Context: Indus Script decipherment. Māyābheda sukta (RV 10.177.1-3) and hieroglyph components from mAhAvIra, gharma pot in pravargya prefacing agniṣṭōma अग्निष्टोम Soma yajna

Context: Indus Script decipherment. Māyābheda sukta (RV 10.177.1-3) and hieroglyph components from mAhAvIra, gharma pot in pravarya prefacing agniṣṭōma

Soma yajna

Hieroglyph components from Mahavira (gharma) Pravargya pot signifying 'face, mouth, nose' are read rebus as muha~ 'iron castings' (Santali) on Indus Script inscriptions, pointing to Vedic Soma yajna tradition continuum evidenced by metalwork during the Bronze Age evidenced by Indus Script Corpora from ca. 3300 BCE. The context is: Māyābheda sukta (RV 10.177.1-3) and the uniquely designed Mahavira pot used in Agniṣṭoma. In a rica RV 1.164.31, Rishi di_rghatama_ aucatthya repeats the rica which appears in RV 10.177.3. Both the rica are a prayer to the Sun. "According to the Asvalayana Srauta Sutra IV.6, Mantra ||2|| of this Rigvedic hymn is the inviting verse of the immolated to Vac (speech), and is used in the parvargya rites along with Mantra ||3||. Mantra ||1|| does refer directly to the Sun." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayabheda The expression used in RV 10..177.1 is significant: asurasya māyayā. This expression can also be interpreted in the context of metalwork by Assur and their extrordinary metallurgical competence as iron smelters and as sun worshippers. spiritual , divine RV. VS. AV. The epithet m. pl. N. of a warrior-tribe , (g. prince of the warrior-tribe Asura asura

-

1 [p= 160,3] mf(ई)n. (fr.

),

f. is also associated with Devi Sarasvati. , q.v.)(Monier-Williams, p.121) āsura

A

N. of the preceptor of the Asuras, Sukrāchārya. -

2 the planet Venus. bell-metal.(Apte. Samskritam) The gloss may also relate to Assur 'iron smelters' and to 'sun'. [p= 811,1] mfn. ( √3. ) measuring (» - °) f. art , wisdom , extraordinary or supernatural power (only in the earlier language)(Monier-Williams) http://www.royalasiaticsociety.org/site/files/Part%203%20%20Aryans%20and%20Nomads.pdf

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After Fig. 2 Gandhara grave culture (Ghalegay V period) face urn from Zarif Karuna near Peshawar, now in the Islamabad Museum.Source: Parpola, Asko, The face urns of Gandhara and the Nasatya cult in: Asko Parpola, ed., Migration, trade and peoples Part 3: Aryans and Nomads, London, British Assn. for South Asian Studies, British Academy, pp. 149-162. "The parallelism in the head symbolism between the gharma vessel in the cult of the As'vins -- the 'possessorsof horses' -- and the face of the urn of the Gandhara Graves appears not to be just a coincidence...the conspicuous three-dimensional 'nose' of the later face urns has a counterpart in the gharma vessel. The Satapatha Brahmana (14.1.2.17) describes the preparation of the gharma vessel thus: 'He then takes a lump of clay and makes the Mahavira (pot) with (the mantra), 'For Makha thee! for Makha's head thee!...a span high, for the head is, as it were, a span high; -contracted in the middle, for the head is, as it were, contracted in the middle. At the top he then draws it out (unnayati) (so as to form) a spout (mukham 'mouth') of three thumb's breadths 2

