Earth Day 2008
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(Please turn on your speakers.)
Today is Earth Day. April 22 is celebrated in many countries each year as Earth Day.
This Earth Day, TempoStand reminds its visitors of the Prithvi Sukta.
One of the oldest tributes to the Earth is found in the ancient Vedas. The Atharva Veda contains 63 mantras (verses) of Prithvi Sukta or Bhumi Sukta (the Prayer to the Earth). The verses are devoted to glorifying Earth as sacred and inviolable. Prithvi Sukta talks about the human dependence on nature and the respect for the same that follows naturally.
“Mata bhumih putro aham prithivyaha“.
-Prithvi Sukta, Atharva Veda (12.1.12)
Here the Prithvi Sukta proclaims Earth as the mother, and humanity as her children.
The concept of the motherland pertaining to Earth is unique to the Vedas. According to Prithvi Sukta, Mother Earth is adorned with mountains, hills, plains, heights, slopes, forests, plants, herbs and treasures. She takes care of every creature that breathes with, things strength-giving and nourishing. She gives shelter to all the seekers of truth, who are tolerant and have understanding. May She give us joy, health, wealth, prosperity, and glory. The source of the creative spirit, we depend upon Mother Earth!
The Vedic Hymn to the Earth, the famous Prithvi Sukta in the Atharva Veda (XII.I), is unquestionably the oldest and the most evocative environmental invocation. It is rightly called the first national anthem in the history of mankind. In one of the hymns, a prayer is sung for the preservation and conservation of nature and its gifts.
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The track playing in the background, named “Essence“, has been composed by Aditya from the TempoStand team. Invoking Earth with this beautiful composition today on Earth Day, TempoStand requests all its visitors to help further increase environmental awareness and appreciation.
Share this with your friends using the link below and let others know what you stand for.
To download the TempoStand Earth Day song, “Essence”, click here.
great work aditya and tempostand….its really the need of the hour to return to our roots..and get in healing touch n luv with nature and mother earth..and the onus lies on our generation to save this beautiful planet for the sake of our own fragile existence….gud effort and pleasent way to spread awareness and really meaningfull use of this platform….save the earth!! we can all contribute in small or big ways to give a big reason(mother earth) to future generations to smile..
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hi guys, great job done.
thankfully i can log on to TempoStand from here and listen to some good music.
3 cheers!
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The track is really soothing…. bringing peace within
HAPPY EARTH DAY !!
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Good composition & great initiative for Earth Day
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I loved it! Great job Aditya
I really liked the Earth Day message too. Happy Earth Day everyone!
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the song is really soothing….:-)
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Wondeful !! I like the tune and relevance…
Good work Aditya !!
May the music god celebrate your success !!!
GOOD LUCK !!
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That was awesome!!!!
Hope you go a long way and do wonderful things in life!!!
Archana
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OM SRI Ganeshaya NAMHA…………..Really this work is great and “chamatkaarik” in sense of man.
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The earth is given 27 names in the amarakosha. One of them is medinI. It is called such because, Lord vishhNu after killing the two asuras madhu and kaitabha, created the earth out of the fatty material (medas) of the slain bodies of those two demons:
madhukaitabhayorasInmedasaiva pariplutA teneyaM medininAmnA sarvataH parikiIrtitA
Which brings to mind the bhUmisUkta of the atharvaveda, and the question, does atharvA R^ishhi pray to the decaying medas (fatty tissue) of madhu and kaitabha asuras or to brahman? Why should bhUmisUkta be a prayer to martyaloka rather than brahman? I believe the answer is obvious.
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One unique aspect of Bhumi sukta is that it preaches ‘Unity in Diversity’. India with her multi-lingual, multi-racial population, is the only source of inspiration and affection. Five fingers are not of the same size; yet the palm made of the five fingers, works wonders, so is this country!
