A remarkable young woman was melodiously singing an obscure hymn of ancient origin. Had she been an older person or someone of Indian origin, or if it was any other more popular mantra it would not have been that startling. But she appeared very young, probably in early twenties and unmistakably of non-Indian stalk.
Although it was little past the sunrise, clouds had successfully prevented the sun's attempts to appear in the eastern sky. On that cold snowy morning of March in Vancouver BC, a small milieu of various ethnicities had congregated in a small hall. Neither the convergence of disparate ethnicities nor singing of Hindu hymns is unusual when it comes to Yoga or Meditation gatherings. Therefore, in such a setting even if someone bearing a typical non-Indian-appearing-face is seen singing a Hindu hymn, it does not surprise people anymore. However, this time around, it was out of the ordinary; the hymn happened to be from an antiquity of more than 5 millenia.
Later, when introduced, I came to understand her name was Sue and that she originally came from Mongolia, now settled here in Vancouver BC, Canada. Parents had brought her up in their native Buddhist traditions and that Hinduism fascinated her from an early age. What she sang was the first Shloka (Verse) of Sukta (Chapter)-23 from the 2nd Mandala (Book) of Rig Veda; RV 2-23-1. It is addressed to a deity Brahmanaspati, aka Brihaspati aka “Father of Gods” (Ref: RV 2-26-3).
Notwithstanding its obscurity and archaism, the verse is extremely revealing at many levels; its content, both said and unsaid, activism behind the invocation, petitioner’s mindset, characteristic of request and objectives sought by those motley activists youngsters who have gathered perhaps on a seashore or a clearing in a forest, 3000 BCE or even in a still older era, seeking help and blessings of Lord Brahamanaspati.
The verse is a petition. They are making a passionate plea:
Sanskrit: “गणानां त्वा गणपतिं हवामहे कविं कवीनामुपमश्रवस्तमम् । ज्येष्ठराजं ब्रह्मणां ब्रह्मणस्पत आ न:
शृण्वन्नूतिभि: सीद सादनम् ॥” ( Transliterated in English: Gaṇaanam tvaa ganapatim havamahe Kavim kavinaam upamasravastamam, Jyestharaajam brahmanam brahmana spata aa nah srunvannutibhih sida saadanam.) RV-2-23-1
Its simple translation without contextual tweaking would read: “We invoke the Brahmanaspati, chief leader of the leaders; a sage of sages abound in beyond measure in every kind of food; best lord of prayer, hearing our invocations, please come with your protections, and sit down in the place of sacrifice.”
But its interpretation with contextual input would be an essay in itself:
The petition ceremony is likely to be set around a fire-pit (yagna-kunda or homa-kunda) where a group of learned, eager looking activists have gathered around leaping flames to make a fervent appeal, a passionate request, imploring Lord Brahamanaspati to assist them in their mission, just before embarking upon a pursuit of non-combative, non-coveting efforts for upliftment of scattered groups of humans living in isolated existence in far-flung areas of deep forests, valleys and islands.
O, Supremely Knowledgeable (supremely knowledgeable among the knowledgeables),
O, Greatest leader (leader of the great leaders),
O, Greatest Philosopher (Philosopher of the Philosophers),
O, the one who is worthy of being described with similes and metaphors of adulation, (Unsaid content: who is worthy of considered exemplary to be a role model who inspires us to inculcate qualities He possesses.)
O, Ideal (Very Best) King of the Kings,
We all gathered here are making a fervent appeal to you,
Along with all power of defence at your command, (Unsaid content: ‘the tiny group of exploiters, dictators, capitalists, communists etc power-mongers are ultimately humans and has a potential within them for becoming reformed, hence the prayer does not seek their destruction or elimination but just seeks merely defence from them.),
knowing our thoughts, intention and mind (Unsaid content: “we are not seeking anything for us, no wealth, power or territory),
Please establish yourself in our hearts. (Be our friend, Philosopher, Guide and Protector)
Thanks to these unsung heroes of the distant past that ancient Indian civilizational footprint is visible all around the globe. Largely owing to this non-domineering, respectful civilizing efforts of those activists who left towns, ashrams, gurukuls and shores of India to distant and unknown territories, infested with wild animals, poisonous plants, shrubs and ivies, extreme climates, deserts, marshes, hunting cannibals and every kind of mortal danger lurking around. With no guarantee of returning to see their loved ones left behind in India, they kept on the mission of lifelong pursuit single mindedly. Not to claim territories, not to seek fortune, not to proselyte but to learn, teach and inspire strangers to lead a vitreous life.
They had to guard not only against the dangers, but also to not fall to any enticements on the way. In one of the speeches delivered by well known ancient rishi (seer), Kaundilya, has forewarned similar aspirants: “you are brilliant and energetic young people, you may easily find precious treasures in those distant lands, Humbled with your knowledge and abilities they may willingly and gratefully become ready to share their gold, precious stones, other treasures and even beautiful women. But remain alert not to succumb and not to be diverted from the important life-long mission of making the whole mankind noble- “Krunvantu Vishwam Aryam”, that they have undertaken. This speech was delivered to a group of volunteering activists who had gathered presumably on a sea shore to board a ship to Southeast Asia, perhaps, Bali. The very names Jawa, Sumatra, Malaya, Bali, Singapore Brahmdesh (Burma), Siam, Mekong, etc unmistakably bear Sanskrit fingerprint.
Contrast the Sanskritization (Making of a nobler mankind) efforts made by Indians to the other historical campaigns undertaken by other groups who also were set forth on a ‘civilising’ mission with a book in one hand and sword or gun in the other.
An ambassador of the Republic of China (China of Pre-communist revolution era) to the U.S. (1938-1942), Mr. Hu Shih famously said "India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border." A British Historian D G E Halls, Professor of History in the University of London summed up in his 1955 book, “The History of SouthEast Asia'' that the deep impression of Indian culture in Southeast Asia was without any trace of signs of war, aggression, trade or any other generally known method but seems to be due to the willing acceptance by its people who had witnessed Indian ways of life via intellectuals visiting their country and returning students who had graduated from Indian universities of Nalanda, Takshashila etc. These assertions from leading scholars seem to reiterate and vindicate the aim, objective and SOP of those unsung, self-effacing activist heroes who had prayed to Lord Brahamanaspati. Sitting around Agni-Kund and performing Homa (Yagna) around the flames. Etymology of the word Yagna indicates that its root root syllabuses signify 3 attributes- 1 befriending, 2 uniting and 3 God worshipping.
Sanskrit Grammarian Panini of 6th Century BCE is credited with recodifying Sanskrit Grammar. Language reformed in 6th Century BCE is the standard Sanskrit that we learn today. However, the Rig Veda text is written in pre-Panini ancient Sanskrit language. That makes it slightly more difficult to interpret even by current Sanskrit Scholars. The Rig Veda consists of 10 Mandals (Books), every book has several chapters (Sukta), more than 1,000 if put together. And every chapter has several Shlokas (Verses), more than 10,000 collectively.
Some people mistakenly assume that the hymn is addressed to a well known deity Lord Ganapati because a word in the hymn happens to be “Ganapati”, not realizing that the word is used not as a proper noun but is meant to be signifying the roleplay of the deity as a leader of states. (“Gana” means a group or a state. And “Ganapati” signifies a Leader or a President of the republic. “Gana-Tantra” is a word commonly used even today as a type of Nation that is made up of an association of States or a Republic. For instance, India is popularly defined as a “Gana-Tantra” in the local languages).
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