Rgvedaa (rig-veedaa) voisi kai sanoa "hindujen"
vanhaksi testamentiksi. Tavallisimmin se jaetaan
10 maNDalaan, jotka sisältävät (wikin mukaan) yhteensä 1028
suuktaa eli hymniä (su-ukta = hyvin "sanottu" tahikka
resitoitu).
Yksi mageimmista hymneistä on mielestäni
ekan maNDalan 164. suukta. Sitä kutsutaan tuttavallisesti
asya-vaamasya-suuktaksi, koska se alkaa sanoilla "asya
vaamasya". Se koostuu 52 Rca'sta (ritshasta)
eli säkeistöstä, joista valtaosassa runomitta on triSTup,
elikäs neljä yhdentoista tavun säettä.
Asya-vaamasyan "näkijä" eli RSi (rishi) on nimeltään
Diirghatamas (diirgha-tamas), jonka voisi kai suomentaa
sanaparilla "pitkä pimeys", koska D. oli kaiketi syntymästään
asti sokea.
Asya-vaamasya on aika kryptinen. Luku seitsemän (sapta) esiintyy siinä
useita kertoja. Tässä malliksi muutama värssy alusta:
(en viitsi ryhtyä editoimaan tuota tekstiä juuri nyt,
joten muutamat UTF -erikoismerkit jäävät tulostumatta)
asya vāmasya palitasya hotustasya bhrātā madhyamo astyaśnaḥ |
tṛtīyo bhrātā ghṛtapṛṣṭho asyātrāpaśyaṃ viśpatiṃ saptaputram ||
sapta yuñjanti rathamekacakrameko aśvo vahati saptanāmā |
trinābhi cakramajaramanarvaṃ yatremā viśvā bhuvanādhitasthuḥ ||
imaṃ rathamadhi ye sapta tasthuḥ saptacakraṃ sapta vahantyaśvāḥ |
sapta svasāro abhi saṃ navante yatra ghavāṃ nihitā sapta nāma ||
ko dadarśa prathamaṃ jāyamānamasthanvantaṃ yadanasthā bibharti |
bhūmyā asurasṛghātmā kva svit ko vidvāṃsamupa ghāt praṣṭumetat ||
pākaḥ pṛchāmi manasāvijānan devānāmenā nihitā padāni |
vatse baṣkaye.adhi sapta tantūn vi tatnire kavaya **otavā** u ||
acikitvāñcikituṣaścidatra kavīn pṛchāmi vidmane na vidvān |
vi yastastambha ṣaḷ imā rajāṃsyajasya rūpe kimapi svidekam ||
iha bravītu ya īmaṅgha vedāsya vāmasya nihitaṃ padaṃ veḥ |
śīrṣṇaḥ kṣīraṃ duhrate ghāvo asya vavriṃ vasānā udakaṃ padāpuḥ ||
mātā pitaraṃ ṛta ā babhāja dhītyaghre manasā saṃ hi jaghme |
sā bībhatsurgharbharasā nividdhā namasvanta idupavākamīyuḥ ||
yuktā mātāsīd dhuri dakṣiṇāyā atiṣṭhad gharbho vṛjanīṣvantaḥ |
amīmed vatso anu ghāmapaśyad viśvarūpyaṃ triṣu yojaneṣu ||
tisro mātṝstrīn pitṝn bibhradeka ūrdhvastasthau nemava ghlāpayanti |
mantrayante divo amuṣya pṛṣṭhe viśvavidaṃ vācamaviśvaminvām ||
Kuten huomaamme, keskivaiheilla esiintyy sana "otava".
Muinais-intiassa (vedic) ja sanskriitissa se tosin lausutaan
lähes aina "ootava". Se tarkoittaa tuossa käännöksen mukaan
'verkkoa'. Myös suomen kielessä "otava" tarkoittanee
joskus tietynlaista (kalastus-)verkkoa...
Ralf Griffith'in käännös:
1. OF this benignant Priest, with eld grey-coloured, the brother midmost of the three is lightning.
The third is he whose back with oil is sprinkled. Here I behold the Chief with seven male children.
2 Seven to the one-wheeled chariot yoke the Courser; bearing seven names the single Courser draws it.
Three-naved the wheel is, sound and undecaying, whereon are resting all these worlds of being.
3 The seven who on the seven-wheeled car are mounted have horses, seven in tale, who draw them onward.
Seven Sisters utter songs of praise together, in whom the names of the seven Cows are treasured.
4 Who hath beheld him as he sprang to being, seen how the boneless One supports the bony?
Where is the blood of earth, the life, the spirit? Who may approach the man who knows, to ask it?
5 Unripe in mind, in spirit undiscerning, I ask of these the Gods' established places; For up above the yearling Calf the sages, to form a web, their own seven threads have woven.
6 I ask, unknowing, those who know, the sages, as one all ignorant for sake of knowledge,
What was that ONE who in the Unborn's image hath stablished and fixed firm these worlds' six regions.
7 Let him who knoweth presently declare it, this lovely Bird's securely founded station.
Forth from his head the Cows draw milk, and, wearing his vesture, with their foot have drunk the water.
8 The Mother gave the Sire his share of Order: with thought, at first, she wedded him in spirit.
She, the coy Dame, was filled with dew prolific: with adoration men approached to praise her.
9 Yoked was the Mother to the boon Cow's car-pole: in the dank rows of cloud the Infant rested.
Then the Calf lowed, and looked upon the Mother, the Cow who wears all shapes in three directions.
10 Bearing three Mothers and three Fathers, single he stood erect: they never make him weary.
There on the pitch of heaven they speak together in speech all-knowing but not all-impelling.
Mahdollisille kiinnostuneille koko litania löytyy täältä:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv01164.htm
