Spiritual Authority and Temporal Power in the Indian Theory of Government c2.s1.7

c2.s1.7

It is only the actual iconography of Brahmā that is late, as is the Buddha's. In being "lotus-born" and therefor *padmāsana*, Bṛhaspati is still the Agni sprung from the "lotus" in RV. VI. 16. 13, and "Vasiṣṭha the child of Mitrāvaruṇau, the Sacerdotium (*brahma*) born of Manas and Urvaśī, whom the Viśve Devāḥ supported in the lotus," RV. VII. 33. 11, where the equation of Mitra with Manas and Varuṇa with Urvaśī (f.) may be remarked. Vasiṣṭha, the Sacerdotium, is assuredly the Bṛhaspati who in RV. VIII. 96. 13-15 "assumes a body in the womb of Aṁśumatī" and enables Indra to overcome his godless foes "with Bṛhaspati as yoke-fellow" (*bṛ́haspátinā yujā́*). We see now why Vasiṣṭha should be Indra's instructor (in the *virāj*, of which "he who gets the most becomes the chieftain," *śreṣṭhaḥ*), and why formerly none but a Vāsiṣṭha (descendant of Vasiṣṭha) becomes a *brahmā*, i. e. "a Bṛhaspati" (ŚB. XII. 6. 1. 38-41). RV. VII. 33. 14 *yuddhyata* addressed to Indra and his "Bulls" (Maruts) corresponds to BG. II. 18 *yuddhyasva* addressed to Arjuna. In RV. V. 48. 5 Varuṇa "enduing the fair garment and operative with his tongue" (*jihvā́yā . . . ṛñjate cā́ru vásānaḥ*), i. e. Varuṇa proceeding as Agni the Priest "with his purifying ladle" (*pāvakáyā juhvā̀*, RV. VI. 11. 2), is already, like the iconographic Brahmā, "four-faced" (*cáturanīkaḥ*), Agni, the *brahmā* of RV. IV. 9. 4 and VII. 7. 5, himself explicitly "four-sighted" (*caturakṣáḥ*) in RV. I. 31. 13, which is rightly understood by Sāyaṇa to mean "facing towards the four directions."