Once we know the details about most of the Vedic Deities, or atleast the ones mentioned in the website http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vedaread.htm, we can started playing around with them to discuss topics we have pondered about for long and have a vague or no answer to them, for example those of spiritual context. And it will not be difficult because being humans we understand humans well and we can make clear thoughts on the concerned topic. We can also discuss serious scientific notions by playing around with them and they can help direct discoveries... an example of this (it may not be a strong one but just to give you hints) we encountered in the previous post that to set something in a cyclic motion, an external force was required... scientists today believe that our Earth(Prithvi) was set into rotational motion(Indra) by some external object(Dyava) that rammed into it. That remains of that ramming formed our Moon(Chandra). And so we have Day(Usas) and Night(Ratri). If we understand the associations between these Deities and clearly from the contents of the Rig Veda we can be sure that the theory is correct. If there is a mutual correlation between Vedic deductions and scientific theories, we can then use the Vedic deductions to extrapolate theories further to aid the investigation. This was something I came across recently through the "The Universe" TV series and their final theory, which was directed to understanding the formation of the Moon, explained the rotation of the Earth which sparked the Prithvi-Dyava concept I knew about. Could there be a correlation? Right now I don't know because I haven't read the Rig Veda completely. Or I'm not sure if I would find it in the Rig Veda. May be it's in the Yajur Veda or Sama Veda. It's a long way to go.
So now let me give you an idea of what might be there in the contents of the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana Vedas. To explain this let me talk about a simple example. Let's go with language for example. When we start learning a language, we first learn all the alphabets. These are like the contents of the Rig Veda. Instead of the alphabets, it's the Deities. Then we learn how to use the alphabets to spell words. These are the contents of the Yajur Veda. So it talks about connecting the different Deities and what they behave like. Next we learn how to use these words to form a complete sentence. These are the contents of the Sama Veda. They talk about connecting the various combinations in a particular sequence(song) to get a desired behavior. Finally we learn how use sentences to construct an essay. These are the contents of the Atharvana Veda. So now imagine what could this be? The whole notion of magic and counter-magic might be evident here. It actually represents the different stages of training. It can be any field... Chemistry, Microelectronics, Economics, Coding,... anything.
So just like every other science, Vedic science can be simulated and you can accomplish whatever you desire to accomplish if done correctly... Hey, industries sometimes come up with faulty products.
VAYU:
Vayu represents Wind. When we think of Wind, we immediately think movement of something... leaves, trees, etc. So what is movement. It's a change in position. Or change in the current state. This is a very important concept because many things in nature are subject to change. And we call them the dynamics of that particular thing. Now if something has to change, it has must have a purpose for that change. A kind of reason of existence in the new state. It's like this, say you made something, a clay pot. You definitely "changed" mud into clay to make that clay pot. So you "changed" mud into clay for a "reason" or "purpose", otherwise why would you do it. You definitely don't want to waste time doing something that's of no use. Unless you are bored and you don't know what to do... you make or do things of no "purpose" or "reason". But then you "change" your state from being a lousy lazy bugger to being a busy person doing something just to kill time. The "purpose" for that "change" was to kill time. So to have a "purpose" is to have a "change" in something.
So now let's get into the brotherly relation of Vayu with Agni and Indra. We already encountered the brotherhood of Agni and Indra.
BROTHERHOOD OF VAYU AND AGNI:
Vayu and Agni have a very strong relation. So strong that they face each other in the Vaastu Chart. The Vaastu Chart is a very interesting chart used today for placing the household. But it's not only that. It can be about daily clerical activities, or a sequence or stages of building or doing something new. When translated to Human lifetime cycle, it can tell something about the different Yugas. I will definitely post details about it in my blog once I have covered all the Deities that participate in it. So let's get to it. When something "changes" or "moves" we say it has "life". Have seen those scenes where they try to bring back an unconscious guy back life. How do they know the he/she is back to life? A slight "movement" he/she makes tells them that. When you "learn" something, "change" happens... the whole point of education is to "change" you from an illiterate idiot to a wise person... that's the ideal case... most of us become wiser idiots instead but still a "change" happened from illiterate idiot to a wise idiot... the level of idiocity "changed"... To Neural Engineers this would be immediately understood because according to them only when the weights "change" they say "learning" has occurred. A simple way to understand this, when something "changes" from a known state we "learn" that something has happened. "Conversion" is a "change" of state. "Sacrifices" are "changes" you make to yourself. "Conversion", "Learning", "Consumption" and "Sacrifices" must have a "Reason" or "Purpose"... We can also extrapolate from this brotherhood of Vayu and Agni that "Life" should also have a "Purpose" or "Reason" for existence.
