Does Bhakti Appear in Rgveda by Jeanine Miller

Book Reviewed: Does Bhakti Appear in Rgveda by Jeanine Miller

Title: The concept of bhakti exists in Rig-Veda

This book takes a view that the concept of bhakti is present in the Rig-Veda contrary to the thoughts of early Vedic scholars such as; Max Muller, H. Oldenberg, A.A. MacDonnell and M. Winternitz. But later scholars of mid-20th century like Louis Renou, Jan Gonda, Sri Aurobindo, A.C. Bose, and R.C. Dandekar took a different approach to understand the specific hymns where bhakti could be traced. By re-interpreting the role of the Vedic seer’s life vision is to achieving divinely power and immortality, and a deeper philological examination revealed that the meanings of key words that express bhakti were misunderstood by earlier philologists. The author follows the examples of latter philologists to find evidence that bhakti was always a part of Rig-Veda. She re-examines the meanings of specific words such as tapas (religious life which is incandescent), dhih (vision and revelation), apas (scared work), Purusa (the absolute in human form) and hrad (the seat of divine wisdom) and concludes that bhakti was expressed by the Vedic rishis with deep devotion. The hidden spiritual dimension of svar (light), amrta (immortality) and yajna (sacrifice) unravel the rapture in the heart of seer-poet welling out with bhakti and elaborate this communion by praising the Vedic gods; Indra, Agni, Varuna, Soma or Savitr. The word Brahman that appears in Rig-Veda has the same meaning as it is in post-Vedic literature. This book tries to build a bridge of continuity between Vedic Henotheism and Upanishadic Monotheism, and try to explain that metaphysical component of Upanishads in preliminary form that evolved in Principal Upanishads.

This is a very well researched academic work with plenty of cross-references to the hymns in Rig-Veda and post-Vedic literature. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Vedas and bhakti movement in Hinduism.