Shri Aurobindo says about R̥bhus ,as follows;
The Ribhus, it has been suggested, are rays of the Sun. And it is true that like Varuna, Mitra, Bhaga and Aryaman they are powers of the solar Light, the Truth. But their special character in the Veda is that they are artisans of Immortality.
They are represented as human beings, who have attained to the condition of Divinity by power of knowledge and perfection in their works. Their function is to aid Indra in raising man towards the same state of divine light and bliss which they themselves have earned as their own divine privilege.
The names of the three Ribhus are, in the order of their birth, Ribhu or Ribhukshan, the skilful Knower or the Shaper in knowledge, Vibhwa or Vibhu, the Pervading, the self-diffusing, and Vaja, the Plenitude.
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More than 5 Hymns were addressed in Rig Veda to R̥bhus and their deeds are mentioned in almost all the Hymns. They are:
· They created the two fallow bay horses of Indra
· They made a chariot, sometimes identified as the chariot of the Aśvins
· They took a soma cup made by the Tvaṣṭar and fashioned it into four cups
· They fashioned a cow, or made a cow give milk, or carved up a cow
· And lastly, they rejuvenated their aging parents
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Some commentators gave their opinion on the above deeds of R̥bhus of the Rig Vedic period, as their possessing the knowledge of Cloning Technology and some ascribed to their artistic craftsmanship.
However, if we analyse their deeds in spiritual perspective we will get a different picture. I am preferring the spiritual perspective to the deeds of R̥bhus.
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The Three (3) R̥bhus were humans but elevated to the level of divinities and they must be considered as Gurus to all humans, who are pursuing spiritual path.
It is interesting to note that R̥bhus were praised in Rig Veda by rishis like medhātithi kāṇva, gṛtsamada śaunaka, Viśvāmitra Gāthina, Vāmadeva Gautama, Vasiṣṭha Maitrāvaruṇi, etc.
It indicates that R̥bhus had existed much earlier to those rishis.
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The following Riks present the deeds of R̥bhus.
य इन्द्राय वचोयुजा ततक्षुर्मनसा हरी । शमीभिर्यज्ञमाशत ॥
ya indrāya vacoyujā tatakṣur manasā harī | śamībhir yajñam āśata ||
English translation:
Those who fashioned for Indra with mind the two fallow bays yoked by speech, they attained the sacrifice through their labors.
तक्षन्नासत्याभ्यां परिज्मानं सुखं रथम् । तक्षन्धेनुं सबर्दुघाम् ॥
takṣan nāsatyābhyām parijmānaṃ sukhaṃ ratham | takṣan dhenuṃ sabardughām ||
English translation:
They fashioned for the Nāsatyas (Aśvins) an earth-circling, well-naved chariot; they fashioned a juice-yielding milk-cow.
तद्वो वाजा ऋभवः सुप्रवाचनं देवेषु विभ्वो अभवन्महित्वनम् । जिव्री यत्सन्ता पितरा सनाजुरा पुनर्युवाना चरथाय तक्षथ ॥
tad vo vājā ṛbhavaḥ supravācanaṃ deveṣu vibhvo abhavan mahitvanam | jivrī yat
santā pitarā sanājurā punar yuvānā carathāya takṣatha ||
English translation:
Your greatness became well proclaimed among the Divinities, o Vājas, R̥bhus, and Vibhūs: that you fashion your parents as youths for them to keep going, even though they were enfeebled, worn out by age.
एकं वि चक्र चमसं चतुर्वयं निश्चर्मणो गामरिणीत धीतिभिः । अथा देवेष्वमृतत्वमानश श्रुष्टी वाजा ऋभवस्तद्व उक्थ्यम् ॥
ekaṃ vi cakra camasaṃ caturvayaṃ niś carmaṇo gām ariṇīta dhītibhiḥ | athā deveṣv
amṛtatvam ānaśa śruṣṭī vājā ṛbhavas tad va ukthyam ||
English translation:
You divided the single cup into four; out of a cowhide you made a cow to flow (milk) by your insights. So then you attained immortality among the Divinities by your obedience, o Vājas, R̥bhus: that is your praiseworthy (attainment).
