Dear BhakthAs : A friend recently sent this note to me and asked me to comment on the significance of the Vedic Term " Rtam " on behalf of his friend.Inview of the importance of the concept of Rtam as one of the most important concepts of Vedam , I thought you might be interested in this posting . The word Rta or rtam is quite complex and has many meanings . I will share with you what little I know and seek the blessings of Veda Purushan in this effort . The question from the friend of my friend is as follows : >> Namo Narayana! >> >> I was wondering if you could help me out with a term >>I've come across in a lecture. My professor was >>using the word "Rta" and said it was from the >>Vedas. He said it was synonymous with the Confucian >>term Tao. I don't think he knows much of anything >>about Vedas, though, so I wanted to see if I could >> get accurate info. from you ( Sri Jaganathan ). First , the most ancient of the Vedams , Rg Vedam has 42 rks , which start with Rta or its different cases and adjectives . Here is the frequency of occurence of the manthrams starting with the Rta and its dative , vocative and other vibhakthis: KhAndam 1: 6 Rks ; KhAndam 2: 3 Rks ; KhAndam 3: 5 Rks; KhAndam 4: 8 Rks ; KhAndam 5: 5 Rks ; KhAndam 6: 2 Rks; KhAndam 7: 1 Rk; KhAndam 8: 4 Rks ; KhAndam 9: 2 Rks; KhAndam 10(Final KhAndam ): 7 Rks. It will be wonderful to study the meanings of all these 42 Rks to gain a measure of understanding of the depth of meaning of the Vedic term , " Rtam". Inview of the need to be brief , I will stay away from that temptation . Rtam is the pinnacle of the ethical ideals that Bhagavan Himself represents as " DharmO VigrahavAn" or the embodiment of DharmA . Rtam is the virtue of virtues , the axle that holds the wheels of the dharma chakram . That virtue of virtues is simply Truth or SATYAM . The Nigantu defines this SATYAM as having six synonyms , one of which is Rtam : " Bhat , srath , sathrA , addhA , ItthA , RTAM ithi shat SATYA NAAMAANI " ( Nigantu III.10) . It has been pointed out this description of Satyam and its six synonyms is given by an YajamAnA about to undertake a Yajna Or Vratha DhIkshai or vow of abstinence during the entire duration of the vratham . This vratham of truthfulness is undertaken in front of the Vrathapathi , who is Agni , who is none other than the Lord Himself . In these circumstances , Truth or Rtam is equated to reality or Godhead; anrtam or falsehood or ungodly entities are perishable ( satyamEva JayatE ). While taking this vow or observing the Vratham , the Yajna karthA recognizes that the sacredness of this dharmic pursuit confers on him a divine body DURING THE OBSERVANCE of the vratham and he is no longer a mere mortal . As a result , the Vratha karthA is convinced that he is bound to speak the Truth (satyam ) and nothing but the Truth. Swami Satya Prakash Sarasvathi quotes Yajur Veda Passage , " AgnE vratapatE vratam charishyAmi tacchakEyam tanmE rAdyatAm , idhamaham anrutAth SATHYAMUPAIMI ( YV 1.5) (Meaning ) : O Lord of Vrathams (vows ) ! I will now observe the vow (for the Yaj~nam ) O adorable Lord ! May I have the strength for the observance of this vratA with your blessings ! may I conclude this Vratam successfully (with Your grace). NOW INTO TRUTH FROM UNTRUTH DO I ENTER . The truth here is rtam and the untruth is anrutam . >>From mere man , the vrata karthA elevates himself to that of divinity and thereby aspires to speak the truth and act in consonance with the eternal dharmam (rtam ) . From asatya (anruta ) state , he wishes to enter the satya( rtam ) state to qualify himself for the observance of the role as yajamaanA for the Yaj~nam . In a similar spirit , Atharva Vedam passage (AV.XII.1.1) elaborates further on this concept of Rtam . It proclaims: satyam bruhat , rtamugram , dhIkshA tapO Brahma Yaj~na: pruthivIm vArayanthi According to this manthram , the 8 virtues that nourish and sustain this world are : Satyam (truth) , bruhat ( the vastness with its three cosmic divisions) , rtam ( the right attitude of vratha kaari) , ugram ( formidable majesty) , dhIkshA ( consecration , Initiation ) , Tapas ( austerity ,study and teaching ) , Brahman ( motivation for learning as one of its many meanings ) and Yaj~nA ( dedication to the sacred rite and the sacred rite itself in a spirit of selfless dedication and for the well being of the world and its beings ) . The importance of Yaj~nam and its close connection with rtam , satyam is summarized in the following Yajur Veda manthram ( XVIII.6): rtam cha mEamrutham cha mEayakshamam cha mEanAmayaccha mE jIvAthusccha mE dhIrgAyuthvam cha mEanamithram cha mEabhayam cha mE sukham cha mE sayanam cha mE sushAsccha mE sudhinam cha mE yaj~Ena kalpathAm In this resonant passage , a moving plea is made to the Vrathapathi , Yaj~na NaarAyaNan : " May my religious rite (rtam ), my immortality (amrutham ), my freedom from consumption and disease ( Kshaya rOgam ), my life , my longevity , my freedom from enemies , my freedom from danger, my happiness , my lying down (sayanam) , my fair dawn ( susha ) , my fair day (sudinam ) PROSPER BY SACRIFICE (YAJ~NAM )". The fearlessness , security , safety , universal love and freedom from hatred , efforts , victory in those efforts to conquer anrtam and asatyam , the discriminating intellect and more are sought as fruits of the Yaj~nam performed with rtam . Many of these prayers are tied with the central Vedic doctrine of Rtam or dharmam . TaittirIya Upanishad proclaims : BrahmavidApnOthiparam (II.1.1).Here , it proclaims that the knower of Brahman attains the Highest good and attaining that highest good . That Highest , Brahman is defined as three fold : Satyam(rtam ) Jn~Anam anantham BrahmA( Brahman is reality/truth,knowledge and infinity ). It goes on to define Brahman as " yathO vA imaani bhUthAni jAyanthi, yEna jAthAni jIvanthi, yath prayantyabhisamvisanthi" ( TaittirIyam III.1.1: "Develop your desire to know well that from which all things are born, in which they live on being born and into which they enter , when they perish: That is Brahman )". The TaittirIyA passage II.6.1 states " whoever knows Brahman as non-existent becomes himself non-existent indeed . Whoever knows Brahman as existent , him therefore they know as existing ". This is Satyam , Rtam in the Vedic sense , the very essence of the teachings of Upanishads , the Siras of VedAs . In the post-Vedic period , Rtam was called Dharmam . The fundamental nature of Dharmam (rtam ) is understood from the two revelatory statements : "KrishNam dharmam SanAtanam and RaamO vigrahavAn dharma:". To protect the DharmA from decline , to maintain the rtam , the Lord appears in every yugam ( Dharma samsthApanArthAya sambhavAmi yugE yugE ). That the world civilization stands on the foundation of Rtam ( dharmam ) is understood from another Vedic passage:dharmO visvasya jagatha: prathistitha: dharmE SARVAM prathishtitham . This concept of dharmam is also standing in for discipline ( vrata , Rtam ).Discipline and the disciplined life has its sweet fruits as stated by another famous veda Manthram : " madhu vAtA rtAyatE madhu ksharanthi sindava: --- gaavO bhavanthu na: " Lest the posting get even longer , I stop here and salute the Veda PurushA for His blessings to empower us with rtam . DaasOham , V.Sadagopan
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