Scientific Understanding of the Rig Veda
(Brief overview of coded information on particles)
Yaht purushena havishaa devaa yaajnam athanvatha vasantho asyaasith aajyam griishma idmah sharad havih
(R. Ved 10/90/6)
Tham yajnam barhishi praukshan purusham jaatam agratah thena devaa ayajanta saaddhyaa rshayah dha ye.
(R. Veda 10/90/7)
Here, the Yajna refers to the creation process set into motion by the Aadi Purusha, which manifests Matter, Energy, Space and Time. This Yajna is very important as the Cosmos and the stuff of universes manifest where nothing existed before. The vital currents or prana of the Creator God represent the devas of the hymn, and the saadhyas are the energies that make possible the manifestation of the stuff of the Universes.
Thasmaat yajnaat sarvahutah sambhratam prshat-aajyam pashuun taan chakre vaayavyaan aaranyaan graamyaah cha ye.
(R. Ved 10/90/8)
The Yajna, to begin with, manifests the stuff of the Cosmos – Matter, Energy, Space, and Time. To begin with, the Cosmos is in a homogeneous state (salila), which later transforms into a heterogeneous state. The first part of the hymn means this: clarified butter was obtained from the entire stuff. Clarified butter represents the inhomogeneity of the Cosmos and the forming universes. The Cosmos is no longer the same all over and separates into Matter and Energy. The Matter particles were given the names of animals consisting of three categories such as Graamya (living in the villages, quarks), Aaranya (living in the wild, anti-quarks), and Vaayavya (birds or flying ones, force particles).
Tasmaad-yajnaat-sarvahuta rchaha saamaani jajnire
Chhandaamsi jajnire tasmaad-yajus-tasmaad-ajaayata.
(R. Ved 10/90/9)
From the creation process (Yajna), the Aadi Purusha manifested the four Vedic knowledge (Rig, Saam, Yajur and Atharv). Though there is no direct mention of Atharva Ved, the mention of chhandas (metrical forms or the poetic meter) is identifiable with Atharva Veda. There is a sequential origin of the hymns and the chants first, and from them arose metrical forms and ritualistic passages.
Tasmaad ashvaa ajaayanta ye ke cha ubhayaadataha
Gaavo ha jajnire tasmaat tasmaaj-jaataa ajaavayaha.
(R. Ved 10/90/10)
Translated literally, it seems to say, “from that yajn (Purusha or Virat) horses were born, as also animals (like donkeys and mules) with teeth on both sides. From Him was born cows, and from Him was born all types of goats and sheep.”
If the word gaavahmeans quadruped animals, they are included in the graamya or domestic ones, as indicated in the hymn number 8. Because the Vedas are highly coded and have a very different interpretation than the literal meaning, there is no reason the indicative words of animals in this hymn stand for them. The true meaning needs to be sought. This hymn mentions the graamya animals like horses, cows, goats and sheep. The wild and flying animals are not listed.
Note: The word ‘pasu’ is derived from the root ‘pas’, meaning to see. One reason why Purusha is also termed as pasu is just that he changed from unobservable to observable. Therefore, many places where the word pasu appears in the Vedas are related to something or someone observable and have nothing to do with animals in the literal sense.
Let us see what is mentioned in Satpat Brahman
sa etānpañca paśūnapaśyat |
(6.2.1.4)
yadapaśyattasmādete paśavasteṣvetamapaśyattasmādvevaite paśavaḥ || (6.2.1.4)
Prajapati saw the five pasus, and in them, he saw agni. Herein, the reference is to particles (pasus), and agni in them means Energy. So, the reference to pasus and agni refers to manifesting particles and Energy.
Agnih pasuha………………..
(Yajurveda 23/17)
Meaning, agni was pasu
Yasyivamagniraadhiiyathe………………..।
(Taitiriya Brahmana, 1.1.4.5)
Pasus are with energy. Agneya means having the quality of agni (energy).
Marutvateeyam ptagaathham shamsati pashavo vai marutaha prashavaha pragaathhaha pashunaamvarud’dhyi…………………………..
(Aitareya Brahmana, 3.19)
Pasus are Maruta. (Maruta is related to radiation). Vedic seers were aware of the fact that particles are capable of radiating Energy.
