New Translation

1. Introduction of my tranlation

Around 4000 BCE¹ and 3000 BCE, in an area including present-day northwest India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran, small civilizations developed. In general, they were the logical continuation of local shamanism.

Their functioning was totally different from the type of society that we know, and that has gradually spread to all regions of the world. Archeology has shown us that they did not have an army, that they were peaceful, and for Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, that they were managed by women².

These civilizations practiced the same spirituality, originating from shamanism, in which participants used a powerful psychotropic plant³ that was called soma in India and haoma in Iran⁴. These two religions worshiped almost the same gods – Indra, Mitra, Varuna etc. – and the same goal: obtaining spiritual enlightenment⁵.

Each had its own sacred text, oral at that time. It was passed down from generation to generation.

The Rig Veda was one of them. That of the Indians in the northwest of India at the time.

1. When does the Rig Veda date from?

Of course, the Rig Veda does not contain dates. On the other hand, it is full of clues that we could describe as “serious and consistent,” as Justice does, in the absence of material evidence.

To begin, let's look at what the Rig Veda looks like. It is a collection of 1028 hymns – songs of praise – addressed to gods or goddesses, but also to mountains, clouds, illness, soma mortars, etc.

These hymns are classified into ten mandalas, or chapters. The vocabulary tells us that they are not from the same era. The oldest are the hymns called, in India, “the family books⁶”, because the rishis claim to have an ancient author, from different peoples, constituting the Vedic people.

Thanks to the study of the vocabulary and the names of the rishis, we can classify the mandalas, chronologically, in this way:

1 – Mandalas two to seven are the oldest, with this chronology: 6, 3, 7, 4, 2, 5⁷, plus the first part of the first mandala. An eclipse, described in the fifth mandala⁸ and in all the hymns of the theft of the cows by te Panis, allows us to provide a date: 3928 or 3929 BCE⁹. However, the seventh mandala could be a little more recent, but it is only an impression.

2 – Mandalas eight, nine, the second and third part of the first date, probably, between approximately 3500 BCE and 2300 BCE.

3 – The most recent is the tenth. The latter dates, most likely, from around 2200 BCE to 1900 BCE¹⁰.

The first date : We can therefore think that the first events took place around 4000 BCE.

The second date is based on hydrological analyzes¹¹ and on the text¹². These are the Sarasvatî River¹³, today called Ghaggar, in India, and Hakra, in Pakistan. It dried up in 1900 BCE. Now, in the text, this river flows abundantly. So abundantly, that she became a goddess¹⁴, symbolizing the “flow”, of speech, of enlightenment .

We can therefore consider that the Rig Veda takes place before it is dried up.

The third date : Indian and Western analysts¹⁵ tell us that a shortage of soma, which requires a lot of humidity, has struck the Vedic area¹⁶, and that the priests have replaced it with other plants, including blue lotus and ephedra mixed with cannabis¹⁷.

These new plants do not have the same effects as soma at all. In the tenth mandala we find hymns that have little in common with those of the other mandalas. Certain hymns make us understand that soma is becoming rarer, and that a part of the population is deprived of it¹⁸.

This drought lasted about a century and ravaged the entire intertropical zone of the planet. We can therefore estimate that the rarefaction of the soma took place between 2200 and 2100 BCE, before it disappeared. So, in the middle of the mature period of the Indus-Sarasvatî civilization.

1. Geography:
2. There, it's much simpler. Just read the hymn to the Indus¹⁹, 10.75 which gives its position.

5 – Unite in my praise, O Ganges, O Yamuna, O Sarasvatî²⁰, O Shutudrî²¹, O Parushnî²². With the Asiknî²³, with the Marudvridha²⁴, with the Vitastata²⁵, listen with those who love the Soma in the cup.

6 – You are the first who comes at the same time as the Susartu, the Rasâ, the Shvestya²⁶. You come, O Indus, on the good chariot with those who come: the Kubha²⁷, the Gomatî²⁸, the Krumu²⁹, the Mehatnû³⁰.

Some names have changed, but not all. We can therefore say that the events, recounted in the hymns took place between the Ganges and the Indus, between 4000³¹ and 1900 BCE.

1. Vedic society between 4000 BCE and 1900 BCE.

Vedic society has evolved significantly over these two millennia. For about five centuries, life was not yet urban. Before large modern cities³² like Harappa or Rakhi-Garhi emerged from the Earth, life took place in villages.