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The following advocates that the atharvaveda bhUmi – sUkta is a vishhNu -
sUkta (having vishhNu as its devatA).
vishhNuH sarvavedapratipAdyaH sarvavedAnAM
vishhNavarthatvasiddheH (mantrArthamaJNjari of rAghavendra yati)
” vishhNu is the main
theme of all the vedas as all the vedas lead to the realization of the Lord
vishhNu.”
The words pR^ithivI and bhUmi in ordinary language are synonymns for the
word earth.This is a conventional type of meaning is called rUDHi.However,
in the bhUmi – sUkta they do not have that sense.The pre – sAyana
commentator skanda svAmi states in his commentary on nirukta:
rUDHyarthasya asambhavAt
karmanimitto yathA pratIyeta ityevamartham
[Conventional (rUDHi) meanings are absent
(asambhavAT) (in the vedas).Hence one should attempt to discover their
derivative sense.] (nirukta – TIkA 1.15)
durgAchArya follows this principle in his
commentary on nirukta.rAghavendra yati in his comments on
chandogopanishhadbhAshya 3.2, that the derivative meaning (yaugika -
vR^itti) is more powerful than the conventional meaning(rUDHi – vR^itti):
etena
varNasamAveshe rUDHagAyatrIpadasya kathaM yogenApahAra iti nirastam
vAchanikayogasyAjJNarUDHito balavattvasya kampanAdityatra siddhatvAt
taduktam sUtre chandobhidhAnAdityAdau
AnandatIrtha in his commentary on the
chhandogopanishhat 3.2.1(in saN^kara’s text, 3.12), on the gAyatrI -
upAsanA, explains pR^ithivI nAma at SEVERAL places in his commentary.One
example,following the yaugika – vR^itti is as follows:
sa eva pR^ithivInAmA pR^ithivyAmapi
saMsthitaH vishhNau hi pR^ithivI – saMsthe jagat sarvaM pratishhTHitam
nAtishete cha taM kashchit sa hi sarVadhiko hariH pR^ithutvAt pR^IthivInAmA
sa evAntaH sharIragaH
The Lord indeed is also named pR^ithivI, and dwells in the
earth.Verily in vishhNu pervading the earth is established the whole
world.Nothing whatsoever surpasses the Lord; this hari indeed is the
greatest of all.On account of the Lord’ spaciousness (pR^ithu), He is called
pR^ithivI (the Expansive); the Lord indeed called pR^ithivI resides in the
souls of all embodied creatures.
Such being the case, the occurence of the pR^ithivI nAma
in the atharvaveda bhUmisUkta, renders the bhUmi – sUkta a vishhNu -
sUkta.It is an error of the type mithyA – prayukta na tam artham Aha, to
interpret this hymn as addressed to the earth.The pANinIya – sixA, which is
common to all the vedas (sarvavedasAdhAraNI) as it is called, declares in
unequivocal language that a vedic mantra (mantraH) which is deficient
(hInaH) of an accent (svarataH) or a letter (varNataH) or which is
incorrectly applied (mithyA prayuktaH) thus not carrying the proper or
desired sense (na tam artha Aha), turns into adamantine speech (vAg -
vajraH) that harms (hinasti) a sacrificer (yajamAnam) as (yathA) the
opponent of indra (indra – shatruH) was slain because of his commiting a sin
or an offence of utterance with wrong accentuation (svarato.aparAdhAt):
mantro hInaH
svarato varNato vA mithyA prayukto na tam Artham Aha sa vagvajro yajamAnam
hinasti yathendra – shatruH svarato.aparAdhAt
It must be understood that when vishhNu is
described as pR^ithivI, He is different from the earth, which contains so
many types of insentient substances (achetana – dravya).In fact the
upanishhads describe brahman as that whom the earth does not known and who
is different from the earth:
yaM pR^ithivI na veda pR^ithivyA antaraH
The planet earth itself is not a
god or goddess.If the planet earth were a god (deva) or goddess(devI), the
earth would be possessed of Urdhva – srotas.In the bhAgavata – purANa 3rd
skandha, the bodies of the members of the deva – gaNa are described as
having Urdhva – srotas flowing through them.The goddess bhUmi, the daughter
of prajapAti kashyapa is the tattvAbhimani – devatA of the earth element
