Angirasa (अङ्गिरसः)

Angirasa (Sanskrit : अङ्गिरसः) or Angira (Sanskrit : अङ्गिरः) is associated with several vedic and puranic individuals. Descendants of Angirasa are called Aangirasa (आङ्गिरसः), who are credited with the darshana of many Rig vedic mantras.

परिचय || Introduction

The different references to Angirasa are presented in different texts as follows

• Angirasa is a rishi (or sage) who, along with Sage Atharvana, is credited to have formulated most of the fourth Veda called Atharva Veda. Alongside, the episodes of Angirasa have also been mentioned in the Rig, Sama, and Yajur Vedas.
• Angirasa, a rishi who undertook the upasana of important pranas of the body. Hence the main prana is thought of as Angirasa by rishis. (chandogya upanishad).
• Angirasa has also been referred to as one of the seven sages or Saptarshis of the first Manvantara with others. His wife’s name was Surupa. He had three sons namely Samvartana, Utatya, and Brihaspati (Aangirasa) who, along with Sage Atharvana, is credited to have formulated most of the fourth Veda called Atharva Veda.
• Angirasa is one amongst the ten Brahma Manasaputras, i.e. sons born by mere thought or manas, of Lord Brahma. Upon Brahma’s desire, through his wife Shraddha, Angirasa begot seven sons: Brihat Keerti, Brihat Jyoti, Brihat Brahma, Brihan Manas, Brihan Mantra, Brihat Bhanu, Brihaspati. He also had daughters namely Bhanumati, Raka, CineeVali, Mahishmati, Guhu, Mahamati , Archishamati and Yogasiddhi. ( Mahabharata)
• Angirasa the son of Ulmuka and younger brother of Anga who is a King. It is said that Anga married Suneedha while Angirasa got married to Smriti, the daughter of Daksha prajapati.
• Angirasa is closely associated with agni, being born from sacrificial fire of Varuna: "Varunasya Rutoujatahpawakadity nah shrutam" (Mahabharata 1.5.8).
• Angirasa is identified with Agni:

यदंग दाषुशे त्वं, अग्ने भद्रं करिष्यसि ।

तदैतद् सत्यमङ्गिरः॥ (Rig-Veda 1.1.6)

• References to Kutsa Angirasa, Sapta Angirasa, Uru Angirasa and Prabhavasu Angirasas are seen in different mantras of Rig veda.
• As mentioned in the Rig-Veda (10.108), Angirasa is the one to whom Indra presents all the cows after freeing them from the captivation of Asura named Vala and several other asuras called the Panis.

Textual References

• Rk Samhita : Sri Sayanacharya's explanation refers to Angirasa as one who traverses with great speed.  

“unganthi gachanthi ittangiraso ganthara” (Rk Samhita, 1.100.4)

• Nirukta : Yaskacharya's explanation is connected to the appearance of Angirasa.  

“angaresu angiraha angaraha ankanaha anchanaha” (Nirukta 3.17)

He was born from the “retas” or the semen of Brahma and it was blazing like cinder and then first Aditya appeared and then Angirasa. Even for agni there is a word called "Angaraha" meaning one which creates an impression “anka” or sign. Similarly Angirasa also means: one who creates a lasting impression in others.  

• Brahmana : Taitriya Brahmana explains Angirasa as those who are like the cinder or angi.  

“ye angara asanthe angiraso abhavan” (Taitriya Brahmana 3.34)

• Upanishad : Chandogya Upanishad explains that because all the limbs of the body are controlled by “prana” that “mukya prana” itself has become anga rasa or angirasa.  

“tadaham angiraha udgitaha upasam cakre ethave eva etharssam angiraha anthe anganagam hi esha rasaha” (Chan Upan 1.2.10)

• In the Upanayanam kriya (thread ceremony) the Initiator, prays "let my medha shakti, the wisdom power, increase like Angirasa.  

“medham mayyam angiraso medhagam sapta rushayo daduhu medham mayyam prajapathihi medhaamagnir dadathu me“ (Mampra 2.4.6)

Plentiful are such references in the vedangas. The mention of Angirasa in various scriptures and the significance of Angirasa's knowledge of the characteristics of cows is also noteworthy as evident from the Rg Veda 10th mandala mantras.  

Angirasa and Gograhana

In the Rg Veda  (10.108), there is a story of Angirasa in connection with the cows. This particular legend of stealing of Cows or गोग्रहणम्॥ Gograhanam has been described vividly in Rig Veda 3.31, and 10.108, including a reference in 8.14. Again, a description on the family of Angirasa is given in the Mandala 6 of the Rig-Veda.

The legend goes that Panis were the demons who stole the cows and hid them in a cave. Indra asks his dog Sarama to find the cows. Sarama was able to find the cows' whereabouts in the first instance. During that search, an important discussion between the Panis and Sarama occurs. Angirasa rushi then helped Indra to locate the Panis who stole the cows.

The Rg Mantra 97.36 explains how Angirasa assisted Indra.

