pachai maamalai pol mene

Saturday, April 09, 2011

devoted conjugal bliss

इहैव स्तं मा  वि यौष्टं
विश्वं आयुर् व्यश्नुतम्।
क्रीळन्तो पुत्रैर् नप्त्रुभिर्
मोदमानो स्वे गृहे
ऋग्वेदं १०-८५-३७
ihaiva staṁ mā  vi yauṣṭaṁ
viśvaṁ āyur vyaśnutam|
krīḻanto putrair naptrubhir
modamāno sve gṛhe
ṛgvedaṁ 10-85-37

This is a very sweet and beautiful mantra of benediction to the newlyweds..found in the Rigvedam.. 
This I remember to have quoted earlier along with a large number of vivaahamanthras and in that process the unique greatness of this simple couplet got omitted to be highlighted.

The married couple  are blessed by the elders that  they should live on this earth perfectly wedded together for long period (for the whole of the lifetime), never should they get separated  either in body or mind, 
 they should live the whole of the life as prescribed in the Vedas, 
and their life should be a saga of fun and frolic, 
enjoying themselves playing with their own sons (children) and grandchildren all living together in a household   which is their own.

The lofty idea of the strong fabric of family forged together is unique for us...first the couple should not separated for a lifetime, and they should live in extreme joy with blessed longevity (implying perfect health.)  
They should be in the happy company of sons and grandsons all living under one roof.
What a beautiful picture...
The primordial Veda is capable of blessing all the people, and being the godhead of eternal truth, such best wishes would be enjoyed naturally by all.

The Indian psyche cannot conceive multiple marriages and flirting in the simple vedic life.
(may be the situation was not exactly same in the later puranic times, where the Kshatriyas would marry as many times as possible...example are Dasaratha and Arjuna and even that god in cowherd form, Krishna) 
 but even in these modern days of nuclear families we can feel the safety and security in the company of a thatha or paatti, appa and ammai, self and wife, brothers and their families, and the sons and daughters.  If one's life is full of step-parents, step grandparents, half-siblings etc..at least even for the contemporary Indians life would look very odd.

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