Pasus are agneya and maruta; it is so said in Jaiminiya Brahmana (2.231).
It is a well-established dictum of physics that Energy and Matter are interchangeable or interconvertible. Einstein’s law of mass-energy equivalence represents it as E = mc2. Science talks about continuous interconversion between Energy and matter in the Universe but does not know how the conversion occurs. During the Universe’s formation, vedic seers were fully aware of an intermediary form between Energy and matter.
Energy
sa etānpañca paśūnapaśyat | yadapaśyattasmādete paśavasteṣvetamapaśyattasmādvevaite paśavaḥ
(Satpath Brahman, 6.2.1.4)
Prajapati (Creator God) saw Agni (Energy) in those Pasus (particles); therefore, they are called Pasus
So, the last few purusha sukta hymns describe the formation of particles. Let us look closer at the formation of the four types of graamya animals (particles existing in groups), Asva, Gau, Avi and Aja.
Asva:
Asva literally means horse. The name Asva is used due to its propagation at a faster speed. Asva doesn’t mean horse in Vedas. It becomes clear by examining the hymn dedicated to Asva in Rig Veda.
yad akrandaḥ prathamaṃ jāyamāna udyan samudrād uta vā purīṣāt |
(RigVeda 1.163.1)
śyenasya pakṣā hariṇasya bāhū upastutyam mahi jātaṃ te arvan ||
This hymn hints at the fact that this is no ordinary horse. Precisely, it indicates the Asva particle. The Vedic sages have likened it to a flying horse. In verse one, wings are mentioned.
Meaning of the hymn: When you roar out from sea or land after birth, your great birth is worthy of praise; you have the wings of an eagle and the arms of deer.
We don’t have a flying horse with wings. Flying horse with wings indicates quark particles of modern science. So, Asva can be considered as one of the quark particles
yamena dattaṃ trita enam āyunag indra eṇam prathamo adhy atiṣṭhat |
(Rig Veda, 1.163.2)
gandharvo asya raśanām agṛbhṇāt sūrād aśvaṃ vasavo nir ataṣṭa ||
Yama gave this horse. Indra first mounted him. And Gandharva held his reins. Vasu fabricated the horse from the Sun.
In this verse, Asva is associated with Trita. Trita actually means 1/3. Modern scientists have discovered that quarks carry 1/3 electric charge. So, calling Asva by the name Trita means the Asva particle carries a one-third charge and is a quark particle.
asi yamo asy ādityo arvann asi trito guhyena vratena |
(Rig Ved, 1.163.3)
asi somena samayā vipṛkta āhus te trīṇi divi bandhanāni ||
Your horse is Yama, and you are Āditya; you are Trita by a mysterious act associated with Soma. The sages have said there are three bindings of you in Heaven.
This verse tells that Asva is hidden. Modern Science knows that quark particles cannot be observed in isolation. Vedic sages were aware of this from that time itself. So, they mention that Asva is hidden.
tava śarīram patayiṣṇv arvan tava cittaṃ vāta iva dhrajīmān |
(Rig Veda, 1.163.11)
tava śṛṅgāṇi viṣṭhitā purutrāraṇyeṣu jarbhurāṇā caranti ||
O’ horse, your body is made for flying; your mind is rapid as wind. Your beautiful horns are placed in various ways and travel in forests.
In verse eleven, the horns of the horse are referred to. Horns are golden, indicating that particles can be transformed into Energy.
Horses don’t have horns. This was a deliberate description to distinguish Asva as a particle and not to be confused with the animal horse.
upa prāgāc chasanaṃ vājy arvā devadrīcā manasā dīdhyānaḥ |
(Rig veda, 1.163.12)
ajaḥ puro nīyate nābhir asyānu paścāt kavayo yanti rebhāḥ ||
Strong horse goes for slaughtering, meditating upon the gods. The goat has led ahead from his navel, and praisers and poets follow him. That is why Asva is supposed to go to the gods. In Vedas, gods are various forms of Energy. In this verse, it is also mentioned that “Aja” is the centre of Asva. This clearly means,
Energy Gau
In this verse, Aja is referred to as the navel of the Asva particle. The navel is the centre, indicating that the Asva particle is derived from Aja. The goat is said to be led ahead of the horse in the sacrifice. Vedic Yajna or sacrifice means transformation, not literal sacrifice, as has already been mentioned. The intended meaning is that the Asva particle becomes Aja before transforming into Energy. Vedic Science says the transformation process is from Energy to Aja and Aja to Particle. The reverse is from Particle to Aja and Aja to Energy. This process of creation and destruction of particles occurs continuously.
