Theos-Talk Archives (November 2002 Message tt00616)

DEAR DANIEL CALDWELL AND FELLOW THEO-SOPHISTS,

I AM DELIGHTED THAT YOU MR. CALDWELL, HAVE TAKEN THIS DISCUSSION TO 
ITS EARLIEST EXTANT SOURCE IN THE RIG VEDA. IN DEFERENCE TO THE 
THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY ADVAITA VEDANTIC PERSPECTIVE, LET US REFERE TO A 
TRANSLATION OF THE VEDIC HYMNS DONE BY THE WORLD FAMOUS ADVAITA 
VEDANTIC SANSKRIT SCHOLAR, FATHER RAIMUNDO PANIKKAR. IN HIS "THE 
VEDIC EXPERIANCE MANTRA MANJARI AN ANTHOLOGY OF THE VEDAS FOR MODERN 
MAN AND CONTEMPORARY CELEBRATION" (1977, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
PRESS, BERKELEY AND LOS ANGELES, USA, ISBN # 0-520-02854-6 ), THE 
HYMN YOU HAVE PROVIDED BELOW IS ON PAGE 58. THIS IS CITED IN THE 
CHAPTER TITLED ADI, OR PRELUDE. IT IS THE NASADIYA SUKTA, RIG VEDA 
X, I29. 

I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THIS ANTHOLOGY TO ALL THOSE THEOSOPHISTS 
INTERESTED IN AVAILING THEMSELVES OF MORE 'DIRECT' (VIA ENGLISH) 
KNOWLEDGE OF THE ASTOUNDING VEDIC-VAISHNAVA HYMNS. 

I WOULD NOT ALWAYS TRANSLATE THESE HYMNS THE SAME WAY AS FATHER 
PANIKKAR, BECAUSE I HAVE AT MY ADVANTAGE AN INTIMATE FAMILIARITY WITH 
THE STILL LIVING PURUSHA-WORSHIPING TRADITION OF THESE HYMNS.   
HOWEVER, FOR AN ADVAITA VEDANTIC READING, HIS ANTHOLOGY IS EXCELLENT, 
AND WOULD BE ESPECIALLY NICE AND INSPIRING FOR THEO-SOPHISTS OF THE 
HPB-RELATED THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY . BY THE WAY IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT 
VAISHNAVISM HAS A TRADITION OF ADVAITIC THOUGHT, BUT THIS IS AN 
INTEGRAL PART OF THE 'BRAHMAN REALIZATION' ASPECT OF THE WORSHIP OF 
SRI KRISHNA'S (ADI PURUSHA'S) PERSONAL BODILY EFFULGENCE, CALLED THE 
BRAHMA JYOTI. (BRAHMAN=BRAHMA JYOTI.)  

THE VEDAS AND UPANISHADS ETC. DESCRIBE THREE KINDS OF GOD 
REALIZATION, THAT OF THE IMPERSONAL BRAHMAN IS THE FIRST AND LEAST 
INCLUSIVE, NOT THE MOST. IT IS FOUND IN MANY RELIGIONS AND ASSOCIATED 
WITH THE UNITIVE EXPERIANCE OF 'NATURE MYSTICISM'. EXPERIENCE OF THE 
BRAHMAN OR PARABRAHMN, AS IT IS SOMETIMES CALLED IN THEOSOPHY, IS 
CONSIDERED IN VAISHNAVA ADVAITA VEDANTA AS THE FIRST RUNG ON THE 
LADDER OF GOD-AND-SELF REALIZATION. THEN THE SECOND RUNG IS THE 
REALIZATION OF PARAMATMAN (THE IMMANENT, PERSONAL HOLY SPIRIT AND 
IT'S BELOVED JIVATMA), WHICH INCLUDES BRAHMAN VISION, AND FINALLY THE 
SUMMIT AND MOST INCLUSIVE, WHICH IS BHAGAVAN REALIZATION, IN WHICH 
THE BRAHMAN, PARAMATMAN AND BHAGAVAN, THE ORIGINAL SUPREME 
PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD ARE ALL EXPERIANCED / REALIZED OR 
DIRECTLY 'SEEN'.   

