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2.4: Reincarnation

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    10 Reincarnation

    Rigveda22

    Book 10

    HYMN XVI. Agni.

    1. Burn him not up, nor quite consume him, Agni: let not his body or his skin be scattered.

    O Jātavedas, when thou hast matured him, then send him on his way unto the Fathers.

    2 When thou hast made him ready, Jātavedas, then do thou give him over to the Fathers.

    When he attains unto the life that waits him, he shall become the Deities' controller.

    3 The Sun receive thine eye, tne Wind thy spirit; go, as thy merit is, to earth or heaven.

    Go, if it be thy lot, unto the waters; go, make thine home in plants with all thy members.

    4 Thy portion is the goat: with heat consume him: let thy fierce flame, thy glowing splendour, burn him

    With thine auspicious forms, o Jātavedas, bear this man to the region of the pious.

    5 Again, O Agni, to the Fathers send him who, offered in thee, goes with our oblations.

    Wearing new life let him increase his offspring: let him rejoin a body, Jātavedas.

    6 What wound soe’er the dark bird hath inflicted, the emmet, or the serpent, or the jackal,

    May Agni who devoureth all things heal it and Soma who hath passed into the Brahmans.

    7 Shield thee with flesh against the flames of Agni, encompass thee about with fat and marrow,

    So will the Bold One, eager to attack thee with fierce glow fail to girdle and consume thee.

    8 Forbear, O Agni, to upset this ladle: the Gods and they who merit Soma love it.

    This ladle, this which serves the Gods to drink from, in this the Immortal Deities rejoice them.

    9 1 send afar flesh eating Agni, bearing off stains may he depart to Yama's subjects.

    But let this other Jātavedas carry oblation to the Gods, for he is skilful.

    10 I choose as God for Father-worship Agni, flesh-eater, who hath past within your dwelling,

    While looking on this other Jātavedas. Let him light flames in the supreme assembly.

    11 With offerings meet let Agni bring the Fathers who support the Law.

    Let him announce oblations paid to Fathers and to Deities.

    12 Right gladly would we set thee down, right gladly make thee burn and glow.

    Gladly bring yearning Fathers nigh to cat the food of sacrifice.

    13 Cool, Agni, and again refresh the spot which thou hast scorched and burnt.

    Here let the water-lily grow, and tender grass and leafy herb.

    14 O full of coolness, thou cool Plant, full of fresh moisture, freshening Herb,

    Come hither with the female frog: fill with delight this Agni here.

    HYMN XC. Puruṣa.

    1. A THOUSAND heads hath Puruṣa, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet.

    On every side pervading earth he fills a space ten fingers wide.

    2 This Puruṣa is all that yet hath been and all that is to be;

    The Lord of Immortality which waxes greater still by food.

    3 So mighty is his greatness; yea, greater than this is Puruṣa.

    All creatures are one-fourth of him, three-fourths eternal life in heaven.

    4 With three-fourths Puruṣa went up: one-fourth of him again was here.

    Thence he strode out to every side over what cats not and what cats.

    5 From him Virāj was born; again Puruṣa from Virāj was born.

    As soon as he was born he spread eastward and westward o’er the earth.

    6 When Gods prepared the sacrifice with Puruṣa as their offering,

    Its oil was spring, the holy gift was autumn; summer was the wood.

    7 They balmed as victim on the grass Puruṣa born in earliest time.

    With him the Deities and all Sādhyas and Ṛṣis sacrificed.

    8 From that great general sacrifice the dripping fat was gathered up.

    He formed the creatures of-the air, and animals both wild and tame.

    9 From that great general sacrifice Ṛcas and Sāma-hymns were born:

    Therefrom were spells and charms produced; the Yajus had its birth from it.

    10 From it were horses born, from it all cattle with two rows of teeth:

    From it were generated kine, from it the goats and sheep were born.

    11 When they divided Puruṣa how many portions did they make?

    What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet?

    12 The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rājanya made.

    His thighs became the Vaiśya, from his feet the Śūdra was produced.

    13 The Moon was gendered from his mind, and from his eye the Sun had birth;

    Indra and Agni from his mouth were born, and Vāyu from his breath.

    14 Forth from his navel came mid-air the sky was fashioned from his head

    Earth from his feet, and from his car the regions. Thus they formed the worlds.

    15 Seven fencing-sticks had he, thrice seven layers of fuel were prepared,

    When the Gods, offering sacrifice, bound, as their victim, Puruṣa.

    16 Gods, sacrificing, sacrificed the victim these were the earliest holy ordinances.

    The Mighty Ones attained the height of heaven, there where the Sādhyas, Gods of old, are dwelling.

