Punit Kumar: What is the meaning of “sawaha” in havan?
Swami Ram Swarup: Swaha is also a name of God. Other meanings are as follows:-
Importance of Swaha
To know any Vedic word, one will have to take into consideration the fact that as God is formless so is the Vedvani of all four Vedas and so is “Swaha”. Therefore the printed Vedas are not Vedvani, it is called Samhita and Samhita can be destroyed whereas Vedvani is eternal. The pious, eternal and immortal word “Swaha” is recited/pronounced invariably in every Yajyen/havan at the end of mantra. It has got a prayer to God with some meanings. The meanings are explained below. First word will be in Hindi and then it will be explained in English, please.
“Swaha” — Directly it is Ved mantra. In Yajurveda mantra 31/7, it is clearly mentioned that the Vedvani emanates direct from God. Yagvalkya Rishi in his Smriti tells his wife Matryi that in the beginning of every creation this formless Vani emanates from formless Almighty God in the heart of four gentlemen selected by God from the previous creation in which they were topmost in Tapsya and good conduct etc. That is why automatically they are called Rishis with their names – Agni, Vaayu, Aditya and Angira. As the breath comes out from man similarly Ved mantras emanate from God. As outer breath is inhaled in the body so the Vedas are inhaled in God at the time of final destruction. {Please remember God is formless and has no mouth etc. This is an example and comparison only to enable us to understand the origination of eternal knowledge of Vedas otherwise neither it is exhaled nor inhaled from God.}
Further, in the heart of each of the four Rishis mentioned above, one Veda is originated without writing and without preaches. How? God is formless and Almighty, i.e., has all powers and does not require any assistance, i.e., God does not require any assistance from any Yamraj, any Yamdoot to get the soul out from any person, He does not require any assistance from any Indra, to shower water in the shape of rain, does not require any priest or preacher or Guru etc., to preach the religion to anybody because He is Almighty, He is always independent and His powers alone create and do all deeds etc., automatically.
It is we people only who are dependent on eyes to see, ear to listen and require pencil, paper or pen etc. to write and so on, but not God. So automatically, at right time, the creation takes place; mantras emanate from God and are originated in the heart of four rishis without paper, pencil etc., etc., etc., because it is all in the power of God. God being Almighty can do anything but can not do injustice or unnatural task. For example -A sinner prays to God to forgive his sins but God will never forgive. A horse cannot give birth to a man. Avtaar cannot take place etc. Now I come to the word “Swaha”.
The meaning of word “Swaha” has been explained in Yajurveda mantra 4/6 that it is –
(1) “Pratyaksh Ved Mantra Yukta Vani”- Evidently eternal vani (wordings) of Ved mantras. It means that the person who is performing holy Yajyen is praying to God with his heart felt eternal Vedvani with immortal word “Swaha” preached in Vedas to do so.
(2) “Sushikshit vani”. Sushikshit means = Su + Shikshit. As told above Vedic swaha word is eternal /immortal because it is not man -made. It is direct from God. So in addition, Su means the best vani i.e., supreme, paramount and divine vani and there is no doubt in its supremacy as it emanates direct from God and God being supreme. Thus it is knowledgeable vani.
(3) “Vidya Ko Prakashit karne wali Vani”. Enlightening vani. “Swaha” vani enlights the knowledge in the shape of deeds ( karam-kand in Yajurveda), knowledge ( Gyan- Kand in Rigveda) and worship (Upasana kand in Saamveda) and details of the said three knowledge as well as medicines etc., in Atharvaveda. Therefore, it is called enlightening, eternal Vani.
(4) “Satya Se Prem Aadi Gunon Se Yukta Vani” i.e., Swaha word is full of several qualities like to love all leaving behind discrimination, ravages of hatred, adopt truth, give up falsehood, etc., etc., etc. So Swaha is Vani which preaches truth and other virtues like love for humanity etc. It is not out of place to mention here that if “Swaha” word could have been used in Yajyen daily, uptil now then it could have settled in the mind of all human beings to love truth and follow the truth only and with the result there could have been no casteism, hatred, worship of several man made Gods, corruption, insult of women, militancy, poverty, division of earth into several nations etc., etc., which was not in the past. So Yajyen is compulsory and has been told in all four Vedas.
(5) ” Uttam Len-Den ki Kriya”. Excellent give and take business. To elaborate, the offerings are made in fire and in return to this pious deed, the polluted air, water are purified, people are blessed with good health, education, merriment etc. Also timely rains occur to get sufficient water, good crop, oxygen etc., to live upon and still numerous best results are mentioned in Vedas which are bestowed on people making offerings to fire.
Yajurveda mantra 11/57 states “Makhasya Shiraha Asi” that alive family (household) who performs daily Yajyen, is considered as head of the Yajyen. Family’s head means as the head is the supreme in the body because body functions are controlled and actions are delivered from mind which is in the head, so in the case of the alive family i.e., an alive family is the supreme in the world who performs holy Yajyen daily also giving the numerous benefits to whole mankind and then what to talk about people who do not perform holy Yajyen because they are neither benefactors to themselves nor to others. Swaha word has also been defined in Nirukta Brahmin Granth chapter 8, khand 20 that is, the people (householders who perform daily havan) gain the following qualities and even spread to others. So non-performance of holy Yajyen has now spread the illusion all over the world. According to Nirukta Brahmin Granth, it is stated-
(1) All people should speak sweet, polite, auspicious language which is conducive to the well-being and prosperity of others. Since the pious word “Swaha” carries all such attributes hence it is pronounced in each Yajyen. It may also be stated here that in ancient times when people performed daily havan, they were blessed with this virtue which is not commonly observed in people today due to lack in performance of havan.
(2) Everyone should be clear hearted and should give up hypocrisy. It is for this reason that people chant Swaha in havan. Again it shall not be out of place to mention that at present people are cunning and speak contrary to what is in store in their hearts and all this is happening due to lack of performance of daily havan by them.
(3) No one should eye another person’s article or property and should strictly be satisfied with one’s own share gained through hard work. To attain this contentment, people chant Swaha in havan. So non-performance of havan has created laziness and poverty etc.
(4) Our offerings of fragrant materials and substances in fire benefits the entire world and hence this benevolent act must be accompanied by chanting of Swaha says Nirukta Brahmin Granth.
(5) Swaha is not only pronounced while making offerings in fire but also while drinking pious water of aachamann which action reminds us again and again that may God protect us from illusion etc. We may gain money from hard work following path of truth etc., etc. Besides we pray by touching water with nose etc., to pray God to keep our body healthy etc.
Besides all these, Swaha has many other meanings and some of these which may be deliberated upon are—-
1. SU + AHA i.e., beautiful, eloquent vani.
2. Yajurveda mantra 38/11 explains it to be an action impregnated with truth i.e., when one offers ghee and other materials (combination of antibiotics + fragrant + sweet + nutritive materials) through one’s own hand into the pious fire of havan, then this action is true, pious deed since Vedas support such action. Vedas are eternal, indestructible. Hence pious deed of Swaha owing its origin from Vedas is also eternal and indestructible. This deed gives eternal and almost peace to the doer. Undisputedly it is the desire of each and every human being to achieve peace in life. In nutshell, this deed is virtuous, auspicious act reward of which is eternal happiness bestowed on the doer.
MDR: Mansun kiss bhasha ka shabd hai.
Swami Ram Swarup: Monsoon hindi bhasha ka shabd hai.
