Rig Veda(veda of hymns) - a collection of primarily religious hymns; the oldest known monument of Indian literature.
The Rig Veda is a collection of hymns in the Vedic language, one of the four Hindu religious texts known as the Vedas. The Rig Veda was apparently compiled around 1700–1100. BC e. and is one of the oldest Indo-Iranian texts and one of the oldest religious texts in the world. For centuries it was preserved only in oral tradition and was probably first written down only in the early Middle Ages. Rig Veda is the most ancient and significant of the Vedas, a valuable source for the study of ancient Indian history and mythology. In 2007, UNESCO included the Rigveda in the Memory of the World register.
The main gods of the Rig Veda are Agni (the sacrificial flame), Indra (the heroic god praised for killing his enemy Vritra) and Soma (the sacred drink or the plant from which it is made). Other prominent gods are Mitra, Varuna, Ushas (dawn) and Ashvins. Savitar, Vishnu, Rudra, Pushan, Brihaspati, Brahmanaspati, Dyaus (sky), Prithivi (earth), Surya (sun), Vayu (wind), Apas (water), Parjanya (rain), Vach (word), Maruts are also invoked , Aditya, Ribhu, All-gods, many rivers (especially Sapta Sindhu (seven streams) and the Saraswati River), as well as various lesser gods, persons, concepts, phenomena and objects. The Rig Veda also contains fragmentary references to possible historical events, especially the struggle between the Vedic Aryans and their enemies, the Dasas.
Mandala First consists of 191 hymns. Hymn 1.1 is addressed to Agni, and his name is the first word of the Rig Veda. The remaining hymns are mainly addressed to Agni and Indra. Hymns 1.154 – 1.156 are addressed to Vishnu.
Mandala Second consists of 43 hymns, dedicated mainly to Agni and Indra. She is usually attributed to the rishi Gritsamada Shaunohotra.
Mandala Third consists of 62 hymns addressed mainly to Agni and Indra. Verse 3.62.10 is of great importance in Hinduism and is known as the Gayatri Mantra. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to Vishwamitra Gathina.
Mandala Four consists of 58 hymns addressed primarily to Agni and Indra. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to Vamadeva Gautama.
Mandala Fifth consists of 87 hymns addressed primarily to Agni and Indra, the Vishvedevas, the Maruts, the dual deity Mitra-Varuna and the Ashwins. Two hymns are dedicated to Ushas (dawn) and Savitar. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to the Atri family.
Mandala Six consists of 75 hymns addressed primarily to Agni and Indra. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to the Barhaspatyas - the Angiras family.
Mandala Seven consists of 104 hymns addressed to Agni, Indra, Vishwadevs, Maruts, Mitra-Varuna, Ashwins, Ushas, Varuna, Vayu (wind), two - Saraswati and Vishnu, as well as other deities. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to Vasistha Maitravaurni. It is in it that the “Mahamrityumjaya mantra” is first encountered (Hymn “To the Maruts”, 59.12).
Mandala Eight consists of 103 hymns addressed to various gods. Hymns 8.49 – 8.59 – apocryphal Valakhilya. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to the Kanva family.
Mandala Ninth consists of 114 hymns addressed to Soma Pavamana, the plant from which the sacred drink of the Vedic religion was made.
Mandala Ten consists of 191 hymns addressed to Agni and other gods. It contains the Nadistuti Sukta, a prayer to rivers, important for reconstructing the geography of Vedic civilization, and the Purusha Sukta, which has great importance in the Hindu tradition. It also contains the Nasadiyya Sukta (10.129), perhaps the most famous hymn in the West relating to Creation.
"Rigveda" (Sanskrit: ऋग्वेद, ṛgveda IAST, "Veda of hymns") - a collection of primarily religious hymns, the first famous monument Indian literature.
The Rig Veda is a collection of hymns in the Vedic language, one of the four Hindu religious texts known as the Vedas. The Rig Veda was apparently compiled around 1700-1100. BC e. and is one of the oldest Indo-Iranian texts and one of the oldest religious texts in the world.
The most ancient mandalas of the Rig Veda are considered II-VII. For centuries it was preserved only in oral tradition and was probably first written down only in the early Middle Ages.
The Rig Veda is the most ancient and significant of the Vedas, a valuable source for the study of ancient Indian history and mythology. In 2007, UNESCO included the Rig Veda in the Memory of the World register.
