Incorporation of Vedas in the Dvisāhasrī

H.H. Ṭembesvāmī provides the iconographical description of the four Vedas as under:

The form of Ṛgveda is golden or having beautiful writings, born in the family of sage Atrī, with Gāyatrī as metre, Brahmā as the deity, of the size of 02 hands (=36 inches) of long eyes and having muscular shoulder.^[1] The five branches are: (01) Śākala, (02) Bāṣkala, (03) Sāṅkhyāyana, (04) Āśvalāyana and (05) Māṇḍukya. The verses are pronounced in eight ways.^[2]

The Yajurveda is of the size of 05 Aratni (=7.5 feet). The colour is that of an Arka Flower. He holds a bowl in his hand. He is slim and tall. The science of archery belongs to him and is accepted by the warrior class.^[3] The metre is Triṣṭup. He is born in the family of Bhāradvājas. The deity is Viṣṇu. The branches are 86 and the auxil-iary sciences are 06. The minor hymns are 18 and the minor limbs are 06.^[4]

The Sāmaveda is possessed of forbearance, physical control, cleanliness, a garland, a deer skin and a staff. The size is of 9 feet. The Gāndharvaveda belongs to him. The deity is Rudra and the metre is Jagatī. He is born in the family of Kāśyapa.^[5]

The Atharvaveda is terrifying one, sharp, black in colour, of the form of the desire, exhibiting trivial injunctions, inauspicious and satisfied with his own wife. The science of missiles and weapons belongs to him.^[6] He is born in Baijāna clan. The metre is Anuṣṭup. The deity is Indra. The branches are 09. The rituals are 05.^[7]

The famous Gāyatrī formula is commented upon under 18/112. While enjoining the repetition during the twilight rite (sandhyā), he elaborates the meaning in his auto-commentary as under:

tat (the Supreme Self),
savituḥ (of the progenitor–inclusive of promulgation and destruction),
vareṇyam (excellent),
bhargaḥ (the orb burning away ignorance, passion, action, etc.),
devasya (of the self refulgent one),
dhīmahi (we contemplating on or meditate on),
dhiyaḥ (Intelligence or pious thoughts),
yaḥ (He the Supreme Self who),
naḥ (our),
pracodayāt (may inspire or motivate).

Such is the meaning of the ten words of the Gāyatrī formula.

Under 21/21^[8] he writes, “The Veda declares that O complete one you pervade the entire universe yet you remain ten fingers beyond the universe” which is just equivalent to RV 10/89/01:

sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt|
sa bhūmiṃ sarvvatassppṛtvāttya ti ṣṭhiddaśāṅgulam ||[Ṛgveda]10/90/01||

Under śrīgurustutiḥ 67 H. H. Ṭembesvāmī very clearly puts the secret of ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadanti| (ṛgveda01/164/46) (the seers call upon the single Reality as many). The Supreme Reality is one without second, the names, forms and the qualities are fancied or superimposed for the easy worship in the path of devotion (bhaktimārga).^[9]

The Vedic mythology of Bhāradvāja is narrated briefly in 14/33:

Formerly Bhāradvāja practised penance to study the Vedas. Brahmā becomes please with him and shows the Vedas.^[10]

The mention that Paila, Vaiśampāyana, Jaimini and Sumantu learnt Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda and Atharvaveda respectively.^[11]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

svarṇo'trigotrajo gāyatracchando brāhmadaivataḥ|
dvyaratniyātro dīrghākṣa ṛgvedo vyaktakandharaḥ|| 14/39||

[2]:

śākalā bāṣkalā tasyāḥ sāṃkhyāyanyāśvalāyani|
māṇḍūkyetthaṃ pañjaśākhā aṣṭau vikṛtayastvṛcaḥ|| 14/40||

[3]:

pañjāratnimito'rkābhaḥ kāpālī kuśadīrghakaḥ|
yajurvedo dhanurvedaḥ kṣatreṣṭo'syopaveda ut|| 14/42||

[4]:

triṣṭupchando bharadvāja-gotrajo viṣṇudaivataḥ|
ṣaḍaśītibhidoṅgāni prāgvadāṣṭādaśāsya tu|| 14/43||
pariśiṣṭānyupāṅgāni ṣaḍevaiṣa iyān tataḥ || 14/44||

[5]:

kṣamī dāntaḥ śuciḥ sragvī camāa daṇḍī tṛtīyakaḥ|| 14/44||
ṣaḍaratnimito'syopavedo gandharvasaṃjñakaḥ|
rudrādhidevo jagatīcchandaḥ kāśyapagotrajaḥ||14/45||

[6]:

caṇḍastīkṣṇo'sitaḥ kāma-rūpī kṣudrakriyo'śubhaḥ|
svadārātuṣṭo'tharvākhyaḥ śastrāstropāṅgaveda ut|| 14/47||

[7]:

baijānagotrajo'nuṣṭupchandā eṣaindradaivataḥ|
navāsya bhedā saṃpūrṇāḥ kalpāḥ pañjātra vetti kaḥ|| 14/48||

[8]:

atra tvamevāsi kuto'jñalokā āyānti hitvānikaṭasthitaṃ tvām|
vyāpyākhilaṃ tvaṃ paripūrṇa viśvaṃ daśāṅgulaṃ tiṣṭhasi vakti vedaḥ|| 21/21||

[9]:

kāraṇaṃ tvadamevātra jagadviparivartane|
yeṣā nāvyakta gamyo'si tvameva paramā gati|| gurustutiḥ 67||

[10]:

brahmacaryāśrame vedānpaṭhituṃ prāktapo'tapat|
bharadvājo vidhiḥ prītastasmai vedānadarśayat|| 14/33||

[11]:

pailo vaiśampāyanaśca jaiminiśca sumantukaḥ|
ṛgyajuḥsāmātharvākhyā āśikṣantaḥ śrutīḥ kramāt|| 14/35||