Shraddha Chauhan and Fatah Singh
17E/257, Nandanvan, Chaupasani, Jodhpur(India) 342008
email: vedastudy@yahoo.com
Nahusha, the son of Manu,happens to be the seer of Rigvedic mantras 9.101.7-9 :
Ayam Puushaa rayir bhagah somah punano arshati. Patir vishvasya bhuumano vyakhyad rodasee ubhe.Samu Priyaa anuushata gaavo madaaya ghrishvayah. Somaasah krinvate pathah pavamaanaas indavah. Ya ojishthas-tamaa bhara pavamaan shravaayyam. Yah pancha charshaneerabhi rayim yen vanaamahe.
Earlier three mantras(9.101.4-6) happen to be of seer yayaati, the son of Nahusha. Nahusha is desirous of such a soma which is the controller of all happiness and is the most powerful. Nahushah word is actually a transformation of the word Nahuh which is derived from the root Nah. The element Manu tries to bond together personal intelligence, mind and five sense organs. He gradually reaches from Nahuh to Nahustar, then leaves all these seven and then declares himself as Nahushah, the killer of the seven(Rigveda 10.49) :
Aham saptahaa nahusho nahustarah praashraavayam shavsaa turvasham yadum. Aham nyanyam sahsaa sahaskaram nava vradhato navatim cha vakshyam.
This Nahusha is actually Indrah Vaikunthah who is the god of Rigveda 10.47 and is both seer and god for Rigveda 10.48-50. According to one anecdote (Brihad Devataa 7.49 and Rigveda 10.47 Sayana Bhashya), the lady Vikunthaa made hard penances to get a progeny equivalent to Indra, hence she got a son like Indra. It is heard about Vaikunthaa Indra that in the beginning, he destroys demons, but gradually he gets influenced with demonical powers and starts to obstruct divine work( Brihad Devata 7.49-57).
This gives us a picture where there is a continuity of the duality of Sat and Asat or divine and non divine. At this level is required the penance for going from Nahusha to Nahustara. In a way, it is the path of leaving non divine individuality and reaching to a central point or Naabhi. The duty of a Nahusha type individual is to control all the bodily defects and then control the pranic progeney. It can be said that Nahus is related in the beginning to the gross body. Proceeding from multiplicity of the gross body towards integrity gives rise to the birth of Nahusa the Indra. This nahusha the Indra is able to penetrate the seven abodes of seven top pranas (Rigveda 10.99.7) :
Sa nritmo nahusho asmat sujaatah puro abhinad arhan dasyuhatye.
And he helps in development of ninety nine abodes of Shambara( Actually, Mahendra, and not Nahusha, destroys 99 abodes of demons) (Rig.1.122.10) :
There is one more quality of Nahusha mentioned in Rigveda 1.122.10.
Adha gmanta nahusho havam suureh shrotaa raajaano amritasya mandrah. - - - - - -Etam shardham dhaam yasya suureh ityavochan dashatayasya nanshe
Here shardham is symbolic of some higher state of a crowd. The purpose of nahusha is to control all the bodily defects so that these may be able to offer oblations to gods. These controlled progeny have been called at other places as maanushee vishah.
Even after reaching the higher stage of development, Nahusha could not attain the stage of Indra, the husband of Shachee. Hence, in the anecdote of Nahusha in Puranas, there is a fall of Nahusha who tries to make Shachee her wife. Actually, Shachee is the name of a big power of the highest god or parbrahman. The godly power Shachee is attainable for every person by the gesture of God. She is the power of not only her husband Indra, but of every other person also. Still, she can not remain confined to a particular individual. Though Indra the god can reside in every individual body sea of consciousness as a seer of atman, but her Shachee wants to get integrated only with his infinite form. On the other hand, though Nahusha has attained human qualities, he is still bound to his own individuality. Thus, though Nahusha is symbolic of higher state of humanity or higher state of mind(Manu), he is not highest.
NAHUSHA IN VEDIC GLOSSARY
In vedic glossary of terms, all the terms which are symbolic of man or human qualities, happen to exist in their plural form. It seems as if Nahushah is a singular form, but actually this also happens to be a plural form. This is clear from the following mantra(Rigveda 10.80.6) :
Agnim visha eedate maanusheeryaa agnim manusho nahusho vijaataah.
Here the human progeny are said to have taken birth in different forms by the names of Manushah and Nahushah. Hence, along with manushah, nahushah is also to be taken as a plural word. Nahushah is a plural of Nahus. That is why there is reference in Rigveda of Nahushee vishah, just like Manushee vishah.