A lack of understanding between the apparent and intended meaning of Vedic Yajna of graamya animals has been erroneously ritualized as literal Yajna or fire sacrifice that has caused horrible animal cruelty by intentional and unintentional institutionalization of animal sacrifice.
Gau means cow. “So Api Gaumchyate”, says Yaska’s Nirukta:- This means the name Gau is given because it represents the ray of moonlight. Brahma Purana narrates an interesting story about the origin of Gau. This story tells that ‘Aadi Sakti’ (Primary Energy) takes the form of Gau. It is clear from this that Energy is converted into Gau particle.
The hymn dedicated to Gau from Rigveda l0.169 clarifies this aspect.
yāḥ sarūpā virūpā ekarūpā yāsām agnir iṣṭyā nāmāni veda |
(Rig Veda, 10.169.2)
yā aṅgirasas tapaseha cakrus tābhyaḥ parjanya mahi śarma yaccha ||
Some cows are of the same colour. Some cows have different colours, while some are identical in colour. Yajna Agni knows the cows. They are on Pridvi as a result of the Tapas of Angirasa.In the hymn’s second verse, different colours of the Gaus are described. Amazingly, Vedic sages came up with the idea of colour to distinguish quark particles. Surprisingly, modern scientists have also used colour to describe the variations of quark particles.
sanemi sakhyaṃ svapasyamānaḥ sūnur dādhāra śavasā sudaṃsāḥ |
Rig Ved, 1.62.9
āmāsu cid dadhiṣe pakvam antaḥ payaḥ kṛṣṇāsu ruśad rohiṇīṣu ||
Indra creates white milk in black and red cows. So, the colours describe different variations of the Gau particles.
yā deveṣu tanvam airayanta yāsāṃ somo viśvā rūpāṇi veda |
(Rig Veda, 10.169.3)
tā asmabhyam payasā pinvamānāḥ prajāvatīr indra goṣṭhe rirīhi ||
Cows sacrifice themselves in the Yajna of Gods. Soma gets strengthened by this. Indra filled the cows with milk and sent them to our sheds (gostha).
In this verse, the sacrifice of Gau in Yajna is described. As already said, Yajna or sacrifice in Vedas is indicative of transformation. Since gods represent different forms of Energy, the transformation of the Gau particle into Energy is described here. It also reveals the association of Gau with Soma and Indra. The real meaning of Gau was forgotten in the post-Vedic period. Note: Soma means radiation, and Indra refers to the Creator God himself.
pra brahmaitu sadanād ṛtasya vi raśmibhiḥ sasṛje sūryo gāḥ |
Rig Veda, 7.36.1
vi sānunā pṛthivī sasra urvī pṛthu pratīkam adhy edhe agniḥ ||
Here in this verse, Gau is interpreted as Sun’s rays.
rājāno na praśastibhiḥ somāso gobhir añjate |
(Rig Veda, 9.10.3)
yajño na sapta dhātṛbhiḥ ||
In this verse, it says that Gau is mixed with Soma.
gaurīr mimāya salilāni takṣaty ekapadī dvipadī sā catuṣpadī |
(Rig Veda, 1.164.41)
aṣṭāpadī navapadī babhūvuṣī sahasrākṣarā parame vyoman ||
This verse says the Gau has one, two, four, eight or nine legs.
indreṇa yujā niḥ sṛjanta vāghato vrajaṃ gomantam aśvinam |
(Rig Ved, 10.62.7)
sahasram me dadato aṣṭakarṇyaḥ śravo deveṣv akrata ||
Here, Gau is addressed as ashtakarni, meaning having eight ears.
