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RigVeda
A RigVedic deity, 4 of 1028 hymns contained in the Rigveda Samhita - called the Mandala Krama, consisting of 10 Mandalas or 'books' of hymns and mantras from the Shakala school - are dedicated specifically to Vishnu. According to these, Vishnu alone upholds all existence (1.154.4); has supreme power (1.156.4); created other gods such as the fire-god Agni and the sun-god Surya, possesses the highest knowledge, upholds the earth (7.99.1-4); and is the foremost and strongest of the gods (7.100.3).

According to the RigVeda Aitareya Brahmana - consisting of explanations of sacrificial ceremonies from the Shakala school - Vishnu is sacrifice, is alone responsible for the success of sacrifices (1.3.15); covered and claimed all existence for the gods in three steps (6.3.15; RigVeda, e.g.  1.22.17; see also Vamana); and, as quoted below, occupies the highest place of all the gods:"Agni, among the gods, has the lowest, Visnu the highest, place; between them stand all the other deities."

Black Yajur Veda: Taittiriya Brahmana
"When the completion of yajna does not happen in a year (samvatsara) then everything is not stable. Then one has to seek the grace of Vishnu (Vamana) by performing a special rite on the ekadashi day. Yajna means Vishnu (worshipping Vishnu). They perform yajna only for stabilising. They depend on Indra and Agni. Indra and Agni give the abode for Gods (devas). Devas only seek shelter in them and only depend on them."

Black Yajur Veda: Taittiriya Aranyaka
"Just as a burning faggot, while remaining of one shape, puts on various shapes owing to some external causes, so also the multiplicity of the Supreme Atman is due to the illusion of names and forms. So, it is only by way of manifesting Himself in these illusory names and forms that the Lord must have desired to be born. These names and forms residing in the Atman spring forth into manifestation in all variety from the Atman, the Lord, in their due time and place, subject to the Karma of the (sentient beings in the) universe. It is this daily differentiation of names and forms from out of Vishnu which the sruti represents as Brahman becoming manifold, and which is like a juggler (mayin, magician) putting on manifold forms."

The Taittirīya Upanishad consists of the 6th, 7th, and 8th chapters of the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka ('book of the forest'); the Upanishad itself is a mukhya ('primary' or 'principal') Upanishad, listed within in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads. In the above quote, it is clearly stated that Vishnu is the 'Supreme Atman' (unchanging ultimate reality), which 'due to the illusion of names and forms' is the source of all existence.

The Vedangas
The Vedangas...

Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra
"Sri Vishnu who is the lord (of all matters), who has undefiled spirit, who is endowed with the three Gunas although he transcends the grip of the Gunas (i.e. Ganatita), who is the Author of this Universe, who is glorious, who is the Cause and who is endowed with valour has no beginning. He authored the universe and administers it with a quarter of his power. The other three quarters of Him, filled with nectar, are knowable to (only) the philosophers (of maturity)...

Lord Vishnu coupled with Sri Sakti rules over the three worlds. Coupled with Bhoo [Bhuh] Sakti, He is Brahma causing the Universe. Coupled with Neela Sakti, He is Siva, destroying the universe."

Kanda 14, Adhyaya 1, Brahmana 2
The context of this verse is in relation to a Pravargya ritual, where clay/earth is dig up, fashioned or 'spread out' into three pots or vessels (Mahâvîra) symbolising the head of Vishnu, and baked in a fire altar.

Verse 2: Refers to readying a black antelope skin which 'is the sacrifice'. The hairs face upwards as they represent the Vedic Meters, and thus the clay pots are symbolically prepared 'on the metres'. SB 1.1.4.1-2 explains that this skin is used 'for completeness of sacrifice' in relation to the story of a sacrifice that 'escaped the gods' and became a black antelope before being found and stripped of its skin to continue. The same section also explains that the white and black hairs on the skin represent the verses of the Rig and Sama Vedas, while any brown or yellow hairs represent the YajurVeda.

Verses 3-6: The spade used to dig up the earth/clay 'is a thunderbolt, and the thunderbolt is vigour'. The spade is made of either Undumbara wood (Indian Fig tree) and thus 'is strength', or Vikankata wood (Flacourtia sapida) and thus 'is a sacrifice'. The same verses explain that the Vikankata tree was generated from the first sacrifice of the creator-god Prajapati after He 'cleansed (his hands)' with water (repeated in SB 6.6.3.1; water is stated to purify in SB 1.1.1.1). SB 12.7.1.9 explains that the Undumbara tree was created from the vitality of Indra after he drank Soma (a Vedic ritual drink).

Verses 7-8: Quotes a formula invoking the gods Savitri, Pushan, and the twin Asvins to state about the spade: 'thou art a woman'. SB 6.3.1.39 explains that 'the spade is a thunderbolt, and the woman is a female, and the female injures no one: he thus appeases it so as not to do any injury'. Further:


 * Savitri 'is the impeller (Prasavitri) of the gods' (i.e. for success in ritual sacrifice; SB 5.3.5.8, 5.5.4.30, 6.3.1.13-15, 6.3.1.38, and 6.4.1.1), the sun and all the seasons (SB 4.4.1.3), and is the same as Prajapati (SB 12.3.5.1). Additionally, SB 6.3.1.13-15 states Savitri is the impulse and the mind, so the sacrificer 'thereby harnesses the mind for this work, for with unharnessed mind one cannot now do anything' (here it is also stated that the gods are the vital airs).
 * Pushan 'is the distributor of portions' (i.e. of sacrifice; SB 3.9.4.3), has the speed of and is the wind (SB 3.8.1.38, 14.2.1.9 [the Pravargya is also the wind], and 14.2.2.32), the earth (SB 6.3.2.8), wealth and the lord of wealth (SB 11.4.3.15), cattle (SB 3.9.1.12; cattle means wealth/prosperity and sacrifice in SB 3.1.4.14, a home in 1.8.2.14, and productiveness in 5.2.5.8), and repels evil (SB 12.6.1.8).
 * The Asvins 'are the Adhvaryus [Vedic Priests] of the gods' (SB 8.2.1.3).