Shraddha Chauhan
Vedic Exploration of Human Personality ( In Hindi). (Gaveshnaa Prakashan, 17E/257, Nandanvan, Chaupaasani, Jodhpur, India, 3420008). Price Rs.225/-
The above write up is an English language sample of the numerous writings of elderly vedic scholar Dr. Fatah Singh.
नहुष
मनु तत्त्व का एक रूपान्तर नहुषः मानवः है जो वेद के कतिपय मन्त्रों का ऋषि माना गया है । वह ऐसे सोम का इच्छुक है जो विश्वस्य भूमनः पतिः तथा ओजिष्ठतम पवमान है । नहुषः शब्द वस्तुतः णह(नह) से निष्पन्न नहुः का एक रूपान्तर है । अहंबुद्धि, मन और पञ्च ज्ञानेन्द्रियों के सन्नहन के लिए प्रयत्नशील मनु तत्त्व नहुः से क्रमशः नहुष्तर होता हुआ अन्त में इन सातों का परित्याग करके स्वयं को सप्तहा नहुषः घोषित करता हुआ कहता है –
अहं सप्तहा नहुषो नहुष्टरः प्राश्रावयं शवसा तुर्वशं यदुम् ।
अहं न्यन्यं सहसा सहस्करं नव व्राधतो नवतिं च वक्षयम् ।। - ऋग्वेद 10.49.9
यह नहुष वस्तुतः इन्द्र वैकुण्ठ है जो ऋग्वेद 10.47 का देवता तथा ऋग्वेद 10.48- 50 का ऋषि और देवता दोनों है । वैकुण्ठ इन्द्र विकुण्ठा नामक असुर स्त्री के गर्भ से जन्म लेने वाला है । सम्बन्धित आख्यान के अनुसार विकुण्ठा ने इन्द्र सदृश पुत्र की कामना से कठोर तप किया, अतः इन्द्र उसके गर्भ से उत्पन्न हुआ । - - - - - जो महत् अक्षर है, वह देवत्व और असुरत्व के द्वन्द्व से परे है । परन्तु अवर मह्त् में देवत्व और असुरत्व का द्वन्द्व रहता है । इसी द्वन्द्वात्मक स्थिति का संकेत हमें निरुक्त के इस कथन में प्राप्त होता है जिसमें देवों और असुरों को एक पिता की संतान बताते हुए प्रजापति के सु पक्ष से देवों की और असु पक्ष से असुरों की उत्पत्ति बताई गई है । यही दृष्टि वैकुण्ठ इन्द्र के जन्म की कथा में प्राप्त होती है । तपश्चर्या से पूर्व की अशिवा विकुण्ठा जब तप द्वारा शिवा हो जाती है तो उसके गर्भ से इन्द्र का जन्म होता है । वैकुण्ठ इन्द्र के विषय में प्रसिद्ध है कि प्रारम्भ में तो वह असुरों का विनाश कर उनके सिंहासन पर अधिकार करता है, किन्तु शीघ्र ही आसुरी प्रभाव से दर्पित होकर वह देवों को बाधा पहुंचाने लगता है ।
इस प्रसंग में अर्थवादी आवरण को दूर करके देखें तो हमें मानव व्यक्तित्त्व का वह चित्र दृष्टिगत होता है जिसमें सत् और असत् अथवा देवत्व और असुरत्व के द्वन्द्व की निरन्तरता रहती है । इसी स्तर पर नहुष से नहुष्तर की साधना का प्रारम्भ होता है । इस साधना में कोई व्यतिक्रम उत्पन्न न हो, इसलिए पूर्वोल्लिखित नाभाक साधना अपेक्षित होती है । इसका आचरण कर मनुष्य अन्ततोगत्वा नाभानेदिष्ठ बन जाता है । इसका संकेत ऋग्वेद 10.124.2 में प्राप्त होता है जहां अग्नि अपने आसुरी सख्य को छोडकर नाभि की ओर जाने की घोषणा करता है । लेकिन यह उसी समय सम्भव होता है जब मनुष्य अपनी अहंबुद्धि, मन और पञ्च ज्ञानेन्द्रिय रूपी गायों को एकीभूत कर योगस्थ हो । इसी का प्रतीक वह सप्तगु ऋषि है जो आसुरी माया से प्रभावित वैकुण्ठ इन्द्र को पुनः देवत्व के मार्ग पर लाने में समर्थ माना जाता है । इसी ओर संकेत करने वह मन्त्र है जिसमें वैकुण्ठ इन्द्र स्वयं को नहुष(अधिक सन्नहन करने वाला) सिद्ध करता हुआ घोषणा करता है कि मैंने अपने बल से तुर्वश – यदु को आश्रय दिया तथा एक – एक को सबल करके वर्धनशील निन्यानबे(99) को वर्धित किया –
अहं सप्तहा नहुषो नहुष्टर प्राश्रावयं शवसा तुर्वशं यदुम् ।
अहं न्यन्यं सहसा सहस्करं नव व्राधतो नवतिं च वक्षयम् ।।
नहुष के साथ सन्नहन( बांधने हेतु) बोधक शर्ध(समूह) पद का प्रयोग इसी दृष्टि से किया गया प्रतीत होता है । वस्तुतः नहुष अपेक्षाकृत अधिक सन्नहनशील सामूहिकता से युक्त (शर्धस्तर) अथवा शर्धधाम है । अतः नहुष व्यक्तित्व का कार्य देहगत समस्त दुरितों को नियन्त्रित करके प्राण रूप विशः का निरोध करना और उन्हें बलिहृत रूप में प्रस्तुत करना है । इन्हीं नियन्त्रित विशः को अन्यत्र मनुषः नहुषः नामक विविध रूप से उत्पन्न मानुषी विशः कहा गया है । दूसरे शब्दों में, नहुस् का सम्बन्ध प्रारम्भ में स्थूल शरीर से होता है । स्थूल शरीर के अनेकत्व को संगृहीत कर एकत्व की ओर अग्रसर होने पर ही नहुष इन्द्र का जन्म होता है जो दस्युवध करने के लिए सप्त – शीर्षण्य प्राणों के साथ सप्त पुरों का भेदन और निन्यानवे शम्बर पुरों का वर्धन करता है ।
