History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.6

v5.c71.s1.6

*Ṛta* had a threefold aspect It means ‘the course of nature’ or ‘the regular and general order in the cosmos’; with reference to sacrifice it means ‘the correct and ordered way of the cult of the Gods’, and thirdly, it also means the ‘moral conduct of man’. A few passages to illustrate these three aspects of ṛta may be cited here Ṛg. IV 23 8–10 are³ three verses in which the word ṛta occurs no less than twelve times and which breathe the all-pervading influence of ṛta throughout the universe ‘Plentiful waters (or riches or gifts) belong to ṛta, the thought (or laudation) of ṛta destroys crooked acts (sins), the brilliant and rousing hymn of praise to ṛta pierces the benumbed ears of man The props of ṛta are firm, its (physical) manifestations are many and lovely for the sake of the body (i e man) Through ṛta they (people) desire food The cows (sun’s rays) entered ṛta by ṛta He who wins over ṛta acquires it For the sake of ṛta (heaven) and earth are wide and deep, the two highest cows (i e Heaven and Earth) yield milk (desires or rewards) for the sake of ṛta ’ Some other passages are. ‘The Sindhus (rivers) follow the ṛta of Varuṇa’ (ṛtaṃ sindhavo Varuṇasya yanti, Ṛg. II 28 4), similarly Ṛg I. 105 12 (ṛtamarsanti sindhavaḥ), The wheel of ṛta (i e the year) revolves round the sky with twelve spokes (dvādaśāram . .. varvarti cakram pari dyām-ṛtasya, Ṛg. I 164 11), 'the dawn, the daughter of heaven, correctly follows the path of ṛta ... ...' ('ṛtasya panthānam-anveti sādhu', Ṛg I 124 3); the young woman (Uṣas) does not destroy (or come in the way of) the light of ṛta (Ṛg I 123 9); the sun is the bright and lovely face of ṛta (Ṛg VI. 51. 1. 'ṛtasya śuci darśatam-anīkam); 'the path of ṛta became united with the rays' (Ṛg. I 136 2); 'when exhilarated by drinking this (Soma) Indra released for the sake of ṛta the concealed host of cows' (Ṛg. I. 121 4, probably a reference to drought and subsequent rainfall).