Monday, March 12, 2007

Study of the Yajur Veda

You have seen the sample translation of a few of Rig Vedic hymns. You must be surely aware that it was not possible for us to translate the entire Rig Veda. Our purpose was to indicate to you about the real content of Rig Veda; now we leave it to scholars of Sanskrit to retranslate all the hymns.
Here we undertake the study of few chapters of Yajur Veda to know what it contains. Surely, we are not going to rely on the translation of anybody else, and do our own translation. You will find that the Yajur Veda too talks of the same subject.
Chapter I
This chapter starts with a prayer to Vayu (Rudra or Ali) to appear fast as human being on this earth. However, Ali’s sons, Vasu (Hasan) and Agni (Husain) too are invoked. Also see that it is clearly said that the rest of the excellent beings would be born from the belly of part (daughter) of Indra, who was the wife of Indra’s brother (Ali was Mohammad’s cousin brother). We have mentioned how Mohammad repeatedly stressed that Fatima was part of him. People thought that Mohammad was saying this because he was exceedingly in love with his daughter. Upanishads and Vedas solve this mystery; Fatima is a part of Mohammad, because as devi, her noor or self emanated from the one Self of Mohammad that God created in the beginning. See verse 1:
Please come fast O Vayu, existing as deva (in heaven) to give birth to the excellent beings (rest of the devas), in future, like spokes of a wheel from the belly of one who is part of Indra and the wife of his brother (i.e. you), as leaders in our battles from evil with those who have usurped the kingdom that rightfully belonged to Indra. I will guard you eternal beings from being killed as you are a vehicle that will lead our minds towards discharging all beastliness.
If you recall, we have mentioned a verse from an Upanishad earlier which also compared the devas as spokes or streams of a river.
Mention of Vayu (Ali) and the reference to those who usurped Indra’s (Mohammad’s) kingdom leaves no doubt that Ali was the rightful successor of Mohammad. We are sure you will agree that this one line of Veda carries far more weight than all the pages that we have devoted to the subject in Book-II. If we say that Vedas are those great scriptures without which it is not even possible for us to understand Quran and Islam, are we wrong?
The subject moves to Vasu and Agni, who are the two Ashwins (or Hasnain) in verse 2.
You, O Vasu, are perfectly pure, born of one self as Agni, you will come to live on this earth as son of Vayu from his marriage. Most excellent and honourable is your dwelling place/residence. Excellent is your mother who gave birth to you along with one who instituted the most praiseworthy sacrifice.
Isn’t it the fact that the relationship between the five, when they would come to live on earth, is being clearly defined? It is also said in the aforementioned verse that the one who would give the most praiseworthy sacrifice (Husain or Agni) would be the brother of Vasu (Hasan) and son of Vayu (Ali or Rudra or Marut).
After Mantra 2, there is discussion of the purity of Vasu followed by a Mantra devoted to the daughter (who is part) of Indra, viz. Lakshmi or Parvati. This indicates clearly that Lakshmi or Parvati is the name of the wife of Vayu. Lakshmi or Parvati are therefore Fatima, and the hundred odd names of devi in Matsya Purana are of none but her. Naturally you must be expecting that it would be followed by the mention of Agni, who sacrificed his life while on truth; yes, the same is going to happen.
This is extremely extraordinary that everything that was to happen in future is mentioned in the Vedas. After the death of Ali, Muawiya’s rebellion intensified. Supporters of Ali chose Hasan as the caliph. However, these supporters were fed up with fighting and many of them had been covertly won over by Muawiyah. When confronted with the forces of Muawiyah, Hasan was willing to fight, but when he saw the condition of his own supporters and Muawiyah put forward the offer, he accepted a peace treaty. Hasan opted for truce after putting certain conditions in front of Muawiyah, to which he agreed. However, Muawiyah violated the terms of treaty and had Hasan poisoned to death. When Muawiyah’s son Yazid got to the throne (something that was itself contrary to the conditions of treaty), he ordered Husain to pay obeisance to him in the form of bayat (a system of paying obeisance that was common in Arabia), to which Husain didn’t agree and steadfastly opposed all the tortures inflicted on his supporters. Husain was later killed in the battle that lasted less than a day.
There are few who say that Hasan and Husain were of contrary nature, which is reflected in one opting for truce and the other deciding to oppose Yazid’s move, even though he got killed in the battlefield of Karbala.
However, those who know the truth say that both would have acted in the same manner, if similar conditions confronted them. Moreover, when the peace treaty was signed, Husain was at his brother’s side. When Husain went to fight in Karbala, Hasan had died by the time, but his son Qasim produced a will from his father that stated that Qasim should be allowed to fight alongside his uncle, Husain, when such a calamity strikes him. This is evident proof that both acted differently because the circumstances were different. Otherwise, they all were exactly the same:
“First is Mohammad, last is Mohammad, middle is Mohammad, all are Mohammad.”
Muawiyah was wise enough not to press for Hasan’s bayat. Therefore Hasan kept certain conditions to safeguard religion, his followers and family; he had seen that his followers were not trustworthy and were hatching conspiracies. And since Muawiyah apparently agreed to abide by the treaty, he was to be given a chance. If Hasan had gone for a fight without opting for a way out, the same detractors would have blamed him for this. Husain too tried his best to avert war. It was Yazid who left Husain with just two options – either to pay obeisance or to die. The entire Muslim world was watching what Husain would do in such circumstances. He had the choice of life, but on Yazid's conditions, and had the choice of death while following the path of God. Yazid, you must remember, represented evil at its extreme. He was in fact a representative of Satan. Husain preferred to die but not once did the thought of bayat of Yazid came to him. The two seemingly different actions of Hasan and Husain too did not escape the eyes of the Vedas, about 2000 years prior to the actual event. Mantra 6 says:
The approach of the two was same and undivided. One drank from the vessel whereas the other was chopped to death. Your deeds are as though you entered the house from opposite directions.
Can there be a better example to show the oneness in the apparent duality of their approach. Mantra 7 gives another example. See:
Like the daybreak seems to protect the night by clinging to it; which (night) is further clings to it (used for day). (Yet) in the wide expanse of time, they are weaved as one day. You (both), who are the cause of the day, will be killed by the enemy. You defend day from night. In the wide expanse of time, (both) are weaved as one.
It seems as if, while revealing this verse, whoever composed it also had the Quranic verse in mind. See how the first part of the following verse from Quran has been used to explain the point:
Thou makest the night to pass into the day and Thou makest the day to pass into the night, and Thou bringest forth the living from the dead and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living, and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest without measure. (Quran. 3:27)
Verse 8 gives a new name for the first time, viz. Dhruva. However, upon reading the verse, it becomes clear that this refers to Ali Asghar, the six-month old child of Husain, who was surely choked to death when the arrow split his tender neck. It so happened that Husain took Ali Asghar in front of the enemies to show the condition of the child who too was without food or water for the past three days. He even made the child lie on ground and stepped back, so that the enemies could themselves give him some water. He did so lest they feared that Husain was demanding water for himself in the pretext of the child. Yet nobody gave any water. Husain picked up the child in hand. Shimr from Yazid’s army ordered Hurmula to shoot the three-pointed arrow. Hurmula did so and the arrow pierced the child’s neck when he was in the hands of his father, Husain. The same is told in verse 8:
You were afflicted O Dhruva when you were still regarded as immature. Deva, I would indeed like to know why he was choked to death. The most dearest was made to choke/suffocate at their command when the deva asked for water.
The next verse still talks further about Agni (Husain), and the 9 devatas (Imams) who were to take birth in his progeny. However, it also cites Husain’s relationship with Vayu and shows that it is these two, Hasan and Husain, who are meant by the term ‘Ashwin’. Also, it tells of the supremacy of Ali in the battlefield, which was a fact acknowledged by all. See:
The wife of this deva, who is verily like a sun with hands and arms that were a terror for all, gave birth to the two Ashwinau. (Out of these two), the house of Agni was honoured through procreation by those who were away from fear, sent as prescribed, to his house.
It is clear from this verse how 5 became 14. Dictionary says that Ashwinau means:
The two physicians of gods who are represented as the twin sons of the sun by a nymph in the form of a mare.
It seems several myths arose, because of people’s inability to understand the Vedic verses to the full. Mare and nymph seem to be the consequence of that. Yet even from this, it is clear that they are the sons of the sun. We know that there are 12 Adityas (or 12 Imams) and have shown how Ali was referred to as Aditya; Aditya means ‘sun’.
Verse 12 too is very important for our study because it talks of Ali’s birth. Let us tell you about it. Ali’s mother too was named Fatima and in order to distinguish between Fatima, daughter of Mohammad, and her, she is called Fatima binte Asad or Fatima daughter of Asad. It so happened that when she was in the last days of her pregnancy, she came to the Kaaba to pray. At that time, Kaaba was under the control of Quraish, who had kept their idols inside it and used to keep it locked. The door was opened on ceremonial occasions when the idols were worshipped. As Fatima binte Asad drew near the Kaaba, its wall split in two and she went inside. The wall closed behind her. Ali was born inside the Kaaba. It is the virtue of Ali that he was born inside what is called the House of God. Nobody prior to him or after him got this distinction. Ali and his mother remained inside Kaaba and came out when Mohammad and others came to open the door. It is mentioned that Ali opened his eyes for the first time only when Mohammad had taken him in his arms. Upon opening his eyes, the child that was merely a few days old, recited verses from Quran that, as per the belief of Muslims, was yet to be revealed on Prophet Mohammad. Remember, this was 10 years before the Prophet announced his Prophethood.
In Part-I, we have shown how other Messengers, including Buddha, too foretold the narration of Ali’s birth in the House of God.
Let us see how Yajur Veda deals with the subject. See verse 12:
The mother came to the pure structure where Vishnu is worshipped prior to the delivery of the child. And as she hastened towards it, verily, the pure place of Vishnu’s worship split into two, therein giving birth to a male child, verily like a sun. The devi delivered/gave birth to one who will be the chief protector and first to embrace and foremost in boldness and worship, will give immense sacrifices thereby given the epithet of yagyapati (the lord of sacrifice). Young sons of this (lord of sacrifice) will be in possession of Sudha (the beverage of heaven).
As we have said that this is a very important verse. Vishnu, we know now, is none but God. As regards to Siva, all Hindus know that Rudra is another name for Siva. We know from our study so far that Rudra has been used for the noor that later came in Ali. Thus Siva is the name of noor that took birth as Ali. Parvati is the name of devi who took birth as Fatima.
The verse also tells that Kaaba is the house of Vishnu, which is a pure structure revered by the Muslims. Quran has used the word ‘pure’ for Kaaba and mentions a verse wherein God asked Ibrahim (Abraham) and (Ismael) – the two Prophets – to keep it pure. Ali has been described as the chief protector, the first to embrace and foremost in boldness and worship, who gave immense sacrifices, so much so that he was given the epithet of the lord of sacrifice. What’s more, there were several traditions of Mohammad that explicitly say that Hasan and Husain are the heads of the youths of heaven. It seems Sudha is another name of Soma, or the stream of Kausar of Quran, which has been attributed to Hasan and Husain.
Note that the meaning of the word ‘yagya’ in dictionary is as follows:
‘an act of worship, any pious or devotional act’. ‘every householder, but particularly a Brahmana, has to perform five such devotional acts every day; their names are: bhootyagya, manushya-yagya, pitra-yagya, deva-yagya and brahma-yagya, which are collectively called the five ‘great sacrifices’).
But when talking about Ali’s worship, he is referred to as yagyapati. This shows clearly that yagya was never meant for ritual oblations that later got associated with the word. In Ali’s case, it means the extensive prayers that he offered to God. Remember, prayer (namaz) is offered 5 times a day by Muslims! Ali is the head of all prayers and offerings performed by the people.
Verse 14 refers to Aditya, which is synonymous with the term ‘Imam’ and there are 12 Adityas or Imams. Dictionary describes Aditya as follows:
‘Aditya is the son of Aditi/Name of 12 divinities (suns) taken collectively; (these 12 suns are supposed to shine only at the destruction of the universe (sun). A name of Vishnu in his fifth or dwarf incarnation.’
See, even the dictionary maintains that Adityas would shine close to the destruction of the universe. What we never knew that the destruction is so near that eleven of them have already taken birth (shined) and have been put to death (life on earth eclipsed) by man. Only one, the last of the twelve, is about to come!
