[Advaita-l] fig trees and RgVeda I.164

[ken knight]

--- "Mr.Sriram" <srirudra at vsnl.com> wrote:
> The tree under which Sri Dakshinamurthy sits is a
> banyan tree called in sanskrit as Vata vruksham.
> Krishnamoorthy.


Namaste all,

This little question certainly had a spreading effect
and I hope that it was not a distraction or covering
of the main purpose of this site.

Thank you all for your help.  Your comments and
information were put before a group meeting last
Saturday to look at 'I am' statements in advaitin
teachings. For the group it was an introduction to the
Rgveda and we are going to take the study of hymn
I.164 as the central focus.

In the light of your postings to me on the levels of
understanding of the hymns may I offer the following
which is based in Yaska's nirukta:


'Adhibhautic: regarding the external world
Adhidaivic: regarding divine beings
Adhiyatmic: regarding spiritual truths
(see Yaska’s nirukta; yajnadaivate pushpaphale
devatadhyAtme vA)
Durgacharya comments on this:
‘Knowledge of sacrifice is the flower, of which the
knowledge of divine beings may be considered as the
fruit. The knowledge of divine beings is in turn the
flower whose fruit is universal knowledge of the Self.
 This is what is established by the whole Veda  If the
dharma is leading to material prosperity is performed,
the knowledge of the gods is the reward.  If on the
other hand the dharma leading to spiritual beatitude
is practised, then both the yajnika and daivika become
the flower; the daivika, which includes in itself the
yajnika becomes the flower and the adhyatmika the
fruit.’
Quoted from ‘The heart of the Rigveda’ Mahuli R
Gopalacharya, Somaiya pub.  1971  pp.10-11 '

Thanks you again,

ken Knight



>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: venkata subramanian 
>   To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta 
>   Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 9:49 AM
>   Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] fig trees??????????????
> 
> 
>   i think the link mentioned herein to the kanchi
> math source is a translation of the relevant portion
> from the famous tamil work - Deivathin kural
> 
>   ken knight <hilken_98 at yahoo.com> wrote: 
>     --- Ravishankar Venkatraman 
>     wrote:
> 
> 
>     >Please take a look at the link
>    
> >http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part2/chap2.htm
>     >where the story of Adam and Eve comes up, and
> the
>     >relation to Upanishads. 
> 
>     Namaste Ravi,
>     Many thanks for this link. I have previously
> heard of
>     this derivation of the names Adam and Eve from
> another
>     source but the movement from pippala to apple is
> very
>     interesting. I have often wondered where the
> 'apple'
>     idea came and the sweet nature of the fig is
> much more
>     likely.
> 
>     One point on the Garden of Eden story. The tree
> that
>     is forbidden in the garden is that of the
> knowledge of
>     good and evil. In my opinion, it is because of
> the
>     swallowing of this fruit that the curse of
> duality
>     descends and Adam and Eve are cast out.
> 
>     >Regarding Fig trees:
> 
>     Again , many thanks for these stories. I assume
> also
>     that it must be a fig-tree that Dakshinamurti
> sits
>     before as he teaches the Rishis. If we clear our
>     minds of all the Western rubbish about
> sensuality it
>     is also beginning to be understood why the fruit
> of
>     the fig should have its later allusions in the
>     spiritual traditions of 'the lover.'
> 
> 
>     Have you any other thoughts on the 'Father' in
> the
>     Rgvedic sukta and the horse in the creation
> myth?
> 
>     Sorry, I am just being greedy,
> 
>     Thanks for your help so far,
> 
> 
>     Ken Knight
> 
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>   Thanks & Regards,
>   Venkat.
> 
>   Sadgu rubhyo Namah.
> 
> 
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