This is an article series. Please read all previous articles before reading this article. The URLs for all previous articles are located in the www.special thoughts.com section.
Last week’s article elaborated on Vishve–Devata-s and their role in Shraaddha Pooja. Continuing on the topic of Devata-s in level 18, here is some useful information on the 8 Vasu-s and their role in our lives.
As Shree Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita and as we know through our own personal experience, that every Jeevi born in any Deha (body) goes through 3 phases: Kaumaarya (childhood), Yauvana (adulthood), and Jaraa (old age). The Devata-s who take care of us in these 3 phases are generally referred to as the Pitru Devata-s. The word Pitru refers to Paalana (compassionate and protective raising) and Traana (energizing and uplifting).
The 8 Vasu-s:
Let’s start with Kaumaarya. Compassion and Protection are necessary right from the point of one’s birth. Both physical and mental/psychological protection is necessary. It is easy for a child to get abused physically. Mentally, early exposure to violence and harshness may traumatize the child. Shree Krishna’s siblings did not have that protection, and we’re aware of what fate they met at the hands of Kamsa. The same was the fate of many babies in war-torn areas all through history.
Babies digest nothing other than their mother’s milk. It has to grow from that fragile state to eating solid food, flipping on its belly, crawling, toddling, standing up with/without support, walking, talking, running, grabbing various items with varied levels of skills, potty training, speaking, thinking, remembering, and much more. But when it comes to animals… we all have noticed that the animal cubs are usually up on their feet, and start following their mother within a few minutes of their birth. But among humans, the babies take a year or more just to stand up on their own feet… let alone run. Ever wonder how/why? My take is… the milk/food consumed by the animal calves largely amounts to physical growth. The internal faculties, especially Buddhi (intellect) and Chitta (memory) see very little growth among animals… whereas among humans, a substantial part of milk/food intake amounts to mental growth and also vocal growth, along with physical growth.
How did it all happen? Did the parents/grandparents do it? Did the parent animals make the offspring grow? They all just watch and enjoy as the physical growth progresses, take pictures, and share on social media. In case one of these doesn’t happen on time, then parents get worried. None of us is capable of correcting, accelerating or decelerating any of the above-mentioned physical transitions.
The ones who take care of these physical, vocal, and mental/psychological transitions among humans (and the rapid physical growth to full adulthood in a short time of just 3-4 years) are the 8 Vasu-s. They also protect us from our birth through our infancy, childhood, adolescence/puberty into adulthood. We’ve grown up to our current height, to be handsome/beautiful, to be fully healthy both physically and mentally, because of the compassion of the 8 Vasu-s. And they did it without expecting anything in return. Don’t they deserve our gratitude?
In the past, we all have taken many Janma-s as various species of plants and animals for an extremely long time. In those Janma-s, we never had the mental faculties developed to an extent that we could learn about the Vasu-s and think of thanking them. Shouldn’t we take this opportunity to thank them at least now, when we have a human Janma? After all, the Vasu-s affect our growth with a hope that we gain a good understanding of the term “Dharma” and support them in their effort to protect “Ðharma” on earth.
So, what are some recommended ways to express our gratitude to the Vasu-s? How did our ancestors express their gratitude to the Vasu-s? There are 2 ways.
First way to express our gratitude to the Vasu-s:
Our childhood is like the morning time in a day. Morning is the beginning of a day. Likewise, Childhood is like the beginning of our current Janma and the 8 Vasu-s take care of us during this phase. The highest among the 8 Vasu-s is Agni. And, the very first Sookta of Rig–Veda is called Agni Sookta, and the very first word of this Sookta is Agni.
The Mantra-s in Agni Sookta too reveal an interesting aspect. The Mantra-s in the Rig-Veda follow a certain meter. This is referred to as Chandas. The shortest and simplest form of Chandas is called the Gaayatri Chandas. The characteristic of Gaayatri Chandas is that it has 3 lines containing 8 Akshara-s in each line. Thus, each verse which follows Gaayatri Chandas has a total of 3×8=24 Akshara-s. The most well-known Gaayatri Mantra, and many popular Mantras such as Vishnu Gaayatri, Lakshmi Gaayatri and so on, are referred to by those names because they follow Gaayatri Chandas. The verses in Agni Sookta are also in Gaayatri Chandas. These Mantra-s are chanted during morning Pooja, thus signifying gratitude to the Vasu-s.
Another important point is the use of Sankhyaa Shaastra (Numerology) in the Vedic scriptures. A message conveyed in words are often susceptible to multiple interpretations. But Numerology has the ability to convey a message with precision. Each number has a precision to it and appears only once in the number system. For example, 1+1 is always 2 and never anything else. But we usually don’t pay attention to the use of Numerology in the Shaastra-s, and thus end up missing the messages conveyed numerologically. One such message, conveyed numerologically through the use of Gaayatri Chandas in the Mantra-s chanted during morning Pooja, is with the number 24 which hints to us that our childhood lasts for 24 years.
