Thoughts on a Few Vedic Hymns

As I was reading through the selected Vedic hymns (or rather, attempting to read) I noticed that, while nearly all the hymns did deal with some level of metaphor, paradox, or central themes, there were definitely varying levels of complexity from hymn to hymn. Patton certainly goes into great detail about the tendency of the texts to "constantly move between the abstract and the concrete" (p. 42) but never seems to discuss why certain hymns are relatively straightforward (for example, "Rudra, Father of the Maruts" on p. 221 in the Rg Veda selections) and why others are so maddeningly complex (the obvious example being "The Riddle of the Sacrifice (Asya Vamasya)" on p. 71). 

While reading through "Rudra, Father of the Martus" it's fairly easy to follow along and understand the author's meaning and intentions. The author begs Rudra, a fierce and destructive god, to spare the community from his wrath. The relatively simple hymn structure and language is also seen in another hymn, "Have Mercy on Us, Rudra", with the author instead asking for Rudra's more healing and protective gifts, for example, the "healing medicines" that he is "holding in his hand" (p. 224). When looking at "The Riddle of the Sacrifice (Asya Vamasya)" however, even the translator of the text notes that, despite the numerous metaphors and paradoxes already identified, many obscurities still remain. For me, it was nearly impossible to understand the complex language of the hymn, even with the help provided by the translator. However, I was at least able to conclude that the author in this hymn is not explicitly asking the gods for anything, but is rather telling the story of said gods. This led me to draw the very basic conclusion that perhaps hymns asking for help or some personal gain are simpler than the hymns that do not. In turn, this conclusion led me to draw some very rudimentary comparisons between these more complex hymns of the Vedas and the Upanisads. 

As pointed out by Patton, the Upanisadic system came about and was able to be supported once the Aryan tribes settled into the more established kingdoms and no longer had to be "concerned about their own tribal survival" (p. 46). It is well known that the Upanisads are some of the most philosophical and insightful texts to have emerged in world literature, and is seen as the core of Hindu spirituality by many. While the riddle-filled and paradoxical hymns may not be nearly as complex as the writings in the Upanisads, I would say that they are similar, in that they go beyond seeking personal gain and instead reflect upon the actions of the gods. Perhaps these more complex hymns were written by the Aryans during a period of relative comfort whilst in their tribes, while the more pleading hymns were written during times of hardship? Obviously these conclusions are extremely rudimentary and most likely unprovable, but it is interesting to think about how the differences in complexities in the Vedas came about.