When Vritra was killed vajrabāhuḥ the Vajra- armed Indra yātaḥ of the going, mobile (yāt that which goes, present participle) avasitasya of the bound, immobile (şiñ to bind) samasya of the quiescent șộngiṇaḥ ca of the one endowed with haughtiness denoted by the horn in lieu of the weapon rājā king, he was; that is he was the sovereign of the mobile and the immobile, the quiescent and the forceful. The old commentary that śrăgi denotes buffalos, bulls and others is not apt as buffalos and others are included in the mobile. Here it has to be understood that mention is made of mobile and immobile as one pair and quiescent and horned as another pair. saḥit He, Indra himself (saḥthe elision of s in the Samhita text is Vedic). carşaņinām of men rājā king becoming kşayati ruler, (kşay denotes lordship) he tā all that have been aforesaid pari babhūva pervaded alround. Here is an illustration. nemiḥ the rim of the chariot wheel arān na like the spokes pivoted to the nave. Just as the rim on the circumference of the chariot wheel is round the spokes pivoted to the nave, Indra is around everything. This is the purport.
Commented are the last two hymns in this second chapter of the first Eighth, of the Rishi Hiranyastupa. Of these one is dedicated to Agni and the other to Indra. In the commentary of the hymn to Agni, it was said that the discussion about Angiras would be done elsewhere. When commenting on the hymn to Indra, Vritra's story was referred to, there also an explanation had not been given. Both these have to be discussed here, as the deeds of Angiras and the story of Vritra cited here and there in these Rik collections loosen the secret of the Rishis that is in the guise of stories found in this treasure of potent words. The Mantric letters with covert statements relate the story, pregnant with truth. Such mantras have to be approached for an understanding in the light of the covert statements. Without that, the purport arrived at either in the gross or in the subtle sense does not fit in. In explaining the meaning of the hymn ‘Yatra grāvā' this has been delineated before, also submitted for consideration elsewhere in the Preface. Now, It us see what kind of description about the Angiras are there in the Mantric letters.
This word angira has been employed once as ending in a in locative singular viz. in the lines 'in the nine-cowed Angira, in the ten-cowed seven- mouthed (IV.51.4) the group of Angiras is mentioned as Angira. Again the word with the ending in a has been employed in the nominative singular viz. 'āt angirāḥ prathamam dadhire first the Angiras bore all around'. Here añgirāḥmeans añgirasaḥ, Angiras. In other places in the Veda and in the world the employment of the word ending in s only is well established. The constituent meaning of both the forms is the same. It has to be understood that like the words angāra and agni, the word angiras also is derived from the root ang. In the course of the commentary on the hymn agni miļe' a brief statement was given about the etymology of the word agni. In the derivation of the four words, agni and others that are going to be mentioned these uņādi aphorisms have to be borne in mind :
‘angernalopasca' - agnih; añgimadimandibhya āran-angāraḥ, 'añgater asiriruçãgamasca’-angirāh; ‘rjrendrā-grādayaḥ rannantāḥ’-agram. That is why in saying the constituent meaning of the word agni, on the strength of the statements in the Brahmana they say that agni is agraniḥ the forerunner. The Brahmanas regard without distinction agni angāra and āngiras viz. “They that were burning coals became Angira'. The etymologists say that one who was born in the burning coals is Angiras. Others also : 'angirāh perhaps because of proportion in limbs procured by Angiras seers, a form of Agni'.
About Angiras the Mantra-letters describe variously. They say that Agni is the first Angiras, Angiras are sons of Agni and Agni is Angiras, the son of Force. 'O Angiras, son of strength .... We adore Agni the offspring of energy' (VIII.60.2) ‘O Agni, Angiras, Offspring of energy by what of thee' (VIII.84.4) 'O Agni, the Angiras obtained thee, laid in the hidden cavern, reposing in every forest of delight. Churned he is born, the great strength. O Angiras, they call thee the son of strength' (V.11.2). By such Mantras one gets to know clearly that the truth about Angiras is in every way connected with the variegated manifestation of Agni. Therefore it has to be taken that Angiras or the group of Angiras are endowed with all the renowned qualities of Agni viz. the role of purificator, possessor of illumination, sacrificial caller, seer-will etc. Just as the God Agni stands in the service of the gods, the 'sons of Heaven' Angiras too do likewise.
If Angiras are the gods, how again these are sung as the renowned seers, the human fathers? They are indicated in two ways as gods and as men. We see appropriateness in both the cases. What was said in the course of discussion on the truth of Ribhus has, to be remembered here. The Angiras seers remaining men, got at the divine path by askesis and worship and attained to godhood. It is to be understood that these were formerly gods themselves having the glory of Agni and their station in the luminous swar, who take birth in the human seers and become illustrations like Atri, Bhrugu, Kutsa and others to demonstrate the attainment of divine nature. Here we shall point out first some Mantras which say that the Angias are our human fathers. “Our fathers by their words broke the strong and stub-born places, the Angiras seers shattered the mountain rock with their cry; they made in us a path to the Great Heaven, they discovered the Day and the sun-world and the intuitive ray and the shining herds” (1.71.2) “Here, our human fathers went forward on their way towards the Truth desiring to possess it” (IV.1.13). "Men, desiring laid open the strong pen full of Raycows by the divine word” (VI.1.15) Like these many are the Mantras which sing about the human seers, the forefathers who had attained the divine nature helping man, rendering assistance to gods as well.
