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But the real greatness of the mantra
lies, as we learn from the mantrās themselves, in the mode of
coming to expression. There is a rik of Dīrghatamas
declaring that the abode of the mantra is the supreme Ether known
as akşhara, unmoving, where dwell all the Gods; and for him
who knows this not, the riks have no use. Here is the
rik: "The riks abide in the Immutable, supreme Ether
where are seated all the Gods; what can he do with the rik
who knows not that? Those who know that are indeed here
assembled'', RV (1.164.39). There is this another rik in
the same hymn: "The voice, vāk, is measured out in four
steps; the wise persons brāhmaņa persons know them. Three
of them concealed in the profound secrecy cause no movement; the
fourth step is what men call the human speech''
RV (1.164.45). The import of this rik is profound. The
kavi, the seer of the mantra, delves deep into the
inner ocean of the heart, has direct perception of the Home of the
Gods, the Fourth Plane turīya and expresses the
truths he sees in the words of inspiration that are heard on the
acquisition of the primal Word. Thus there are four stations or
steps of the vāk, Speech, that sets out from the supreme
station of Unmoving. Of these, three stations are concealed in the
secrecies, secret, not audible to the human ear and the fourth
one, in its descent, is the human speech. All the four stages of
Speech are known to the rişhi, one who has control of mind,
who is consecrated in the secret and inmost parts of his being,
not to any other. Thus is it famous that mantrās were not made but
were seen by the kavi, the Seer, the satyashrut.
And because the paramam vyoma, Supreme Ether, the abode of
the Gods and the original source of the Speech of the riks,
is not a creation of anyone, the Veda mantrās manifested out of it
are also by courtesy identified with it and are said to be
eternal. The paramam vyoma has been there before the
appearance and after the disappearance of the rişhi, the
seer of the mantra. It does not depend (for its existence)
on the seer; on the other hand, the perception of the mantra is
possible because of it. The mantra-word and its inalienable
meaning are there in the sublime spaces of Ether, self-existent
but their manifestation depends upon the achievement and
competence of the rişhi. That is how we see frequent
mention made in the rik samhita of the rişhi
as the author of the mantra e.g. "O Seer, by the lauds of the
hymn-composers'' RV (9.114.2). "They chanted the
mantrās carved out of the heart'' RV (1.67.2). |