THAT BEING SAID, IF YOU READ FATHER PANIKKAR'S TRANSLATION, THE SAME 
SANSKRIT WORD (KAMA) THAT IS GENERALLY TRANSLATED TODAY BY 'HINDUS'  
AND BY ADVAITIS AS "DESIRE" IS TRANSLATED BY FR. PANIKKAR AS "LOVE".  
AS A VAISHNAVA, I KNOW THAT THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD KAMA, IS 
ASSOCIATED WITH THE NAME OF SRI KRISHNA OR HARI AS KAMA. "GOD IS 
LOVE". KAMA IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE THEOLOGICAL CONCEPT OF LOBHA / 
INTENSE DESIRING IN VAISHNAVA BRIDAL MYSTICISM. LOBHA=LOVE. THE 
ORIGIN, OBJECT, SUBJECT AND ACT OF "LOVE", IS THE ORIGINAL KAMADEVA, 
SRI KRISHNA OR HARI. THE LORD OF ALL HEARTS IS HARI OF THE HARI-
DAYA, HRI-DAYA, HRID = HEART (HRIDAYA = KARDIA ETC. ), INCLUDING 
THE 'HEART' OR 'CORE'(HARI again) OF ALL HUMANKIND AND ALL MATERIAL 
AND IMMATERIAL REALMS AND WORLDS, OR LOKAS (LOCATIONS).   


THE FINAL REFERENCE TO THE ONE, HE, THE OBSERVER IN THE HIGHEST 
HEAVEN POSSIBLY KNOWING "NOT", IS A DIRECT REFERENCE TO THE DOCTRINE 
OF YOGA MAYA, IN WHICH GOD 'COVERS' (HIDES OR DENIES) A PORTION OF 
HIS OWN CONCIOUSNESS 'OVER' WITH YOGA MAYA FOR THE PURPOSE OF PREMA, 
DIVINE LOVE. THE REALM OF BHAKTI LILA EXISTS WITHIN THE MAYA OR 'NOT-
ME' PLEASURE POTENTIA OF GODHEAD, IN THE ORIGINAL GIVER'S (ADI 
PURUSHA'S) FEMININE RECIEVING SHAKTI OR SHEKINAH. ONE OF THE ADI 
SHAKTI'S POTENCIES IS MAYA, ILLUSION, BUT THERE ARE TWO FORMS OF 
MAYA. THE ATHEISTS ONLY KNOW ABOUT MAHA-MAYA OR THE KIND OF ILLUSION 
DEALT WITH BY THE ADVAITIS AND BUDDHISTS. HOWEVER THAT MAYA IS ONLY 
CO-EXTENSIVE WITH THE SAHA WORLD OF BIRTH, DEATH, DISEASE, AND OLD 
AGE, WHILE THE ORIGINAL TRANSCENDENTAL MAYA, YOGA MAYA, IS ALSO 
ASSOCIATED WITH THE IMMATERIAL HEAVEN-OF-HEAVENS, VAIKUNTHAS (PURE 
LAND) OR PARADISE. WHEN AND WHERE YOGA MAYA IN UNION WITH ADI PURUSHA 
IS REALIZED WITHIN A MATERIAL WORLD, THE 'KINGDOM OF HEAVEN' IS MADE 
MANIFEST WITHIN IT ! THERE 'GOD-WHO-IS-LOVE' REIGNS SUPREME, AND ALL 
THE QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED!

THE THEME OF THE BELOW IS THEREFORE THE MYSTERIOUS CREATIVE LOVE 
UNION OF HARI AND SHAKTI (ELI AND SHEKINAH, HARA AND SHAKTI, HRIH AND 
SHAKTI), GOD ESS AS LOVE, WITHIN THE 'EMPTY' SHELL OF A SAHA-WORLD 
COSMIC MANIFESTATION. 