The Rig Veda consists of 1028 hymns (or 1017, not counting the apocryphal Valakhilya IAST composed in Vedic Sanskrit - hymns 8.49-8.59), many of which are intended for various sacrificial rituals. This long collection of short hymns is mainly devoted to the praise of the gods. It consists of 10 books called mandalas.
Each mandala consists of hymns called sukta (sūkta IAST), which in turn consist of individual verses called rich (ṛc IAST), in plural- “richas” (ṛcas IAST). Mandalas are not equal in length or age. The "family (family) books", mandalas 2-7, are considered the oldest part and include the shortest books, sorted by length, making up 38% of the text. Mandala 8 and Mandala 9 probably include hymns of various ages, making up 15% and 9% of the text respectively. Mandala 1 and Mandala 10 are the youngest and longest books, making up 37% of the text.
The main gods of the Rig Veda are Agni (the sacrificial flame), Indra (the heroic god praised for killing his enemy Vritra) and Soma (the sacred drink or the plant from which it is made). Other prominent gods are Mitra, Varuna, Ushas (dawn) and Ashvins. Savitar, Vishnu, Rudra, Pushan, Brihaspati, Brahmanaspati, Dyaus (sky), Prithivi (earth), Surya (sun), Vayu (wind), Apas (water), Parjanya (rain), Vach (word), Maruts are also invoked , Aditya, Ribhu, All-gods, many rivers (especially Sapta Sindhu (seven streams) and the Saraswati river), as well as various lesser gods, persons, concepts, phenomena and objects. The Rig Veda also contains fragmentary references to possible historical events, especially the struggle between the Vedic Aryans and their enemies, the Dasas.
Mandala I consists of 191 hymns. Hymn 1.1 is addressed to Agni, and his name is the first word of the Rig Veda. The remaining hymns are mainly addressed to Agni and Indra. Hymns 1.154 - 1.156 are addressed to Vishnu.
Mandala 1 + Mandala 2 + Mandala 3 + Mandala 4
MANDALA 1
1.,1.. “To Agni” 1. I call on Agni - at the head of the appointed God of sacrifice (and) priest, Hotar, the most abundantly treasured. 2. Agni is worthy of the invocations of rishis, both past and present: May he bring the gods here! 3. Agni, through (him) may he achieve wealth and prosperity - from day to day, the Shining One, the most courageous! 4. O Agni, sacrifice (and) ritual, which you embrace from all sides, They are the ones who go to the gods. 5. Agni-hotar with the insight of a poet, the True One, with the brightest glory, may God come with the gods! 6. When you really desire, O Agni, to do good to the one who honors (you), then this is true for you, O Angiras. 7. To you, O Agni, day after day, O illuminating darkness, we come With prayer, bringing worship 8. To the one who reigns in rituals, To the shepherd of the law, sparkling, To the one who grows in his house. 9. Like a father to his son, O Agni, be available to us! Accompany us for the greater good! 1., 2. “To Vayu, Indra-Vayu, Mitra-Varuna” 1. O Vayu, come, pleasant to the eyes, These soma juices are prepared. Drink them, hear the call! 2. O Vayu, the singers glorify You in songs of praise, With the squeezed soma, knowing the (prepared) hour. 3. O Vayu, your (everything?) filling Voice, extending far, Goes to the one who worships (you) to drink soma. 4. O Indra-Vayu, these are the squeezed juices (soma). Come with joyful feelings: After all, the drops (soma) are striving for you! 5. O Vayu and Indra, you understand the squeezed (juice of Soma), O rich in reward. Come quickly, both of you! 6. O Vayu and Indra, to the squeezing (soma) Come to the conditional place In an instant, with genuine desire, O two husbands! 7. I invoke Mithra, who has the pure power of action, And Varuna, who cares for the stranger (?), (Both of them), helping the prayer, greased. 8. By the truth, O Mitra-Varuna, multiplying the truth, cherishing the truth, you have achieved high spiritual strength. 9. The pair of seers Mitra-Varuna, of a strong race, with an extensive dwelling (They) give us skillful power of action. 1., 3.. "To the Ashvins, Indra, All-Gods, Saraswati" 1. O Ashvins, rejoice in the Sacrificial libations, O swift-handed lords of beauty, full of joy! 2. O Ashvins, rich in miracles, O two men, with great understanding, accept (our) voices favorably, O reverent ones! 3. O wonderful ones, (soma juices) have been squeezed out for you from the one who laid out the sacrificial straw, O Nasatya. Come, both of you, following the shining path! 4. O Indra, come, brightly shining! These squeezed (soma juices) strive for you, Purified in one go by thin (fingers). 