(high); he thereby makes a nose (nAsikam) to this (Mahavira, or Pravargya).' It is true that the description does not exactly match the making of the face urns of the Gandhara Graves, but it is remarkable that the gharma pot alone of all the vessels described in the Vedic literature is expressly told to have a 'nose'. It is also true that the Satapatha Brahmana is the only Vedic text to mention this 'nose', and although its present redactions are younger than the texts of the Black Yajurveda, it goes back to an earlier version and its contents in some respects differ entirely from all the other texts. That it can well have preserved ancient traditions prevalent among the Kanvas is quite likely on the basis that one of the two redactions belongs to the Kanvas. The 'nose' of the face urn and the gharma pot should have some specific function, and it indeed is meaningful when considered in the context of the As'vin cult...Comparing the gharma vessel with the cinerary urn of the Gandhara Grave culture implies that there should be a close relationship between the gharma rite and the funeral. I think such a relationship does indeed exist. According to the Rigveda, the gharma rite was instituted by Atri and offered by his descendants out of gratitude to the As'vins, because these had saved Atri from the distress of the rbIsa pit. It was the As'vins who had first given the hot gharma drink to Atri while saving him, so the gharma rite imitates the service rendered by the As'vins. I am arguing that the Atri legend reflects the Atri clan's initial adoption of the cremation burial and the associated cult of the As'vins as funeral deities, who revive the dead by means of their drink of heated milk. These funeral practices new to them the Atris took over from the Kanvas, with whom they established friendly relations while setting in Gandhara." (pp.156-157). Asko Parpola goes on to relate nas- 'nose' to NAsatya, an extrapolation which may be a stretch.

Assuming that the Zarif Karuna (near Peshwar) pot is rebus-metonymy layer signifying muha~ 'iron ingot' (Santali), both the prominent 'nose' hieroglyph and the 'face' hieroglyph on the pot can be explained as cognate signifiers,

Focus on nose, face, mouth on Zarif Karuna pot In one stream of the Indian sprachbund lexis one set of glosses relate to mukha, the semantics relate to face, mouth; in another stream the entries relate to muk 'nose'. A simple explanation can be offered for the prominence of the 'nose' in gharma or Pravargya clay pot.

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The rebus reading of mu~h 'face' and mu~h 'ingot' has been notd. The cognates for mu~h face in languages of Indian sprachbund: Ta. muka (-pp-, -nt-), mukar (-v-, -nt-), mō (-pp-, -nt-) to smell; mōppam smell; nose (DEDR 4886) Ta. mukam face, mouth; Ka. moga face, mouth; Go. (G. Ma.) mukam, (M.) mukum id. (Voc. 2861); (A. S. Ko.) mokom id (Voc. 2972). Konḍa mokom id.;Kuwi (Su. P. Isr. F.) mūmbu, (S.) mūmbū, (Mah.) mūkā id. (DEDR 4889) Ko. mu·k nose, funnel of bellows; mu·kn man with long nose; fem. mu·ky. To. mu·k nose (in songs); Koḍ. mu·kï nose. Tu. mūku, mūgu, mūṅku nose, beak; Ta. mūkku nose, nostril, beak, nose-shaped part of anything; Te. mukku nose, beak, end, point, tip. Kol. muŋgaḍ,(Kin.) mukk, (SR.) mukku nose (DEDR 5024) Allograph: See frogs on the Dong Son Bronze drums: Kur. mūxā frog. Malt. múqe id. / Cf. Skt. mūkaka- id. (DEDR 5023) If the rebus reading was the same as in Santali muha~ (as an Autro-asiatic gloss of Indian sprachbund), the message conveyed by the bronze-smiths of Dong Son can be interpreted: that iron castings are also part of the supercargo conveyed together with the bronze drums. Hieroglyph: múkha n. ʻ mouth, face ʼ RV., ʻ entrance ʼ MBh.Pa. mukha -- m.; Aś.shah. man. gir. mukhato, kāl. dh. jau. °te ʻ by word of mouth ʼ; Pk. muha -- n. ʻ mouth, face ʼ, Gy. gr. hung. muy m., boh. muy, span. muí, wel. mūīf., arm. m , pal. mu', mi', pers. mu; Tir. mū ʻ face ʼ; Woṭ. mū m. ʻ face, sight ʼ; Kho. mux ʻ face ʼ; Tor. mū ʻ mouth ʼ, Mai. m ; K. in cmpds. mu -ganḍ m. ʻ cheek, upper jaw ʼ, mū -- kāla ʻ having one's face blackened ʼ, rām. mūī˜, pog. mūī, ḍoḍ. m ʻ mouth ʼ; S. m m. ʻ face, mouth, opening ʼ; L. m m. ʻ face ʼ, awāṇ. m with descending tone, mult. m m. ʻ head of a canal ʼ; P. m m. ʻ face, mouth ʼ, m m. ʻ head of a canal ʼ; WPah.śeu. mùtilde; ʻ mouth, ʼ cur. m ; A. muh ʻ face ʼ, in cmpds. -- muwā ʻ facing ʼ; B. mu ʻ face ʼ; Or. m ʻ face, mouth, head, person ʼ; Bi. m ʻ opening or hole (in a stove for stoking, in a handmill for filling, in a grainstore for withdrawing) ʼ; Mth. Bhoj. m ʻ mouth, face ʼ, Aw.lakh. muh, H. muh, m m.; OG. muha, G. m h n. ʻ mouth ʼ, Si. muya, muva. -- Ext. - l or -- ll -- : Pk. muhala -- , muhulla -- n. ʻ mouth, face ʼ; S. muhuro m. ʻ face ʼ (or < mukhará -- ); Ku. do -- maulo ʻ confluence of two streams ʼ; Si. muhul, muhuna, mūṇa ʻ face ʼ H. Smith JA 1950, 179.; -- -- ḍ -- : S. muhaṛo m. ʻ front, van ʼ; Bi. (Shahabad) mohṛā ʻ feeding channel of handmill ʼ. -- Forms poss. with expressive -- kkh -- : seemúkhya -- . -- X gō ā -s.v. *mucchā -- .mukhará -- , múkhya -- , maukhya -- ; *mukhakāṣṭha -- , *mukhaghāṭā -- , mukhacandra -- , *mukhajāla -- , *mukhanātha -- , mukhatuṇḍaka -- , *mukhatuttikā -- , *mukhadhara -- , mukhaśuddhi -- , *mukhahāra -- , mukhāgra -- , *mukhāñcala -- , *mukhānta -, *mukhāyana -- ; amukhá -- , abhimukhá -- , āmukha -- , unmukha -- , *nirmukha -- ; adhōmukha -- , ūrdhvamukha -- , kālamukha -- , gṓmukha -- , caturmukha -- , *paścamukha -- , valīmukha -- , śilīmukha -- , saṁmukhá -- , *sāṁmukha -- , sumukha -- .Addenda: múkha -: WPah.kṭg. (kc.) m (with high level tone) m. (obl. -- a) ʻ mouth, face ʼ; OMarw. muhaṛaü ʻ face ʼ.(CDIAL 10158) Rebus: mũh ‘ingot’ (Munda) m ʻ opening or hole (in a stove for stoking, in a handmill for filling, in a grainstore for withdrawing) ʼ (Bihari)(C IAL 101 )mleccha-mukha (Skt.) copper; milakkha (Pali) mu hu face (S.); rebus: mu ha ‘smelted ingot’ mũh opening or hole (in a stove for stoking, in a handmill for filling, in a grainstore for withdrawing)(Bi.)] 4

