Sambodhi 1975 Vol 04

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 26

Harsh Narain
arranged vertically, as subjoined from lower up: (1) The dark world of the earth (pythvi) (2) The intermediate, and transparent world of the firmament (antariksa) (3) The bright world (Dyo)27.
This cosmic trilogy is variously designated, such as:
24
Pithe
(earth)
Antarikşa (firmament)
Bhur (earth) Bhuvas
(firmament)
Madhyama
(middle)
Avam
(low)
Aram (low) Madhyama
(middle)
Ut (high)
Ut-tara
(higher) Ayam lokaḥ Antariksa (this world) (firmament)
Dyo | Idam (this) Svapna-sthana Paraloka(solar world) | (dream land) sthāna or Sandhya- (word
1
sthana (midd- beyond) 33
Svar
(heavens) 28 |
Ul-tama | Matr
(highest) 29
(mother)
Parama | Manuşya(extreme)30 loka (world Ut-tama of men)
(highest) | Mitra Asau lokaḥ | Praṇa (yonder | Sam-rat world) sa
ling world) -
Bhraty
(brother)
Pitr-loka
(world of
manes)
Payasya
Anna
Vi-rat
Pitt (father)84
Deva-loka
(world of
gods)85
Varuna
Apānas
Sva raţ37
The three worlds constitute the three strides taken by Visnu, as the Rg Veda would have it,38
Incidentally, the three worlds are themselves devided into three sub-worlds each,39 generally speaking.40 The triads connected with fire and the cosmos are believed to be the most ancient of the Vedic triads.
Now, in the Vedas, term 'rajas' is also used in the sense of firmament, over a dozen times. Therefore, the cosmic trilogy of the Vedas is also expressible as: Prthim (earth) Rajas (firmament) Dyo (solar world).
This 'rajas' appears to have been a connectiug link between the cosmic trilogy and the guna-trilogy of tamas, rajas, and sattva.
Well, the earth is coares, inert, dark; firmament represents activity and energy characteristic of the air and the heavenly bodies; and the solar world is all light, Such a consideration seems to have, to some extent or other, been responsible for the suggestion of the principles of darkness (tamas), energy (rajas), and light (sattva), styled guna-s. This point will receive further elucidation in the sequal.
The connection of the triplicity of worlds with that of the thrown into further relief by the statements, occurring in several scriptural guna-s is texts, to the effect that sattva tends upwards, rajas remains in the middle, and tamas tends downwards.49
The Vedic deities are also divided into three, corresponding to the threefold division of the cosmos. So, fire is assigned to the earth, the air