Then these Angiras divine seers or gods themselves attain to the nature of Brihaspati or Brahmanaspati, are extolled as accomplishers of Indra's work, likewise are lauded along with the Ashwins and the Maruts. Though the enumeration of the Angiras as seven is well-known, in lines like “this seven-headed thought, our father” (X.17.1) it would be clearly seen that they are spoken of as one form, in the form of Brihaspati. “One who is the breaker of the mountain, first-born, keeper of the Truth, Brihaspati, Angiras, bringer of the offerings" (V1.73.1). Here also the Angiras is Brihaspati. Elsewhere Indra is many times proclaimed that he with Angiras becomes the excellent Angiras; viz. "He became the superb Angiras with the Angiras, the bull with the bulls, the companion with the companions” (I.100.4) “Of universal form like the Maruts with the equalising säman”(X.78.5). “The youths, seers, masters of sacrifice, Maruts... come, leader even as the Angiras” (VI.49.11). In all, these the relationship of Angiras to Maruts too is said. Likewise in referring to Ushas, the daughter of Heaven, “Usha superbly Indra became full of plenitudes gave birth to inspirations for happy journeyings. The daughter of Heaven, the goddess superbly Angiras for good deeds fashions the riches” (VII.79.3). The context of the Angiras is inferred from many Mantras in the coming of dawn, in the gain of cows, in the breaking of mountain, in the victory of Indra etc. All these are related to only one incident. And that is the slaying of Vritra performed by Indra. It has to be understood that the four fruits of the slaying of Vritra are all simultaneous and interconnected. Though all of them have to be known by many Mantras, even so we shall cite a Mantra which proclaims the fruits simultaneously obtained of the breaking of Vritra, indicated by the term ‘mountain’. “O Indra, thou opened the waters wide, broke the hardness of the mountain. Thou became king of the world and of the men that see, together gave birth to the sun, heaven and dawn” (VI.30.5). This is the purport of the Mantra :40 Indra, thou released the waters covered by Vritra in such a way that it began flowing all around. How was this made possible? Thou broke the hard place of confinement of waters in the mountain. Therefore this resulted. Others also fructified sākam simultaneously. They are the births of the sun, dawn and heaven. It is to be noted that the release of cows is related in the Veda along with the dawn or the sun. “O Reducer of foes, praised by the Angiras, with the dawn, sun and Ray-cows thou destroyest the blind darkness” (1.62.5). Likewise one hears the mention of Angiras here and there in the Rik Samhita in connection with the assistance to Indra for slaying Vritra, with the regain of cows, with the appearance of dawn and with the birth of the sun. If the secret sense underlying the slaying of Vritra as an act of Indra is determined, the principal truth, quality and glory of the Angiras will burst into view of their own accord.
Therefore the story of Vritra has to be examined. By this, what is intended to be conveyed? Even in the external interpretation, the purport does not come about without resorting to subordinate sense. That is why Sabara says that words are subordinate. Yaska says the same thing : "the classes of battle are for the sake of simile... because of constant companionship one calls the dawn as his sister”. Brahmanas talk about the covert statements. “The secret word' says the Rig Veda. We say that word is in the form of a symbol bringing to light the same secret sense.
Just as the important thing in the Vritra incident is the release of waters effected by the slaying of Vritra, likewise in the story of the Angiras the essential thing is only the release of cows, where Vala is important, Panis and other sons of darkness, the Asura warriors are the main persons. And these cows are not the four-footed animals nor the waters the physical water. The cows are rays, though outward, symbolise inner illumination and so have to be understood as the rays of Truth. And Truth is the Light Supreme denoted by the word 'Sun' in the Vedạ. The waters that are besieged by Vritra, the darkness of ignorance are released after the slaying of Vritra. They are verily the streams of Truth. Delineated as 'streams of Truth' 'seven rivers' and in some places as "waters possessing the luminous svar”, these are the streams of the Truth-force that hold and sustain the universe comprising seven principles. The mountain is the cloud. The mountain of Vala is full of caverns where in the dark place, cows, the rays of consciousness are stolen and forcefully kept. It is sung in many places in the Veda that Brihaspati who is angirāh or āngirasa (offspring of Angiras), the seven-mouthed, breaks the mountain occupied by Vala with the Mantra-word effulgent with the potency of speech rising from the heart and makes the cows come out; similarly yujā yoked with Indra, with his assistance accomplishes the release of the waters (II.23.18). As we go along, in the course of the commentary we shall point out those important Riks which have to be commented upon only in the way of the secret sense and where interpretation in any other sense will not fit in. If in the Rik Samhita all places where the slaying of Vritra is mentioned and all places where the Angiras are mentioned are examined, doubtless, it will be reinforced that Vala, Vritra, Pani and other Asuras, waters, cows, mountain, etc. are the covert statements, mysterious sayings, ninyā vacāmsi secret words of the seers devoted to inner sacrifice. Enough here of more detail.
Thus ends the thirty eighth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.
THUS ENDS THE SECOND CHAPTER IN THE FIRST EIGHTH