Tag Archives: agni

Agni as the divine commander in the Veda and the Purāṇa

With the Sākamedha-parvan with the oblations to Agni Anīkavat having just passed, we present a brief note on Agni as the general of the deva army. Agni is presented as the commander of the deva-s in the brāhmaṇa literature. For … Continue reading

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Viṣṇu, the Marut-s and Rudra

This note might be read as a continuation of the these two earlier ones: 1) The Aśvin-s and Rudra 2) The roots of Vaiṣṇavam: a view from the numerology of Vedic texts In the Ṛgveda (RV), the Marut-s are seen … Continue reading

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A brief note on animal heads, Celtic human sacrifice, and Indo-European tradition

Our illustrious ancestor Dadhyaṅc Ātharvaṇa is supposed to have possessed privileged knowledge from the great Indra that even the twin gods, the Aśvin-s, sought to get it from him. However, speaking out this secret knowledge would have cost him his … Continue reading

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A note on the pantheon of the Indian Saura tradition

The Indian Saura-mata (or the Hindu sect of the Sun) is an amalgam of two distinct layers [Footnote 1]: 1) The endogenous layer of solar deities going back to the Veda and 2) the neo-morphic layer of Iranic origin which … Continue reading

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The songs of shunaHshepa and nArada

In the nocturnal ritual of the soma rite 27th and 28th sAmavedic stuti-s are described below. These songs are sung sometime between 12.30-1.00 AM. The sAmavedic mantra-s have the following musical pattern with respect to the three sAmavedin ritualists: The … Continue reading

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The vaishvadeva riddle of manu

In 8th maNDala of the R^igveda there is famous vaishvadeva riddle of father manu vaivasvata (RV 8.29) in the peculiar partial virAT (dvipada virAT) meter. In our tradition the one who identifies all the deva-s in it becomes the knower … Continue reading

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AtharvavedIya tArkShya yAga

We had earlier seen the mantra deployments relating to the vedokta Ashu-tArkShya vidhi. We shall now consider another tArkShya vidhi practiced by the knowers of the atharvaNa shruti. The day before the rite a pandal is put up and and … Continue reading

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