Rişhi: Kutasĥ Angirasaĥ

MANTRA (1.114.1): LET ALL BE NOURISHED AND DISEASEFREE

To the mighty Rudra with braided hair,

Who destroys the foes, we offer these songs of praise;

In this way both the two-stationed and four-stationed persons are happy,

All the members of this community are well-nourished and free from disease.

imā rudrāya tavase kapardine

these, to Rudra, mighty, one with braided hair,

kşhayat vīrāya pra bharāmahe matiĥ

destroyer, (heroic) foes, offer, mindful songs,

yathā sham asat dvipade chatuşhpade

in this way, happiness, happen, two-stationed, four-stationed,

vishvam puşhţam grāme asmin anāturam

all (living beings), nourish, community, this (our), free of disease.

Details:

Two-stationed: persons thinking only of the place here and hereafter.

Four-stationed: persons who have developed the four planes or sheaths, the physical, vital or prāņa, the mental and the supramental svar.

kapardine: one with braided hair or one having fear-causing appearance; Rudra is the father of the Maruts who are capable of terrific work but also have a fear-causing appearance.

kşhayat vīrāya: destruction of the psychological foes who are always strong.

MANTRA (1.114.2): BRING US THE SUPREME BLISS

O Rudra, be gracious to us and bring us the supreme bliss, ānanda;

O destroyer of foes, may we serve you with obeisance or surrender;

The well-being and the capacity for warding-off evil won by yajňa by our father Manu,

May we obtain these two benefits under your guidance.

mŗļā no rudra uta no mayaĥ kŗdhi

gracious, us, Rudra, and, us, bliss, do or bring,

kşhyat vīrāya namasā vidhema te,

destroy, the foes, with obeisance or surrender, serve, you,

yat sham cha yoĥ cha manuĥ āyeje

which, happiness, and, warding-off evil, and, Manu, won by yajňa,

pitā tat ashyāma tava rudra praņītişhu.

father, that, obtain, your, Rudra, your guidance.

Details:

yoĥ: to ward-off or remove evil or other bad tendencies.

MANTRA (1.114.3): RUDRA GIVES HAPPINESS EASILY

By the worship of the Gods, may we obtain your grace,

O Rudra, showerer of gifts and destroyer of foes;

You grant happiness to all persons who (merely) wish for it;

May we with uninjured heroes bring you offerings.

ashyāma te sumatim devayajyayā

obtain, your, gracious mind, the worship of the Gods,

kşhayat vīrasya tava rudra mīdvaĥ;

destroyer, of foes, your, Rudra, showerer (of gifts),

sumnāyannit visho asmākam āchara

by merely wishing for happiness, all persons, our, bring or grant,

arişhţa vīrā juhavāma te haviĥ.

uninjured, heroes, give or bring, you, offerings.

Details:

The idea is that Rudra offers happiness for devotees who merely wish for it. The devotee feels he is getting the gift without any self-effort.

MANTRA (1.114.4): THE ANGER OF GODS

The luminous Rudra, seer and performer of yajňa,

Him we incessantly invoke for protection;

He destroys foes by clever methods;

We pray for his grace.

tveşham vayam rudram yajňasādham

luminous, we, Rudra, performer of yajňa,

vanktum kavim avase nihvayāmahe;

., seer, protection, invoke incessantly,

āre asmad daivyam heļo asyatu

far, our, of Gods, anger, remove or throw,

sumatim it vayam asya āvŗņīmahe.

grace, ., we, his, seek or pray for.

Details:

An ordinary person does so many actions unconsciously and thus indirectly shows disrespect to the cosmic forces. Any unconscious act has a reaction, termed here as the anger of the cosmic power or God. Rudra, by his pressure, makes the human being learn his mistakes and thus minimizes the effects of man's unconscious acts.

vanktum: one who shows round-about or clever paths. The idea is that he destroys the demonic foes who follow crooked paths by his clever ways.

MANTRA (1.114.5): SECURE HOME

Him with brilliant light, braided hair, and luminous form

We invoke from heaven incessantly with obeisance.

