But the real greatness of the mantra lies, as we learn from the mantrās themselves, in the mode of coming to expression. There is a rik of Dīrghatamas declaring that the abode of the mantra is the supreme Ether known as akşhara, unmoving, where dwell all the Gods; and for him who knows this not, the riks have no use. Here is the rik: “The riks abide in the Immutable, supreme Ether where are seated all the Gods; what can he do with the rik who knows not that? Those who know that are indeed here assembled”, RV (1.164.39). There is this another rik in the same hymn: “The voice, vāk, is measured out in four steps; the wise persons brāhmaņa persons know them. Three of them concealed in the profound secrecy cause no movement; the fourth step is what men call the human speech” RV (1.164.45). The import of this rik is profound. The kavi, the seer of the mantra, delves deep into the inner ocean of the heart, has direct perception of the Home of the Gods, the Fourth Plane turīya and expresses the truths he sees in the words of inspiration that are heard on the acquisition of the primal Word. Thus there are four stations or steps of the vāk, Speech, that sets out from the supreme station of Unmoving. Of these, three stations are concealed in the secrecies, secret, not audible to the human ear and the fourth one, in its descent, is the human speech. All the four stages of Speech are known to the rişhi, one who has control of mind, who is consecrated in the secret and inmost parts of his being, not to any other. Thus is it famous that mantrās were not made but were seen by the kavi, the Seer, the satyashrut. And because the paramam vyoma, Supreme Ether, the abode of the Gods and the original source of the Speech of the riks, is not a creation of anyone, the Veda mantrās manifested out of it are also by courtesy identified with it and are said to be eternal. The paramam vyoma has been there before the appearance and after the disappearance of the rişhi, the seer of the mantra. It does not depend (for its existence) on the seer; on the other hand, the perception of the mantra is possible because of it. The mantra-word and its inalienable meaning are there in the sublime spaces of Ether, self-existent but their manifestation depends upon the achievement and competence of the rişhi. That is how we see frequent mention made in the rik samhita of the rişhi as the author of the mantra e.g. “O Seer, by the lauds of the hymn-composers” RV (9.114.2). “They chanted the mantrās carved out of the heart” RV (1.67.2).
