This is a presentation on the Vedic Sanskrit words on vision and the eye. The words reveal how the vision of the Universal Consciousness is creating the time and space, i.e. the measurable universe.

1. Vedic Sanskrit words related to vision, time, motion, control
The Sanskrit words written in italics are the intrans version of
Devanagari words. Most of these words are available in the
Sanskrit English Lexicon by Sir Monier Williams at
<http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/>
(i) chakShu---eye. Root word is chakSh meaning 'to see'.
The word chakSh can be considered as made of two words (i) cha
and (ii) kSha.
cha implies chamana meaning 'act of sipping'.
(In Bengali / Bangla language, 'chakha' means 'to taste')
kSha implies kShaNa meaning 'moment, time, manifestation with
time'; kSha also implies kSharaNa or decay or flow of time and
successive unfolding of events.
Thus 'chakShu' or eye is the center of 'manifestation' (kSha) as
well as the center of 'feeling' (cha---sipping).
This is the fundamental character of Consciousness'. These two
personalities are indha and indra as mentioned below.
(ii) indra and indha---The entity or the deity located in the eye.
(Refer Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Verse 4.1.2).
The entity or the deity located in the right eye is called 'indra'.
'indra' means who 'feels' or 'observes/ sees’ everything.
indra = idam (it) + dra (seeing or viewing or viewer). indra is
also called indha.
'indha' means who is shining, radiant or illuminated. This is the
manifesting personality.
Upanishad has said, though he is 'indha' still he is regarded as
'indra'.

2. (iii) nayana---eye. nayana is connected to the root word 'naya'
meaning 'leading' and 'nI' meaning 'to lead'.
'ayana' means 'locus', 'course', 'circulation', 'patterns of
movement', 'apparent motion of the sun'. Sun is the divine eye.
Eye is the leader of all sensory organs. You are looking at a thing
means you are moving and reaching to it.
So, nayana means the centre in us or the aspect of
Consciousness that regulates our trajectory in time and space.
(iv) netra--eye. netra = Leader. Eye leads all the sensory organs.
Vision is the leading sense.
ne > nI = to lead. tra = traaNa = rescue. netra---One who leads
you to rescue; who leads you to what you desire. By vision, we
move toward what we desire or where we intend to reach.
(v) Sun or the divine source of light and vision and motion (time)
is also called mitra meaning 'friend'. Thus, the sun ushers us to a
new day, to a desired time or event. So, the sun is mitra.
Sun or sUrya is the divine eye. Upanishads have said that the
entity who is in the sun is the same one who is in the eye. What
is eye in us and which is the center of vision in our inner sky, is
the same as the sun in the outer space.
sUrya (sun) = sU + r + ya
sU = to set in motion, to initiate.
r>ra = brightness, fire etc.; (rUpa = shape or vision.)
ya = control
Thus, sUrya means from whom an 'event' is initiated and set in
motion, it is manifested with a shape or form and it is controlled.
The sun is also called the radiance (teja) of viShNU . viShNu has
been addressed by his 'eye' and the 'foot' in the Vedas. The sun

3. is the centre of vision (light /eye) and motion (time/foot) in our
planetary system.
This is the function of the center of vision.
Thus, the word iikShaNa means ‘act of viewing’.
Also, iikShaNa means ii (motion/energy) + kShaNa (element of
time, a moment).
So, iikShaNa means the action of the Consciousness by which
time and space or vision are created.
(vi) akShi = eye. akSha = a wheel, axis.
akShi ---which controls and senses the wheel or periodicity of
time.
The periodicity in the earth is created from the sun--the eye in
the external space.
(The relation between eye and time, as presently known to the
modern science is explained in a simple manner in the following
internet publication on 'The eyes role in circadian rhythm
entrainment' available in the link
<https://www.chronobiology.com/the-eyes-role-in-circadian-
rhythm-entrainment/> ).
(vii) pash, pashya, paash, pashu.
pash----to see.
pashya----act of seeing.
paasha----leash, tether, a thing that binds and restrains/controls
the movement.
pashu----animal---a being who is controlled by surveillance
(pashya).