An example of 'human face' hieroglyph component in a hieroglyph-multiplex (hypertext)

Cylinder seal: lion and sphinx over an antelope The depiction of a bull’s head together with an antelope is significant and recalls the association of bull’s head with oxhide ingots. The antelope looking backwards is flanked by a lion (with three dots at the back of the head) and a winged animal (tiger?)

m1186A Composite animal hieroglyph See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/05/backbone-of-indus-script-corporatin.html Face: muh, m 'face': face of an ox as shown on a cylinder seal; or human face as ligatured to a composite animal Arguments of Dennys Frenez and Massimo Vidale The arguments of Dennys Frenez and Massimo Vidale are framed taking the example of a 5

Mohenjo-daro seal m0300 with what they call 'symbolic hypertext' or, 'Harappan chimaera and its hypertextual components':

m0300. Mohenjo-daro seal.

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Harappan chimaera and its hypertextual components. Harappan chimera and its hypertextual components. The 'expression' summarizes the syntax of Harappan chimeras within round brackets, creatures with body parts used in their correct anatomic position (tiger, unicorn, markhor goat, elephant, zebu, and human); within square brackets, creatures with body parts used to symbolize other anatomic elements (cobra snake for tail and human arm for elephant proboscis); the elephant icon as exonent out of the square brackets symbolizes the overall elephantine contour of the chimeras; out of brackes, scorpion indicates the animal automatically perceived joining the lineate horns, the human face, and the arm-like trunk of Harappan chimeras. (After Fig. 6 in: Harappan chimaeras as 'symbolic hypertexts'. Some thoughts on Plato, Chimaera and the Indus Civilization (Dennys Frenez & Massimo Vidale, 2012)

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Deux représentations du dieu Soma http://www.anthropologieenligne.com/pages/sacrificeI_2.html (Note: No literary source has been cited for this identification).

