The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c10.34

c10.34

The Rig-Veda (1. 164) contains a hymn which is nothing but a collection of fifty-two verses of poetry, all of them, except one, riddles whose answers are not given. There can be little doubt that the occasion upon which these riddles were let off was the same as with those just cited, namely, the sacrifice. The subjects of these riddles are cosmic, that is, pertaining to the nature phenomena of the universe; mythological, that is, referring to the accepted legends about the gods; psychological, that is, pertaining to the human organs and sensations; or, finally, crude and tentative philosophy or theosophy. Heaven and earth, sun and moon, air, clouds and rain; the course of the sun, the year, the seasons, months, days and nights; the human voice, self-consciousness, life and death; the origin of the first creature and the originator of the universe—such are the abrupt and bold themes. Here figures also (stanza 46) that seemingly precocious statement which contains the suggestion, symptomatic for all future Hindu thought, namely, that above and behind the great multitude of gods there is one supreme personality; behind the gods there is that "Only Being" of whom the gods are but various names—πολλῶν ὀνομάτων μορφὴ μία: