मेघ, इंद्र, परमेश्वर विद्या (सृष्टि का आदिकाल )
15 हिरण्यस्तूप आङ्गिरस: । इन्द्र:। त्रिष्टुप् ।
Scientific Background Quoted thankfully from “the secret life of GERMS” by Philip M. Tierno)
(According to modern science during the period of formation of Earth’s History, intense volcanic activity was producing oxygen by releasing it from Earth’s interior. In the primordial soup, ancient blue green algae lived by photosynthesis, and also produced Oxygen. Over the course of perhaps three billion years, the Oxygen produced by algae and the Oxygen spewed by the volcanoes changed the Earth’s atmosphere , creating an Oxygen blanket that allowed higher life forms to evolve from germs. Oxygen in upper atmosphere came in contact with UV (Ultra Violet) Rays and electrical discharges. This converted Oxygen in upper atmosphere in to ozone that can more strongly absorb UV rays. In this way Earth’s Ozone layer was formed. If land dwelling organisms had to face the full force of Sun’s UV rays, all life on Earth would have eventually destroyed. This Ozone layer in the upper atmosphere prevents this by acting as a protective shield.)1
Earth’s Atmosphere
The total global environment consists of four major realms: a gaseous atmosphere, liquid hydrosphere, solid lithosphere, and living biosphere.
From space, Earth’s atmosphere looks like a blue sphere with gaseous envelopes .. This fragile, nearly transparent envelope of gases supplies the air that we breathe each day. It also regulates the global temperature and filters out dangerous levels of solar radiation. In recent years, scientific research has shown that the chemical composition of the atmosphere is changing because of both natural and human induced causes. There is growing concern over the impact of human activities. Mankind may be increasing levels of heat absorbing gases, thereby contributing to global warming and destroying ozone, the fragile atmospheric ingredient that shields the planet from ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Ozone and the Atmosphere
Earth is an extraordinary planet. Complex interactions between the land, oceans, and atmosphere created conditions that are favorable for life. One species, man, has managed to alter the environment on a global scale. In order to fully comprehend the impact of our actions, we must view the planet as a whole and understand the relationship between its basic components; land, water, and air.
This web site discusses the chemical composition and evolution of Earth’s atmosphere, focusing on the protective layer of ozone in the stratosphere. The destructive properties of troposphere ozone are also presented. Diagrams and animation sequences are used to visually depict the delicate structure of the ozone molecule and the chemical reactions involved in its formation and destruction. Ozone destroying pollutants were first identified in 1973.Since that time there has been a considerable amount of controversy surrounding the subject of ozone depletion. More than 20 years of ozone-related scientific studies, international meetings, and global industrial agreements are summarized in the last section of this site.
Historical Atmosphere
Earth is believed to have formed about 5 billion years ago. In the first 500 million years a dense atmosphere emerged from the vapor and gases that were expelled during degassing of the planet’s interior. These gases may have consisted of hydrogen (H2), water vapor, methane (CH4), and carbon oxides. Prior to 3.5 billion years ago the atmosphere probably consisted of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), water (H2O), nitrogen (N2), and hydrogen.
The hydrosphere was formed 4 billion years ago from the condensation of water vapour, resulting in oceans of water in which sedimentation occurred.
The most important feature of the ancient environment was the absence of free oxygen. Evidence of such an anaerobic reducing atmosphere is hidden in early rock formations that contain many elements, such as iron and uranium, in their reduced states. Elements in this state are not found in the rocks of mid-Precambrian and younger ages, less than 3 billion years old
Formation of the Ozone Layer
One billion years ago, early aquatic organisms called blue-green algae began using energy from the Sun to split molecules of H2O and CO2 and recombine them into organic compounds and molecular oxygen (O2).This solar energy conversion process is known as photosynthesis. Some of the photo synthetically created oxygen combined with organic carbon to recreate CO2 molecules. The remaining oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere, touching off a massive ecological disaster with respect to early existing anaerobic organisms.As oxygen in the atmosphere increased, CO2 decreased.
High in the atmosphere, some oxygen (O2) molecules absorbed energy from the Sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays and split to form single oxygen atoms. These with remaining oxygen (O2) to form ozone (O3) molecules, are very effective at absorbing UV rays. The thin layer of ozone that surrounds Earth acts as a shield, protecting the planet from irradiation by UV light.
The amount of ozone required to shield Earth from biologically lethal UV radiation, wavelengths from 200 to 300 nanometers (nm), is believed to have been in existence 600 million years ago. At this time, the oxygen level was approximately 10% of its present atmospheric concentration. Prior to this period, life was restricted to the ocean. The presence of ozone enabled organisms to develop and live on the land. Ozone played a significant role in the evolution of life on Earth, and allows life as we presently know it to exist.
