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 the sacrifice (and) the priest, Hotar of the richest treasure. 2. Agni is worthy of the rishi's invocations Both past and present: May he bring the gods here! 3. Agni, through (him) let him achieve wealth And prosperity - from day to day Shining, most manly! 4. O Agni, sacrifice (and) rite, Which you cover from all sides, It is they who go to the gods. 5. Agni-hotar with the foresight of a poet, True, with the brightest glory, God with the gods come! 6. When you really desire, O Agni, to do good to the one who honors (you), Then this is true with you, O Angiras. 7. To you, O Agni, from day to day, O illuminating darkness, we come With prayer, carrying worship 8. To the one who reigns at the rites, To the shepherd of the law, sparkling, To growing in his house. 9. Like a father to a son, O Agni, be available to us! Follow us for good! 1., 2. "To Vayu, Indra-Vai, Mitra-Varuna" 1. O Vayu, come, pleasing to the eye, These soma juices are prepared. Drink them, hear the call! 2. O Vayu, the singers praise You in songs of praise, With the soma squeezed out, knowing the hour. 3. O Vayu, your (all?) filling Voice, extending far, Goes to the worshiper (you) to drink soma. 4. O Indra-Vayu, here are the squeezed juices (somas). Come with joyful feelings: After all, drops (soma) are striving for you! 5. O Vayu and Indra, you are versed in the squeezed (juices of soma), O rich in reward. Come quickly, both of you! 6. O Vayu and Indra, to the squeezer (soma) Come to the designated place In an instant, with genuine desire, O two husbands! 7. I invoke Mitra, who has the pure power of action And Varuna, who takes care of someone else's (?), (both of them), helping prayer, smeared with fat. 8. By the truth, O Mitra-Varuna, Multiplying the truth, cherishing the truth, you have reached a high fortitude. 9. A pair of seers of Mitra-Varuna, a strong family, with a vast dwelling (They) give us a skillful power of action. 1., 3.. "To the Ashvins, Indra, All-Gods, Saraswati" 1. O Ashvins, rejoice at the sacrificial libations, O quick-handed lords of beauty, many-joyful! 2. O Ashvins, rich in miracles, O two men, with great understanding Accept favorably (our) voices, O reverent ones! 3. O miraculous ones, (soma juices) are squeezed out for you From the one who laid out the sacrificial straw, O Nasatya. Come, both of you, on the shining path! 4. O Indra, come shining bright! These squeezed (soma juices) tend to you, Purified in one go with thin (fingers). 5. O Indra, come, encouraged by (our) thought, Excited by inspired (poets), to the prayers of the Organizer of the sacrifice, who has squeezed out (soma)! 6. O Indra, come, hastening to prayers, O owner of the buckskin horses! Approve our squeezed (soma) 1. 7. Assistants protecting people, O All-Gods, come Merciful to the squeezed out (soma) of the donor! 8. O All-Gods, crossing the waters, Come quick, to the squeezed out (catfish), Like cows to pastures! 9. All-Gods, blameless, Desired, supportive, Let the drivers enjoy the sacrificial drink! 10. Pure Saraswati, Rewarding with rewards, May she desire our sacrifice, who earns wealth with her thought! 11. Inciting to rich gifts, Attuned to beneficence, Saraswati accepted the sacrifice. 12. A great stream illuminates Saraswati with (its) banner. She rules over all prayers. 1.,4.. "To Indra) 1. Every day we call for help Who has taken on a beautiful appearance, Like a well-milked cow - for milking. promises the gift of cows. 3. Then we want to be honored with Your highest favors. Do not miss us! Come! 4. Go ask the wise man About the swift, irresistible Indra, Who is your best friend. 5. And let our detractors say: "And the other 6. (And) a stranger, and (our) people, oh amazing, Let us be called happy: Only with Indra we would like to be protected! 7. Give this quick (soma) swift Indra, (His) adorning sacrifice, intoxicating husbands, Flying (to a friend), pleasing friend! striving for a reward (in battles) for rewards We push for a reward, O worthy one, To capture wealth, O Indra 10. Who is the great stream of wealth tva, (Who is) a friend, ferrying the squeezer (soma) to the other side, To this Indra sing (glory)! 1.,5.. "To Indra" 1. Come! Sit down! Sing to Indra, praise-giving friends! 2. The first of many, the Lord of the most worthy blessings, Indra - with the soma squeezed out! 3. Yes, he will change us on the campaign, In wealth, in abundance! May he come to us with awards! 4. Whose pair of buckskin horses the Enemies cannot hold when they clash in battles, sing (glory) to this Indra! 5. To the drinker of catfish, these pure and mixed with sour milk juices of catfish Flow, inviting (to drink them). 6. You were born, having grown up at once, For drinking squeezed out (soma), O Indra, for excellence, O auspicious. 7. May the quick Soma Juices flow into you, O Indra, thirsty for chanting! May they be for the good of you, wise one! 8. You were strengthened by glorifications, You - laudatory songs, O worthy one! May our praises strengthen you! 9. May Indra, whose help does not dry out, receive This reward in the number of a thousand, (He,) in which all the forces of courage! .0 May mortals do no harm to 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 the yellowish (?), flaming, Wandering around the motionless. Lights shine in the sky. 2. They harness a pair of his favorite Bulany horses on both sides of the chariot (?), Fiery red, fearless, 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 by their own will He began to be born again (and again), And made for themselves a name worthy of sacrifice. 5. With drivers breaking through even strongholds, O Indra, you found the cows, Even (when they were hidden) in a hiding place. 6. As aspiring to God (offer) a prayer, the Chantings extolled the Seeker of wealth, great, famous. 7. Oh if you appeared together with Indra, Moving along with the fearless, (You both) joyful, with equal brilliance. 8. With impeccable, celestial crowds (singers) Desirable for Indra, the Generous one loudly sings (victorious song). 9. Come from there, O wandering around, Or from the bright expanse of the sky! To him rushed together (all) voices. O We pray to Indra for prey, whether from here or from the sky, from the earth (whether space) or from the great (air). 1., 7.. "To Indra" 1. After all, this is Indra loudly - singers, Indra - with praises of praise, Indra called voices. 2. This Indra is associated with a pair of buckskin horses. (Let) with (dress up his horses), harnessed by the word, Indra the Thunderer, golden! 3. Indra raised the sun to the sky, so that one could see (him) for a long time. He split the rock with the cows (in it).
