The Holy Waters A Primordial Symbol In Hindu Myths

About the Book:
How can we be indifferent to our surroundings? Embedded in us lies an awareness of the sacred. It is expressed through myths and symbols by an attitude of harmonious oneness with the world.

Such myths and symbols show the reality of a single cosmic manifestation. They also suggest a common core of humanity, untrammeled by any difference of race, religion or culture. That may be an encouraging thought We, in our modern technological times, still remain trapped in discrimination of various kinds.

Awareness of the sacred presents us with the gift and the challenge of myths and symbols of liberation, unity, harmony, and peace. The symbol of the Sacred Waters in the Vedic and later Hindu tradition in India is singularly attractive. It invites people from all over the world to India's holy waters.

The author brings together 250 "happenings of the Sacred Waters" in a chain of symbolism. It links diverse aspects of the universe with our daily experiences, our human condition. Typical of the Vedic and Hindu tradition is that we, human beings, should not claim an undeserved position of importance on the earth. We are her inhabitants, but that only as guests.

The author explores our willingness to acknowledge mythical thinking as an original constituent of our person. The author finds that we are called upon to evolve in ourselves the myths and symbols of the sacred. They are there. While undergoing revolutionary changes, our perception of the universe cannot avoid commitment to the maintenance or restoration of the loss of its integrity and harmony. A tree, a river, a bird, a mountain, the atmosphere and one's chosen deity are as much part of the universe as we are. What then do the myths and symbols of the sacred tell us, human beings? An Indian myth calls us "the protectors of the world."

About the Author:
Frans Baartmans (1936) is a member of the London-based International Society of Mill Hill. After his seminary studies in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, he lived and worked almost ten years with the Kenyah and Kayan people in the interior of Sarawak, Malaysia, at a time when their traditional longhouse culture came under pressure from large-scale timber industry.

He became deeply involved in efforts by the local population to preserve their traditional cultural heritage and protect it against multinational timber corporations.

He graduated in Anthropology of Religion and Ethnic Theology from the University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. In 1979 he came to Varanasi, India, to study Indian Philosophy and Religion. In 1985 he received a Ph.D. degree from Banaras Hindu University. He is currently engaged in research and community development in Varanasi.

Foreword to the Second Edition

It gives me great pleasure to welcome the second edition of Frans Baartmans' commendable study of a revered symbol in the Hindu tradition, that of the Sacred Waters. There is a need for a study of this kind for the benefit of both students and scholars of philosophy and religion, and of comparative religion. The author has given an authentic exposition of the significance of myths and symbols in the Hindu tradition. Hindu religion is Vedic religion, Sanatana Dharma. It cannot be understood unless one studies in depth its myths and symbols. In fact, mythical and symbolic thought permeates the whole of Sanatana Dharma.

Cosmology is an essential component of Indian Mythology. It is Hindu Dharma's belief that creation of the universe evolves from the five elements. Of these, Hindu, Cosmology awards primordial status to the waters rather than to any of the other elements. It is from the waters that the universe first emerged. Greek cosmology shares this belief. Hindu tradition hinges on Advaita Vedanta which declares: "sarvam khalvidam brahma." The sacred, the divine is present, not only in the human being but in the entire universe: its air, oceans, mountains, sky, birds, animals, plants, galaxies, stars, sun, and moon. Hinduism cherishes a holistic approach to the universe. Reality within and without is one and the same. It is here that the elements, the world as we experience it, is transformed into spirituality.

Hindu Dharma's spirituality attributes the greatest importance to the waters when on our way to godliness: "devo bhutva devam upaset." The waters at once purify and enable us to engage in upasana, worship and contemplation of The Highest.

Today, a study of the Sacred Waters is of still greater relevance when their very symbol, the river Ganga, is being polluted. Pollution endangers the well-being of the whole universe. Unless we control it, pollution poses a serious threat to the very existence of the earth.

Pollution threatens not only the world outside. More harmful and threatening still, is pollution of the world inside, pollution of the heart. The heart is in constant need of purification through the Sacred Waters.

Dr. Baartmans' detailed and original work on the profound symbol of the waters in the Hindu tradition deserves admiration. I congratulate him on the occasion of the second edition of his book, and wish him to come with further comprehensive studies of the wealth of myths, symbol and ritual of Hindu Dharma.

CONTENTS

	ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS	vii
	FOREWORD TO THE FIRST EDITION	ix
	FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION	xi
	ABBREVIATIONS	xv
	INTRODUCTION	1
	PART I
	MYTH
1.	BREAKING THE BOUNDARIES	25
	1. A Phenomenology of "Chaos"
	2. The Idea of the Sacred
	3. "The Juices of Saptadvipas, the Seven Islands"
	4. Athens, Jerusalem, and Mount Kailasa: A Preliminary Search for Situation
	5. Vac and Vaikhari: The Word and Human Speech
	6. Vaco Bhagam: Sharing in the Womb of the Word
2.	RECEPTIVE OF THE SACRED	53
	1. Myths are no Allegories
	2. The Confession of Receptivity: a First Phenomenology
	3. The Confession of the Sacred: a Second Phenomenology
	4. Speculation and Myth
	5. Myth and "Modern": India, the Greeks, the West (i) India (ii) The Greeks (iii) The West
	6. Conclusion
3.	ANALYSIS OF MYTH: PROBLEM AND METHOD	99
	1. The Problem
	2. Method
	PART II
	THE QUEST FOR HARMONY
	PRAVRTTI AND NIVRTTI
4.	VALUE SYSTEMS IN INDIAN MYTHOLOGY	113
	1. Introduction
	2. Pravrttidharma
	3. Nivrttidharma
	4. The Reconciliation of Pravrtti and Nivrtti Values (i) Myths of the exiled soul (ii) Asrama (iii) Abhyudaya and Nihsreyasa (iv) Bhukti and Mukti (v) Bhakti: The "Irrational" Solution
5.	FUNCTIONAL ANTECEDENTS IN THE VEDAS	145
	1. Introduction
	2. Notes on the Vedas
	3. The Prestige of Origin
	4. India's primal origin myths (i) Agni: Sacrifice of Fire and Intelligence (ii) Brhaspati: The Prayer of Orthodoxy (iii) The perfection of the beginnings: Sat-Asat (Rg Veda 10.129) (iv) The Birth of His Own Perfection: Hiranyagarbha (Rg Veda 10.121) (v) Prajapati: The Lord of Generation (vi) In praise of man's origin: Purusa Sukta (Rg Veda 10.90) (vii) Conclusion: Tapas-discernment and Intelligent Concentration
	PART III
	THE SYMBOLIC PREGNANCE OF APAH, THE WATERS
6.	PRESENTATION OF THE CASE: PRAVRTTI, NIVRTTI, AND "APAH", THE WATERS	203
	1. The Symbol of Water
7.	AN EXPERIENCE OF "APAH", THE WATERS, INSPIRED BY VEDIC AND HINDU MYTH	213
8.	KARMA: THE COSMIC PILGRIMAGE	321
	1. Conclusion
	PART IV
	CONSPECTUS: THE EXEMPLARY HISTORY OF APAH, THE WATERS
9.	SYMBOLS MAKE US THINK	337
	BIBLIOGRAPHY	343
	INDEX OF NAMES AND THEMES IN PART III	353