The Rg Veda Ganapati

[thebigthinkg]

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Introduction

Ganapati is the 'Brain' of us. This was my explanation for the stotra starting 'Suklam Bhartram Vishnum'.

(Since I am a new member, I am unable to post the URL of the previous explanation. It can be found in this forum itself)

Ofcourse traditionally it is said as Shukla (spotless, pure and hence white) ambara (garment, encompass (and hence sky)) dharam (wear), which could be interpreted as the one who wears spotless (read 'white') clothes. It could be interpreted as 'one that holds encompassing pure', in the context of thoughts of our brain.

In this blog I would explain the same with respect to the popular Rg Veda mantra that is recited before every vedic ritual as prayer to Vinayaga.

Rg Veda Mandala 2 Hymn 24

gaNAnAM tvA gaNapatiM havAmahe kaviM kavInAmupamashravastamam
jyeSTharAjaM brahmaNAM brahmaNas pata A naH SRNvannUtibhiH sIda sAdanam

​

- Rg Veda Mandala 2 Hymn 24​

gaNAnAm - For the attendants
tvA - you, thou
gaNapatiM - Friend, Philosopher, Guide of those
havAmahe - Invoke you to grant / Call upon u to grant


The friend and guide of your attendants, Call upon you to grant


kaviM - Intelligence, Wisdom
kavInAm - of the Intelligent, of the Wise ones
kaviM kavInAm - Intelligence (Wisdowm) of the Intelligent (Wise Ones)


The wisdom of the wise ones


upama - highest
zravas - hearing
tamam - the most, ascending, pinnacle
zravastamam - the pinnacles of the faculty of hearing


The highest pinnacle of hearing


The friend and guide of your attendants, Invoke you to grant the wisdom of the wise ones, the highest of pinnacles of hearing faculty


jyeSTha rAjaM - the first ruler
brahmaNAM - that evolved


The first ruler that evolved


brahmaNaspata A nah - the one that leads/guides further evolution to us


The lead/guide to further evolution to us


zrnvann - having heard
UtibhiH - weaved/sewed
cIda - thoughts
sAdanam - seat


Having heard, Seat of weaved/sewed thoughts (or) Having heard the seat that weaves thoughts

Summary

The friend and guide of your attendants, Call on you to grant the wisdom of the wise ones, highest of pinnacles of hearing. The first ruler that evolved, the one that leads/guides our further evolution, having heard, the seat that weaves thoughts.

Ganapati - The Brain

We call upon the brain to grant us the Wisdom of the Wise ones, highest of the pinnacles of hearing. The pinnacle of hearing is learning. Highest of the pinnacles of hearing is the highest of learning. So here we call upon our brain to bestow us with highest of learning.


Brain is the ruler that evolved to rule over all the attendant organs of our body. It is the 'first' ruler or the predecessor to all the rulers of the world. It is not just the one that evolved, but also the one that guides/leads further our evolution. So it is uniquely placed. It is the one that evolves others and also the one that is evolved.


Having heard (having learnt), it is the seat of thoughts, where our thoughts are weaved.

Various other Interpretations

In general Upama Shravastamam is interpreted as pinnacle of 'fame'. Zrava is extended from hearing to praise and then extended from that praise to make it as 'fame'.
.
Similarly Jyesta Rajam' is interpreted as foremost amongst the foremost. Rajam is interpreted as 'foremost' (in the sense rulers are foremost).


"Brahmanam Brahmanaspata" is interpreted as Lord of the Vedas. Vedas are those that evolved (Brahamanaspata) and Brahmanam is interpreted as Lord BrAhman. BrAhman actually means evolution. Atman when it decided to evolve became BrAhman (evolution). Thus that Supreme Soul manifests as evolution.


"Utibhih Sida Sadanam" is interpreted as "Protect us by seating here". Uti means weaving, sewing and also protecting (weaving gives protection). 'Cida' is thoughts. Often it is ignored or taken as 'sIda' and interpreted as gracious, happily.

The internal Ganapati (Brain)

Thus the conventional meaning becomes "We invite you, the lord of all groups, wise amongst the wise, lord of all Vedas, foremost amongst foremost, whose fame is excellent, be seated and protect us", one that is applied to an external Ganapati.


The real meaning in my view is "The friend and guide of your attendants, Call on you to grant the wisdom of the wise ones, highest of pinnacles of hearing, the first ruler that evolved, the one that leads/guides our further evolution, having heard, the seat that weaves thoughts", one that is applied to the internal Ganapati our brain.


