Dr. FATAH SINGH

on

Indus Valley Script Decipherment

Indus Valley Script

Vedic Basis of Indus Culture

Symbolism of Brahmanas and Upanishdas in Indus Valley Script

Critical view of decipherment of Indus script

 

 

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Like aja's/goats, Ashwins also are joint friends in vedic literature.  The importance of this seal lies in the fact that this includes in itself two vedic statements and clarifies that these two statements have the same roots - that of two goats/eagles and two Ashwins. It is prayed in vedic literature that these two should not separate from each other. As has been mentioned earlier also, one aja is the consumer of Ajaa, while the other Aja shuns it. It is notable that Ashwin can be derived from root Ashnan/Ash - to eat. 

 

The one - horned animal of Indus valley may be representative of all other animals, similar to the goat of vedic literature. It has different body parts from different animals. But it is not that all the seals depict the same animal. To differentiate, the horns and neck may be smooth or rough, at some places there is one bird above the animal, at other places two, Almost invariably, a trough is situated on a triangular stand in front of the animal. The triangle is itself located on a staff    .  

The left corner has a rectangle figure . The right undivided half portion of this rectangle is called ekata, the undivided one. The left divided part is called Dvita, the divided one. The third entity is formed by united forms of ekata and dvita. This is called Trita. Keeping ekata, dvita and trita at one place signifies that though these forms are separate, still they are united. To strengthen this view, a triangle situated on a staff is also placed beside the rectangle. Here the triangle signifies three, while the staff is symbolic of 'not'. This forms the word Atri - not three. But Brahmanic texts have given the derivation of this word from root - to eat. A fire symbol (fish like) is also placed beside the triangle. This is symbolic of fire. Thus, the three signs may be read as united devouring fire, or united not - three fire. Spritually, what is that which may be three or non - three? Soul may be three fold from the point of voice, mind and praana. This fire soul, when depicted in Indus seals, has three heads, out of which sometimes one is unicorn and sometimes all the three are two - horned. The sign of 7 above the seal may be symbolic of 7 cereals and the trident sign(of Atri) is symbolic of devouring fire.  

To differentiate, the horns and neck may be smooth or rough, at some places there is one bird above the animal, at other places two, Almost invariably, a trough is situated on a triangular stand in front of the animal. The triangle is itself located on a staff    .  

 

    

But there are at least two seals where this sign is absent. Instead, only a trident on a staff is kept. At one place, a quadrangle is also placed on the trident. This only indicates that one - horned animal does not represet any particular animal in all the seals. Different seals have different symbolisms. The same thing can be said about vedic animal goat also. In one upanishada, goat has been equated with man; In Atharvaveda, somewhere it is a goat eating five types of cooked rice, somewhere it is self fire, somewhere third light, somewhere inner form.

As an example, let take two seals bearing the same inscriptions - Vritra or Vritrahaa, but one seal shows a unicorn animal(aja) and the other shows a two - horned cow bull with upward tail and wide tusk. This may be compared with two pictures of fire in Rigveda. In one of them, it is a unicorn animal with sharp chin and beautiful jaws and in the other it is a strange animal who becomes a bull with one of it's mouth and an elephant eating trees with the other mouth. Similarly, fire or Prajaapati is sometimes expressed as a horse, sometimes as a white horse, sometimes as a camel - mouth horse, sometimes as a aja etc. As has been said earlier also, in vedic symbolism, a horse can also have horns, and an aja also has the elements of horse in it.

    The question is - what does the common - neck unicorn animal in the Indus seal signify? As trees are the food of the animals, so there should be no objection in assuming that one of these is the eater of food. But the inscriptions at the left and right down corners also unravel the mystery. 

 

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