In my previous post I explained the concept of Purusha and used the concept to provide insights to the Vedic understanding to the creation of the Universe and how it differed from the popular Big Bang Theory. You may have noticed that I also used the creation sequence to explain the gender hierarchy in humans or possibly other species as well. I can go further to use the creation sequence to explain the top-down approach in business where all work is done to accomplish a certain “end product”, i.e. the Prithvi of the company. The end product is typically the goal set by the topmost level (Prithvi) in the company which the bottom levels (Purusha) work to achieve. Hence, as a matter of fact, these different ideas are actually interconnected together by a single concept, the creation sequence Purusha-Vayu-Soma/Apa-Agni-Prithvi. If the position of one of these deities is interchanged with another, would the sequence then be successful in explaining all the inter-associated ideas still? If suppose I interchange the positions of Vayu with Agni to make the masculine gender the topmost in the gender hierarchy can this new sequence still explain the fundamental law of imperpetuality? No. If Agni is interchanged with Vayu it means that a random initial state is always the solution leaving no room for further tuning to achieve any desired outcomes. If this was the fundamental law of nature then nothing can be built, no civilizations would have existed, the concept of communication or evolution becomes devoid, the world we live in itself would have not been created nor even the universe. Hence there cannot exist such a world with the masculine gender as the topmost gender in the gender hierarchy. This is the kind of interconnected understanding the Vedas give. Speaking of understanding, I now commence the Sun marathon with Surya, the Vedic concept of understanding.
SURYA:
Surya is the Sanskrit word meaning the Sun. The Sun is a very simple but important component of nature and also for the Vedas. It will be surprising to know how such a simple component or element can reveal many things about nature itself.
The Sun is the primal source of energy for the Earth and other planets around it. As the source of energy, the Vedas classify the Sun as a masculine in form. But also as a source, it is the center point or treasure (the end point) that is sought. It is this quality that classifies the Sun also as feminine in form. In philosophical terms it is both the Father and the Mother. As the Father, he is a Guardian and a Guider and as the Mother she is a Healer.
The Vedic perspective of the Sun is an embodiment of multiple Fires (Agni) interconnected together. Hence all properties of Agni are used but in plurality. Surya can be depicted as an object receiving information from multiple angles or dimensions. The interconnection of these multiple dimensions is what brings Understanding. The interconnections give a structure (Varuna) to the information that is being received and this is why the Vedic authors wrote that Surya is the eye of Varuna. Why the eye and not the mouth or ears? This is because the Eye is such an object that receives a multitude of information about its surroundings. The brain (Varuna) that has structure receives ample information from the eyes (Surya) to restructure itself. The video link posted below shows this quality of the brain explained by one scientist.
http://www.ted.com/talks/henry_markram_supercomputing_the_brain_s_secrets.html
The brain not only uses the eyes to receive information but also the ears, nose, touch and taste. To the brain, these five senses collectively represent Surya. The job of these five senses is to provide information only. This information is usually in the form of loose connections, much like an ocean of water (water has loosely connected molecules), and it is from this pool rigid interconnections are made to create an understanding. That is why it is sometimes dangerous to believe something only through seeing and hearing. Humans are equipped with the sixth sense, the sense of understanding, that works beyond the five senses. The concept of meditation is wound around this. In the Vedas this is phrased as the Sun, that is hidden in the ocean, is raised from it towards the Sky (the source – hence understanding becomes the primal source of knowledge for a being). Many speechless terrible things are happening in this world today due to the lack of understanding. Also the idea of a divine spirit governing the functions of this universe is a product of the sixth sense which many fail to do because they arrogantly use only the five senses and get diabolically furious when made to use the sixth sense.
The Vedic authors realizing this concept must have concluded that nature itself is interconnected by multiple things that give its profound structure. Hence, this very idea must have guided them to write the Vedas by analyzing multiple aspects of nature into general concepts that make the multitude of natural inter-associations intact. It is only through understanding can someone find a solution for a desired outcome (understanding as the Mother). It is also understanding that provides guidance in ones endeavors (understanding as the Father).
The above paragraphs have explained the most important understanding of the Vedic Deity Surya. Other aspects of the Sun will be covered further in this Sun marathon. Before I go further in the marathon, I will cover Chandra, the Moon, in my next post along with some interesting insights about the connection between the Sun and the Moon. It may give insights about the religions of many tribes that exist today but specifically it will give insights to the culture of ancient India.
