Upamanyu Realizes an Important Truth About Food

We will continue to look at Ashwins, which we have been doing in the past two episodes. We may not get an opportunity to do this in detail otherwise. Since this context has come up in Mahabharata, let’s do it as much as we can.

We saw the importance and several characteristics and qualities of Ashwins. Understand one thing here — how much importance Mahabharata has given to Vedic Gods. Whom did Dhaumya ask his shishya Upamanyu to pray to? To Ashwini Devas, to regain his lost eyesight.

Some ignorant indologists say that Puranas and Itihasas replaced Vedic Gods. It is not so. The Putrakameshti of Dasharatha was a Vedic ritual, not a standalone Puranic ritual. Ashwamedha preceded Putrakameshti, which is 100% Vedic ritual. Where is the question of replacement?

Yes, Puranas and Itihasas have given a lot of simple forms of worship also. But they are all based on Vedas only. They are nothing new or novel. Puranas are just Vedic principles simplified — not another religion or another system.

Now some more — Ashwins are also looked at as:

• Heaven and Earth

• Surya and Chandra

• Day and Night

The vyapanasheela, that they permeate everything, is there during both day and night — as light during day and mist (mist does not mean the visible mist; the coolness is what is meant here) during night.

We also saw that the time of Ashwins is just before sunrise, when light and darkness are mixed together in equal proportion. They have to be given offerings in yajna in the morning — not later. But their invocation can happen at other times also.

Dasra and Naasatya are the individual names of Ashwins, and together they are called Ashwins. Just like Surya, they also keep on travelling through the sky and complete one round in a day. This can be compared to how sunrise happens — sunrise travels from east to west (if you forget the standard time). Sun rises in Mumbai one hour after it rises in Kolkata. This way the event ‘sunrise’ travels. Since the time of Ashwins is just before sunrise, they also complete one round of the earth from the sky in 24 hours.

Another function of Ashwins is chasing away evil forces. They are rakshohas — slayers of evil forces. Evil forces here mean the rakshasas who consider it their dharma to cause obstruction of yajnas.

Ashwins are quick to act, quick to give relief from distress. Upamanyu cannot afford to remain in that well with no vision for long. He can’t do tapas for years to regain eyesight. That’s why his guruji recommended that he pray to Ashwins, because they are very quick in answering prayers. Veda says they come fast to help, to give relief. Of course, they are the physicians also — bhishajau — particularly important in eyesight.

This legend of Rijashwa we have already seen.

These are all mantras from Rigveda showing their power to restore eyesight. In Mahabharata, Upamanyu says Ashwins are as beautiful as two golden birds. The two golden birds occupying the tree — that is the body of the man. Reference here is to the mantra:

'द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परि षस्वजाते
तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्ति अनश्नन्नन्यो अभि चाकशीति'

Also found in Rigveda, Shvetashvatara and Mundaka Upanishads.

If we start speaking on these, even after 100 years we are not going to reach the other end of Mahabharata. So let’s stay focused on Ashwins for the time being.

Ashwins as the pair represent the Jeevatma and Paramatma pair. They are in possession of various methods of sadhana for spiritual upliftment. They ensure success for the worshiper.

Using day and night as threads, they weave the cloth called the year. Being associated with the movement of the sun, they are also responsible for the timekeeping of the world. The living beings are under the firm grip of time — the division of time into past, present and future — the experience of past, present and future. Ashwins are capable of giving relief from this grip.

There are 360 cows who have a common single calf. The 360 cows are the 360 days, and the calf is the year. This calf is the producer and destroyer of everything. As years grow, a tender child becomes a strong man; as years further grow, he again becomes weak. The years create and destroy everything. Empires were created, built over years — they perish also after years.

The intelligent man accesses the cows — the days of the year — milks them by the various timely rituals prescribed by the Vedas and obtains the milk that is tattwa jnana, pure knowledge.

Upamanyu describes Kalachakra, which comprises of 720 spokes — 360 days and 360 nights. Karma is generated by the rotation of this chakra. Upamanyu prays — please take me out of this chakra. All awareness of directions and time — they are under the control of Ashwins.

They are only the makers of all combinations of medicines. They always wear garlands made of lotuses — Pushkarasrajau. They always stand for and support honesty and truthfulness.

Now that Upamanyu is cleared of all dishonesty — Dhaumya pointed out all his mistakes. He was not intentionally committing wrong; he didn’t know that he was doing wrong. The guru pointed out, and he corrected himself. Ashwins, being gods of truth, should be ready to help him now.

Upamanyu, having been forced to deprive himself of food continuously, also realized one truth about food. Food only goes inside and becomes sperm in man and ovum in woman. Food only joins together and becomes foetus. That foetus grows with the help of food that the mother consumes. The child that is thus born starts looking for the milk of the mother — which is again food.

Food is the thread that goes inside everything, passes through everything, and keeps this universe as a single unit and its components bound to each other. Now Upamanyu has got this tattwajnana — 'Annam Brahmeti Vyajanat.' Annam is Brahma. The created world is Brahma manifested as Annam — food.

Now that he has understood this, his eyesight should be restored so that he can carry on with his day-to-day life. We have already seen how Ashwins restored his eyesight and how Dhaumya also blessed him with complete knowledge of Vedas and Shastras.

Such important gods — it’s a pity that we hardly know about them.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi