Tuesday 24 December 2019

Was the protection of Yagna performed by Sage Viswamitra by Sri Rama an allegorical story?

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Rig Veda II.34.14, dedicated to Maruts, narrates briefly about 5 terrestrial rishies
तानियानो महि वरूथमूतय उप घेदेना नमसा गर्णीमसि | तरितो न यान पञ्च होतॄनभिष्टय आववर्तदवराञ्चक्रियावसे ||
tāniyāno mahi varūthamūtaya upa ghedenā namasā ghṛṇīmasi | trito na yān pañca hotṝnabhiṣṭaya āvavartadavarāñcakriyāvase ||
Translation of H.H. Wilson (P.179) is as follows:
Imploring them for ample wealth. and (having recourse to him) for protection. we glorify them with this praise: like the five Chief Priests whom TRITA detained for the (performance of) the sacrifice. and to protect it with their weapons.

This mantra is referring to
  • 5 Chief Priests, who TRITA detained
  • for protection of his sacrifice with their weapons

Now questions that arise are:
  1. Who were the 5 Chief Priests, who were mentioned in the sacrifice of TRITA?
  2. Was this protection of a sacrifice allegorical and/or a forerunner to protection of Yagna, performed by Sage Viswamitra by Sri Rama and Lakshmana, with their weapons, in Ramayana?


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As per my understanding, the five Chief Priests whom TRITA detained (Rig Veda II.34.14) are 5 Indriyas (sense organs) - i.e. eyes, ear, nose, tongue, and skin.
If we re-visit the crux of the mantra in question, we can understand that the 5 sense organs will goad humans to remain materialistic.
" .....like the five Chief Priests whom TRITA detained for the (performance of) the sacrifice. and to protect it with their weapons."
  • TRITA indicates a sage
  • sacrifice indicate the spiritual practice/asceticism
The sage was saying that one should detain the 5 sense organs, who are very powerful with their weapons, for doing spiritual practice/asceticism

Even many ascetics acknowledged that the 5 sense organs are very powerful to overcome with.
Rig Veda III.37.9 (dedicated to Indra) - composer Sage Viswamitra -  says
indriyāṇi śatakrato yā te janeṣu pañcasu | indra tāni taā vṛṇe ||
Indra, the object of many rites, I regard the organs of sense that exist in the 5 races (of beings dependent) on thee, as thine
Indra, who was alluded as Brahman in Rig Veda, will protect the sage, from the very powerful weapons of 5 sense organs, which are under the control of Indra.
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The Rig Vedic Indra becomes Sri Rama and the sage who prays to protect his Yagna becomes Sage Viswamitra in Ramayana. 
In my view, it is an allegorical story, taken clue from Rig Veda.


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