Angirasa (अङ्गिरसः)

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

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)

• As mentioned in the Rig-Veda, 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. This particular legend 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 mention of Angirasa in various scriptures and the significance of Angirasa's knowledge of the characteristics of cows is also noteworthy.

Angirasa in Legends of Cows

In the RgVeda  (10.108), there is a story of Angirasa in connection to the cows. Panis were demons who stole the cows and hid them in a cave. Indra asked his dog Sarme to find the cows. Sarme was able to find the cows' whereabouts in the first instance. During that search, there was a important discussion between the Panis and Sarme . Angirasa rushi helped Indra to locate the Panis who stole the cows.

The Rg Mantra, 97.36 explains how Angirasa assisted Indra. It is explained “yena naha purve pitaraha padjna svarvido abhigha adrimushnan” our previous family, the ancestors, pitris, Angirasa who is sarvajna who had knowledge of para loka, when the cows were stolen he knew the foot marks of these cows and then he brought the cows from mountains.

The myth is also found in the JaiminIya BrAhmaNa, II.440-442. Here, the cows are again 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 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 the PaNis.

However, after the location of the

Textual References

Sri Sayan explains “unganthi gachanthi ittangiraso ganthara” Rk Samhita, 1.100.4: that means those who are travelers, this person is the fastest traveler who can go with great speed. That is the meaning of Angirasa.  

In the Niruktha, Yaska explains 3.17 “angaresu angiraha angaraha ankanaha anchanaha” there is a very interesting “itihaas” or history it is connected to the appearance of Angiras. He was born from the “retas” or the semen of brahmaji and it was blazing like cinder and then first Aditya appeared and then Angirasa. Even for agni there is a word called Angiraha that means wherever we keep fire, it creates an impression “anka” or sign. That is the meaning of agni.  

Similarly angirasa also means: one who creates a lasting impression in others. Taitriya Brahmana explains “ye angara asanthe angiraso abhavan”: those who are like the cinder or angi, they are Angirasa (3.34).  

Such understanding has come plentifully in the vedangas or the Veda work.  

In the Chandogya Upanishad it is explained “tadaham angiraha udgitaha upasam cakre ethave eva etharssam angiraha anthe anganagam hi esha rasaha” 1.2.10 all the limbs of the body because they are controlled by “prana” that “mukya prana” himself has become anga rasa or angi rasa.  

Therefore that knowledge which is controlled in the darkness by the panis and such panis when they are controlled by the lamp of knowledge and it is made into lit up and one who makes such work is Angirasa, who is always residing in us. His efforts to protect the knowledge is well known around the world. In the Vedas also it is glorified in different way. In the upanayan (bramanical thread ceremony) the initiator, he prays that let my “medha shakti”, the wisdom power, increase and he says, let my “medha shakti” increase like Angirasa “medham mayyam angiraso medhagam sapta rushayo daduhu medham mayyam prajapathihi medhaamagnir dadathu me“(Mampra 2.4.6)  

Even though in the fore front the saptarishis, prajapatis and agnis are given the space, but Angirasa is given 1st position. He is the most intelligent or wise person. Therefore in Manusmruti 2.151, it is explained that the greatness is not measured by life or age, but by what knowledge they have. It is explained “ adhyapa ya masa pitrin sishurangisas kavih putraka iti o vaca jnanina parigrayyathan “ It is explained that when Angiras was a small baby he became a poet, rishi and experienced bhrama sakshatkar( realization of brahma) and then those who were elder to him like his younger father’s brother and their children, he became their “Acharya” and accepted them as his students and during the instruction, he called them “putrakaha” that means children. Therefore in the works of the Vedas, Agnirasa’s, jnana or wisdom and super human activities, and unlimited power in knowledge has been glorified. Therefore in shruti purnanas and itihaasa his name is always recollected and remembered.  

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, is it a conflict between Dravidians sudras and brahmanas? If panis were business minded people and doing agriculture work, did they not have cows? What does that mean by stealing cows? So this could lead to lot of wrong understanding.  

Here “go” means the “adhyatma vidya” (spiritual knowledge) that is endorsed in Vedas and the foot marks of cows means actually explaining the meaning of the Vedic words which are esoteric and to decipher them properly. And those who understand this are called padajna or having the knowledge of the Veda and the 4 legs of this Kamadhenu the Vedas are dharma, artha, kama, moksha –these purushardhas. Therefore which mantras provide what purushardha? That Angirasa muni knew. And knowing very well which mantras have the offering highest planet “parama pada”. He was the svar vidaha sarva jna. This is our pitris as the Vedas explained in Rk Samhita1.164.45 :“chatvarivak parmita padani thani viduhi brahmanaha ye manishinaha”  

These “paraha”, “pasyanthi”, “madhyama” and “vaiykhari” are the most wonderful speech or Veda vakyas. Those who understand the meaning of these words or “pada” are called padajna” (knower of those speech) or “svarvida” (these four paadas(legs) or padas (the sentences) and to the purushardhas which are called “chatvari-sringa”, these 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) So what does that mean that Angirasa who is the all knower bringing the cows –which are synonymous to Vedas – from the mountain top. That means those who have common ordinary information like the panis, for them the Vedic knowledge is very high and cannot be assimilated and even if they take it away they do not get any benefit or they will not understand the esoteric meaning. And the “go” or the cows or the Vedic words did not get any damage. Only for some time those who had faith in these cows, they were inconvenienced. The meaning is very clear. Those who do not understand the meaning of Vedas, such people they may disguise and steal the words of Vedas. But they won’t get the benefit of Vedas. They may say Vedas have no meaning or whatever is in Veda is insignificant or useless subject matter, and they might compile based upon such perception. But they do not get any benefit. Those who are faithful to the Vedas, and who lived life only on the meaning of the Vedas which is the milk of that cow, for such people they may be inconvenience by the panis, but the great personalities those who understand the meaning of Vedas like Angirasa, and those who have the knowledge of the sampradaya, the “veda prajnas” they bring down the cows from mountains even with the difficult situation and provide the 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. People like, Kumarila Bhatta who would say that Vedas don’t have esoteric understanding, the purva mimasakas, those who consider the grammar is important than the essence. 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 the destructive life systems and those who are practicing atheistic concepts (Jain, Buddhas, etc., ), the modern lokayuthas and those who have accepted the transformation of the Vedas in wrong way, these are all Panis. Therefore to protect and to stop from such disturbing elements and thought process, the host of people like like Angirasa, were fighting against them, and their work is significant and therefore we will try to understand Angirasa.  

References

SaramA and the PaNis: A Mythological Theme in the Rigveda from the site http://voiceofdharma.org/books/rig/ch10.htm