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Durham E-Theses The vision of RTA in the Vedas Miller, Jeanine G. How to cite: Miller, Jeanine G. (1978) The vision of RTA in the Vedas, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9820/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk JEAN INE G. MILLER THE VISION OF RTA IN THE VEDAS a Thesis submitted to.the Univers i ty of Durham, for the degree of MASTER.OF LETTERS October 1978. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. J.G. MILLER (Abstract of thesis submitted for the M.Litt. October 1978) THE VISION OF RTA IN THE VEDAS « The rsis developed their view of the nature of the world and man's role therein, from a visionary insight which they claimed not only as an heirloom from their ancestors but also as having.themselves developed. Their vision embraces the whole cosmic order and regards the process of manifestation as a continuous unfoldment in accordance with one basic law of harmony, rta: the world order exhibits a balance of all those factors that contribute to its making, a holding together in mutual tension of all opposites. Rta is thus considered as both the mode and regulator whereby all things manifest, evolve, and.adjust to changing conditions, as well as the overall order resulting from the harmonious working out of all according to the inherent law of existence. As manifestation means action, movement, the dynamic aspect of rta attracts more attention than its static counterpart, the stability of the fixed order which merely emphasises the constancy.of change and succession ~ in para• doxical terms, the unchanging order of change. Three fundamental aspects of rta are studied: 1) . the natural: the one law.that underlies the basic structure.of the universe, in accordance with which all evolves and from which derive all other laws; hence the law of becoming, of transformation, of harmony; 2) the socio-ethical: the one truth which in the human context of socio-ethical norms can be translated as integrity-integration: man.fulfils himself in as much as he lives truly and can therefore integrate himself in the cosmic order. Truth at the human level is equivalent to harmony at the universal level. 3l the religio-sacrificial: the one sacrifice with which the cosmic order is identified, a constant give and take of all its units, an eternal sharing and exchange which itself is rooted in the law of transformation. To this order all beings contribute in greater or less measure,whatever friction occurring from non-cooperation or opposition$being finally offset by the greater pull towards harmony. Nothing can really over-ride the one law. Through the agency of gods and men rta as the "pattern in the heaven" is made manifest at the natural level and in the norms and ethics of human society. Man's sacrificial ritual is seen as his microscopic attempt at re-enacting the macroscopic drama of the dynamics.of rta. The Rgvedic vision of cosmic wholeness contains the seeds.of many of the later speculative theories of Hindu philosophy. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1-2 CHAPTER I HOW THE RTA WAS APPREHENDED 0 Section T.1 The means to valid knowledge. 3- 4 1-2 The validity of the Rgveda's claim to revelation. 4- 7 . 1.3 The rsis' vision as ancestral 7- 8 and'continuous. Method.of arousing vision; medit• 8- 11 ation. 1.5 Vision stated to be rooted in 11 - 12 rta. Motes 13 - 15 CHAPTER I I RTA AS THE UNIVERSAL ORDER Section I I.. 1 Definition of rta: eternal order, 16 - 18 law underlying the structure of the universe, the process of transformation, or law of becoming. I I .2 Sphere of rta: cosmic, natural, 18 - 19 human, hence various manifest• ations. N.3 Origin of rta; ontological, 19 -20 psychological explanation. 11.4 Difference between rta and satya. 20 - 24 N .5 The physical image of rta: the 24 - 30 zodiac. Motes 31 - 34 CHAPTER I I I VISION OF CREATION I ntroduct ion :creht\ on accordi ng 35 - 37 to rta. Sect ion 111.. 1 Fi rst level. 11 1.1.1 The primordial differentiation: 38-39 the One differentiates into the two. 11 1.1.2 Dualism inherent in manifestation, 39 - 40 111.1.3 the play of the opposites and its implications: the question of 40 - 42 evil. 11 1.1 .it The continuous process of creation. 