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Hymn 56: Indra builds the midworld in man
Rişhi: Savya
Anigirasa
MANTRA (1.56.1): LIFTS UP THE IMPELLING POWERS
The enjoyer (Indra)
bends towards the human seeker
As a horse to
a mare and manifests the impelling powers;
Intent on the great work, he takes a drink,
Turning the golden chariot with harnessed steeds towards the
human aspirant.
eşha pra pūrvīĥ ava tasya chamrişhaĥ
he (Indra), ., copious, bends, his, libations or impelling
powers,
atyo na yoşhām udayamsta bhurvaņiĥ,
steed, like, mare, lifts up or manifest, enjoyer,
dakşham mahe pāyayate hiraņyayam
the discriminate, great work, drinks, golden,
ratham āvŗtyā hariyogam ŗbhvasam.
car, turning towards yajamāna, with harnessed steeds,
splendid (car).
Details:
Indra's coming down from his
supreme station is described as, ‘bending', prāva, and he
manifests or releases the impelling powers held in the body of
the aspirant. Energised by these powers, the yajamāna
prepares the Soma which Indra drinks, continuing his great
deeds.
chamrişhah:
impelling powers in the body of the aspirant. chamu
stands for the ladle or vessel for handling the Soma
juice. It symbolises the body of the aspirant. Işhah are
the impelling powers. Just as a priest takes the Soma juice from
a ladle, Indra lifts up the impelling powers from the bodies of
the aspirant.
MANTRA (1.56.2): ASCEND QUICKLY
TO INDRA
Bowing down, the worshippers gather around Indra
As merchants desiring wealth come to the ocean on a voyage.
To Indra, the discriminate, mighty and the lord of the inner
yajňa, ascend swiftly
With the light obtained from the chants, like eager persons
climb the hill.
tam gūrtayo nemannişhaĥ parīņasaĥ
him, chanters, bowing down, gather around,
samudram na sancharaņe sanişhyavaĥ,
ocean, like, on a voyage, wealth desiring (merchants),
patim dakşhasya vidathasya nū saho
lord, discriminate, knowable, swiftly, mighty,
girim na venā adhiroha tejasā.
hill, like, the desireful or eager, climb, with the light
(obtained from the praise).
Details:
"As the wise climb from peak to
peak ....'
vidatha:
aim or goal of knowledge, inner yajňa.
The last line
is reminiscent of RV (1.10.2):
MANTRA (1.56.3): FAULTLESS VALOUR SHINES
He is swift, victorious and mighty;
His faultless
valour shines active in many battles as does a mountain peak.
Strong and exhilarated, he cast the cunning Shuşhņa
Into a prison to dwell in grief and in bondage, subduing the
evil.
sa turvaņiĥ mahān areņu
he, swift and victorious, mighty, faultless,
paumsye, gireĥ bhŗşhtiĥ na bhrājate tujā shavaĥ,
battles, mountain, peak, like, shines, active, valour,
yena shuşhņam māyinam āyaso made
which (might), Shuşhņa, cunning, strong, exhilarated,
dudhra ābhūşhu rāmayat ni dāmani.
subduing the evil, in prison, to dwell in grief, within, in
bonds.
Details:
tuja:
active, with impelling power.
āyasa:
steel or iron, strong in general. S translates it as armour made
of iron.
paumsya:
manhood or heroic; or the battle associated with these
qualities.
MANTRA (1.56.4): EXPELS DARKNESS
WITH HIS MIGHT
When strengthened by praise, the luminous power (of hymns)
Joins Indra for his increase, as Sūrya does with Uşha.
He expels darkness with his assaulting might;
He makes the
enemies cry aloud subjecting them to much affliction.
devī yadi tavişhī tvāvŗdhā
luminous, when, power, strengthened by praise,
utaya indram sişhakti uşhasam na sūryaĥ,
for increase, Indra, joins, Uşhas, like, with Sūrya,
yo dhŗşhņunā shavasā bādhate tama
who, assaulting, luminous power, expels, darkness,
iyarti reņum bŗhat arharişhvaņiĥ.
subjects (them), affliction, much, makes them cry aloud.
Details:
The power associated with hymns is
termed luminous, devī, and it joins Indra.
As the Sun joins harmoniously with
the Dawn, to dispel darkness, the power of praise joins with the
power of hymns to dispel ignorance.
MANTRA (1.56.5): INDRA
ESTABLISHES THE MIDWORLD IN MAN
O remover of darkness, when the sustaining and undecaying
midworld
Was established by you, the slayer, in the quarters of the
heaven,
Then you, Indra, rapturous with Soma and the shower of the
lustres,
Killed Vŗtra with your exultant power and sent
down a flood of waters.
vi yat tiro dharuņam achuyutam rajaĥ
., when, dispellers of darkness, sustaining, undecaying,
midworld,
atişhţhipo diva ātāsu barhaņā,
established, heaven, in the quarters, O slayer,
svarmīļhe yat mada indra harşhya
pouring lustres, when, in the Soma - rapture, Indra, exultant
power,
ahan vŗtram niĥ apām aubjo arņavam
killed, Vŗtra ., waters, send down, flood of.
Details:
Indra establishes the midworld in the seer capable of sustaining
all the life - energies in him/her. Only then can he proceed to
demolish the demonic force, Vŗtra, and release all the
hidden energies symbolised by Waters.
svarmīļhe:
svar denotes the
luminosity derived from the fourth world, svar; miha
denotes showering or pouring. S associates the word with wealth
obtained in a battle, for which the support is obscure.
rajaĥ:
midworld. This region is characterized by the guņa or
quality of rajas, a word which is used in the books on
yoga in later times.
MANTRA (1.56.6): ENERGISES THE
BODIES OF THE ASPIRANT
With your
power you brought down from heaven the sustaining waters
To the realms of the earth, O great Indra;
In the exhilaration of Soma, you have released the waters,
And smitten Vŗtra with the solid rock.
tvam divo dharuņam dhişha ojasā
you, heaven, sustaining (waters), establish or bring down,
might,
pŗthivyā indra sadaneşhu māhinaĥ,
to earth, Indra, realms or bodies, O great one,
tvam sutasya made ariņā apo vi
you, Soma, exhilaration, released, the waters, .,
vŗtrasya samayā pāşhya arujaĥ
Vŗtra, solid, rock, smashed.
Details:
Vŗtra
is smitten by vajra often referred to as stone grāvā
or the solid rock symbolizing the power of the mantra.
sadaneşhu:
realms of earth in the macrocosmic view. The meaning in the
microcosm view is, "inner and outer bodies the so-called matter,
life and mind bodies of the human aspirant which are energized
by the released energies, the Waters.'
vi + arujaĥ:
smiting.
ariņā:
released, derived from ri, to move.
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