Was Heavenly incest mentioned in Sanatana Dharma?

 

Sukta 10.61 contains 27 Riks/verses and these Rig Vedic 3 verses (10.61.5–7) were preceded by 4 verses and followed by 20 more Riks/verses.

The Myth/story of Heaven’s incest with his daughter, Dawn, which was attributed to the 3 verses (10.61.5–7), has roots in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, followed by similar concocted story of lust of Brahma towards his own mind-born daughter Śatarūpā (शतरूपा), available in Matsya Purana.

Sāyaṇācārya, a 14th-century Sanskrit Mimamsa scholar from the Vijayanagara Empire and made available a complete translation of Rig Veda, might have taken clue from Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa and Matsya Purana, while providing a general and weak translation to the 3 verses (10.61.5–7) in question.

Subsequent translators (Western as well as Indian) of Rig Veda followed the suit, without understanding the esoteric meaning, and provided a wrong translation of these Rig Vedic 3 verses (10.61.5–7), as the Myth/story of Heaven’s incest with his daughter, Dawn. And, some translators omitted translation of the these 4 verses altogether, for the reasons better known to them.

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There was considerable time gap between the periods of Rig Veda and that of Brāhmaṇas, wherein the composers of that time period, in my opinion, tried their best to provide an explanation to the Veda, but failed in some areas.

The Myth/story of Heaven’s incest with his daughter, Dawn, which was attributed to the 3 verses (10.61.5–7), is one such failed area of the composers of Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa.

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This Sukta 10.61 should be studied taking the 4 preceding Riks/verses, ie., 10.61.1–4, into consideration for having a better understanding of the issue in question, rather than in isolation of the remaining verses in the Sukta.

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According to my understanding, this Myth of Heaven’s incest with his daughter, Dawn was propagated by the composers of Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, Matsya Purana, and by the translators of Rig Veda, including Sāyaṇācārya and others, without understanding the esoteric/spiritual meaning of these Rig Vedic 3 verses (10.61.5–7).

Though Arya Samaj translations are available, their translations are not satisfactory.

Shri Aurobindo did provide a spiritual oriented translation to some selected Hymns, but had not covered the entire Rig Veda. He did not provide translation to Rig Vedic 3 verses (10.61.5–7), which are the source for the Myth/story of Heaven’s incest with his daughter, Dawn.

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I am reproducing the Rig Vedic 3 verses (10.61.5–7), along with the English translation of the same, provided by Stephanie W. Jamison and Joel P. Brereton. And, supplemented with the first misunderstood myth that appeared in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa.

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Rig Veda 10.61.5

प्रथिष्ट यस्य वीरकर्ममिष्णदनुष्ठितं नु नर्यो अपौहत् । पुनस्तदा वृहति यत्कनाया दुहितुरा अनुभृतमनर्वा ॥

prathiṣṭa yasya vīrakarmam iṣṇad anuṣṭhitaṃ nu naryo apauhat | punas tad ā vṛhati yat kanāyā duhitur ā anubhṛtam anarvā ||

He whose (penis,) which performs the virile work, stretched out, discharging (the semen)—(that one,) the manly one, then pulled away (his penis, which had been) “attending on” (her). Again he tears out from the maiden, his daughter, what had been “brought to bear” on her—he the unassailable.

Rig Veda 10.61.6

मध्या यत्कर्त्वमभवदभीके कामं कृण्वाने पितरि युवत्याम् । मनानग्रेतो जहतुर्वियन्ता सानौ निषिक्तं सुकृतस्य योनौ ॥

madhyā yat kartvam abhavad abhīke kāmaṃ kṛṇvāne pitari yuvatyām | manānag reto jahatur viyantā sānau niṣiktaṃ sukṛtasya yonau ||

When what was to be done was at its middle, at the encounter when the father was making love to the young girl—as they were going apart, the two left behind a little semen sprinkled down on the back and in the womb of the well-performed (sacrifice).

Rig Veda 10.61.7

पिता यत्स्वां दुहितरमधिष्कन्क्ष्मया रेतः संजग्मानो नि षिञ्चत् । स्वाध्योऽजनयन्ब्रह्म देवा वास्तोष्पतिं व्रतपां निरतक्षन् ॥

pitā yat svāṃ duhitaram adhiṣkan kṣmayā retaḥ saṃjagmāno ni ṣiñcat | svādhyo 'janayan brahma devā vāstoṣ patiṃ vratapāṃ nir atakṣan ||

When the father “sprang on” his own daughter, he, uniting (with her), poured down his semen upon the earth. The gods, very concerned, begat the sacred formulation, and they fashioned out (of it?) the Lord of the Dwelling Place, protector of commandments.

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Satapatha Brahmana I.7.4

1. Prajāpati conceived a passion for his own daughter,--either the Sky or the Dawn. 'May I pair with her!' thus (thinking) he united with her.

2. This, assuredly, was a sin in the eyes of the gods. 'He who acts thus towards his own daughter, our sister, [commits a sin],' they thought.

3. The gods then said to this god who rules over the beasts (Rudra), 'This one, surely, commits a sin who acts thus towards his own daughter, our sister. Pierce him!' Rudra, taking aim, pierced him. Half of his seed fell to the ground. And thus it came to pass.

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Now, I will provide my understanding of the issue in question.

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A) The esoteric Riks/verses of Rig Veda can be interpreted from the point of view of an individual spiritual seeker also.