There is no doubt that the verse 14 talks about the events in Karbala, and how the progeny of Fatima was forced to a rocky desert, because of the enmity with the Imam (Aditya). It is also said that this Aditya was a sage (remember the mention of seven sages in Gita), thereby indicating that it was a fight between good and evil. See the verse 14 yourself:
This house was insulted. The ruler’s enmity was because of opposition to Aditya in whom knowledge resided, and who was a sage. The fruits (children) that had blossomed in the house of Ira (goddess of Speech, Saraswati) were directed (by force) towards a rocky desert so as to carry forward the enmity with Aditya, who was a sage.
It is evident from this that Aditya has been used for Husain and since there are 12 Adityas we have reasons to believe that it refers to the 12 Imams. Since these verses were written around the time when the world was in its initial stage of development, it has been clearly stated that the 12 imams would come towards the end, or for that matter, in Kaliyuga – the last of the four ages, at the end of which the life of this world will end.
Dictionary gives the meaning of Aditi as:
‘earth, the goddess Aditi, mother of Adityas; in mythology represented as the mother of Gods.’
In Part-I, we have shown that Aditi is also one the names of Devi.
As per Dowson’s description, it is evident that she is the daughter of Daksha and one of her names is Deva-matri, ‘mother of the devas’. She is called Dakshayani because of being the daughter of Daksha, who was married to Kasyapa. Another of her name is Indrayani, which shows that she was the daughter of Indra. We have given other proofs to show that Indra and Daksha are the names of the same person; therefore Kasyapa is another name of Ali. No doubt, Aditi is also the name of the devi who took birth as Fatima.
Verse 17 further gives a description of the events that happened at Karbala. If you about the events of Karbala, we are sure that you would agree that these verses exactly define that calamity on the house of Fatima. See verse 17:
Out of rivalry, troops put prohibition on water so that Agni could not drink; leaving no opening to the river that flowed. This was the deva to be put to sacrifice. This was the fate of the honourable descendants of Varuna. In order to present before the supreme ruler (Yazid, the Caliph), the member’s of the Brahma’s household will be taken, including the lady who will be chained and imprisoned after her brother’s death.
See those who are being mentioned here are the members of Brahma’s household and also progeny of Varuna. The mention of Husain’s sister, Zainab, has already been done, when we talked about Rig Veda. This verse also refers to the same subject.
We have repeatedly marveled at the intellect of the people of the time of Vedas, who had given different names to understand the various stages through which God created this world. The Non-Manifest God, went though a process leading to the intermediate stages viz. Mahesh, Vishnu and Brahma, who is the Manifested Self or Paramatma – the Divine Spirit. In the next stage, Brahmanda (Brahma’s egg) was created. Thus, Brahma was the next stage after Vishnu. Brahma is also known as Prajapati. In fact two devatas were created out of Brahmanda. Last Chapter of Yajur Veda, tells us that they were the lights (noor) of Mohammad – referred to as Vaisvadeva – and Ali – referred to as Marut. The marriage between the one created out of Vaisvadeva with Marut gave birth to the Ashwinau, thereby completing the family of five. This family of five is called Panjetan by the Shias and revered the most. These five devas became the fourteen devas, each a ruler of one of the fourteen spheres. All jivas (beings) were created consequent to it. (See Brhadaranyaka Upanishad and Paingala Upanishad).
Indra was the name of Mohammad when he came down to live on this earth. Brahma too is the noor of Mohammad, prior to its division into two. We concluded these from the Muslim’s believe that Mohammad was the first of the noors (light) that was created, which was kept inside Adam and then successively passed among the various Apostles and Prophets till it finally reached back to him. Fact is that Muslims first identify Mohammad and then trace the relationship of noor in Mohammad with that in other Prophets. The ideal way should be identify the noor and then find the bodies in which it was present. No doubt, the noor was present in both Adam and Mohammad's bodies. From this logic, all the Apostles and Prophets that God sent on earth, believed to be 1,24,000 in number, can be called Vishnu’s avatars.
It is unfortunate that Puranas have included several stories about Indra producing children, from the wombs of unmarried women. In another book, we hope to show from the Puranas itself that these were concocted stories. Indra never came down on earth, prior to the 6th century A.D.
Leaving this subject here, we proceed with our study of Yajur Veda. Verse 19 too talks of the events at Karbala and tells explicitly that Husain was Parvati’s son, thus establishing the link between Ali and Siva. Since it is widely believed that Parvati was the wife of Siva, that confirms that Siva is the noor that was present in Ali and those who deified him later were on the wrong.
See the verse 19:
This house was insulted. The ruler’s enmity was because of opposition to Aditya, in whom knowledge resided and who was a sage. Parvati’s son’s speech against those who lived on the mountains gave true knowledge about Aditya who was killed in a day’s time, devoid of water. This was the speech of Parvati against those who dwelt on the mountains.
Yazid’s capital was Damascus, in the present Syria. We all know that Syria is a mountainous country while Iraq, where the battle occurred, is mostly plains. Aditya (Husain) was an epitome of knowledge and righteousness and opposite him were the men many of whom dwelt on the mountains. This verse also tells how Husain was killed without water, and the fight ended within a day.
Verse 20 clarifies that the 14 devas and the 14 Manus, talked about in Manusmriti and at various other places, are one and the same. See:
Surely there may not have been any grain left in possession of the deva to support the life. For long duration, this Manu who was heading for final emancipation (sacrifice) had been unable to bestow even a semblance of moisture to sprinkle, (water) was more precious than gold. This included the newly born child, whom he took on his hands in front of the enemies and laid him on ground, but he too did not get water.
Now see what ‘Manu’ means as per dictionary.
It is the ‘Name of a celebrated personage regarded as the representative man and father of the human race (sometimes regarded as one of the divine beings. Particularly the 14 successive progenitors or sovereigns of the earth mentioned in Ms. 1.63).’
We have seen that the 12 Imams were called the Adityas. This verse clears any doubt that the 14 Masooms (pure persons) of the Muslims and the 14 devas of the Upanishads, are called Manus. Husain, therefore, is one of the Adityas and also one of the Manus. Keeping in mind the description of creation of the universe in the Upanishads, there is no doubt that they can be regarded as celebrated personages or as the representative men and fathers of the human race.
The verse portrays the sorry picture of Karbala where Husain and his companions were without water or grain, and had to live in that manner for several days. Ali Asghar too is mentioned, whom Husain laid down on the ground, but the enemies gave no water to him.
Now we come to verse 21:
The wife of this deva, who is verily like the sun, with hands and arms that were a terror for all, gave birth to the two Ashwinau. They, together offer sacrifices or oblations to God; one medicine was through being cut asunder (by sword) and the second medicine was through drinking juice/water. Just as River Reva (Narmada) divides the earth or just as a Madhumati divides another Madhumati, they are ever united.
Here, once again Husain’s relationship with Ali and Fatima is talked about and it is shown that Hasan and Husain were actually united in approach. One was slaughtered by sword while the other was poisoned to death. Yet, the intention of both was to cure the evils prevalent in society with the medicine of right path.
Now we come to verse 24, whose first line is identical with the first line of verse 21. First line of verse 10 too was the same. Here is our translation of verse 24:
The wife of this deva, who is verily like the sun with hands and arms that were a terror for all, gave birth to the two Ashwinau. Ah! It is regretful that the wife had to face multitude of pains after separation with Indra (after his death). The door (or her house) that was blazing with a thousand flames and had hundred sharp edges fell on her right side because of violent hatred and hostility that enemies of Vayu had with him; they loathed/abhorred him.
We have mentioned earlier how Fatima died within six months of Mohammad’s death. The door of her house was put on fire, which fell on her abdomen. The fact that this door had several sharp edges might not be known to the Muslims too. They did this because of their hatred for the husband of this devi - Vayu or Ali. In Book-II, we have stated the causes why people hated Ali so much. We have also revealed the identity of those enemies of Ali who converged on his door and set the door on fire.
Ali is also the subject of discussion in verse 26, which further narrates the events of the day when the door to Fatima’s house was put on fire. A noose was tied to Ali’s neck and he was being dragged on the lanes of Medina. This was because they wanted Ali to acknowledge their Caliphate and pay obeisance to them. We have seen in history that apart from a few initial attempts by Fatima to tell the people to support Ali, the latter was always the law-abiding citizen of the state. Yet, it is also a part of history that he never paid allegiance to the Caliphs and always maintained that his right has been usurped. After this study, we would know for the first time a correct justification for this stand of Ali. How could somebody, who was appointed as vicegerent by God even prior to the creation of the man, who was responsible for the creation of man, who controlled our organs of sense and action, bow down in front of mortal human beings? Ali had to bear all kinds of tortures, some of which are narrated in verse 26, but never paid allegiance, which was being demanded. See verse 26:
Boundless were the bounties of this deva, who blessed the earth by producing the most excellent living beings. He was sacrificed in a unique manner as he was engaged in meditation in group (mosque) and was progressing with the rituals of the assembly. At another point people advanced towards him to tie him so as to effect his breathing on earth (kill him). A hundred sins they committed including using a noose as a weapon and others that had never been committed before with Vayu as well as his wife, out of their hostility/enmity towards them. They choked/suffocated her, distressed her in mind and body so much so that it cannot be described.
Fatima used to say: ‘The amount of hardships that I had to face after passing of Mohammad, had they fallen on the sun, it would have turned black.’ Aga Mehdi Puya writes in his commentary of Quran: “Circumstances and lure of worldly gains, and not independent conviction, motivated many an early convert to come into the camp of the Holy Prophet. When, the doings and sayings of the messenger of Allah, under the strict commands of Allah, began to make clear that authority to guide and administer the society belonged to the Holy Prophet and his Ahlebayt, the thoroughly purified, as the fulfillment of the divine will according to the verse 33 of al Ahzab, their envy and grudge against the Holy Prophet and his holy Ahlebayt came into the open. In the light of verse 80 of Chapter al Nisa of Quran, whosoever opposes and subverts the authority of the Holy Prophet, in fact disobeys Allah.
The Quran says:
Verily, those who cause suffering to Allah and His messenger, Allah has cursed them in this world and the hereafter, and He has prepared for them a disgraceful punishment. (Quran, Ahzab: 57)
The Holy Prophet says:
Fatima is my flesh and blood. Whosoever causes suffering to her in fact causes suffering to me. He who has pained me in fact has pained Allah; and indeed, he is a disbeliever. (Sahih Bukhari: Vol. 2; page 206 published in 1355 Hijra from Egypt, Sahih Muslim: Vol. 4; page 125 published in 1349 Hijra from Egypt).
Many books of history and traditions clearly mention the disgraceful attitude of the companions towards the dearest daughter of the Holy Prophet, after his (Prophet’s) death. For example in Vol. 1, page 64 of Tarikh Abul Fida, published from Egypt, it is written that the two caliphs were among those who went to the house of Fatima for setting it on fire. Also Abi Fat-ha Shahrastani in Al Milal Wan Nahal on page 25 and 26 mentions the events which took place at the house of Bibi Fatima.”
The verse 28 is clearly meant for people of the 21st century.
Shortly afterwards, all the cruelty and wickedness that has crept into our society will be put to end, and the teachings of the straight path will be imparted by the last of the praiseworthy living on this earth. He is surely going to come in future, the glorified Moon, who through his courage and determination will lead us towards the path of eulogizing God, be steadfast and bold along with showing us the way to worship. Some time onward, sound/uproar will be heard when an enemy will kill this respectful person.
The last of the 12 Imams (Adityas) who is also the last of the 14 Masooms (Manus) will surely come to relieve us of cruelty and wickedness that has crept in our society. Shias are already waiting for their 12th Imam – the Mahdi - to come and deliver them of all sufferings. He is still working behind the scenes to lead all religions to the One Path of God. He is the same as the Kalki avatar of the Vishnu Purana.
The following verses too are about a future that is yet to come true. The coming of Mahdi would be followed by a rule of righteousness, justice and truthfulness and he will return the world to the worship of Absolute God. However, we should not wait for him to come. He is waiting for the day when there would be enough supporters in this world. Shia Muslims wrongly believe that they qualify to be his supporter. Judging by the number of Shias there are in this world, he would have already come by now. Narrations have stated clearly that there would be only a handful of supporters from each country, who are as steadfast in calamity and as lofty in worship as Husain’s supporters at Karbala. The end of the world will follow his advent, when Brahma’s day will end. This description of the beginning and end of the world has also been dealt in detail by Puranas, and we have included it in the chapter on Mahdi.
See verse 29 now:
(Brahma’s) Day! You who is the cause of the day will be killed by the enemy. It is you who defend the day from night. Ceaselessly, this world will sink into decay by means of Vishnu’s sound as soon as the sacrifice is obtained by Vishnu.