BROTHERHOOD OF VAYU AND INDRA:
This brotherhood is not so strong as like Agni-Indra or Agni-Vayu. Agni actually stands as a mediator between the two and that makes the brotherhood of Vayu and Indra senseless without Agni. The only things we can make without Agni are that "change" or "movement/motion" can happen in "cyclic" fashions, when "change" happens "balance" should be maintained and "purpose" must be some "closed" "reason", like you are doing it because its required and a "balance" is met.
BROTHERHOOD OF AGNI, INDRA AND VAYU:
This is by far an interesting combination. It actually gives the definition of being Intellectual. It can be made as follows. Being intellectual means "learning" by making "changes" "by yourself". Artificial Intelligence is designed on this basis. If you can get your robot to "learn" and make "changes" "by itself", we say it's intelligent. Also when something "moves" "by itself" we say it has "life". So to have "life" means to be intellectual. All "life" forms are intellectual and so its absurd to categorize animals as unintellectual. They all have a "purpose" which we may not know immediately just by looking at them(Indra - Illusion). Let me add one more thing about Indra. Since almost everything exists in a closed loop fashion or form, we can include "existence" and "form" in Indra. So to "exist" it must have a "form", a "closed loop form". The notion is simple. If I give you a blank piece of paper and tell you to show me any markings on it, you won't be able to do so because it's blank. Whereas if I put a small dot mark on that blank paper and tell you to spot it, you will be able to. Your brain sees it as some "closed loop form" to allow you to say that there "exists" a marking. I can draw a line and still your brain will see it as a "closed loop form" to say that it "exists". So to keep in mind that these Vedic concepts "exist", the Indians gave them "form" or "converted" them into "forms" and "life". These "life" "forms" where treated as intellectual beings in human "form" to specify their level of intellectualism, because they aid in intellectual thinking for humans(Humans prefer to learn from a human teacher).
VAYU AS THE SON OF PRITHVI-DYAVA:
In the previous post we encountered a simple explanation of Vayu's relation with Prithvi-Dyava as their son. Now that we know a few more details about Vayu we can go further. There should exist atleast two states an object can be in to expect a "change" between them. There should exist atleast two distinctive positions for an object to "move" from one position to another. Unless there exists a destiny from where you started, you don't have a "purpose".
THE FAMILY(PRITHVI-DYAVA, AGNI, INDRA AND VAYU):
Now this just adds the Object-Environment attribute to the discussion we made under the Brotherhood of Agni, Indra and Vayu. Therefore to remain intellectual, the entity under consideration should always take inputs or "consume/learn" from its environment and "change" "itself" accordingly. The amount "consumed/learned" decides how much "change" is done to "itself" according to the environment. If a good amount is "consumed/learned", the entity still keeps it's original or previous "form" but now with new or more ingredients. Absolutely "consuming/learning" nothing can kill it eventually and it will become dead. We just encountered in the brotherhood of Indra and Agni that "consuming" occurs for "sustenance". "Learning" keeps that entity "alive". "Learning" nothing, i.e. not willing to make any "changes" to "itself", makes what it already knows dead or out-dated/obsolete. And removes the "purpose" of keeping it "alive". Religion, today, is something that doesn't "learn" anything from the environment at all. Whatever was established say 2000-5000 years ago still remains like that. So it's actually dead and is adding more filth to the current environment. This concept of becoming dead comes from the Vedic concept Yama. As you know whatever is "learned/consumed", the entity gets its qualities. You become what you "learn". So when people "learn" dead entities such as religion, they become dead minded people. And they add filth to current "learning" developments of their environment. Now "consuming/learning" too much, i.e. making too many "changes" on "itself", in one go from the environment can totally change the entity's original or previous "form". Its an ugly thing and it makes the entity ugly since it lost its original "form". Losing original form is like losing individuality and this individuality concept comes from Vishnu. After I give a discussion about Vishnu, it will become clear. According to Neural Engineers, these are the effects of large learning coefficients. The desired solution takes longer to reach or is never reached and the whole "purpose" of "learning" goes waste because the problem, the entity here, has lost "shape". So "learning/consuming" from the environment should have a good "limit" to keep you in good "shape/form".
