| Title : The word vasu in Rigveda |
Author : Dr. Krishnalal Acharya |
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Read in Hindi
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In Rigveda the word Vasu is found in two genders namely masculine and neutral, in all three speeches and in many cases. The masculine, singular word ‘Vasu’ does not exist as an independent name anywhere in Rigveda. It is seen as an adjective with some or the other deity / God. This only proves the fact that in Rigveda it is not a special name of God and also not an abstract noun. So it is clear that its real meaning can be understood only by interpretation. Yask has explained the word ‘Vasu’ on the assumption that this word is derived from the root ‘Vasa’ which means to cover. He says that Vasu has that mearning because Vasu is covering thew earth, the space and also the heaven. On earth it is in the form of fire because fire is called as Vasava. In the space it is in the form of Indra because Indra is called a Vasava. In heaven the sunrays are called Vasu meaning wealth because they spread brightness and take away darkness.
Durga has interpreted another meaning based on the root Vasa meaning dwelling place. He has said that it gives rain and gives a dwelling place to everyone. Depending on this the meaning of Vasu (masculine singular) can be said to be ‘covering, lighting or making residence’. Sayana also has interpreted its meaning as ‘dwelling’.
In the Monieur williams Encyclopedia the meaning of the word ‘Vasu’ has been given as to shine, grow bright and to bestow by shining upon. This root also means excellent, good, beneficient. One meaning of this word has also been given as dweller.
Swami Dayananda has interpreted the word Vasu on the basis of the root Vasa meaning dwelling. He gives its meaning as the God who resides everywhere, the God makes a dwelling place possible to everyone. He is the educator of all good virtues, advisor or superior person.
In Rigveda the word Vasu has been used maximum times as an adjective in connection with Lord Indra or Lord Agni. The priority given to these two is same in the situation of Vasu as in Rigveda. In this way the word Vasu appears three times in the scenes of Ashwin, once in case of Rudra, Pusha, Ruta, Surya, Vaayu etc. But it is surprising to note that this word has been used in case of Soma and Varuna only one.
Fire is worshipped, it is giver of everything, it fulfills everybody’s wishes, it is pure and it resides in all human beings. Such divine fire is there in all living beings. That fire which takes care of the dwelling place of everybody, that fire near which all the cows gather and all nicely bread horses come together, the fire near which all the scholars gather together, this fire governs all the animals and the human beings and brings discipline in them. So, God Fire(Agni) please fulfill all the wishes of your devotees who praise you.
Fire should be there for the benefit of the mankind, it should lead the human race and it should do good of all the universe. Fire, which means the almighty God is very careful and alert, He knows and understands the whole world and He is a poet because He has created such a beautiful poetic world. Hey Lord Fire you are responsible for the dwelling of all and you are the only most learned of all heaven and earth look after you.
Fire, material fire or its protector are Gods with unlimited energy. They are the ultimate power and they know everything and are capable of doing anything in the world. It is called as Vasu which means one who helps in making residence of all, one who covers everything. It is worshipped by saying that Hey Lord Fire you destroy the enemy who becomes an obstacle in the work of good people, also destroy the bad speech of the evil enemy. You are the one who has all knowledge, you destroy them who don’t have knowledge of humanity. Let your imperishable manners be known to everybody. In this way an appeal has been made to The Almighty, The Chief, The Surmounting God who takes care of the dwelling of everybody to make us fit and healthy and increase our span of life and make us ready to face the hardships and attack of evil people.