5. O Indra, come, encouraged by (our) thought, Excited by the inspired (poets), to the prayers of the Organizer of the sacrifice, who has squeezed out (soma)! 6. O Indra, come hastening to prayers, O master of dun horses! Approve our squeezed (soma) 1. 7. Helpers who protect people, O All-Gods, come with mercy to the squeezed (soma) of the donor! 8. O All-Gods, crossing the waters, Come, quick ones, to the squeezed-out (soma), Like cows to the pastures! 9. All-Gods, immaculate, Desired, supportive, Let the charioteers enjoy the sacrificial drink! 10. Pure Saraswati, Rewarding with rewards, May she desire our sacrifice, obtaining wealth with her thoughts! 11. Encouraging rich gifts, Attuned to good deeds, Saraswati accepted the sacrifice. 12. The great stream illuminates Saraswati with (its) banner. She dominates all prayers. 1.,4.. "To Indra) 1. Every day we call for help from Him who has assumed a beautiful form, Like a well-milked cow for milking. 2. Come to our squeezes (somas)! Drink somas, O soma drinker! After all, the intoxication of the rich promises the gift of cows. 3. Then we want to be worthy of Your highest mercies. Come! -that is what you have lost, By showing respect only to Indra." 6. (Both) the stranger and (our) people, oh amazing one, Let them call us happy: Only with Indra we would like to be protected! 7. Give this quick (soma) to the swift Indra, (His) adorning the victim, intoxicating the husbands, Flying (to the friend), pleasing the friend 8. Having drunk it, O hundred-strong one, You became the killer of enemies (in battles) for the rewards 9. You. , eager for reward (in battles) for rewards We drive him to the reward, O hundred-strong One, To the seizure of wealth, O Indra 10. Who. great stream wealth, (Who is) the friend who ferries the squeezing (soma) to the other side, Sing (glory) to this Indra! 1.,5.. "To Indra" 1. Come! Sit down! Sing praises to Indra, O praising friends! 2. The first of many, the Lord of the most worthy blessings, Indra - with a squeezed som! 3. May he change us on the campaign, in wealth, in abundance! May he come to us with rewards! 4. Whose pair of dun horses the Enemies cannot hold when they clash in battle, Sing (glory) to this Indra! 5. To the drinking catfish, these squeezed out Clean and mixed with sour milk Soma juices flow, inviting (to drink them). 6. You were born, having grown up immediately, For the drink of squeezed (soma), O Indra, for excellence, O benevolent one. 7. May the rapid Juices of Soma flow into you, O Indra, thirsty for chanting! May they be for the benefit of you, the wise one! 8. You have been strengthened by glorifications, songs of praise have strengthened you, O hundred-strong one! May our praises strengthen you! 9. May Indra, whose help never fails, receive this reward numbering a thousand, (He) in whom is all the strength of courage! .0 May mortals not harm Our bodies, O Indra, thirsty for chanting! Turn away the deadly weapon, O (you), in whose (is) power! 1., 6.. "To Indra" 1. They harness a yellowish (?), fiery one, Wandering around the motionless ones. The lights are shining in the sky. 2. They harness a pair of his favorite Damn horses on both sides of the chariot (?), fiery red, undaunted, carrying men. 3. Creating light for the lightless, Form, O people, for the formless, Together with the dawns you were born. 4. Then they arranged that, according to their own will, He began to be born again (and again), And they created for themselves a name worthy of sacrifice. 5. With drivers who break down even strongholds, O Indra, you found the cows, Even (when they were hidden) in a hiding place. 6. As those who strive for God (offer) prayer, the Chant extolled the Finder of Wealth, the great, the famous. 7. Oh that you would appear along with Indra, Moving along with the fearless, (you both) joyful, with equal splendor. 8. With the flawless, heavenly crowds (of singers) Desired for Indra, the Generous One sings loudly ( song of victory). 9. Come from there, O wanderer around, Or from the bright space of the sky! (All) voices rushed towards him together. O We pray to Indra for prey, Whether from here or from heaven, From earthly (space) or from the great (air). 1., 7.. “To Indra” 1. After all, it was Indra who was loudly - the singers, Indra - the praisers of praise, Indra was called by the voices. 2. It is Indra who is associated with a pair of dun horses. (Let) Indra the Thunderer, golden, with (decorate his horses) harnessed by words! 3. Indra raised the sun into the sky, so that one could see (him) for a long time. He split the rock with cows (in it).