विकास की उच्चतर स्थिति प्राप्त करने के उपरान्त भी नहुष व्यक्तित्व वह इन्द्र नहीं जो शचीपति बन सके । अतः पुराणों में प्राप्त नहुषोपाख्यान में शची को अपनी पत्नी बनाने के लिए प्रयत्नशील नहुष का पतन दिखाया गया है । वस्तुः शची परब्रह्म की महाशक्ति का नाम है । इसलिए वह व्यष्टिगत नहुष(नहुषो नहुष्टरः) की सम्पत्ति बनकर नहीं रह सकती । वह तो सञ्जया है । अपनी श्रेष्ठता का उद्घोष करती हुई शची ऋग्वेद 10.159.2 में कहती है –
अहं केतुरहं मूर्धारहमुग्रा विवाचनी ।
ममेदनु क्रतुं पतिः सेहानाया उपाचरेत् ।
शची का यह कथन सत्य है, क्योंकि शचीपति इन्द्र तो शम्बर के पुरों को भी विदीर्ण करने वाला है जिनका वर्धन नहुष इन्द्र करता है । - - - - परमेश्वर रूपी इन्द्र प्रत्येक देहगत चेतना सरोवर में तो आत्मन्वी यक्ष रूप में रह सकता है, परन्तु उसकी शची केवल उसके असीम और अनन्त रूप से एकाकार हो बोल उठेगी –
उदसौ सूर्यो अगादुदयं मामको भगः ।
अहं तद्विद्वला पतिमभ्यसाक्षि विषासहिः ।। - ऋग्वेद 10.159.1
नहुष मानवत्व प्राप्त करके भी मनुष्य का अहंकेन्द्रित व्यक्तित्व इदं मम को ही अपना सर्वस्व मानता है , अतः वह ब्राह्मी शक्ति शची पर अपना एकमात्र अधिकार चाहता है । चित्तवृत्तियों के निरोध द्वारा सन्नहन में प्रवृत्त होकर भी जो अहंता विद्यमान रहती है, उसको नियन्त्रित करने के लिए अग्नि को आयु के नहुष पक्ष का विश्पति तथा इळा को उसके मनुष पक्ष की शासिका बनाना आवश्यक है, तभी मन के सन्नहन से होने वाला संयम ज्ञानाग्नि द्वारा नियन्त्रित हो सकेगा ।
वैदिक निघण्टु में नहुषः और मनुषः
नहुष शब्द के एकवचन रूप (नहुस्) पर नहुष मानव के प्रसंग में चर्चा हो चुकी है । मनुस् के मनुषः रूप के समान इसका भी नहुषः रूप मूलतः बहुवचनान्त ही रहा होगा, जैसा कि निम्नलिखित मन्त्र से स्पष्ट होता है –
अग्निं विश ईळते मानुषीर्या अग्निं मनुषो नहुषो विजाता । - ऋग्वेद 10.80.6
यहां विशः मानुषीः को ही मनुषः और नहुषः नाम से भिन्न – भिन्न रूपों में जन्मा हुआ(विजाताः) कहा गया है । अतः मनुषः के साथ नहुषः को भी बहुवचनान्त मानुषी विशः का बोधक मानना होगा । नहुस् के इस बहुवचनान्त रूप नहुषः को ही विकल्प से मानुषीः विशः के अनुकरण पर नाहुषी विशः कहा गया है । अतः सिद्ध होता है कि निघण्टु के मनुष्यनामानि में परिगणित नहुषः शब्द भी मनुष्याः आदि के समान बहुवचनान्त ही है ।
Vipin Kumar and Radha Gupta
A brief introduction to puranic view of Nahusha is presented here. A beauty(named Ashokasundari) has been born out of eternal tree or kalpa vrksha ( Padma Purana 2.102 ). A demon named Hunda wants to acquire that beauty. But the beauty says that she is destined to be the wife of Nahusha, the son of Aayu. Hunda the demon tries to destroy child Nahusha on his birth, but somehow, child reaches in the hands of seer Vashishtha and he brings him up. He names the child Na-hush because he did not smile on being glorified by gods. Nahusha destroys demon Hunda. Subsequently, when Indra had to go in hiding for some reason, Nahusha was enthroned in place of Indra, the god king. Nahusha desires to acquire queen Shachee who is a chaste woman. Shachee cleverly demands that if he comes to her seated on a chariot drawn by seven rishis, she can become his queen. Nahusha does the same and when rishis are unable to carry him properly, he exhorts them by saying srip, srip, or go, go. On this, sage Agastya out of rishis curses Nahusha to become a