Bearing in his hands excellent medicaments

May he grant us a secure home and an armour of health and happiness.

divo varāham aruşham kapardinam

heaven, one with brilliant light, shining, one with braided hair,

tveşham rūpam namasā nihvayāmahe

luminous, form, with obeisance, invoke incessantly,

haste bibhrat bheşhajā vāryāņi

in the hands, bearing, medicaments, excellent,

sharma varma chchhardiĥ asmabhyam yamsat.

health and happiness, armour, secure home, us, grant or vouch safe.

Details:

varāham: varam + aham, supreme + day or light. No need to bring in the purāņic story of the boar incarnation.

chhardiĥ: secure home; a psychological shelter which provides protection from the psychological foes or demons.

MANTRA (1.114.6): HE IS MOST SWEET AMONG ALL

To Rudra, the father of Maruts are theses hymns sung;

He is most sweet among all sweet persons, and increases (his power) in the seeker;

O immortal one, grant enjoyment to us, mortals;

Be gracious to me, to children and grand-children;

idam pitre marutām uchyate vachaĥ

this, father, Maruts, sang, hymns,

svādoĥ svādīyo rudrāya vardhanam;

sweeter, among the sweet, for Rudra, increaser,

rāsvā cha no amŗta marta bhojanam

give, to us, immortal, mortal, food or enjoyment

tmane tokāya tanayāya mŗļa.

to me, to sons, grand-children, give happiness.

Details:

toka, tanaya: progeny. This is important for the rişhi for preserving the wisdom given by his teachers.

MANTRA (1.114.7): HARM US NOT

Harm not the great ones or the little ones amongst us;

Harm not the begetting ones or the begotten ones;

Harm not our father or mother;

Harm not the bodies of persons dear to us.

mā no mahāntam uta mā no arbhakam

not, us, great, or, not, us, small or children,

mā na ukşhantam uta mā na ukşhitam

not, us, begotten, not, us, begetting,

mā no vadhīĥ pitaram mā uta mātaram

not, us, harm, father, not, also, mother,

mā naĥ priyās tanvo rudra rīrişhaĥ.

not, us, dear, bodies, Rudra, harm.

Details:

Rudra is the force behind evolution. He wants all beings to progress in all ways and applies the necessary force on individuals. For persons steeped in tamas or ignorance, this force necessarily causes pain to the seeker or to his near ones. Thus this tamasic seeker prays, 'Do not harm my dear ones'.

MANTRA (1.114.8): YOUR WRATH

Harm us not in our children and grandchildren,

Not in our men, nor in our cows or steeds;

Slay not our heroes in your wrath, O Rudra;

We invoke you ever more with offerings

mā naĥ toke tanaya mā na āyo

not, us, sons, progeny, not our,

mā no goşhu mā no ashveşhu rīrişhaĥ

not, us, cows, not, us, steeds, harm,

vīrān mā no rudra bhāmito vadhīr

(our) heroes, not, us, Rudra, wrath, slay,

havişhmantaĥ sadamit tvā havāmahe.

offerings, all the time, you, invoke.

Details:

Rudra's wrath bhāmita is his reaction to the actions of persons who actively oppose his goals of all-round progress. These persons unconsciously become allied with the forces of falsehood, under some euphemism such as preserving the tradition or they are steeped in laziness. The seeker in this verse realises his mistakes and prays for Rudra's grace.

MANTRA (1.114.9): AUSPICIOUS INTELLIGENCE

I offer you these hymns like a herdsman;

O father of Maruts, bestow happiness on us;

Your intelligence gives us intense bliss; it is also auspicious;

Later we solicit your protection.

upa te stomān pashupā iva ā karam

., to you, hymns, herdsman, like, ., offer,

rāsvā pitar marutām sumnam asme;

give, father, Maruts, happiness, to us,

bhadrā hi te sumatiĥ mŗļyat tama

., ., your, intelligence, gives bliss, exceedingly,

athā vayam avaĥ it te vŗņīmahe.

later, we, protection, ., your, grant (us).

Details:

Just as a herdsman takes the cows out of their stall, uses them or grazes them and returns them to the stall, the seeker takes the hymns from their abode, chants them and returns them to their abode. The idea is all human beings are only care-takers and cannot create anything really new. All things are already there.