(pR^ithvI – mahAbhUta).Since the 5 elements (paJNcha – mahAbhUta) are found
through the entire universe, bhUmi’s rulership of the earth element is not
restricted to the locus of planet earth.Goddess bhUmi is a member of the
deva – gaNa and has a body composed of Urdhva – srotas, but she and her body
are different from the planet earth itself.kashyapAtmajA is a jIVAtma and
should not be confused with the vishhNu – rUpa pervading the earth.It could
also be argued that if the earth is a god, it would be composed mostly of
tejas (radiant energy), but it clearly is not.Under brahmasUtra 2.4.23 as
per madhva – bhAshhya we have:
oM vaisheshhyAttu tadvAdastadvAdaH oM
bhUtAnAM visheshhasaMyogAdeva
visheshhavyavahAraH pArthivAnAM sharIrANAmardhena pR^ithivI smR^itA
itare.ardhe tribhAginya Apastejastu bhAgavataH iti sAmAnyo jJNeyaM bhedaM
cha pratipUrushham svargasthAnAM sharIrANAmardhaM teja udAhR^itam iti cha
brahmasaMhitAyAm
sarvAdhyAyArthAvadharaNArthA.adhyAyAnte dviruktiH gAruDe cha adhyAyAnte
dviruktiH syAd vede vA vaidike.api vA vichAro yatra sajyate
pUrvoktasyAvadhAraNe anuktAnAM svIkArashcha kR^ito bhavet vinindya chetarAn
mArgAn sampUrNaphalatA tathA iti
“Only on account of preponderance of some particular
element in the constitution of each body such special statements (proceed),
such special statements (proceed).
The special statements proceed only with reference to
the greater proportions of the (constituent) elements entering into (a
product or a body).
It is stated in the brahmasaMhitA thus: Earthly bodies consist of
earth by half; in the other half three parts are of water, and the remaining
one part is of fire; and let it be understood that this is the proportion in
general.Further there is difference of proportion in every individual.In the
body of the residents of svar one – half consist of fire (tejas).
The repetition (twice of
the clause) at the end of the adhyAya is meant to emphasize what has been
said in the gAruDapurANa: In the vedas, and in the enquiries relating to
them there shall be the repetition (of some word or phrase) twice over at
the end of an adhyAya, especially in cases where an investigation into the
vedas or vedic subjects may happen to be made, so that all that has been
said previously may be emphasized (ratified).Also it is added (By such a
repetition) sanction is given for admitting all the authories and principles
that are not expressly stated and for rejecting all other systems, so that
this (the vedic system) may be declared as productive of the highest good.”
Taking up mantra one of bhUmi – sUkta we have:
oM satyaM bR^ihadR^itamugraM
dIxA tapo brahma yajJNaH pR^ithivIM dhArayanti sA no bhUtasya bhavyasya
patnyuruM lokaM pR^ithivI naH kR^iNotu (12.1)
“Truthfulness, greatness,luminosity, power,
dedication, austerity, divine knowledge and devotion (attributes having
their locus in jIvAtmas) are supported by pR^ithivI”.pR^ithivIM is rendered
as “by pR^ithivI”.Though the form of the word pR^ithivIM is in the dvitIya –
vibhakti (second case inflection), it is rendered in the sense of the
tritIya – vibhaktyartha(third case – karaNa) with an anomalous passive form
dhArayanti.The upajIvya – pramANa to support such an interpretation is cited
from madhva’s bhAshhya on chandogopanishhat:
shhaTsu dvitIyA yasmAchcha kAraNatvAt parasya
cha:(chandogopanishhat – bhAshhya of madhva, 7th adhyAya)
” The second or accusative case
is employed in all six cases, that is to say, it may construed in all
cases(except the nominative case), because all these (nAma, etc.) have the
Supreme as their cause”
mahArshhi pANini and pataJNjali sanction the sematic interchange of
various declensions.For example:
chaturthyarthe bahulaM chhandasi (pANinisUtra 2.3.62)
“The possessive
case is frequently used in the sense of the dative in the chhandas (vedas).”