The RV Sukta 10.177 is also called Māyābheda Sukta; devata is Māyābheda in Pravargya yajna. The full text of the Sukta, transliteration, translation (based on Sayana and Wilson) are appended. After gharma is taken out of the furnace hot milk is offered to As'vins. The prayer is offered on three consecutive days preceding the upasad; gharma or mahavira pot and implements used are carried in procession to uttaravedi and buried there. gharma or ukhA Mahavira vessel is the head of Makha, head of the yajna and is the sun, the all-seeing eye. SBr. (14.1.1-5) explains: "The ods, Agni, Indra, Soma, Makha, Vishnu and the Vis've DevAh perform a sacrificial session that whoever amongst them through austerity, fervour, faith, sacrifice and oblations would first encompass the end of the sacrifice would be the most excellent amont them and the glory should then be common to them all. Vishnu obtained it." Our all-encompassing hero (mahAn VIrah) has fallen... Dadhyanc AtharvaNa knew...how the head of the sacrifice is put on again...Dadhyanc AtharvaNa with a horse's head taught them (As'vins) the sweet (secret)(SB. 14.1.1.11-18, 25). The decapitated divinity in Tandya Brahmana is Makha. Taittiriya Aranyaka calls him Makha Vaishnava. Vishnu is the sacrifice; Makha is Vishnu. (SB 14.1.1.6; SB 14.1.1.13). Dadhyanc's horse's head was submerged in S'aryaNAvat. (RV 1.84.14). (See: Kramrisch, Stella, 1975, The Mahavira vessel and the plant Putika, in: Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 95, No. 2 (Apr-Jun 1975), pp. 222-235). Deux représentations du dieu Soma RV 1,0 4.14a icchann aśvasya yac chiraḥ parvateṣv apaśritam | RV_1,084.14c tad vidac charyaṇāvati || RV 1.84.14: Wishing for the horse's head hidden in the mountains, he found in S'aryan.a_vat. Ekamukha linga seen in Bhuteshwar next to a smelter and tree (kuTi 'tree' rebus: kuThi 'smelter') may be comparable to the mukha seen on gharma, Mahavira pot. [p= 693,2] m. a ceremony introductory to the into a heated vessel called ,

-

or

sacrifice (at which fresh milk is poured

, or into boiling ghee) Br. S3rS. MBh. &c n. N. of

a A1rshBr (Monier-Williams) gharma The ceremony A cauldron, boiler.Sunshine; A cavity in the earth shaped like a boiler. -A hot day. Ved. A sacrifice. pravargyḥ

A ceremony preliminary to the Soma sacrifice;

Rām.1.14.4; Bhāg.3.13.37. (Apte. Samskritam)

(p. 0843) [ pravargyamu

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] pra-vargyamu. [Skt.] n. A certain ceremony or sacrifice.

. pra-vargyuḍu. n. An officiating priest.

.

r.s.i: patan:ga pra_ja_patya; devata_: ma_ya_bheda; chanda: tris.t.up, 1 jagati_ RV_10,177.01a pataṅgam aktam asurasya māyayā hṛdā paśyanti manasā vipaścitaḥ | RV_10,177.01c samudre antaḥ kavayo vi cakṣate marīcīnām padam icchanti vedhasaḥ || RV_10,177.02a pataṅgo vācam manasā bibharti tāṃ gandharvo 'vadad garbhe antaḥ | RV 10,177.02c tāṃ dyotamānāṃ svaryam manīṣām ṛtasya pade kavayo ni pānti || RV_10,177.03a apaśyaṃ gopām anipadyamānam ā ca parā ca pathibhiś carantam | RV 10,177.03c sa sadhrīcīḥ sa viṣūcīr vasāna ā varīvarti bhuvaneṣv antaḥ || 10.177.01 The wise behold their mind; (seated) in their heart the Sun made manifest by the illusion of the asura; the sages look into the solar orb, the ordainers (of solar worship) desire the region of his rays. [Illusion of the asura: asurasya = the supreme Brahma devoid of all disguise; aktam ma_yaya_ = united, to knowledge, all-knowing]. 10.177.02 The Sun bears the (sacred) word in his mind the Gandharva has spoken it, (abiding) within the womb; sages cherish it in the place of sacrifice, brilliant, heavenly ruling the mind. [Sacred word: va_k: the three Vedas;Taittiri_ya Bra_hman.a 3.12.9: in the morning the deity moves in the sky with the hymns of the R.k, he abides at noon in the Yajurveda, at his setting he is extolled with the Sa_maveda; the sun moves accompanied by the three Vedas; gandharva: from gah (voices), and dhr. (to hold) = the breath of life]. 10.177.03 I beheld the protector (the Sun), never descending, going by his paths to the east and to the west; clothing (with light) the (four) quarters of heaven and the intermediate spaces, he constantly revolves in the midst of the worlds.