4. O Indra, help us in competitions for a reward, And (where) where the prey is a thousand, Strong, with strong reinforcements! 5. Indra we call 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) unopposed! 7. In what impulses (surge) high Praises to Indra the Thunderer - I have no shortage of praising him! 8. Like a mighty bull - herds, He drives the people with force, Domineering, not meeting resistance. 9. Who alone over people, Reigns over riches, Indra - over five settlements (tribes), 10. (This) Indra for you we call From everywhere around, (away) from all tribes Let it be only ours! 1.,8.. "To Indra" 1. O Indra, grant (us) in support Wealth, bringing prey, victorious, Always winning, supreme, 2. With the help of which, with your support, We could repel enemies In fistfight (i) on a horse. 3. O Indra, with your support, let us take clubs like (you are) a vajra, (And) defeat all rivals in the fight! 4. We are with the brave arrows, O Indra, with you - an ally, we want to overcome the warring (with us)! 5. Great is Indra. And even greater Greatness be the (destiny) of the thunderer! Like the sky wide, the strength (of him)! 6. (Those) men who obtained (reward) in a fight Or upon reaching offspring, Or endowed with the power of vision, inspired ... 7. (That) belly that drinks soma most of all, Swells like an ocean, (Ta) the pharynx is like wide waters. . . 8. Indeed, his mercy is Great (and) plentiful (and) brings cows, (She) is like a ripe branch for the one who honors (him). 9. Verily, your Supports are strong, O Indra, for such as I; They are immediately (available) for the worshiper (you 10. Truly, he desires Glorification and laudatory song, Which must be performed so that Indra drinks soma. 1.,9.. "To Indra" 1. O Indra, come! days of soma offering, O Great One, who excels (all) in strength! 4. Released, O Indra, songs of praise to you, They rushed to meet you, Insatiable - to the bull-husband. rich! 7. Create for us, O Indra, the glory of (many) cows (And) awards, wide, high, For life, indestructible! 8. Raise high glory to us, Shine, extracting thousands, O Indra, those reinforcements are full of chariots! 9. Singing songs of praise worthy of hymns, the Lord of blessings Indra, who comes to the call to help. . . 10. Rejoicing at every squeezing of Indra's soma to the high, a noble person Highly lifts up a loud song. 1.,10.. "To Indra" 1. The chanters sing of you, The praisers praise you with praise. The Brahmins lifted you, o mighty one, like a beam (under the roof). 2. When he climbed from peak to peak (And) saw how much to do, Then Indra notices (his) goal. Like a ram (leader), he sets in motion along with the herd. 3. Harness a pair of lush-maned buckskins, Stallions with a tight girth, And come to us, O Soma-drinking Indra, To hear our laudatory song. 4. Come to praise, pick up the song, Glorify, roar, And together with us, O Vasu, Strengthen, O Indra, prayer and sacrifice! 5. It is necessary to perform a song of praise for Indra As a reinforcement for the many-merciful One, So that the mighty one enjoys the Squeezed (soma) and our company. 6. Only to him we turn for friendship, To him - for wealth, to him - for heroic strength And he, mighty, should try for us, Indra, endowing with good. 7. (Cow pen,) easy to open, easy to empty, O Indra, (this is) a distinction given only by you! Open the cow pen! Do a good deed, O owner of the crushing stones! 8. After all, even both worlds will not cope with you, the Raging One. Conquer the heavenly waters! (Wind) blow us cows! 9. O sensitive, hear the call! Listen to my chants! O Indra, this is my praise Make closer to yourself than to a comrade! .0 After all, we know you as the most ardent bull, Hearing the call in the competition. We invoke the thousands-bringing Support of the most ardent bull. And Drink, Indra, dear kind of Kushik, Rejoicing, our squeezed (soma)! Extend (us) more new life span! Make the rishis conquer thousands! 12. May these chants embrace you from all sides, O thirsty for chanting! May they be (to him), strong with vitality, as reinforcements! Let them rejoice! 1., II. "To Indra" 1. All songs of praise strengthened Indra, containing the (whole) sea, the Best of the drivers, the Lord of rewards, the lord of (all) things. 2. In friendship with you, O Indra, the rewarder, We, O lord of strength, (have nothing) to fear. We rejoice to meet 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 the singers a generous gift. 4. Breaking through the fortresses, the young poet, He was born with exorbitant strength, Indra, supporting any (our) cause, The much-glorified thunderer. 5. You opened the cave at Vala, the owner of cows, O thrower of stones. You were supported by the gods, (by You) fearless inspired. 6. With your gifts, O hero, I returned (home), announcing (them) to the river. They were there, oh thirsty for praise, The singers know this about you. 7. With magical charms, O Indra, you cast down the magical Shushna. The wise know this about you. Raise their glory! 8. Praises invoked Indra, the Ruler by (his) strength, (Indra), whose gifts are a thousand Or even more.
