THE ROLE OF 'WATER' IN VEDIC ACTIVITIES

Abstract

Water is the part of our life. it is the most common liquid on earth. It is a liquid that descends from the cloud as rain, from streams, lakes and seas and it is a major constituent of all living organisms. It is an odourless, tasteless, very slightly compressible liquid oxide of hydrogen H₂o which appears bluish in thick layers. Water is the elixir of life, has taken today the centre stage all over the world. It covers 73.4% of the earth's surface. Human body is made of approximately 71% of water. It helps to carry out many important jobs in human body such as removes bacteria from bladder, helps in digestion, carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells and maintenance the sodium balance in the body. The health benefits being by the water.

  Human life is fully dependent on the five basic elements, which are earth, water, fire, wind and sky. Among them, water is considered as the most essential and vital element for the survival of all. Water provides clarity of mind. Since our brain is mostly water. It depends on proper hydration. Drinking of more water is helpful in the freshness of mind. These are the usefulness of water in the present life, in the Vedic period also, water had a special role in various activities. The Indian philosophy through its Vedas, Upaniṣads and Brāhmaṇas has given some effective statements to the importance of water. Water is considered according to Hindu religion as the source of purity. In the Vedic period, there was a method of sanctifying oneself with water before starting any funeral ceremony or any sacrificial work. Not only that, water was also used as an important component to maintain peace in the field in the sacrificial fire. In this paper, there has been discussed this necessity of water in several ways.