmacarya and Grhastha ashramas are seen as Pravritti dharma. Vanaprastha and Sanyasa are nivritti dharma for man (Manu 6.33 – 86).
A person who has taken sanyasa is considered to be outside of the four varnas.

unquote

 

Agni

There are four Vedas: the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda and the Atharva Veda. You all know that the Rig Veda is our most ancient, most profound, most sacred and most hallowed scripture. In the Rig Veda you will read about Indra, the lord of the gods, who is considered the most important and most powerful of the cosmic gods. Next to him is Agni. About two hundred verses in the Rig Veda were offered to this particular god, Agni. In the Rig Veda, Agni is the first of the cosmic gods to be invoked; our Hindu scriptures start with Agni, not Indra.

About the beginning of language or the beginning of human aspiration in the form of language, we know a little. We know that there is a particular pattern that many languages followed. In Sanskrit, the mother of all our Indian languages, A is the first letter of the alphabet as it is in English. Agni is the first and foremost priest and his name starts with A. The beginning of the Rig Veda starts with a hymn to Agni, so the Vedas start with A. Now let us look very briefly at some Western languages. Hebrew begins with aleph and Greek with alpha, the same sound approximately as our A. Latin and the various romance languages derived from it also begin with the letter A. So also do the Germanic languages. In fact, probably all the languages of the Indo-European language groups begin with the sound A and many other language groups also start their alphabet with this sound.

We can be proud of our human oneness. It seems that the first sound that arose from the human consciousness at the very beginning of the awakening of the human race was the sound of ‘a’ symbolised by the letter A. When people first tried to communicate with each other, the first sound that came from their lips was undoubtedly ‘a’. Even an infant’s first cry is the sound ‘a-a-a’. So A symbolises our root sound, our source.

‘Agni’ means fire. This fire refers to the aspiring flame that rises from our inmost being; again, ‘Agni’ also refers to the fire god himself. We are all aspirants; we are all seekers of the infinite Truth. It is we who have to embody Agni, the flame of aspiration, in the inmost recesses of our hearts. We also have to grow upwards with this flame until we become the embodiment of Agni, the fire god himself.

I wish to offer you the following sloka from the Rig Veda:

Agnimile purohitam
yagyasya devamrtvijam
hotaram ratnadhatamam

Agni mile means “I adore or worship the flame, Agni.” Purohitam yagyasyameans “the priest, the household priest, of the sacrifice.” Devam means divine andrtvijam is the priest or minister who officiates at the sacrifice. Hotaram is the Summoner or the Invoker. Ratnadha means “the one who founds or establishes the jewel of ecstasy, the inner wealth, the nectar"; tamam is the superlative ofRatnadha. Ratnadhatamam is “the one who more than anyone else establishes the inner ecstasy.” So the first verse in the Rig Veda dedicated to Agni runs thus in free translation:

“O Agni, I adore Thee,
O priest, O divine minister
Who officiates at the divine Sacrifice,
Who is also the invoker, the Summoner,
Who most bestows the divine wealth upon us.”

I would like to say that translation can never do justice to these sublime and profound Sanskrit words. I use the English words ‘priest’ and ‘minister’, but I get to be excused for doing so. These English equivalents can never convey the meaning of the word rtvik, the invoker, the Summoner of the Supreme, the one who officiates at the sacrifice. Anyone who knows both Sanskrit and English will immediately feel that there is a yawning gulf between the Sanskrit words rtvik andhotaram and the English words ‘priest’ and ‘minister’ and so forth.

Let me explain a little about Agni in his role as priest. He is at once three different priests. First he is the priest who prays. He is praying on our behalf, on behalf of the earth-consciousness. Then he is the officiating priest, which resembles what we might call the minister in a church. He officiates at the divine sacrifice on our behalf. In his third aspect, Agni is the priest who bestows the divine wealth upon us. In this role, he carries our aspiration to the Highest and brings down the message of the Highest for us. He is like a spiritual Master who enters into his disciple’s ignorance, carries it up into the Highest and then brings down God’s Peace, Light and Bliss. The Master is a messenger and Agni also plays the part of a messenger. He takes our human aspiration to the Absolute Supreme and brings Divine Grace down into unlit and crying humanity.

Agni is very often associated with Indra. It is mentioned at times in the Rig Veda that Agni and Indra are twin brothers. But the one who performs the spiritual rites and religious duties most successfully is Agni. Some spiritual Masters say that Agni takes human aspiration to the Highest in the form of power, while Indra brings down Light into the earth atmosphere. Simultaneously they move; one goes up and the other comes down.

