Education - Vedic and Tantric in The Atharveveda
There are ten hymns in Atharva Veda on this topic. Usually brahmacharya is
translated as celibacy. But its literal meaning is “to move in Brahma” or “to move
towards the supreme state of consciousness named as Brahman.” Typically it
signifies the comprehensive education received by a young person in Vedic times
before s/he married and led the family life. The education includes not only the
study of the various subjects but also the spiritual initiation, diksha by special
methods. Diksha even today is an important aspect of spiritual life.
The hymn (11.5) in Atharvaveda is the earliest attempt to describe the process
of diksha or initiation by a teacher or guru. The knowledge is imparted by an
occult means. Modern spiritual biographies like “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna”
describe this process in some detail. This hymn metaphorically describes the rishi
as keeping the disciple in his womb, impart power to him and make him grow.
This procedure is represented symbolically even today in the ceremony of sacred
thread upanayanam by enclosing the disciple and the teacher by a single cloth
and the teacher giving the mantra to the disciple in his ear.
"The tantric or priest initiating him, takes the
Brahmacharin within him as a mother the child;
Three nights he carries him like a mother bearing the child in her womb,
And to see him when born, devas come in body [AV.11.5.3]."
No wonder the spiritual initiation is called as a second birth for the student.
The translation of the entire hymn is in AV (11.5)
The conclusion of the brahmacharin’s study is described in 24th verse of same
hymn.
"The brahmachaarin bears the radiant Brahman
Where in all devas are woven together
Creating breath and in-breath prana and out-breath apana
Word, mind, heart, sacred knowledge and wisdom."
We see here the first occurrence of the words prana, apana, vyana in the Indian
tradition.
Another hymn AV (6.133) of five verses describes the power of girdle of
brahmacharin, mekhala. It is not of course, the physical cord but the enveloping
power. So it is said to give tapas, vigour, and intelligence.
ATHARVA VEDA (11. 5)
BRAHMACHARYA (Vedic/Tantric Education)
Rishi: Brahma
The brahmacharin moves, strengthening both the worlds,
in him the devas meet in concord;
he upholds earth and heaven; he satisfies
his acharya with the power of tapas. ----------- (1)
Fathers and Divine bands follow the brahmacharin,
and all the devas severally follow him;
Gandharvas follow him, the three and thirty,
three hundred, six thousand;
and he satisfies all the devas by his tapas. ----------- (2)
The acharya initiating him, takes the
brahmacharin within him as a mother the child;
three nights he carries him like a mother bearing the child in her womb,
and to see him when born, devas come in a body. ----------- (3)
One sacrificial wood is the earth, the second the heaven,
and the mid-air he fills with the sacrificial wood;
The brahmacharin with the sacrificial wood, his belt,
and labour, satisfies the worlds with his tapas. ----------- (4)
The brahmacharin, born before the sacred knowledge,
robed in libation, stood up with his tapas:
through him were manifested the sacred lore,
highest brahman, and all devas with immortality. ----------- (5)
The brahmacharin, bright with the blaze of the sacrificial wood,
comes, clad in black buck-skin, consecrated, long-bearded;
and he forthwith goes from the eastern to the northern sea,
and grasps the world together, constantly drawing them near. ----------- (6)
The brahmacharin, manifesting sacred wisdom, the waters, the world,
the Creator, the supreme Being, the Lord of splendour,
and, becoming a child in the womb of immortality,
became Indra and destroyed the Powers of darkness. ----------- (7)
The acharya built up the two cloud regions,
and these deep, spacious Two - the Earth and the Sky;
these the brahmacharin protects with tapas,
in him the devas meet in concord. ----------- (8)
The extensive earth the brahmacharin
was the first to bring as alms, and the heaven too;
of these two he makes the sacrificial wood and attends on them;
on these two are laid all the living things. ----------- (9)
One on this side, the other beyond the ridge of heaven,
the two treasures of sacred knowledge lie hidden in mystery;
these two with his tapas the brahmacharin protects,
and, having known brahman, he makes all this his own. ----------- (10)
One on this side and the other beyond the earth,
the two Fires meet in the cloudy region;
to these are attached two firm rays of light,
these the brahmacharin enters through his tapas. ----------- (11)
Rumbling, thundering, red and whitish, he
carries along the earth his mighty vigour;
on the earth's ridge the brahmacharin pours
his virile power ; by that the four quarters live. ----------- (12)
In fire, in the sun, the moon, the wind, and the water
the brahmacharin place the sacrificial wood,
the rays of light move severally to the cloud,
the molten butter is man, and rain and waters. ----------- (13)
The acharya is Death, he is
varuna, soma, plants water;
the clouds were warriors ; by these
the heavenly lustre was brought. ----------- (14)
Varuna, becoming acharya, makes
the sacrificial butter at home his own ;
whatever he wished from prajapati, the
brahmacharin gave, as a friend, from his lofty soul. ----------- (15)
The brahmacharin is acharya,
the brahmacharin prajapati,
prajapati shines splendidly,
the Lord of splendour became indra, Ruler. ----------- (16)
By the tapas of brahmacharya
the king protects the state;
by the tapas of brahmacharya
the acharya seeks his pupil. ----------- (17)
By the tapas of brahmacharya
a maiden finds a youthful husband;
by brahmacharya the bull
and the horse seek their fodder. ----------- (18)
By the tapas of brahmacharya
the devas drove away death;
and indra through brahmacharya
brought heavenly lustre to devas. ----------- (19)
What is and what will be, day and night,
plants, the lordly forest trees,
the year with the seasons, all
sprang from the brahmacharin. ----------- (20)
Creatures of the earth and heaven,
the wild and the tame animals,
the winged and the wingless, all these
sprang from the brahmacharin. ----------- (21)
All prajapati's children bear
their breath separately in themselves;
All these the brahman, lodged within
the brahmacharin, protects. ----------- (22)
The power generated by the devas, having
not yet ascended high, moves about, shining bright;
from that were manifested the sacred lore,
highest brahman, and all the devas with immortality. ----------- (23)
The brahmacharin bears the radiant Brahman,
wherein all devas are woven together,
creating breath and in breath and out breath,
word, mind, heart sacred knowledge and wisdom. ----------- (24)
Give us sight, hearing, glory, food,
virility, blood and stomach. ----------- (25)
Forming these on the surface of the flood,
the brahmacharin stood up in the sea practising tapas,
and, having bathed, he, brown and yellow, shines greatly on earth.----------- (26)
ATHARVA VEDA (6. 133)
THE BRAHMACHAARIN'S
STRING CONNECTING TO GODS
Mekhala: string connecting us to gods, girdle
The deva who has fastened this girdle (mekhala) on us,
who made us ready and attached us to our work,
the deva by whose directions we move,
may he take us across, may he free us ! ----------- (1)
Thou art invoked and praised, Girdle !
Thou art the weapon of Rishis.
Tasting the milk-offering first,
be a hero-slayer in combats. ----------- (2)
Because I am a brahmachaarin of Death,
having selected out of living beings
a man for yama, I, with prayer and tapas
and labour bind him, him I bind with this girdle. ----------- (3)
Daughter of Faith, born of tapas, she has become
the Sister of world-creating Rishis. And so,
Girdle ! give us thought and intelligence,
give us tapas and the vigour of spirit. ----------- (4)
Thou whom the ancient, world-creating
Rishis fastened around themselves,
may thou, Girdle, circle about me
so that a long life I may live. ----------- (5)