WHO IS THE PRAJAPATI ? A VIEW ON RIG-VEDA GOD.

                       

   The Manu Smrithi says: In the beginning, all this existence was one undifferentiated, unmanifested, indefinable, unarguable and unknown in every way. From this condition arose the Universe of 'name and form' (Sanskrit: Namarupa), through the medium of the Self-existent Creator i.e swayambhu.


The Hiraṇyagarbha Sūkta of the Rig Veda  declares that God manifested Himself in the beginning as the Creator of the Universe, encompassing all things, including everything within Himself, the collective totality, as it were, of the whole of creation, animating it as the Supreme Intelligence.It is as follows.            

Sanskrit Verse

हिरण्यगर्भः समवर्तताग्रे भूतस्य जातः पतिरेकासीत ।
स दाधार पृथ्वीं ध्यामुतेमां कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम ॥
hiraṇyagarbhaḥ samavartatāgre bhūtasya jātaḥ patirekāsīta |
sa dādhāra pṛthvīṃ dhyāmutemāṃ kasmai devāyahaviṣā vidhema ||

य आत्मदा बलदा यस्य विश्व उपासते प्रशिषं यस्यदेवाः ।
यस्य छायामृतं यस्य मर्त्युः कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम ॥
ya ātmadā baladā yasya viśva upāsate praśiṣaṃ yasyadevāḥ |
yasya chāyāmṛtaṃ yasya martyuḥ kasmai devāyahaviṣā vidhema ||

यः प्राणतो निमिषतो महित्वैक इद्राजा जगतो बभूव ।
य ईशे अस्य द्विपदश्चतुष्पदः कस्मै देवाय हविषाविधेम ॥
yaḥ prāṇato nimiṣato mahitvaika idrājā jagato babhūva |
ya īśe asya dvipadaścatuṣpadaḥ kasmai devāya haviṣāvidhema ||

यस्येमे हिमवन्तो महित्वा यस्य समुद्रं रसया सहाहुः ।
यस्येमाः परदिशो यस्य बाहू कस्मै देवाय हविषाविधेम ॥
yasyeme himavanto mahitvā yasya samudraṃ rasayā sahāhuḥ |
yasyemāḥ paradiśo yasya bāhū kasmai devāya haviṣāvidhema ||

येन दयौरुग्रा पर्थिवी च दर्ळ्हा येन सव सतभितं येननाकः ।
यो अन्तरिक्षे रजसो विमानः कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम ॥
yena dayaurugrā parthivī ca darḻhā yena sava satabhitaṃ yenanākaḥ |
yo antarikṣe rajaso vimānaḥ kasmai devāyahaviṣā vidhema ||

यं करन्दसी अवसा तस्तभाने अभ्यैक्षेतां मनसारेजमाने ।
यत्राधि सूर उदितो विभाति कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम ॥
yaṃ karandasī avasā tastabhāne abhyaikṣetāṃ manasārejamāne |
yatrādhi sūra udito vibhāti kasmai devāyahaviṣā vidhema ||

आपो ह यद बर्हतीर्विश्वमायन गर्भं दधानाजनयन्तीरग्निम ।
ततो देवानां समवर्ततासुरेकःकस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम ॥
āpo ha yada barhatīrviśvamāyana garbhaṃ dadhānājanayantīragnima |
tato devānāṃ samavartatāsurekaḥkasmai devāya haviṣā vidhema ||

यश्चिदापो महिना पर्यपश्यद दक्षं दधानाजनयन्तीर्यज्ञम ।
यो देवेष्वधि देव एक आसीत कस्मैदेवाय हविषा विधेम ॥
yaścidāpo mahinā paryapaśyada dakṣaṃ dadhānājanayantīryajñama |
yo deveṣvadhi deva eka āsīta kasmaidevāya haviṣā vidhema ||

मा नो हिंसीज्जनिता यः पर्थिव्या यो वा दिवंसत्यधर्मा जजान ।
यश्चापश्चन्द्रा बर्हतीर्जजानकस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम ॥
mā no hiṃsījjanitā yaḥ parthivyā yo vā divaṃsatyadharmā jajāna |
yaścāpaścandrā barhatīrjajānakasmai devāya haviṣā vidhema ||

परजापते न तवदेतान्यन्यो विश्वा जातानि परि ताबभूव ।
यत्कामास्ते जुहुमस्तन नो अस्तु वयं सयाम पतयोरयीणाम ॥
parajāpate na tavadetānyanyo viśvā jātāni pari tābabhūva |
yatkāmāste juhumastana no astu vayaṃ sayāma patayorayīṇāma 

 TRASLATION



1. HIRANYAGARBHA was present at the beginning ; when born, he was the sole lord of created beings; he upheld this earth and heaven,
-let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine 

2. (To him) who is the giver of soul, the giver of strength, Whose commands all (beings), even the gods obey, Whose shadow is immortality, whose (shadow) is death,
-let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine .

3. (To him) who, by his greatness, has verily become the sole king of the breathing and seeing world, who rules over this aggregate of two-footed and four-footed beings,-
let us offer Worship with an oblation to the divine 

4. Through whose greatness these snow-clad (moun- tains exist), whose property men call the ocean with the rivers, whose are these quarters of space, whose are the two arms,
--let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine 

5. By whom the sky was made profound and the earth solid, by Whom heaven and the solar sphere were fixed, who was the measure of the water in the firmament,-
let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine 

6. Whom heaven and earth established by his pro- tection, and, shining brightly, regarded with their mind, in whom the risen sun shines forth,
-let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine .

7. When the vast waters overspread the universe containing the germ and giving birth to AGNI, then was produced the one breath of the gods,
-let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine

8. He who by his might beheld the waters all around containing the creative power and giving birth to sacrifice, he who among the gods was the one supreme god,-
let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine .

9. May he do us no harm who is the parent of the -earth, or who the unerring support (of the world) begat the heaven, and who generated the vast and delightful waters,
-let us offer worship with an oblation to the divine .

10. No other than thou, PRAJAPATI, hast given existence to all these beings ; may that object of our desires for which we sacrifice to thee be ours, may we be the possessors of riches.

                    So by the above hymn it is clear that at the time of First Veda RIG VEDA  period  there is no gods of Brahma,Vishnu &Maheswara. Only the God Prajapati was considered as creator of the universe. But astonishingly from  later vedic period The Prajapati place has been replaced by new gods i.e Hindu Trinity.At the coming Atharva Vedic period the concept of Hiranya garbha (golden egg)&prajapati was change into Brahmand(cosmic egg) &Brahma concept.In earlier vedic period there was no caste system in Hindu society.Every one could become Brahmana by attaining Brahman (one ness ) knowledge. This is clear with following hymn:-

        The Atreya smriti 141-142 enjoins that

janmana jayate shudrah
samskarad dvija ucyate

vedapathi bhaved viprah
brahma janati brahmanah

          One is a Shudra by birth
          By observing Sanskara one becomes a Dvija
           By studying the Vedas one becomes a Vipra
           One who knows Brahman is a Brahmana

                    But unfortunately the concept has failed due to bias attitude of the learned hindu sud o  scholars  ,and instead of knowledge basis, birth basis caste system prevails in the society.Accordingly Brahman son becomes brahmin while shudra son remains as Shudra only  despite of his Brahma Jnana. The sons of Scholars or sages who were having no knowledge about real Brahman concept & who were called as Brahmins  got tampered the Smruthis (Hindu Texts written by renowned sages) and added hymns as they wish in their favor. This also clear with the great Manu Smrithi. Actually it was written by Sage Manu a real Brahman,but later it was got tampered by BRIGHU who was a Brahmin only but not Brahman as said above and added so many hymns which are against Shudras as well as Women. 

    So, by the above said evolution The Hindu concept of monotheism turned into polytheism and in place of one god i.e Prajapati, so many Gods came out . Accordingly,different sects understand Brahman as a Supreme Being who possesses personality, and they worship him or her thus, as Vishnu,Brahma, Shiva, or Shakti, depending upon the sect. The AATMA is dependent on God, while MOKSHA depends on love towards God and on God's grace. When God is viewed as the supreme personal being (rather than as the infinite principle), God is called ISHVARA("The Lord") ^or BHAGAVAN (The Auspicious One) or PARAMESWARA (The Supreme Lord)^. In the majority of traditions of VAISHNAVISM, he is Vishnu, God, and the text of Vaishnava scriptures identify this Being  as SVAYAM BHAGAVAN . However,under SHAKTISM, DEVIor ADI PARA SHAKTI  is considered as the Supreme Being and in SHAIVISM  SHIVA is considered Supreme.As these sects follows their traditions perpetually, these concepts  has been developed in India and other parts of the World. 

          Here main point has to be considered that for existence of any concept, followers activism is  important. Due to lack of followers of PRAJAPATISM i.e Monotheism in Hindusthan, the Rigveda  God PraJapati remains as unfamiliar. Some of the clans belongs to potter communities in India worships  DAksha Prajapati who is first &renowned Prajapati as per Hindu Mythology as Their God .As they are  From down trad den communities it is not possible to them to  popularize the Prajapathism. Of course so many people among them also not known about real Prajapathism. So The Rig Veda Super God remains unfamiliar to the Hindusthan people. Any way as we are believers of polytheism it is not possible to compel any Hindu to follow Monotheism in present days. So, by at least following the Hindu Life System we can visit Prajapathism in our life time. (For these see my earlier Article, "My Vision On "Hindu Trinity &Ashrama Life System).     

                                         
                      O Prajapati, you alone have encompassed all these created things:
                          May that for which with longing we have called upon you be ours;
                          May we become lords of wealth. (Rig Veda 10.121)
                          
            .