Apparently, these verses are not describing an animal but a fine particle called Gau. Vedic cosmology thus accords a special place to the Gau particle.
imaṃ trito bhūry avindad icchan vaibhūvaso mūrdhany aghnyāyāḥ | sa śevṛdho jāta ā harmyeṣu nābhir yuvā bhavati rocanasya || (Rig Veda, 10.46.3)
This verse says that Trita found Agni on the head of the cow. This means the Gau particle possesses 1/3 charge and can be transformed into Energy.
Avi:
Avi means sheep
Kaasvidaasiit puurvaachittih kim svidaasiid brhadayah |
(yajurveda 23.11)
kaa svidaasiit pilippilaa kaa svidaasiit pisangilaa ||
Here in this verse, the following question is raised. “What object is Pilipila?”
Dyauraasiit puurvachittirasva’asiiid brhadvayah |
(Yajurveda, 23.12)
aviraasiit pilippilaa raatriraasiit pisangilaa ||
The answer is Avi is Pilipila. Pilipila is a thing which is very soft and can be pressed very easily. Avi particle is a soft particle and dense field – lines are coming out of it. Hence describing Avi particle as sheep is appropriate. Maitrayani Samhita 4.57.7. says that Avi is described in three colours red, white and black. Thus, Vedic sages observed the Gramya pasus, which are nothing but quark particles and measured their properties. Besides quqrk particles, they may also represent the neutrinos, which also are described in three flavours or colours.They are electron neutrino, muon neutrino and tau neutrino.
Aja:
Aja means goat.
ajām ekāṃ lohitaśuklakṛṣṇāṃ bahvīḥ prajāḥ sṛjamānāṃ sarūpāḥ /
(Svetasvatara Upanishad 4.5)
ajo hy eko juṣamāṇo ‘nuśete jahāty enāṃ bhuktabhogām ajo ‘nyaḥ //
In this verse, Aja is said to be of three colours; red, white and black creating various objects of their own form.
Ajo agnirajamu jyotiraahurajam jeevataa brahmane deyamaahu | ajasthamaamsyab hanthi dooramasmimlloke shradhadhhaanena dathaha ||
(Atharva Veda 9.5.7)
This verse says that “Aja is Agni.”
Ajo hya’rajanishtta shokaad vipro viprasya sahaso vipashchit |
(Atharva Veda, 9.5.13)
ishttam poorthamabhipoortham vashttkrtam thad devaa rtushaha kalpayanthu ||
This verse says that “Aja was born from s’oka of Agni.”
Ajo hyagnerajanista sokaat so’apasyajjanitaara-amagre……
(Yajurveda, 13.51)
It says that Aja was from the so’ka of Agni, and he saw Agni first. Gods became gods due to Aja. From these hymns, it becomes clear that Agni means one that leads. A related word is Agra. In scientific terms, Agni means Energy.
Athaajalomaih samsrjsti |
(Satapatha Brahman, 6.5.1.4)
sthemne nveva yadvevaajalomairetadvaa enam devaah pasubhyo’dhi samabharamstathaivainamayametatpasuubhyo’dhi sambharati tadyadajalomairevaaje hi sarvesaam pasuunaam ruupamatha yalloma loma hi ruupam |
This verse communicates that Aja is the form of all animals.
Kaa svidaasiit puurvachittih kim svidaasiid brhadavayah |
(Yajur Veda 23.11)
kaa svidaasiit pilippilaa kaa svidaasiit pisangilaa ||
This verse asks the question, what object is pisangila?
Dyauraasiit puurvachitthirashva’aasiid brhadvayah |
(Yajur Veda, 23.12)
aviraasiit pilippilaa raatriraasiit pisangila ||
The answer given in this verse is night is pisangila.
Ajaare pisangilaa svaavitkurupisangilaa | sasa’askandamarsatyahih panthaam vi sarpati ||
(Yajur Veda, 23.56)
This verse conveys that Aja is pisangila, who, like a dog, gets things out and devours it again. It becomes evident that Aja and Pasus (particles) are interconvertible.
From the above, it becomes clear that the Bosons (Graamya Particles) consisting of various types of quarks (Asva, Gau and Avi) are derived from the intermediary form of Aja, which in turn is born out of Energy (Agni) and vice versa too.