4. O Indra, help us in competitions for reward, And (there) where the spoils are a thousand, Strong, with strong reinforcements! 5. We call on Indra in a great battle, Indra in a small one, as an ally in beating enemies, (as) a thunderer. 6. O bull, that pot of food, O (you,) giving in full, open for us, (You,) not meeting resistance! 7. In what impulses (rise) high Praises to Indra the Thunderer - I have no shortage of praising him! 8. Like a mighty bull - a herd, With force he drives the peoples, Powerful, not meeting resistance. 9. Who alone reigns over people, reigns over wealth, Indra - over five settlements (tribes), 10. (This) Indra for you we call From everywhere around, (away) from all tribes May he only be ours! 1.,8.. “To Indra” 1. O Indra, grant (to us) in support Wealth that brings booty, victorious, Always prevailing, supreme, 2. With the help of which, with your support, We could repel our enemies In a fist fight (and) on horseback. 3. O Indra, with your support May we take clubs, like (you -) the vajra, (And) defeat all rivals in the fight! 4. We are with the brave archers, O Indra, with you as an ally. We want to overcome those who are at war (with us)! 5. Great Indra. And may even greater Greatness be (the lot of) the Thunderer! Like the sky is wide, the strength (of him)! 6. (Those) men who obtained (a reward) in a fight, Or when achieving offspring, Or endowed with the power of vision, inspired... 7. (That) belly that drinks soma most, Swells like the ocean, (Ta) the throat is like wide waters. . . 8. Verily, his mercy is Great (and) abundant (and) brings cows, (It) is like a ripe branch for the one who honors (him). 9. Verily, strong are your Supports, O Indra, for one like me; They are immediately (available) for the one who worships (you 10. Verily, he desires Glorification and a song of praise, Which must be performed so that Indra drinks soma. 1.,9.. “To Indra” 1. O Indra, come! Get intoxicated with the drink All days of offering soma, Great One, surpassing (everyone) in strength! nations, On these squeezes (somas)! 4. Songs of praise were released to you. They rushed towards you, Insatiable - to the bull husband. 5. Bring to us the beautiful Desired gift, O Indra! , rich! 6. (And) drive us here well, To wealth, O Indra, impatient, O thou of shining might, (us) worthy of honor. 7. Create for us, O Indra, the glory of (many) cows (And) awards, wide, high, For life, indestructible! 8. Build up for us high glory, Splendor that produces thousands, O Indra, those chariots full of reinforcements! 9. Singing songs of praise to the hymn-worthy Lord of blessings, Indra, Who comes to the call to help. . . 10. To Indra the Tall, who rejoices with every squeeze of Soma, the noble man High lifts up a loud song. 1.,10.. “To Indra” 1. The chanters sing your praises, The praisers praise you with praise. The Brahmins, O hundred-strong one, lifted you like a beam (under a roof). 2. When he climbed from peak to peak (And) saw how much there was to do, Then Indra noticed (his) goal. Like a ram (leader), he moves with the herd. 3. Harness a pair of magnificently maned dun stallions with a tight girth, And come to us, O Soma-drinking Indra, To hear our song of praise. 4. Come to the praise, take up the song, Glorify, roar, And together with us, O Vasu, Strengthen, O Indra, prayer and sacrifice! 5. A song of praise must be sung for Indra As a reinforcement for the most merciful, So that the mighty may enjoy the Squeezed (soma) and our company. 6. Only to him do we turn for friendship, to him for wealth, to him for heroic strength, and he, the mighty one, must try for us, Indra, the bestower of goodness. 7. (A pen with cows,) easily opened, easily emptied, O Indra, (this is) a distinction given only by you! Open the cow pen! Do a good deed, O master of the crushing stones! 8. After all, even both worlds cannot cope with you, the Enraged One. Conquer the heavenly waters! (Wind) blow away the cows for us! 9. O sensitive one, hear the call! Receive my chants! O Indra, this is my praise, make it closer to yourself than to your comrade! .0 After all, we know you as the most ardent bull, Hearing the call in competitions. We call upon the thousands-bearing Support of the most ardent bull. And Drink, Indra, dear one of the Kushika family, Rejoicing in our squeezed (soma)! Extend (us) more new term life! Make a Rishi conquer thousands! 12. May these chantings embrace you from all sides, O one who thirsts for chanting! May they (to him), the strong one, be like reinforcements! May they delight you with joy! 1., II. "To Indra" 1. All songs of praise strengthened Indra, who contains the (whole) sea, the Best of charioteers, the Lord of rewards, the lord of (all) existence. 2. In friendship with you, O Indra, the rewarder, We, O lord of strength, (have nothing) to fear. We rejoice towards you, the Victor, the undefeated. 3. Indra has many gifts, (his) mercy does not dry out, If from the reward (herd) of cows, He gives a generous gift to the singers. 4. Breaking through fortresses, young poet, He was born with inordinate strength, Indra, supporting any (our) cause, The much-famous thunderer. 5. You opened a cave at Vala, the owner of cows, O thrower of stones. The gods supported you, inspired by you fearlessly. 6. With your gifts, O hero, I returned (home), announcing (them) to the river. They were there, O one who thirsts for praise, The singers know this about you. 7. With witchcraft spells, O Indra, you brought down the witchcraft Shushna on his face. The wise know this about you. Raise their glory! 8. Praises called upon Indra, Who rules by (his) power, (Indra), whose gifts are a thousand Or even more.
