Everything we ever wanted, or will ever want, is in this element, in a dissolved unmanifest state, like salt in ocean water. We just need to do the necessary to manifest it! In a similar way, this element apas is capable of dissolving away anything that we don’t want, like past karmic residues. Again, we just need to do our part…
Review yogis’ Theory of Everything before delving into this post (post #46).
But the agent that converts something from an unmanifest dissolved state into a manifested state is Agni, the third element which we already discussed. And this element apas, comes with Agni already embedded…
From a yoga-practice standpoint, it’s always lighting agni first – by performing the specified kriyas followed by chanting the mantras, such as the samidheni verses. Then kriyas and mantras for the second chakra – Svadhisthana – the creativity center, including self-replication. After all the reproductive organ is tied to this chakra. More on this when we cover the Kundalini method.
āpo me retasi śritāḥ – Laghu Rudram
In the element water resides the seed…
This single line sums up this element. Seeds of everything, including our thoughts, intents, concepts, actions… good, bad and the ugly… the entire universe itself! This universe, probably is one among several, emerged from that water element, and will go (dissolve) back into it.
The second element – apas – water element – is the universal solvent, as in it dissolves everything and anything, with the help of the third element fire, of course. For example, how will it dissolve a human? As we learned in the post on the element fire, fire converts the human body into other subcomponents first, and then absorbed back into apas. Fire is resident within the element water, and in the yogis’ model of everything, apas folds back into the element fire at the time of dissolution. It’s not like they are disparate. Recall the precedence from blurb 46. The presiding element is Varuna, who typically is associated with Mitra in vedic suktas.
A couple of stories before we delve into the Suktas from Rig Veda.
The story of Noah’s Ark offers a fascinating metaphor for this element. For a more historical perspective, wiki provides an accessible source, but we will only talk about the metaphysical aspect, and it’s striking commonality with the concept of element water. There’s also a famous hindu version of this story, where a sage-prajapati-ruler Manu finds a fish and provides a sanctuary for that fish, which in turn rescues him at the time of the flood. Going back to Noah’s Ark story, in a metaphysical sense, the flood is that aspect of dissolution, dissolution of everything into the water element, the end to the current creation cycle, the big crunch… When this occurs, there is this information residue that remains or survives this event, which is the sum of the residues of all unresolved karmas. In that story, it’s one of each kind gets on that boat which survives the flood. This becomes the starting seed material for the next creation cycle. As we discussed in the blurb 54, the residue left behind in yogic lore are those seven rishis or saptarshis.
In the story of Noah’s Ark, Noah survives since God identified him as the only righteous man. Why a man? Recall that man as in masculine in yogic sense, the specificity part. The feminine is non-specific…
The great epic Mahabharata tells another very interesting and instructive story, with the emphasis on the element water. There is a great king named Santanu, who actually is central to the whole story of Mahabharata. One day, as he was walking on the banks of the great river Ganga (or Ganges), he was enamoured by the beauty of the river. As he was admiring this river, the presiding deity of the river (or the river personified), goddess Ganga appeared on the scene, sauntering around. He instantly fell in love, and approached her with a marriage proposal, She accepted his proposal with a condition, which was that he should not question any of her actions. If he did, she would leave him instantly and return to where she came from. Under the influence of karma, and a dash of hormones, he agreed to her condition.
Here’s the other half of the story that makes the story complete. One day, the eight vasus, who live individually in all of us (these are the eight of the thirty three gods (31)) saw the beautiful, wish-granting cow of rishi Vasishta. For reasons unknown, they decided to steel that cow, They went ahead and did it. When the great rishi Vasishta realized this, he got enraged. In that state, he cursed them to take birth on earth (bhu level of consciousness) as they had exhibited a lower emotion of coveting something that’s not theirs; and human bodies best suited their thought process. The vasus immediately realized their mistake, and fell at the rishi’s feet for forgiveness. The kind rishi obliged and told them that his curse is irrevocable, but he can lessen the severity by granting them that they would be born to a celestial mother (as opposed to earthly), and a spiritually-accomplished father, thus still inheriting divine qualities. But he insisted that one of them, the vasu responsible for ego who instigated all this, would experience a full lifetime of earthly experience, and only the other seven would return to their divine abode soon after taking earthen birth.
Putting these two half stories together now: these eight vasus were born to the couple Ganga and Santanu. After the birth of each child, Ganga took the newborn, and sank them into river Ganga. We can immediately recognize that this is no ordinary water, and it is the cosmic water; apas. This is the central part of the story as far as element water is concerned – the kids came out of this element, and returned to this element. The wife-incarnation for the King is the earthen-manifestation, while the Ganga that receive the newborns are is the celestial cosmic-manifestation of the same Ganga!
To complete the story, when it came to the eighth child, King Santanu, stopped Ganga to ask why she was doing this to the newborns [afterall, that’s what karma staged him to do]. WIth that, she left him, King Santanu, with the eighth child remaining on earth as a mortal, albeit a strong and bright one with divine qualities. He is that central character, Bhishma in Mahabharata. In the kundalini story, he represents the ego. Also note that Ganga represents the right channel (tied to the right nostril); the other two are ida (river yamuna; tied to the left nostril) and Sushumna (the central channel; tied to the mythical river Saraswati). We will talk further about this in the Kundalini blurb.
