svayaṁ niḥśreyasaṁ vidvān
svayaṁ niḥśreyasaṁ vidvān
na vakty ajñāya karma hi
na rāti rogiṇo 'pathyaṁ
vāñchato 'pi bhiṣaktamaḥ
One who knows the highest good will never instruct a foolish person to engage in material enjoyment, just as an experienced physician does not give his patient food injurious to his health, even if the patient desires it.
He does not teach the path of enjoyment, just as the real doctor does not give (rāti)unhealthy food to the patient.
|| 6.9.51 ||
maghavan yāta bhadraṁ vo
dadhyañcam ṛṣi-sattamam
vidyā-vrata-tapaḥ-sāraṁ
gātraṁ yācata mā ciram
O Indra! All good fortune unto you! I advise you to approach the exalted sage Dadhīci. Without delay, go and ask him for his body, which is strong because of knowledge, vows and austerities.
If you will die because of not having material objects for bodily pleasure, then listen to the method I will teach. Ask for his body which is firm because of knowledge, vows and austerities.
|| 6.9.52 ||
sa vā adhigato dadhyaṅṅ
aśvibhyāṁ brahma niṣkalam
yad vā aśvaśiro nāma
tayor amaratāṁ vyadhāt
Dadhīci personally assimilated the spiritual science called Aśvaśira and then delivered it to the Aśvinī-kumāras. The Aśvinī-kumāras then became jīvan-muktas, liberated even in this life.
Two verses explain the great knowledge he had. This story is well known. Hearing that Dadhīci was proficient in knowledge of pravargya and brahma-vidya, the Āśvinis approached him and spoke. “O lord! Give us that knowledge!” Hearing that, he said, “Today I am engaged. Later I will tell you. Now go.” When they left, Indra came and said to the sage, “Do not teach this knowledge to them, since they are doctors. If you disobey me and teach them, I will cut off your head. There is no doubt about this.” He then departed. When he had gone, the Aśvinis came there and spoke to the sage. Hearing what Indra had said, they spoke again. “We will cut off your head and replace it with a horse’s head. Speak that knowledge from the horse’s mouth. When Indra cuts off that head, we will replace it with your original head. After giving you a donation we will then leave.” Hearing this, the sage, without fear of doing wrong, spoke to them pravargya and brahma-vidyā. That is the meaning.
Dadhyaṅ had understood pure (niṣkalam) Brahman. Another version has niṣkṛtam which means “devoid of temporary objects.” Then he gave that knowledge to the Aśvinis. The verb is in the next verse. That knowledge is called aśva-śiras since it was spoken by the head of a horse. The Aśvinis then achieved the stage of jīvan-muktas. Śruti also says aśvasya śīrṣṇā prayatīm uvāca: he spoke this gift of knowledge through the head of a horse. (Ṛg Veda 116.12)
|| 6.9.53 ||
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