Now that I have spoken about amounts, my next post will be about Soma. Soma is in fact a very popular Vedic Deity. Its so popular that whenever someone thinks of the Vedas, they never miss to think about Soma. In the Vedas, Soma is a very important concept. So before I go further into explaining the remaining Deities/Concepts, let me introduce Soma first.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Prithvi-Dyava
In my last post we saw the togetherness of Indra and Agni. A mysterious connection between some cyclic nature with the properties of fire. All that is needed later on is to try to use them in any field of interest. For example you can debate for yourselves whether practical learning is better than theoretical learning. The use of these concepts can help you find the answer. You will realize that for subjects that require skill, practical learning is better while for those that don't require skill, theoretical learning is better. When you enter the Corporate World, your colleagues require you to do something and that requires skill. Hence it is best to engage in practical learning to blend well with the Corporate World. In the case of subject matters like the one in this blog, theoretical learning works. But to apply it practically, the reader will require practical assignments "to try for himself/herself". "Trying for yourself"... it's actually a good way of "learning" that can be deduced from the Indra-Agni relationship. Meditation works in the same way. When I began to learn these concepts, I went through two sources that explained in brief about the Deities. They were the book on "Indian Mythology" by Veronica Ions and the website I gave you earlier, http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vedaread.htm and I "tried to make out for myself" what they were talking about. I didn't go straight to the texts because it was even more confusing. But after I "learned" the connections and ideology well "by myself", the texts started making sense. So far I have worked on ten stanzas of the First Book of the Rig Veda successfully. It's still very tedious because of the language.
PRITHVI-DYAVA:
In Sanskrit this means Earth-Sky. Looks like we getting into the Universe now. Well... not exactly. It does start changing your perspective a little bit. When I introduced Agni(Fire), it was just something we learned through one of the natural elements. But the concept I'm going to talk about will give you an idea how to visualize Vedic ideology. This Earth-Sky combination can be visualized in general as an Object-Environment combination. A good modeling technique. Good for modeling Vedic ideologies as well.
We know well that the Earth gets its inputs from the Sky. Being on Earth, we get Sunlight, Heat, Rain, Oxygen, etc that all come from the Sky as inputs for our well-being. So in our Object-Environment generalization, the object gets its inputs from the environment. Inputs can also come from the Object/Earth but they take their route via the Environment/Sky. In return, the Object/Earth also gives back to the Environment/Sky. This can be drawn as an object that takes inputs and gives outputs. Sounds like a block diagram representation of something. These sort of representations do help a lot in understanding mechanisms or concepts. This is why simulation tools are built in almost every scientific field, because looking at mathematical equations doesn't always give a clear picture. Numbers always give clear pictures. Vedic understanding also happens in the same way. We too can build simulation tools for it once the concepts are clear and we know how to evaluate them on the number line.
Now let's get to the Indra-Agni relation where both of them are the sons of Prithvi-Dyava.
BIRTH OF AGNI:
The Vedic scriptures describe the birth of Agni through two objects. It's always two objects. They need to rub against each other to give birth to Agni(Fire). Some sort of Frictional Force. Out of the two objects, one of them is considered to be the Prithvi(Earth) and the other as Dyava(Sky). Since there is no other combination of masculine and feminine as such described in the Vedas, whenever two entities are "coupled" together to form another, the coupling entities are considered as Prithvi-Dyava combination. Here, the Earth is feminine while the Sky is masculine. Now let's look into this further. Let's put the Outside Environment as another object and "couple" it with the Object under consideration. Only if the two exist, the Object under consideration can take inputs. Another way of saying this, only if the two exist, the Object under consideration can "consume" something from its Environment. The same thing happens with "learning". "Learning" is actually a "consumption" of knowledge. "Sacrifices" are made only after viewing certain "external" events that affect the sacrificer. "Conversion" can only take place when there are atleast two things. For example, Steam comes from Water and Heat. Or Ice comes from Water and Chillness. Or Clean Water comes from Dirty Water and a Filter. This end-product of "conversion" is an extension of the Smoke giving aspect of Fire. I didn't cover this while explaining Agni because it required the understanding of Prithvi-Dyava.
