''Ataptatanū'' ( sa, अतप्ततनू) refers to someone who has not subjected himself to the heat of ''
tapas''.
Etymology
''Ataptatanū'' derives from ''atapta'' () which means - 'not heated, cool' (from ''tapa'' () meaning 'to burn, heat up') and ''tanū'' () – means - 'body, the physical self'; therefore, ''ataptatanū'' literally means – 'he whose body or mass is not prepared in fire', 'raw'.
History and meaning
The compound word ''ataptatanū'' appears in the
mantras of the
Mandala 9 of the
Rigveda. In a
sukta
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (''śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one S ...
addressed to ''Pavmāna Somo Devatā'',
Rishi
''Rishi'' () is a term for an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mentions in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "great yogis" or ...
Pavitra prays:
In this mantra, ''ataptatanūh'', refers to the one who has not subjected himself to the heat of ''tapas'', ''tadāmah'' refers to one who is raw and who therefore, ''aśnute'' - cannot experience the highest bliss because his body is not yet properly prepared to receive the knowledge he seeks.
In his
Satyarth Prakash (Light of Truth), Swami
Dayananda Saraswati
Dayanand Saraswati () (born Mool Shankar Tiwari; 2 February 1824 – 30 October 1883) also known as Maharshi Dayanand is an Indian philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement. His Magnum Opus is the bo ...
explains that ''tapas'' does not refer to branding one's body with literal fire, and this is also clarified by Rishi Pavitra in the subsequent mantra which reads:
''
Tapas'' (or ''tapasya'') is practical discipline; according to the
Bhagavada Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...
(17.14).
"Worship of
gods, the
twice-born, one's elders, the
teachers, and the wise men,
purity, straightness of conduct,
chastity, and
non-violence
Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...
: these are the ''tapasya'' of the body.
The finishing phase of a scholar's higher education was called ''tapasya'' in the time of
Krishna.
Gandhi considered ''tapasya'' to be the test of love, ''
ahimsa
Ahimsa (, IAST: ''ahiṃsā'', ) is the ancient Indian principle of nonviolence which applies to all living beings. It is a key virtue in most Indian religions: Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.Bajpai, Shiva (2011). The History of India � ...
'', self-suffering, and self-sacrifice, which are essential in the quest for truth.
Accordingly, ''ataptatanū'' refers to someone who has not yet experienced such practical discipline.
References
Bibliography
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{{Indian philosophy, state=collapsed
Vedanta
Sanskrit words and phrases
Hindu philosophical concepts
Buddhist philosophical concepts
Jain philosophical concepts
Yoga concepts