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----- bhagap069.html
Anasuya begot Soma or the Moon after Brahmft, Datta or
Dattatreya after Vishnu and Durvasas after Siva.
[The Moon is thus a sort of Brahma or creator to the present
Kalpa.]
Atri represents the Creative, the Preservative and the Des-
tructive Intelligence in the individual, all united to carry out the com-
plex process of evolution.
The Brihat Aranyaka certainly refers to one of his aspects in
the following passage:
"Speech is Attri; for by speech food is consumed; for Attri is
verily derived from the root Attih (to eat, consume); he is the con-
sumer of all." II-2-4.
TABLE E.
"Where was he, who thus established us? He Is within the
mouth; hence is Ayasya. He is Angirasa, because he is the essence
of the members." Brihat Aranyaka 1-3-8.
Commenting on this passage Sankaracharya says: "Life is
also called Angirasa, the essence of causes and effects. Angirasa is a
compound of Anga and Rasa Anga meaning members, causes, and
effects, and Rasa essence, substance; the whole meaning therefore is
the substance, upon which causes and effects depend It is the essence
of every thing, because unless it were present, all would become with-
out effect."
"He who abides in the mouth is Angirasa, for he is the es-
sence (Rasa) of the members (Anga). Life is the essence of the mem-
bers This is also Brihaspati. Speech is Brihati. Life is the
preserver (fa ft) of Brihati, therefore it is Brihaspati."
B. A. 1-3-19 and 20.
Brihaspati or the presiding deity of the planet Jupiter is call-
ed Angirasa /. e. the son of Angiras. The wife of Angiras is, accord-
ing to the Bhagavata, Sraddha or Faith, and, according to Vishnu
Purina, Smriti or Memory. The latter is a more suggestive name.
Brihaspati or Jupiter is the essence of all beings and of the Universe
and is connected with the memory of the past.
Angirasa is the Rishi of the pth Mandala of the Rig Veda.
The Mantras of that Mandala are composed in the Brihati or big
Metre. This accounts for the name Brihaspati (Brihati -f pati).
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