Just as people killed the 11 Imams, somebody would commit the mistake of killing this last representative of Vishnu on earth. That sacrifice would put an end to the history of this world.
That last day when the world would collapse is dealt with in this verse:
There will be great uproar as the sun will go towards destruction and water will begin to flow everywhere with great energy as a consequence of Vishnu’s disgust over seeing of the killing of the last of his instructor in sacred science whose existence had protected the world from destruction. The flame (of these devatas) will be bartered/exchanged with an excellent/beautiful abode, in lieu of their sacrifice, where they will reside fearlessly.
It is interesting to note that the word ‘dhamne’ is repeated twice in this mantra as also the word ‘yajushe’. ‘Dhamne’ means ‘abode, dwelling place, house’ while ‘yajushe’ means sacrifice. Why this repetition? No logic can explain this repetition except that during the entire hymn, two types of sacrifices are being mentioned, one from being poisoned and the other by inflicted wounds. All the Adityas who are described as Vishnu’s “instructors in sacred science” were killed, either by sword as in the case of Ali and Husain, or by poison, as in the case of the rest of them. Worth noting is the verse earlier that deals with the sacrifice of Hasan and Husain, in which the two sacrifices are juxtaposed. The purpose of repeating these words twice is perhaps to indicate that Vishnu (the God) values both these sacrifices equally. God reserves an equally lofty abode for both types of sacrificers as an exchange of their sacrifices.
Let’s now come to verse 31.
Indeed, after an year’s time Vishnu will create again. With his desire the pure chord of sun will again be divided into individual rays. The glow of these imperishable/immortal beings will be the essence of the new dwelling place. The names of these beloved devas have not been taken so that they are not challenged/destroyed or treated with indignity and the devas are not put to death (owing to this).
A clear indication that the same devatas will again be instrumental in creation of the next world. The next world too will be created because of them. Elsewhere in this BOOK, we have already given how various Manvantaras have been described in Puranas and how Indra seems to be the head of all of them.
It is interesting to note that the devatas together have been described as a pure chord. You will be glad to know that Prophet Mohammad too referred to them together as a chord, when he said:
Hold the chord of Allah (God) tightly and don’t allow discord or disunity to come between you.
It is interesting to note that both the Upanishads and the traditions of the Prophet have equated the Ahlebayt to the rope from Allah.
Hold fast, all of you together, to the cord of Allah.
Abu Sa-id Khudri reports that he heard the Holy Prophet saying:
I leave behind me, among you, two ropes. If my people hold fast to these two ropes, after me, they shall not go astray. They are the book of Allah, hung from the heaven unto the earth, and my Ahlebayt. One of them is greater than the other. Be it known that these two shall never be separated from each other; and joined together, they shall meet me at the spring of Kausar. (Tafsir Kabir and Durr al Manthur)
In another similar declaration, known as hadees-e-Saqalain, the Prophet stated:
My Ahlebayt, among you, are like the ark of Nuh. He who sails on it will be safe, but he who holds back shall perish.
That this cord or rope is the rope to salvation is clear, both from the descriptions of Upanishads and the sayings of Prophet Mohammad. In our commentary of Gita, we have maintained that this salvation is freedom from repeated cycles of life and death. Prophet Mohammad didn’t talk about rebirth because those who were responsible for providing salvation had appeared in person.
During the entire discussion, you must have surely wondered why names like Agni, Vayu, Indra have been taken. If Vedas are God’s own words, and devatas had indeed being sent by Him as ‘instructors of His sacred science’, and to show us the true path, and if God knew everything that would happen in advance, you would be wondering why He didn’t present their real names for us. The answer to this too has been given by God Himself who says that their names have not been taken so that they are not challenged/destroyed or treated with indignity by the people, or put to death before they are able to impart His teachings.
We must note that it is this reason why sages like Yajnavalkya and others too never talked about them in clear words. Jesus called Mohammad as ‘Paraclete’ or ‘spirit of truth’. Yet, they all tried ceaselessly to remind us of their worth. Upanishads are replete with incidents where Yajnavalkya walked into various gatherings of the priests and tried to tell them what was the real meaning of the verses they were reciting and who were the people who were meant by these. It is unfortunate that we forgot everything with time.
Clearly three reasons are taken for not mentioning the true names of the devatas. First is that there was a fear that the names would be destroyed. We do not wish to get into this subject here, as this is the subject of an entire book. Soon we intend to do any work on the subject which would show how attempts were made on several occasions to destroy the names of the devatas, so that none could identify them. Let’s confine ourselves to the fact that destroying of the names is very much a possibility.
Second reason is that people would treat the names with indignity. Surely, had the names been taken earlier, this world would have been full of Alis, Hasans and Husains, even prior to the time they came, just as there’s no dearth of Saraswatis, Lakshmis, Parvatis, Sitas and Radhas. We know from Matsya Purana that Sita and Radha were the names of the devi, who is Fatima. But Sita was also the name of Rama’s wife and Radha of Krishna’s. It is evident that the names were being given to daughters all over India. It is possible that some would say that Sita and Radha were actually the avatars of devi, just as Rama and Krishna were avatars of Vishnu. Even then fact remains that there is no dearth of these names in our history or even present society. Vasudeva was the father of Krishna, who was surely not an avatar.
Third point that is given is that the devatas might be put to death, if their names are known. Surely, Quraish might not have waited for Mohammad to grow up, if they had known that he was to change their religion. It is the most sordid part of history that in spite of all the care undertaken by Vedas and preceding prophets, each of the devas was put to death, with the exception of one who has been saved by God till today.


Chapter II
Chapter II starts with the mention of Agni (Husain) and the events of Karbala. See mantra 1:
The greatest evil and most cruel/contemptible person, O Agni, will be responsible for your killing at a place away from homes. You will be compelled to go out of doors along with the womenfolk of your household who too will have to bear sacrifices.
Can there be any doubt now that God is always concerned about our well being, even in this age, when it seems to us that there are no prophets? At all times, He has seen to it that the path of salvation remain in front. Even when the man was in infancy of development, he was preparing the ground for the salvation of all people – including us.
Subject of Karbala continues in verse 2:
O Aditya, you will throw aside/reject (the world) and will prefer Vishnu’s praise/eulogies more than to being killed by those surrounding you; they will eventually kill you. I with firmness and fortitude eulogize this fearless deva who is the lord of the earth, who will give himself in offering to God; who is the Lord of heavens who will give himself in offering to God; and who is the Lord of all living beings who will give himself in offering to God.
The word ‘swaha’ is used for giving oneself in offering to God. This word ‘swaha’ is repeated time and again in the same context. Unable to understand this, commentators thought that ‘swaha’ was reference to the ritual oblations of putting ghee, etc. in the fire. Slowly, and with time, an entire institution developed that thrived on the offerings that you and me made by the fire.
‘Swaha’ actually means sacrificing oneself while steadfastly remaining on the path of the God. This is the sacrifice that Vedas are talking about. It is possible though that initially the fire sacrifices and other oblations were started with good intent, so that people remember the great devatas. As time passed, the acts that were started only as a remembrance to these great sacrifices that are being mentioned in the Vedas, turned ritualistic and people forgot the reason why they were introduced.
We wish to confess we have doubts about whether we have understood verse 3 correctly. Let’s see what it says first:
Consequently, the near and dear ones of Vishvavasu (the jewel among men) will rally around him with swords, will enter into the dwelling and to protect the head of the family, the praiseworthy Agni from injury form a wall around him.
Indra and one with powerful arms will come from south, enter into the dwelling and to protect the head of the family, the praiseworthy Agni, form a wall around him.
Mitra and Varuna will come from the south to form a wall around the one permanently attached to religion, enter into the dwelling and to protect the head of the family, the praiseworthy Agni from injury, form a wall around him.
It mentions Mitra and Varuna, Indra and one with powerful arm, who would enter the dwelling, surround the head of the family, Husain, and form a wall around him with drawn swords. Mitra and Varuna has been used elsewhere and we have seen how Varuna has been used for Ali. Therefore, Mitra has to be Mohammad.
Dowson has given a long description of Varuna, which speaks of his importance. We request you to be selective as this description also includes myths that are attributed to him. See how Dowson has described Varuna: “Similar to Ouranos of Greek. ‘The universal encompasser, the all-embracer.’ One of the oldest of the Vedic deities, a personification of the all-investing sky, the maker and upholder of heaven and earth. As such he is king of the universe, king of gods and men, possessor of illimitable knowledge, the supreme deity to whom especial honour is due. He is often associated with Mitra, he being the ruler of the night and Mitra of the day; but his name frequently occurs alone, that of Mitra only seldom. In later times he was chief among the lower celestial deities called Adityas, and later still he became a sort of Neptune, a god of the seas and rivers, who rides upon the Makara. This character he still retains. His sign is a fish.
“He was in a way the father of the sage Vasishtha. In the Vedas, Varuna is not specially connected with water, but there are passages in which he is associated with the element of water both in the atmosphere and on the earth, in such a way as may account for the character and functions ascribed to him in the later mythology.
“Dr. Muir thus sums up in the words of the hymns the functions and attributes of Varuna: - “The grandest cosmical functions are ascribed to Varuna. Possessed of illimitable resources (or knowledge), this divine being has meted out (or fashioned) and upholds heaven and earth, he dwells in all worlds as sovereign ruler; indeed the three worlds are embraced within him. He made the golden and revolving sun to shine in the firmament. The wind which resounds through the atmosphere is his breath. He has opened out boundless paths for the sun, and has hollowed out channels for the rivers, which flow by his command. By his wonderful contrivance the rivers pour out their waters into the one ocean but never fill it. His ordinances are fixed and unassailable. They rest on him unshaken as on a mountain. Through the operation (of his laws) the moon walks in brightness, and the stars which appear in the nightly sky mysteriously vanish in daylight. Neither the birds flying in the air, nor the rivers in their ceaseless flow can attain a knowledge of his power or his wrath. His messengers behold both worlds. He knows the flight of birds in the sky, the paths of ships on the ocean, the course of the far-traveling wind, and beholds all things that have been or shall be done. No creature can even wink without him. He witnesses men’s truth and false secrets and those of Mitra are not to be revealed to the foolish.” “He has unlimited control over the destinies of mankind. He has a hundred thousand remedies, and is supplicated to show his wide and deep benevolence and drive away evil and sin, to untie sin like a rope and remove it. He is entreated not to steal away, but to prolong life, and to spare the suppliant who daily transgresses his laws. In many places mention is made of the bonds or nooses with which he seizes and punishes transgressors. Mitra and Varuna conjointly are spoken of in one passage as being barriers against falsehood, furnished with many nooses, which the hostile mortal cannot surmount; and, in another place, Indra and Varuna are described as binding with bonds not formed of rope. On the other hand, Varuna is said to be gracious even to him who has committed sin. He is the wise guardian of immortality, and a hope is held out that he and Yama, reigning in blessedness, shall be beheld in the next world by the righteous.”
“The attributes and functions ascribed to Varuna impart to his character a moral elevation and sanctity far surpassing that attributed to any other Vedic deity.”
“The correspondence of Varuna with Ouranos has been already noted, but “the parallel will not hold in all points. There is not in the Vedic mythology an special relation between Varuna and Prithivi (the earth) as husband and wife, as there is between Ouranos and Gaia in the theogony of Hesiod; nor is Varuna represented in the Vedas, as Ouranos is by the Greek poet, as the progenitor of Dyaus (Zeus), except in the general way in which he is said to have formed and to preserve heaven and earth.” (Muir’s Texts, v.58). Manu also refers to Varuna as “binding the guilty in fatal cords.”
“In the Puranas, Varuna is sovereign of the waters, and one of his accompaniments is a noose, which the Vedic deity also carried for binding offenders: this is called Naga-pasa, Pulakanga, or Viswajit. His favourite resort is Pushpa-giri, ‘flower mountain,’ and his city Vasudha-nagara or Sukha. He also possesses an umbrella impermeable to water, formed of the hood of a cobra, and called Abhoga. The Vishnu Purana mentions an incident which shows a curious coincidence between Varuna and Neptune. At the marriage of the sage Richika, Varuna supplied him with the thousand fleet white horses which the brides’s father had demanded of him. Varuna is also called Prachetas, Ambu-raja, Jala-pati, Kesa, ‘lord of the water;’ Uddama, ’the surrounder;’ Pasabhrit, ‘the noose-carrier;’ Viloma, Variloma, ‘watery hair;’ Yadahpath, ‘king of aquatic animals. His son is named Agasti.”