I) According to sages,

• The names of various Gods, viz., AGNI, INDRA, SARASWATI, RUDRA, USHA, etc, that appear in Rig Veda are not physical gods, but epithets of the formless DIVINE FORCE or BRAHMAN.
• They are MASCULINE and FEMININE forces of the formless DIVINE FORCE or BRAHMAN
• Thus, there cannot be any incest between MALE and FEMALE Gods, as they are only DIVINE FORCES.
• Every individual will have a DIVINE light/ECSTASY/BRAHMAN hidden within oneself, though the individual may not be aware of it.
• The emotional attachments/feelings, viz., love, jealousy, anger, avarice, etc, are hindrances in an individual, which will conceal the DIVINE LIGHT and will not allow one to experience the DIVINE LIGHT
• After undergoing spiritual practices, when the spiritual journey of an individual is about to be completed, ie, when all emotional hindrances have been overcome (i) some DIVINE forces will help the individual concerned, (ii) a hazy DIVINE light will be experienced, (iii) followed by experiencing a splendorous DIVINE LIGHT, (iv) This splendorous DIVINE LIGHT will be experienced off and on, and when finally it got stabilised, (v) a permanent DIVINE ECSTASY will be experienced.

II) The Ṛṣis of Rig Veda, who experienced the DIVINE ECSTASY, conveyed their spiritual experiences by composing Riks in the Rig Veda in esoteric manner. Sometimes, these Riks contain indirect hints to the spiritual seekers while progressing in SPIRITUALITY.

III) The emotional attachments/feelings, viz., attraction towards opposite sex, love, jealousy, anger, avarice, etc, are hindrances in an individual, which were called Vṛtra/vala/panis, etc.

IV) The concealed/dormant DIVINE light when enshrouded with emotional attachments/feelings, viz., love, jealousy, anger, avarice, etc, is called Ratri and when freed of them is called Uṣa.

V) It is interesting to note that both Ratri (Rig Veda 10.127.8) and Uṣa (Rig Veda 1.48.1) are called daughter of the heaven - duhitar divaḥ.

VI) The Ṛṣis of Rig Veda named the DIVINE forces as Aśvins. They are called divo napātā - children of heaven (Rig Veda 10.61.4). They are twin divine powers, whose special function is to perfect the nervous or vital being in man in the sense of action and enjoyment.

VII) The a hazy DIVINE light was called Uṣa or the dawn, while the splendorous DIVINE LIGHT is called Sūrya/Savitṛ, etc. The DIVINE ECSTASY is called SOMA/BRAHMAN.

VIII) Normally, appearance of Uṣas will be preceded by the appearance of Aśvins (Rig Veda 1.46.14).

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B) Now, let us understand Rig Vedic 3 verses (10.61.5–7), along with the preceding 4 verses, ie., Rig Veda 10.61.1–4, in the background of the spiritual ideas already provided above.

I) Rig Veda 10.61.1–4

• Aśvins were invited to the yajña. And, Uṣa will make appearance, as mentioned above, soon after Aśvins make their appearance.
• In Rig Veda 10.61.4, Uṣa makes her appearance. However, presence of Ratri was also mentioned here - kṛṣṇā yad goṣv aruṇīṣu sīdad divo napātāśvinā huve vām.
• Here, kṛṣṇā (Dark) indicates Ratri , goṣv aruṇīṣu - ruddy cows indicates Uṣa (Dawn) or hazy light
• We have to remember that when Ratri (passions in the individual) fades out (weakening), then Uṣa (Dawn) transmits her light

II) Rig Veda 10.61.5

The crucial issue involved here is kanāyā duhitur - maiden, the daughter.

kanāyā indicates a virgin. If understood in esoteric sense, it indicates the virgin state of the mind of the individual. The mind is virgin till then, because it has not experienced the DIVINE light so far.

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Undoubtedly, Sūrya/Savitṛ is involved here. However, the daughter is not Uṣa (Dawn), as many translators wrongly assumed. The daughter is Ratri, as she is also called duhitar divaḥ - daughter of the Heaven.

It indicates overpowering of Ratri by her father.

That was the esoteric expression of the Ṛṣi nābhānediṣṭha mānava.

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Similar expression was used by Ṛṣi śyāvāśva ātreya in Rig Veda 5.81.4.

uta yāsi savitas trīṇi rocanota sūryasya raśmibhiḥ sam ucyasi |

uta rātrīm ubhayataḥ parīyasa uta mitro bhavasi deva dharmabhiḥ ||

Shri Aurobindo’s translation:

And thou reachest, O Savitri, to the three luminous heavens; and thou art utterly expressed by the rays of the Sun; and thou encompassest the Ratri (Night) upon either side; and thou becomest by the law of thy actions the lord of Love, O God.

“Encompass Ratri (Night) upon either side” basically means “to cover completely”.

Another heavenly incest? No.

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If understood in esoteric sense, it indicates overpowering Ratri, representing the ignorance/passion enshrouded state of mind.

It indicates that when spiritual practice reached its end, Sūrya/Savitṛ pushes away the ignorance or Ratri, ie., the DIVINE LIGHT existing in the individual will be awakened.

III) Rig Veda 10.61.6

Again if understood in esoteric sense, it indicates, while pushing away Ratri, the individual come into contact with Uṣa (Dawn).

Here, retas not only indicates semen, but also flow (of energy).

And, the Uṣa (Dawn) will make way for Sūrya/Savitṛ. And, this happens within oneself . And, the virgin state of the mind(of the individual) starts experiencing the DIVINITY.

IV) Rig Veda 10.61.7

The expression svādhyo 'janayan brahma devā - the Devas (the DIVINE FORCES) fashioned out BRAHMAN in this verse, indicates that after Sūrya/Savitṛ following Uṣa (Dawn) and coming into with the virgin state of the mind(of the individual), the individual starts experiencing SOMA or BRAHMAN.

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Thus, if understood in esoteric sense, it is about a PURE SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE, and no HEAVENLY INCEST is involved here.