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Excerpts from a blogpost in Manasatarangini: [quote] In the great pravargya ritual the mAhAvIra pot containing the milk of a cow and a goat, i.e. the gharma offering, is intensely heated until it starts glowing. When the pot starts glowing the hotar looks at it starts reciting the sUkta RV 10.177 (In some traditions in south India they only recite RV 10.177.1 & 3). This sUkta is traditionally referred to as the mAyAbheda sUkta. Regarding this the sUkta the shaunakIya R^igvidhAna redacted by the early vaiShNava viShNukumAra states: pata~Ngam iti nityam tu japed aj~nAna bhedanam | mAyA bhedanam etaddhi sarva mAyAH prabAdhate || He should constantly do japa of the [mantra-s beginning with] pata~Nga that destroys ignorance. It is breaks the [spell of] mAyA and drives away all mAyA. shAmbarIm indrajAlAm vA mAyAm etena vArayet | adR^iShTAnAm cha sattvAnAm mAyAm etena bAdhate || RVdh 4.115-116 By this he should block mAyA be it of the shambara or the indrajAla variety; By this he repulses the mAyA of the unseen ones and of the consciousness. This prayoga is interesting because it uses the term shAmbarI in the sense of a magical prayoga, which is closer to its use in the sense we encounter it in the temporally later tantra texts. But of course the mAyA of shambara has a very old precedence, primarily in a negative sense, in the R^igveda itself: tvaM divo bR^ihataH sAnu kopayo .ava tmanA dhR^iShatA shambaram bhinat | yan mAyino vrandino mandinA dhR^iShach ChitAM gabhastim ashanim pR^itanyasi || RV 1.54.4 You shook the pinnacle of the high heavens; with your own valor you rent apart shambara, when exhilarated with the flowing soma juice you battled with the sharp, radiating thunderbolt those wielding mAyA. This might be compared to the mAyA of other dAnava-s and dasyu-s like vR^itra: indro mahAM sindhum AshayAnam mAyAvinaM vR^itram asphuran niH | arejetAM rodasI bhiyAne kanikradato vR^iShNo asya vajrAt || indra threw down vR^itra who sprawled across the great sindhu: both the celestial hemispheres trembled in terror of the manly warrior’s vajra when he roared. On the other hand the mAyA of indra and other deities is clearly praised in the R^igveda: maho mahAni panayanty asyendrasya karma sukR^itA purUNi | vR^ijanena vR^ijinAn sam pipeSha mAyAbhir dasyUMr abhibhUty ojAH ||