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Spiritual explanation of the deeds of R̥bhus.
1) R̥bhus created the two fallow bay horses of Indra
It was mentioned that "two fallow bay horses", , the divine steeds pull the chariot (Ratha) of Indra. "Fallow" means a pale, yellowish-brown, and "bay" is a reddish-brown colour.
Esoterically, the two fallow bay horses of Indra indicate the strength and celerity of the Illuminated MIND of the spiritual practitioner.
R̥bhus creating the two fallow bay horses of Indra indicates that during their spiritual practices their ILLUMINATED MINDs got strength and celerity, due to which their practice paced quickly towards goal.
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2) Fashioning the chariot of the Aśvins
Shri Aurobindo says about Aśvins, as follows:
“The Aśvins like the other gods descend from the Truth consciousness, the Ritam. They are lords of bliss, śubhaspatī; their chariot or movement is loaded with the satisfactions of the delight of being in all its planes; they bear the skin full of the overflowing honey; they seek the honey, the sweetness, and fill all things with it. They are therefore effective powers of the Ananda which proceeds out of the Truth-consciousness and which manifesting itself variously in all the three worlds maintains man in his journey.”
In the Rig Veda, the Aśvins (the divine twin horsemen) are intrinsically linked to Ushas, the feminine divinity dawn. They are described as her constant companions or even her brothers, trailing just behind her or riding alongside her to herald the light.
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R̥bhus making the chariot for Aśvins indicates that when R̥bhus reached their culmination point in spiritual journey, the hazy light of DIVINE BLISS appeared in the form of Ushas, followed by DIVINE happiness overflowing with honey, Aśvins. The swiftness of DIVINE happiness is called the chariot, esoterically.
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3) Transformation of the single sacrificial ladle into four cups
The esoteric transformation of the single sacrificial ladle into four cups by the Rbhus symbolizes a practitioner's spiritual evolution, from grasping only ONE (the surface) level of speech/ consciousness - Vak (out of total four levels of speech), to experiencing the remaining three levels of speech remain hidden (Rig Veda 1.164.45).
Rig Veda 1.164.45 states that speech (Vak) is measured in four quarters. The first three are hidden in the cave of the heart (the subconscious and higher spiritual layers), while ordinary humans only speak the fourth.
The act of making four cups signifies the practitioner's internal awakening to fully comprehend these profound, hidden layers of divine speech.
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4) Creating a Cow from a Cow's Hide:
R̥bhus act of creating a cow from a cow’s hide is not meant literally, but rather as a metaphor for unveiling the essence of reality.
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Cow as Aditi: The cow represents Aditi, the infinite mother, the boundless consciousness from which all arises.
Illusion (Māyā): The hide symbolizes the covering—the illusion that the material world is the ultimate reality.
Spiritual Practice: As one progresses spiritually, the illusion is gradually stripped away, revealing the true nature of existence.
Supreme Consciousness: At culmination of the spiritual practice, the seeker realizes that what seemed fragmented and transient is actually the all-pervading unity of Aditi.
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R̥bhus creating a Cow from a Cow's Hide indicate esoterically that the person practicing spirituality will have an illusion in the beginning that physical transient world is REAL, which in fact is not. As the spiritual practice reaches its culmination, the ILLUSION, which is a part of ADITI, is got rid off and the SUPREME CONSCIOUSNESS, ADITI is experienced.
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5) R̥bhus making aged parents young again
This indicates esoterically a spiritual aspirant, who had lost sight of universal consciousness (Aditi), and had been under illusion of Diti (separateness).
Diti is the mother of an illusioned MIND and EGO ridden mind is one's father. When spirituality reaches its culmination, Illusion and EGO ridden mind disappear and all pervading, ageless Aditi (universal mother) and AGNI/BRAHMAN (father) appear.
This can be co-related to Rig veda 1.24.2, which directs the spiritual aspirant to pray to AGNI, who will take one to ADITI. And, through Aditi, the spiritual seeker once again experiences the true, unfallen Father and Mother—representing the ultimate realization of universal consciousness, unburdened by Diti.
