Thread by @DefiledGod

-- Devī Sūkta of Rg Veda—

Vāk Ambhrāṇi is the goddess of speech. No sādhaṇa is performed without Vāk as basis. As all actions require chanting of mantra, praise of Brahman in the form of stuti etc, Vāk is the basis of all senses used in action. So, Vāk proclaims her glory+

ahaṃ rudrebhirvasubhiścarāmyahamādityairutaviśvadevaiḥ
ahaṃ mitrāvaruṇobhā bibharmyahamindrāgnīahamaśvinobhā

[I move with the Rudras, Vasus, Adityas and the Vishvadevas. I support both Mitra and Varuna, both Indra and Agni, and the two Aśvins]+

#Vedas #Hinduism

Rudras preside over senses & mind that move towards objects. Aditys preside over the 12 months & are called so as they move (adadanah). Vasus preside over fire, earth etc as in these all wealth is placed. So vāk, "moves" with the gods, ie, helps them execute their functions.+

Mitra, Varuna, Indra, Agni and the two Aśvins are gods who have acquired their powers and rulership on account of upāsaṇa which is again only possible by speech, ie, stotra or praise of Brahman. Next, vāk declares how she makes people attain such glory+

ahaṃ somamāhanasaṃ bibharmyahaṃ tvaṣṭāramutapūṣaṇaṃ bhagam

[I support Soma which is pressed out and Tvaṣṭa, Pusan and Bhaga (who partake of Soma)]+

#Hinduism #Vedas #RgVeda #DeviSuktam

ahaṃ dadhāmi draviṇaṃ haviṣmatesuprāvye yajamānāya sunvate

[I give wealth (object of desire) to performer of the sacrifice, ones attendant on the sacrifice (sadasyas), the ones for whom the sacrifice is performed (yajamāna) and the offerer of the fruit of the sacrifice]+

She thus clarifies that by virtue of her role in making sacrifices successful, she enables these gods to attain their positions and do functions. She is thus one of the Saktis of Lakshmi. So far, these were wordly puruṣārthās. Now, she declares her role in gaining brahma-jñāna+

ahaṃ rāṣṭrī saṃgamanī vasūnāṃ cikituṣī prathamāyajñiyānām

[I am the ruler of the jīva, gatherer of wealth (for the self) of knowledge of the Vedas, knower (of Brahman) via praise, foremost among those worthy of worship (as pratīka or symbol for brahmopāsaṇa).]+

tāṃ mā devā vyadadhuḥ purutrābhūristhātrāṃ bhūryāveśayantīm

[The upāsakās (devā) have dispersed me variously (by different brahmavidyās), having many stations (ie, the different forms of Brahman), causing me to enter abundant (auspicious attributes).]

#Hinduism

“purutrā” - Brahmavidyās are meditations on Brahman of the form of praise of many forms of Brahman (bhūristhātrāṃ), hence speech. Auspicious qualities of those forms are described (bhūryāveśayantīm), again speech only. Next, vāk summarizes her indispensibility for everyone+

mayā so annamatti yo vipaśyati yaḥ prāṇiti ya īṃśṇotyuktam

[He who eats food (experiences sense objects), who discerns (the self through jñāna yoga), who sustains himself on Brahman, ie, jñānīs (prāṇiti), who hears utterances (of the guru, does so through me alone.]+

jñānīs refer to both bhakti yogīs and prapannās. The last upāya is Acārya abhimāna, which again requires vāk to learn from and offer obeisance to the Acārya.+

#Hinduism #Vedas

amantavo māṃ ta upa kṣiyanti śrudhiśruta śraddhivaṃ te vadāmi

[Even the sinless liberated ones abide in me (to experience Brahman). Hear me, those capable of hearing! I speak to you (vyāsa, parāśara), who are trustworthy!]