4. paasha and akSha maalaa are the two instruments held by many
deities.
akSha (axis) maalaa---- (garland > orbit).
paasha----an instrument or an action that keeps the motion of a
moving entity controlled---- a tie, a cord, a string, or an
equivalent device.
So, paasha and akSha maalaa are two instruments by which a
deity controls all who are under His/Her domain. The act of
paasha creates an orbit along which the subject (pashu) travels.
(Also refer to the meaning of nayana above.)
(viii) dRik, dRishya, Rik
The word 'da' means 'to donate', 'to bestow', 'to give'.
dRik---sight.
dRik= da + Rik.
Rik : Where all the physicality is held without physicality is the
mind, 'mana' or 'manas'. As all words are definitions of the mind,
similarly the physicality or the external universe is the definition
of the mind of Universal Consciousness. In terms of veda or
feelings of the Universal Consciousness, this divine mind, which is
the origin of all defined, shaped and measured entities, is called
Rik. Thus, any mantra or expression of the mind is an expression
of Rik. Thus, Rik is behind all expressions, behind the shapes,
dimensions, and colours and so behind the 'eye'. (Thus, in
Chandogya Upanishad, it is stated that 'chakShu eva Rik, aatmaa
saama---eye is the Rik and the soul is the saama).
So, dRik = da + Rik----The action by which the Rik or the
Conscious words (mantra) are taking the shapes or dimensions or
becoming visible.
Thus, the words yaadRik (yaadRish) meaning 'whatever like' and
taadRik (taadRish) meaning 'in that way' implies 'whatever is the
Rik, the realization or materialization is accordingly'.

5. (ix) dRish---Rish = da + Rish----The action by which the Rik or
the Conscious words (mantra) are transformed into time or flow
of events or regulation. The word 'sh' implies shakti (power) and
shaasana (ruling). (We have already stated above that vision and
time are interrelated.)
Thus, the word RiShi means 'the seer' or who can see through the
time eternal or who is omniscient.
(x) aadarsha, darshana----looking, viewing; derived from the root
word dRish.
aadarsha--mirror----aa (aatman--soul) + darsha (viewing). Thus,
aadarsha means the soul or assertion-less self in us, behind every
moment of existence of the 'assertive self' or 'I am'. We are
reflected in the colours of joys and sorrow in this mirror.
(yathaaH aadarshe tathaaH aatmani----as in a mirror, so in the
soul----Kathopanishad Chapter 2, Catno 3, Verse 5.)
(xi) ruch, Rich, arch,archana, char,charaNa
ruch---to illuminate, to be splendid, to brighten. This word is
connected to the word Rich.
Rich--to praise. Rich--the verses of Rik veda.
If Ri is expanded it becomes ar. Thus, the word arch is derived
from Rich. arch means to praise, to sing; it also means 'shining or
bright'.
The word archana means the act of chanting or offering hymns or
psalms and is derived from the word arch. Similarly, the word
archi meaning ray is from the word Rich.
The word char means ' to move, to roam about, to pervade, to
spread'. char is an inversion of arch.

6. Thus from the Rik, where the vision of Consciousness is located,
from there, the light or illumination, the shapes and colours, the
time and motion, and the self-praising hymns of the Universal
Consciousness are coming out.
Thus, a tree, a flower, a star, and everything is a shining view of
the Consciousness and everything is speaking out its name, its
words, exhibiting its shapes and hues---everyone is singing the
hymns. Thus, everything is in motion, in the flow of time, and
what is vision and visible, is the truth or the reality!
Thus, the moving, spreading Universal Consciousness named
viShNu has been described with his 'eye' and 'foot' in Rik veda.
The word ' foot ' is 'charaNa' in Sanskrit. charaNa is derived from
the root word 'char' mentioned above.
Thus corresponding to the sensory organ (j~naanendriya) eye,
foot/leg is the functional organ (karmendriya ).
In Brihadaaranyaka (vRihadaaraNyaka) it is said that the creator
at the first stage of creation, traveled by chanting hymns----sa
(he) archan (chanted the self-praising words or hymns ) acharat
(and moved).
(charaNa ganga----It is interesting to note that charaNa ganga is
a sacred stream in the shrine called 'vaiShNa devI '. The word
vaiShNa is related to the word viShNu and 'vaiShNa devI ' is the
consort or shakti of viShNu.
(xii) rochana, rochanaa, go-rochanaa----shining, radiant, yellow
pigment. It is from the root word ruch.
go rochanaa
go---Sensory organs or senses (with which we move around and
in the process, we get nourished. So, go also means ‘cow’ or the
pasturing animal who produces the nourishing milk.)

