August 12, 2023
rudrādityā vasavo ye ca sādhyā
viśve ’śvinau marutaś co ’ṣmapāś ca
gandharvayakṣāsurasiddhasaṅghā
vīkṣante tvāṁ vismitāś cai ’va sarve (XI-22)
XI/22, The rudrā, ādityā, vasū, sādhyā, viśvedevā, the two aśvin, marut, the manes and the hosts of celestial singers, yakṣā, demons and the perfected ones, are all looking at thee, in great astonishment.
Swamiji's Commentary
The ‘sādhyā’ are a class of deities. However, the term may also imply that it is possible to attain and know them, to propitiate them and to win their grace. The transcendental truth offers the finite intellect of man an open window in and through these designations. They are not the final goal, even as the window is not the sky, or the door our destination; yet, the wise man realizes that without the window he cannot view the sky, and the door leads him to his destination.
As has been repeatedly emphasized, these divinities are the macrocosmic correlations of several functions and faculties in the individual. Meditation upon them, therefore, promotes those very functions and faculties in the individual. Take for instance the viśvedevā. As Gurudev points out in his commentary on the Gītā: “They were considered protectors of human beings. They were called guardians of the world. They were givers of plenty to the human beings.” They are: kratu (sacrifice, intelligence, purpose, desire, determination), dakṣa (dexterity), vasu (wealth, gold, water), satya (truth), kāma (desire, lust), dhvanī (sound), kalā (art), rocaka (hunger, tonic), adrava (non-fluid, i.e., solid), purūrava (a mythical link between god and man). Is there any doubt that these promote our prosperity?
The two aśvin are divine physicians. They appear in the sky before the dawn in a golden carriage drawn by horses and birds and they bring treasures to men, averting misfortunes and sickness. The signposts of legend, symbolism and myth point down the road of common sense. Of course you can have these treasures – only if you are awake! Then the whole day (the greatest treasure) is yours; early rising will give you good health and avert sickness, too; and you can meditate and avert your misfortunes.