THE SECRET OF THE VEDA

SRI AUROBINDO

Contents

PART ONE

I.	THE PROBLEM AND ITS SOLUTION	XIII	DAWN AND THE TRUTH
II.	A RETROSPECT OF VEDIC THEORY (1)	XIV	THE COW AND THE ANGIRASA LEGEND
iii.	— THE SCHOLARS (2)	XV	THE LOST SUN AND THE LOST COWS
III.	MODERN THEORIES	XVI	THE ANGIRASA RISHIS
IV.	THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY	XVII	THE SEVEN-HEADED THOUGHT, SWAR ANDTHE DASHAGWAS
V	PHILOLOGICAL METHOD OF THE VEDA	XVIII	THE HUMAN FATHERS
VI	AGNI AND THE TRUTH	XIX	THE VICTORY OP THE FATHERS
VII	VARUNA-MITRA AND THE TRUTH	XX	THE HOUND OF HEAVEN
VIII	THE ASHWINS — INDRA — THE VISHWADEVAS	XXI	THE SONS OF DARKNESS
IX	SARASWATI AND HER CONSORTS	XXII	THE CONQUEST OVER THE DASYUS
X	THE IMAGE OF THE OCEANS AND THE RIVERS	XXIII	SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
XI	THE SEVEN RIVERS
XII	THE HERDS OF THE DAWN

PART TWO
SELECTED HYMNS

I	THE COLLOQUY OF INDRA AND AGASTYA : I. 170	VIII	VAYU, THE MASTER OF THE LIFE ENERGIES : IV. 48
II	INDRA, GIVER OF LIGHT : I. 4	IX	BRIHASPATI, POWER OF THE SOUL : IV. 50
III	INDRA AND THE THOUGHT-FORCES : L 171	X	THE ASHWINS, LORDS OF Buss: IV. 45 . . . 314
IV	AGNI, THE ILLUMINED WILL : I. 77	XI	THE RIBHUS, ARTISANS OF IMMORTALITY : 1.20 . 324
V	SURYA SAVITRI, CREATOR AND INCREASER: V. 81	XII	VISHNU, THE ALL-PERVADING GODHEAD : 1.154 . 331
VI	THE DIVINE DAWN : III.	XIII	SOMA, LORD OF DELIGHT AND IMMORTALITY : IX. 83 339
VII	To BHAGA SAVITRI, THE ENJOYER: V. 82

PART THREE
HYMNS OF THE ATRIS

FOREWORD

HYMNS TO AGNI: V

Agni, the Divine Will-Force		The Fifteenth Hymn to Agni
The First Hymn to Agni		The Sixteenth Hymn to Agni
The Second Hymn to Agni		The Seventeenth Hymn to Agni
The Third Hymn to Agni		The Eighteenth Hymn to Agni
The Fourth Hymn to Agni		The Nineteenth Hymn to Agni
The Fifth Hymn to Agni		The Twentieth Hymn to Agni
The Sixth Hymn to Agni		The Twenty-First Hymn to Agni
The Seventh Hymn to Agni		The Twenty-Second Hymn to Agni
The Eighth Hymn to Agni		The Twenty-Third Hymn to Agni
The Ninth Hymn to Agni		The Twenty-Fourth Hymn to Agni
The Tenth Hymn to Agni		The Twenty-Fifth Hymn to Agni
The Eleventh Hymn to Agni		The Twenty-Sixth Hymn to Agni
The Twelfth Hymn to Agni		The Twenty-Seventh Hymn to Agni
The Thirteenth Hymn to Agni		The Twenty-Eighth Hymn to Agni
The Fourteenth Hymn to Agni

THE GUARDIANS OF THE LIGHT:		HYMNS TO THE LORDS OF LIGHT : V
Surya, Light and Seer		The First Hymn to Mitra-Varuna
The Divine Dawn		The Second Hymn to Mitra-Varuna
Pushan the Increaser		The Third Hymn to Mitra-Varuna
Savitri the Creator		The Fourth Hymn to Mitra-Varuna
The Four Kings		The Fifth Hymn to Mitra-Varuna
Varuna		The Sixth Hymn to Mitra-Varuna
Mitra		The Seventh Hymn to Mitra-Varuna
Aryaman		The Eighth Hymn to Mitra-Varuna
Bhaga		The Ninth Hymn to Mitra-Varuna
		The Tenth Hymn to Mitra-Varuna
		The Eleventh Hymn to Mitra-Varuna

PART FOUR

OTHER HYMNS

HYMN IN PRAISE OF INDRA : I. 5		A HYMN TO SAVITRI: V. 81
HYMN TO INDRA: 1.7-11		HYMN TO VARUNA (two versions): V. 85
HYMN TO INDRA: VIII. 54		A VEDIC HYMN: VII. 60
HYMN TO INDRA : X. 54		THE GOD OF THE MYSTIC WINE : IX. 42,75
A VEDIC HYMN: 1.3		A HYMN OF THE THOUGHT-GODS : V. 52-58
FROM A VEDIC HYMN: 1.15		INTERPRETATION OF THE VEDA
HYMN TO BRAHMANASPATI: 1.18		INTERPRETATION OF THE VEDA
HYMNS TO THE DAWN : V. 79,80		THE ORIGINS OF ARYAN SPEECH

Bibliographic note

All references are to the Rig-veda unless otherwise stated.

THE SIXTH HYMN TO MITRA-VARUNA

V.67

THE TWIN UPHOLDERS AND PROTECTORS

[Mitra and Varuna perfect the vastness of the superconscient being which is the object of sacrifice; they possess the full abundance of its force. When they reach that luminous origin and home, they give men, labourers in the sacrificial work, its peace and bliss; on the way to it they protect the mortal from his spiritual enemies who would stand in the way of his immortality; for they keep firm to their higher workings and to the seats of the higher consciousness to which those workings belong and to which man rises in his ascent; universal and all-knowing they destroy these enemies who are the forces of egoism and limiting ignorance. True in their being, they are the powers that possess and touch the Truth in each individual being; leaders of the journey and the battle they create the wideness of that higher consciousness even out of our narrow and distressed mortality. It is that highest which the thought in the Atris desires and reaches to by affirming Mitra, Varuna and Aryaman, the god-heads, in the "bodies" inhabited by the human soul.]

In truth, O godheads, ye two sons of the infinite Mother, rightly perfected by you is the Vastness for which we sacrifice. O Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, you possess its most abundant force.

When you enter into your original home of golden light, O Varuna, O Mitra, upholders of men in their labour, destroyers

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of the enemy, reach for them the bliss.

Universal and all-knowing are Varuna and Mitra and Aryaman; they keep firm to the law of their workings, even as to the seats to which they arrive, and guard mortal man from his foes.

For because they are true in their being, they touch the Truth and hold the Truth in creature and creature; perfect leaders in the journey, perfect in force for the battle, they create the wideness even out of this narrow being.

Which of you, O Mitra, is unaffirmed, thou or Varuna, in our bodies?¹ Wholly our thought seeks That from you, That for the Enjoyers² our Thought desires.

¹Not the physical body only; the soul dwells here in five sheaths or embodyings.

²The atris,—literally, eaters; the word may also mean travellers.

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