krishna
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Namaste, my brother in Christ, and welcome (or welcome back) to my latest adhyayana posting. This time, we’re studying the 25th Sukta of the Rigveda’s first Mandala, which Google describes as a 21-verse hymn dedicated to Varuna, the guardian of cosmic order (Rta), composed by the sage Śunaḥśepa. Is this an accurate summary? Probably not,…
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According to Google (quoting the Wisdom Library) “Rigveda 1.14 is a 12-verse hymn (Sukta) dedicated to Agni (the sacrificial fire) by the seer Medhātithi Kāṇva in the nicṛdgāyatrī meter. It acts as an invitation for Agni to bring various deities—including Indra, Vāyu, Mitra, and the Maruts—to the ritual to partake in the Soma drink, emphasizing Agni’s role as…
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Google tells us the Rigveda’s 13th Sukta “consists of twelve verses in Gayatri meter, focusing on inviting deities to the sacrifice through Agni, often featuring phrases like samiddho adya manuṣvad agnir (1.13.1) and narāśaṃsam iha priyam (1.13.3). The verses are dedicated to various deities associated with the ritual, including Agni, Narāśamśa, and the Barhis (the sacred grass).” If you’ve…
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Translating the Rigveda’s Eight Sukta was no small feat. Not only were Max Muller’s “preserved meters” way off, correct definitions for the majority of words also were exceedingly hard to come by. The first of these elusive words came at the outset. That word was endra, which is almost universally misinterpreted as another form of…
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We now come to the Rig Veda’s fourth Sukta, the first of many presumably addressed to Indra, the king of the Hindu devas. As explained earlier, Indra personifies the Red Ray of the Father’s Will to make earth like Heaven. As such, Indra represents the most powerful force in the universe — the reason he…
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I first drafted this post back in February 2024, after taking a few weeks off from blogging. Why the break? Mainly because I felt no compulsion to carry on. In hindsight, I can see that my lack of motivation was tied to my reluctance to continue translating the Rigveda. Who am I, after all, to…
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Before we get started, let me state for the record that in no way do I consider myself an expert on Hinduism — not insofar as the world defines “expertise,” anyways. And, let me also just say that the deeper I wade into the Makara-infested waters of Hinduism’s multi-headed dog-ma, the more I wish I’d stayed…
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It’s finally time to talk about Yoga. And by Yoga, I mean True Yoga, the eight-limbed spiritual discipline through which we yoke our minds to the sound of God’s Voice, “the Reminder” we spoke of last time. So, put away your mats, blocks, straps, and any other “props” you’ve been deceived into buying, because Yoga…
The Holy Meeting Place 