He is the one who is bright, who gives light, who is strong and one who bestows wishes on us. Light (knowledge) is his true nature. He is illuminated in the house and in the body also. He is God of all Gods. He is the dweller of Vasu also. He is an amazing friend. He is liked by all in the Yadnya (sacrifice) without violence. We should always protect Him and we should be always friends with Him. From the hymn Rigveda 1.9.13 it is very clear that Lord Vasu is the Supreme of all. In the scene of Indra also it proves the significance of Vasu that He is the ultimate power, superior of all. Lord Indra is the Lord of the Universe. Vasu is the one responsible for everybody’s dwelling, He is the leader, He is brave, He takes everybody out of trouble. He has knowledge of everything, He accepts praise and He is the protector of the Universe. He is praised by all, He is very speedy and He has lot of energy to work. He gives strength in the sacrifice or Yadnya of knowledge. All this explanation of God and adjectives supporting it are the successors of the all inclusiveness of the Almighty God. Because of these virtues He has been said to be reverred by all and invited by all.
In another hymn Indra has been worshipped in the form of Vasu and he has been offered all praiseworthy Vedic speeches and he has been requested to accept them. Hey friend you understand the meaning of protection, you are the brother of all because you are acquired by everybody and everybody acquires you. You bless us with long life and strength.
That God is the ruler among all divine forces. It is said about Him that He defeats the enemy and is forceful against the enemy. We invite You. You defeat all our enemies. Hey God of dwelling and one who resides everywhere make our enemies tolerate everything.
The God has been said to be to be the creator of thousands of things. He is the mother, the creator or just like or equal to a mother, so He has the same motherly tender feelings. He also is a Father which means a protector, care taker and educator. We wish Him to dwell within us.
The adjective Vasu is used by Rudra which means God too. He is called as the Superior among all. He is like the bright, radiant sun. He glows like gold. He is a flame, which is cheerful and beneficient.
Soma is also called as Vasu. He is desirable and is the dweller of Vasu. Vasu can become a desirable principle of mankind. He is the remover of darkness. We pray to that soma to bring us in the vicinity of happiness. The nurturer of all that is Pusha is also called Vasu. He is enlightened from all sides. I wish to praise you. You make everything available I wish it only for praise and not for anything else.
R 8.4.17 Here the word Aghnihi along with Vasu can also mean one who lights. In the following Rigveda - Sarvanukramani hymn the God is said to be the sun (R 4.40.5). But the way in which this hymn appears in Kanthopanishada (2.2.2) on that basis and also based on yogic meanings, the meaning of God is very clear. One of its adjectives is Vasu too.
The following hymn appears in the Devata Sukta (R 1.110.7):
In the first line of the hymn, Rubhu is called as the Indra with new powers. He is the Giver. Here the word ‘Vasubihi’ can be masculine or neutral. But because of its presence with the word ‘Vajebihi’ it will be advisable to that the word is neutral. But from the yogic angle the difference between neutral and masculine is eliminated when the meaning tends towards covering or dwelling. In this way Rubhu is also a form of God who has all the knowledge and is known from the existing rules and facts.
In one of the hymns the God has been called as the Superior of all and dweller and it is further said that He should become my inspiration in living my life.
(R 8.19.37) There is no comment by sayana, available on this hymn. In Rigveda the God of this hymn is Trasadasyuhu Parukutsyaha. But this name does not appear in the hymn, but from the meaning of the hymn it has to mean God only. Trasadasyu is one who frightens the demons and the evil minded. He punishes them. God himself is Purukatsu because He has many weapons like spear etc. In any case he can defeat and punish the evil.
Three times seventy can also be said as seven times, three times ten. The sense organs (ear, nose, tongue, skin, mind, brain); the work organs (Hand, feet, reproductive organs, excretory organs, mind, brain) and there can be 7-7 group of principles on earth, space and heaven thus making many groups of 21. To show this large number many processes were put in the format of 21x10; because when we keep on adding a zero in front of 10, it shows us the infinity.
In the 1st Mandal of Rigveda in the 6th Sukta in all the 6 hymns the word ‘Vasavaha’ is used in the form of different Gods like Varuna, Mitra, Aditya, Indra, Agni, Aryama wtc. So it can be concluded that Vasu is a common general adjective because all Gods names are finally the names of that Almighty God who is the one only one, who resides every where, is the dweller and he covers everybody and includes everybody and brightens everything and also the heavenly bodies.