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[The ritualists] express wonder at the great deeds of this great one, the numerous glorious acts of indra; Through his might the surpassed the mighty, of unsurpassed might, with his mAyA powers he pounded the dasyus. ... mAyAbheda sUktam (RV 10.177): pata~Ngam aktam asurasya mAyayA hR^idA pashyanti manasA vipashchitaH | samudre antaH kavayo vi chakShate marIchInAm padam ichChanti vedhasaH || vipaShchitaH = seers, plural subject; manasA= by their mind, instrumental; hR^idA= by heart, instrumental of hR^id; pata Ngam bird, singular object; aktam anointed; asurasya asura’s, genitive singular; mAyayA= by mAyA; singular instrumental; pashyanti= see, 3rd person plural present, parasmai. samudre= in ocean, locative; antaH= inside; kavayaH= kavi-s, vocative plural; vi chakShate= 3rd person singular present, atmane; marIchInAm= rays, genitive plural; padam= station, accusative singular; vedhasaH= ritualists; plural subject; ichChanti= 3rd person plural present, parasmai. Here the terms vipashchit, vedhas and kavi all refer to the ritualist-mantra composer-sages who are participating in the rite. The seers see with their minds and with their heart the bird anointed with the mAyA of the asura; O kavi-s, from within the ocean he shines forth, the ritualists seek the station of [his] rays. Here the pata Nga, by vaidika metaphor, is the sun and he is “anointed” with rays by the mAyA of the asura who is none other than the deva savitA (Indeed hiraNyastUpa A~Ngirasa praises savitA thus: vi suparNo antarikShANy akhyad gabhIravepA asuraH sunIthaH | RV 1.35.7a. The golden eagle, lit up the mid-regions, the one from the wavy depths, the good asura). Even when not visible he shines from within the ocean. The meditating on him the ritualists seek the “station” of his rays, which could figuratively mean the illumination of his rays. This effectively is parallel to the image presented by the famed sAvitrI R^ik of vishvAmitra that used in the saMdhyA ritual, where in the rays of the deva savitA are sought to illuminate the mind of the meditator. This connects to the fact that one of the prime deities of the gharma offering is savitA (the deva-s offered the gharma are: ashvin-s, vAyu, indra, savitA, bR^ihaspati and yama). ………. pata~Ngo vAcham manasA bibharti tAM gandharvo .avadad garbhe antaH | tAM dyotamAnAM svaryam manIShAm R^itasya pade kavayo ni pAnti || pata~NgaH= singular, subject; vAcham= holy utterance/incantation, object; manasA= singular instrumental; bibharti= bears, 3rd person singular present, parasmai; tAM= that, accusative feminine; gandharvaH=subject; avadat= uttered, 3rd person singular past, parasmai, garbhe= in the womb, locative singular, antaH= inside;

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tAM= that, accusative feminine, dyotamAnAM= radiant; svaryam= celestial; manIShAM= mental creation, i.e., incantation, object; R^itasya= of the R^ita, genitive; pade= in the station, locative; kavayaH=kavi-s, nominative plural; ni pAnti= take in [literally drink in], 3rd person plural present, parasmai. The bird holds the incantation (vAk, the holy utterance) in the mind; the gandharva had uttered within the womb. That radiant, celestial incantation the kavi-s take in at the station of the R^ita (i.e. the universal laws). Here the bird, i.e., the sun is said to hold the incantation, which is uttered by the gandharva within the womb, which represented by the world hemispheres. But for the ritualist the external sun is also homologized with the “light” of mental enlightenment; hence the synesthetic metaphor of the sun holding it in the mind. This enlightenment leads to the utterance of the mantra-s within, which is expressed by the metaphor of the gandharva [For an explicit statement of this internal homology see below]. The gandharva here is the sun as indicated in other R^igveda mantra-s such as: Urdhvo gandharvo adhi nAke asthAd vishvA rUpA pratichakShANo asya | bhAnuH shukreNa shochiShA vy adyaut prArUruchad rodasI mAtarA shuchiH || RV 9.85.12 High to the zenith as the gandharva risen, beholding all these varied forms. His rays have shone widely with brightness: the pure one has lit both the worlds, the parents. This gandharva also specifically relates to the gandharva-s invoked at the pravargya after the mahAvIra pot is finally disposed. Here the ritualists as a chorus utter a series of yajuSh incantations which include the formulae: rantir nAmAsi divyo gandharva | tasya te padvad dhavirdhAnaM | agnir adhyakShA | rudro.adhipatiH || you are ranti by name, the celestial gandharva, the havirdhAna is your foot messenger, agni your president, rudra is your overlord ! vishvAvasur abhi tan no gR^iNAtu | divyo gandharvo rajaso vimAnaH | yad vA ghA satyam uta yan na vidma | dhiyo hinvAno dhiya inno avyAd | prAsaM gandharvo amR^itAni vochad | (prAnA vA amR^itAH ||) vishvAvasu, proclaim it to us, the celestial gandharva who measures out the heavens. Whether we know the truth already or not, he who has impelled our inspired intellect also have these thoughts inspired. The gandharva has proclaimed he immortal one. The prAna-s are immortal. Thus, the mantra-s of the mAyAbheda sUkta are closely related to the inspiration that is received as result of the rite which is supposed to be proclaimed by the celestial gandharva. The gandharva in Vedic tradition has a mysterious nature and can take possession of individuals during which he can make revelations via the possessed medium. This relates to the earlier R^ik where the sun(bird) is said to be covered by mAyA, thus making it fit to be described as a gandharva. Like the possessing gandharva-s, the solar gandharva-s ranti and vishvAvasu confer knowledge to the ritualists. This is what is alluded to when they are described as drinking the gandharva’s proclamation at the seat of the universal laws. This seat of the R^ita is in essence the 13

