Why Water Purifies
There is a set of Veda mantras which give a lot of insight into water, nature of water, divinity of water. Once you understand these, you will know why water is divine, why it can purify, why holy rivers purify.
Water is a female deity, often addressed in the plural, as a group. आपमापां...... we acquire water from various sources, again and again, both from here on earth and from up, the heaven: आपमापाम्, अस्मादस्मात्, इतोऽमुतः
May water be purified with the help of Devatas – Agni, Vayu and Surya. वायव्श्वा..... Vayu is water’s horse because it is Vayu that carries around the rain clouds. Vayu is their vehicle.
रश्मिपतयः – water is controlled by sunrays. Water evaporates and becomes rain clouds because of sunrays. Rain also happens by the action of sunrays. Rain is a temperature-driven phenomenon. And water is मरीच्यात्मानः – the atma of water is sunrays. And water is अद्रुहः – not causing harm to anyone, desiring welfare of everyone.
Water is भुवनसूवरी – the preraka shakti behind every being. Without water, no living being can survive, move about, do things. Water is addressed as Devi because of its purity and brilliance.
पुत्रवत्त्वाय मे सुत – may water bless me with progeny.
महानाम्नीः – famous, described by various great names, signifying various aspects. महामानाः – highly respected. महसो महसः स्वः – for each Devata, water is offered in a certain form according to the mode of worship.
पर्जन्यसूवरी – moved about by Lord Parjanya in the form of rain clouds. As bhuvanasoovari, she is the preraka shakti of all living beings and as parjanya soovari, her preraka shakti is Parjanya, the form of Surya Deva responsible for evaporation of water, formation of rain clouds, and also occurrence of rains.
अश्न्युष्णिम्....... अष्न्युष्णिमपा रक्षः – Whenever fire destroys something useful, water only extinguishes such fire, thus giving protection. Water protects from Rakshas – evil forces also. Veda talks about a kind of negative force. This evil force tries to obstruct Surya, light, knowledge. You can consider it as ignorance or evil knowledge.
At the time of Sandhya Vandana, when water is thrown up towards the sky chanting Gayatri Mantra, these drops of water become like vajrayudha and chase away this negative force. That’s how water protects.
रघं – fire or heat can destroy the body in the form of fevers. It is water that protects the body through rehydrating it. And the cause of all diseases is one’s own papas. Water can wash away papa. Water only gives energy to the body. If you are thirsty and tired, water can revitalize your body.
अप देवीरितो....... May water remove all our papas.
वज्रं देवीः……… Indra’s vajrayudha is the thunderbolt. Where does it happen? At the rain clouds. So, who has put it there? Water, meaning the rain clouds. Indra’s vajrayudha is for destruction of the evil and protection of the good. And water is the carrier of Indra’s vajrayudha. Not only Indra, water only prompts all the sons of Aditi – that means all the Devas – and Aditi herself towards the protection of those on earth.
शिवा नः....... Water has a lot of medicinal value. Healing power. दिव्या आप ऒषधयः – water is like divine medicine. May water accord all comforts and happiness to us.
सुमृडीका........ Oh Devi Saraswathy, may the sky be covered with these oshadhis, meaning rainclouds. It means may there be sufficient rains always.
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