To which
pataJNjali comments:
shhashhTHyarthe chaturthI vaktavyA yA kharveNa pibati tasyai kharvo
jAyate tisro rAtrIriti tasyA iti prApte
“The dative in the sense of the genitive should
also be stated.In the former case the example is yA kharveNa pibati tasyai
kharvo jAyate tisro rAtrIH (taittirIya saMhitA 2.5.1).Here tasyai ( i.e. for
her – dative case) is used in the sense of tasyAH (i.e. of her – genitive
case).Similarly in other cases also.”
The yAska nirukta has SEVERAL examples of semantic
interchange between words with different case inflections.Here is just one:
paJNchamyarthe
prathamA vA (6.1)
” The first case (nominative case) is employed in the sense of the fifth
case (ablative).
It is also stated:
arthaM nityaH parIxeta na saMskAramAdriyeta
” The interpreter should always attach
importance to the sense and he should not overemphasize the particular
grammatical formations, because the logical interpretation is the prime
objective.”
Other upajIvya – pramANas supporting the tR^itIYArtha are the
brahmasUtra 1.3.10:
oM axaramambarAntadhR^iteH oM
etasminn khalvaxare gArgyAkAsha otashcha protashcha
ityambarAntasya sarvasya dhR^iterbrahmaivAxaram ya u tridhAtu pR^ithivImuta
dyAmuta dyAmeko dAdhAra bhuvanAni vishvA bhartA san bhriyamANo bibhartyeko
devo bahudhA nivishhTaH yasminnidaM saM cha vi chaidhi [sarvaM] yasmin devA
adhi vishve nishheduH iatyAdishrutEH pR^ithivyAdi prakR^ityantaM bhUtaM
bhavyaM bhavachcha yat vishhNureko bibhartIdaM nAnyastasmAt xamo dhR^itau
iti cha skAnde
” The axara (the Imperishable) is brahman only, suuporting all, ending with
shrI from the attribute.
In the text “Indeed in this axara, O gArgI, the sky is woven warp
and woof” (br^ihadAraNyakopanishhat 5.8.11) this axara, being stated as the
support of all the universe including the (sky, ether, shrI), the axara (the
Imperishable) is only brahman.
“He who is the mainstay of the three, matter, time and jIva;
who singly supports the earth, aye, the heavens and all the world.”(R^igveda
1.154.4); “He who is the main upholder, who borne (by beings) supports them;
He who is the one glorious Lord, who is in all places in many forms.When the
Lord not willing to support the burden of the world sets it down, then the
world disappears” (taittirIya – AraNyaka 3.14).”He is the Lord on whom the
whole universe has grown well in its divers phases, and in whom the gods
have found their situation.” From such vedic passages, the supporter is
(clearly) brahman only.
“From the earth to prakR^iti (to the essential cause of all the
elements as well as its presiding deity) whether of the past, of the present
or of the future; vishhNu is the sole suporter of this universe: no other is
therefore able to give such support.” So says the skAnda purANa.
Also brahmsUtra 1.3.16 states:
oM dhR^iteshcha
mahimno.asyAsminnupalabdheH oM
eshha seturvidhR^itiH iti dhR^iteH eshha bhUtAdhipatireshha
bhUtapAlaH ityAdyasya mahimno.asminnupalabdheH etasminnu khalvaxare
gArgyAkAsha otashcha protashcha etasya vA axarasya prashAsane sa hi
sarvAdhipatiH sa hi sarvapAlaH sa Isha sa vishhNuH patiM
vishvasyA.atmeshvaram ityAdishrutibhyastasya hyeshha mahimA sarvesho
vishhNurevaiko nAnyo.asti jagataH patiH iti cha skAnde
“Also from the fact of being the
support (of all mentioned) and of His glory found declared here (in this
vedic passage).