Wars, or at least battles, took place against different peoples³³. One war is well documented: that of the ten kings, which will see a clash internal to the Purus clan between the Bharatas and five other peoples, members of the Purus federation, allied with five other peoples, non-Aryas. The Bharatas won, and the union took place within the Purus.

Agriculture, livestock breeding and crafts were developing strongly and the need to change lifestyle quickly became significant.

At first glance, archaeologists realized that these cities had been planned, thought out, reflected, in the interest of all. Every house, even those of the poor, had its own bathroom. Many of them had dry toilets, which did not exist elsewhere. Wastewater management was perfect, unlike other civilizations of the time³⁴.

These cities contain no palace, no temple, no prestigious pyramid or ziggurat type construction, no trace of slavery, no trace of an army, no display of wealth, no trace of megalomania. It was not an egalitarian civilization, as has sometimes been said, but the inequalities were not really marked.

The operation was community-based³⁵. There is absolutely no trace of centralization, Jacobinism, or verticality in the entire Rig Veda.

A passage from a hymn of the tenth mandala says this, in a hymn to Indra³⁶: “These have chosen him as a people chooses their king”. Which suggests that a form of democracy could exist.

After the shortage of soma, around 2100 BCE, the castes, the Varnas, appeared. In the first nine mandalas, they do not exist. At most, we can find the word Brahman, declined in Brahmanah, designating the priests, but never Vaishas, Shudra, or Râjanya³⁷.

Absolutely nothing says that these castes³⁸ were closed, like the Jâtis³⁹ of today. On the contrary, the text gives off an impression of liberality, relaxation and individual freedom. The only rule in the first nine mandalas is: make sacrifices and, therefore, drink the soma.

Of course, other rules surely existed, but the RV doesn't mention them. At most, we find, in the tenth mandala, a few hymns speaking of incest⁴⁰ and gambling addiction⁴¹, but without doing so brutally. These are not prohibitions, but rather recommendations.

Archeology has shown that morals were rather relaxed. Men, like women, went bare-chested. The text of the RV is even, at times, very crude⁴². Sexuality was not a taboo.

The râja had several wives⁴³, probably for reasons of politics or diplomacy, but it seems, even if in the tenth there is a nuance⁴⁴, that he was the only one, because all the leaders of the society, who all participated in the sacrifice, were present, each with his wife. Not with their wives, or any of their wives.

On the other hand, absolutely nothing in the text says that the woman was stigmatized in one way or another⁴⁵. On the contrary⁴⁶, she drank soma⁴⁷. And, also, there were several female rishis⁴⁸.

1. Spirituality

The book of the Vedic people, which was oral at the time, was therefore the Rig Veda. More precisely, different compilations of the Rig Veda. The first must have been made after the victory of Sudâsa over the other Purus, during the war of the ten kings, between 4000 and 3500 BCE. This compilation included mandalas 2,3,4,5,6,7.

Then mandalas 1, 8 and 9 were added. The tenth will only be added after the soma shortage, after 2100 BCE.

The last mandala of the second compilation was therefore the ninth, which is entirely addressed to the deified soma. It's also the longest, apart from the first and last, which both have, exactly, the same number of hymns. This therefore tells us that the soma, deified, had considerable importance in the functioning of society.

The entire life of this civilization revolved around sacrifices. The standard sacrifice⁴⁹, the Agnistoma, – the praise of fire, Light, enlightenment – took place every year in spring, at least. All the leaders of the society participated and drank the soma.

1. The sacrifice :

In Vedism, it is not a question of having faith, of believing in one or more gods. This notion does not exist.

Sacrifice is the mass of Vedic times. At the time, yoga already existed (see the seals, found in Mohenjo-Daro and elsewhere), even if this word does not exist to designate a specific discipline in the Rig Veda⁵⁰, renunciating ascetics too⁵¹. The sacrifice, as one can imagine, was therefore the “official” ceremony. It was an opportunity to ask the gods for material goods or fusion with Brahman. The whole life of civilization revolved around sacrifice. It had considerable importance.

In fact, there were two types of ceremonies, public and private sacrifices.