43 - 44 111,1.5 Examination of asat and sat. 44 - 47 Wo ten 48 - 51 CHAPTER I I I (contd) Section I I 1.2 Second level. 111 .2.1 The godly level: the dynamics of rta. P» 52 - 53 111 .2.2 Daksa and Aditi, embodiment of the 53 - 56 primeval differentiation. 111 .2.3 The threefold division of the world. 56-58 111 .ZA The origin of the gods. 59 - 61 111 .2.5 Heaven and Earth. 61 - 63 111 .2.6 The process of permutation. 64 - 65 111 • 2.7 The gods, offspring and servants of 66-68 the cosmic order. 111 .2.8 Asura and maya, examples of ambivalence. 69 r; 74 111 .2.9 The laws derived from the one Law: 75 - 81 dhaman, dharman, yrata. 111 ,-2.10. The divine encounter. 82 - 83 ... Notes 84 - 95 111 .3 ' 'Thi rd level. 111 • 3.1 The.human level: the disruption of rta. 96 111 .3.2 Rta in itsapplication to man: the 97 - 98 moral law. 111 • 3.3 The meaning of anrta. 98 -- 103 111 Karma inherent in the conception of rta • 3.A 104 109 in.the moral sphere. 111 .3.5 The conception of sin in the Rgveda. 109 115 111 .3.6 Rta as truth: the vision of holiness 115 117 and the social order. 111 .3.7 Forgiveness and the meaning of freedom. 118 124 111 .3.8 Varuna and the fetters of sin. 124 129 111 .3.9 The role of nirrti in the cosmic order. 129 133 111 .3.10 Man's confrontation. 132 133 Notes 134 H3 CHAPTER IV RTA AS THE SACRIFICE. Section IV.1 . The ritualistic aspect and purpose: 144-145. symbol of.the cosmic process; a bring• ing, together of gods and men for mutual benefit. IV.2 The meaning of yajna the sacrifice. 145 156 IV.3 The.purifylng.function of the sacrifice. 156 159 IV.it Examination of gajna =. rta. _____ _159 163 5 IV. Soma's role in the ritual: Soma the Notes 164 170 essence of the rta - illuminator and .171 181 granter of.the vision of rta. Notes 182 185 IV. 6 Agni's role in the ritual: Agni, the 186 193 highpriest of the rta, dynamic chariot• eer.of man's offering and link between, heaven and earth, man and god. IV.7 the heart, crux of the sacrifice. _ ._ _ _ _193 197 Notes 198 201 CHAPTER V RTA AS DEITY 1 Section V. Rta, world embracing power. 202 .2 V The Vedic conception of divine powe r. 203 - 204 V.3 Rta, universal law. 204 - 205 . VA Rta as dei ty 206 - 208 V.5 Rta, subject for meditation. 208 - 209 Notes 210 - CONCLUSION 211 RTA,COSMIC HARMONY 212 - 219 BIBLIOGRAPHY. NotftB 220 - 221 / .INTRODUCTION The Vedlc conception of rta, the cosmic order, the dynamics of manifestation, was developed^ as can be reconstructed from the Rgveda samhita, from a vision reaching out to vast dimensions and arrived at by generations of seers. Vedic tradition refers to the origin of the Veda as apauruseya, i*e. non-human. Its Inspiration belongs to the eternal, It Is » a manifestation of the word, 73c. The Veda Is In Its essence a timeless revelation, the transcendent made manifest at the empirical level by means of visions couched Into words through poetic inspiration. This implies certain issues which should be examined In order to understand the vision of rta Itself: * a) the means employed for achieving such vision and its description; b) the Intuitive-visionary Insight of the poets; c) the hereditary quality of the vision which, though new In so far as It Is re-experlenced and re-expressed, Is yet ancestral, the heirloom of the ancient patriarchs who found the way and gave out the means so that their descendants could also follow the well-worn, because traditional, path as laid out by themselves; d) the vision's reliability, or otherwise; e) methods used for Inducing vis toning; f) the resulting religious philosophy as rooted in the personal experience of not just one seer but generations of seers through the discipline of contemplative meditation. The vision itself embraces a wide domain of activities: cosmic, natural and human, showing insights into the inherent structure of the universe, the gods' and men's role therein; Insights ranging from the rsis'o speculation as to the origin of creation, the orderly uhfoldment of the universe and Its.
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