For the supporting of the whole universe is predicated of that which is
within, in the text, “This is the bridge, the main support”
(chandogopanishhat 8.4) and the greatness of His glory is found described
(later on) in the passage:”He is the Supreme Lord of beings; He is the
protector of all beings” (bR^ihadAraNyakopanishhat 6.4.22) and so on.In this
axara, the Imperishable, indeed, O gArgI, AkAsha (sky, ether, shrI) is woven
warp and woof” and, “Indeed on the command of this, the Imperishable(axara),
o gArgI, etc.”He indeed is the Supreme Lord of all; He indeed is the
protector of all; He is the ruler; He is vishhNu.” The world subsists by Him
who is the Lord of all the living and the lifeless.” From such vedic
passages, it is palin, all this greatness is verily His.The skAnda purANa
also says:”It is vishhNu who is the one ruler of all, no other is the Lord
of the universe.”
The word patnI occurring in the second half of the mantra:sA no bhUtasya
bhavyasya patnyuruM lokaM will carry of sense of pAlayitR^i, that is
Protectress, instead of wife or mistress.bhUtasya and bhavyasya is that
which has been born and that which is to be born.bhUtasya and bhavyasya can
also ne interpeted in terms of deva and devIs, mukyaprANa and bhAratI or
rudra and umA (wife of bhava).uruM lokaM pR^ithivI naH kR^iNotu can be
“grant us residence in the vast realm (uruM -alternative sense of eternal
duration,lokaM – realm – moxa – sthAna).It could also be rendered as the
world of urukrama (vishhNu) via nAmaikadeshena nAmagrahaNam.
Viewing this definitely gives
one the sense that bhUmi – sUkta is not a prayer for a mere plot of dirt on
this planet earth.
oM ado yad devi prathamAnA purastAd devairuktA vyasarpo mahitvam A tvA
subhUtamavishat tadAnImakalpayathAH pradishashcha chatasraH (12.55)
In this mantra, there
occurs the word prathamAnA, certainly connected in meaning to the dhAtus
prath and pR^ith, as also the word paprathAnA in mantra 6.The form of
vishhNu described as pR^ithivI in the chandogopanishhad is a transcendental
female form (aprakR^ita – strIrUpa).It is one of six strIrUpas described in
the gAyatryupAsAna of the chandogopanishhad, under:
gAyatrI vA idaM sarvaM bhUtaM yadidaM
kiJNcha
gAyatrI here is a form of vishhNu:
gAyatrInAmAko vishhNurevaM shhaDvidha uchyate
The pR^ithivI – rUpa is
the fourth form out of six namedly gAyatrI, bhUtaM, vAk, pR^ithivI, sharIra
and hR^idaya, described as:
chaturthaH pR^ithivIsaMsthaH strIrUpaH
pItavarNakaH
The fourth form is that which dwells in
the earth, is a transcendental female form (strIrUpa) and is of yellow
compexion (pIta can also mean golden) (pItavarNakaH).Compare the description
of bhUmi as hiraNyavaxA in bhUmi – sUkta mantras 6 and 26.
There is thus overwhelming
evidence to support the thesis that bhUmi – sUkta is a vishhNu -
sUkta.Interpreting the mantras of the vedas as describing vishhNu is the
paramamukhyavR^itti.When they are used to invoke other devatAs, such as
laxmI, mukhyaprANa, rudra, etc., the interpretations are
mukhyavR^ittis.Secondarily, bhUmi – sUkta can be adressed to laxmIdevI
because pR^ithivI is also a name of laxmIdevI also is supported by madhva’s
statement in the bhAshhya on the 5.5.4 (5.21.2 in saN^kara’s text)
pR^ithivInAmikA shrIstu
shrI
kR^ishhNArpaAnamastu!
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