“yena naha purve pitaraha padjna svarvido abhigha adrimushnan”

"In our family and ancestors, the pitris, there is Angirasa who, a sarvajna, knowledgeable about the para loka, brought back the stolen cows which were identified by their foot marks (characteristics) from mountains".

This reference is also found in the Jaimineeya Brahmana, II.440-442. Here, the cows are clearly referred to as the cows of the Gods stolen by the Panis.  This time, the Gods first send SuparNa, the eagle or the Sun-bird.  However, the PaNis bribe him into silence, and he accepts their gifts and returns without any information.  The enraged Gods strangle him, and he vomits out the curds, etc. received from the PaNis. Then the Gods send SaramA.  She crosses the river RasA and approaches the PaNis.  She is also offered bribes, but (as in the Rigveda) she refuses their blandishments and returns to Indra with the information that the cows are hidden inside the RasA.  She and her descendants are then blessed by a grateful Indra.

In the Brhaddevata, viii 24-36 the same sequence of events takes place, but this time SaramA accepts the bribe of the PaNis, and apparently transfers her loyalties to them.  When she returns to Indra and refuses to disclose the hideout of the cows, Indra kicks her in a rage.  She vomits out the milk received as a bribe, and then goes back to trace the PaNis.

सम्वाद || Discussion

As seen in the story of Angirasa protecting the cows, there is a historical and legendary perspective to it. If historically Panis are considered Dravidians and Angirasa a brahamana,some questions arise,  

1. Is it a conflict between Dravidian sudras and brahmanas?  
2. If panis were business minded people and doing agriculture work, did they not have cows?  
3. What does that mean by stealing cows?  

So this esoteric knowledge has been deliberately misused by the Indologists to create a wrong notion of shastras and create oppositional categories to suit their colonial agenda.

Explanation

Here “go” means the “adhyatma vidya” (spiritual knowledge) that is endorsed in Vedas and the foot marks of cows (characteristics) means actually explaining the meaning of the Vedic words which are esoteric which are to be deciphered properly. And those who understand this knowledge are called padajna (having the knowledge of the Veda). The 4 legs of this Kamadhenu the Vedas are dharma, artha, kama, moksha – which are the purusharthas.

Therefore which mantras provide for which purushartha was known very well to Angirasa rushi. As he was knowledgeable in mantras which leads one to the “parama pada” or the highest abode he was the sarvavidaha or sarvajna as explained in Rk Samhita 1.164.45 :

चत्वारिवाक परिमितापदानितानि विदुर्ब्राह्मणाये मनीषिणः|

गुहा तरीणि निहिता नेङगयन्ति तुरीयं वाचो मनुष्या वदन्ति || (The Rig Veda 1.164.45)

catvarivak parimitapadanitani vidurbrahmana ye minishinah |

guha tarini nihita neengayanti turiyam vaco manushyavadanti ||

These “paraha ()”, “pasyanthi” (), “madhyama” () and “vaikhari” () are the 4 ways of speech . Those who understand the meaning of these words or “padas” are called padajna” (knower of those speech) or “svarvida” (these four paadas(legs) or padas (the sentences). The purusharthas which are called “chatvari-sringa”, are known as the 4 horns of the “agni purusha” or fire personified and the relationship they have with each other can only be understood by the process of yoga (upasana).

Esoteric Understanding of Angirasa bringing the cows

The esoteric meaning of bringing down the cows (synonymous to the Vedas) from the mountain top is very significant. The panis have common knowledge, who cannot assimilate the high standard of Vedic knowledge. Their carrying away the cows symbolises that even if they take it away they do not get any benefit or they will not understand the esoteric meaning. And the “go” (cows) or the Vedic words were not damaged. The knowledgeable who had faith in these cows, were inconvenienced. Those who do not understand the meaning of Vedas, such people may be in disguise and steal the words of Vedas, but they won’t get the benefit of the Vedas.

Vedas are meaningless, insignificant and contain useless subject matter for them and they may distort the Vedas to compile their philosophies based on their erroneous understanding, but such people will not get any benefit. Those who are faithful to the Vedas and who lived life by following the Vedas, such people they may be inconvenienced by the Panis. However, great rushis like Angirasa who understand the meaning of Vedas and those who have the knowledge of the sampradaya, the “veda prajnas” they bring down the cows from mountains despite the great difficulties and provide deeper meaning of Vedas to the qualified people and in this way become the support to the governance of this world, which is managed by Indra. If we see from such perspective, since the time of Rishis, the number of panis have increased.

In the name of the Vedas those who study vedas and then criticize the Vedic concept, the researchers and in the name of research, the Christian missionaries, those who follow their path—our own people, the leftists, and those people those who have given up the Sanatana values and spreading destructive life systems and those who are practicing atheistic concepts, the modern lokayuthas and those who have accepted the transformation of the Vedas in wrong way, these are all Panis. Therefore to protect DHarma from these disturbing elements and thought processes, people like Angirasa were committed to fight them and thus their work is significant.

References

1. SaramA and the PaNis: A Mythological Theme in the Rigveda from the site http://voiceofdharma.org/books/rig/ch10.htm
2. Rig veda
3. Brhaddevata,
4. Mahabharata