Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Nadistuti Sukta (Praise of Rivers) in Rigveda...

Rigveda, the most ancient among the four Vedas has mention of Nadistuti Sukta (Hymns in the Praise of the Rivers) in its 10th Mandala... This praise of rivers as goddesses is 8000 years old. (Lokmanya Tilak considers time of Rigveda as 6000 BC while Prof. Jacobi considers it as 4500 BC)... So, this Praise of Rivers can be considered as the oldest documented praise known to the mankind.

Verse 5 of this Sukta mentions rivers Ganga, Yamnua Sarasvati, Sutudri Parusni, Asikni, Marudvrdha, Vitasta, Arjikiya, Susoma... Seven from these 10 rivers are called Sapta Sindhu. In all there is mention of 99 rivers in Nadistuti Sukta...

Last verse of the Sukta praises the rivers as 'Chariot of Permanent Joy'.

Here is the Nadistuti Sukta as it is...

Nadistuti Sukta (Sanskrit: नदिस्तुति सुक्त) :

पर सु आपो महिमानमुत्तमं कारुर्वोचाति सदनेविवस्वतः |
पर सप्त-सप्त तरेधा हि चक्रमुः परस्र्त्वरीणामति सिन्धुरोजसा ||
पर ते.अरदद वरुणो यातवे पथः सिन्धो यद वाजानभ्यद्रवस्त्वम |
भूम्या अधि परवता यासि सानुना यदेषामग्रं जगतामिरज्यसि ||
दिवि सवनो यतते भूम्योपर्यनन्तं शुष्ममुदियर्तिभानुना |
अभ्रादिव पर सतनयन्ति वर्ष्टयः सिन्धुर्यदेति वर्षभो रोरुवत ||
अभि तवा सिन्धो शिशुमिन मातरो वाश्रा अर्षन्तिपयसेव धेनवः |
राजेव युध्वा नयसि तवमित सिचौ यदासामग्रं परवतामिनक्षसि ||
इमं मे गङगे यमुने सरस्वति शुतुद्रि सतेमं सचता परुष्ण्या |
असिक्न्या मरुद्व्र्धे वितस्तयार्जीकीये शर्णुह्यासुषोमया ||
तर्ष्टामया परथमं यातवे सजूः ससर्त्वा रसयाश्वेत्या तया |
तवं सिन्धो कुभया गोमतीं करुमुम्मेहत्न्वा सरथं याभिरीयसे ||
रजीत्येनी रुशती महित्वा परि जरयांसि भरते रजांसि |
अदब्धा सिन्धुरपसामपस्तमाश्वा चित्रावपुषीव दर्शता ||
सवश्वा सिन्धुः सुरथा सुवासा हिरण्ययी सुक्र्तावाजिनीवती |
ऊर्णावती युवतिः सीलमावत्युताधि वस्तेसुभगा मधुव्र्धम ||
सुखं रथं युयुजे सिधुरश्विनं तेन वाजं सनिषदस्मिन्नाजौ |
महान हयस्य महिमा पनस्यते.अदब्धस्यस्वयशसो विरप्शिनः ||

Shubham Bhavatu!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Rivers are Life

It looked reddish. But was transparent. You could see through the stones and base... I drank this water. It was energizing. Unbelievable taste. It was water from one of the numerous rivers of Chapada Diamantina of Bahia, Brazil. I was told that it was because of high iron content in the water. So I had natural mineral water. Not fake...People who drink it have many health benefits like no anemia, hair grow well, strong joints etc.

During my walk in these less traveled forests, I found rivers red and blue, black and green. All with different minerals and ever-flowing. A bare foot walk of more than 70 kilometers was no doubt an unmatched meditation. More importantly it was such a lovely embrace by mother nature. She did not keep me thirsty throughout the journey. I would feel thirsty and a beautiful stream of water, river, waterfall would be there to provide me 'natural mineral water'.

From New York to Mumbai and Sao Paulo to Varanasi, rivers all over the world are fighting the battle of survival. The battle against those whom they feed, whose thirst they quench. Its battle against those whose civilization was given birth, nurtured and flourished by these eternal divine flows of 'life'.

The battle is imposed on them. The battle is one sided. Rivers have never denied 'to give'. The rivers have never denied to 'flow'. The rivers have never denied to 'water crops'. The rivers which are source of happiness of life are being treated like sewage canals in the 'Modern Developed World.' In the world where the level of knowledge is limited to 'water comes from the tap'.

In our day to day life we are so busy in 'earning money'. The money which we use for joy and happiness in our life. The real source of joy and happiness is an environment around. Its the rivers, trees, animals, birds, pure air.... We shall respect these elements and gain the real joy by being with them. By protecting them.

Ganga Stuti says - Bhagavati Tav Tire.... O' Goddess, River Ganga... just by your sight and bathing in you, all obstacles of life go away and doors of paradise open.

May the doors of paradise open for us.
May we make Mother Earth, the paradise - by respecting our rivers...

Shubham Bhavatu!

(Here are some pictures of my recent visit to Brazil: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yogi_arwind_in_brazil/)