Some Very Interesting Vedic Insights About Water
Just as water is a Devata, it is also an important concept in the Vedas. It has a lot of significance beyond the physical water we see.
By water, what is referred to is the primordial water that remains after pralaya. The physical water that we see is a near equivalent of the primordial water, with most of its properties.
अम्बयो यन्त्यध्वभिर्जामयो अध्वरीयताम्
पृञ्चतीर्मधुना पयः
The fourth sukta in the first kanda of Atharva Veda starts like this.
Amba means mother – the mother of the universe. Obviously, it is from the primordial water that the universe originated. So, she is the mother of the universe.
These waters — mostly used in plural throughout the Veda, not in singular as water — plural, waters – आपः, अम्बयः.
These waters come to the yajamana who is going to perform adhwara.
Adhwara means yajna, the somayaga.
They come to him and help him in the yaga as his जामयः — his own sisters.
How do they help him?
By imparting liquid property — their sweet quality — to the dravya-s used in the yajna like soma rasa, ghee.
Without water giving them their liquid nature, they cannot be used in the yajna.
So, they are like the yajamana’s sisters helping him with this task.
This is an insight — water is our mother because we came from water.
Water is our sister because she helps us in everything, in so many ways, by imparting liquid nature to fluids.
We should remember this.
If we are drinking a cup of coffee today, it is because water has imparted liquid nature to it.
If blood circulates in our body, it is because water — Mother Water, Sister Water — has imparted fluidity to it.
If there is water reaching your home through pipelines making it available for drinking, bathing, cooking, washing — it is because of its liquid nature.
This is why we treat water as a Devata, a Goddess — helping us in every way, being part of our day-to-day life.
अमूर्या उप सूर्ये याभिर्वा सूर्यः सह
ता नो हिन्वन्त्वध्वरम्
They come to us from the heaven, from Surya Mandala, in the form of rains.
Waters stay close to the Sun — Surya Deva.
May they make this yajna of ours successful.
अपो देवीरुपह्वये यत्र गावः पिबन्ति नः
सिन्धुभ्यः कर्त्वं हविः
We call out to holy and divine waters to come and fill our rivers and lakes, where our cows go for drinking, and also help us with this yajna.
Without them — without them imparting liquid nature to materials — there cannot be soma rasa, or ghee, or cooked offerings for the yajna.
Waters are being addressed as सिन्धवः स्यन्दनशीलाः — of flowing nature, of liquid nature.
अप्सु अन्तरमृतमप्सु भेषजम्
अपामुत प्रशस्तिभिरश्वा भवथ वाजिनो गावो भवथ वाजिनीः
Water has immortality in it — because amrita emerged from water, Ksheera Sagara.
So amritatva was originally in water.
All the herbs — medicinal herbs — they won’t survive without water.
Whenever rains start, you will see the green plants suddenly springing up.
Who is making them alive? Water.
So, the medicinal power, the healing power within herbs is also provided by water.
Water has great healing power — both directly and indirectly when acting through herbs.
May waters make all of you healthy and strong.
May waters make our horses strong and fast.
May waters make our cows healthy and may they produce a lot of milk.
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