Private sacrifice:

it is a family ritual that people did at home, as Indians continue to do today. These were mantras with a ritual in which a little clarified butter was given to the gods by pouring a spoonful into the fire. This rite still exists, it is now called a puja. The head of the family did it alone or hired one or more priests. There could be consumption of soma.

1. Public sacrifices:

1 – The sacrifice organized by the “masters of the house” to obtain something: children, property… These sacrifices could last from one day to a year. They devoured up to an entire year of the sacrificer's income⁵². A sheep, a goat, a bull and even, on special occasions, a Horse were strangled there. The sacrifices were the occasion for great festivals full of color, music and great rejoicing with snake charmers, musicians, dancers, etc. When we know the Khumba-Melâ where 35 million pilgrims, or even many more⁵³, gather in Allahabad every twelve years, we can easily imagine what it might have been like 4,000 years ago. Indian spirituality is neither austere nor sinister.

2 – Sacrifice for Brahman. It is the more sacred of the two, and it is the one which is in the second reading of the hymns. It is in this sacrifice that they drink the soma.
The gods are internal. When they call upon a god to ask for spiritual riches or immortality, they were appealing to their own inner strengths. The gods are symbols. Man and nature are not separate. The forces that govern the Universe are the same as those that govern humans.

1. Enlightenment:

The basis of Indian spirituality, whatever the religion, is "enlightenment,⁵⁴" which Hindus today call Moksha⁵⁵, which could be translated as: Nirvana, Non-duality, Immortality, Ultimate Reality, Truth, Deliverance, Sacred Graal, Revelation, Mystical Ecstasy, Seeing God⁵⁶, etc. It is the awareness of Brahman⁵⁷, of the Absolute.

In Indian tradition, even today⁵⁸, beyond daily problems, that's all that matters. All ways to get there are good. No judgment is made on those who are chosen.

In the Rig Veda, they use the soma. The mysterious plant, which is an entheogenic plant⁵⁹. The ninth mandala is entirely dedicated to him. It is the only mandala that is solely dedicated to a single god. In all its descriptions, we never speak of leaves, seeds, fruits or flowers, but of fibers⁶⁰. And then, in 2009, Russian archaeologists found a tapestry in Mongolia in a tomb dating from the first century AD, woven in Palestine or Syria and embroidered in the cities of the Indus. The design depicts priests of Zoroastrianism, a daughter of Vedism, the Iranian religion, venerating a mushroom that they identified as an Indian variety of psilocybes⁶¹, that is, a mushroom that contains psilocybin.

However, Zoroastrianism used the same drink (haoma) as Vedism⁶². Therefore, they deduced that the soma also contained it. Which fully corresponds to the descriptions of the hymns of the Rig Veda and the description of the ninth mandala.

The effects of soma

The soma plants therefore contained a tryptamine, from the same family as that which we naturally generate in our brain⁶³: dimethyltryptamine. It is “triggered”, among other things, by yoga : asanas, meditation and especially by pranayama⁶⁴. Stanislav Grof⁶⁵ demonstrated this by practicing both techniques: first, for more than ten years, he treated schizophrenics with LSD. Following the press campaigns, orchestrated by several American fundamentalist sects, and the administrative harassment that followed, he developed, with the help of yogis, holotropic breathing⁶⁶. He obtained the same results as with LSD⁶⁷. He developed this technique for over 20 years.

Here are the main effects reported by the researchers, with their references.

Expansion of Consciousness: Psychedelics can cause an expansion of consciousness, allowing individuals to feel a deeper connection with the universe or nature. This experience is described as a mystical unity. (Reference: Griffiths et al. 2006)

Ego Reduction: Psychedelics may temporarily diminish the sense of self and ego, allowing individuals to feel more at one with others and the environment. (Reference: Carhart-Harris et al. 2016)

Exploration of spirituality: Psychedelics may encourage individuals to explore their personal spirituality, question their beliefs, and seek deeper meaning in life. (Reference: MacLean et al. 2011)

Transcendence Experience: Psychedelic users may describe experiences of transcendence, where they feel like they are going beyond the limits of ordinary reality and entering a higher state of consciousness. (Reference: Pahnke, 1963)

Of course, these are not trivial effects. For everything to go well, it is essential that this experience be ritualized.

