CHAPTER V The Philological Method of the Veda NO interpretation of the Veda can be sound which does not rest on a sound and secure philological basis; and yet this Scripture with its obscure and antique tongue of which it is the sole remaining document offers unique philological difficulties. To rely entirely on the traditional and often imaginative renderings of the Indian scholars is impossible for any critical mind. Modern philology strives after a more secure and scientific basis, but has not yet found it. In the psychological interpretation of the Veda there are, especially, two difficulties which can only be met by a satisfactory phi

CHAPTER XIII Dawn and the Truth USHA is described repeatedly as the Mother of the Cows. If then the cow is a Vedic symbol for the physical light or for spiritual illumination the phrase must either bear this sense that she is the mother or source of the physical rays of the daylight or else that she creates the radiances of the supreme Day, the splendour and clarity of the inner illumination. But we see in the Veda that Aditi, the Mother of the gods, is described both as the Cow and as the general Mother; she is the Supreme Light and all radiances proceed from her. Psychologically, Aditi is the supreme or infinite Consciousness, mother of the gods, in opposition

THE FOURTEENTH HYMN TO AGNI A HYMN OF THE FINDER OF LIGHT AND TRUTH [The Rishi declares Agni as the Priest of the sacrifice, the slayer of the powers of Darkness, the finder of the world of the Sun of Truth, of his radiant herds and of his luminous waters; he is the seer in us who is increased by the clarities of right thought and speech.] Awaken the Flame by the word that affirms him, kindle high the Immortal; let him place our offerings in the godheads. Him in their pilgrim sacrifices mortal men desire and adore, the divine, the immortal, who is strongest for sacrifice in the human creature. Him, the godhead, man's contin

PART FOUR OTHER HYMNS HYMN IN PRAISE OF INDRA I.5 "But approach, but sit down, sing out towards Indra, O friends who bear the burden of the psalm." स्तोम (stoma). From स्तु (stu) to establish firmly. Stoma is the psalm, the hymn of praise; it is the expression in the potency of speech of those qualities in the Lord of Mental Force, — or whatever other Master of being is praised, — which the sadhaka is either calling to his aid or aspires to bring out in his own being and activity. The expression of a quality in inspired and rhythmic speech tends by the essential nature of Mantra to bring forward and establish in habitual ac

THE SEVENTH HYMN TO MITRA-VARUNA V.68 THE LORDS OF THE GREAT FORCE [Because they hold the great battle-force of the Truth, Mitra and Varuna lead us to the vastness of that Truth. By that force they rule all imperially, contain the Truth's clarities and their powers are manifested in all the godheads. Therefore should they put forth their power in these godheads for the human possession of the great felicity and wealth of the Truth in earth and heaven. They reach the Truth by the Truth; for they have its discernment full of the impulsion that goes straight to the knowledge; therefore they increase divinely without falling into the harms of

CHAPTER XVIII The Human Fathers THESE characteristics of the Angirasa Rishis seem at first sight to indicate that they are in the Vedic system a class of demi-gods, in their outward aspect personifications or rather personalities of the Light and the Voice and the Flame, but in their inner aspect powers of the Truth who second the gods in their battles. But even as divine seers, even as sons of Heaven and heroes of the Lord, these sages represent aspiring humanity. True, they are originally the sons of the gods, devaputrāḥ, children of Agni, forms of the manifoldly born Brihaspati, and in their ascent to the world of the Truth they are described as ascending b

THE TWENTY-SECOND HYMN TO AGNI A HYMN OF THE JOURNEY TO THE PERFECT JOY [Man, the eater of things, seeks a fulfilment of his desires in a final equality of delight. To this end he has to be purified by the divine Flame, the Seer-Will who holds in himself the conscious vision and the utter rapture. By increasing him in us we shall journey forward with our progressing sacrifice and the gods will utterly manifest themselves. We must entertain this divine Force as the master of our house, our physical and mental body, and give it all the objects of our enjoyment as its food.] Man who seekest thy equal fulfilment in all, sing as the enjoyer of th

THE EIGHTH HYMN TO MITRA-VARUNA V.69 THE HOLDERS OF THE LUMINOUS WORLDS [The Rishi invokes Mitra and Varuna as the upholders of the worlds or planes of being, especially the three luminous worlds in which the triple mental, the triple vital, the triple physical find the light of their truth and the divine law of their powers. The strength of the Aryan warrior is increased by them and guarded in that imperishable law. From the luminous worlds the rivers of the truth descend with their yield of bliss. In each of them a luminous Purusha fertilises a form of the triple thought- consciousness of the Truth; these, which make the luminous day of the soul,

VIII VAYU, THE MASTER OF THE LIFE ENERGIES Rig-veda IV.48 Do thou manifest the sacrificial energies that are unmanifested, even as a revealer of felicity and doer of the work; Vayu, come in thy car of happy light to the drinking of the Soma-wine. Put away from thee all denials of expression and with thy steeds of the yoking, with Indra for thy charioteer come, O Vayu, in thy car of happy light to the drinking of the Soma- wine. The two that, dark, yet hold all substances, shall observe thee in their labour, they in whom are all forms. O Vayu, come in thy car of happy lig

CHAPTER VIII The Ashwins — Indra — the Vishwadevas THE third hymn of Madhuchchhandas is again a hymn of the Soma sacrifice. It is composed, like the second before it, in movements of three stanzas, the first addressed to the Ashwins, the second to Indra, the third to the Vishwadevas, the fourth to the goddess Saraswati. In this hymn also we have in the closing movement, in the invocation to Saraswati, a passage of clear psychological significance, of a far greater clarity indeed than those that have already helped us to understand the secret thought of the Veda. But this whole hymn is full of psychological suggestions and we find in it t