One of the oldest literary monuments and the sources of hidden wisdom is the Rig Veda, in which, under the cover of metaphorical images, a treasury of the deepest eternal Knowledge is hidden. The Rishis, the poets who composed the Rig Veda, conveyed spiritual knowledge in the form of words and poems filled with divine inspiration. Its compilers recognized that their ancestors, the forefathers of the Aryan race and all humanity, discovered the path of truth and immortality in order to proclaim it to all subsequent generations of people.
Commentaries on the Rig Veda written in more late times both Western and some Eastern researchers, do not reflect the full depth and power of the insights of the ancient sages, if not to say that they distort and belittle the original meaning of the Vedic hymns, seeing in them only a reflection of the primitive consciousness of the ancient peoples.
Recently, the Rig Veda was translated into Russian, which allows Russian-speaking researchers to directly access this monument of primordial wisdom. Such attempts are already underway. We bring to your attention an introductory article by Anatoly Stepanovich MAIDANOV, a man who lost his sight as a result of an accident in childhood, but managed, despite this, to receive higher education at Moscow State University and become a doctor philosophical sciences. He is currently preparing a book of his research on the Rigvedic hymns for publication.
The Rig Veda is a vast collection of sacred hymns, hence its name, for “rig” means “hymn” in the language of the people who created it. The word “Veda”, which, like many other words of this language, is related to the Slavic “veda”, means “knowledge”. This book embodies the sacred knowledge of one of the most ancient peoples - the Indo-Aryans. The texts of the Rigveda so concretely, clearly, vividly and colorfully depict many aspects of life. ancient people that when reading them there is a feeling of direct communication and perception of people who lived a long time ago.
According to modern researchers, by the beginning of the second millennium BC. arias, integral part of which there were also Indo-Aryans, settled over a vast territory from the Danube to Northern Kazakhstan, roaming the steppes of the Black Sea region, the Volga region, the Urals, and Southern Siberia. Thanks to archaeological research data, we can form an idea of appearance Aryans These were people tall, light-skinned, with light eyes and hair. They wore pointed felt caps on their heads, and their feet were shod in leather boots. They were armed with well-made bronze axes, spears, daggers, darts, arrows, and slings. Their main military weapon was a two-wheeled war chariot. In everyday life, the Aryans used stone mortars and pestles, hand mills, and grinding stones. They did not yet have a potter's wheel, and therefore their vessels were molded with a roller applied on top. For women who wore long braids, various jewelry was made: earrings with a bell, temple pendants, bracelets, beads, plaques. Objects left from the Aryans visual arts- images of gods, animals, people made on stones, vessels, metal products. Special attention attracts the image of a sun-faced character, perhaps the sun god Surya. No less interesting are the images of two drivers on a chariot. They most likely reflect the twin gods Ashvins, very popular among the Indo-Aryans.
IN Central Asia The Aryans, who initially formed a single Indo-Iranian nation, over time are divided into two independent communities. One of them partially remains in Central Asia, partially moves to the Iranian Plateau and therefore receives the name Iranian Aryans from historians, while the other goes to India and therefore receives the name Indo-Aryans. The poet-sages of the Indo-Aryans - the rishis - were the creators of the Rig Veda. They composed her hymns in the second half of the second millennium BC, that is, during their stay in the south of Central Asia and the subsequent period of their spread to the north-west of Hindustan.
Every day, in the pre-dawn and evening darkness, in the territory inhabited by the Indo-Aryans, bright lights flared up, rushing to the sky.