Spirituality will largely disappear with tryptamines to make way for religion. Egos, violence and greed will gradually return to the majority of the population⁶⁸. Some priests will make sacrifice the very goal of their religion and will seek to establish their power and enrich themselves. Another part will take the path of the Upanishads, which will give rise to modern Hinduism. The castes, which only appear in the tenth volume of the Rig Veda, will freeze and religion will replace spirituality for the overwhelming majority of the population.

1. Some more basics
2. The three worlds:

For the Vedic people there are three worlds: Heaven, Earth, and the Middle World.

Heaven is Brahman, ecstasy, the absolute.

The Earth is our world as we perceive it in a normal state of consciousness.

The Intermediate World is where the gods, demons, spirits and humans are on their way to mystical ecstasy. This is where all the paranormal events happen.

This principle of division into three is found everywhere:

The three gunas⁶⁹ (set of qualities) which create the world: sattva (all that is pure and luminous) rajas (energy, action) tamas (inertia, degradation). These gunas combine to create matter and spirit. The Indians say that matter is solidified spirit.

The trimurti who will be born a few centuries later (Brahma⁷⁰ the creator, Vishnu who maintains and operates, Shiva who destroys).

The three conditions for succeeding in knowing Brahman: pure dispositions of mind; an adequate environment; and a means used that is effective.

The definition of Brahman itself, sat-cit-ananda.

The three doshas in Ayurvedic medicine, and almost in everything if you look carefully⁷¹, etc.

1. Mâyâ:

Mâyâ, which is generally translated as illusion, is the perception that our senses give us of the world around us. Reality is Brahman, everything else is Mâyâ. Our eyes cannot see everything (infrared, ultraviolet, atoms, protons, neutrons, etc.) Our ears cannot hear everything (infrasound, ultrasound, etc.) The same goes for our understanding. We can only understand Reality (Brahman) if our intellect is silent⁷². Mâyâ is therefore a vision of the world at a certain level, but absolutely not reality.

Rishi :

Rishi is translated as seer, wise men or poets. They are the authors of the hymns. Some of them were the Purohitas⁷³ of kings⁷⁴.

1. Reincarnation:

This notion only exists in the Rig Veda in the tenth mandala at a time when the soma had probably disappeared. But, on the other hand, there is a lot of talk about immortality.

1. Morality :

The Rig Veda gives practically no moral lessons, and only in the tenth mandala.

1. Lineage, descendants:

A sacrificer can ask to have numerous descendants, but this is not the case for ascetics, yogis, sadhus and other renunciates who are chaste. Even today, certain brotherhoods of sadhus, as well as tantric teachings, are carried out through the lineages of a former rishi⁷⁵. From master to student, not from father to son. From female teacher to student, in the case of Tantrism⁷⁶.

1. Vedic society of that time.

A civilization in which all leaders regularly drink soma cannot be a society like the ones we know. Above, we saw the effects that soma has from a modern Western perspective.

The text gives us beautiful indications. Here are a few :

RV 2.41

4 – Mitra and Varuna, this soma juice allows you to reach the Truth. Listen here to my invocation.

RV 8.48.3.1

3 – We drank the soma. We have become immortal. We entered the Light, we found the gods there.

RV 10.9

1 – For your Waters give pleasure, place them in us for power, for great luminous happiness.

9 – O Waters, today I have come to unite with you through the juice. O Agni, come here, full of juice, and flow to unite us with the Light.

So, all the leaders of this society, whoever they were⁷⁷, knew what was described a little above: A dissolution of the ego, a mystical experience, a disappearance of aggressiveness, a feeling of brotherhood and love towards others, etc.

Obviously, they could not, and above all, they did not want, to wage wars, conquer other countries, take slaves and, also, have a society with unnecessary and harmful problems.

Archeology amply demonstrates this. There is no trace of violence, ego glorification and excessive inequality⁷⁸.

The leaders, râjas, were concerned with their spirituality and not with satisfying their egos.

1. The main gods:

Unlike Westerners, Indians are not convinced that there is man and nature, but that man is part of nature⁷⁹, and that he is therefore subject to the same laws as the rest of nature.

The gods are the deified forces of nature, fire, thunder, wind. But also friendship, energy, rivers, trees, etc. There are at least two readings of the hymns⁸⁰: one for people inclined towards spirituality and one for those who are satisfied with a religion with gods and therefore with duality.

