Why the rishis of Rig Veda prayed for wife/children/riches?

 

Rig Veda is the collection of Riks, composed by various seers/rishis.  It is basically about pure spiritual concepts, but narrated in an esoteric manner.

In Rig Veda, we will come across many Riks, wherein the Rishis were praying to Indra/Agni, etc, for wife, children, riches, etc.

Rig Veda 5.31.2

आ प्र द्रव हरिवो मा वि वेनः पिशङ्गराते अभि नः सचस्व ।

नहि त्वदिन्द्र वस्यो अन्यदस्त्यमेनाँश्चिज्जनिवतश्चकर्थ ॥

ā pra drava harivo mā vi venaḥ piśaṅgarāte abhi naḥ sacasva | nahi tvad indra vasyo anyad asty amenām̐ś cij janivataś cakartha ||

English translation:

“Hasten to us, lord of horses; be not indifferent to us; distributor of manifold wealth, befriend us; for there is nothing else that is better, Indra, than you; you have given wives to those who were without women.”

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Here amena   means wifeless/unmarried and janiwat means married or having wife . 

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A similar prayer can be seen in another Rik in the Rigveda (

Rig Veda 7.96.4

जनीयन्तो न्वग्रवः पुत्रीयन्तः सुदानवः । सरस्वन्तं हवामहे ॥

janīyanto nv agravaḥ putrīyantaḥ sudānavaḥ | sarasvantaṃ havāmahe ||

English translation:

“As unmarried people,  desiring wives, desiring sons, liberal of donations, approaching him, now worship Sarasvat.”

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Here agru - means wifeless/unmarried.

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Why does a man marry a woman?

In order to satisfy the biological needs in a righteous manner, to have children, and thereby to undergo the karmas, which necessitated the birth of an individual.

The Taittiriya Upanishad 1.11.1 also says that one should Speak the truth, follow dharma, and do not cut off the line of descendants in your family (marry and beget children) .

सत्यं वद । धर्मं चर ।  - satyaṃ vada . dharmaṃ cara

प्रजातन्तुं मा व्यवच्छेत्सीः - prajātantuṃ mā vyavacchetsīḥ 

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The Riks of Rig Veda were composed by rishis, who were enlightened people. My doubt is that after attaining such a highest level in SPIRITUALITY, why should again pray for material things?

Did they ask for wife, children, riches, etc, because they were not married (or) because of the death of their wife (or) did they ask this way on behalf of someone else?

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On a closer look, it seems that the words amena, agru, janiwat must have other/subtle meanings also, which might have lost in time and were unknown to subsequent generations.

Wife is a radiance.  That means fire. 

Just as a man receives children through his wife, and thereby experiences the fruits of past deeds or prArabdha, so through yajna, he receives the fruit of the yajna with the grace of the gods.

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Yajna is also of 2 types.

 

1) A physical yajna performed in a proper manner while reciting mantras, ghee, and performing it in accordance with the laid down rules and thereby attaining children, riches, etc. - Yajurveda method

2) Mental penance or meditation or introspection (yajna) performed in the manner prescribed by the Guru - the goal of attaining eternal happiness or SELF REALISATION – Rig Veda system.

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One who does not have penance can be understood as a symbol of being unmarried.

The one, who performs penance, can be inferred as a sign that he is married.

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It appears to me that seeking a wife by unmarried persons indicates, in an esoteric sense, seeking for a proper penance by a person, who does not follow austerities.