Present Day Atmosphere
The atmosphere we breathe is a relatively stable mixture of several hundred types of gases from different origins. This gaseous envelope surrounds the planet and revolves with it. It has a mass of about 5.15 x 10E15 tons held to the planet by gravitational attraction. The proportions of gases, excluding water vapor, are nearly uniform up to approximately 80 kilometers (km) above Earth’s surface. The major components of this region, by volume, are oxygen (21%), nitrogen (78%), and argon (0.93%).Small amounts of other gases are also present. These remaining trace gases exist in such small quantities that they are measured in terms of a mixing ratio. This ratio is defined as the number of molecules of the trace gas divided by the total number of molecules present in the volume sampled. For example, O3, CO2, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are measured in parts per million by volume (ppmv), parts per billion by volume (ppbv) or parts per trillion by volume (pptv).
Atmospheric temperature and chemistry are believed to be controlled by the trace gases. There is increasing evidence that the percentages of environmentally significant trace gases are changing because of both natural and human factors. Examples of man-made gases are the chlorofluorocarbons CFC-11 and CFC-12 and halons. Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane (CH4) are produced by the burning of fossil fuels, expelled from living and dead biomass, and released by the metabolic processes of microorganisms in the soil, wetlands, and oceans of our planet.
- Summing up:
- The Earth formed more than 4 billion years ago along with the other planets in our solar system.
- The early Earth had no ozone layer and was probably very hot. The early Earth also had no free oxygen.
- Without an oxygen atmosphere very few things could live on the early Earth. Anaerobic bacteria were probably the first living things on Earth. These are referred to as Marut gan मरुत गण in Vedas.
- The early Earth had no oceans and was frequently hit with meteorites and asteroids. There were also frequent volcanic eruptions. Volcanic eruptions released water vapor that eventually cooled to form the oceans.
- The atmosphere slowly became more oxygen-rich as solar radiation split water molecules and cyanobacteria began the process of photosynthesis. Eventually the atmosphere became like it is today and rich in oxygen.
- The first complex organisms on Earth first developed about 2 billion years ago.
RV1.32
ऋषि: -हिरण्यस्तूप आङ्गिरस =
इन्द्रस्य नु वीर्याणि प्र वोचं यानि चकार प्रथमानि वज्री ।
अहन्नहिमन्वपस्ततर्द प्र वक्षणा अभिनत् पर्वतानाम् ।। 1.32.1
-महर्षि दयानंद के अनुसार; हे विद्वान् लोगो ! तुम लोग जैसे सूर्य के जिन प्रसिद्ध पराक्रमों को कहो उन को मैं भी शीघ्र कहूं | वह सब पदार्थों का छेदन करने वाली किरणों से -युक्त सूर्य मेघ का हनन कर के वर्षाता है, उस मेघ के अवयव रूप जलों को नीचे ऊपर करता उसको पृथ्वी पर गिराता और उन मेघों के सकाश से नदियों को छिन्न भिन्न करके बहाता है |
अहन्नहिं पर्वते शिश्रियाणं त्वष्टास्मै वज्रं स्वर्यं ततक्ष ।
वाश्रा इव धेनव: स्यन्दमाना अंज: समुद्रमव जग्मुराप: ।। 1.32.2
-जैसे यह सूर्यलोक मेघमण्डल में रहने वाल गर्जन शील मेघ को मारता है, इस मेघ के लिए काटने के स्वभाव वाले किरणों को तोड़ता है. इस कर्म से बछड़ों को प्रीति पूर्वक चाहती हुई गौओं के समान चलते हुए प्रकट जल से पूर्ण समुद्र को नदियों के द्वारा जाते हैं.
Life Begins
वृषायमाणोऽवृणीत सोमं त्रिकद्रुकेष्वपिबत् सुतस्य ।
आ सायकं मघवादत्त वज्रमहन्नेनं प्रथमजामहीनाम् । 1.32.3
-सशक्त वृषभ की तरह आचरण करता हुवा सूर्य्यलोक मेघ के समान इस उत्पन्न हुए जगत के व्यवहार में बर्ताने वाले पदार्थों की तीन अवस्थाओं उत्पत्ति, स्थिरता और विनाश की व्यवस्था बनाता है.( पृथ्वी पर वनस्पति और जीव उत्पन्न हो जाते हैं) और्र पृथ्वी पर सूर्य अपनी शस्त्ररूपी किरण समूह द्वारा और मेघों से वर्षा द्वारा पृथ्वी पर अपार समृद्धि का साधन बनता है. ( यहां फोटोसिंथेसिस द्वारा वनस्पति और पर्यावरण उत्पत्ति का ज्ञान निहित है)
Ozone layer Formation
यदिन्द्राहन् प्रथमजामहीनामान्मायिनाममिना: प्रोत माया: ।
आत् सूर्यं जनयन् द्यामुषासं तादीत्ना शत्रुं न किला विवित्से ।। 1.32.4
-प्रथम सब भिन्न भिन्न पदार्थों को आस्तित्व प्रदान करने के लिए सूर्य्यलोक में छोटे छोटे मेघों के मध्य में सूर्य का आवरण करने वाली बड़ी घटा उठती है. उन मेघों की अंधकार रूप घटाओं को अच्छे प्रकार हरता है तब विशेष किरण समूह से प्रात:काल और प्रकाश को प्रकट करता है.
