Lexicon of Rig Veda

Lexicon

of Rig Veda

Offering-hymns. There are many places in Veda where we can easily see that the offering of soma pressings is the offering by Rishi of ecstatic words-wisdoms (brahmanas) and bright hymns (here are examples of such riks just from the first Mandala: 1.2.2, 1.5.7, 1.8.10, 1.9.3, 1.10.3, 1.14.1, 1.16.5, 1.16.7, 1.18.1, 1.21.1, 1.26.10, 1.40.4, 1.45.10, 1.46.13, 1.47.2, 1.51.13, 1.75.1, 1.84.5, 1.86.4, 1.91.1, 1.91.7, 1.91.10, 1.91.11, 1.101.9, 1.105.7, 1.108.2, 1.109.2, 1.132.1, 1.167.6, 1.177.4) and some riks declare it directly:

• This is the sacrifice going to the gods, this is the offering, these are the wisdom-words, this is, O Indra, soma, 1.177.4.

• Offering of Soma to you, O Indra and Agni, this new hymn I bring in the birth, 1.109.2.

• In utterances, O Indra, in hymns, for thee these brilliant somas, by which thee art intoxicated, are flowing forth, 2.11.3.

• This is that thy soma, increasing manly force of thy embodiment, might and power, always established in both of thy hands, to thee pressed out, O Lord of plenitudes, for thee composed, do thou – for the sake of wisdom-word – drink it with contentment, 2.36.5.

This is word of Wisdom of the Lord of the Word, Brahmanaspati, received and repeated by Rishi, this bright hymn is a result of penetration of higher consciousness into Rishi’s, of hearing by him of the Truth (Shruti), of perceiving, of viewing by him of the Truth (Drishti). And higher the source of this perception the lighter hymn, more potent the wine of ecstasy. So poet presses out the soma at the first time early morning, at Dawn, when the first rays of higher consciousness just begin to penetrate into the darkness of our Night, so the first pressing is in the illuminated mind, in upper level of Earth. In the second time he presses soma at the middle of a day, i.e. in the bright mid-world of the Overmind. But the most potent wine, highest hymn the poet gets due to the pressing out the soma in the third time, i.e. in the consciousness, receiving the Light from the worlds of highest, the third step of Vishnu, of worlds of the Bliss, of the Truth, of the Knowledge. It is such hymn most of all attracts and gladdens the gods by its light, power, truth, ecstasy, and, attracted, the gods sit on their sitting sheeted by sacred grass, into aspiring and preparing consciousness of man, and establish in him their Presence, “are born”, grow to their natural greatness and power even in his littleness and narrowness and become able for their mighty divine activity in this man, who was filled with high air suitable for their breath. But, of course, the gods do not need to leave their worlds of infinity, Bliss, Light and Truth for the enjoyment in offering of the mortal. They come in prepared consciousness of man to replace here narrowness, ignorance, suffering and death by wideness, knowledge, bliss and immortality of the Heaven and to bring this Earth to its divine fulfilment.