Part 6 (1/2)

Hillebrandt points out that it is spoken of in R.V. as being new, ”as not having hitherto existed,” and as ”coming into being from the fathers.” It originates from the seat of the @Rta, springs forth at the sound of the sacrifice, begins really to exist when the soma juice is pressed and the hymns are recited at the savana rite, endures with the help of the G.o.ds even in battle, and soma is its guardian (R.V. VIII. 37. I, VIII. 69. 9, VI. 23. 5, 1. 47. 2, VII. 22.

9, VI. 52. 3, etc.). On the strength of these Hillebrandt justifies the conjecture of Haug that it signifies a mysterious power which can be called forth by various ceremonies, and his definition of it, as the magical force which is derived from the orderly cooperation of the hymns, the chants and the sacrificial gifts [Footnote ref 3]. I am disposed to think that this meaning is closely connected with the meaning as we find it in many pa.s.sages in the [email protected] and the [email protected] The meaning in many of these seems to be midway between

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[Footnote 1: Ait. [email protected] II 1-3.]

[Footnote 2: Keith's _Translation of Aitareya aranyaka_.]

[Footnote 3: Hillebrandt's article on Brahman, _E.R.E._.]

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”magical force” and ”great,” transition between which is rather easy. Even when the sacrifices began to be replaced by meditations, the old belief in the power of the sacrifices still remained, and as a result of that we find that in many pa.s.sages of the [email protected] people are thinking of meditating upon this great force ”Brahman” as being identified with diverse symbols, natural objects, parts and functions of the body.

When the main interest of sacrifice was transferred from its actual performance in the external world to certain forms of meditation, we find that the understanding of particular allegories of sacrifice having a relation to particular kinds of bodily functions was regarded as Brahman, without a knowledge of which nothing could be obtained. The fact that these allegorical interpretations of the Pancagnividya are so much referred to in the [email protected] as a secret doctrine, shows that some people came to think that the real efficacy of sacrifices depended upon such meditations.

When the sages rose to the culminating conception, that he is really ignorant who thinks the G.o.ds to be different from him, they thought that as each man was nourished by many beasts, so the G.o.ds were nourished by each man, and as it is unpleasant for a man if any of his beasts are taken away, so it is unpleasant for the G.o.ds that men should know this great truth. [Footnote ref 1].

In the Kena we find it indicated that all the powers of the G.o.ds such as that of Agni (fire) to burn, Vayu (wind) to blow, depended upon Brahman, and that it is through Brahman that all the G.o.ds and all the senses of man could work. The whole process of [email protected] thought shows that the magic power of sacrifices as a.s.sociated with @Rta (unalterable law) was being abstracted from the sacrifices and conceived as the supreme power.

There are many stories in the [email protected] of the search after the nature of this great power the Brahman, which was at first only imperfectly realized. They identified it with the dominating power of the natural objects of wonder, the sun, the moon, etc. with bodily and mental functions and with various symbolical representations, and deluded themselves for a time with the idea that these were satisfactory. But as these were gradually found inadequate, they came to the final solution, and the doctrine of the inner self of man as being the highest truth the Brahman originated.

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[Footnote 1: [email protected] I. 4. 10.]

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The meaning of the word [email protected]

The word [email protected] is derived from the root _sad_ with the prefix _ni_ (to sit), and Max Muller says that the word originally meant the act of sitting down near a teacher and of submissively listening to him. In his introduction to the [email protected] he says, ”The history and the genius of the Sanskrit language leave little doubt that [email protected] meant originally session, particularly a session consisting of pupils, a.s.sembled at a respectful distance round their teacher [Footnote ref 1].” Deussen points out that the word means ”secret” or ”secret instruction,” and this is borne out by many of the pa.s.sages of the [email protected] themselves. Max Muller also agrees that the word was used in this sense in the [email protected] [Footnote ref 2]. There we find that great injunctions of secrecy are to be observed for the communication of the doctrines, and it is said that it should only be given to a student or pupil who by his supreme moral restraint and n.o.ble desires proves himself deserving to hear them. S'ankara however, the great Indian exponent of the [email protected], derives the word from the root _sad_ to destroy and supposes that it is so called because it destroys inborn ignorance and leads to salvation by revealing the right knowledge. But if we compare the many texts in which the word [email protected] occurs in the [email protected] themselves it seems that Deussen's meaning is fully justified [Footnote ref 3].

The composition and growth of diverse [email protected]

The oldest [email protected] are written in prose. Next to these we have some in verses very similar to those that are to be found in cla.s.sical Sanskrit. As is easy to see, the older the [email protected] the more archaic is it in its language. The earliest [email protected] have an almost mysterious forcefulness in their expressions at least to Indian ears. They are simple, pithy and penetrate to the heart.

We can read and read them over again without getting tired.

The lines are always as fresh as ever. As such they have a charm apart from the value of the ideas they intend to convey. The word [email protected] was used, as we have seen, in the sense of ”secret doctrine or instruction”; the [email protected] teachings were also intended to be conveyed in strictest secrecy to earnest enquirers of high morals and superior self-restraint for the purpose of achieving

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[Footnote 1: Max Muller's _Translation of the Upanishads, S.B.E._ vol.

I.p. lx.x.xi.]

[Footnote 2: _S. B.E._ vol. I, p lx.x.xi.]

[Footnote 3: Deussen's _Philosophy of the Upanishads,_ pp. 10-15.]

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