There are the main gods and the others, not to mention the almost gods, the spirits and many other entities of the same kind. The gods are the forces or energies that govern the Universe, just like the human being, who is part of nature and is therefore governed by them. The hymns are intended to accompany the opening of the mind to Brahman.

Each god is an aspect of Brahman, so whether a hymn is addressed to one god or another is of little importance. However, here are the main ones⁸¹:

• Aditi: “Unbound.” It is infinity, it is also the Mother of all things⁸². This is the Mother Goddess⁸³.
• Agni: It is the sacred fire. He is also the messenger, because by pouring an offering into the sacred fire, it is sent directly to the other gods. But it is also the Light that comes to chase away the darkness. This is enlightenment.
• The Angiras: Angiras is the name of one of the first Rishis. The Angiras are not necessarily gods, but they are children of the gods, and some gods are Angiras. They are found in the middle world, like the gods. These are the forces of Light.
• The Ashvins: “like a Horse” They are twin gods, also called Angiras. They are the brothers of Dawn. They are the Sunrise, including within ourselves. Enlightenment.
• The chariot⁸⁴: The hymns very often speak of a chariot. It's a symbol. It can be compared in French to train: train de vie, mener grand train (lead in a big way). etc. In the case of Indra, it's quite simple: it is a two-wheeled war chariot, fast and maneuverable. It symbolizes the spirit and its liveliness. It is pulled by two bay Horses, symbolizing strength and energy. In other cases, it is more of a ceremonial chariot than a war chariot⁸⁵. It is also pulled by deer, antelopes, birds, goats or oxen. The Sanskrit word, like all the others, means several things, there, it is both chariot, trolley or cart.
• Indra: “who is powerful,” is the warrior god. It is also linked to the senses, and in particular to the intellect, which is a sense in India. It is the storm, its weapon is lightning. His power is revealed through soma, which he loves. He conquers for man wealth (Brahman), Light (Cow) and strength (Horse).
• The Maruts: “who cause death”. The winds. They are the sons of Rudra, the companions of Indra. They are the gods of energy, power of will and life force.
• Mitra: “friend”. Inseparable and complementary to Varuna, he is the lord of love and friendship.
• Rudra: “the one who makes you cry”. This is the first name of Shiva. It symbolizes destruction. He is violent and terrible while being compassionate to all who suffer. He destroys darkness to make way for Light.
• Sarasvatî⁸⁶: “like a lake”. It is the famous river, deified, where the first cities were located. It illuminates all meditations, it is the flow of the divine word which illuminates all thoughts.
• Soma: “who is pressed”. It is the deified plant and its juice. This is the way to achieve enlightenment. The plant is squeezed, and the juice is mixed with water and milk. It was exchanged for a Cow, and in the middle of the classical Vedic period,⁸⁷ it cost the price of gold⁸⁸.
• Sûrya: “which shines”. It's the Sun. He is the Light and the truth. Its functions are Light creation and Light vision. This is enlightenment.
• Ushas: “who illuminates”. It's dawn. It is also the Light of knowledge, it is enlightenment, the truth…
• Varuna: “that which surrounds”. It is the ocean, the Sky. Friend of Mitra, he destroys all enemies. It is the conscious force of truth.
• Vâyu: “which blows”. It is the deified wind, the breath. He is the master of the intermediate world. He is the master of life.
• Vishnu: “who is active”. Guarantor of the functioning of the world, lord of activity, he helps man in his spiritual ascension.
• Visvedevas: These are all the gods.
• Vritra: “which covers, which obstructs”. It's darkness, obscurity. He is the enemy, the one who prevents man from achieving enlightenment. He must die, thanks to Indra.

There are many others, you will find the meaning at the bottom of the page, where possible.

1. The Âryas and the Dasyus (or Dâsa):

Ârya originally means, from its Indo-European root, “the one who advances, gets up, who sets out,” and then this term became generalized to mean noble, virtuous, honorable. It is the word that defines someone who is on a spiritual journey, who makes sacrifices, interior or not, and who drinks soma. By extension, it designates all these people.

Dasyu (or Dâsa), “he who is lacking, who exhausts, who limits, who prevents”, means impious, brigand, bandit, barbarian, enemy of the gods. He has no spiritual approach and, on the contrary, seeks to pull the Ârya downward by dragging it down with thoughts or actions contrary to the path towards Brahman.