The Gaayatri Chandas, having 3 lines, also has some numerological significance. As has been elaborated in previous articles:
- The entire Bhootaakaasha is filled with 3 types of energies (Satva, Raja, and Tama)
- There are 3 types of Jeevaatma-s (Saatvika, Raajasa and Taamasa)
- The Jeevaatma is encased in 3 bodies (Linga, Sookshma, and Sthoola bodies)
- The Jeevaatma exists in 3 natural states (awake, dream, and sleep states)
- The Jeevaatma goes through 3 phases in each Janma (childhood, adulthood, and old age)
All of the above is just a small example of how everything about the Vedic way of life falls into place in perfect order.
Second way to express our gratitude to the Vasu-s:
Having expressed our gratitude in the first way described above and having earnt the grace of the Vasu-s, we can now try saying to them, “Oh, by the way, our ancestors have passed. We don’t know where they are or how they are. But they brought us to this world, and we are indebted to them. So, we request you to take care of them wherever they are currently. If they are in a childhood phase, please ensure that their physical, vocal, and mental growth happens without any shortfalls, so that they come to full adulthood and be ready to shoulder the load of upholding Dharma in this world wherever they are”. Though there are no guarantees that the Vasu-s will heed our request, our hope is that the Vasu-s may consider our request if they feel that those ancestors left behind good Samskaari successors on earth. Symbolically, we offer Pinda Daana during Shraaddha Pooja. This has been explained in greater detail in the previous article about Vishve–Devata-s.
The individual names of the 8 Vasu-s are Drona, Praana, Arka, Dhruva, Dosha, Agni, Vastu, and Vibhaavasu. Among them, Agni is at a level higher up in the hierarchy of Devata-s. The rest are on level 18. These are the same Devata-s who took Avataara as children of Shantanu and Ganga, as mentioned in the epic Mahaabhaarata. Among them, only Vibhaavasu was the one who took Avatara as Devavrata and survived to adulthood until he was hit by Arjuna’s arrows in the battle of Kurukshetra and fell to the ground. He is said to have been 800+ years old when he fell to the ground (as was elaborated on in an earlier article about Ganapati).
The 11 Rudra-s:
Now let’s ponder over the second phase of our lives, i.e., Yauvana (adulthood).
Through the compassion of the 8 Vasu-s, we reach adulthood with a fully functional body, including fully functional Jnyaanendriyas (sensory organs) and Karmendriyas (motor organs), and defect-free Antah-Karana-s (mental faculties i.e., Manas – Mind, Buddhi – Intellect, Ahankaara – Awareness of the self, Chitta – Memory). The 4 mental faculties together may be referred to as Prajnya (consciousness). The early phase (and early part of the day) paves the way for the middle phase i.e., adulthood (and the mid part of the day). We need to struggle and stress the 5 Jnyaanendriyas + 5 Karmendriyas + Prajnya (11 altogether) to their fullest potential to survive, get a firm foothold, and thrive in this mid-phase of our lives. It is going to be hard to get through this phase, just like how it is hard to endure the heat of the midday sun. The Devata-s who get us through this mid-phase are the 11 Rudra-s. The individual names of the 11 Rudra-s are Raivata, Aja, Bhava, Bheema, Vaama, Ugra, Vrushaakapi, Ajaikapaat, Ahirbudhni, Viroopaaksha and Mahaan. Among them, Mahaan (popularly known as Shiva or Rudra) is in a level higher up in the hierarchy of Devata-s. The rest are on level 18.
Yauvana involves effective usage of all the knowledge acquired during childhood, effective implementation of all skills embodied, realization of the full potential of the self, romance, marriage, children, investments, earning profits, philanthropy, savings for the future, improvement of rationale and gaining wisdom through all of the above.
And, as elaborated above vis-à-vis the Vasu-s, we all have taken many Janma-s as many animal and plant species. The struggle involved in those Janma-s seems unthinkably hard. All disputes were settled through physical fights. There were no courts, no judges, no lawyers, no jury, no law or constitution. We had to live by the law of nature. We don’t remember how many times we killed other animals and how many times we died while trying to find food, water, or a mate. There may not have been any medical attention, dental cleaning… we may’ve had to endure incessant rains for extended periods of time, may’ve lived in tundra regions or deep in the ocean. We never had any way of expressing our gratitude to the 11 Rudra-s who helped us through those Janma-s. Now that we have a human Janma, we should take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the 11 Rudra-s. How? Pretty much the same way as with the 8 Vasu-s, there are 2 ways.