ऋग्वेद
Rig Veda is a collection of inspired hymns or songs and is the main source of information about the "Rigvedic civilization". This is the oldest book in the Indo-European language, which contains the oldest forms of Sanskrit mantras, dating back to the period 1500 - 1000 AD. e. Some scholars believe that the Rig Veda was created as early as 12000 BC. – 4000 BC e.
The Rigvedic "samhita" or collection of mantras consists of 1017 hymns or suktas, which include 10,600 verses divided into eight "ashtakas", each containing eight "adhyayayas" or chapters; they, in turn, are subdivided into different groups. In total there are ten books of the Rig Veda called mandalas (literally "circles"). These hymns are the creations of many authors or sages called "rishis". There are seven main rishis: Atri, Kanva, Jamadagni, Gotama and Bhardwaja.
The Rig Veda contains detailed descriptions of the social, religious, political and economic realities of the Rig Vedic civilization. Although some of the hymns of the Rig Veda are characterized by monotheism, in the religion of the Rig Veda one can discern features of naturalistic polytheism and monism. As one of the oldest and most important religious texts of ancient India, the Rig Veda is the oldest of the four collections of hymns and other sacred texts known as. These writings are regarded as the "sacred knowledge" of the people who invaded India around 1600 BC. When the Aryans settled in India, their beliefs gradually developed into the religion of Hinduism, and the Rig Veda and other Vedas became the most sacred Hindu texts.
The Vedas were compiled between 1500 and 1000 BC. e. in Vedic Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-European language. They were passed down through oral tradition for centuries until they were eventually written down. By 300 AD e. The Vedas took their present form. The Rig Veda contains more than a thousand mantras or hymns addressed to the gods and natural elements.
According to ancient Hindu tradition, mantras are based on divine revelations received by members of certain families. Some families grouped mantras to form new mandalas. Within each mandala, the mantras are grouped according to the deities with which they are associated.
Vedic concept of time
The Vedas are primordial knowledge. Where did the Vedic texts come from? Four Vedas. Rig veda. Veda herself. Yajur Veda. Atharva Veda. The discoveries of modern scientists have long been described in the Vedas. Vedas - practical knowledge. The hidden power of the Vedas. Puranas in the goodness of passion and ignorance. Sutra. Vedic time scale. Maha kalpa. Satya Yuga is the golden age. Tretta yuga is the silver age. Dvapara Yuga - Copper Age. Kali Yuga is the Iron Age. Evidence in ancient scriptures. ancient Greek sources. Traditions of the Indians. Scandinavian sagas. astronomical records. Bible confirmation. Kali Yuga Society. The story of Siddhartha Gautama. History of Isha putra. Levels of consciousness. Level 1 - anomaly. Level 2 - pranamaya. Level 3 - manomaya. Level 4 - vigyanamaya. Level 5 - anandamaya. Different perception
Rig Veda(veda of hymns) - a collection of predominantly religious hymns; the oldest known monument of Indian literature.
The Rigveda is a collection of hymns written in the Vedic language and one of the four Hindu religious texts known as the Vedas. The Rig Veda was probably 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. 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 main gods of the Rigveda are Agni (the sacrificial flame), Indra (the heroic god praised for killing his enemy Vritra) and Soma (the sacred drink or 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. , Adityas, Ribhu, All-Gods, many rivers (especially the 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 Rigveda. The rest of the hymns are mainly addressed to Agni and Indra. Hymns 1.154 - 1.156 are addressed to Vishnu.
Mandala II consists of 43 hymns, dedicated mainly to Agni and Indra. It is usually attributed to the rishis Gritsamada Shaunhotra.
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 mainly to Agni and Indra. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to Vamadeva Gautama.
Mandala Fifth consists of 87 hymns addressed mainly to Agni and Indra, the Vishvedevs, the Maruts, the dual deity Mitra-Varuna and the Ashvins. 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 mainly to Agni and Indra. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to the barhaspatya family of Angiras.