BIRTH OF INDRA:
Just like Agni, Indra also requires two things (Prithvi-Dyava) to create it. It requires some "external" force to set an "object" into a "cyclic" motion. "External" forces don't necessarily set "objects" into cyclic motion but also to non-cyclic motion. Non-cyclic motions come under the Vayu concept which I will cover in my next post. Vayu is also a son of Prithvi-Dyava and it explains Newton's First Law of Motion, the Law of Inertia. Let's do more. "Balance" is always mentioned when there are atleast two things. It requires "coupling" of two points of a line to make a "closed loop" or a "circle".
When I explain Vayu, I will give the complete relation between Prithvi-Dyava, Agni, Indra and Vayu.
PRITHVI-DYAVA:
In Sanskrit this means Earth-Sky. Looks like we getting into the Universe now. Well... not exactly. It does start changing your perspective a little bit. When I introduced Agni(Fire), it was just something we learned through one of the natural elements. But the concept I'm going to talk about will give you an idea how to visualize Vedic ideology. This Earth-Sky combination can be visualized in general as an Object-Environment combination. A good modeling technique. Good for modeling Vedic ideologies as well.
We know well that the Earth gets its inputs from the Sky. Being on Earth, we get Sunlight, Heat, Rain, Oxygen, etc that all come from the Sky as inputs for our well-being. So in our Object-Environment generalization, the object gets its inputs from the environment. Inputs can also come from the Object/Earth but they take their route via the Environment/Sky. In return, the Object/Earth also gives back to the Environment/Sky. This can be drawn as an object that takes inputs and gives outputs. Sounds like a block diagram representation of something. These sort of representations do help a lot in understanding mechanisms or concepts. This is why simulation tools are built in almost every scientific field, because looking at mathematical equations doesn't always give a clear picture. Numbers always give clear pictures. Vedic understanding also happens in the same way. We too can build simulation tools for it once the concepts are clear and we know how to evaluate them on the number line.
Now let's get to the Indra-Agni relation where both of them are the sons of Prithvi-Dyava.
BIRTH OF AGNI:
The Vedic scriptures describe the birth of Agni through two objects. It's always two objects. They need to rub against each other to give birth to Agni(Fire). Some sort of Frictional Force. Out of the two objects, one of them is considered to be the Prithvi(Earth) and the other as Dyava(Sky). Since there is no other combination of masculine and feminine as such described in the Vedas, whenever two entities are "coupled" together to form another, the coupling entities are considered as Prithvi-Dyava combination. Here, the Earth is feminine while the Sky is masculine. Now let's look into this further. Let's put the Outside Environment as another object and "couple" it with the Object under consideration. Only if the two exist, the Object under consideration can take inputs. Another way of saying this, only if the two exist, the Object under consideration can "consume" something from its Environment. The same thing happens with "learning". "Learning" is actually a "consumption" of knowledge. "Sacrifices" are made only after viewing certain "external" events that affect the sacrificer. "Conversion" can only take place when there are atleast two things. For example, Steam comes from Water and Heat. Or Ice comes from Water and Chillness. Or Clean Water comes from Dirty Water and a Filter. This end-product of "conversion" is an extension of the Smoke giving aspect of Fire. I didn't cover this while explaining Agni because it required the understanding of Prithvi-Dyava.
BIRTH OF INDRA:
Just like Agni, Indra also requires two things (Prithvi-Dyava) to create it. It requires some "external" force to set an "object" into a "cyclic" motion. "External" forces don't necessarily set "objects" into cyclic motion but also to non-cyclic motion. Non-cyclic motions come under the Vayu concept which I will cover in my next post. Vayu is also a son of Prithvi-Dyava and it explains Newton's First Law of Motion, the Law of Inertia. Let's do more. "Balance" is always mentioned when there are atleast two things. It requires "coupling" of two points of a line to make a "closed loop" or a "circle".
