The concept of Vedic rashtram is as central as dharma in organizing for abhyudayam (general welfare). An example in vedic history of civilizational harmony is provided by the advance of rashtram in Indian Ocean Community along states of the Indian Ocean Rim. It is notable that the largest Vishnu mandiram of the world is in Angkor Wat (Nagara Vatika), Cambodia. Central to the cultural memories is the veneration of the pitr-s, ancestors.
Rashtram in Vedic thought
What is rashtram in vedic thought? The concept of rashtram is elucidated in the context of dharman and rta.
asrgam indavah pathaa dharmann rtasya sishriyah
(Trans. With the support of and along rta, the principle of truth and order, flow soma essences; dharman stands parallel to pathaa, ‘path’.) (RV 9.7.1)[1]
What is this path? The answer is provided by the derivation of the word, ‘rashtram’. The root is raj,[2] ‘to be resplendent, shine’. Soma and Varuna are raja, ‘guidance’. (RV 10.49.4). Rashtram is the mover in the path.
Derivation: raaj deeptau sthaa gatinivrttau, ‘when the path is lost, the rashtram provides the light.’ (raaj, raajita ‘shine , glitter’). Raaj (Vedic also rASTi) ‘anything the best or chief of its kind’ as in: shankharaaj ‘best shankhaa (turbinella pyrum) conch’. Rj‘to go ; to stand or be firm ; to obtain , acquire ; to be strong or healthy.’ This is why Vaak Devi says she is the rashtrii samgamanii moving in splendor. She is the mover in the path for wealth (vasoonaam). [1]Horsch, Paul, 1967, ‘vom schopfungsmythos zum weltgesetz’, in Asiatische studien: zeitschrift dder schweizerischen gesellschaft fur aslankunde, vol. 21 (Francke: 1967), pp. 31-61; English tr. By Whitaker, J.L., ‘From creation myth to world law: the early history of dharma’, in: Olivelle, Patrick, ed., 2009, ‘Dharma, studies in its semantic, cultural and religious history’, Journal of Indian Philosophy, Vol. 32, Number 5-6.
[2]Dhaatup. Xix, 74.
She, rashtrii, constitutes the stability for a group of people and phenomena. She moves firmly and resolutely; she is shakti.
Rashtrii is ‘proprietress’, the possessor of all resplendence. Rashtrii is divine genitrix, Devi, uniting people for abhyudayam. Calling herself rashtrii, she says: aham rashtrii samgamanii vasoonaam, I am the Rashtram uniting and moving people for creating wealth. (RV 10.125) There cannot be a more emphatic and precise definition of the Rashtram which was founded on dharma, the global ethic. raashtram vai ashvamedhah, trans. ‘building up of the nation is ashvamedha’. The exhortation is to build the nation with valour (ashva) and intellect (medha). [Satapatha Brahmana (13.1.6.3)]
Rashtrii, rashtram have to be distinguished from the commonly used term, ‘nation’, as distinct from ‘state’ which is a grouping for governance.
‘Nation’ is a concept still unresolved as seen from the dissolution of the state of Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). But, Rashtram is founded on adhyatmika foundations from the Rigveda and is governed by the active terms, samgam, samgamanii –united movements of people towards abhyudayam. Thus, Rashtram is not a restricted construct related to a common language or territory but a common zeal to achieve welfare of people through united actions.
The term "Greater India," now largely out of favor consists of "all the Asian lands including Burma, Java, Cambodia, Bali and the former Champa and Funanpolities of present-day Vietnam in which pre-Islamic Indian culture left an "imprint in the form of monuments, inscriptions and other traces of the historic ‘Indianising’ process." In some accounts, many Pacific societies and "most of the Buddhist world including Ceylon, Tibet, Central Asia and even Japan were held to fall within this web of Indianising ‘culture colonies’"[1]Southeast Asia as "a single cultural process in which Southeast Asia was the matrix and South Asia the mediatrix.”[2]Kertanegara was ruler (1268 to 1292 CE) of the Singhasari kingdom, reigning between 1268 and 1292 in the eastern part of Java. He described himself as Sivabuddha, a simultaneous incarnation of the Hindu Maheshwara and the Buddha.
[1]Bayley, Susan (2004), "Imagining ‘Greater India’: French and Indian Visions of Colonialism in the Indic Mode",Modern Asian Studies 38 (3): 703-744.
[2]Wheatley, Paul, 1982, "Presidential Address: India Beyond the Ganges--Desultory Reflections on the Origins of Civilization in Southeast Asia", The Journal of Asian Studies 42 (1), pp. 27-28.