Mandala Seven consists of 104 hymns addressed to Agni, Indra, Vishvadevs, 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 Eighth consists of 103 hymns addressed to various gods. Hymns 8.49 - 8.59 - Valakhily Apocrypha. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to the Kanwa 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 Tenth consists of 191 hymns addressed to Agni and other gods. It contains the Nadistuti Sukta, a prayer to the rivers, important for the reconstruction of the geography of the Vedic civilization, and the Purusha Sukta, which is of great importance in the Hindu tradition. It also contains the Nasadiya Sukta (10.129), perhaps the most famous hymn in the West about Creation.
The sacred texts of the Rig-Veda in the earliest era of its existence were not written down, but were memorized, sung and spoken aloud, which is why it is very difficult to give an exact dating of the Rig-Veda. The peoples who spoke Vedic Sanskrit as their native language called themselves, and called their language Aryan, that is, "native language". It is believed that the most ancient parts of the Rig Veda already existed in oral form for about 3900 BC e. even before the rise of the Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan Kingdom) in 2500 BC e.
Rig Veda - ṛgveda - "veda of hymns", literally "Knowledge Speech" or "Praise to Knowledge", "Hymn to Knowledge".
Word ṛc - rig, rich - speech, praise, poems, anthem. (Ukr. rich = speech; other Russian: naRITsati, narrichati, adverb, speech)
Word Veda - veda - sacred knowledge. Vid, ved - to know, to know (Old Rus. VEM - I know. VESI - you know, VESTNO - publicly, publicly; German-wissen, Dutch-weten, Swedish -veta, Polish. -wiedzieć, Bulgarian -vedats , Belarusian - you see.)
Vid-ma - vid-ma – we know(related words in Russian: apparently; Ukrainian “vidomo” - it is known, obviously; Italian vedére- to see).
Vid-a - vid-a - you know. Vedana - Vedana - Knowledge, knowledge (related words in Russian: taste, taste) Vedin - Vedin - Vedun, seer- KNOWING, pre-SEEING. Vid-e (vidya) - knowledge. In modern Russian there are many words with Vedic roots. vid, ved- to know, apparently, we see; confession, tell, taste, notify, notice, inquire ....
Avidya - avidya - ignorance, ignorance, illusion, as opposed to "VIDYA" - knowledge.
goddess - bhogin - snake , water snake nymph.
The oldest oral texts of the hymns of the Rig-Veda sounded in Vedic Sanskrit, they were first written down in 2500 BC, and by 100 BC. hymns dedicated to the main gods of the Rig-Veda were finally written down and arranged in the Rig-Veda (Rig-Veda).
The word "Sanskrit" means "created, perfected", as well as "purified, sanctified". Sanskrit - saṃskṛtā vāk - "refined language", by definition, has always been a "high" language used for religious and scientific discussions.
The Vedic forms of Sanskrit have been preserved in living circulation among the servants of a religious cult (Brahmins) to the middle of the 1st millennium BC, simple Hindus did not know this sacred language. Knowledge of Vedic Sanskrit was the standard of social class and educational level, students learned Sanskrit by carefully analyzing Panini's grammar.
The oldest surviving grammar of Vedic Sanskrit is " Ạṣtādhyāyī Panini" ("Eight chapters of grammar" by Panini)
which dates back to 500 BC. It contains the grammar rules and Vedic forms of Sanskrit used during the life of Panini in the 5th century BC.
But myth-making in India did not stop at the study of the texts of the hymns of the Rig-Veda, new texts of the Vedas were created, new plots of the Indian epic, new deities appeared, the hierarchy of the gods changed, the Sanskrit of India itself changed, acquiring new grammatical rules and structures.
Over the past centuries, after the Hindus became acquainted with the ancient part of the hymns of the Rig Veda, a continuation appeared in the folk epic of India in the form of new Indian Vedas - Yajur Veda - "Veda of sacrificial formulas", Sama Veda - "Veda of chants", Atharva Veda - "Veda of spells",
which shaped the worldview of modern Hinduism.
The ancient texts of the hymns of the Rig Veda gave a new impetus to the development of both the Avestan and Persian languages.
Vedism was not a common Indian religion , it was adhered to only by a group of tribes speaking the Vedic (Vedic) Sanskrit of the Rig Veda. It is well known that the ideas of Vedism, over time, entered Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and many other religions of the world.
Vedic Sanskrit (Vedic language) is the earliest variety of the ancient Indian language.
Vedic Sanskrit more
archaic poetic language of mantras
(hymns, chants, ritual formulas and incantations). Mantras make up the four Vedas, of which the oldest is the Rig Veda, written down in 2500 BC. in verse,
and the later "Atharva Veda" - Veda of magical conspiracies and spells written in prose in later Sanskrit
. Vedic prose is commentaries of the brahmins on the Vedas
, and philosophical works that arose on the basis of the Vedas.
Scholars argue that the ancient Vedic Sanskrit of the Rig Veda texts and the Epic Sanskrit of the Hindu epic Mahabharata are separate languages, although they are similar in many ways, they differ mainly in phonology, vocabulary and grammar.
