As humans, we are driven largely by the mind. Chitta, the deeper strata of man’s mind-field, is a storehouse for latent patterns of habit. These are prototypical powers and serve as inner drives, influencing our thoughts and behaviour in the manifestation of our destiny.
Individual consciousness is a miniature, faithful representation of cosmic consciousness which is accessed by those in deep samadhi. The higher layers of the macrocosm are the abode of ‘archetypes’, known in the Vedas, as gods and goddesses. Each archetype is in essence a specific personified attribute of the Supreme Godhead and once activated, can blossom to manifestation, both in the collective and individual consciousness.
Vedic Samhita is a collection of Mantras and hymns revealed to rishis in their elevated states of unitary consciousness. These unravel mysteries of the cosmos, hierarchy of cosmic archetypes and their relation to human consciousness.
Usha, Goddess of Dawn, mentioned numerous times in the Rig Veda with about 30 hymns dedicated to her, is visualised in the higher consciousness of the poet-sage as a beautiful maiden, whose captivating smile infuses hope in all those who await her arrival. She makes a dramatic appearance drawn by 100 chariots and possesses ‘Gao’ and ‘Ashva’ which mean cow and horse in common parlance but metaphorically, they mean light and power respectively. Hence Usha is also known as Gomati and Ashvavati.
Usha’s sister Ratri is the cosmic energy of night, whose darkness engulfs our consciousness and enforces a repose which heals and revives by a temporary hibernation of mind and senses. Usha follows Ratri as surely as spring follows winter, in an unfailing rhythm called ‘Rta’ in Sanskrit.
Rta maintains universal occurrences in a precise order, protecting the cosmos from sheer chaos. Dawn is the ‘Rtavari’ mother, keeper of moral and social order, ensuring integrity of the complex cosmos.
At the most profane level, Usha, another form of Aditi, Mother of Gods, is the cosmic energy which immediately precedes the start of each earthly day . Usha gently steals into the atmosphere of earth just before her consort Surya, Sun, suffusing the skies with golden-orange luminosity.
She is the pregnant silence at daybreak, which pulsates with a nebulous promise of fresh hope, dreams to be fulfilled, battles to be fought and conquered. Her gentle yet sure vibrations suffuse the most tired of souls with new potential.
Dawn fulfils a dual role, as mother of auspicious tidings and devourer of lives. As the latter, she collaborates with the primordial Mother Kali to measure out eternity into small slices known as nights and days. Her relentless march continues and gnaws away at man’s ayuh, lifespan, slowly and surely leading him to death – only to be followed by another birth and dawn.