śaṃ no aja ekapād devo astu śaṃ no ‘hir budhnyaḥ śaṃ samudraḥ |
(Rig Veda, 7.35.13)
śaṃ no apāṃ napāt perur astu śaṃ naḥ pṛśnir bhavatu devagopā ||
This hymn of Rig Veda describes Aja as having only one foot. All know that there is no goat with one foot. Obviously, Aja is nothing else but an intermediary form between Energy and Matter particles. Once the Matter Particle is fully formed, it is called an animal having four feet.
mitraṃ huve pūtadakṣaṃ varuṇaṃ ca riśādasam |
(Rig Veda, 1.2.7)
dhiyaṃ ghṛtācīṃ sādhantā ||
This Rig Vedic hymn mentions Agni (Energy) as having no foot.
No foot, one foot and four feet are symbolic representations of the unmanifest, partially manifest intermediate stage of localized Energy and fully manifest (Particle) forms of Energy.
Some terms worth noting in this connection are Aja (not born), Ekaja (once born) and Dvija (twice-born).
Aja actually means not born. However, Aja is also referred to as Ekaja, meaning once born. Aja is the intermediary form between the reversible conversion of Energy and Matter. In this sense, Aja can also be considered as localized Energy. It is more like Energy and is the first manifested Energy as a particle; hence it can be considered as not born or once born.
So,
Vedic Concept
(Gau, Asva, Avi)
Modern scientific concept
From the representation given above, there is a clear-cut difference between the understanding of Vedic seer’s cosmology and modern science. Quarks, considered point particles, are derived directly from Energy as per scientific view. In contrast, quarks, considered graamya particles, are derived through intermediary energy particles, considered not born (Aja) and first born (Ekaja). The Vedic seers had a greater understanding of the transformation process, and modern science has much to do to discover those intermediary forms.
Understanding of divisions or lokas:
According to the modem scientific view, the Universe is divided into two – Energy and Matter, without any interphase. The Vedic concept, on the other hand, identifies a tripartite division (lokas), ie. Prthvi (earth), Antariksha (interphase) and Dyau (Heaven). Thus the Universe is ‘Triloka‘. Prthvi means broad and extended, and Antariksha means existing between Dyau (bright loka).
In this connection, it is worth remembering what is written in Satapatha Brahmana.
agne yatte divi varca iti | ādityo vā asya divi varcaḥ pṛthivyāmityayamagniḥ pṛthivyāṃ yadoṣadhīṣvapsvā yajatreti ya evauṣadhiṣu cāpsu cāgnistametadāha yenāntarikṣamurvātatantheti vāyuḥ sa tveṣaḥ sa bhānurarṇavo nṛcakṣā iti mahāntsa bhānurarṇavo nṛcakṣā ityetat|
Satapatha Brahmana (7.1.2.23)
It says that these lokas were together in the beginning. Earth and Heaven then separated, and the space between them became Antariksha.
athaadhilookam | prthvii puurvaruupam | dyauruttararuupam | aakaasah sandhih | vaayuh sandhaanam | ityadhilookam |
(Taittiriya upanishad .1.3:2)
This verse says that Antariksha is the junction between Prthvi and Dyau. Gayatri hymn also starts as …Bhur Bhuva swaha…; they mention of the three lokas. The three lokas were not formed by the Universe’s division into three but were divided into two with an interphase. There exist two scientific takes on this. 1. According to Gibbs, interphase is an imaginary plane dividing the two phases. 2. Guggenheim considers interphase a separate phase with all properties of a phase. Guggenheim’s consideration is in tune with the Vedic concept.
As mentioned earlier, creation (particles, matter and Universe being formed) and destruction (Universe, matter and particlesgoing back into oblivion)are occurring continuously. They are referred to as Usa and Suktam in Vedas. They are compared to dancers, hence known as the Cosmic dance of creation and destruction. Later, in the post-Vedic period, it was named the Cosmic dance of Shiva and Shakti, also known as the dance of Nataraja.
More about the matter, antimatter, their destruction, and the matter-dominated Universe shall be found in another blog.