Prakrits are languages derived from Vedic Sanskrit.
Vedic Sanskrit has a close relationship with the Proto-Indo-European languages, in which we find the roots of all Indo-European languages. Vedic Sanskrit is the oldest evidence of a common language of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European family of languages.
All Indo-European languages come from a single Proto-Indo-European language (PIE), whose speakers lived 5-6 thousand years ago. Various subgroups of the Indo-European family of languages appeared at different times. The genetic relationship of Vedic Sanskrit with the modern languages of Europe, the Slavic languages, classical Greek and Latin can be seen in numerous related words. We find many roots of Vedic Sanskrit words in the Slavic languages, which were formed from a single Proto-Slavic language.
Among scientists there are disagreements regarding the geographical ancestral home of the Proto-Indo-European language. Some researchers today consider the ancestral home of the Proto-Indo-European language to the Black Sea steppes, located north of the Black and Caspian Seas, where around 4000 BC the peoples who erected mounds lived. Other scientists (Colin Renfrew) believe that the ancestral home of the Proto-Indo-European language is the territory of ancient Anatolia and date its origin several millennia earlier.
The culture of the ancient Proto-Indo-Europeans (PIE) probably represents Yamnaya archaeological culture, whose carriers in the III millennium BC. e. (3600 to 2300 BC), lived in the eastern lands of modern Ukraine, on the rivers Bug, Dniester, in the south of Russia (in the Urals), on the Volga, in the territories of the Black Sea and the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. The name Yamnaya comes from the Russian “pit”, according to the type of burial in the pit (grave), the deceased was placed in the supine position with bent knees. In the burials of the Yamnaya culture, the haplogroup R1a1, (SNP marker M17) of the Y chromosome was found.
Ancient Yamnaya archaeological culture era of the late Copper Age - early Bronze Age (3600-2300 BC) occupied the territory in the east of modern Ukraine and southern Russia, in the Black Sea region and in the Crimea. The tribes of the Yamnaya culture spoke dialects of the Proto-Indo-European (Aryan) language, Vedic Sanskrit.
The Rigveda was probably 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. The Rigveda is the most ancient and significant of the Vedas, a valuable source for the study of ancient Indian history and mythology.
Etymology
The word rigveda is compound (tatpurusha), consists of two Sanskrit roots: rich (Skt. ऋच्, ṛc?, “praise, verses”) and veda (वेद, veda, “knowledge”).
Text
The Rigveda consists of 1028 hymns (or 1017, not counting the apocryphal valakhilya (valakhīlya?) compiled in Vedic Sanskrit - hymns 8.49-8.59), many of which are intended for various sacrificial rituals. This long collection of short hymns is chiefly devoted to the praise of the gods. It consists of 10 books called mandalas.
Each mandala consists of hymns called sukta (sūkta), which, in turn, consist of individual verses called "rich" (ṛc?), in the plural - "richas" (ṛcas?). The mandalas are not equal in length or age. The "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, accounting for 37% of the text.
Preservation
The Rig Veda is preserved by two main Shakhas ("branches", i.e. schools or editions): Shakala (Śākala?) and Bashkala (Bāṣkala?). Given the great age of the text, it is very well preserved, so that the two editions are almost identical and can be used interchangeably without significant notes. Aitareya-Brahmana contacts the Jackal. Bashkala includes Khilani and is associated with Kaushitaki-Brahmana. These redactions include the order of the books and orthoepic changes to the regularization of the sandhi (called "orthoepische Diaskeunase" by Oldenberg) that took place in the centuries after the composition of the earliest hymns, almost simultaneously with the redaction of other Vedas.
Since the time of its compilation, the text has existed in two versions. The Samhitapatha applies all the Sanskrit rules for sandhi and its text is used for recitation. In Padapatha each word is isolated and it is used for memorization. Padapatha is essentially a commentary on the Samhitapatha, but both seem to be equivalent. Restored on metrical grounds, the original text (original in the sense that it seeks to restore the hymns as composed by the Rishis) lies somewhere in between, but closer to the Samhitapatha.
Organization
The most common numbering scheme is by book, hymn and verse (and also, if necessary, by foot (pada) - a, b, c, etc.) For example, the first pada is
1.1.1a agním īḷe puróhitaṃ? - "I praise Agni, the high priest"
And the last pada -
10.191.4d yáthāḥ vaḥ súsahāʹsati? - "for your stay in good society"
At the same time, Hermann Grassmann numbered the hymns from 1 to 1028, placing Walahilla at the end.
All 1,028 hymns of the Rig Veda, as edited by Aufrecht in 1877, contain a total of 10,552 verses, or 39,831 padas. Shatapatha Brahmana speaks of 432,000 syllables, while Van Nooten and Holland's (1994) metrical text has a total of 395,563 syllables (or an average of 9.93 syllables per pada); the count of the number of syllables is ambiguous due to sandhi. Most of the verses are written in jagati (12-syllable pada), trishtubh (11-syllable pada), viraj (10-syllable pada), gayatri or anushtubh (8-syllable pada in both padas) metrics.
