History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.165

v7.c95.165

It must be conceded that a clear statement about the doctrine of karma and punarjanma is absent from the whole of the Ṛgveda. Ṛg. VII. 33 is an important hymn. The first nine verses are spoken by Vasiṣṭha about his sons. Verses 10-14 refer to Vasiṣṭha²⁴⁹⁸ himself and are either attributed to his sons or according to another view are part of a dialogue with Indra. The verses are mythological, mystical and rather difficult to explain. Verse 10 refers to one birth of Vasiṣṭha when the gods Mitra and Varuṇa saw him reaching the refulgence of lightning and it is said that Agastya brought him (Vasiṣṭha) to the people. Here the words ‘ekam janma’ indicate that another janma of Vasiṣṭha is intended in this hymn. Verse 11 refers to Vasiṣṭha as born of Mitra and Varuṇa from Urvaśī and states that all the gods placed him in *puṣkara* (either antarikṣa or lotus); verse 12 is important for the metaphorical and mystical statement that wishing to weave the cloth stretched by Yama, Vasiṣṭha was born from Urvaśī. Verse 13 refers to the seed cast in a pitcher by the two (Mitra and Varuṇa) from the midst of which arose (Agastya) and from which also Vasiṣṭha was born. Verse 14 is addressed to Pratṛds (the Tṛtsus according to Sāyaṇa) and calls upon them to wait upon (or honour) Vasiṣṭha who would be coming to them (for performing sacrifice. This, it seems, is the second birth of Vasiṣṭha.