The supreme consciousness manifests in our heart and controls our brain, which evolves us and also evolves. That does not mean we need not worship/invoke an external Ganapati. We can and we should.


We should invoke that Supreme Consciousness that is present in the 'Lord Ganapati' to guide our brain and lead/guide us in all our actions.


-TBT

 

[sangom]

Shri TBT,

I have absolutely no objection to your having a great regard for the prayers used as prayers to Ganapathi, or in your personally giving any kind of interpretational layering over its meaning. But when you post such interpretations in a Forum like this, I feel that the readers should also be given a chance to view differences of opinion, if there be.

First of all the mantra under consideration is in Mandala II, Sookta-23 Rik-1, and not in Sookta (Hymn) - 24 as given in your post. If the above post is from your original reading of the ṛgveda saṃhitā and interpretation therefrom, you will surely be aware of sāyaṇācārya’s commentary of the vedas. sāẏaṇa’s commentary on this Hymn says as under:-

yāsu bṛhaspati śabdaḥ śrūyate tā bārhaspatyāḥ | śiṣṭā brāhmaṇaspatyāḥ |

(Wherever the word bṛhaspati occurs, those ṛks are prayers to bṛhaspati, the rest are for brahmaṇaspati.)

This remark is not only for this Hymn or Sookta but for the ten Hymns forming the adhyāya (i.e., aṣṭaka -2, adhyāya -6). sāyaṇa gives the word meanings as below:

he brahmaṇaspate brahmaṇo:'nnasya parivṛḍhasya karmaṇo vā, pate pālayitaḥ, gaṇānāṃ devādigaṇānāṃ saṃbandhinaṃ, gaṇapatiṃ svīyānāṃ patim |

Thus the word "gaṇānāṃ" refers to the devādigaṇa and gaṇapatiṃ refers to the leader or pati of the devagaṇa, which, in the ṛgvedic context will be Indra and not to vināyaka. This is an instance of ṛks from the ṛgveda having been taken on the basis of 'śabdābhirūpya’ or similarity of sounds and then applied for an entirely different purpose.

Another example which readily comes to mind is the durgāsūktaṃ in which certain ṛks have been used just because the word 'durgā’ or its vibhakti formations are present.

Scholarly opinion is that the terms like gaṇapati, prajāpati, bṛhaspati, brahmaṇaspati, etc., in the ṛgveda denote certain elected/selected leaders of people, much like our Corporators, MLAs, MPs, etc., and that these honorifics were used while addressing prayers to different deities also.

I request you, once again, to kindly furnish the url in case you have got this material from some other website or blog, because it involves some legal requirements, it seems.

 

[thebigthinkg]

Dear Sangom Sir

I stand corrected here. IT is from 2.23.01 and not 2.24.

But I dispute your scholarly opinions that depict Brhaspati, Brahmanaspati et al as corporators and leaders. For long, in my view, vedic scriptures have been interpreted by Western scholars on a linguistic basis (motive of which is circumspect) and that has been adopted by 'Indian' scholars.

To put it crudely, even Sayanas commentaries on Vedic scriptures are like a child wondering about moon as a Idly or Dosa or a grandma cooking Vada. Vedic scriptures are Srutis that ancient Rishis heard and learned and various people have been trying to decode them to understand them. While we have been successful in maintaining them, none has understood them.

I have been on this attempt to understand vedic scriptures from their source (from what I hear in the chants, from what I read in various interpretations from Griffith to Aurobindo) for long. Probably for 6 years or so now..

What drives me into this is also something that I don't know. This is not my profession. But I have been observing that my ego has been pushing me into this.

On the contrary, I have published papers in my technical domain, created products and where I am known. So yes, you are right. My interpretations are going to be like Alice in Wonderland for you. And so be it.

My request to you, if u can help, is to find out of if there is a literary flaw in the 'literary' meanings I give, (if u find it I have extrapolated it), so that it helps my journey.

And there is no other link, but to link myself to it. Search 'TheBigThinkg' and u will know about my works..

-TBT

 

[thebigthinkg]

Just to add, i will post my interpretation of the entire 2.023, which will make my standpoint on Brhaspati, Brahmanaspati clear.

 

[thebigthinkg]

sorry to add more to it. My translations are well backed up by Cologne, Monier Williams dictionaries, but most important aligned with prabhupada's translations in Bhagavatha and Bhagavat Gita and also wherever applicable waht Aurobindo has given. I have taken care not to create my own translations, but the way I interpret them is definitely different.