When I explain Vayu, I will give the complete relation between Prithvi-Dyava, Agni, Indra and Vayu.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Brotherhood of Indra and Agni
Like I said in one of my previous posts that the general concepts are webbed together. They are linked through some sort of relation or they just work together. Those that have a relation can tell something about how family relationships work. In this post we will see that there is a mutual companionship between Indra and Agni that defines there brotherly relation. Likewise, Rudra gives insights to the role of a father. The Soma-Chandra combination gives insights to the role of a mother. The Maruts give insights to the role of a child. Prithvi-Dyaus combination gives insights of how the mother and father should work together. These insights are ideal models. If the environment doesn't favor the ideal model, they can be changed to maintain balance between all members.
Indra and Agni are two totally different concepts like we just saw. You can imagine them to be two beings with totally different characteristics. But they have a mutual companionship and are always together. The being together part doesn't actually define their brotherly relation. It's just one of the things. The main thing is that they shoulder each other like best buddies, but at another step beyond. The Vedas also claim that they are the sons of Prithvi and Dyaus, i.e. The Earth and The Sky, and that actually gives them the brotherly relation.
If I were to pick the eldest one (from the explanations I've given so far about both) I would go for Agni. I still have to find out whether the Vedas make the same claim. But with the Vedic knowledge I have gained so far, I believe I might be right in the choice. But remember it's just my opinion. If I find that the Vedas have the opposite claim, I will think over it and then mention the explanation later in my blog.
So let's work through their brotherly relation. In the previous post we patched the "learning" aspect of Agni with the "cyclic" aspect of Indra and we figured out that learning can use some sort of feedback. Let's do more. All "living" things have a "form" that follows a closed loop fashion. Living things "consume" for "sustenance". "Sacrifice" is something that "one does to itself". The total amount of "converted" material equals to the total amount of material used for conversion. That's a "balance" and it sounds like the Law of Conservation of Energy. If there exists a conversion gain, then that sets the "limit". "Balance" can be made only when there is a mutual/bidirectional "conversion" capability, like the animal-plant take in and give out. Between Oxygen and Carbon-Dioxide. So all "cycles" have multiple "conversions" that finally give back the starting material. The same thing happens in mathematics. Most of the theorems postulated have a converse theorem to make it intact. Some don't have converse theorems because they cannot be proved. Now let me get to this.
If the conversion is bidirectional/reversible, there is a balance and let's call these Indra processes. If the conversion is not reversible, then there is a one way conversion, we can call these Agni processes. Why? Because whatever material was used for the conversion remained in the converted state, like it just got "eaten". An example of this is the recent economic downturn which was due to an Agni process. Money was spent on immovable assets that didn't bring back money because of the uncontrolled mortgage and housing loan plans. All the money got "eaten" by construction of the immovable assets. So over here we see that Indra processes create sustainability or balance while Agni processes create imbalances. A sort of contradicting behavior between brothers. Although imbalance may sound like a menace, it's sometimes a good thing, like for growth. Growth happens when something accumulates. That's how "living" things grow. So now we have one more keyword for Agni, "growth". "Learning" is "growth" of maturity. "Sacrifice" is also a "growth" of maturity. "Consumption" is done for "growth". "Conversion" ensures "growth" of something. Indra processes do not ensure growth. In the political scenario, Indra processes sound like tit-for-tat behaviors that never ends, much like how a "cycle" can keep rolling. To stop the cycle from rolling you will need an Agni process. So if peace had to made between two rival nations, one of them has to stop. If the other one still insists, then the sovereignty of that nation can be removed, for the one reason that it's being a menace. The nation that stopped, will be taken care of for it's loss. The same thing happens in life. If someone keeps beating you, you become an asset while the other one becomes a liability. It's a "balance". There were and still are living examples of this. Every celebrated figure went through tremendous amount of suffering to reach that level. It's something that nature does to maintain balance. This idea can be an extension of the Law of Conservation of Energy and so there is also a "balance" during an Agni process.
