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Dhammapada · narration sample

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Rig Veda · 160 of 1027

Mandala 1: HYMN CLX. Heaven and Earth.

1.THESE, Heaven and Earth, bestow prosperity on all, sustainers of the region, Holy Ones and wise, Two Bowls of noble kind: between these Goddesses the God, the fulgent Sun, travels by fixed decree.

2.Widely-capacious Pair, mighty, that never fail, the Father and the Mother keep all creatures safe: The two world-halves, the spirited, the beautiful, because the Father hath clothed them in goodly forms.

3.Son of these Parents, he the Priest with power to cleanse, Sage, sanctifies the worlds with his surpassing power. Thereto for his bright milk he milked through all the days the party-coloured Cow and the prolific Bull.

4.Among the skilful Gods most skilled is he, who made the two world-halves which bring prosperity to all; Who with great wisdom measured both the regions out, and stablished them with pillars that shall ne’er decay.

5.Extolled in song, O Heaven and Earth, bestow on us, ye mighty Pair, great glory and high lordly sway, Whereby we may extend ourselves ever over the folk; and send us strength that shall deserve the praise of men.

Asked of Guide

Why does the hymn call Heaven and Earth “Two Bowls” and “Pair” — what role do they play here?

The hymn names Heaven and Earth as a complementary Pair — “Two Bowls of noble kind” — because they are the sustaining containers of the world, holding and nourishing beings and the gods’ actions. They appear as Parents whose union produces the Sun and the priestly “Son,” so their pairing explains cosmic generation and ongoing maintenance of order.

Calling them pillars that “shall ne’er decay” and asking them to “bestow prosperity” presents them as active guarantors of stability and blessing for society. This is similar to how the Upanishads describe cosmic parents producing and sustaining the world, where creation is both familial and functional.

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