THE FIRST STATE REFERS TO THE 'EMPTY' COSMIC MANIFESTATION, THE EGG 
BEFORE THE ENTRANCE OF THE ADI PURUSHA. 

THE "ONE BREATHED" IS A REFERENCE TO THE SPIRIT-IMPREGNATING BREATH 
OF HARI AS EITHER MAHA VISHNU OR GARBODAKSAYI VISHNU, WHO 'BREATHES' 
THE BREATH OF LIFE (SPIRITUS) INTO THE EMPTY EGG-LIKE COSMIC SHELL.

THE QUESTION POSED AT THE END OF THIS HYMN IS ANSWERED IN DEPTH AND 
DETAIL IN THE OTHER VEDIC HYMNS, AND BHAKTI SHASTRAS (TRADITIONAL 
VEDIC-VAISHNAVA AND SHIVA-SHAKTI SCRIPTURES OF DIVINE LOVE). 

PAX AND PREMA TO YOU MR. CALDWELL !

BHAKTI ANANDA GOSWAMI

-- In theos-talk@y..., "Daniel H. Caldwell" <comments@b...> wrote:
> Below I give 4 different versions of the remarkable "Hymn of 
> Creation" from the Rig Veda.  
> 
> I remember when I was in my teens and having what later I would 
learn 
> were mystical experiences, I ran across the "Hymn of Creation." It 
> awakened in me other inner experiences many of which I still do not 
> understand.  
> 
> Later in 1968 I discovered Theosophy and the writings of Madame 
> Blavatky. I was literally amazed when I first read the Stanzas of 
> Dzyan and HPB's commentaries on the Stanzas. These stanzas also 
> awakened something in me very reminiscent of my experiences with 
the 
> Hymn of Creation.
> 
> Several years later in the 70s, in the library where I was working, 
I 
> found a book written by Georg Feuerstein and Jeanine Miller.  
> Information on the latest reprint of this book can be found at:
> 
> http://www.parkstpress.com/titles/essyog.htm
> The Essence of Yoga: Essays on the Development of Yogic Philosophy 
> from the Vedas to Modern Times
> 
> I was greatly impressed by the whole book especially the following 
> chapters:
> 
> "Some Notes on Rgvedic Interpretation" (J. Miller and G. 
Feuerstein) 
> "The Hymn of Creation. A Philosophical Interpretation" (J. Miller) 
> "Forerunners of Yoga: The Kesin Hymn" (J. Miller) 
> "The Heart of Rgvedic Religion: Agni, Flame Divine" (J. Miller)
> 
> The chapter on "The Hymn of Creation" by Jeanine Miller is highly 
> recommended, especially for students of THE SECRET DOCTRINE.
> 
> Anyway, below are the 4 versions.
> 
> Daniel
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------
> 
> Hymn of Creation
> Version 1
> 
> Neither non-being nor being was as yet, Neither was airy space nor 
> heavens beyond; What was enveloped? And where? Sheltered by whom? 
And 
> was there water? Bottomless, unfathomed? 
> 
> Neither was there death nor immortality, Nor was there any sign 
then 
> of night or day; Totally windless, by itself, the One breathed; 
> Beyond that, indeed, nothing whatever was. 
> 
> In the Principle darkness concealed darkness; Undifferentiated 
surge 
> was this whole world. The pregnant point covered by the form 
matrix, 
> From conscious fervor, mightily, brought forth the One. 
> 
> In the Principle, thereupon, rose desire, Which of consciousness 
was 
> the primeval seed. Then the wise, searching within their hearts, 
> perceived That in non-being lay the bond of being. 
> 
> Stretched crosswise was their line, a ray of glory. Was there a 
> below? And was there an above? There were sowers of seeds and 
forces 
> of might: Potency from beneath and from on high the Will. 
> 
> Who really knows, who could here proclaim Whence this creation 
flows, 
> where is its origin? With this great surge the Gods made their 
> appearance. Who therefore knows from where it did arise? 
> 
> This flow of creation, from where it did arise, Whether it was 
> ordered or was not, He, the Observer, in the highest heaven, He 
alone 
> knows, unless…He knows it not.
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------
> 
> Hymn of Creation
> Version 2
> 
> Non-being then existed not nor being:
> There was no air, nor sky that is beyond it.
> What was concealed? Wherein? In whose protection?
> And was there deep unfathomable water?
> 
> Death then existed not nor life immortal;
