The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c7.s2.129

c7.s2.129

The hymns of the *Ṛgveda* are far from giving to the wind as much of importance, as they give to the fire or even to the waters. They, however, invite him to the sacrifice and sometimes even before all other gods as in the *Ṛgveda*, I, 134, 6 (where it is called *ápūrvya*, ‘without precedent’), but herein we should see nothing more than an example among thousands of the constant habit of the Vedic *ṛṣis* to invoke each god turn by turn as the most eminent, indeed as the unique one.¹ Actually, Indra, for example, with whom Vāyu is conjointly invoked several times (I, 2, 4-6; I, 23, 3, etc.), is quite often placed in the first rank and he also, twice, is called ‘without precedent’ (VIII, 21, 1; 78, 5) whereas elsewhere it is Agni (III, 13, 5) who receives this epithet. It remains nevertheless true that his cosmic importance, although rarely celebrated, is clearly recognised and highly proclaimed. The hymn X, 168 of *Ṛgveda* describes Vāta as the ‘king of the entire universe’ (*viśvasya bhuvanasya rājā*, verse 2), ‘the first-born taking part in the order’ (*prathamajā ṛtāvā*, verse 3), ‘the soul (or breath) of the gods, the embryo of the universe’ (*ātmā devānām bhuvanasya gárbho*, verse 4). The last words of the hymn, *tasmai vātāya haviṣā vidhema*, ‘to that wind we should render homage by means of an oblation’, are like an answer to the question of the well-known hymn to the unknown supreme god (8, 121), *kásmai devāya haviṣā videhma*, ‘to which god do we render homage by means of an oblation?’ Elsewhere Vāta is again the soul (*ātman*) of Varuṇa (VII, 87, 2), the sovereign god of the Order, of *ṛta*. Again Vāyu is elsewhere invoked (VIII, 26, 21) as the master of *ṛta* (*ṛtaspati*) and protects ‘by the *dharman*’, an equivalent of *ṛta* (I, 134, 5).