ritual arena – the uttaravedi which is homologized with the universe. Indeed the incantation used in the pravargya when he sets down the mahAvIra pot at the conclusion of the ritualist utter the formula: chatuHsraktir nAbhir R^itasya | (iyam vA R^itam | tasyA eSha eva nAbhiH |) Quadrangular is the center of R^ita. This [the uttaravedi] is the R^ita; the pravargya is its root. ………. apashyaM gopAm anipadyamAnam A cha parA cha pathibhish charantam | sa sadhrIchIH sa viShUchIr vasAna A varIvarti bhuvaneShv antaH || apashyaM= saw; 1st person singular past, parasmai; gopAm= guardian, object; anipadyamAnam=never resting; A cha parA cha= northern and southern (eastern and western); pathibhiH= paths, instrumental; charatam= moving; sa= he; sadhrIchIH= approaching; viShUchIH= departing; vasAnaH= clothes [ or in this context taking on appearances], singular nominative; A varIvarti= revolves, 3rd person singular, parasmai; bhuvaneShu= in worlds, locative plural; antaH= inside. I saw the never-resting guardian, moving along the northern and southern [eastern and western] paths. He, in his approaching and departing apparitions (or: clothing the sadhrIchI= antarikSha and the viShuchI= dyaus [with his rays]), continually revolves in midst of the worlds. The taittirIya AraNyaka explains: apshyaM gopAM ity Aha | prANo vai gopAH | prANam eva prajAsu vi yAtyati | “apashyaM gopAM ity Aha | asau vA adityo gopAH | sa hiimAH prajA gopAyati | tam eva prajAnAM goptAraM kurute || “I saw the guardian” so he recites. The guardian is the prANa. [If he meditate thus] he has the prANa flowing into all reproducing life. “I saw the guardian” so he recites. The yonder Aditya is the guardian for he guards all this reproducing life. [If he mediates thus] he makes a protector for all life forms. This explanation establishes clearly the duality that is implied in these mantra-s i.e. homologizing of the external sun with the internal prANa which is also described as a bird (e.g. the haMsaH). It also holds for the rest of the R^ik: Both the prANa and the sun are seen as neverresting. The paths taken by the sun might be interpreted as the rising and the setting (i.e. eastern and western). But we prefer the explanation of the northern and southern paths because traditionally these are the two paths or ayana-s of the sun. The eastern and western one are part of the same path after all. The prANa is similarly seen as having the inhalation and exhalation as its two paths. The sadhrIchIH and viShUchIH in the case of the sun might be interpreted as the visible apparition during the day with the bright clothing or the invisible one at night with the dark clothing. However, it is has also been connected with water – i.e. the one which draws water away from the earth and the one which supplies waters in the form of the rains. The inward prANa similarly is dry and the outward one is wet. Finally like the sun is seen as revolving within the world, the prANa is seen as constantly revolving within an organism.

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………. This shows that the Hindu tradition of meditative practices connecting the observation of the prANa with the celestial solar movement or penetration by solar light (as seen in the daily saMdhyopAsanA) was also related to the mantra-s in the context of the pravargya ritual. Moreover it also became clear to us that the mAyAbheda sUkta is closely linked to the pravargya rite and was most probably composed precisely for that rite. However, the mAyA and asura in this context are meant in a largely positive sense as that of savitA. The mystery of this mAyA may be seen as being discerned by the ritualists who realize the homologies between the prANa and sUrya. It was only later in the vidhAna tradition that the mAyA acquired a negative connotation. Even latter the advaitin-s interpreted it in the sense they understood mAyA. [unquote] https://manasataramgini.wordpress.com/2013/07/02/the-mayabheda-sukta/ S. Kalyanaraman Sarasvati Research Center August 28, 2015

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