We will list three Suktas from Rig Veda related to this element.
Rg Veda 10.9: Apas
This is a very famous suktam that is included in daily prayer call (sandhya-vandanam). This is offered to the sun thrice a day. At the sunrise, mid-day and sunset. The theme of this suktam is very clear – āpas as that that contains everything, can bestow all good things including medicinal cures, and dissolve away anything that you don’t want, like misdemeanors. SInce āpas is a part of prakr̥ti, she is referred to as the mother, sometimes in plural.
1. āpo hi ṣṭhā mayobhuvas tā na ūrje dadhātana | mahe raṇāya cakṣase ||
Since, waters, you are the sources of happiness, grant to us to enjoy abundance, and great and delightful perception.
2. yo vaḥ śivatamo rasas tasya bhājayateha naḥ | uśatīr iva mātaraḥ ||
Give us to partake in this world of your most auspicious Soma, like affectionate mothers.
3. tasmā araṃ gamāma vo yasya kṣayāya jinvatha | āpo janayathā ca naḥ ||
Let us quickly have recourse to you, for that your (faculty) of removing (sin) by which you gladden us;waters, bestow upon us progeny
4. śaṃ no devīr abhiṣṭaya āpo bhavantu pītaye | śaṃ yor abhi sravantu naḥ ||
May the divine water be propitious to our worship, (may they be good) for our drinking; may they flowround us, and be our health and safety
5. īśānā vāryāṇāṃ kṣayantīś carṣaṇīnām | apo yācāmi bheṣajam ||
Waters, sovereigns of precious (treasures), granters of habitations to men, I solicit of you medicine (formy infirmities).”
6. apsu me somo abravīd antar viśvāni bheṣajā | agniṃ ca viśvaśambhuvam ||
Soma has declared to me; all medicaments, as well as Agni, the benefactor of the universe, are in the waters.
7. āpaḥ pṛṇīta bheṣajaṃ varūthaṃ tanve mama | jyok ca sūryaṃ dṛśe ||
Waters, bring to perfection, all disease-dispelling medicaments for the good of my body, that I may behold the Sun
8. idam āpaḥ pra vahata yat kiṃ ca duritam mayi | yad vāham abhidudroha yad vā śepa utānṛtam ||
Waters, take away whatever sin has been (found) in me, whether I have (knowingly) done wrong, orhave pronounced imprecations (against holy men), or have spoken untruth.
9. āpo adyānv acāriṣaṃ rasena sam agasmahi | payasvān agna ā gahi tam mā saṃ sṛja varcasā ||
I have this day entered into the waters; we have mingled with their essence. Agni, abiding in the waters approach, and fill me (thus bathed) with vigour.
Rg Veda 7.49: Apas
7.49.1 samudrajyeṣṭhāḥ salilasya madhyāt punānā yanty aniviśamānāḥ | indro yā vajrī vṛṣabho rarāda tā āpo devīr iha mām avantu ||
“[Pannikar: Ceaselessly they flow from the depths, pure, never sleeping, the ocean their sponsor [superior],following the channels ordained by the [thunder-wiedling] Indra; may these great divine Waters quicken [protect] me.] The waters, with their ocean-chief, proceed from the midst of the firmament, purifying (all things), flowing unceasingly; may the divine waters, whom the thunder-bearing Indra, the showerer, sent forth, protect me here(on earth).” [A key word here is “salilasya”. This appears in the Nasadiya sukta to depict a pregnant, eerie, quite, before manifestation.]
7.49.2 yā āpo divyā uta vā sravanti khanitrimā uta vā yāḥ svayaṃjāḥ | samudrārthā yāḥ śucayaḥ pāvakās tā āpo devīr iha mām avantu ||
“May the waters that are in the sky, or those that flow (on the earth), those (whose channels) have been dug, or those that have sprung up spontaneously, and those that seek the ocean. All pure and purifying, may those divine waters protect me here (on earth).”
7.49.3 yāsāṃ rājā varuṇo yāti madhye satyānṛte avapaśyañ janānām | madhuścutaḥ śucayo yāḥ pāvakās tā āpo devīr iha mām avantu ||
“Those whose sovereign, Varuṇa, passes in the middle sphere, discriminating the truth and falsehood of mankind; those shedding sweet showers, pure and purifying; may those divine waters protect me here (on earth).”
7.49.4 yāsu rājā varuṇo yāsu somo viśve devā yāsūrjam madanti | vaiśvānaro yāsv agniḥ praviṣṭas tā āpo devīr iha mām avantu ||
“May they in which their king, Varuṇa, in which Soma, abides, in which the gods delight (to receive) th esacrificial food, into which Agni Vaiśvānara entered, may those divine waters protect me here (on earth).”