The main gods of the Rigveda are Agni (the sacrificial flame), Indra (the heroic god praised for killing his enemy Vrtra) and Soma (the sacred drink or plant from which it is made). Other prominent gods are Mitra, Varuna, Ushas (dawn) and Ashvins. Also invoked are Savitar, Vishnu, Rudra, Pushan, Brihaspati, Brahmanaspati, Dyaus Pita (sky), Prithivi (earth), Surya (sun), Vayu (wind), Apa (water), Parjanya (rain), Vak (word), Maruts, Adityas, Rbhus, Vishvadevs (all gods at once), many rivers (especially Sapta Sindhu and the Saraswati River), as well as various lesser gods, persons, concepts, phenomena and objects. The Rigveda also contains fragmentary references to possible historical events, especially the struggle between the early Vedic people (known as the Vedic Aryans, a subgroup of Indo-Aryans) and their enemies, the dasa.
Manuscript of the Rigveda in Devanagari, early 19th century. Mandala 1 consists of 191 hymns. Hymn 1.1 is addressed to Agni and his name is the first word of the Rigveda. The rest of the hymns are mainly addressed to Agni and Indra. Hymns 1.154 - 1.156 are addressed to Vishnu.
Mandala 2 consists of 43 hymns, mainly dedicated to Agni and Indra. It is usually attributed to the Rishis Gritsamda Shaunohotra (gṛtsamda śaunohotra?).
Mandala 3 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 Gathinah (viśvāmitra gāthinaḥ).
Mandala 4 consists of 58 hymns addressed mainly to Agni and Indra. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to Vamadeva Gautama (vāmadeva gautama).
Mandala 5 consists of 87 hymns addressed mainly to Agni and Indra, the Vishvadevs, the Maruts, the dual deity Mitra-Varuna and the Ashvins. Two hymns are dedicated to Ushas (dawn) and Savitar. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to the Atri (atri?) family.
Mandala 6 consists of 75 hymns addressed mainly to Agni and Indra. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to the barhaspatya (bārhaspatya?) family of Anigras.
Mandala 7 consists of 104 hymns addressed to Agni, Indra, Vishvadevs, Maruts, Mitra-Varuna, Ashwins, Ushas, Indra-Varuna, Varuna, Vayu (wind), two - Sarasvati and Vishnu, as well as other deities. Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to Vasishta Maitravaurni (vasiṣṭha maitravaurṇi?).
Mandala 8 consists of 103 hymns addressed to various gods. Hymns 8.49 - 8.59 - Apocrypha of Valakhilya (valakhīlya?). Most of the hymns in this book are attributed to the Kanva (kāṇva?) family.
Mandala 9 consists of 114 hymns addressed to Soma Pavamana, the plant from which the sacred drink of the Vedic religion was made.
Mandala 10 consists of 191 hymns addressed to Agni and other gods. It contains the Nadistuti Sukta, a prayer to the rivers, important for reconstructing the geography of Vedic civilization, and the Purusha Sukta, of great importance in the Hindu tradition. It also contains the Nasadiya Sukta (10.129), perhaps the most celebrated creation hymn in the West.
Rishi
Each hymn of the Rig Veda is traditionally associated with a particular rishi, and each of the "family books" (Mandalas 2-7) is considered to be compiled by a specific family of rishis. The main families, listed in decreasing order of the number of verses attributed to them:
Angiras: 3619 (especially Mandala 6)
Canvas: 1315 (especially Mandala 8)
Vasishta: 1267 (Mandala 7)
Vaishwamitra: 983 (Mandala 3)
Atri: 885 (Mandala 5)
Bhrgu: 473
Kashyapa: 415 (part of Mandala 9)
Grtsamada: 401 (Mandala 2)
Agastya: 316
Bharat: 170
Translations
The Rigveda was translated into English by Ralph T. H. Griffith in 1896. There are also partial English translations by Maurice Bloomfield and William Dwight Whitney. Considering the age of Griffith's translation, it is quite good, but cannot replace Geldner's translation into German in 1951, the only independent scholarly translation to date. Late translations by Elizarenkova in the 1990s into Russian are largely based on Geldner's translation, but in themselves they are a valuable contribution to scientific literature.
Hindu tradition
In accordance with Hindu tradition, the hymns of the Rigveda were collected by Paila under the direction of Vyasa (Vyāsa?), who formed the Rigveda Samhita as we know it. According to the Shatapatha Brahmana (Śatapatha Brāhmana?), the number of syllables in the Rigveda is 432,000, equal to the number of muhurtas in forty years (30 muhurtas equals 1 day). This underlines the claims of the Vedic books that there is a connection (bandhu) between the astronomical, the physiological and the spiritual.
The authors of Brahmana (brāhmana?) have described and interpreted the ritual of the Rig Veda. Yaska was an early commentator on the Rig Veda. In the 14th century, Sāyana wrote a comprehensive commentary on it. Other bhasyas (bhāṣya) (commentaries) that have survived to this day include those of Madhava (Mādhava?), Skandasvamin (Skaṃdasvāmin) and Venkatamadhava (Veṃkatamādhava).