This was when ritual fires were lit, and the ritual of sacrifice to the gods began - the moment of communication between people and their heavenly patrons. Bonfires were also lit in the middle of the day. The entire life of the Indo-Aryans passed under the sign of these sacrifices. With this ceremony they woke up, with it they greeted noon and with it they went to sleep. Such a ritual was for ancient people, who faced many different difficulties, dangers and adversities, a means of strengthening physical and spiritual strength, realizing their hopes and aspirations. The ritual became such a means because with its help the Aryans called upon the gods, who were supposed to satisfy their requests. Ritual stood at the center of the social and, especially, spiritual life of the Indo-Aryans. He determined its rhythm, connected people with the entire universe, shaped their views, mood, and emotions. And since this ritual played such an important role, the arias took its performance extremely seriously, having thoroughly thought through all its moments and entrusting its implementation to a whole group of priests and poets. Every element of the ritual was given great importance.
First of all, a spacious and elevated place was chosen so that it would be closer to the gods in heaven and could be considered the navel of the universe. Here an altar was built and firewood was laid out for three fires. Near them, the priests reverently laid straw, which they poured with fat. A pole was immediately installed to which the sacrificial animal was tied. Members of the clan sat around the fires. The poets stood on their knees.
The priests began to perform their duties. The entire ceremony was led by the chief priest, a brahman. He made sure that the whole ceremony was performed accurately, dynamically, expressively, aesthetically, attractively for the gods, otherwise they might not come to the sacrifice. The priest, called adhvaryu, rattled the crushing stones and squeezed the juice out of the soma plant. The pothar priest purified this juice from fibers by passing it through a sheep's wool strainer. The juice was then mixed with water and milk so as not to be too harsh, resulting in the drink of immortality - amrita. Meanwhile, the agnidh priest took two wooden planks and rubbed them together until fire appeared. This fire was used to light fires. The hotar priest exclaimed: “Vashat!”, and to the accompaniment of this invocative ritual exclamation, adhvaryu poured amrita into the fires using a special spoon, which the priests and poets themselves had previously drunk. Adhvaryu also threw other sacrifices into the fire - cakes, fried barley grains, poured out milk, ghee. In especially important cases, animals were sacrificed - a sheep, a goat, a bull, or even a horse.
Vedic ritual of sacrifice (yajna)
Then, under the leadership of the hotar priest, one or more poet-singers began to sing hymns to the gods. Poets either recited or sang these hymns, and did it very loudly. They were helped by the Udgatar priest, who was an expert in ritual melodies. The singers, beating out the rhythm, made energetic movements with their arms, legs, and bodies, working with no less zeal than the Aryan carpenters made chariots. Priests and poets turned primarily to the god of fire Agni, embodied in the flames of bonfires. It is with the hymn to Agni that the Rig Veda begins:
I call on Agni - at the head of the placed
God of sacrifice (and) priest,
Hotara of the most abundant treasure.
Agni is worthy of the invocations of rishis -
Both previous and current:
May he bring the gods here!
To you, O Agni, day after day,
O illuminator of darkness, we come
Prayerfully, bringing worship .
Agni acted as a mediator between people and gods. Rising with flame and smoke to the sky, he conveyed to the celestials the sacrifice made by people, inviting them to come for the sacrifice. The gods listened to the requests of their admirers, descended from the sky and sat down on the sacrificial straw. The priests treated them to the intoxicating drink soma, and the poets sang their praises and addressed them with prayers. On behalf of their fellow tribesmen, they asked the gods for wealth, protection, long life, and victory over their enemies. Thus, an exchange of gifts took place: the gods received the sacrifice, and people received their help and support. The ritual united people and gods and established unity between them. That is why poets called sacrifice an umbilical cord, thanks to which people were connected with the gods.
The earliest surviving image of Indra. II century BC.
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Day after day, year after year, century after century, the Rishis composed hymns for these ceremonies. Entire families were engaged in creativity, in which this activity passed from generation to generation. A huge number of chants were composed. Most of them repeated the same requests to the gods, reproducing in different variations the same events in the life of the Aryans. But as life changed, as the Aryans moved to new lands, additional content was included in the hymns, other events and ideas about the world, about themselves, about other peoples were reflected. At the turn of the second - first millennium BC. the codification of the created hymns was carried out. From a huge number of creations, 1028 hymns were selected. They were divided into ten mandalas (cycles, or books), which made up the Rig Veda.