MANTRA (1.114.10): HAPPINESS IN TWO STATES

Far be you (dart) which kills our cows and persons.

Destroyer of foes, let thy felicity be ours;

Make us happy and give us your (blessed) message;

Grant us happiness in two stations.

āre te goghnam uta pūruşhaghnam

far be, your killing of cows, or, death of persons,

kşhayat vīra sumnam asme te astu;

destroyer, enemy horses, felicity, ours, yours, be,

mŗļā cha no adhi cha brūhi deva adhā

(make us) happy, and us, ., and, words, God, then,

cha naĥ sharma yachchha dvibarhāĥ.

and, us, happiness, grant, two stations,

Details:

It has been mentioned earlier that Rudra is the leader of evolution who pressures all persons to progress. For making an immature person mature, Rudra hammers him like a sculptor hammering the block of stone to yield the required shape. The harm to the well-known friends and the possessions like cows wakes up the seeker to walk on the right path.

dvibarha: two-stations; the status here and the status after death.

MANTRA (1.114.11): RUDRA LISTENS TO OUR CALL

Seeking protection, we have uttered this obeisance to him;

May Rudra, along with the Maruts, listen to our call;

May Mitra, Varuņa, Aditi, Sindhu, earth and heaven grant our prayer.

avochāma namo asmā avasyavaĥ

uttered, this obeisance, our, desirous of protections,

shŗņotu no havam rudro marutvān,

listen, our call, Rudra, Maruts,

tan no mitro varuņo māmahantam aditiĥ

all, us, Mitra, Varuņa, grant (us), Aditiĥ,

sinduĥ pŗthivī uta dyauĥ.

Sindhu, earth, and, heaven.

Mantra (7.59.12): Liberation

Rişhi: Vasişhţaĥ Maitrāvaruņi

We adore the father of the three worlds,

He of auspicious might and increaser of fullness and nourishment;

Like a ripe cucumber (from its shell)

Free us from the bondage of death, but not from immortality.

traya ambakam yajāmahe,

three, father, (we) adore,

sugandhim puşhţi-vardhanam,

of auspicious might, fullness and nourishment, increase,

urvārukam iva bandanān

cucumber, like, bondages,

mŗtyor makşhīya māmŗtāt.

death, free, not, (from) immortality.

Details:

The rişhi aspires towards immortality for himself and for others who have engaged themselves in the yajňa, the antar-yajňa. He has a claim for immortality as a child of the Gods, a position he has attained not merely by his endeavours but by the benign grace of the Gods themselves. But this high status of immortality cannot be won and retained by any one without a certain elevation and strength of purity; the utmost that human effort can build up in the direction is inadequate. Only the Divine can promote and shape the requisite all-round strength and fitness. Again desire, want, greed, lust bring in their train, disappointment, grief, unhappiness, disease and ultimately death. And for those that aspire for immortality there should be nothing in them which clings to its opposite, viz. death and agents of death. He that would share in the high status above has necessarily to be aloof and separate, even while living, from the envelope of ignorance and darkness that characterise the human world. He should be like a cucumber separate from its shell of the agents of death, says the rişhi.

This verse is popularly recited as a japa by persons for warding of intense difficulties. Clearly mŗtyu or death here is not merely the physical death. It represents all forces of disharmony and disintegration. The prayer is that we should be released from the limitations of form like the ripe cucumber gets separated from its shell or it falls to the ground separated from the tree. All the difficulties we face are really caused by our attachments to the forms built by us earlier. These attachments can be to material postings like status, wealth, relationships etc.

The idea that Shiva was a later conception borrowed from the Dravidians and represents a partial conquest of the Vedic religion by the indigenous culture it had invaded is without support, in Veda. There is absolutely no support in archaeology or otherwise, for the so called Aryan invasion of the Indian subcontinent from the north west.

ambaka: father.

gandha: might or strength, smell etc.

sugandhim: one of auspicious might, the might which opposes the force of evil.

three: the lower three worlds namely physical, vital or emotional and mental worlds.  

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