the image of vedic cow - II

in the hymns of the dawn the symbolic sense of cows of light is equally clear.
1. dawn is described always as gomati, which must mean luminous or radiant; for it would be nonsense to use cowful in a literal sense. usha is not only gomati but she is gomati, ashwavati; she has always with her cows and horses. [ RV 1.92.14 उषो अद्येह गोमत्यश्वावति विभावरि | रेवदस्मे वयुछ सून्र्तावति || ]

2. in this hymn the ashwins are asked to drive downward their chariot on the path that is radiant and golden, gomad hiranyavad. [ RV 1.92.16 अश्विना वर्तिरस्मदा गोमद दस्रा हिरण्यवत | अर्वाग रथं समनसा नि यछतम || ]

3. dawn is said to be drawn in her chariot sometimes by ruddy ( having healthy red color ) cows and sometimes by ruddy horses [ RV 1.124.14 अवेयमश्वैद युवतिः पुरस्ताद युङकते गवामरुणानामनीकम | 
वि नूनमुछादसति पर केतुर्ग्र्हं-गर्हमुप तिष्ठाते अग्निः || ]

4. she is described as mother of cows or radiances; [ RV 1.124.5  गवां जनित्र्यक्र्त पर केतुम | ]

"the mother of cows has created vision. and again it is clear that cows are shining herds of light.

5. she is also described as " leader of shining herds", [ RV 7.76.6 गवां नेत्री ]

in RV 7.77.2 she is " the mother of the herds, the guide of the rays. [  गवां मातानेत्र्यह्नामरोचि ]

6. finally , we have conclusive verse [ RV 7.79.2 सं ते गावस्तम आ वर्तयन्ति जयोतिर्यछन्ति सवितेव बाहू ||] " the cows ( rays) remove darkness and extend light. 

taittiriya upnisad - 4.3

you are river with hundred branching stream, o lord of grace, in you may i wash me clean.
as the waters of  the rivers pour down the steep, as the months of year hasten to  the old age of days , o lord so may brahmarins come to me from all regions. 
o lord, you are my neighbour, you dwell very near me. 
come to me , be my light and sun. 

taittiriya upnishad : chapter - 4:1 

the bull of the hymns of vedas whose visible form is all this universe, he above the vedas who sprang from that which is deathless may indra increase intellect unto me, for my strengthening. 
o god, may i become vessel of immortality, may my body be swift to all works, may my tongue drop pure honey. may i hear vast and manifold lore with my ears. 
o indra you are the sheath of the eternal, and veil that working of brain have drawn over him; preserve whole unto me the sacred lore that i have studied. 

the image of vedic cow - I

the image of cow is most important of all the vedic symbols. for the ritualist the word "go" means simply a physical cow and nothing else, just as its companion word "aswa" means a physical horse, "ghrta" means clearified butter, "vira" only a son or retainer. therefore it is necessary to decide once for all the significance of word "go" in vedic hymns. if it proves to be symbolic, then these other words, - aswa, vira, apatya, hiranya, vaja must perforce assume also a symbolic significance. 

the image of cow is constantly associated in veda with dawn and sun; it also recurs in the legend of recovery of lost cows from the cave of panis by indra and brihaspati with aid of hound sarama and angiras rishis. 

even the most superficial examination of vedic hymns to the dawn makes it perfectly clear that cows of dawn , cows of sun are symbol of light and cannot be anything else. sayanacharya himself is obliged in these hymns to interpret the word sometimes as cows, sometimes as rays, careless as usual of consistency. 

the sense of rays is quite indisputable in such passages as third verse of madhuchandas hymn to indra , 1.7, "indra for far vision made the sun to ascend in heave: he sped him all over the hill by his rays, " vi gobhir adrim airayat". but at same time, the rays of surya are herds of sun. they are cows concealed by enemy vala, by the panis; when madhuchandas, says to indra, "you did uncover the hole of vala of the cows", he mean that vala is concealer, the withholder of the light and it is concealed light that indra restores to the sacrificer. 

once this sense is established, the material explanation of vedic prayer for cows is at once shaken; for it the lost cows for whose restoration the rishis invoke indra, are not physical herds stolen by dravidians but the shining herds of the sun, of the light, then we are justified in considering considering whether the same figure the same figure does not apply when there is simple prayer for "cows" without any reference to any hostile interpretation. 

                                                                                                           ....... continued.

from: the secret of vedas by aurobindo ghosh.

taitiriya upnishad : chapter 3

together we may attain glory, together to the radiance of holiness. hereupon we will expound next to the secret of sanhita whereof there are five capital; concerning the worlds; concerning the shining fires; concerning the knowledge; concerning the progeny; concerning self. these are called great sanhitas. 

now concerning the worlds. prithvi is first form, dyaw is second form; aakash is the linking, vaayu is joint of linking, 
next concerning the shining fires. agni is first form, aaditya is second form, aapah is linking, vidyut is joint of linking. 
next concerning the knowledge. master is first form, disciple is second form, knowledge is the linking, exposition is joint of linking. 
next concerning progeny. the mother is the first form, father is second form, progeny is linking, act of procreation is joint of linking. 
next concerning self. upper jaw is first form, lower jaw is second form, speech is linking, tongue is joint of linking. 
these are the great samhitas. he who know thus the great samhitas as we have expounded them, to him are linked progeny, radiance of holiness, and world of his high estate in heaven.

chandogya upnishad 1.1.2

OM is eighth essence of all essences. and really essential, the highest and it belong to upper hemisphere of things. 

ॐ सभी रसों में सर्वोत्तम  रस है, यह परमात्मा का प्रतिक होने के कारण उपास्य है, यह पृथ्वी आदि रसों में आठवां है. 

chandogya upnishad 1:1:2

earth is substantial essence of all the creatures & water is essence of earth, herbs of field are essence of water, purusha is essence of herbs, speech is essence of purusha, rik is essence of speech, saam is essence of rik, and of saam , OM is essence. 

पृथ्वी सभी प्राणियों का रस है, जल पृथ्वी का रस है, अन्न जल का रस है, पुरुष अन्न का रस, वाणी पुरुष का, 
ऋक़ वाणी का रस है, साम ऋक का, और ॐ साम का रस है.