Rashtram is the path which led the ancestors of present-day Indians to move into Indian Ocean region to present the realization of janapadas and organization of the state, governed by dharma, the global ethic.
Human movements begin along the Indian Ocean Rim which is now home to people of 59 states from South Africa to Tasmania.
Map depicting the human journey along the coastal route of Indian Ocean or peopling of the world
VS 10.2-4 (Rashtra as an anugraham)
वृष्णऽऊर्मिरसि राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे देहि स्वाहा वृष्णऽऊर्मिरसि राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै देहि
वृषसेनोसि राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै देह्यर्थेत स्थ । 2 ।
अर्थेत स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्त स्वाहार्थेत स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रमुष्मै दत्तोजस्वती स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्त स्वाहौजस्वती स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै दत्ताप-:- परिवाहिणी स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्त स्वाहाप-:- परिवाहिणी स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै दत्तापाम्पतिरसि
राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे देहि स्वाहापाम्पतिरसि राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै देह्यपाङ्गर्भोसि राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै स्वाहापाङ्गर्भोसि राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै देहि सूर्यत्वचस स्थ । 3 ।
सूर्यत्वचस स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्त स्वाहा सूर्यत्वचस स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै दत्त स्वाहा सूर्यत्वचस स्थराष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्त स्वाहा सूर्यत्वचस स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै दत्त मान्दा स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्त स्वाहा मान्दा स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै दत्त व्रजक्षित स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्त स्वाहा व्रजक्षित स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मैदत्त वाशा स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्त स्वाहा वाशा स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै दत्त शविष्ठा स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्त शक्वरी स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै दत्त स्वाहा शक्वरी स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्त जनभृतं स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मैदत्त स्वाहा जनभृतं स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्त विश्वभृतं स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै दत्त स्वाहा विश्वभृतं स्थराष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रम्मे दत्ताप-:- स्वराज स्थ राष्ट्रदा राष्ट्रममुष्मै दत्त ।
मधुमतीर्मधुमतीभिँ पृच्यन्ताम्महि क्षत्रङ्क्षत्रियाय वन्वानाऽअनाधृष्टाँ
सीदत सहौजसो महि क्षत्रङ्क्षत्रियाय दधतीँ । 4 ।
This verse talks about many concepts which through light on the nation of the supporters of people (janabhRta) and supporter of world (vishvabhRta) and about the concept of self rule (svarAja).
THE Gods drew waters with their store of sweetness, succulentand observant, king-creating,
Wherewith they sprinkled Varuna and Mitra, wherewith
they guided Indra past his foemen.
2 Wave of the male art thou, giver of kingship. Do thou—
All-hail!—bestow on me the kingdom.
Wave of the male art thou, giver of kingship. Do thou on
So-and-So bestow the kingdom.
Thou hast a host of males, giver of kingship. Do thou—
All-hail!—bestow on me the kingdom.
A host of males hast thou, giver of kingship. Do thou on
So-and-So bestow the kingdom.
3 Swift at your work are ye, givers of kingship. Do ye—
All-hail!—bestow on me the kingdom.
Swift at your work are ye, givers of kingship. Do ye on
So-and-So bestow the kingdom.
Endowed with strength are ye, givers of kingship, etc.
O’erflowing floods are ye, etc.
The Waters’ Lord art thou, giver of kingship. Do thou, etc.
The Waters’ Child art thou, etc.
4 With sun-bright skins are ye, givers, etc.
Brilliant as Suns are ye, etc.
Bringers of joy are ye, etc.
Dwellers in cloud are ye, etc
Desirable are ye, etc.
Most powerful are ye, etc.
Endowed with might are ye, etc.
Man-nourishing are ye, etc.
All-nourishing are ye, etc.
Self-ruling Waters are ye, giving kingship. On So-and-So
do ye bestow the kingdom.
Together with the sweet let sweet ones mingle, obtaining
for the Kshatriya mighty power.
Rest in your place inviolate and potent, bestowing on the
Kshatriya mighty power.
yuvae raò+< b&hidNvit *aE> yaE setuiÉ> r¾uiÉ> isnIw RV 7.84.1 Kings, Indra-Varuna, I would turn you hither to this sacrifice with gifts and homage. Held in both arms the ladle, dropping fatness, goes of itself to you whose forms are varied. Dyaus quickens and promotes your high dominion who bind with bonds not wrought of rope or cordage. Far from us still be Varuna’s displeasure; may Indra give us spacious room to dwell in.