7. go rochanaa----The shine or radiance of the senses. This radiance
is visible in the eyes.
Thus, the Vedas (Chandogya Upanishad) have stated: The red
streaks of the eyes belongs to the Rik veda, the white in the eyes
belongs to the yajur veda, the black (dark) of the eye belongs to
the saama veda.
The deeper black has been termed as belonging to the 'kShobha'.
kShobha means agitation or vibration ----the vibration of feelings
of veda (vedana) within the soul, within Oneness.
rochanaa is offered to the goddess during a ceremony called
adhivaasa.
(xiii) loch, lochana, luk, loka, aaloka
lochana---eye; illuminating. It is from the root word loch.
loch means 'to see'.
Another word 'luk' also means to see and may be related to the
English word 'look'. The word ' loka ' means 'a place', 'world', ' a
domain'.
The word ' aaloka ' means 'light', 'seeing'.
All the above words are connected. From the view, from the
sight, the 'space or domains' are created. (It is interesting to note
the words 'sight' and 'site' sound somewhat alike.)
Thus, Rik veda has described the eye of viShNu as 'divi iva
chakShuraatatam'-----(Vishnu's) eye is like the heaven
(manifesting, self-illuminated plane) spread everywhere.
(xiv) The eye and the sense of realization.
It is mentioned above that the space is created from the act of
vision of the Consciousness. This is why our sense of realization is
strongly associated with our sense of vision. Thus, it is said in

8. Upanishad that the ‘eye is the truth and is the sap of all that is
realized or materialized’.
Here is a quote from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (verse 2.3.4):
“…..idam eva muurtaM yad anyat praaNaat cha yad cha ayam
aatman aakaashaH
etat martyam etat sthitam etat sat
tasya etasya muurtasya, etat martasya etasya sthitasya,
etsaa sataH---eShaH rasaH yat chakShuH---sataH hi eShaH
rasaH”.
Meaning
idam eva (it is) muurtaM (materialized form)----it is the
materialized form (In Veda, ‘idam meaning ‘it is’, is used to
address ‘the body/earth/physical world, what is existing or
already formed’.)
yad (that is) anyat (different from) praaNaat
(praaNa/consciousness beyond physicality) cha yad cha (and
what) ayam (this) aatman (in the entity) aakaashaH (sky)-------
that what is different from Consciousness who is beyond physical,
that what is different from the sky inside the entity
etat (this is) martyam (mortal/physical) etat (this is) sthitam
(stationary) etat (this is) sat (the truth/the realized state)---this
is mortal/physical, this is stationary state, this is the state
realized
tasya etasya muurtasya (of what that is with dimensions), etat
martasya (of what is mortal/physical) etasya sthitasya (of what
is stationary) etsaa (of) sataH (of what is tangible) eShaH (this
is) rasaH (sap) yat (what is) chakShuH (the eye/vision)--- eye/
vision is the sap of what that is materialized, of what is
mortal/physical, of what is stationary, of what is tangible

9. sataH hi eShaH rasaH----this indeed is the sap of what is
tangible.
Consolidated meaning
“It is the materialized form that what is different from (the state
of) Consciousness who is beyond physical, that what is different
from the sky inside the entity; this is mortal/physical, this is
stationary state, this is the state realized. Eye/ vision is the sap
of what that is materialized, of what is mortal/physical, of what is
stationary, of what is tangible; this is (indeed) the sap of what is
tangible”. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (verse 2.3.4).
{Written following the teaching of the great sage
Shri.BijoyKrishna Chattopadhyaya (1875-1945) and his principal
disciple Shri.Tridibnath Bandyopadhyaya (1923-1994).}
Debkumar Lahiri
(debkumar.lahiri@gmail.com)