The collection of poetic texts is enormous, surpassing in volume the Iliad and the Odyssey combined. In Russian it consists of three large volumes. The invaluable merit of the Sanskritologist T.Ya. Elizarenkova, who translated such famous book into Russian. She rightly calls the Rig Veda the great beginning of Indian literature and culture. Indeed, this creation is a single set of ideas of the ancient Indians on many issues. It reflects the mythology and religion of the people, their views on the origin and existence of the universe, legal and ethical standards, interpretation of natural phenomena, ideas about inner world a person, about the meaning of life, about ways to achieve life goals, about attitude towards other peoples. It became the comprehensive source of all subsequent spiritual life Indian people. It was carefully preserved by these people, who from millennium to millennium passed it on from generation to generation, from Brahman to disciple, exclusively in oral form, while keeping the text absolutely accurate and unchanged. The Rig Veda is the richest and most ancient source of information about the period of the birth of the Indian ethnic group. But despite the huge amount of research, this source remains largely mysterious and incomprehensible to modern reader. This is explained by the esoteric nature of the language that the rishis used when creating their hymns.
Until now, science has not received an unambiguous and indisputable interpretation of the main myths of the Rigveda, which form the core of the collection. First of all, the myth of Val. It tells about the abduction of cows by demons, which they stole and hid in the Vala rock. God Indra pierced the rock with his thunder club and freed the cows. Another famous myth tells how the demon Vritra blocked the rivers, as a result of which they stopped flowing. A great sea formed, and the fields were left without water. And here the role of the demon fighter was again played by Indra, who killed Vritra with his club - the mighty vajra. A prominent place in the Rig Veda is occupied by the myth of the disappearance of Agni, moreover, in his incarnation in which he personified the fire of the Sun. This act of Agni frightened even the gods, and they hardly managed to find him and again revive the fire of the heavenly body. An important myth is about the division of the gods into two camps - asuras and devas - and about the struggle between them.
With regard to the myths listed above, the question arises: what reality is contained in them? Most scholars of the Rig Veda do not look for elements of realistic content. They offer a cosmogonic interpretation, arguing that these myths reflect the Aryan ideas about the process of creation of the world. However, such an interpretation conflicts with a number of substantive elements of these myths, which testify to the fact that this world already existed.
The cosmogonic views of the Vedic sages are presented in a direct, and not allegorical, form in a dozen hymns of the last, later mandala of the Rig Veda. According to the views of the Aryan sages, during the formation of the Universe, phenomena of the same kind occurred as those characteristic of earthly conditions, for the birth of living beings, and for processes occurring with the human body. Rishis posed similar questions in relation to the cosmos: from what the Universe was born, who gave birth to the celestial bodies, who arranged and ordered the world, what was the fulcrum on which the Creator stood when the Universe did not yet exist, etc.
All authors of cosmogonic hymns first of all resolved the question of the original “object” from which everything that exists arose. One of them claimed that it was the giant man Purusha. The gods dismembered this thousand-headed, thousand-eyed, thousand-legged giant into pieces. From his eye was born the Sun, from his spirit the Moon, from his navel the air space, from his head the sky, from his feet the Earth, from his ear the cardinal directions, from his breath the wind. According to the hymn of another sage, being, including the Earth, was born from a being with legs stretched upward. The author of the hymn believed that in the beginning there was a certain embryo. From him the god Prajapati evolved, who became the creator of all things. The authors of hymns are looking for the source of the Universe not in living beings, but in physical phenomena. In their opinion, the world arose from cosmic heat. At the same time, they come to the idea of the original existence of something different from what currently exists. Then there was no non-existent and existing. The power of heat gave birth to a certain “one”. In these ideas we see a bold attempt to go beyond the limits of the immediately perceived. The authors of the Rig Veda also resolved the question of the universal demiurge in different ways. Some believed that the world was created by a host of gods, while others came to the idea that the world was created by one demiurge - Vishvakarman or Prajapati. The highest limit of cosmogonic thought of the authors of the Rig Veda is reflected in the hymn:
There was no non-existence, and there was no existence then.
There was no air or sky beyond.
What was moving back and forth? Where? Under whose protection?
What kind of bottomless, deep water was it?
There was neither death nor immortality then.
There was no sign of day (or) night.
Breathed, without disturbing the air, according to its law, Something One,
And there was nothing else but Him.
The darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning.
Indistinguishable abyss - all this
That vital activity that was enclosed in emptiness,
It alone was generated by the power of heat!
