In an exclusive glimpse into our rich heritage, Aruneswar Gupta unravels the meaning of the opening text from the ancient RigVedas.
RigVeda is considered to be the first human text ever composed or written. The Vedas are revelations of a supreme spiritual knowledge. In last few centuries, especially during the British period efforts were made to understand these ancient texts. Most of them failed miserably to do any justice to the Vedic knowledge. Their attempt to literally translate these texts without the deeper understanding of the Vedic tradition, and not following the special training and practices required to invoke the manifold meanings of these verses produced translations and meanings which were far removed from what the Vedic Rishis had meant to reveal.
The First Rig of the first Sukta of the first Mandal of Rig Veda consists of six words
‘agnimeeLey purohitam yagyasya devamritvijayam, hotaram ratnadhaatamam ‘…
AgnimeeLay
The first word is a compound of two words: 1) Agni or Energy – there are three sources or channels of energy – Sun, Fire and Chakras… and 2) Eeley – would mean pray or call upon by giving aarck to Sun (offering through water), chanting mantras and yagya performing before fire (offering through ghee, aahutei and shalokas ) and meditation for initiating, activating and moving the energies in and through the chakras (directing thoughts and emotions)
Purohitam
This second word would mean that, which is placed in front for receiving, holding, distributing and giving back… It’s like the counter of a bank, where you give a cheque, the bank takes to cheque to the right account where it is holding the money, the account holder gives the money, which the banks carries back and gives it to the person who had given the cheque…
Now applying it to the three forms of Agni… by offering aarck to the Sun and reciting the Surya mantra 12 forms of Sun Energy, which the Sun receives and gives back as fame by empowering those forms or relationships… by performing yagya, the fire holds the vibes of the mantras and carries the vibes of the mantras to respective divine beings devtas or for whom they are chanted (mantras are the food for the divine, more the mantras for a divine, the more powerful the divine is), distributes them to that divine and in return collects the fruits which are given by the divine and gives them back to the performer of yagya, as victory or wealth…the meditation on the chakras activates the chakras, which results in the initiation of dormant energy in kundalini and the movement of the energies results in the activation of the chakras and the recipient becomes possessor of some siddhi or bliss in return…
Yagyasya
The third word would mean ‘in, during or by the process of Yagya’, yagya for Sun would be offering aarck to the Sun, (different timing and different mantras will have different results) and reciting the Surya mantra, including aditya hridya raksha stotra Yagya, with or before fire would be by chanting of mantras for the divine deity for whom the mantras are chanted. Yagya for or using the chakras would be through cleansing, pranayam and meditation – regulation and moving the life energy in the body and the chakras…
Devmritvijayam
The fourth word is made up of three words – devam+ ritu + vijayam – Devas are the angles or deities or divine beings who bestow the benefits for which they are empowered and when the recipient performs the yagya for the purpose… its like cabinet ministers holding key to different departments… Ritu is a beautiful, powerful and deep rooted word and would mean seasons, that which comes into existence by movement of earth round the Sun and dependent on true dharma or of perfected laws of nature, which we continue to decipher… Ritu for yagya would mean the perfect procedure and correct phonetic pronunciation of the mantras and Ritu for meditation would mean the exact step by step procedure for cleansing, pranayam, meditation, regulating and moving the life energies in the body and chakras any error does not yield the desired results… vijayam would mean victory, success or accomplishment. Vijayam would mean fame which the recipient gets by offering aarck to the Sun, it would mean victory and wealth which yagya with fire provides (world bankers are Jews and fire worshipers) and siddhi, power to co-create, ecstasy, bliss that the meditation on chakras provide…
Hotaaram
The fifth word would mean happening because of some effort or action or karma… it would also mean the logical result that comes out of some doing or doing something… here it would mean the result that takes place by giving aarck to Sun, the result of performing yagya with fire and the result of doing meditation on the chakras… Remember Sun, Fire and Chakras are all purohits (the second word of this Rig) or that which is placed in front for receiving, holding, distributing and giving back the cosmic energy, the real source…
Ratnadhatmam
The Sixth and the last word consists of two words ‘Ratna’ which would mean wealth, that which has trading value, is shinning, revels and exhibits brilliance and would also mean giver of happiness, joy or delight. Wealth by itself has no value, the possession of wealth however provides the confidence or capacity to spend at will and exchange others fruits of karmas and the result of spending wealth gives, (depending upon one’s own gunas or attitude) a deep sense of achievement or success. Knowledge of all sciences, art, wisdom, any form of skill or talent, etc. are also Ratna.
‘Dhatmam’ has its root in ‘Dhatri’ the receiver and possessor or the one who gets, receives and continues to keep. Ratnadhatmam would mean she/he who becomes the beneficiary, recipient and possessor of ratna or having potentiality to enjoy the fame, which one receives (hotaaram at it happens) by offering or giving aarck to Sun and would mean she/he who becomes the beneficiary, recipient and possessor or having potentiality to enjoy the power, victory, wealth, property, worldly fortunes etc. which one receives by performing yagya and chanting mantras for the devtas of her/his choice and would also mean she/he who becomes the beneficiary, recipient and possessor or having potentiality to enjoy the bliss, use siddhi for healing, prediction, channeling or other metaphysical powers of co-information and co-creativity etc. which one receives by meditating on the chakras.
Complete interpretation
Pray, initiate and meditate, the Sun, Fire and Chakras, the law abiding, logical and reasoned (respectively); distributor, receiver, holder and channel of the divine energy of fame, victory/ wealth and bliss resulting in continued existence of health, prosperity and wisdom for the performer of yagya..
The author is the President, Law Consults in New Delhi. He is also President, Hindu Heritage Pratishthan and President, Global Political Alliance.