The opposition between Dasyu and Ârya is a war metaphor between the forces of Light against those of darkness. It is most likely based on a very ancient conflict between two or more clans.

1. How to read the Rig Veda?

Especially not with a cartesian and rational mind. You have to let yourself be carried away by the text and imagine a ceremony with haired and bearded priests, or with shaved heads, reciting hymns in front of three or more fires. Each verse is a mantra that was recited or chanted during the first days of the sacrifice and during the last while the tryptamine "rose" in the case of sacrifices to the soma. It takes about half an hour⁸⁹ to an hour before the effect is maximum. The sacrificer focused on the sound, rhythm and meaning of the mantra.

Each stanza is a meditation support. So, there is no point in “devouring” the Rig Veda.

The Rig Veda is read at three levels, corresponding to the three worlds:

• The Earth: this is reading at first level.
• The Intermediate World: there is always duality, but we know that the goal is fusion with Brahman.
• Heaven: It is non-duality. Everything is clear to the knower of Brahman.

*****

1. Mini-glossary.

Ambassador: another name for Agni. Agni transmits the offering made to him to the other god.

Aryaman: another name for Agni.

Assembly: the various people attending the sacrifice.

Asura: spiritual being, in rivalry with the gods.

Increase, grow: progress to Brahman.

Dawn : Enlightenment.

Beauty: Brahman.

Clarified butter: offering, symbol of Light.

Happiness: Brahman.

Loot: spiritual riches

Cave: where the Light is locked away. Mental blocks.

Chariot: alertness of mind

Horse: strength, energy

Combat, battles: inner struggles

Knowledge: when one has had the experience of Brahman

Demons: that which prevents enlightenment.

Snake: Vritra, darkness, darkness.

Waters: symbol of purification.

Enemies: ignorance, thoughts, actions that prevent enlightenment.

Son, child: the positive results of the spiritual quest.

Flows: flows of Light, enlightenment

Lightning: Indra's weapon which kills ignorance to make way for Light.

Heroes: in general, those who have experienced enlightenment, but also the gods.

Men: human beings in general

Indu: drops of soma. Another name for soma.

Intoxication: the intoxication caused by tryptamine. Nothing to do with alcoholic intoxication

Maghavan: another name for Indra “the generous”.

Manu: the father of humanity, humanity.

Honey: soma. We also say the sweet.

Worlds: the three worlds: Heaven, the intermediate world, Earth.

Food: spiritual foods, soma.

Night: ignorance.

Darkness: ignorance, which prevents enlightenment.

Ocean: vastness of the mind

Word: the mantra that brings enlightenment.

Strongholds: everything that is contrary to enlightenment.

Abundance: spiritual riches.

Portion, part: the dose of soma poured into the cup. Share of spiritual wealth.

Rule: the order of things. Cosmic order. Dharma.

Rich: who is spiritually rich.

Wealth: spiritual wealth, enlightenment

River: floods of speech, enlightenment.

Savitri the instigator. The sun

Treasure: Brahman.

Union, unite: union with Brahman

Cow: Light

Truth: Brahman.

Victory for enlightenment.

1BCE = Before common era. Before our era.

2Afghanistan: Treasures of anonymous rulers. Moscow, 1983. Viktor Sarianidi

3A local variety of psilocybe. Wurts, M., M. Semerdzieva & J. Vokoun (1984). Analysis of psychotropic compounds in fungi of the genus Psilocybe by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. - J. Chromatography 286: 229-235.

4https://scfh.ru/en/news/we-drank-soma-we-became-immortal-/

5Enlightenment is only about the first experience. The following, no longer being a discovery, makes this word no longer appropriate.

6To be taken in the broad sense.

7Shrikant Talageri, The Rig Veda, Historical analysis. Aditya Prakashan, 2000. Talageri.

8RV 5.40.

9The difference between the two dates is explained by the Christian calendars used: the Julian or Gregorian calendar.

10Or even a little later.

11Michel Danino. The Lost River On The Trails of Saraswati. Penguin books limited. 2010.

12RV 10.75.

13“like a lake”.

14The only river that is a goddess.