Verse 9: In digging up a lump of clay with the spade, refers to the head of Vishnu ('the sacrifice') being cut off, His blood ('life-sap') flowing into the earth and sky, and the pots ('Mahavira') being made of that earth and water (from the sky) to complete the sacrifice. The sacrificer also states that the vessels are 'Makha's head' and 'the head of the sacrifice... on the Earth's place of divine worship'. In the same verse it is explained that Makha is the sacrifice. Further:


 * Makha (sacrifice) 'indeed, is the same as Vishnu' (SB 14.1.1.13)
 * The Mahavira pot is named after the epithet of Vishnu, 'Great (maha) Hero (vira)', exclaimed by the gods after He was decapitated by His bow, in SB 14.1.1 ('The Pravargya'). The story given is that 'the gods Agni, Indra, Soma, Makha, Vishnu, and the [ Vi svedevas], except the two Asvins, perfo rmed a sacrificial session', which was first attained by Vishnu, hence 'he became the most excellent of the gods'. Upadika ants then agreed with the other gods to gnaw at the bowstring of Vishnu while He rested his head on the Bow, in exchange for the boon to 'find water even in the desert' (as 'all food is water'). The Gharma (hot beverage offered as an oblation) is named after the sound of Vishnu's head hitting the ground (which 'on falling became yonder sun'), and 'inasmuch as he [Vishnu] stretched out (pra-vrig) on the ground, therefrom the Pravargya (took its name)'. The body of Vishnu is encompassed by Indra, who possessed by His glory 'became Makhavat (possessed of makha)'. Vishnu is then divided into three parts, with Agni receiving the morning-portion, Indra the midday-portion, and the Visvedevas the third portion.

Verse 10: An ant-hill is put on the skin in reference to ants producing the clay and water from the 'life-sap' of Vishnu by decapitating him (as above). This act is completed with the formula 'the firstborn of the world', explained that 'the firstborn of this world, doubtless, is the earth...'

Verse 11: Earth the size of a span (vitasti; the width of 12 fingers) 'torn up by a boar' is taken with the formula 'Only thus large was she in the beginning' (i.e. of creation). The story given is that (emphasis added) 'A boar, called Emûsha, raised her up, and he was her lord Prajapati: with that mate, his heart's delight, he thus supplies and completes him [Prajapati]'.

 
 *  'Emûsha'  is listed by Eggeling as Prajapati raising 'the earth (his wife)'. SB 5.1.3.9- 10 states 'Pragapati (the lord of generation) represents productiveness... the male means productiveness'; R. Dalal also notes that the term 'Prajapati' is also used to denote those who generate or produce (e.g. offspring), such as 'the Prajapati' Kasyapa (see Kurma). In the Puranas, the personified Earth (e.g. Bhudevi) is referred to as the consort or wife of Varaha (see Varaha). As stated by A.B. Keith, the name 'Emûsha' does seem to originate from the (untranslatable) word  'emu ṣam' ('emusham'; 'ravening' or 'fierce'), which occurs only once in RigVeda 8.66.10 (along with 'varaha', meaning 'boar'):

"10 All these things Viṣṇu brought, the Lord of ample stride whom thou hadst sent- A hundred buffaloes, a brew of rice and milk: and Indra, slew the ravening [emuṣam] boar [varaha]."


 * Soma, used Vedic ritual sacrifices, seems to the focus of Hymn 8.66 as Indra becomes powerful having drank 30 pails of Soma in verse 4 (similar to the Undumbara tree story in SB 12.7.1.9), wants to increase the 'Brahmans' strength' in verse 5, and Vishnu is mentioned in regards to a hundred buffaloes ('śataṃ mahiṣān') and a brew of rice and milk in verse 10, which relates to Soma production. SB 12.8.1.1-2 relates the story of of Indra restoring his vitality with buffalo-milk and Sura-liquor ('the Soma-drink'), and gives the formula 'By their devotions the buffaloes quicken the sacrifice' with the explanation that 'buffaloes, doubtless, are the officiating priests' (of sacrifices). Indra is also called 'the deity of the sacrifice... [the] Bestriding buffalo' (SB 3.3.4.18), and the earth is called a 'mahishi', meaning 'buffalo-cow' (SB 6.5.3.1).
 * The Boar was produced by the gods when they put a pot of ghee (clarified butter made from milk) on a sacrificial fire, 'hence the boar is fat... Hence also cows readily take to a boar: it is indeed their own essence (life-sap, blood) they are talking to' (SB 5.4.3.19, discussed below; notably, the personified Earth as Prithvi and Bhudevi - lifted by Varaha - is symbolised as a cow). The vicious boar (durvaraha) is also stated to be an unclean animal (SB 11.4.1.4).



Metaphors and Symbolism

 * 'He who is about to enter on the vow, touches water... The reason why he touches water is, that man is impure on account of his speaking untruth; and because by that act an internal purification (is effected),--for water is indeed (sacrificially) pure' (1.1.1.1).
 * 'Now sacrificial grass means water, and the rainy season also means water' (2.2.3.11).