"mantu” - having faults. “amantava” – sinless.+

“śraddhivaṃ” - Vyāsa, Parāśara whose words are believed by everyone to be the absolute truth (sa ho vāca vyāsah pārāśaryah – Taittiriya Araṇyaka I.9). Vāk Devī appeals to them to vouch for what she says, since others will then believe her.+

#Hinduism #Vedas #RigVeda

ahameva svayamidaṃ vadāmi juṣṭaṃ devebhirutamānuṣebhiḥ

[I alone can speak all this by myself since others require my grace to speak, for which I am loved or worshipped by both the nitya sūrīs (deva) and the ones here competent to meditate on Brahman (mānuṣebhiḥ).]+

When Vāk Devī says that she speaks this by herself, it means she directly depends only on Brahman for her prowess in speech, whereas others wishing to eulogize Brahman require her grace as well (or, require the grace of Brahman through her)+

#Hinduism #Vedas #SanatanaDharma

yaṃ kāmaye taṃ tamugraṃ kṇomi tambrahmāṇaṃ taṃ ṣiṃ taṃ sumedhām

[I make whomsoever I desire most powerful (a possessor of wealth). I make him attain the position of Brahmā, a Rishi or seer of Vedic mantras and a knower of the self.]+

#Hinduism #Vedas

ahaṃ rudrāya dhanurā tanomi brahmadviṣe śarave hantavāu

[I stretch the bow (praṇava) for the mind absorbed in Brahman (Rudra), that its’ arrow (concentrated meditation) kills lust, the hater of the self]+

#Hinduism #Vedas #SanatanaDharma #RigVeda

Rudra” refers to the mind. Bri.Up says that the 10 senses and mind can be called as Rudras. Here, it can mean “rudam dadāti” – mind that bestows good by being absorbed in Brahman. The bow and arrow refer to Mundakopaniṣad’s analogy of praṇava and meditation on the Atman.+

Act of stretching bow-string symbolizes placing Atman with senses & mind towards paramātma & withdrawing them from sense-objects. Or, drawing bow can mean reflecting on Seṣa-Seṣi bhāva. Can only be done by praise of Lord, ie, stotra or vāk. So she says she bends bow for mind+

ahaṃ janāya samadaṃ kṇomyahaṃ dyāvāpthivī āviveśa

[I excite the senses (janāya) by the experience of Brahman (arising from such meditation). I have entered forms of Brahman in earth (vibhavās, arcā, antaryāmi) and forms in the celestial world (vyūhās)]+

#Hinduism #Vedas

ahaṃ suve pitaramasya mūrdhan mama yonirapsvantaḥ samudre

[I manifest the Cause (pitaram) at the summit of this yoga (samādhi). My abode (yoni) is in the waters which signify the subtle elements constituting the senses, (abiding) in the embodied self (antah samudre).]+

tato vi tiṣṭhe bhuvanānu viśvotāmū dyāṃvarṣmaṇopa sprśāmi

[From there, I extend towards all abodes (of Brahman) and also reach the Supreme Abode with my measure or extent.]

“bhuvanān” – abodes of forms of Lord like heart lotus, sun, milky ocean etc.+

#Hinduism #Vedas

ahameva vāta iva pra vāmyārabhamāṇā bhuvanāni viśvā

[I alone, like the wind, breathe forth, ie sustain all those who meditate on Brahman, reaching all abodes (forms of Brahman)]+

paro divā para enā pthivyaitāvatī mahinā saṃ babhūva

[I have become so great, possessing greatness in the form of vibhūtīs such as distinguishing truth and false, right and wrong etc., that I am beyond or most celebrated by the Supreme Abode and by this Saṃsāra]+

#Vedas

Sanatkumāra tells nārada that without speech, one cannot distinguish right from wrong, truth from falsity, good from bad etc. Hence, vāk is said to sustain all beings, just as the wind sustains all. +

divā” and “prithvi” can mean celestial region and Earth, or moksha-sthāna and Saṃsāra as well. “para” means “beyond” in the sense of “most celebrated” both of which imply vāk is held in high regard.

This concludes Devī Sūkta of Rg Veda. Shubh Navarātri.//