-03_A Retrospect of Vedic Theory (1).htm CHAPTER II A Retrospect of Vedic Theory VEDA, then, 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 expression which in our modern habits would be inadmissible. The wisest then depended on inner experience and the suggestions of the 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. Indian tradition has faithfully preserved this account of the

THE ELEVENTH HYMN TO AGNI A HYMN TO THE DIVINE PRIEST AND SACRIFICIAL FLAME [The Rishi hymns the birth of the wakeful and discerning sacrificial Flame who is vision and will-power, the seer whose passion of effort turns into a divine knowledge, in the heavens of mind. This seer-will the inspired words of the Thought have to increase. It is a thing of puissance, the Son of Force, and found by the ancient Souls of luminous puissance concealed in the growths of earth, in all the experiences that the soul here seeks to enjoy.] The protector of the creature is born, the Flame that is wakeful and perfect in discernment, for a new march to felicity. Hi

THE NINTH HYMN TO MITRA-VARUNA V.7O THE INCREASERS OF BEING AND DELIVERERS [The Rishi desires the wide and multiple fostering of our being and its powers which Varuna and Mitra give and their complete impulsion of our strength towards the perfect foundation of the divine status. He prays to them to protect and deliver him from the Destroyers and prevent their adverse control from impairing the growth of the godhead in our various sheaths or bodies.] Multiple indeed by the wideness¹ is now your fostering of our being, O Varuna. O Mitra, I would enjoy your perfect- mindedness. You are they who betra

Hymns to the Lords of Light THE FIRST HYMN TO MITRA-VARUNA V.62 THE LORDS OF THE THOUSAND-PILLARED HOME OF TRUTH AND BLISS [The Rishi hymns the eternal and immutable Truth of which the Truth in mutable things is the veil; that is the goal of the journey of the manifested Sun of divine knowledge; it is the eternal unity of all things that are and the supreme Divine of which the Gods are various forms. Into it unite all the wealth of being and knowledge and power and bliss won by the sacrifice. It is the large vastness of the wide purities of Varuna and of the shining harmonies of Mitra. There, eternally stable, dwell the herds of th

THE FIFTH HYMN TO MITRA-VARUNA V.66 THE GIVERS OF SELF-RULE [The Rishi invokes Varuna, the vast form of the Truth, and Mitra the beloved, godhead of its harmonies and large bliss, who conquer for us the perfect force of our true and infinite being, to change our imperfect human nature into the image of their divine workings. Then the solar Heaven of the Truth is manifested within us, its wide pasture of herding illuminations becomes the field of journeying of our chariots, the high thoughts of the seers, their purified discernment, their rapid inspirations become ours, our very earth becomes the world of that vast Truth. For then there is the

XI THE RIBHUS, ARTISANS OF IMMORTALITY Rig-veda 1.20 Lo, the affirmation made for the divine Birth with the breath of the mouth by illumined minds, that gives perfectly the bliss; Even they who fashioned by the mind for Indra his two bright steeds that are yoked by Speech, and they enjoy the sacrifice by their accomplishings of the work. They fashioned for the twin lords of the voyage their happy car of the all-pervading movement, they fashioned the fostering cow that yields the sweet milk. O Ribhus, in your pervasion you made young again

THE FIFTEENTH HYMN TO AGNI A HYMN OF THE DIVINE UPHOLDER AND CONQUEROR [The Rishi hymns the Divine Will as the Seer and the Mighty One, the upholder of the Bliss and the Truth, by which men attain to the supreme-seated godheads. He breaks leonine through an army of opposers, sees and confirms for man all the possible births and manifestations of the soul, forms in him the secret superconscient plane and by knowledge delivers him into that vast beatitude.] To the Seer and Ordainer who is the object of knowledge I bring the offering of the Word, to the glorious and victorious, to the pristine and supreme. He is the Mighty One accomplished in joy wh

THE SIXTH HYMN TO MITRA-VARUNA V.67 THE TWIN UPHOLDERS AND PROTECTORS [Mitra and Varuna perfect the vastness of the superconscient being which is the object of sacrifice; they possess the full abundance of its force. When they reach that luminous origin and home, they give men, labourers in the sacrificial work, its peace and bliss; on the way to it they protect the mortal from his spiritual enemies who would stand in the way of his immortality; for they keep firm to their higher workings and to the seats of the higher consciousness to which those workings belong and to which man rises in his ascent; universal and all-knowing they destroy these e

THE TWENTY-SIXTH HYMN TO AGNI A HYMN OF THE PRIEST AND SACRIFICIAL FLAME [The Rishi invokes the Divine Flame in all its usual attributes as the sacrificer.'the luminous seer who has the vision of the luminous world, the bringer of the gods, the carrier of the offering, the envoy, conqueror, increaser of the divine workings in man, the knower of the Births, the leader of the march of the sacrifice with its progressive epiphany of the godheads.] O Flame, O purifier, bring to us by thy tongue of rapture, O god, the gods and offer to them sacrifice. Thou who drippest the clarity, thou of the rich and varied luminousness, we desire the

THE TWENTY-THIRD HYMN TO AGNI A HYMN OF THE RICH AND CONQUERING SOUL [The Rishi desires through Agni that opulence of the divine Light against which the armies of darkness cannot stand; for it overpowers them by its plenitude and force. This it does on all the successive planes of the soul's labour and in each of them man gets, by this divine Force that is the true and transcendent Being, all the objects of his desire that they contain.] Bring to us, O Strength most forcefully prevailing, that forceful opulence of the Light which in all the fields of our labour shall by force prevail with thy mouth of flame to enter into the plenitudes.