Full of divine energy and divine vigour is this lord, Agni. You will see boundless willpower within him and around him. The dynamic form of Agni is, at times, associated with Rudra, the Terrible, with the Thunder aspect of the Supreme. Rudra and Agni are friends. They go together. We see Rudra in the cosmic god Agni in his aspect of dynamic law.

According to Hindu mythology, Agni has two faces, three legs, three bodies and seven arms in the form of a swastika. He is often depicted as having a tawny beard, golden teeth and a burning tongue sticking out of his mouth. But a spiritual person, when he enters into the highest plane of consciousness, will never see Agni like that. Those descriptions are not all true on the highest level. But we have to know that an artist sees Agni from his own level of consciousness, according to his own standard, and he depicts the consciousness that he sees. Interestingly enough, even the Vedic sages who say that they have seen Agni, describe him as having two faces, a burning tongue and so forth. But they saw a particular form of Agni which was a reflection of their own individual spiritual growth.

One will see different forms of the gods, according to one’s own individual realisation. For example, when someone invokes the power aspect of Agni, then in the vital world he sees Agni with his tongue out and his hair a mass of flames. But another aspirant, invoking the benevolent aspect of the god, will see Agni as a benign, glowing deity full of luminous, compassionate power. A third aspirant, after committing some serious moral blunder in the physical plane and thinking that the god will be terribly displeased with him, meets Agni’s destructive and angry form. But the real Agni, in his highest consciousness and in his nitya rupa, or eternal form, will appear in front of a seeker in normal human form with two arms, two legs and so on. He will look tall and very beautiful.

Indian mythology says that Agni was born in Heaven and also on earth. When he was born in Heaven, the message was brought down to earth by the cosmic messenger, Matarisvan, who was none other than Agni himself in disguise. When he was born on earth, the legend goes, two sticks were rubbed together and the god Agni magically came into existence. When we are born of human parents, we do not devour them; but in the case of Agni, according to the myth, as soon as he was born, he devoured his aged parents.

Indian mythology is based on a deep undercurrent of spiritual truth, but this truth is embroidered and veiled when it is converted into charming stories and chronicles which are meant to amuse a very simple human consciousness. The Puranas are the ancient Indian epics that tell all about the gods and goddesses. They express certain deeper truths and make them accessible to the ordinary human consciousness. The real spiritual truth in the legend of Agni’s devouring his parents is this: when he came into existence, he devoured the cosmic ignorance all around him. The earth is full of obscurity, ignorance, imperfection, limitation, bondage and other undivine things. His parents were symbolic representatives of the earth-consciousness. But if you think that he devoured his own real parents, it would be a real injustice to Agni, the cosmic god.

When seen in the vital plane, Agni has seven arms in the form of a swastika. ‘Swastika’ is an old Sanskrit word that is quite often associated with Agni. Most Americans know only that the swastika was adopted by the Nazis and became the hated symbol of totalitarianism and brutal oppression. But I wish to tell you that the swastika is one of the most ancient of symbols. It is an occult symbol that has been used in both East and West. Some spiritual organisations such as the Theosophical Society, use the swastika as part of their emblem. What does the swastika mean? The exoteric meaning is good luck, prosperity and success. The esoteric significance of the swastika is inner progress, inner achievement, inner fulfilment.

The swastika is often used as a focal point for concentration, but if you do not know how to concentrate on it properly, then you will get no satisfactory results from it. The symbol is drawn in two ways. In the West it is drawn from right to left with the central figure looking like a ‘Z’ drawn backwards, with the left arm pointing upwards and the right arm pointing downwards.

In India, the central figure is usually drawn exactly opposite, looking like a ‘Z’ pointing the right way and with the right arm pointing up and the left arm pointing down.

It does not matter which swastika you use for concentration. But if you do not concentrate on it properly, it will be like looking at an ordinary picture. You have to focus your total attention on the spot where the vertical and horizontal bars cross in the centre. Then you have to feel that this is the source, the seed, the origin of your divine fulfilment, whereas the arms will be the outgrowths of that source. While concentrating on the swastika, try to keep in mind this most illumining mantra from the Rig Veda:

Agne naya supatha, raye asman;
Visvani deva, vayunani vidvan;
Yuyodhy asmaj juhuranam eno:
Bhuyistham te nama uktim vidhema.

“O Agni, O Fire God,
lead us along the right path
so that we can enjoy the fruits
of our divine actions.
You know, O God, all our deeds.
O God, take away from us all our
unaspiring and binding sins and
destroy them.
To You we offer our teeming,
soulful salutations and prayers,
to you we offer.”