This is a long narration that we have recounted . People’s inability to understand the true content of Vedas has led to several myths. For instance, the simple people of yore could not understand how devata Varuna, who was supposed to be all-powerful, could have been dragged on streets with noose in his neck. Therefore, a myth got into circulation as per which noose was understood as Varuna’s accompaniment with which he binds the offenders. The noose that was used to torment and offend the deva became a weapon to bind the offenders. Sad indeed!
Another interesting point mentioned by Dowson is that Varuna seems to be Ouranos of the theogony of Hesiod with the only difference that Varuna and Prithvi (the earth) are not husband and wife in Vedas, unlike Ouranos and Gaia, who are married to each other. That Ali is Varuna is now established. We have also proved that earth has been used for Fatima. In that case, there remains no doubt that Ouranos and Gaia are names of Ali and Fatima. Ground is now open for researchers to find the rest.
Another point that we have not understood is that Mitra and Varuna (i.e. Mohammad and Ali) were surely not present in Karbala or the events that preceded it. Then why are they described as protecting Husain with drawn swords. Moreover, their name has been used with Indra and one with powerful arms, which too seem to be referring to Mohammad and Ali.
Verse no. 4 of Chapter II says:
The compositions/praises (by poets) on your sacrifices will continue to survive till the end of the world. A great sacrifice, it will surely be! The knowledge of the pleasant, excellent Agni (his sacrifice) will increase with time.
No subject, we are sure, is as much written about as the tragedy of Karbala. Poets have sung the praises of the martyrs of Karbala in all languages. In India, revered poets like Anees and Dabeer have written elegies (marsiyas), which form part of Urdu literature. In this regard, the prophesy of Yajur Veda has already come true. Now see, Yajur Veda is giving another prophecy. It says that the knowledge of Agni’s sacrifice is sure to increase with time. This very fact is amply reflected in a verse from Iqbal:
‘Insaan ko bedaar to he lene do. Har qaum pukare gee hamare hain Husain.’
Likewise, Husain’s lofty position in the very cosmos is already known to the Shias, though most of them have forgotten the ideals he died for. The sufi saint that lies buried in Ajmer Sharief had said:
Shah ast Husain, badshah ast Husain,
deen ast Husain, deen panah ast Husain;
Sardaad na daad dast dar daste Yazid,
haqqa ke binae la ilah ast Husain.
(Husain is the king, Husain is the emperor, Husain is the religion, Husain is the protector of religion. He gave his head, but did not give his hand to Yazid (in bayt). Eventually, Husain is the reason for the sustenance of teaching of One God.’)
It is ironical that we continue to line up at the Dargah in Ajmer Sharief, where the wishes are granted, but pay no heed to the golden words of this saint. Verily, it was the remembrance of Husain and worship of God through the way taught by Husain, which gave Khwaja the status that our prayers are heard at his grave. If a common man can become so elevated that prayers at his grave get heard, how better it would be for us and our prayers, if we prayed to God through Husain.
Mantra 5 continues with the narration of Karbala:
You are like the sun (Agni) who will stand up to fight those who will fall down to such a state that they will collect/assemble for the punishable offence of killing you. Your progeny with powerful arms that will surround to protect you will be slayed along with you who will certainly be killed. I, with firmness and fortitude eulogize the fearless deva, ah, along with Vasu, Rudra Aditya at all times.
Devi Chand says that ‘Vasus, Rudras and Adityas have been translated by some commentators as deities and by others as learned persons who take part in the yajna (sacrifice). RDS has mentioned Vasus as Agni, Prithvi, Vayu, Antriksha, Aditya, Dyaus, Chandrama and Nakshatra, as all living objects dwell and reside in these eight Vasus.
Rudra means one who makes us weep. RDS has translated Rudras as Pran, Apan, Vyan, Udan, Saman, Nag, Kurma, Krikal, Devadutta, Dhananajaya and Jeeva (soul). He further says: “These eleven vital breaths are called Rudras, as they make all relatives weep when they leave the body at the time of death. The 12 months of the year are called Adityas. The Vasus, Rudras and Adityas are helpful in the performance and promotion of the yajna.”
RDS has not mentioned why Siva is called Rudra. He surely has a way of silently ignoring the rest of literature. Our view is that Rudras are the 11 Imams, who were killed, and hence have made their friends and relatives weep at different points of time. The 12th Imam is still alive and will continue to remain so till the end of this world. RDS seems to have picked up the names Pran, Apan, etc. from a narration that described their role inside our bodies. Adityas are 12 in numbers as we have already mentioned before. These are the 12 Imams.
Vasus are eight, and the names include Agni, Prithvi, Vayu, etc. Since these are very much the names of the same devas, Vasus could have been the seven names that were repeated among the 14 devas. But since Vasus are 8 in number, we are not in position to give any valid explanation. What is certain though is that Vasus too are somehow related to the Masooms; we have seen that Hasan has been addressed as Vasu.
What is important to note is that even Devi Chand and RDS agree that Vasus, Rudras and Adityas are deities or learned persons who take part in the yajnas (sacrifices). They maintain that it is they who take part in performance and promotions of sacrifices. Unfortunate thing is that when the names of individual Rudras, Vasus, Adityas are taken, they translate them with electricity, material fire, steam engines, but never as deities or learned persons.
We now come to verse 6, which is very important as it clearly states the name of a character in Karbala, who was initially in Yazid’s forces but came to Husain’s side later and was killed while fighting with his former employers.
To honour a visitor named Hur, you granted water out of kindness to him preferring over dear members of your family. Always this will not be in such a manner! Request for water will put to trouble the young child who is so young that his name itself is ‘upbhroona’ or one who has just come out of the womb, who will be killed and so will be the beloved members of the family. Always, this will not be in such a manner! Request for water by you will lead to the killing of the child named Dhruva. Dhruva who has just moved out of womb and who belong to Vishnu will be thirsty to drink, will be thirsty when he will be killed, the lord of sacrifice too will be thirsty when he will be sacrificed while controlling his urge for water.
This is a very evident proof. We have already mentioned the account of Ali Asghar’s death earlier, which is repeated again in this verse. But this verse also describes Hur, the man who was initially in Yazid’s army but came to Husain’s side on the morning of 10th Moharram, knowing fully well he was going towards certain death. Now read how the book Martyr of Humanity describes the event when Husain fed his enemy (Hur and his 1000 soldiers) with all the water in his possession.
“Noticing that forces of the enemy were heading for them, Husain asked his friends if there was in the vicinity a safe place to afford him protection against an attack from rear, so that they might not get encircled on all sides. The mount of Zu Jasm, which lay on Husain’s left was pointed out to him as answering the purpose he had in mind, if he could make it before the enemy. Husain succeeded in getting to it earlier than the advancing forces of the enemy. When the opposing forces also arrived there, it transpired that Haseen whose troops had been stationed around Qadisia, had deputed Hur at the head of 1000 soldiers to obstruct Husain’s progress.
While Husain and his companions stood turbaned and with swords slung across their shoulders, Hur’s soldiers and their horses made their appearance, panting and gasping on account of thirst. Full of human sympathy as Husain was he could not bear to see the enemy in such extremity of distress and he bade his men to give the soldiers and their horses water to drink as plentifully as their hearts desired, so that their thirst should get entirely quenched. This was promptly done. Basins of water were put before the horses and removed only after the beasts had refused four or five times to have any further drink. A companion of Hur, Ali b. Taan Maharabi, the last to arrive, was in such deep distress on account of thirst that his senses were completely stupefied and he could not drink water which he spilled every time he tried to drink it. Husain, therefore, himself twisted the mouth of a goat skin of water and gave it to him to enable him to satisfy his own thirst as well as that of the horses.”
Water was banned on the same Husain merely a few days later. Husain and his friends had to remain without water and food for three days. Young children too had to remain without water so much so that by the 9th of Muharram, all that could be heard from Husain’s camps were shouts of the thirsty children for water. Yet, water was denied to them. Husain’s treatment of Hur and his army had a drastic effect on Hur’s conscience. On the morning of 10th of Muharram, a little before the fight commenced, Hur came to Husain’s side along with his son to seek forgiveness. A little later he and his son were both killed defending Husain.
There are reports of several children from Husain’s camps getting killed on the 10th of Muharram. Some of them got killed when excessive thirst made them wander out of the camps. Ali Asghar, the six-month old son, too was thirsty as he got no water to drink for three days. Even the milk in the breasts of her mother had dried. He was denied water even when Husain asked for water exclusively for him, and was subsequently killed in Husain’s arms through an arrow that split his neck.
Verse 7 still talks of the control over water and recounts another incident from Ali’s life, where Ali’s forces were denied access to the river. Allama Ali Naqi Naqawi narrates this incident in these words:
“During the course of the war (of Siffin) the vanguard of Muawiyah’s army, under Abul Awar Salmi, succeeded in wresting control over the Euphrates, and cut off supplies of water to Ali’s forces. Ali was thus forced to resort to hostilities to obtain supplies of water. His army succeeded in throwing back the forces of Abul Awar Salmi from the banks of the river, and resolved to repay their opponents in their own coin and deprive them of the use of the river. Ali did not, however, agree to this measure, saying, “They acted in the manner they thought appropriate for themselves. You should not deprive them of the use of water; let them have all the water they want without any let or hindrance.” Ali’s behaviour taught that howsoever degraded in behaviour and removed from humane conduct one’s opponent may prove himself, one should not conduct oneself towards him in like manner, and that it was obligatory for one to maintain human dignity.”
The same incident is described in verse 7:
Agni, the habit of conquering the opponents by means of controlling a river and killing them after curbing/restraining water on them has its antecedents in the past. We bow down to the praiseworthy fearless deva who is the father of this brave (Agni) who lifted the check/control that he got after fighting with determination and courage.
Verse 8 further elaborates on the same subject.
Despite this sinful activity of opponents, the fearless deva won an exhilarating victory. When they marched towards the river and took possession of water out of their aversion for Vishnu (God) as the rivals looked helplessly at the cruel act. Vasu and Agni realized of the consequences of being without water and the position reversed in favour of Indra’s heroic warriors who lifted the control over water. Ah! Such lowly men, in disregard to the respect and regards that you deserve, sacrificed you.
Vasu and Agni (Hasan and Husain) were present as soldiers in Ali’s army when he ordered the control over water to be lifted. If they knew the future, they must be aware that the same persons who were being let off at that time, after the control of water was released, would be responsible for their own killings in future. But fear of death do not deter the righteous to forsake their duty and from acting righteously. That is why they ordered the control of water to be lifted.
Now we present to you RDS’s version of translation:
May I today for the acquisition of comforts collect through Yajna butter and other articles which contribute to happiness.
O God may I never violate it (yajna). O Lord may I obtain thy refuge, abounding in store of riches. This fire is the abode of Yajna. Through it (yajna) sun and air gain strength. This yajna resides in space and fire.
And see what Devi Chand says of Agni: “Agni is the messenger of the forces of nature, as it takes to sky, air, sun, etc. in a rarefied form the oblations put into it.”
Verse 9 returns to the subject of Husain in Karbala:
Agni! You will sacrifice your body after it has been afflicted with great pains to check/restrain the self-centred passions of people and also to fight in order to defend the world and also to encounter them while aspiring to protect the teachings of the fearless deva Indra from getting corrupt. You will be engaged in a battle in which you will be sacrificed in the path of God. This is in the light of what is destined for in the future.
This verse can be better understood by the following account by Allama. “Yazid was piling oppression upon oppression against Husain in order that the later’s miserable end should act as a warning to others inclined to oppose him, but Husain confronted all the cruelties and inhumanities employed against him with such unruffled serenity and patience that, in his obsession with violence, Yazid failed to recognize the limits to which people could possibly put up with oppression, and beyond which their dormant, benumbed sensibilities would get aroused with such vehemence as to make oppression recoil upon and destroy itself.
Husain was supremely confident that in order to succour and defend righteousness, he would face calamities in so extraordinary a fashion that his powers of endurance would maim and incapacitate the powers of repression themselves.
It was in order to terrorize the potential opposition and warn off all resistance to his deeds that Yazid caused the survivors of Husain to be led out from place to place and from city to city, but history bears it out that the result was entirely at variance with his hopes. Hur b. Yazid Riyahi fell form Yazid’s army just before the battle of Karbala. On the third day of the slaughter of Husain and his supporters, when Ibn Ziyad showed disrespect to Husain’s head, Zaid b. Arqam, an old companion of the prophet stoutly remonstrated against it, showing that the spirit to speak out one’s mind was not crushed by the inhumanities practiced at Karbala, but strengthened. No sooner had Husain and his father, Ali b. Abu Talib, been irreverentially mentioned in the principal mosque at Kufa before an assembly of those loyal to Yazid got together to hear Ibn Ziyad proclaim the victory over Husain, than the quiet orderliness of the proceedings was disturbed and rang out voice of the old and blind Abdullah b. Afif to censure Ibn Ziyad in words of memorable candour and courage. When Yazid tried to repeat Ibn Ziyad’s hideous incivility to Husain’s head at Damascus not only Abu Barza Aslami, but the Christian ambassador of the king of Rome also berated him roundly.