So far we have visualized the togetherness of Indra and Agni. We will talk more about this in my next post after I explain the Prithvi-Dyaus concept. The brotherly relation between Indra and Agni will become more intact.
The Rig Veda is said to be composed in such Cyclic fashion called Mandals. There are ten volumes for the Rig Veda and each volume is a mandal. I guess it was written in this fashion to make the concepts, when taught, well intact.
Indra and Agni are two totally different concepts like we just saw. You can imagine them to be two beings with totally different characteristics. But they have a mutual companionship and are always together. The being together part doesn't actually define their brotherly relation. It's just one of the things. The main thing is that they shoulder each other like best buddies, but at another step beyond. The Vedas also claim that they are the sons of Prithvi and Dyaus, i.e. The Earth and The Sky, and that actually gives them the brotherly relation.
If I were to pick the eldest one (from the explanations I've given so far about both) I would go for Agni. I still have to find out whether the Vedas make the same claim. But with the Vedic knowledge I have gained so far, I believe I might be right in the choice. But remember it's just my opinion. If I find that the Vedas have the opposite claim, I will think over it and then mention the explanation later in my blog.
So let's work through their brotherly relation. In the previous post we patched the "learning" aspect of Agni with the "cyclic" aspect of Indra and we figured out that learning can use some sort of feedback. Let's do more. All "living" things have a "form" that follows a closed loop fashion. Living things "consume" for "sustenance". "Sacrifice" is something that "one does to itself". The total amount of "converted" material equals to the total amount of material used for conversion. That's a "balance" and it sounds like the Law of Conservation of Energy. If there exists a conversion gain, then that sets the "limit". "Balance" can be made only when there is a mutual/bidirectional "conversion" capability, like the animal-plant take in and give out. Between Oxygen and Carbon-Dioxide. So all "cycles" have multiple "conversions" that finally give back the starting material. The same thing happens in mathematics. Most of the theorems postulated have a converse theorem to make it intact. Some don't have converse theorems because they cannot be proved. Now let me get to this.
If the conversion is bidirectional/reversible, there is a balance and let's call these Indra processes. If the conversion is not reversible, then there is a one way conversion, we can call these Agni processes. Why? Because whatever material was used for the conversion remained in the converted state, like it just got "eaten". An example of this is the recent economic downturn which was due to an Agni process. Money was spent on immovable assets that didn't bring back money because of the uncontrolled mortgage and housing loan plans. All the money got "eaten" by construction of the immovable assets. So over here we see that Indra processes create sustainability or balance while Agni processes create imbalances. A sort of contradicting behavior between brothers. Although imbalance may sound like a menace, it's sometimes a good thing, like for growth. Growth happens when something accumulates. That's how "living" things grow. So now we have one more keyword for Agni, "growth". "Learning" is "growth" of maturity. "Sacrifice" is also a "growth" of maturity. "Consumption" is done for "growth". "Conversion" ensures "growth" of something. Indra processes do not ensure growth. In the political scenario, Indra processes sound like tit-for-tat behaviors that never ends, much like how a "cycle" can keep rolling. To stop the cycle from rolling you will need an Agni process. So if peace had to made between two rival nations, one of them has to stop. If the other one still insists, then the sovereignty of that nation can be removed, for the one reason that it's being a menace. The nation that stopped, will be taken care of for it's loss. The same thing happens in life. If someone keeps beating you, you become an asset while the other one becomes a liability. It's a "balance". There were and still are living examples of this. Every celebrated figure went through tremendous amount of suffering to reach that level. It's something that nature does to maintain balance. This idea can be an extension of the Law of Conservation of Energy and so there is also a "balance" during an Agni process.
So far we have visualized the togetherness of Indra and Agni. We will talk more about this in my next post after I explain the Prithvi-Dyaus concept. The brotherly relation between Indra and Agni will become more intact.
The Rig Veda is said to be composed in such Cyclic fashion called Mandals. There are ten volumes for the Rig Veda and each volume is a mandal. I guess it was written in this fashion to make the concepts, when taught, well intact.
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