Heart’s aspiration is the right path.
God’s Compassion is the genuine guidance.
The fruits of our divine actions are Peace, Light and Bliss.
Sin is the smile of self limiting bondage.
In our prayers and salutations abides God the illumining Saviour.

Agni is loved by all and sundry, irrespective of age. Sometimes you will notice that an elderly gentleman is admired and adored by his colleagues, whereas new generations find it difficult to appreciate his genius. The old and the new do not go together. But in the case of Agni, it is not like that. The second verse in the Rig Veda tells us that Agni is adored and worshipped by the ancient sages and, at the same time, by the newly-born seekers. He can please a little child and he also can please an octogenarian. A little child has desires, but he has no words in which to express them. He has no conscious aspiration; his desires are his unconscious and groping aspiration. An old man, an octogenarian, knows that desire is something that will not fulfil him. It is only aspiration that can fulfil him, so he consciously uses aspiration in his life. Both the little child and the old man want to have something which they do not have right now — the child unconsciously and the old man consciously.

The real end, the ultimate end, comes through conscious aspiration. No matter what we want to have or want to become, we must do it through aspiration. So the beginning and the ending have the same song in two different forms. The beginning starts unconsciously to achieve something more fulfilling and more satisfying. The child, owing to his ignorance, does not use the means of fulfilment in a divine way, whereas the adult applies aspiration in the proper way in order to reach the highest Truth.

In conclusion, I would like to say that Agni is a household god in the sense that Agni is cherished most in the family either to fulfil desire or to fulfil aspiration. He is called Griha Pati or Griha Swami, lord of the house. He is lord of the house and also guest of the house. He is the supreme guest. The sages felt the necessity of cherishing and adoring Agni all the time because they felt that there was no end to their aspiration and that Agni was the only answer to their aspiration. At the same time, they came to realise that the flame of aspiration could be kindled by Agni alone. We need Agni to kindle the flames of aspiration and, at the same time, we need Agni to achieve our highest realisation.

Agni is never old. He is ever young and he is being reborn every day. When we kindle the flame of aspiration early in the morning, Agni takes birth. He is a newborn babe. Then again, he is the most ancient god because he is the first priest mentioned in the Rig Veda:

O Flame! Master Strength! O Leader! You gather around you all the peoples of the world and bind them together. You burn bright in the high seat of Revelation. You bring us all the Riches.

Agni is human aspiration and divine realisation all at once. If you would like to repeat the name Agni silently a few times early in the morning, then you are bound to feel the climbing flame of aspiration within you. Please repeat ‘Agni’ most soulfully, most devotedly; then you will feel the bumper crop of divine realisation within you.

Vedas

 Vedas

There are four Vedas:

1.   Rg Veda

2.   Yajur Veda

3.   Sama Veda

4.   Atharva Veda

Each Veda has four parts

1.   Hymnal portion (mantras)

2.   Ritual portion (brahmanas)

3.   Forest teachings (aranyakas)

4.   Philosophical portion (upanishads)

They were composed around 1500 B.C.

The Rg Veda

This Veda contains about 1000 hymns or mantras.

At first glance, they appear to be poems in praise of personified natural forces.

For example, Indrais the “god” of thunder and rain.

Agni is the “god” of fire.

Usha is the “godess” of dawn.

Prithvi is the “goddess” of earth.

The first verse of the Rg Veda

Agnimile purohitam yajnasya devam rtvijam hotaram ratna dhatamam.

Agni

The Sanskrit word agni and the Latin word ignis both mean “fire”.

Agnimile can be translated as “I adore the Fire”.

The word purohita is a combination two words, pur and hitam.

pur originally meant “door”, or “gate” and later came to mean “house” or “city”.

hitam is an adjective referring to that which has been put before, or placed before.

purohitam

This word indicates that “fire” has been placed before us, implying that there is something beyond the “fire”.

Fire as a sacrificial priest must be taken as an intermediary between us and something deeper.

yajna = sacrifice

This is a word that recurs in later Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita.

yajna is derived from yaj which refers to the act of applying oneself quietly and persistently to master an art or a science through focussed attention. 

So what fire is being referred to?

It is the “fire of enthusiasm”.

Deva

This word is usually translated as “god”.

The literal meaning is “a shining one”.

deva is derived from div which means “to flash” or “to gleam” , “to vibrate”, “to sparkle.”

It later came to mean a “god” or more precisely, “one who plays with light.”

The Latin word divus and the English word divine are derived from deva.

dios in Spanish and dieu in French also can be traced back to deva. 

rtam = cosmic order

rtvijam is a combination of rtam and vijam.

vij means “to vibrate”, “to be full of ecstatic energy.”