15The divine ferment. Dominique Fournier, Salvatore D'Onofrio , Editions de la Maison des sciences de l'homme, Ministry of Culture. 1991

16L. Giosan, Fluvial landscapes of the Harappan Civilization ”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 109, o 26,‎ ,

17Traces of this mixture were found in the Karakum civilization.

18The tenth mandala speaks of drought. VR 10.114.1.

19Or the Indus. It's the same word for both.

20Today: the Ghaggar, in India, and the Hakra in Pakistan.

21Today the Sutlej.

22Today: Râvî.

23“the black one”. A river, a tributary of the Indus.

24“who rejoices in the wind”.

25Tributary of the Indus, today the Jhelum.

26Tributary rivers of the Indus.

27The Kabul River. Tributary of the Indus.

28“who has Cows”. Tributary of the Indus.

29Tributary of the Indus.

30Ibid.

31at least

32For the time, cities were the ultimate cities on the entire planet.

33Dasyus, Dâsas, Panis, etc.

34In Egypt and Mesopotamia, people drank beer to avoid getting sick.

35Jonathan Mark Kenoyer: Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization. OUP Pakistan, 1998.

36RV. 10.124.8.

37The leadership caste. It would later change its name to the kshatriyas, from the root kshatra = domination, supremacy.

38Portuguese word which mixes varnas and jatos (today's castes)

39Today's castes, which delight Bollywood and Western journalists.

40RV. 10.10.

41RV. 10.34.

42Rv. 10.86.6. RV 8.1.34, among others.

43RV. 7.18.2.

44RV. 10.101.11.

45RV. 10.18.7.

46RV. 9.112.10.

47RV. 9.38.4.

48Romasâ, Lopamudrâ, Apala, Kadrû, Visvavarâ, Ghoshâ, Juhû, Vagambhrinî, Paulomî, Yamî, Indranî, Savitrî, and Devajî.

49Available in different ways.

50Hymns are full of terms like union, yoking, etc.

51RV X.136

52The person offering the sacrifice.

53In 2019, there were around 150 million pilgrims.

54This term is used in the West, but is very restrictive, but for lack of anything better, it is the one I will use.

55Literally: “liberation, deliverance”.

56Although this expression induces a duality.

57The Concept of the Absolute in the Upanishads". Surendranath Dasgupta

58Especially since the reincarnation system is based on it.

59https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entheogen

60Amshu.

61https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybe

62https://scfh.ru/en/news/we-drank-soma-we-became-immortal-/

63Rick Strasmann: DMT: The Spirit Molecule. Park Street Press. 2001.

64Breath control.

65Transpersonal psychology. I read.2009.

66Banned in France.

67The new dimensions of consciousness. Stanislav Grof. Éditions du Rocher. 1999.

68A part of the Brahmins, the ascetics and the yogis will develop the Upanishads.

69https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/puja

70The deified Brahman.

71We find these three doshas in the composition of the atom: electrons, protons, neutrons.

72Which is almost impossible for a Western intellectual to understand.

73The equivalent of noble chaplains in the West.

74This word comes from a root meaning to govern, represent, manage, administer.

75The disciples all bear the master's name.

76Theoretically.

77The entire caste of Râjanyas. If they refused, they had to change caste and could no longer lead society.

78In fact, it is the opposite of our Western societies.

79In the broad sense of the term.

80Plus reading at first level, which obviously we will not address here.

81As defined by Sri Aurobindo and Jean Hébert. Sri Aurobindo was an Indian wise who studied in London and who knew how to explain his understanding of the Veda, in the Western way.

82A vision of Brahman, simpler to understand.

83A feminized version of Brahman, popularized by Sri Aurobindo.

84The chariot is not a god. The râja had several wives1, probably for reasons of politics or diplomacy, but it seems, even if in the tenth there is a nuance2, that he wasthod, but one of their attributes.

85The chariot of the Ashvins has three wheels.

86Today, it is called Ghaggar in India and Hakra in Pakistan. The Indo-Pakistani border cuts it in two. It is dry today. Michel Danino: The lost river, on the trail of the Sarasvatî. Penguin books, India. 2010.

87Which begins after the evacuation of the cities, after 1900 BCE.

88For all the details of the soma ceremony, read: https://www.forgottenbooks.com/fr/books/LAgnistoma_10471205

89Or even less, since they only ate yogurt for the entire duration of the sacrifice and did not sleep the last night before the consumption of the soma.