Dinosaur Period
अहन् वृत्रं वृत्रतरं व्यंसमिन्द्रो वज्रेण महता वधेन ।
स्कन्धांसीव कुलिशेना विवृक्णाऽहि: शयत उपपृक् पृथिव्या: ।। 1.32.5
-यास्क /दयानंद के अनुसार ; बड़े बड़े मेघों और बिजलियों के वज्र से बड़े बड़े वृक्षादि को काट कर पृथ्वी पर धराशायी कर दिया और वे सूर्य के गुणों से मृतक वत पृथ्वी पर सोते हैं
Sedimentary Rock Formation
अयोध्देव दुर्मद आ हि जुह्वे महावीरं तुविबाधमृजीषम् ।
नातारीदस्य समृतिं वधानां सं रुजाना: पिपिष इन्द्रशत्रु: ।। 1.32.6
-यास्क/ दयानंद के अनुसार; वे बड़े बड़े पदार्थ सूर्य के शत्रु मेघ से युद्ध न कर सकने वाले, सब पदार्थों के रस को लिए हुए सूर्य से पिस कर पर्वतों, पृथ्वी के बड़े बड़े टीलों को काटती हुई नदियों में बह चले.
अपादहस्तो अपृतन्यदिन्द्रमास्य वज्रमधि सानौ जघान ।
वृष्णर्वध्रि: प्रतिमानं बुभूषन् पुरुत्रा वृत्रो अशयद् व्यस्त: ।। 1.32.7
नदं न भिन्नममुया शयानं मनो रुहाणा अति यन्त्याप: ।
याश्चिद् वृत्रो महिना पर्यतिष्ठत् तासामहि: पत्सुत:शीर्बभूव ।। 1.32.8
नीचावया अभवद् वृत्रपुत्रेन्द्रो अस्या अव वधर्जभार ।
उत्तरा सूरधर: पुत्र आसीद् दानु: शये सहवत्सा न धेनु: ।। 1.32.9
अतिष्ठन्तीनामनिवेशनानां काष्ठानां मध्ये निहितं शरीरम् ।
वृत्रस्य निण्यं वि चरन्त्यापो दीर्घं तम अशयदिन्द्रशत्रु: ।। 1.32.10
-यास्क के अनुसार ; कहीं न रुकने वाले अस्थावर जलों में मेघ निहित है.जब वे मेघ निम्नप्रदेश में विचरते हुए गाढ़ अंधकार फैला देते हैं.
दासपत्नीरहिगोपा अतिष्ठन् निरुध्दा आप: पणिनेव गाव: ।
अपां बिलमपिहितं यदासीद वृत्रं जघन्वाँ अप तद् ववार ।। 1.32.11
-यास्क के अनुसार; मेघ में छिपाया हुवा रक्षक वृष्टि जल जो जल के निकलने का द्वार जो ढका हुआ था उसे विद्युत ने खोल दिया,एवं वृष्ट होने लगी.
अश्व्यो वारो अभवस्तदिन्द्र सृके यत्त्वा प्रत्यहन् देव एक: ।
अजयो गा अजय: शूर सोममवासृज: सर्तवे सप्त सिन्धून् ।। 1.32.12
नास्मै विद्युन्न तन्यतु: सिषेध न यां मिहमकिरद् ध्रादुनिं च ।
इन्द्रश्च यद् युयुधाते अहिश्चोतापरीभ्यो मघवा वि जिग्ये ।। 1.32.13
अहेर्यातारं कमपश्य इन्द्र हृदि यत्ते जघ्नुषो भीरगच्छत् ।
नव च यन् नवतिं च स्रवन्ती: श्येनो न भीतो अतरो रजांसि ।। 1.32.14
इन्द्रो यातोऽवसितस्य राजा शमस्य च शृंंगिणो वज्रबाहु: ।
सेदु राजा क्षयति चर्षणीनामरान् न नेमि: परि ता बभूव ।। 1.32.15