sarpa or snake and that he will be able to regain his normal form only when he has discussions with some saintly figure. Subsequently, Nahusha the snake catches Bhima out of five Pandavas for his food and Yudhishthira manages to speak to Nahusha the snake, ask him questions and also answer his questions( Mahabharata Vana parva 178). First, Yudhishthira tells the qualities of a brahmin – truth, donation or giving, nonviolence, sweet speak etc. Then Yudhishthira asks Nahusha which one is better out of truth and donation or between nonviolence and sweet speaking. The answer given by Nahusha is that it depends on circumstances. Moreover, Yudhishthira defines that at present, nobody is brahmin by birth, but even a low caste can attain brahminhood by his deeds, by purification . In response to a question from Nahusha, Yudhishthira answers that what is worth to be known is a state of self where there is neither happiness nor sorrow and one should try to reach that state. Then Yudhishthira asks Nahusha how to proceed to heaven, what type of deeds are required for going there and in response, Nahusha states 3 types of proceeds – either he can be a god, or man or a lower beast. One who is devoted to action, can proceed to anyone out of these three. But what is desirable is that one should establish his soul in the eternal expansion, and that can be done only when one has become unattached to the consequences of his deeds. Yudhishthira asks him what is the place of settlement of sound, touch, form etc, why one does not receive all of these simultaneously at one time. Nahush answers that it is the senses, knowledge, mind and intelligence which carry the information to soul which really enjoys the five subtle elements sound etc. . When mind gets employed by intelligence in one element, soul is not able to receive information. But there is one way, and that is to circumvent intelligence and reach to a higher state of intelligence which can give a feeling of knower to the soul Then Yudhishthira asks him the superior characteristics of mind and intelligence.
The above puranic description of Nahush throws some light on the hidden facts about Nahusha. One, praises of Nahusha are sung by gods when he reaches in the hands of seer Vashishtha. Then, as is well known from the thinking of recent vedic scholars, Vashistha is symbolic of evolution in a vertical direction, while Agstya symbolizes evolution in a horizontal direction. Vertical evolution may be interpreted as the achievements of an individual which may lead to his seclusion from worldly pleasures. The horizontal evolution may be called as his return to worldly pleasures, but in a changed form, where he is unattached with these. And the discussion of Mahabharata seems to present the same facts.
The puranic fact of Nahusha being brought up by Vashishtha has also been corroborated in some sense by other vedic references also. Brihad Devta 6.46 refers that King Naahushah approached different rivers to receive their waters for his Yagna, but all the rivers told him in negative and suggested to approach Sarasvati river. Naahushah approached Sarasvati, pleased her with his praises and got his desirables. Subsequently, Vashishtha composed the praises of Naahusah in his verses which appear in Rigveda 7.95-96 and reference to Naahushah in these appears in 7.95.2.