Who truly knows who will proclaim here,
Where did this creation come from, where did it come from?
So who knows where he's fussing from?
Where did this creation come from?
Whether it was created or not -
Who oversees this (world) in the highest heaven,
Only He knows or does not know .
In this hymn, in addition to the depth of thought, there is another admirable virtue characteristic of the entire Rig Veda - the amazing poetry of the hymns. Many hymns are still perceived as masterpieces of verbal creativity, saturated with the freshness and brightness of comparisons, epithets, metaphors, metonymies, and allegories that have not faded to this day. The whole set artistic techniques makes the content of the hymns multifaceted, multi-valued, esoteric, having hidden and obvious layers, simultaneously affecting different levels perception, understanding, psyche. The skill of the ancient poets is manifested, in particular, in the fact that they were able to use in an unusually original and expressive way the whole world of objects and phenomena of everyday life as named poetic means, especially comparisons and metaphors, forcing them to play with bright diamonds in the verbal fabric of poetry. Thanks to this, through comparisons, metaphors, etc. in the outer layer of the Rigveda texts, almost all everyday life Aryans Hymns were the most important means of influencing the gods in order to obtain the desired benefits and favors from them. The Rishis tried to create hymns as skillfully as possible. In their own words, they wove them like precious fabrics, turning them as gracefully as carpenters made ornate chariots.
The earliest surviving image of Surya. II century BC.
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Here is an example of a colorful and very emotional description of one of natural phenomena, who delighted and inspired the Aryans, - the dawn, personified by the goddess Ushas:
...From the dark (space) a noble huge (goddess) rose,
Caring for the human settlement.
Before (the whole world) she awakened,
Award winning, high, victorious.
High above looked at everything young woman, being born again.
Ushas appeared first at the morning call .
Knowing the name of the first day,
White, whitening, born from black.
The young woman does not violate the establishment of cosmic law, About the Arctic homeland of the Indo-Aryans based on the study of the Vedas, in the interpretation of the famous Sanskritologist B.G. Tipak (1856-1920), see “Delphis” No. 2 (18) for 1999 - Note edit
Esoterically, the concept of “cow” is a symbol of the “Great Universal Mother”, the feminine creative force in action - Note ed.
The main content of the Rig Veda consists of hymns (suktas or rich) addressed to various deities revered by the Aryans during the period of their migration to India. The hymns praise the exploits, blessings, and greatness of these gods, and appeal to them for the “granting of wealth (primarily cow herds), numerous offspring (male), long life, prosperity, and victory. In the “ancestral books” hymns dedicated to to various gods; each book begins with hymns to Agni, the god of fire, followed by hymns to Indra - these two are the most significant deities of the Rigveda, then the sequence of groups of hymns varies. In the remaining books the principle of arrangement of hymns is less consistent (Book IX, as noted, is entirely different. dedicated to Soma), but the first hymn of the Rig Veda in the first book is also addressed to Agni.
The indicated arrangement of hymns in groups, as well as some stereotypical composition of each hymn dedicated to the praise of the deity, creates the impression of a certain monotony for the reader of the Rigveda. If the first two or three hymns can interest and attract him with the imagery and expressiveness of poetic speech, then in the subsequent long series the same images, comparisons, stereotypical expressions, and the high artistic merits of the Rig Veda, already noted by its first researchers are not always clearly distinguishable against the background of this tedious monotony.
This ancient collection of hymns was not created for aesthetic purposes; The hymns had primarily religious significance; they were performed during all kinds of rituals and sacrifices. The Rig Veda is usually defined as a book of religious poetry. Some researchers have emphasized the ritual content of the Rigveda hymns. However, these definitions are not entirely accurate.
First of all, only a relatively small part of the hymns is clearly and directly related to ritual. The relationship of the rest of the monument's text to the ritual is rather unclear; This issue is now difficult to resolve definitively. Not all the hymns of the Rig Veda are directly related to the worship of gods. The content of the book is quite complex and too varied to fit into the framework of this definition. The Rigveda quite broadly reflects the era of its creation, although it gives us little specific historical material. For us, this is a monument to a certain stage in cultural development human society, reflecting very early forms ideology; main interest in the Rigveda presents its mythological material. Created already at a relatively late period historical development, she reflected in many hymns a very ancient worldview, born in previous eras of the existence of tribal society. It is not for nothing that at one time the study of the contents of the Rig Veda contributed to significant progress scientific research in this area.
V.G. Erman SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF VEDIC LITERATURE