This was Husain’s victory. Falsehood and untruth came to be openly challenged and provoked spontaneous dissent, and even Non-Muslims began to express themselves freely and frankly about the lapses of the powers that be.
Before the battle of Karbala, who could dare refer to Husain with respect in the court of Yazid? After Husain’s ruined and plundered survivors had been presented in his court as prisoners, Yazid had to listen quietly to praise lavished on Husain.” This is why Husain is called the Martyr of Humanity.
The last line of this verse is a clear indicator that Yajur Veda is not narrating the incidents that happened in the past, but what are sure to happen in future. That is why it is said. “This is in the light of what is destined for future.”
Now we come to verse 10:
Calmness, tranquility, restraint: these are the qualities that belonged to Indra. You, O Agni, possess the same qualities as of the respectful Indra, who will already inform in advance about his anxiety regarding you. That they will make you go without water! You (O men) pray in his honour that if you are living you will march alongside him towards war and pray in his honour to invite the world against those who will put prohibition on their worlds (life). Move forward against those who have attempted to put curb on Agni getting water and protect Agni from sacrifice.
It is a well-documented fact that Mohammad, in his life, had foretold of the sacrifice that Husain would give and had even said that he would be killed without water. Rest of the things are clear and need no elaboration.
See what verse 11 has to say:
We call/invite all to encounter those who will put guards on water and advance towards those who have put guards on water. Deprive them of their attempt to put curb on Agni getting water and protect Agni from sacrifice. O deva, the progeny from the descendants of the mighty armed Ashwinau have powerful arms. They are heading towards the direction of being sacrificed and also towards tasting it.
It is evident that people used to pray that when the devas would come, they would sacrifice their life to them. We have even mentioned a narration from Brhad-aranyaka Upanishad as per which a dying man lamented to his son that since they didn’t come in his lifetime, he could not sacrifice his life for them. He extracted a promise from the son that if they come in his lifetime, then the son should sacrifice himself on behalf of the father. It seems that promises like this were being taken from succeeding generations till the time when the devas did actually arrive at a far off land in Arabia. History has recounted that an entire contingent of Saraswat Brahmans went to Karbala, when they got to know that Husain was in trouble. They reached there when Husain was already dead. Even then they didn’t return back. They stayed there and played a vital part in taking the revenge for Husain’s martyrdom. Only then did they return. Those who returned call themselves Husaini Brahmans till this day.
Verse 12 is self-explanatory except for the fact that it uses the term Brahma for Mohammad, thereby confirming our observation earlier. Muslims are of the view that the noor of Mohammad was created right at beginning. Mohammad says that Ali and he were created from the same noor. Upanishads tell that there was One Self of Brahma which divided into two. It is apparent from this verse that the One Self of Mohammad or Brahma divided to become two identical to the first. These two were Brhaspati (Ali) and Prajapati (Mohammad). Since Muslims scriptures have not dwelt much on the subject, the Self prior to division as well as the part of the Self after division, both are called Mohammad.
We have already mentioned earlier how both Mohammad and Ali had foretold the events that were to take place in Karbala.
Brhaspati and Brahma previously know the knowledge of this sacrifice. You are to give this sacrifice (O Agni), you are the Lord of Sacrifice, you are mine.
RDS translates this as:
Oh Lord, the Creator of the Universe, the Vedas and the learned proclaim this forementioned yajna of Thine for Brihaspati and Brahma. Through (that) sacrifice protect my yajna, protect the performance of the yajna, protect thou me!
Here, RDS is close to our translation but says that the word ‘deva’ used in this mantra stands for the Creator (God). As per him, it stands for ‘the Lord’ who is the ‘Creator of the Universe, Vedas and the learned’. But then he says that the yajna was performed for Brihaspati and Brahma, which signify that Brihaspati and Brahma enjoy higher position than the Creator of the Universe. How can it be possible? It is clear therefore that the word ‘deva’ has not been used for ‘God – the Creator’. Neither are Brihaspati or Brahma gods, but are creations out of the manifested form of God.
RDS’s translation that this mantra talks of a fore-mentioned yajna too is wrong, unless we accept that by yajna some big sacrifice is meant, as in the case of the sacrifice by Husain. Otherwise, can a ritual oblation be so important that God repeatedly talks about it in the Vedas and prayers are sung to protect it? Won’t it imply, as per RDS’s translation, that all these pains were being taken by God to make us aware of the kind of ladle to be used, the best time to light the fire for oblations and the ingredients to be put in it. If this is the kind of knowledge we expect God to give us through Vedas, then it is better not to comment on those who believe in it.
There remains no doubt that Vedas foretell the events from the life of devas, when they would come to take birth, so that we recognize those divine creatures, the visible proofs of His teachings, and pay due respect to them.
Now see verse 2:
(We are) to pay our respects to one who fought with speed and who was an object of terror in the battlefield. This is Brhaspati, who fought to establish the doctrine of Vishnu, so as to accomplished the worship with speed. This doctrine of worship will be established through sword. Vishvadeva in this world will bless the place where there is this extreme point of land; where Aum is housed/situated.
Fact is that Brihaspati’s conquests are being talked about here. Brihaspati is surely Ali. Then comes the word ‘Vishvadeva’ which, we will get to know in the Last Chapter, is meant for the first of the Created Beings – Brahma – and henceforth could signify all the devas or Ahlebayts together. This is followed by ‘ih’, which as per dictionary, refers to time or direction or for the entire world. The word ‘ih’ therefore signifies that either the time is being given when they would come or the place is being identified. ‘Ih’ is followed by ‘maadyantamo’, which means ‘where the land ends’ and this is followed by ‘umpratishth’ meaning ‘where Aum is situated/housed’. From this, it is becoming evident that syllable Aum (that is identified with Vishnu) is or will be situated at a place where the land ends. It has already been mentioned before that Kaaba is the house of Vishnu.
For your curiosity, we give you how RDS translates the verse 13. Of course, our translation is entirely different! He writes:
May my active mind enjoy the yajna’s provision. May God expand and preserve this unabandonable acquisition of knowledge, which is a kind of yajna. May all the learned persons in the world rejoice. May Aum be seated in our hearts.
See verse 14:
O Agni, as you move to be cut to death, to protect the indigent/poor by the wicked/cheats/proud/haughty thieves, and proceeds towards (water) that itself wearies itself toward the ocean. In order to cut the desire of thieves wishing to obtain honour/respect as well as to prohibit water on you so as to slaughter a honourable person like you. Agni, this battle to try to subjugate you will take place at an ingress/opening/passage as you move alongside it towards ocean. (This will be) the battle to conquer or subdue each other (and also) kill/slaughter one another.
It was said in the previous verse that Aum is situated at a place towards the land’s end. If we move from India, towards west, it will be only upon crossing the desert of Arabia that we are likely to encounter the Red Sea. There is no doubt that it is that region that is meant.
You may say, why the place has not been identified more clearly. The answer is already given in the Chapter I, which states that names are not being taken lest the people kill these people or use their names for other gains. Indicators are given so that we recognize them when they come. Or whenever we try to find the truth. We know from various historical accounts, that the Aryans of the period, who lived mostly in the region known as Sindh were actively involved in trade with the West. Caravans were even going from cities like Banaras in central India to Arabia, Syria and other regions even during the time of Buddha. Therefore, the region was not unknown to people at the time when Mohammad took birth in Arabia.
Verse 14 describes the location of Husain, when he was killed. All historical books tell us that Husain was killed at Karbala, which was not situated on the Euphrates, but on an ingress of a tributary of Euphrates that flows from mountains in the north and goes on to meet the Persian Gulf towards the south-east. When Husain was forcefully stopped from proceeding onwards at the place called Karbala, he was definitely moving towards southeast, in the direction of the southern coast of Iraq. The state of the river too is described clearly. It is not a fast-flowing river, as it ought to be when it comes down from the mountains. The word ‘wearies’ indicates that it has already traveled a long-distance after its descent from the mountains and the water is now slowly, wearily approaching the sea.
Verse 15 too is self-explanatory and describes Husain’s lofty position in the eyes of Vishnu (God).
You are the best O Agni but alas they will inflict pains on you and kill the one who is created by one who is worthy of worship – Vishnu – and thereafter as a consequence of birth in the house of Lakshmi. You are the best O Agni but they will exhaust you without water. The respected one who donated his water to the enemy will be hated/disliked by the thieves to the extent that they will lead him to battle, without any regard to his high birth (both from being created by Vishnu and from taking birth from the womb of Lakshmi).
Note the word ‘thief’ is significant – the theft they had committed was of Husain’s rights as successor of Mohammad.
Verse 16 again refers to Vasus, Rudras and Adityas and calls them masters of heaven and earth. Mitra and Varuna too are mentioned again, showing their relationship with the terms Vasus, Rudras and Adityas. The situation of Arabia at the time of their advent is being described. We are all aware that people used to bury their daughters alive. The land where they would take birth too is described as one lacking plenty of water. See verse 16:
The fearless Vasus, the fearless Rudras, the fearless Adityas are the masters of heaven and earth, Mitra & Varuna are those who shower down in the form of avatars (or showers down to protect/defend us from desire/distress). They dwell up in heaven. Leaving that they will come to a stretch of land destitute of water at a time when young female children will be sent to heaven (killed) and at a period when there will be no messenger to lead. Agni will go without water to shower us with the rain of spiritual teachings.
Verse 17 still adheres to the subject of Husain.
They will surround Agni deva from all sides and pleased to barter their lives (with material riches) they rushed swiftly towards the respectful/honourable Agni. To diffuse (kill) this ray of Manu, ah, a large number of people marched towards the most excellent leader/teacher and in order to melt his stand put barriers on the dear Agni from having water.
If you recall Upanishads too describes the devas as rays of light. This mantra is translated by RDS as follows:
Oh Omnipresent God, extolled by the praises of the learned, Thou attainest to greatness through those lovely panegynes. I realize that greatness of Thine in my heart. May I never disobey Thee. May I, Oh God, never abuse the pleasant and invigorating food, I have secured in Thy Creation!
Different commentators have translated these verses differently, thereby suggesting that either all of them or at least ‘one minus all’ are wrong. For instance, Griffith has translated the word ‘panibhi’ as “demons of darkness who steal the gods’ cows, the rays of light, and hide them in caverns”. How sad that the verses where the important subject of the theft of caliphate was being talked about, which meant that their role as our masters has been usurped, the commentators could interpret it as the theft of cows. RDS translates the same word as ‘praises’ sung by the learned unto Gods. Paridhi has been translated by Griffith, Mahidhar and Ubbat as stick, which is put into fire. RDS translates it as greatness. Likewise, in mantra 20, Griffith translates ‘sanvesh’ as ‘cohabitation by the husband and wife, sleeping on the same couch’ while RDS translates it as earth, and ‘sanveshpati’ as ‘God who is the Lord of earth, sun and the other worlds.’
Verse 18 again recounts an incident from Karbala. Read the verse first:
O Vishnu! To move you from your better dwelling was further with the intention of leading you to death. You were forced to go to a rocky/flat/plain surface where a fence/moat was created. You made a speech Agni facing all the enemies for water but alas you were put to death. Thereafter, they advanced towards your dwellings and without any pity/compassion/sympathy put fire from outside. The enclosure was completely burnt.
Husain was forced to disembark at Karbala on the 2nd of Moharram. Initially he camped close to the river. But arrangements for the stoppage of the supply of water to Husain, his relations, friends and even small children had been envisioned in fact from the second day of Moharram in the letter sent by Ibn Ziyad to Hur b. Yazid Riyahi directing that Husain be treated with severity and compelled to camp where water may be scarce. Compliance of this order was so punctually and peremptorily demanded that the messenger who had brought the letter was directed not to leave Hur till all the directions had been fully carried out. Hur, therefore, compelled Husain to camp at Karbala where water was scant and told Husain that as he had orders for doing so from his superiors, he had been left with no choice.
The tents of Husain, his relations, friends, ladies and children were erected far from the river on a sandy patch of land which almost burned under the scorching sun of Arabia, the intense heat seriously trying the inmates of the tents, who had in their full view the flowing river and the forces of the enemy comfortably encamped beside it.