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Read in Hindi
http://www.vedpradip.com/articlecontent.php?aid=307&linkid=1&catid=&subcatid=0&vedid=5
In Rigveda the word Vasu is found in two genders namely masculine and neutral, in all three speeches and in many cases. The masculine, singular word ‘Vasu’ does not exist as an independent name anywhere in Rigveda. It is seen as an adjective with some or the other deity / God. This only proves the fact that in Rigveda it is not a special name of God and also not an abstract noun. So it is clear that its real meaning can be understood only by interpretation. Yask has explained the word ‘Vasu’ on the assumption that this word is derived from the root ‘Vasa’ which means to cover. He says that Vasu has that mearning because Vasu is covering thew earth, the space and also the heaven. On earth it is in the form of fire because fire is called as Vasava. In the space it is in the form of Indra because Indra is called a Vasava. In heaven the sunrays are called Vasu meaning wealth because they spread brightness and take away darkness.
Durga has interpreted another meaning based on the root Vasa meaning dwelling place. He has said that it gives rain and gives a dwelling place to everyone. Depending on this the meaning of Vasu (masculine singular) can be said to be ‘covering, lighting or making residence’. Sayana also has interpreted its meaning as ‘dwelling’.
In the Monieur williams Encyclopedia the meaning of the word ‘Vasu’ has been given as to shine, grow bright and to bestow by shining upon. This root also means excellent, good, beneficient. One meaning of this word has also been given as dweller.
Swami Dayananda has interpreted the word Vasu on the basis of the root Vasa meaning dwelling. He gives its meaning as the God who resides everywhere, the God makes a dwelling place possible to everyone. He is the educator of all good virtues, advisor or superior person.
In Rigveda the word Vasu has been used maximum times as an adjective in connection with Lord Indra or Lord Agni. The priority given to these two is same in the situation of Vasu as in Rigveda. In this way the word Vasu appears three times in the scenes of Ashwin, once in case of Rudra, Pusha, Ruta, Surya, Vaayu etc. But it is surprising to note that this word has been used in case of Soma and Varuna only one.
Fire is worshipped, it is giver of everything, it fulfills everybody’s wishes, it is pure and it resides in all human beings. Such divine fire is there in all living beings. That fire which takes care of the dwelling place of everybody, that fire near which all the cows gather and all nicely bread horses come together, the fire near which all the scholars gather together, this fire governs all the animals and the human beings and brings discipline in them. So, God Fire(Agni) please fulfill all the wishes of your devotees who praise you.
Fire should be there for the benefit of the mankind, it should lead the human race and it should do good of all the universe. Fire, which means the almighty God is very careful and alert, He knows and understands the whole world and He is a poet because He has created such a beautiful poetic world. Hey Lord Fire you are responsible for the dwelling of all and you are the only most learned of all heaven and earth look after you.
Fire, material fire or its protector are Gods with unlimited energy. They are the ultimate power and they know everything and are capable of doing anything in the world. It is called as Vasu which means one who helps in making residence of all, one who covers everything. It is worshipped by saying that Hey Lord Fire you destroy the enemy who becomes an obstacle in the work of good people, also destroy the bad speech of the evil enemy. You are the one who has all knowledge, you destroy them who don’t have knowledge of humanity. Let your imperishable manners be known to everybody. In this way an appeal has been made to The Almighty, The Chief, The Surmounting God who takes care of the dwelling of everybody to make us fit and healthy and increase our span of life and make us ready to face the hardships and attack of evil people.
He is the one who is bright, who gives light, who is strong and one who bestows wishes on us. Light (knowledge) is his true nature. He is illuminated in the house and in the body also. He is God of all Gods. He is the dweller of Vasu also. He is an amazing friend. He is liked by all in the Yadnya (sacrifice) without violence. We should always protect Him and we should be always friends with Him. From the hymn Rigveda 1.9.13 it is very clear that Lord Vasu is the Supreme of all. In the scene of Indra also it proves the significance of Vasu that He is the ultimate power, superior of all. Lord Indra is the Lord of the Universe. Vasu is the one responsible for everybody’s dwelling, He is the leader, He is brave, He takes everybody out of trouble. He has knowledge of everything, He accepts praise and He is the protector of the Universe. He is praised by all, He is very speedy and He has lot of energy to work. He gives strength in the sacrifice or Yadnya of knowledge. All this explanation of God and adjectives supporting it are the successors of the all inclusiveness of the Almighty God. Because of these virtues He has been said to be reverred by all and invited by all.