The Latin word vigere meaning “to be strong” and the English word vigor are derived from the Sanskrit root, vij.

Thus, Fire is a luminous vibration of cosmic order.   

hotaram

The root here is hu meaning “to attack”, “to slay”, as in a battle. 

Fire is compared to a warrior.

The fire of enthusiasm slays the demon of lethargy. 

ratnadhatamam

We can break this into ratna and dhatamam.

ratna means “jewel” or more precisely, “that which shines” or “that which delights.”

dhatamam is derived from dha meaning “to bestow,” “to give” or “to create.”

Thus, the fire of enthusiasm is the bestower of delight. 

The meaning of the first verse
of the Rg Veda

We invoke the fire of enthusiasm, the gateway to higher knowledge, the slayer of the demon of lethargy and the bestower of delight.

The notion of tapas or discipline is derived from this viewpoint and is a dominant theme of the Upanishads.

The mind must rise from a lower level to a higher level through tapas.

tapas literally means “to heat” invoking again the image of agni or fire.  

Verse 1.5 of the Yajur Veda

Agne vrata pate vratam charishyami tachakeyam tanme

Radhytam idamaham nruta satyamupaimi

May Agni, the fire of our vows, inspire me to master my lower self.  May the fire grant me strength and make my effort fruitful.

Indra

Indra is said to be “the god of thunder”.

However, the meaning becomes clear when we understand that indra is that which controls the indriyas, which signify the sense organs. 

Thus, Indra really refers to the power of the mind.  The thunderbolt, is really the nerve impulse. 

Usha, Vak and Vayu

Usha represents the dawn.  Dawn is an intermediary, the ushering of light.

Vak represents the power of speech.  The Latin vox or the English voice are derived from vak.

Vayu is said to be “the god of wind” but when we analyse the hymns, we see that it signifies “the life principle.” 

Later, prana and even atman are used in the later Upanishads to signify “the life principle”.

Hymn 164 of the Rg Veda

Indram mitram varunam agni mahuradho divyah

Sa suparno garutman

Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti

They call it Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni as well as Garutman of heavenly plumage.  That which exists is One, sages call it by various names. 

Hymn 10.129 of the Rg Veda: 
The Hymn of Creation

Neither non-being nor being was as yet,

Neither was airy space nor the sky beyond;

What was enveloped? And where? And sheltered by whom?

And was there water?  Bottomless, unfathomed?

Death did not exist nor life immortal,

Nor was there any sign then of night or day,

By its inherent force the One breathed windless,

Beyond that, indeed, nothing, whatever was.

Darkness was there first hidden by darkness,

Undifferentiated surge was this whole world.

That which, becoming, by the void was covered,

That One by force of heat came into being.

In the Principle, thereupon, arose desire,

Which of consciousness was the primeval seed.

Then the wise, searching within their hearts,

Perceived that in non-being lay the bond of being.

Their ray extended light across darkness.

Was there a below?  And was there an above?

There were sowers of seeds and forces of might:

Potency from beneath and from on high the Will.

Who really knows, who could here proclaim,

Whence this creation flows, where is its origin?

The gods were born after this world’s creation.

Who therefore knows from where it has arisen?

This flow of creation, from where did it rise?

Whether it was ordered, or whether it was not.

The Observer, in the highest heaven.

That alone knows, or perhaps, … It knows it not.

Tad ekam

Tad ekam means “That One”.

No further elaboration is given.

In the third verse, tapas appears and here it literally means “heat”. 

The last three verses begin a questioning of what is meant by “knowledge” or “knowing”.

It signals that “to know something” is perhaps at a lower stage of awareness.

Hymn 8.58.2 of the Rg Veda

Eka evagnir bahudha samiddha

Ekah suryo visvam anu prabhutah

Ekaivosah sarvam idam vibhaty

Ekam vaidam vi babhuva sarvam

“One fire burns in many ways; one sun illumines the world; one dawn dispels the darkness of night; All that exists is One and It has taken all these various forms.”

Gayatri Mantra (Rg Veda 3.62.10)

Tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

Let us meditate on the glory of that Supreme that illumines everything.  May That illumine our understanding.

Unity hymn (Rg Veda 10.191.3)

Samano mantrah samiti samani

Samanam manah saha cittamesam

“Common be your prayers.  Common be the end of your assembly.  Common be your purpose.  Common be your deliberations.”

The English word “same” is derived from the Sanskrit samah which means “even, level, similar, identical”.

The Secret of the Veda
Hymns to the Mystic Fire

Volumes 10 and 11 of the Collected Works of Sri Aurobindo.