Since the enemies were encamped near the river and Husain’s camps were situated at a considerable distance, fetching the water from the river was an unpleasant experience right from day one. Sometimes these attempts occasioned small skirmishes as well.
On the 7th of Moharram, Omar b. Saad received another letter from Ibn Ziyad saying, “Cut off the supply of water from Husain and his friends so that they might not get a drop of it as was the case with Usman b. Affan.”
Omar b. Saad deputed Amr b. Hajjaj Zubedi with 500 mounted soldiers to guard the banks of the river with strict orders that not a drop of water be allowed to reach Husain’s camp. This was three days before the martyrdom of Husain. The imposition of this embargo on the supply of water intensely aggravated the severity of thirst among members of Husain’s party.
As if this was not enough, wounds were inflicted by hurling verbal darts, as are contained in expressions like this: “Husain, do you see this bluish water running so plentifully here? You shall not get a single drop of it even at the time of your death.” “Husain, there is water here. Dogs dip their mouths in it and swine, asses and even wolves partake of it, but by God, you cannot taste a drop of it.”
The verse above also mentions a speech by Husain. Allama Ali Naqi Naqvi, immediately after giving the aforementioned description about water, writes: “It is likely that Yazid’s armies might have entertained the notion that actual war with Husain would be superfluous since the torments of thirst in themselves would be more than sufficient to kill him. Accordingly once when Husain addressed them and dwelt on the close relationship which he bore to the prophet so as to possibly make the so-called Muslims alive to their duty towards him, they replied, “We know all this, but would not spare you till you quit this world due to thirst.”
Mantra 19 too is extremely important as it talks about a very important aspect of Karbala. See the translation:
At night the leader/man of business will stand constantly till morning. The flower will stand throughout the night; flower who is greatly exhausted and distressed, being without water. As offering, he said obeisance/salutations and also paid oblations to Siva as gift to one under whose control our life is. To perspire for God and exchange life for his favour.
This exceedingly important verse has been translated by RDS as:
Oh fire and air, ye are the bringers of rain. Ye protect the yajna, and conduce to our comfort, bring comfort to me. God and humility are near me for my good, as they are for thine. Just as I derive happiness by the performance of yajna, so should you.
We do not agree to RDS’s version and have given it only for your interest. The word that is used for Husain’s worship on the night of 10th Moharram, when he was martyred, is ‘yagya namasch’ and ‘yagasya shive’. So what did Husain do throughout the night? See Allama Ali Naqi Naqawi’s account: “The respite for the night preceding the 10th Moharram had been obtained at the expense of so much effort neither to make any special preparation for the battle next day, nor to await the arrival of help from any quarter, nor to acquaint those who would survive him with Husain’s last wishes nor to make any provision for their safety after him. The only reason for suing for the truce was that given out by Husain viz. to spend the night in prayers. Accordingly Husain and his comrades spent the night in ceaseless prayers, soliciting God’s indulgence and mercy, in tearful supplication.”
Historian’s account says that Husain and his friends spent the entire night in worship, fully aware that this was the last night they had. No body was harbouring chances of even a chance win. All knew death was certain. Yet none tried to flee in the wee hours of the night. It is written that all through the night the voice of the chanting of prayers could be heard, like the buzzing sound from a beehive. Namaz and other prayers to God continued all through the night. The Veda says that yagya of namasch (namaz) and the yagya of Shiva was performed all through the night. This clarifies that the word ‘yagya’ means offering of prayers, be it in the form of namaz or in the form of remembering God through chanting of verses. Perhaps the people of the time knew what the word ‘yagya’ actually meant. In fact, there are accounts available in Hindu scriptures which talk of the five daily prayers. But they forgot it and yagya became associated with ritual worship, where God is seldom remembered.
In the previous Chapter, while recounting the incident of Ali’s death from a sword wound, it was said that he died while he was performing yagya in a public place. While what actually Ali was doing was that he was offering the morning namaz in the mosque, first of the five obligatory prayers that a Muslim has to offer to God everyday. From the account here, it is evident that the Indo-Vedic people too were aware that namasch or namaz was a yagya. ‘Namaste’ seems to be related to the same family of words.
These are the first 19 mantras of Chapter II out of the total of 34. Before we proceed, we would like to give you the translation of these 19 mantras of Chapter II as done by RDS, so as to make you realize how the subject keeps changing and to what extent is there the repetition of topics. Even the addressee or one for whom that mantra is meant for, keeps differing, so much so that at times it is God who is doing the talking and at other times it is us or even some other people. See how RDS translates these 19 verses:
1. Oh yajna, thou art being performed in a well dug place, thou art rarefied by fire and attracted by the air. For the sake of Havan I consecrate the oblation agreeably rectified by ghee. Thou art an altar for taking the oblations high up into the space; I erect Thee and consecrate Thee with ghee. Just as water in the space contributes to the purification of the material objects, so do I carefully cleanse the oblations to be put into the fire ladles!
2. Yajna showers water on the Earth. Mortar is the chief receptacle of the yajna. I prepare the altar for the learned to sit on. May those scholars sing the praises of God, the Earth’s Lord, the World’s Lord, the Lord of Kings.
3. The sun, the sustainer of the world and the holder of the earth, spreads the yajna far and wide for the happiness of the universe. Adorable fire, being adored in the yajna, thou art the guardian of the worshipper. O yajna thou art the inducer of rain through the power of sun for the happiness of the universe. Adorable fire, being adored in the yajna, thou art the guardian of the worshipper. Inhalation and exhalation, for the happiness of the universe, protect thee (yajna) with firm strength every now and then. Adorable fire, being adored in the yajna, thou art the protector of the worshipper!
4. May we, in a friendly spirit, manifest Thy glory Oh Omniscient, All-illumining God, the giver of great happiness to all, the Embodiment of effulgence, and the Preacher of the yajnas!
Address got changed form Yajna to God. Says Devi Chand: “Swami Dayananda has put two interpretations upon this mantra. Agni has been taken to mean God and physical fire. I have accepted the first interpretation, the second one to fire also holds good."
5. Oh yajna, Thou art beautiful like the spring, the sun protects Thee from time, immemorial, for unfolding all objects. Thou art diffused the power and potency (the two arms) of the sun. Just as Vasus, Rudras, and Adityas promote the yajna, the giver of happiness, pervaded in space, so do I for the acquisition of divine qualities, perform the yajna!
6. Oh Yajna, Thy name is sky, Thou art full of butter, be confirmed in this decorated place with thy lovely glory. Oh yajna, Thy name is space, Thou art full of water, be confirmed in this decorated space with thy lovely glory. May necessary articles be placed in the holy yajna. O God, may Thou protect those articles, may Thou protect the Yajna, may Thou protect the worshipper, may Thou protect me the conductor of the Yajna!
7. Kindle the fire, the giver of corn, full of intensity, the carrier of all oblations to the sky, and the bringer of victory in war. The fire properly used in the Yajna brings water through the forces of nature, and food through the seasons that protect us. May these (water and food) the givers of strength and power be for my use.
8. May I today for the acquisition of comforts collect through Yajna butter and other articles which contribute to happiness.
O God may I never violate it (Yajna). O Lord may I obtain Thy refuge, abounding in store of riches. This fire is the abode of yajna. Through it (yajna) sun and air gain strength. This yajna resides in space and fire!
9. Oh God protect the sun and earth, which protect the yajna. Just as fire acquiring the yajna and acting as an envoy, protects the sun and earth, so protect us, O Lord, the doer of the noble deeds for the learned. Just as the sun combining light with light through the oblations put into fire, protects the heaven and earth so God guard us with the light of spiritual knowledge. This is thus ordained the Veda!
10. May God bestow on me spiritual power. May we obtain wealth full of various kinds of splendour, and earthly power. May our desires be fulfilled, may they attain to fruition. Men use this Earth and knowledge (whereby salvation is attained) for the pleasures of kingship. May these Earth and knowledge advise me. May God, as my last Refuge and resort instruct me. This is thus ordained in the Veda.
God is being talked about in the third person. Two verses latter, it will be God who will be addressed in the second person. This is not exactly what we showed in Gita and Quran. Here, this discrepancy is there because of wrong translation.
11. I have prayed to the Effulgent, All sustaining God, May the Lord Father accept my prayer. Our digestive faculty digests by means of gastric juice the food put into the stomach. In this universe created by the All-Blissful God, I take that food through the qualities of attraction and retention, of inhalation and exhalation; and the forces of purification and permeation of the invigorating air, throughout the body. Cooking my food in the burnt fire I eat it with my mouth.
12. Oh Lord, the Creator of the Universe, the Vedas and the Learned proclaim this fore-mentioned yajna of Thine for Brihaspati and Brahma. Through that great sacrifice protect my yajna, protect the performer of the yajna, protect Thou one!
13. May my active mind enjoy the yajna’s provisions. May God expand and preserve this unabandonable acquisition of knowledge, which is a kind of yajna. May all the learned persons in the world rejoice. May Aum be seated in our hearts.
14. Oh God, may Thou be glorified by our praises sung through Thy Vedas. May Thou promote our knowledge. Oh God, may we advance our soul. O God thou controllest the activities of all. Thou art the embodiment of knowledge. Thou art Omniscient and the Bringer of victory in battles. May we prosper and sing Thy praises. I become pure and holy by following Thy commands!
15. May I achieve victory like the victory of Fire and Moon. May I speed onward with the materials of war. May Fire and Moon, drive off him who hates us, drive of the man whom we detest. May I remove that sinful enemy by warlike, military skill and equipment. May I achieve victory like the victory of Air and lightning. May I achieve happiness through the impulse of knowledge, used for the acquisition of supremacy. May air and lightning properly employed, drive off him who hates us, drive off the man whom we dislike. I purify this ignorant person by the light of knowledge.
16. We perform the yajna for Vasus, Rudras and Adityas. The light of the sun and earth bring thee (yajna) to light. The Pran (external air) and the Udan (internal air) protect thee through rain. Just as birds go to their nests, so let us daily go to the yajna reciting Gayatri Mantras.
The desired oblation (Ahuti) reaches the space, comes in contact with air and the light of the sun. It thence brings down rain for us, which fills streams and stalks of plants and flowers. Of fire Thou protectest the eye from darkness, may Thou protect my physical and spiritual eye!
17. Oh Omnipresent God, extolled by the praises of the learned, Thou attainest to greatness. Through those lovely panegyrics I realize that greatness of Thine in my heart. May I never disobey Thee. May I, Oh God, never abuse the pleasant and invigorating food, I have secured in Thy creation!
18. May ye thriving, justice loving, wise, learned persons, preachers of the knowledge of the Vedas, become Supreme through knowledge. Let all seekers after truth, devotees of learning and action, attain to happiness. Preach My noble word, that brings all kinds of joys.
19. Oh fire and air, ye are the bringers of rain. Ye protect the yajna, and conduce to your effort, bring comfort to me. God and humility are near me for my good, as they are for thine. Just as I derive happiness by the performance of yajna, so should you.
See how the same subject keeps repeating needlessly and mostly stating things that cannot be proved by logic or science. We have already given our translation of these 19 mantras.

The Last Chapter of Yajur Veda
On the whole, Yajur Veda has XXXIX chapters. We know that your curiosity has risen, and you would not be satisfied unless you read more about their content. Unfortunately, we have no other option but to stop translating at this moment. If we continue to translate all of them, and also other Vedas like the Rig Veda which itself is several time more voluminous than any of the Vedas, then this BOOK is sure to go into several thousand pages.
This is just a sample translation to show you what the Vedas really contain. In this BOOK, we have also inferred from other scriptures like Upanishads, Gita, Puranas, Quran and various books of Islamic traditions like Usool-e-Kafi, etc. By now we are already apprehensive of the length that it is going to touch. We are sure people more knowledgeable in Sanskrit grammar and language will sit down to attempt fresh translations of all our religious scriptures. And this BOOK will only be the first book that showed the way. Not only this, we expect that the Islamic literature too will be freshly studied, in the light of new facts that have come to knowledge, and presented in more languages than confining mostly to Arabic, Persian and Urdu.
Before we wind up this study of the Vedas, we wish to take up one more chapter, the last or the XXXIXth chapter of the Yajur Veda, so that you realize that not the first or second chapter alone, but the entire Vedas talk of the same subject.
Chapter XXXIX
Mantra 1.
Pay oblations to that fearless Supreme Spirit (Vishnu or God) who made them fearless Lords of kinds. The earth pays oblations, the fire pays oblations, space pays oblations, air pays oblations, sky pays oblations and the sun pays oblations.