    Bhagavad Gita23

    Chapter 9: Supreme Knowledge and the Big Mystery

    The Supreme Lord said: I shall reveal to you, who do not disbelieve, the most profound secret of Self-knowledge and Self-realization. Having known this you will be freed from the miseries of worldly existence. (9.01)

    This knowledge is the king of all knowledge, is the most secret, is very sacred, it can be perceived by instinct, conforms to Dharma, is very easy to practice, and is imperishable. (9.02)

    O Arjuna, those who have no faith in this knowledge follow the cycle of birth and death without attaining Me. (9.03)

    This entire universe is pervaded by Me, the unmanifest Brahman. All beings depend on (or remain in) Me (like a chain depends on gold). I do not depend on them. (See also 7.12) (9.04) ( From a Dvaitic or dualistic view point, waves depend on the ocean, the ocean does not depend on the waves. But, from a Advaitic or non-dualistic point of view, as stated in verse 9.05 below, the question of wave abiding in the ocean or the ocean abiding in the wave does not arise, because there is no wave or ocean. It is water only. Similarly, everything is a manifestation of Brahman only. (Gita 7.19))

    And yet beings, in reality, do not remain in Me. Look at the power of My divine mystery. Though the sustainer and creator of all beings, I do not remain in them. (In reality, the chain does not depend on gold; the chain is nothing but gold. Also, matter and energy are different as well as non-different). (9.05)

    Consider that all beings remain in Me (without any contact or without producing any effect) as the mighty wind, moving everywhere, eternally remains in space. (9.06)

    All beings merge into My Prakriti at the end of a Kalpa (or a cycle of 4.32 billion years), O Arjuna, and I create (or manifest) them again at the beginning of the next Kalpa. (9.07)

    Using My Prakriti I create, again and again, the entire multitude of beings that are helpless, being under the control of (the Gunas of) Prakriti. (9.08)

    These acts of creation do not bind Me, O Arjuna, because I remain indifferent and unattached to those acts. (9.09)

    The Prakriti or nature, under My supervision, creates all animate and inanimate objects; and thus the creation keeps on going, O Arjuna. (See also 14.03) (9.10)

    The ignorant ones, not knowing My supreme natures as the great Lord of all beings, disregard Me when I assume human form. (9.11)

    The ignorant persons having false hopes, false actions, and false knowledge, possess the delusive (or Taamasika) qualities (See 16.04-18) of fiends and demons. (9.12)

    But great souls, O Arjuna, who possess divine qualities (See 16.01-03) know Me as the (material and efficient) cause of creation and imperishable, and worship Me single-mindedly. (9.13)

    Persons of firm resolve worship Me with ever steadfast devotion by always singing My glories, striving to attain Me, and prostrating before Me. (9.14)

    Some worship Me by knowledge sacrifice. Others worship the infinite as the one in all (or non-dual), as the master of all (or dual), and in various other ways. (9.15)

    I am the ritual, I am the Yajna, I am the offering, I am the herb, I am the mantra, I am the Ghee, I am the fire, and I am the oblation. (See also 4.24) (9.16)

    I am the supporter of the universe, the father, the mother, and the grandfather. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier, the sacred syllable OM, and also the Rig, the Yajur, and the Sama Vedas. (9.17)

    I am the goal, the supporter, the Lord, the witness, the abode, the refuge, the friend, the origin, the dissolution, the foundation, the substratum, and the imperishable seed. (See also 7.10 and 10.39) (9.18)

    I give heat, I send as well as withhold the rain, I am immortality as well as death, I am also both the Sat and the Asat, O Arjuna. (Brahman is everything, See also 13.12) (9.19)

    The knowers of the three Vedas and the drinkers of the juice of Soma (or devotion), whose sins are cleansed, worship Me by Yajna for gaining heaven. As a result of their good Karma they go to heaven and enjoy celestial sense pleasures. (9.20)

    Having enjoyed the wide world of heavenly sense pleasures they return to the mortal world upon exhaustion of their good Karma (or Punya). Thus following the injunctions of three Vedas, the fruitive workers take repeated birth and death. (See also 8.25) (9.21)

    To those ever steadfast devotees, who always remember or worship Me with single-minded contemplation, I personally take responsibility for their welfare. (9.22)

    O Arjuna, even those devotees who worship demigods with faith, they too worship Me, but in an improper way. (9.23)

    Because I alone am the enjoyer of all Yajna, and the Lord. But, people do not know My true transcendental nature. Therefore, they fall (into the repeated cycles of birth and death). (9.24)

    Worshippers of the demigods go to the demigods, the worshippers of the ancestors go to the ancestors, and the worshippers of the ghosts go to the ghosts, but My devotees come to Me (and are not born again). (See also 8.16) (9.25)

    Whosoever offers Me a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water with devotion; I accept and eat the offering of devotion by the pure-hearted. (9.26)

    O Arjuna, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer as oblation to the sacred fire, whatever charity you give, whatever austerity you perform, do all that as an offering unto Me. (See also 12.10, 18.46) (9.27)

    By this attitude of complete renunciation (or Samnyasa-yoga) you shall be freed from the bondage, good and bad, of Karma. You shall be liberated, and come to Me. (9.28)

    The Self is present equally in all beings. There is no one hateful or dear to Me. But, those who worship Me with devotion, they are with Me and I am also with them. (See also 7.18) (9.29)

    Even if the most sinful person resolves to worship Me with single-minded loving devotion, such a person must be regarded as a saint because of making the right resolution. (9.30)

    Such a person soon becomes righteous and attains everlasting peace. Be aware, O Arjuna, that My devotee never falls down. (9.31)

    Anybody, including women, merchants, laborers, and the evil-minded can attain the supreme goal by just surrendering unto My will (with loving devotion), O Arjuna. (See also 18.66) (9.32)

    Then, it should be very easy for the holy Braahmanas and devout royal sages (to attain the Supreme state). Therefore, having obtained this joyless and transient human life, one should always remember Me with loving devotion. (9.33)

    Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and bow down to Me. Thus uniting yourself with Me, and setting Me as the supreme goal and sole refuge, you shall certainly realize (or come to) Me. (9.34)


    This page titled 2.4: Reincarnation is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Noah Levin (NGE Far Press) .

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