The Seasons Are Behind Life On Earth - Says Veda
Can there be life on a planet where there is no climatic variation, where there are no seasons?
No, says the Veda.
Veda considers climatic variations according to seasons or months as the creative force itself. Prajapati, the creative god or power, is the year itself, the seasons themselves.
Before getting into the details in the Vedas, let’s look at a simple logic. How do rains occur? Because there is summer. In the heat of the summer, water gets evaporated, becomes clouds, and then it rains. Suppose summer is not there, then there are no rains, no life on earth. Water is essential to life.
Suppose summer doesn’t stop—throughout the year it is summer—then everything burns and dies.
So, it is the seasonal fluctuations that are behind the vast variety of flora and fauna.
In the poles, where the seasonal changes are just twice a year—six months of summer and six months of winter—you don’t see this vast variety of life. In cold countries, the flora and fauna are different. In hot countries, they are different.
Seasons or the seasonal changes through the year are at the very foundation of creation and sustenance.
आदित्याज्जायते वृष्टिः वृष्टेरन्नं ततः प्रजाः
— says Manu Smriti.
Seasons occur due to the north-south movement of the sun. According to the Vedas, moon also plays a role in this. From that, rains occur. From rains, food. And from food, life.
There is no life without food.
शरद् हेमन्तः शिशिरः ते पितरः
Veda says your progenitors, your forefathers, are the seasons, the ritus. They are behind your very existence, your very birth.
The ऋ in ritu stands for continuous movement, perpetual movement. Seasons keep on moving. Never stop.
Basically, if you see, the seasons are based on heat or temperature. Seasons are based on Agni Tatwa.
तऽऋतवोऽग्निमब्रुवन्
Because of this, in yajnas, before everything else, ahuti is offered to the ritus. They are of the form of Agni only. They are a kind of Agni.
ऋतवोऽथो प्रजननं
एतददितिस्तदूर्ध्वं प्रजननं दधाति
Ritus are responsible for procreation. Ritus are themselves procreation—responsible for procreation on earth.
The power of procreation in the seasons is because of the Agni Tatwa present in them in varying quantities as the seasons progress in a cycle.
Among the three seasons:
एतास्त्रिः पुरा जायन्ते वसन्ता प्रावृषि शरदि
During Vasanta, Varsha, and Sharad ritus, plants and herbs come out, take birth.
ऋतवः समिद्धाः प्रजाश्च प्रजनयन्त्योषधीश्च पचन्ति
It is the varying temperatures during the seasons that cook the food, which are the plants—
Which prepare the food in the plants—
Which, being at the top of the food chain, are responsible for both procreation and sustenance of life.
अहमृतूनां कुसुमाकरः
Says Bhagawan in the Geeta. Among the seasons, He is Vasanta.
The year starts with Vasanta Ritu—mid-February to mid-April.
प्राणं तस्माद्रूपादग्नेर्निरममीत
वसन्तः प्राणायनः
Agni, as the life-producing energy, resides in the plants during Vasanta. From ‘vasti’ (residing), comes the name Vasanta. The two months of Vasanta are Madhu and Madhava.
The months are named differently in the Vedas. The months where you get to see flowers all around and can smell the fragrance of honey is Vasanta.
The next season is Greeshma (summer), mid-April to mid-June.
The months are Shukra and Shuchi.
Shuchi—named from शोषयिता सलिलानाम्—dries up water.
Both Shukra and Shuchi are from this ‘shoshana’ or drying-up nature of summer only.
The next season, Varsha or rainy season, has two months—mid-June to mid-August.
Nabha and Nabhasya.
न सूर्यो भाति — the sun doesn’t shine during these months.
The months of Sharad are Isha and Urja—mid-August to mid-October.
इदन्नं ऊर्क् तद्रसः —
‘Isha’ is food and ‘Urk’ is its essence, the energy.
This is in abundance during Sharad Ritu.
The months of Hemanta are Saha and Sahasya.
सहते अभिभवतीति सहः —
Subjugates, attacks with cold wind.
Hemanta is mid-October to mid-December.
Then comes Shishira—mid-December to mid-February.
The months are Tapa and Tapasya.
Vegetation is damaged, like it is burned—
But burned with cold.
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