VS 10.4
• Aap> pirvih[I Sw raò+da raò+< me dÄ Svaha
• Aap> pirvih[I Sw raò+da raò+mmu:mE dÄ Svaha
• Apa< pitris raò+da raò+< me dÄ Svaha
• Apa< pitris raò+da raò+mmu:mE dÄ Svaha
• Apa< gÉaeRis raò+da raò+< me dÄ Svaha
• Apa< gÉaeRis raò+da raò+mmu:mE dÄ Svaha
• sUyRTvcs Sw raò+da raò+< me dÄ Svaha
• sUyRTvcs Sw raò+da raò+mmu:mE dÄ Svaha
• maNda Sw raò+da raò+mmu:mE dÄ Svaha
• ìjai]t Sw raò+da raò+< me dÄ Svaha
• ìjai]t Sw raò+da raò+mmu:mE dÄ Svaha
• vaza Sw raò+da raò+< me dÄ Svaha
• vaza Sw raò+da raò+mmu:mE dÄ Svaha
• zivóa Sw raò+da raò+< me dÄ Svaha
• zivóa Sw raò+da raò+mmu:mE dÄ Svaha
• z‹rI Sw raò+da raò+< me dÄ Svaha
• z‹rI Sw raò+da raò+mmu:mE dÄ Svaha
• jnÉ&t Sw raò+da raò+< me dÄ Svaha
• jnÉ&t Sw raò+da raò+mmu:mE dÄ Svaha
• ivñ É&tSw raò+da raò+< me dÄ Svaha
• ivñ É&tSw raò+da raò+mmu:mE dÄ Svaha
VS 20.8
पृष्टीर्मे राष्ट्रमुदरमँ सौ ग्रीवाश्च श्रोणी । ऊरूऽरत्नी जानुनी विशो मेङ्गानि सर्वत – (Rashtra and me are one)-
My ribs be royal government, my belly, shoulders, neck, and hips, thighs, elbows, knees, the people, yea, my members universally!
VS 20.10
प्रति क्षज्ञे प्रतितिष्ठामि राष्टे प्रत्यश्वेषु प्रतितिष्ठामि गोषु ।
प्रत्यङ्गेषु प्रतितिष्ठाम्यात्मन्प्रति प्राणेषु प्रतितिष्ठामि पुष्टे प्रति द्यावापृथिव्योँ प्रतितिष्ठामि यज्ञे ।। (Whole)
10 I take my stand on princely power and Kingship, on cows am I dependent, and on horses. on vital breath On members I depend, and on the body, dependent and on welfare, on heaven and earth and sacrifice dependent.
VS 22.22
आ ब्रह्मन्ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मवर्चसी जायतामा राष्ट्रे राजन्य-:-
शूरऽइषव्योतिव्याधी महारथो जायतान्दोग्घ्री धेनुर्वोढानड्वानाशुँ
सप्तिँ पुरन्धिर्योषा जिष्णू रथेष्ठाँ सभेयो युवास्य यजमानस्य वीरो
जायतान्निकामेनिकामे नँ पर्जन्यो वर्षतु फलवत्यो नऽओषधयँ पच्यन्ताँयोगक्षेमो न-:- कल्पताम् ।
22 O Brahman, let there be born in the kingdom the Brahman illustrious for religious knowledge; let there be born the Râjanya, heroic, skilled archer, piercing with shafts, mighty warrior; the cow giving abundant milk; the ox good at carrying; the swift courser; the industrious woman. May Parjanya send rain according to our desire; may our fruit-bearing plants ripen; may acquisition and preservation of property be secured to us.
(Rajyam in AV 3.4.2 is an administering or governance aspect of rashtram. Ganrashtram is the nation of the people (gana).
This is reinforced by Taittiriya Samhita (1.8.10.3-5) which gives an insight into the rashtra of Bharata: … ya devaa devasuvah stha ta imamaamushyaayanamanamitraaya suvadhvammahate kshatraaya mahata aadhipatyaaya mahate jaanaraajyaayaisha vo bharataa raajaa somosmaakam brahmanaanaam raja prati tyannaaama rajyamadhaayi syaam tanuvam..
O ye gods that instigate the gods, do ye instigate him, descendant of N.N., to freedom from foes, to great lordship, to great overlordship, to great rule over the people. This is your king, O Bharatas; Soma is the king of us Brahmanas. This rashtram hath very been conferred… (cf. http://www.scribd.com/doc/6149193/Bharata-Rashtra) ‘jaanaraajyaayaisha’ is a reference to ‘the state of the people’.
Kalyanaraman