First way to express our gratitude to the Rudra-s:
It’s already clear from the above elaboration that, numerologically, the number 11 refers to the 11 Rudra-s. It also represents Manas (Mind, which is often referred to as the 11th Indriya) and also Shiva/Rudra who is the Abhimaani Devata for Manas. Therefore, the Mantra-s used in noon time Pooja–Vidhi-s are in Trishtup Chandas, which has 4 lines with 11 Akshara-s in each line. Like earlier, the total number of Akshara-s is 11×4=44 Akshara-s. Therefore, the numerological hint here is that adulthood spans 44 years, i.e., from 25 through 68. One of the most famous Mantra-s “kaayena vaachaa manasendriyairva…” is in Trishtup Chandas. This Mantra conveys what we ought to practice throughout our adult life very clearly.
Second way to express our gratitude to the Rudra-s:
Again, like in the case of the Vasu-s, Pinda–Daana is offered during Shraaddha Pooja, followed by a request to take care of our ancestors through their adulthood in their current Janma. If we are aligned with Dharma in our current Janma, then hopefully the Rudra Devata-s will consider our request and take care of our ancestors through their adulthood in their current Janma.
The 12 Aaditya-s:
Now let’s ponder over the third and last phase of our lives, i.e., Jaraa (old age). Whether we like it or not, this phase ends with death, and therefore, this is the phase where humans should connect with the ones above to the fullest extent possible. This won’t happen unless one prepares for it from childhood. This phase should involve retirement from gainful employment, delegation of authority, offering wisdom, guidance, and coaching to society and gradual detachment from society while having to cope with the gradual deterioration of bodily functions with each passing day. Also, just like children, old people can get abused very easily, both physically and mentally. Compassionate treatment becomes necessary in old age.
I’ve heard the wise ones say at least a few times that there is a need to write a book explaining how one should die. But I haven’t seen or heard of any such book yet, because people do not understand death. We all have died almost countless times in the past. But we don’t remember exactly what happened when we died. Though those experiences are all there in our Chitta, we’ve lost access to it. I’ve heard that the scriptures say it feels like 1000 scorpions stinging at the same time when the Sookshma body exits out of the Sthoola body. Did it feel like that last time we died? We don’t remember. And then there are doctors like Dr. Raymond Moody, a psychiatrist who has interviewed several patients who had near-death experiences, documented them and published a book. Some patients talked about how it felt like they went through channels with no light whatsoever, some mentioned about floating in the air 5-6 feet above the body and so on. But we don’t remember any of it. I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember any of it!
Bottom line is, the current Yuga is called Kali Yuga. It has been mentioned that anyone who immensely thinks about the Paramaatma at the time of leaving the body will be liberated from this seemingly eternal cycle of birth/death. Shree Krishna has also talked about this in Bhagavad Gita. So, this should be goal for the last phase of human life. Shree Krishna also mentions that we become what we think about immensely at the time of death. An example of this has also been mentioned in a previous article (A Simple Formula for Life) while talking about Bharata, who is in level 19. If we think about Paramaatma as the only one who can deliver us out of this cycle of birth/death and death is that one moment of deliverance, but no one knows when that moment will come… then the best we can do is to think of Paramaatma all the time. So, the last phase of life should be a serious preparation for the day when we leave this human body.
The Devata-s who take us through the old age, help us offer wisdom and guidance to the society, protect us from physical/mental abuse and help us to conclude the current Janma, hopefully with an immense sense of surrender and gratitude to the Paramaatma, are the 12 Aaditya-s.
The individual names of the 12 Aaditya-s are Vivasvaan (Soorya), Aryamaa, Pooshaa, Twashtaa, Savitaa, Bhaga:, Dhaataa, Vidhaataa, Parjanya, Mitra, Shakra (Indra), and Urukrama (Vaamana). Among them, Aryamaa, Pooshaa, Twashtaa, Savitaa, Bhaga:, and Dhaataa are in level 18. Vidhaataa is in level 20. The rest are in other levels, and Vaamana is an incarnation of Paramaatma himself.
As with the childhood and adulthood phases, there are 2 ways to express our gratitude to the 12 Aditya-s. The Mantra-s used in the evening Poojaa Vidhi-s are in Jagati Chandas, which contains 4 lines and each line has 12 Akshara-s. Numerologically, each verse has a total of 12×4=48 Akshara-s, which hints that, in theory, the last phase of life is about 48 years. One should take this opportunity to express gratitude to the 12 Aaditya-s who took care of us through our old age in all those past Janma-s. And, the 2nd way is Pinda Daana, as explained before, along with a request to take care of our ancestors wherever they are.
In summary, the Devata-s who take care of us during childhood are the 8 Vasu-s, those who take care of during adulthood are the 11 Rudra-s and those who take care of us during old age are the 12 Aaditya-s. Those who’ve learnt to do Pooja, Aahnika and Agni Kaarya to be performed during the Sandhyaa Kaala are to keep with them as much as possible. But for those who’ve not been that fortunate, a simple alternative would be to chant the Vishnu Sahasra Naama Stotra at sunrise, noon, and sunset. This will also ensure that Taamasik vibes are kept out of your personal space, which is a very good outcome.
Next week, we’ll ponder the Devata-s in Level 17 and up.