Rg Veda 10.75: Nadis (or rivers)
Nadis in general are the channels through which physical, mental and any other energies/information flow…
1. pra su va āpo mahimānam uttamaṃ kārur vocāti sadane vivasvataḥ | pra sapta-sapta tredhā hi cakramuḥ pra sṛtvarīṇām ati sindhur ojasā ||
Waters (āpah), the worshipper addresses to you excellent praise in the dwelling of the instrumental tutor of the rite;they flowed by sevens (seven and seven in RL Griffith) through the three (worlds); but the Sindhu surpasses (all) the (other) streams in strength.”
2. pra te ‘radad varuṇo yātave pathaḥ sindho yad vājām̐ abhy adravas tvam | bhūmyā adhi pravatā yāsi sānunā yad eṣām agraṃ jagatām irajyasi ||
For your course, Sindhu, Varuṇa tore open a path, since you hastened towards food (its reward or prize); you go by a lofty road down upon the earth, by which (road) you reign in the sight of all worlds.
3. divi svano yatate bhūmyopary anantaṃ śuṣmam ud iyarti bhānunā | abhrād iva pra stanayanti vṛṣṭayaḥ sindhur yad eti vṛṣabho na roruvat ||
The sound goes forth in heaven above the earth; (Sindhu or Varuna; Sindhu is feminine. He has to be Varuna) with shining wave animates his endless speed; as rains issue thundering from the cloud, so Sindhu (thunders) when he advances roaring like a bull.”
Griffith: His roar is lifted up to heaven above the earth: he puts forth endless vigour with a flash of light. Like floods of rain that fall in thunder from the cloud, so Sindhu rushes on bellowing like a bull.
4. abhi tvā sindho śiśum in na mātaro vāśrā arṣanti payaseva dhenavaḥ | rājeva yudhvā nayasi tvam it sicau yad āsām agram pravatām inakṣasi ||
Like mothers crying for their sons, (the other rivers) hasten towards you, Sindhu, like cows with their milk; you lead your two wings like a king going to battle when you march in the van of the streams that are descending (with you).” [apah is descending from the higher divi through the nadis to …]
Griffith: Like mothers to their calves, like milch kine with their milk, so, Sindhu, unto thee the roaring rivers run. You lead as a warrior king your army’s wings what time you come in the van of these swift streams.
5. imam me gaṅge yamune sarasvati śutudri stomaṃ sacatā paruṣṇy ā | asiknyā marudvṛdhe vitastayārjīkīye śṛṇuhy ā suṣomayā ||
Accept this my praise, Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Sarasvatī, Śutudri, Paruṣṇi, Marudvṛdha with Asiknī,and Vitazstā; listen, Ārjikīya with Suṣomā.”
6. tṛṣṭāmayā prathamaṃ yātave sajūḥ susartvā rasayā śvetyā tyā | tvaṃ sindho kubhayā gomatīṃ krumum mehatnvā sarathaṃ yābhir īyase ||
You, Sindhu, in order to reach the swift-moving Gomatī, have united, yourself first with theTṛṣṭāmā; (now be united) with the Susartu, the Rasā, the Śveti, the Kubha, and the Mehatnu, in conjunction with which streams you do advance.”
7. ṛjīty enī ruśatī mahitvā pari jrayāṃsi bharate rajāṃsi | adabdhā sindhur apasām apastamāśvā na citrā vapuṣīva darśatā ||
Straight-flowing, white-coloured, bright-shining (Sindhu) bear along in its might the rapid waters; the inviolable Sindhu, the most efficacious of the efficacious, is speckled like a mare, beautiful as a handsome woman.
8. svaśvā sindhuḥ surathā suvāsā hiraṇyayī sukṛtā vājinīvatī | ūrṇāvatī yuvatiḥ sīlamāvaty utādhi vaste subhagā madhuvṛdham ||
The Sindhu is rich in horses, rich in chariots, rich in clothes, rich in gold ornaments, well-made, rich in food, rich in wool, ever fresh, abounding Sīlamā, and the auspicious river wears honey-growing (flowers).
9. sukhaṃ rathaṃ yuyuje sindhur aśvinaṃ tena vājaṃ saniṣad asminn ājau | mahān hy asya mahimā panasyate ‘dabdhasya svayaśaso virapśinaḥ ||
Sindhu has harnessed his easy-going, well-horsed, chariot, with it may he bring (us) food; the might of this inviolable, great, renowned (chariot) at this sacrifice is praised as mighty.”
In the kriya or ritualistic text of Satapata Brahmana, the apah goddess is extolled more for her nourishing and healing ingredients called oushadhis. For example:
14.3.2.13 in pūrhāhuti: while offering (svāhā) the full prāna, pṛthivī , antarikṣam, agni, vāyu, divi, sūryā, dik/disā, candrā, nakṣatrā, āpah, varuṇā,
āpo vai sarveṣāṃ devānāmāyatanaṃ: the element water is the abode of all gods (devatās).
6.8.2.4: Associating element water as the womb of agni:
garbho viśvasya bhūtasyāgne: All bhutas of the universe are in water, which is agni’s womb…
May we all be blessed with a vibrant and healthy body, with a mind with full access to apas_/\_/\_/\_
भद्रं नो अपि वातय मनः
(bhadraṃ no api vātaya manaḥ)
Yogic Thought 
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