Dating and historical reconstruction
The geography of the Rig Veda, indicating the names of the rivers; the distribution of Swat and Cemetery H is also shown. The Rig Veda is older than any other Indo-Aryan texts. Therefore, the attention of Western science has been riveted to it since the time of Max Muller. The records of the Rig Veda in the early phase of the Vedic religion are strongly associated with the pre-Zoroastrian Persian religion. It is believed that Zoroastrianism and Vedic Hinduism developed from an early common religious Indo-Iranian culture.
The core of the Rig Veda is considered to have been formed at the end of the Bronze Age, and as a result it appears to be the only copy of the literature of the Bronze Age that has been preserved in an unbroken tradition. Its compilation is usually attributed to 1700-1000. BC uh..
In subsequent centuries, the text underwent standardization and revision of pronunciation (samhitapatha (samhitapatha), padapatha (padapatha)). This redaction was completed around the 7th century BC. uh..
Recordings appeared in India around the 5th century. BC e. in the form of Brahmi script, but texts comparable in length to the Rig Veda were most likely not written down until the early Middle Ages, when the Gupta script and the Siddham script appeared. In the Middle Ages, manuscripts were used for teaching, but before the advent of the printing press in British India, knowledge played an insignificant role in the preservation of knowledge because of its fragility, because it was written on bark or palm leaves and quickly deteriorated in a tropical climate. The hymns were preserved in oral tradition for about a millennium from their composition to the redaction of the Rig Veda, and the entire Rig Veda was preserved in its entirety in shakha for the next 2,500 years, from redaction down to Müller's editio princeps - a collective feat of memorization unparalleled in any other famous society.
The Puranas name Vidagdha as the author of the Pada text. Other scholars believe that the padakara of the Rig Veda is Sthavira Sak by Aitareya Aranyaka. Once compiled, the texts were preserved and codified by the vast community of Vedic clergy as the central philosophy of the Iron Age Vedic civilization.
The Rigveda describes a mobile, nomadic culture with horse-drawn chariots and metal (bronze) weapons. According to some scholars, the described geography corresponds to the Punjab (Gandhara) (Gandhara): the rivers flow from north to south, the mountains are relatively distant, but still achievable (soma (soma) - a plant that grows in the mountains, and it had to be bought from visiting merchants). However, the hymns were certainly composed over a long period, with older elements possibly coming from Indo-Iranian times as early as the second millennium BC. e. Thus, there is controversy as to whether the claims of the destruction of the stone fortresses by the Vedic Aryans and especially Indra refer to the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization or refer to clashes between the ancient Indo-Aryans and the AKBM (Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex) culture. Complex)) on the territory of modern northern Afghanistan and southern Turkmenistan, located 400 km from the upper Indus behind the Hindu Kush mountains. In any case, despite the fact that most of the text was most likely composed in Punjab, even if it was based on early poetic traditions, there is not a single mention of either tigers or rice in it (unlike the later Vedas), which leads to the assumption that the Vedic culture penetrated the plains of India after the compilation of the Rig Veda. Likewise, presumably there is no mention of iron in the text.
The Iron Age in northern India began in the 12th century BC. e. from the culture of Black and Red Ware (BRW). This period is widely accepted as the beginning of the codification of the Rigveda (ordering individual hymns into books, correcting the samhitapatha by applying sandhi and padapatha (by splitting the sandhi) to an early metrical text) and compiling the early Vedas. This time may coincide with the early Kuru dynasty, shifting the center of Vedic culture from the Punjab to present-day Uttar Pradesh.
Some of the names of the gods and goddesses contained in the Rigveda are found in other religious systems also based on Proto-Indo-European religion: Dyaus-Pita (Dyaus-Pita) is similar to the ancient Greek Zeus, the Latin Jupiter (from deus-pater) and the Germanic Tyr (Tyr ); Mitra is similar to the Persian Mithra; Ushas (Ushas) - from Greek Eos and Latin Aurora; and, less reliably, Varuna (Varuna) - with the ancient Greek Uranus. Finally, Agni is similar in sound and meaning to the Latin word "ignis" and Russian "fire".
Kazanas (2000) in his polemic against the "Aryan Invasion Theory" suggests a date around 3100 BC. BC, based on the identification of the early Rigvedic rivers Sarasvati (river) (Sarasvati) and Ghaggar-Hakra (Ghaggar-Hakra) and on glottochronological arguments. While at odds with the mainstream view of scholars, this view is diametrically opposed to the mainstream views of historical linguistics and supports the remaining controversial Exit India theory which places the Late Proto-Indo-European language around 3000 BC. e.
Flora and fauna in the Rig Veda
The horse (Asva) and cattle play an important role in the Rigveda. There are also references to elephant (Hastin, Varana), camel (Ustra), especially in Mandala 8, buffalo (Mahisa), lion (Simha) and gaur (Gaur) . Birds are also mentioned in the Rigveda - the peacock (Mayura) and the red or "Brahmin" duck (Anas Casarca) Chakravaka.
