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Brief Description |
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The hymns of the Rig Veda are considered the worlds oldest scriptures
and most important of the Vedas. There are
10,552 mantras or hymns organized into ten mandalas or circles of which
the second through the seventh are the oldest and the tenth is the most
recent. Rigveda means the Veda of Adoration and mostly contains verses
adoring or adulating deities. The gods are seen as personifications of
nature-power. These gods are supposed to have been thirty-three in
numbers. Each of the Gods had a primary function, or Vrata. Usually
these functions were closely connected to the forces of nature such as
light, fire and heaven, which in turn followed the cosmic order (rta0 of
the universe. The demons of darkness and chaos, headquartered under the
earth, arrayed their power against the righteousness of the gods. In
this dualistic approach, the demons sought to disrupt the system of
nature, therefore practicing anrta.
About two-thirds of Rigveda is about the powerful Indra (Ruler of the
gods). He is the god of war and weather. He is frequently referred to as
the eka deva, or "one god". Agni, the fire-god is considered a messenger
of the gods. Agni descends from darkened clouds as lightning, shines on
the world as the sun, and manifests in the flames of the sacrifice.
Through the sacrificial offering, Agni served as the messenger between
the gods and man, and the correct performance of this important ritual
could beneficially reward the devotee. Varuna and Mitra, are the gods of
the night and day sky. Surya the sun-god is referred to as the eye of
Varuna and rides through the sky on his chariot led by his twin sons,
the Asvins who represent his rays; Ushas the dawn is his wife. Other
Rigvrdic gods include Rudra, Varuna, the Maruts and the Ribhus. There
are references to a divine creeper, the Soma, whose juice was an
energizer. It is said that the gods first accepted human incarnations
and were mortals. But by drinking the juice from the Soma creeper, they
became immortal. Some of the gods are warriors, while others are priests
Indra is the leader of the warriors, and Agni is the leader of the
priests.
The Rig Vedic gods live in different homes: Heaven, air and earth.
Heaven is the home of Vishnu, Varuna, Surya, Mitra and a few others. The
atmospheric region is for Indra, Rudra, the Maruts and others. Agni and
Brhaspati are considered to be terrestrial gods.
That these gods are personifications of divine qualities: Vishnu,
the Preserver, is the all-embracing consciousness and divine compassion. Indra is illumined, dynamic life-force. Agni is spiritual aspiration and
inner will-power. Rudra is divine power and the fighter against
ignorance, but at the same time compassion and peace. Surya is the light
of illumination and liberation.
In modern opinion,
"The Rig Veda embodies the earliest monument of India's aspiration and
realization. India's poetry, India's philosophy, India's literature,
India's religion and India's science all owe their very existence to Rig
Veda, which was their source. The Rig Vedic seers are the teachers of
mankind. The Rig Vedic gods are the saviours of mankind. The teachers are
teaching the world the message of Light and Truth. The saviours are
healing the uninspiring, blind and deaf world, and championing the
genuine seekers. The Rig Vedic seers are the builders of Hindu culture
and Hindu civilization. They represent the dawn of Hindu inspiration and
the noon of Hindu aspiration. They offer to the world at large the
ultimate meaning of religion. According to them, religion is the inner
code of life. In each religion is a love-branch of the Truth-Tree. The
Rig Vedic gods tell us to accept life with love, enjoy life with
renunciation and fulfil life with surrender to the Will of the
Absolute."
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