> Of neither night nor day was any token.
> By its inherent force the One breathed windless:
> No other thing than that beyond existed.
> 
> Darkness there was at first by darkness hidden;
> Without distinctive marks, this all was water.
> That which, becoming, by the void was covered,
> That One by force of heat came into being. 
> 
> Desire entered the One in the beginning:
> It was the earliest seed, of thought the product.
> The sages searching in their hearts with wisdom,
> Found out the bond of being in non-being.
> 
> Their ray extended light across the darkness:
> But was the One above or was it under?
> Creative force was there, and fertile power:
> Below was energy, above was impulse.
> 
> Who knows for certain? Who shall here declare it?
> Whence was it born, and whence came this creation?
> The gods were born after this world's creation:
> Then who can know from whence it has arisen?
> 
> None knoweth whence creation has arisen;
> And whether he has or has not produced it:
> He who surveys it in the highest heaven,
> He only knows, or haply he may know not
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------
> 
> Hymn of Creation
> Version 3
> 
> At first was neither Being nor Nonbeing.
> There was not air nor yet sky beyond.
> What was wrapping? Where? In whose protection?
> Was Water there, unfathomable deep?
> 
> There was no death then, nor yet deathlessness;
> of night or day there was not any sign.
> The One breathed without breath by its own impulse.
> Other than that was nothing at all.
> 
> Darkness was there, all wrapped around by darkness,
> and all was Water indiscriminate, Then
> that which was hidden by Void, that One, emerging,
> stirring, through power of Ardor, came to be.
> 
> In the beginning desire arose,
> which was primal germ cell of mind.
> The Seers, searching in their hearts with wisdom,
> discovered the connection of Being in Nonbeing. 
> 
> A crosswise line cut Being from Nonbeing.
> What was described above it, what below?
> Bearers of seed there were and mighty forces,
> thrust from below and forward move above.
> 
> Who really knows? Who can presume to tell it?
> Whence was it born? Whence issued this creation?
> Even the Gods came after its emergence.
> Then who can tell from whence it came to be?
> 
> That out of which creation has arisen,
> whether it held it firm or it did not,
> He who surveys it in the highest heaven,
> He surely knows - or maybe He does not! 
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------
> 
> Hymn of Creation
> Version 4
> 
> Then there was not non-existent nor existent: 
> There was no realm of air, no sky beyond it.
> What covered in, and where? and what gave shelter? 
> Was water there, unfathomed depth of water?
> 
> Death was not then, nor was there aught immortal:
> No sign was there, the day's and night's divider.
> That one thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature 
> Apart from it was nothing whatsoever.
> 
> Darkness there was: at first concealed in darkness, 
> This All was undiscriminated chaos.
> All that existed then was void and formless; 
> By the great power of warmth was born that unit.
> 
> Thereafter rose desire in the beginning, 
> Desire the primal seed and germ of spirit.
> Sages who searched with their heart's thought 
> Discovered the existent's kinship in the non-existent.
> 
> Transversely was their severing line extended: 
> What was above it then, and what below it?
> There were begetters, there were mighty forces, 
> Free action here and energy of yonder.
> 
> Who verily knows and who can here declare it,
> Whence it was born and whence comes this creation?
> The gods are later than this world's production. 
> Who knows, then, whence it first came into being?
> 
> He, the first origin of this creation, 
> Whether he formed it all or did not form it,
> Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, 
> He verily knows it, or perhaps he knows it not.