More modern Indian views
The Hindu perception of the Rigveda has shifted from its original ritualistic content to a more symbolic or mystical interpretation. For example, descriptions of animal sacrifice are seen not as literal killing, but as transcendental processes. It is known that the Rigveda considers the Universe to be infinite in size, dividing knowledge into two categories: "lower" (referring to objects, filled with paradoxes) and "higher" (referring to the perceiving subject, free from paradoxes). Swami Dayananda, who started Arya Samaj, and Sri Aurobindo emphasized the spiritual (adhyatimic) interpretation of the book.
The Saraswati River, celebrated in RV 7.95 as the greatest river flowing from the mountain to the sea, is sometimes identified with the Ghaggar-Hakra River, which dried up perhaps before 2600 BC. e. and definitely - before 1900 BC. e.. There is another opinion that the Saraswati was originally the Helmand River in Afghanistan. These issues are related to the debate of the Indo-Aryan migration theory (called the "Aryan Invasion Theory") and the claim that Vedic culture and Vedic Sanskrit originate from the Indus Valley Civilization (called the "Out of India Theory"), which is central to Hindu nationalism (Hindutva). ), see, for example, Amal Kiran and Shrikant G. Talageri. Subhash Kak has stated that there is an astronomical code in the organization of the hymns. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, also based on the astronomical parallels in the Rigveda, in his book "The Orion" (1893) claimed the presence of the Rigvedic culture in India in the 4th millennium BC. e., and in his book "Arctic Home in the Vedas" (1903) even argued that the Aryans originated from the North Pole region and came south during the Ice Age.
Notes
1 the oldest surviving manuscripts date back to the 11th century.
2 There are some difficulties regarding the use of the term "Veda", which is usually also applied to texts related to a particular samhita, such as the Brahmanas or the Upanishads. The term "Rig Veda" is usually used to refer only to the Rig Veda Samhita, and texts like the Ayatareya Brahmana are not considered part of the Rig Veda, but rather related to the Rig Veda in the tradition of a particular Shakha.
3 Oberlies (1998 edition, p. 155) dates the formation of the youngest hymns in Mandala 10 to 1100 BC. e. The terminus post quem estimates of the oldest hymns are much more uncertain. Oberlis (p. 158), based on "cumulative evidence", defines a large period of time: 1700-1000 years. BC e. The Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture (EIEC) (see Indo-Iranian Languages, p. 306) gives a range of 1500-1000 BC. BC e. Certainly the hymns were formed after the Indo-Iranian split around 2000 BC. e. The ancient elements of the Rig Veda could appear only after a sufficiently large number of generations after this time, philological estimates attribute most of the text to the second half of the second millennium BC. e.
4 Oldenberg (p. 379) dates it to the end of the Brahmana period, noting that the older Brahmanas still contain denormalized quotations from the Rig Veda. The Brahmana period took place later than the compilation of the Samhitas of the rest of the Vedas, stretching around the 9th-7th centuries. BC e. This may mean that the editing of the texts in the form in which they have come down to us was completed around the 7th century. BC e. The Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture (EIEC) (p. 306) also speaks of the 7th c. BC e.
5 Satapatha Brahmana refers to Vidagdha Sakalya without discussing anything related to Padapatha, and no grammatical work refers to Vidagdha as padakara. However, the Brahmanda Purana and Vayu Purana say that he was the Padakara of the Rig Veda. Satapatha Brahmana is older than Aitareya Aranyaka. Aitareya Aranyaka is usually dated to the 7th c. BC e. (Jha, Vashishta Narayan. 1992. A linguistic Analysis of the Rgveda-Padapatha. Sri Satguru Publications. Delhi)
6 Rkpratisakhya of Saunaka also refers to Sthavira Sakalya. (Jha, Vashishta Narayan. 1992. A linguistic Analysis of the Rgveda-Padapatha. Sri Satguru Publications. Delhi)
7 However, there are references in the Rigveda to ApUpa, Puro-das and Odana (rice porridge), terms which, at least in later texts, are used in relation to rice dishes (see Talageri (2000)
8 The term "ayas" (ayas) ("metal") occurs in the Rig Veda, but it is not possible to say for sure whether it refers to iron or not. “It should be obvious that any controversy regarding the meaning of ayas in the Rig Veda or the problem of the Rig Veda's familiarity or unfamiliarity with iron is meaningless. There is no positive evidence for either of these views. It can mean both copper bronze and iron, and strictly based on the context, there is no reason to choose one of the meanings. (Chakrabarti, D.K. The Early Use of Iron in India (1992) Oxford University Press)
9 collected by Klaus Klostermaier in 1998 presentation
10 e.g., Michael Witzel, The Pleiades and the Bears viewed from inside the Vedic texts, EVJS Vol. 5 (1999), issue 2 (December) ; Koenraad Elst Update on the Aryan Invasion Debate. - Aditya Prakashan, 1999. ISBN ISBN 81-86471-77-4; Bryant, Edwin and Laurie L. Patton (2005) The Indo-Aryan Controversy, Routledge/Curzon.