It seems unless i have 10 posts, i can give any URL's.

-TBT

 

[sangom]

Dear Sangom Sir

I stand corrected here. IT is from 2.23.01 and not 2.24.

But I dispute your scholarly opinions that depict Brhaspati, Brahmanaspati et al as corporators and leaders. For long, in my view, vedic scriptures have been interpreted by Western scholars on a linguistic basis (motive of which is circumspect) and that has been adopted by 'Indian' scholars.

To put it crudely, even Sayanas commentaries on Vedic scriptures are like a child wondering about moon as a Idly or Dosa or a grandma cooking Vada. Vedic scriptures are Srutis that ancient Rishis heard and learned and various people have been trying to decode them to understand them. While we have been successful in maintaining them, none has understood them.

I have been on this attempt to understand vedic scriptures from their source (from what I hear in the chants, from what I read in various interpretations from Griffith to Aurobindo) for long. Probably for 6 years or so now..

What drives me into this is also something that I don't know. This is not my profession. But I have been observing that my ego has been pushing me into this.

On the contrary, I have published papers in my technical domain, created products and where I am known. So yes, you are right. My interpretations are going to be like Alice in Wonderland for you. And so be it.

My request to you, if u can help, is to find out of if there is a literary flaw in the 'literary' meanings I give, (if u find it I have extrapolated it), so that it helps my journey.

And there is no other link, but to link myself to it. Search 'TheBigThinkg' and u will know about my works..

-TBT

Shri TBT,

I see from the Bigthinkg Blog page that you are a very young person, probably in your late twenties or early thirties. FYI, (if you have not already gathered from some of my other posts) I am an old man, 72 years, born and brought up in a family of vaideeka tabras. I was never quite satisfied with many of the things about Hindu religion & scriptures which have been the staple food for most people who are used to unquestioningly accept whatever our Swamijis, Pravachanakartas, Babas, etc., usuallt dish out in the name of religious knowledge and upadesams. So, after retirement when I could own a PC, I started learning from the very beginning, so to say. Now, age is slightly hampering my ability to read for long stretches of time and, may be, soon a stage may come when single-finger typing also will also become difficult for me.

That said, I can understand that you are pushed forward by a desire to find out hidden truths in our religious lore and to share it with others. You say that it is your ego which is pushing you into this sort of attempt; I have no comments on that.

What I believe (or what I have come to believe firmly as of today, as a result of all the lessons which life has taught me till now) is that no religion, repeat NO religion, tells you the real truth about the mystery that is Life and consequently, of Death. Both continue to remain mysteries for the human race even today. But the religion to which one is born in, serves as a primer full of mistakes, for the person to unravel these two mysteries. Some are happy to spend their entire life in the primer only, some are not. I feel you possibly belong to the latter class. I wish you all the best in your endeavour.

sāyaṇācārya is thought to have brought as many vedic scholars from various parts of the sub-continent, thanks to the royal support he had from the Vijayanagar kings (Bukka & Harihara), had the swaras standardized and it is claimed that sāyaṇa also indicated the velocity of light, in his commentary on the ṛgveda. BTW, even as early as the earliest nirukta (etymology) was composed (possibly more than 3000 years before the present, there were people, who were referred to as 'sage' reverentially, who said that the vedas contain nothing useful to Man. If the status of the vedas itself is such, what can be said about a new divinity which came to be worshipped much later (after the 5th. century A.D.) - vināyaka? Our Hindu religion grants unlimited freedom and that is why even atheists like cārvāka are held in good esteem. So, you are free to take any ṛk, śloka, mantra, and interpret it in any whichever way your mind leads you to and consider that particular deity as the Supreme-most.

As regards "literary flaw in the 'literary' meanings" in what you have written, I must say with all humility that I am not at all knowledgeable about sanskrit literature; all I have studied is some portions of the rudimentary sanskrit grammar. Hence, it will be highly incorrect on my part to comment on the 'literary' meanings you attribute to various sanskrit words. But there are a few others here who may be able to point out flaws if and when they read your post/s.

Wishing you all the best, once again.

sangom

 

[thebigthinkg]

Dear Sangom Sir

I seek ur blessings.

My point in these blogs was not about a diety or which is supreme. As we say "Sarva Deva Namaskara, Sri Kesavam Prathi gacchati".

"Kayena Vacha manase indriyair va Budhyathma nava prakruthe swabhavath, Karomi yadyat sakalam parasmai NARA+AYANA yethi samarpayami"

-TBT