Dictionary says that the word ‘swaha’ means:
‘‘oblation or offering’ and is also the name of the wife of Agni.’ Further, it is ‘an exclamation used in offering oblations to Gods.’
Here, we have taken the first meaning as true, i.e. ‘oblation or offering’ to the One and Only Absolute God.
It is clear from this verse that everything in the universe pays oblation to these fearless Supreme Spirits. Such is the importance of these Spirits in the scheme of God that He has made the earth, the fire, the space, the air, everything obedient to their command. If there is somebody who revolts, that is man.
Writing no further, we just give you an excerpt from the Puya/Ali commentary of Quran. See and compare the two together: “Even after witnessing the soul-stirring event the Bani Israel lost no time in reverting to disbelief. They were like stones, worse than stones, because even a stone follows its nature. It does not rebel.
In the thin layers of stones water is stored, which can be drawn out. Springs issues out of them. The nature of qalb (heart) is to turn - to change old habits and be intimate with truth; live, and die for the truth. If a man has the required degree of faith in Allah and develops the strength of conviction, he can make use of nature around him, because by native volition every object yields to the laws operative under the will of Allah. Therefore the messengers of Allah and the representatives of Allah had demonstrated extraordinary events (miracles) to prove that on account of the divine endowments in them, they could make the material phenomena yield to their will in complete submission to the will of Allah. The Quran repeatedly declares that everything, even inanimate objects, which seem to be fixed and immovable and unable to do anything of their own accord, volunteer and surrender to their creator. And there is none in the universe who does not sing or celebrate the glory of the Lord. “
Let’s study the verse 2 and see what it contains:
All quarters pay oblations, moon pays oblations, the stars pay oblations, the oceans pay oblations, those who are fearless pay oblations, those who are pure pay oblations.
See how RDS has messed up the translation:
Swaha to the vital breathings with their controlling lord, the soul. To earth Swaha! To Agni Swaha! To firmament Swaha! To Vayu Swaha! To Sky Swaha! To Surya Swaha!
If it had been till here we might have found difficulty in explaining our point of view to those who do not know Sanskrit.
As Devi Chand argues about these verses: “All the thirteen verses in this Chapter relate to cremation; they are recited at the time of cremating the dead body. The dead body should never be interred in the round, thrown in the jungle, or a river. Cremation is the only remedy against its pollution and spread of diseases from its offensive odour; Swami Dayananda has condemned in strong words the disposal of the corpse in ways other than cremation.”
Ironically, what Swami Dayananda and Devi Chand are mentioning to be the verses on cremation are not talking about cremation at all, so there is no logic to the validation of his view that the disposal of the corpse in ways other than cremation is wrong.
Contrary to his view, we will prove in the course that this Chapter is not about cremation. In fact this too deals with the same subject as discussed earlier. With words ‘swaha pranaibhay sadhipatikaibhay,’ RDS is misled to say that it means the cremation of the body. But he has not explained why the word ‘abhay’ is used twice and once with ‘pran’. Had there been a chance of cremating the pran when still alive, we would have believed that it is a fearless soul. But how can a dead body be fearless. RDS is silent on this and nowhere in his translation there is a word that shows that he cognized the presence of word ‘abhay’.
Also, when the man is being cremated by fire, the end reaction on that man, as well as on fire is the same. How can this be possible? Swaha is used with every word. So if it is Swaha to man, it is also swaha to sky, earth, firmament, air, sun and even agni. It is agni which is responsible for the swaha related to the body. How is it responsible that the same end reaction will happen to sky, sun, air, earth, firmaments, and agni itself?
You may say that oxygen in air is burnt so air itself is getting swaha. But from no logical reasoning can one explain how a burning of body in fire lead to the burning of the sun, sky, firmaments and earth. If swaha means cremation, then the burning of the body leads to cremation of earth, cremation of space, creation of air, cremation of sun, cremation of firmaments, cremation of fire itself.
Had there been five core elements alone described here, some may have said that since the body is composed of these five elements, symbolically at least, all the five elements are getting cremated. But there are six things mentioned, and not five.
We agree though that in case this mantra would have been individually placed, RDS could have given a few points that would have appealed to the reasoning of certain rigid minded persons. Subsequent mantras will quash all such beliefs.
See how RDS has translated the second mantra:
To the Quarters Swaha! To the Moon Swaha! To the Stars Swaha! To the Waters Swaha! To the Ocean Swaha! To the Navel Swaha! To the Purifying light Swaha!
In between talking about quarters, moon, stars, waters, oceans and light, all of a sudden there is this mention of navel. RDS has not given any logical reasoning to it. Neither can he. Because even if he says that navel is related to the eye and ear of the man being cremated (that are talked about in mantra 3), he won’t be able to clarify why the ‘purifying light’ is used after ‘navel’. Is the writer of the Veda, who is said to be God, so naïve that He was not even aware that if he had put the word ‘navel’ after ‘purifying light’, it would be more logical? Out of all things that are being worshipped by some sections of society, all of a sudden ‘navel’ appears as if it too is to be worshipped. Does the God means worshipping the navel in the manner Lucknow Times, Mumbai Times and Delhi Times of Times of India have lately started doing? Navel of the dead!
Mantra 3 proves our point with the word ‘vach’ in the beginning that means ‘to talk or speak’, thereby meaning they all speak swaha or speak oblations. Now relate this to Mantra 19 of Chapter II and you will know that speaking of oblations signify that it is a prayer that is to be verbally spoken/chanted.
So the mantra’s translation will be:
They all speak swaha or speak oblations. The Supreme Spirits pay oblations. The Supreme Spirits pay oblations. The teachers pay oblations. The teachers pay oblations. The knowledgeable pay oblations. The knowledgeable pay oblations.
This has been translated by RDS as:
To Speech Swaha! To Breath Swaha! To Dhananajaya Vayu Swaha! To the right eye Swaha! To the left eye Swaha! To the right ear Swaha! To the left ear Swaha!
Devi Chand adds: “All parts of the body should be thoroughly burnt. Those who burn the dead body with odorous butter and sweet-scented provisions do a virtuous act.” So this implies that the navel too has to be burnt. And if the dead is still speaking, that speech too is to be burnt! But this is not meant when we read further.
See verse 4:
Vishnu created these virtuous excellent beings as per his wish/desire for the purpose of worshipping Him. Not created through copulation! These (excellent beings) worshipped (Vishnu) thereby leading to creation of all the glories and riches – all of these are created for the purpose of paying oblations or worshipping Vishnu.
Isn’t this in harmony with the Brhad-aranyaka Upanishad that says that pleased with the worship of the divine beings (devas), the God created the rest of the cosmos and all type of beings? Isn’t it a point to ponder over for a while. When all the rest of things are worshipping God day and night, as said by God Himself in this verse, is it not our duty as well to start worshipping Him?
Now see how RDS translates this verse:
The wish and purpose of mind and truth of speech may I obtain. Bestowed on one be cattle’s beauty, sweet taste of food, fame and grace, through truthful speech and virtuous conduct.
How is this related to the cremation of man, we are unable to understand? Those who still believe RDS’s line of commentary to be true, may God the Almighty give them the beautiful face of cattle, at the time of their death, if not in this life itself. It is not clear at all whether the face of the cattle is expected for the one who is being cremated or for those who are cremating him and chanting these verses. Since truthful speech and virtuous conduct are not to be expected of the dead, we conclude that it is for those who are chanting this mantra that the beauty of the cattle’s face is being sought.
Verse 5 will reveal that the excellent beings of the verse 4 are the 14 devatas, pleased with whose worship the God created the universe. Verse 5 identifies them clearly:
Prajapati caused the respectful lord Vaishvadeva along with another one born of identical/similar/equal nature. From out of one of these (two), the one who began/commenced the religion, was raised the one who was married to Marut – one who provided feeling of protection/auspiciousness – were born the (two) Ashwins to nourish/foster/support the throbbing religion. These 5 high or perfect Brahmans will spread through succession from Vayu and then through Agni’s progeny, leading to comprise several holy men.
The creation of the fourteen devatas that is mentioned in detail in the various Upanishads is being talked about here. God desired to have a Manifest form of Himself, so He created one light (noor of Mohammad as believed by Muslims) of Prajapati or Brahma, which was divided into two and from out of one of them, who was to commence the religion, was raised the light that after marriage to the Marut (the chief of Vayu), gave birth to the two Ashwins, thereby making 5 perfect Brahmans or the Panjetan of the Muslims comprising Mohammad, his daughter Fatima, married to Ali, and their two sons, Hasan and Husain. We know from our study of Chapter I and II, that Vayu is Ali, and Agni is Husain. It is from Husain’s progeny that the next 9 successive imams were to be born. This too is clearly said here that through succession from Vayu and then through Agni’s progeny will the family spread, leading to comprise several holy men. This also shows that Vaishvadeva is the name of Original Self; therefore Vaishvadeva stands for all the 14 devatas together. While Mohammad was the one who commenced the religion, Ali was its greatest protector. This too is a well-known fact and can be seen in any of the history books.
See what RDS writes:
Worship Him alone who retains the soul called Prajapati, (the nourisher of men); the well protected soul called Samrat, (filled with luster); the well received soul called Vaishvadeva (connected with all material objects), the soul separated from the body, called Dharma (full of brilliance); the soul progressing called Teja (light); the soul well-received in water called Ashvin (connected with Pran and Apan); timely received soul called Paushan (the light connected with Earth); the violent soul called Maruta (the light connected with man’s body); the soul reared in water called Maitra (Connected with friendly Pran); the attacking soul called Vayavya (full of velocity like air); the soul invoked called Agneya (burning lustrous like fire), the soul recognized as head called vak (one that commands and gives orders).
We hope you have dictionary in hand, because only through it will you come to know who is closer to the real meaning. Another way to understand it is through the test of reason. But we inform you in advance that nowhere in our narration will you find Dharma (religion) meaning the ‘soul separated from the body’, or talk of a soul that is received in time by God in comparison to other souls who perhaps go on a mountain trek, after death, and are not timely received by God.
Mantra 6 further quashes all doubts that remain:
From progeny through the first (Vayu) will be born Agni as the second, Vayu as the third, Aditya as the fourth, Chandra as the fifth, Ritu as the 6th, Marut as the seventh, Brihaspati as the eighth, Mitra as the Ninth, Varuna as the 10th, Indra as the 11th and Visvadeva as the 12th.
It is to be noted that there is a bit of change here from our understanding till now. We may have erred somewhere that we are unable to understand why Agni has been called the second and Vayu the third. We know that Agni (Husain) is the third Imam, and Vasu (Hasan) who is the elder brother of Husain, is the second imam. Agni is given precedent here and Vayu is repeated as the third imam. Frankly, we do not know. One of the logics can be that since the progeny of nine Imams was to come from Agni (Husain), his name has been taken before. Also, it can be said that since Mohammad has said that all of them, the first, the one in middle and the last, are Mohammad, it does not matter much whether one is referred to as other. Even one of the Imams said on an occasion, that if a saying of one is ascribed to another, it does not matter. Hope we will know a better reasoning some day.
It is clear from this account that the names of the 12 Adityas or Imams are given. When we see the names of Imams, they are in this order: (1) Ali, (2) Hasan, (3) Husain, (4) Ali, (5) Mohammad, (6) Jafar, (7) Musa, (8) Ali, (9) Mohammad, (10) Ali, (11) Hasan, (12) Mohammad – the Mahdi. Besides, Mohammad and Fatima, comprise the fourteen. In all there are seven names. In the list of fourteen, Mohammad’s name has come 4 times, Ali’s 4 times, Hasan’s 2 times, Husain’s, Jafar’s Musa’s and Fatima’s once each. Greatest confusion is with the names of Mohammad and Ali. Muslims recognize them either with their fathers like one is Ali s/o Abi Talib, the other is Ali s/o Husain, and another is Ali s/o Musa. Second way that they use is to recognize them through their appellations like Ali Raza is the eight Imam, Ali Naqi is the tenth Imam and the 4th Imam is called Zainul Abidin.
Knowing that this would lead to confusion, the sages of earlier times tried to find a solution to this. Mohammad’s various names or appellations were used when his name was repeated. For instance, one Imam was referred to as Brahma, the other as Mitra, Indra or Visvadeva. At the same time, all these remained the names of Mohammad. Likewise, Imams who bore the name of Ali, were referred to as Vayu, Marut, Varuna, etc. when all these were also the names of Ali. Sometimes, certain other characteristics or attributes were used. For instance, Moon is used for the 12th Imam in Chapter 1. Adityas means Imam, and sometimes a deva is referred to as Aditya. Their role inside our body, as rulers of organs of senses and action, too was given names. Thus they became Prana, Apana, Vyana, etc. Fourteen are called devas somewhere and Manus at other places. 12 of them are called Adityas, 11 of them are called Rudras, and so on. This requires a patient, long-drawn study. We hope this confusion will persist for some more time, until a proper study is done on the basis of these names. We are sure, a lot many secrets are still waiting to be explored.