In another hymn Indra has been worshipped in the form of Vasu and he has been offered all praiseworthy Vedic speeches and he has been requested to accept them. Hey friend you understand the meaning of protection, you are the brother of all because you are acquired by everybody and everybody acquires you. You bless us with long life and strength.
That God is the ruler among all divine forces. It is said about Him that He defeats the enemy and is forceful against the enemy. We invite You. You defeat all our enemies. Hey God of dwelling and one who resides everywhere make our enemies tolerate everything.
The God has been said to be to be the creator of thousands of things. He is the mother, the creator or just like or equal to a mother, so He has the same motherly tender feelings. He also is a Father which means a protector, care taker and educator. We wish Him to dwell within us.
The adjective Vasu is used by Rudra which means God too. He is called as the Superior among all. He is like the bright, radiant sun. He glows like gold. He is a flame, which is cheerful and beneficient.
Soma is also called as Vasu. He is desirable and is the dweller of Vasu. Vasu can become a desirable principle of mankind. He is the remover of darkness. We pray to that soma to bring us in the vicinity of happiness. The nurturer of all that is Pusha is also called Vasu. He is enlightened from all sides. I wish to praise you. You make everything available I wish it only for praise and not for anything else.
R 8.4.17 Here the word Aghnihi along with Vasu can also mean one who lights. In the following Rigveda - Sarvanukramani hymn the God is said to be the sun (R 4.40.5). But the way in which this hymn appears in Kanthopanishada (2.2.2) on that basis and also based on yogic meanings, the meaning of God is very clear. One of its adjectives is Vasu too.
The following hymn appears in the Devata Sukta (R 1.110.7):
In the first line of the hymn, Rubhu is called as the Indra with new powers. He is the Giver. Here the word ‘Vasubihi’ can be masculine or neutral. But because of its presence with the word ‘Vajebihi’ it will be advisable to that the word is neutral. But from the yogic angle the difference between neutral and masculine is eliminated when the meaning tends towards covering or dwelling. In this way Rubhu is also a form of God who has all the knowledge and is known from the existing rules and facts.
In one of the hymns the God has been called as the Superior of all and dweller and it is further said that He should become my inspiration in living my life.
(R 8.19.37) There is no comment by sayana, available on this hymn. In Rigveda the God of this hymn is Trasadasyuhu Parukutsyaha. But this name does not appear in the hymn, but from the meaning of the hymn it has to mean God only. Trasadasyu is one who frightens the demons and the evil minded. He punishes them. God himself is Purukatsu because He has many weapons like spear etc. In any case he can defeat and punish the evil.
Three times seventy can also be said as seven times, three times ten. The sense organs (ear, nose, tongue, skin, mind, brain); the work organs (Hand, feet, reproductive organs, excretory organs, mind, brain) and there can be 7-7 group of principles on earth, space and heaven thus making many groups of 21. To show this large number many processes were put in the format of 21x10; because when we keep on adding a zero in front of 10, it shows us the infinity.
In the 1st Mandal of Rigveda in the 6th Sukta in all the 6 hymns the word ‘Vasavaha’ is used in the form of different Gods like Varuna, Mitra, Aditya, Indra, Agni, Aryama wtc. So it can be concluded that Vasu is a common general adjective because all Gods names are finally the names of that Almighty God who is the one only one, who resides every where, is the dweller and he covers everybody and includes everybody and brightens everything and also the heavenly bodies.
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Tag Names : Rugveda,Ved |
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