A new approach to the Vedas : an essay in translation and exegesis

THREE VEDIC HYMNS

explained in the Appendix, sadhya = muni. The Sadhya is thus more than a saint: they are Sadhyas who in a former zon have become the Light of the World, the Pillar of the Universe. The notion corresponds to that of “former Buddhas,” or Agni’s “‘ elder brothers”’ in x, 51,6.

It will be observed that the Brahman here (v. 12) takes precedence of the Ksatriya. We know that there existed in ancient India a conflict on this point. A very remarkable solution is offered in the Brhadaranyaka Up., I, 4, 11, where the spirit-power (brahma) is said to be the source (yoni) of the temporal power, than which there is nothing higher: in other words, the spiritual power is to the temporal power as Being to Existence, as Unconscious (super-conscious) to conscious, the conscious naturally having worldly precedence. Cf. ‘‘ The lower heart moves like a strong, powerful commander who despises the heavenly ruler because of his weakness, and has seized for himself the leadership of the affairs of state,’ Lii Tzii in Wilhelm and Jung, Secret of the Golden Flower, p. 27. It is precisely from this point of view that the character of Indra can be best explained: the original Indra (an aspect of Agni, Rg Veda, V, 3, I, and born of truth, ibid., IV, 19, 2) representing the legitimate Temporal Power (ksatva), in relation to Agni or Vayu (Prana) as Spiritual Power (brahma) ; the “ fallen”’ Indra (‘‘ deluded,” Byhad Devata, VII, 54) self-infatuated, misconceiving his position, and asserting his independence, as in Rg Veda, IV, 142 and X, 124.

We have rendered Indra tentatively as “king,” assuming that indva, devanam indra, was originally, that would be antecedent to the Vedas as we possess them, an essential name?* of him who is but One, not an independent deity of alien ethnic origin, as has generally been thought.12® His treatment as a separate and rival deity, often displacing Varuna, would thus afford an ancient parallel to such cases as those of Kamadeva who are properly speaking “ powers’ of Varuna or Brahman, only