Regarding the recitation of words srip by Nahusha and becoming a snake by curse, the movement of planets earth etc. is called sarpana in puranic literature. This sarpana or movement can be confined in our body to nerve currents which may start at one place and finish at another, without completing a full cycle. The spread in horizontal direction can be completed only when one’s consciousness revolves around some center, like planets. What is the real meaning of sarpana in the anecdote of Nahusha, is yet to be explored.
Regarding the interpretation of word Nahusha, one interpretation has been offered by Vashishtha in puranas that one who is not affected by happiness or sorrow, is Na – hush. The other interpretation can be attempted on the basis of the root Ghudi which means ringing of the bells. One who is free from the enjoyment can be called Na-ghush or no sound. This interpretation also seems to get support from the utterances of Nahush to Yudhishthira. In lower sense, Na-ghush can be said to be one who has attained the heights in his penance, but has not been able to spread his happiness in horizontal direction(Ghosh or naad ).
There is a story in Mahabharata Anushasan parva 94.28 in relation to the theft of lotuses of sage Agastya. On this, Nahusha swears that
Atithih griha samstho astu kaamvrittastu deekshitah. Vidyaam prayachchtu bhrito yaste harati pushkaram.
Here the fact of a guest being confined to only home may be interpreted in different ways . One interpretation is that somebody comes as a guest and becomes the owner of the house by force. The other interpretation is that in Soma yaga, soma is purchased and it is placed in the vedi and is treated only as a guest, one who may come by chance and not regularly. This is not touched and special penance is performed to be able to offer this soma to gods as oblation ( In vedic literature, one task of Nahusha is to compel demonical powers to offer oblation to gods).
In Mahabharata Anushasana parva 51, there is a story that Chyavana rishi was making penance under water when fishermen caught him along with fishes. Then Nahusha buys Chyavana at the cost of a cow. The same story has been repeated in puranas in the name of Nabhaga buying seer Aapastamba from the fishermen. This indicates that there may be a relation between the qualities of Nahusha and Naabhaaga . This relation has rightly been elaborated in the published book of Dr. Shraddha Chauhan .The task of Nahusha is to protect the process of what seeps from the highest state of human being, which is called the state of trance or samadhi, or golden treasure. This requires that one like Nahusha is efficient in both the processes – in going to trance and coming back from there.
There can be a simple interpretation of the story of Nahusha. Nahusha is a state of mind which is firmly established in trance or samadhi. Nahusha is the son of Aayu. Aayu is a state where all the layers or koshas of the human development have been bonded together. If these layers like lowest layer of gross matter or Annamaya kosha, higher layer of mind or manomaya kosha, highest layer of trance etc. are not bonded together, one’s mind can not be in a rest state in trance. Then, important son of Nahusha is Yayaati. The main part of word Yayaati is yati, going. This indicates the act of an established mind in going towards worldly objects and enjoy them. The five sons of yayaati may be symbolic of the different states his different layers of individuality, out of which only Puuru proves to be of help to him. This Puuru may be symbolic of one who fulfills the desires, the highest state or golden treasure of human being.
The eternal tree in the story of Nahusha is supposed to provide exactly what is desired from it. In spiritual sense, if one wants to fulfill his desires without help from outside, one has to improve his retention power(Dharanaa) to a large extent. The beauty which appeared from eternal tree may not be important, but the type of beauty- Ashoka, where there is no sorrow – is important in context of Nahusha.
The above write up is a sample of the topics being covered in Hindi language by the authors under the guidance of Dr. Fatah Singh. For further readings, one can go through the following published books:
1.Puraan Vishaya Anukramanika from A to E(Puranic Subject Index with vedic commentaries)
(Radha Gupta, J-178, HIG Colony, Indore, India, 342011) Price Rs.70/-
(Published with financial assistance from Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi)
2.Puraan Vishaya Anukramanika from EE to U(Puranic Subject Index with vedic commentaries)
(Parimal Publications, 27-28, Shakti Nagar, Delhi – 110007)Price Rs.140/-
(Published with financial assistance from Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan)
3. Purano me Vedic Sandarbh(Vedic References in Puranas)
(Parimal Publications, 27-28, Shakti Nagar, Delhi – 110007)Price Rs.50/-
(Published with financial assistance from Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan)
4. Puranic Subject Index from A to M
(Parimal Publications, under print)