Now see how RDS translates this very important verse:
After death, the soul goes to the Sun on the first day; to Agni on the second; to Vayu on the third; to Aditya on the fourth; to Chandrama (the moon) on the fifth; to Ritu on the sixth; to Marut on the seventh; to Brihaspati on the eighth; to Mitra on the ninth; to Varuna on the tenth; to Indra on the eleventh; to all divine, noble traits on the 12th.
Do you believe that the human soul passes through all these stages? Krishna, on the other hand, states in Gita that the soul of those who have acquired wisdom becomes one with the Absolute, and the other souls, keep passing from womb to womb, thereby meaning that they continue getting born again and again, until they attain salvation. Here it is said that the soul goes to the material sun and also to material Agni (fire). This is being said by one who has himself translated Agni as sun on many occasions. But here he is confused. From his account, it appears that the soul first goes to the sun, and then returns to the fire lit for him on earth, and passing through Vayu, which it surely must have passed through while going to the sun and while coming back to Agni, it then goes to Aditya. He does not say what Aditya means, because its literal meaning too is the sun. If that is not so, then we will have to accept that it is the name of certain God or divine person. It is this only that we wish to prove and it is getting proved from RDS’s translation itself.
Thereafter, as per RDS, the soul goes to Moon and then to a friend of Moon, i.e. Mitra. Wouldn’t RDS have said so, if he were to write more on this verse? RDS has no choice to accept that it is either the Divine Persons who are being talked about here or God’s attributes. But since they have been personified and are even being killed and kept thirsty, he will have to believe that they are Divine Persons only.
Now we come to verse 7. Before we give our translation see what RDS has written:
The soul after death, according to its actions becomes fierce and calm; terrible and fearless; ignorant and enlightened; trembling and steadfast; forbearing; passionate and ascetic; and a prey to bewilderment.
We must be thankful to RDS that he is giving us all that knowledge which would not have been possible to attain otherwise. For instance, how could we have ever known that man and his soul after death, both behave in the same manner? Therefore, soul becomes ignorant or enlightened, fierce or calm, passionate, steadfast, bewildered, etc. Perhaps, there is violence committed by the soul too, human right violations, rapes, murders, etc. On other hand, there may be some who bear the tortures, are inflicted with wounds, and so on. It will tremble of fear (perhaps of death or fear of getting into another human body), would be passionate towards those souls who remained ignorant, are orphans, or met with any injustice or calamity. We had no reason to write in such a style about a revered figure like that of RDS, but unless we highlight the absurdity of the statements, it won’t be possible for you to understand it. Till we sat to bring out the absurdities, no body seemed to have noted them even though they were inherent at all times.
See what the actual meaning of this verse is:
Cruelty will pervade; fearful/dreadful deeds will fill the society; darkness will prevail, then he (Agni/Husain) will reach the river having a bow, to lead his life towards the direction of sacrifice (death due to being killed).
Now see how RDS has translated verse 8:
The souls after death attain to fire with the heart; to lightning with the upper part of the heart; to Pashupati with the whole heart; to Bhava with the liver.
To Sharva with the two cardinal bones; to Ishana with righteous indignation; to Mahadeva with the inter costal flesh; to the Fierce God with the rectum; to handsome chinned person, to knowable and procurable powers with two lumps of flesh near the heart.
Says Devichand in his attempt to justify RDS’s view: “Pashupati is God the protector of the cattle, the sustainer of the universe; Bhava is the omnipresent God; Sharva means the Omniscient God; Ishana means God the Lord of the Universe and Mahadeva means the Great God.”
It seems soul after roaming from sun to heaven to earth to air and elsewhere returns back inside the body, while the cremation is being done. In between this process, it acquires the fierce, calm, terrible, ignorant, trembling, forbearing or any other state, and then attain to fire with the heart, to lightning with the upper part of the heart; to Pashupati with the whole heart; and, to Bhava with the liver. Isn’t this the philosophical discussion that RDS and other boast of, that the Vedas contain? Surely, you won’t be able to understand it without their able help.
Now see what this mantra actually contain. There is no philosophy that even an ignorant cannot understand. Simple words state what God wants us to know and remember. Mantra 8 says:
Agni! Heart sinks at your misfortune! Calamity of the worse kind! Whose heart bowed only in front of Siva even so when those close to his heart and those who were born out of his own liver (his own progeny) were cut off/killed. They killed not the Lord of the fishes (Matsya) alone but the Lord of all of us whose soul was not separate from the soul of Mahadeva. The cruel and the savage men from the mountains wished that they on devas side would beg for not killing Vasistha (Agni). But the composure of Agni was like a treasure chest, owing to his fearless Self.
Isn’t it the narration of that most sorrowful tragedy of Karbala is being narrated here in plain words? The tragedy assumes importance owing to the fact that it was avertable, if only Husain was ready to shake hands with the forces of evil. In such a situation he was sure to have got all the riches of the world that the ruler of a big empire could have given. On the other hand, Husain knew that his negation meant certain death for him as well as his friends and relatives. Yet he steadfastly stuck to his stand, and that is why Husain is called the Martyr of Humanity. All through his stay in Karbala, forces of the army of Yazid (whose seat of power was there in the mountains of Syria) kept testing his patience by inflicting hardships and tortures that have never been given to one person in the history of this world, in the hope that Husain would break down, yet the more they tried, the more they failed.
We request you to keep in mind the statement:
“The cruel and the savage men from the mountains wished that they on deva’s side would beg for not killing Vasistha” as this is going to prove an important point in the near future.
RDS translates mantra 9 in the following manner:
Souls inside or outside the womb become virile through pure blood; lovely through virtuous deed; chastisable through ignoble deeds; supreme through pastime; noble through spiritual force; achievers of aims through enjoyment. Suitable place for fire is between the ribs; for bile the liver; for waters the rectum; for soul the protector of bodily organs the pericardium.
We hope you have understood the lofty meaning of the Vedas that are being presented in this verse as well. As far as this writer has understood, this is a clear invitation for us to perform ignoble deeds, because the soul will become chastised only through this; an invitation to enjoy the life as much as possible so that the soul can become achievers of aims, and at the same time, if you wish it to become noble then acquire a spiritual force while you are still alive. To know how spiritual force can be attained through ignoble deeds, you will have to go to RDS and serve him as his disciple. If it is not possible to trace which stage his soul is at the moment, you are requested to go to any of those worthy disciples of his school of thought, who are still imparting this knowledge of the Vedas from their grand ashrams.
From our standpoint, ‘Rudra’ has been used twice in this mantra while ‘Indra’, ‘Marut’ and ‘Mahadeva’ have appeared once. Please see the translation of RDS again whether you can find any reference to these names.
Now see how we see its meaning to be:
The friend of Siva (Rudra) will be adorned in red (blood). This heavenly being, who was extremely fond of/attached to Indra (Mohammad, his grandfather) and played with him (when young) and delighted in the company of powerful/mighty Marut (God of wind as per dictionary; Vayu or Ali). His worldly existence became insignificant (to the enemies, despite his enviable association with such revered personalities). This Rudra was killed. Within a short while, a cord/noose was tied to those related to Mahadeva (Siva) causing them intense pain. Those who had fallen below the level of animals wished these household members of Mahadeva to beg to be relieved of hardships, but that was not to happen.
Dictionary says Rudra is the ‘name of a group of gods, 11 in number, supposed to be inferior manifestations of Siva or Sankara who is said to be the head of the group.’ Another meaning that the dictionary gives is that Rudra is ‘the name of Siva’ himself. Unable to understand this distinction, the commentators identified Siva with Rudra, when the verses specifically state that Rudras died for Siva. Siva naturally is the ‘head of their group’.
We also request you to note that here too it is said that it was expected that the remaining members of Mahadeva’s household would beg to be relieved of hardships, but that was not to happen.
Now see how RDS translates verse 10:
To the hair Swaha! To the nails Swaha! Swaha for burning the external skin! Swaha for burning the blood! Swaha for burning the heart’s blood! Swaha for burning the fats! Swaha for burning all the wet parts of the body! Swaha for burning the external fleshy parts! Swaha for burning the internal fleshy parts! Swaha for burning the gross sinews! Swaha for burning the subtle sinews! Swaha for burning the tough bones! Swaha for burning the soft bones! Swaha for burning the marrows! Swaha for burning the internal part of the marrows! Swaha for burning the semen! Swaha for burning the anus!
See whether any of this information, if true, is of any use in our daily lives. People like RDS have made religion into a ritualistic cult where ceremonies and festivals are important, allowing us to lead the life at will during the remaining period. Imagine, it is RDS’s translations that we are commenting about, who is said to have brought the Vedas back into vogue, when there was a fear of them getting extinct due to its archaic nature of teachings. Inability to understand the real meaning has led to such gross deviations that information about the cruelties and atrocities that Husain had to bear for our sake has been made into ritual worship.
Remember, Husain’s camp was barely a stone’s throw distance from the flowing river, but there was prohibition on him and his companions to have water. From 2nd of Moharram, this prohibition started. Supply was as it is short till the 7th morning, but thereafter, there was no water at all. From then onwards, till the 10th of Moharram, when they were put to death, they did not get even a drop of water to moisten their lips. That too in the heat of Karbala’s scorching summer. Breasts of the mother’s nourishing their young children got dried of milk. Children who were a bit elder were shouting ‘Thirst! Thirst!’ But there were soldiers guarding the river. Men too had become weak and powerless. The offer of Yazid to say ‘yes’ to bayt and got possession of all the riches including water was right in front. Yazid was of the opinion that inflicting such hardships would break Husain’s fortitude of remaining on the side of truth. None bowed to Yazid’s wish. None succumbed to the enemy without giving the best of the fights. All were killed, from the age of 6-month old and above, yet Yazid failed in his objective and Husain won by remaining sticking to his stand.
It is the condition of the people of Karbala on Husain’s side that has been described in this mantra. See what is being said:
The hairs of the brave were given in oblation. The hairs of the brave were given in oblation. The skin was given in oblation. The skin was given in oblation. The skin was given in oblation. The blood was given in oblation. The blood was given in oblation. The fat of the bodies of the brave was given in oblation. The fat of the bodies of the brave was given in oblation. Due to prohibition (of water)! The movement of the limbs of the brave was given in oblation due to prohibition. Movement of the limbs of the brave was given in oblation. The tendons of the brave were given in oblation. The tendons of the brave were given in oblation. Bones of the fearless were given in oblation. The bones of the fearless were given in oblation. Marrow of the bones of the fearless was given in oblation. Semen-virile was given in oblation. Even moistening was given in oblation.
You may ask about the logic of the repetition of each sentence twice. Answer is simple. Value of both who died on the side of Husain and those who survived and were chained and carried away from city to city is being told. Both groups suffered hardships to the equal extent. Both remained without water, both saw the departure of their near and dear ones. While thirst, mental and physical tortures ended for those who got killed, they still continued for those who survived. Yet none of the two groups succumbed to the wish of Yazid, which was to inflict so much of hardships that they would break down. Twice this wish was described in the previous two mantras. It has been used once for those who were killed and once for those who survived, and were subsequently chained and carried away to Damascus. Therefore, the sentences are repeated to make us remember the importance of the sacrifices of those who died and also the importance of sacrifices of those who survived in Husain’s camp. As Yajnavalkya once said, ‘where there is duality, one sees the another.’
Now see RDS’s translation of verse 11:
Take nourishing diet for physical exertion, for lofty adventure, for concerted effort, for endeavour by different organs, for enterprise, for physical and mental purity, for contemplative soul, for expounding nice ideas, and for spiritual power.
This is the translation by RDS when the true meaning is as follows:
Their arrival itself was oblation. Their departure itself was oblation. All their actions of the world were renounced and given in oblations. Separation from near and dear ones was oblation. All their food was given in oblation. Their grief/sorrows were given in oblations. Their cleanliness was given in oblation. Purification (particularly by the death of relatives) of these people was given in oblation. All the sorrow/grief/lamentation was given in oblation.
Do we need to give any further proofs!

1 comment:

Naved Ali said...

Subhan Allah and Jazak Allah brother!


An excellent piece of work brother


Try to make the page more interesting by including pics etc so that one may not feel monotonous during the Reading!


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Kh n T/c bro