1. Svetasvatara Upanishad Tyagisananda RK Mutt.epub

SVETASVATARA

UPANISHAD

Translation with Notes by

Swami Tyagisananda

Upaniṣad Series

ŚVETĀŚVATAROPANIṢAD

Including original passages, construed text (anvaya) with a

literal word by word translation, English rendering of

each passage, copious notes, and Introductory Note

BY

SWĀMI TYĀGĪŚĀ NANDA

SRI RAMAKRISHNA MATH

MYLAPORE, MADRAS

INDIA

Published by

The President

Sri Ramakrishna Math

Mylapore, Chennai-4

© Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai

All rights reserved

XI-2M 3C-1-2010

ISBN 81-7120-504-6

Printed in India at

Sri Ramakrishna Math Printing Press

Mylapore, Chennai-4

CONTENTS

Introductory Note

The Peace Invocation

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

The Śvetāśvataropaniṣad is a short Upaniṣad consisting of only 113 Mantras (sacred verses) divided into six chapters. It belongs to the Kṛṣnayajurveda. It gets its name from the sage Śvetāśvatara who is said to have taught it to his disciples (vide Mantra 21 of chap. 6). The word Śvetaśvatara does not seem to be the original name of the Ṛṣi but only an honorific title. According to Śaṅkarānanda the word means one who has controlled his senses (Śveta = pure + Aśva = Indriyas or senses). According to others it means a pure mule or a male calf (Śveta + Aśvatara). In ancient days it was quite common to add suffixes like Ṛsabha, Puṅgava, etc., to names as a mark of respect or pre-eminence. Either way the word signifies the greatness of the teacher.

It is not one of the more ancient Upaniṣads that are generally considered to be the major ones, and that form the basis of the enquiry in the Brahmasūtras. These Sūtras do not allude to any of the verses original to the Śvetāśvatara even once, but many of its Mantras are quoted by the commentators in support of their doctrines. This shows what an important position of authority it held in the eyes of the great commentators, notwithstanding its comparatively later origin.

It does not advocate any particular system of orthodox philosophy, as elaborated in the Darśanas (systems of philosophy) or in their expositions. There are passages in this Upaniṣad which are allied in thought to Dvaita (dualism), Viśiṣṭādvaita (qualified non-dualism), Advaita (non-dualism) and other branches of Vedānta, Sāṅkhya and Yoga ideas find a prominent place in certain verses. It lays equal emphasis on Jñāna, Bhakti and other paths of spiritual life. The various aspects, of Godhead find their natural place in it and adjust themselves to each other without any conflict. If, in certain passages, it is Vedic in language and conception, in others it is also Purāṇic in expression and presentation. In fact, it would seem to be an attempt of a great synthetic mind to reconcile the various conflicting views, philosophical and religious, which were current at the time of its composition. It reminds us of a similar, but a more popular, attempt in this direction, made by Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Gītā. The modern student will therefore do well to approach the study of this work in

the same broad and reverent spirit in which he approaches the study of the Gītā, unfettered by conventions and prejudices.

THE PEACE INVOCATION

ओं पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिंद पूर्णं पूर्णमुदच्यते । पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

भद्रं कर्णेभिः श्रुणुयाम देवाः भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः । स्थिरैरंगैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभिरव्येशेम देवहितं यदायुः ॥

सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु । मा विद्विषावहै ॥ ओं शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om Peace ! Peace! Peace !

ŚVETĀŚVATAROPANIṢAD

प्रथमोऽध्याय:

हरि: ॐ ॥ ब्रह्माविदो वदन्ति ।

किं कारणं ब्रह्म कुतः स्म जाता जीवाम केन क्व च सम्प्रतिष्ठा ।

अधिष्ठिता: केन सुखेतेरेषु वर्तामहे ब्रह्मविदो व्यवस्थाम् ॥१॥

ब्रह्माविदो: students of Brahman वदन्ति discuss: किं what कारणम् cause?

ब्राह्म Brahman? कुत: whence or why जाता: स्म: we are born? केन due to what जीवाम:we live? क्व Where च and सम्प्रतिष्ठा final rest? केन by whom or what आधिष्ठिता: controlled सुखेतरेषु in happiness and Misery ब्रह्मविद: knowers of Brahman व्यवस्थाम् law वर्तामहे:we abide?

Students of Brahman (i.e. the Vedas) discuss (among themselves): What is the cause?1 (Is it) Brahman? Whence2 are we born? Why3 do we live? Where4 is our final rest? Under5 whose orders are we, who know the Brahman, subjected to the law of happiness and misery?

[NOTES—The Upaniṣad begins with an account of a discussion carried on by some students of the Veda with regard to the ultimate problems of philosophy and religion.

1. Cause—The first doubt deals with the problem of causation. It analyses itself as follows: What is the nature of causation? Is it necessary that everything should have a cause? If so, what is the final cause of this universe? Can it be Brahman? How can the Absolute Brahman, unrelated to anything else—the one without a second—be the cause of anything? If at all it could be the cause, what is the nature of this causal Brahman? Is it the material cause, or the efficient cause, or both? Or, can it be that some other non-spiritual entity such as time, nature, etc., is the first cause, and not Brahman? All these seem to be condensed in the first question raised.

2. Whence are we born?—The next question is with regard to the mystery of creation. Why should the universe come into existence, if at all it is a thing created? How can the imperfect come out of the perfect, the finite out of the infinite? If it is not created, why should it appear to be an effect, and why should everything in this universe seem under the necessity of having an origin? If man in his real nature is Brahman Itself, why should there be so much variety in this world? Why should Brahman forsake Its supreme bliss and take on this individual aspect? This seems to be the purport of the second doubt.

3. Why do we live?—The third doubt is with regard to the mystery of life itself. The origin of life, its purpose, its relation to the rest of the universe and allied questions are implied in it.

4. Where is our final rest?—The fourth doubt deals with the mystery

of death. The fate of the individual after death—whether he is

annihilated, reborn or absorbed in Brahman—is a matter of deep

interest to the religious mind.

5. Under whose orders etc.—The last doubt deals with the problem of

evil. Why should there be suffering in this world? If man is free and is

master of himself, would he willingly choose the life of suffering?

How can the existence of suffering under a merciful Providence be

explained? Are there proper methods of escape from this, and if so,

why does not man have recourse to these methods and be free—

especially those who know these methods from a study of the

scriptures?

The next Mantra points out briefly the nature of Manana (reflection

by the ‘Neti, Neti’ method, or the process of elimination.]

कालः स्वभावो नियतिर्य दृच्छा भूतानि योनिः पुरुष इति चिन्त्या ।

संयोग एषां नत्वात्मभावादात्माप्यनेशः सुखदुःखहेतोः ॥२॥

कालः time, स्वभावःnature, नियतिः law, य दृच्छा chance, भूतानि

matter, योनिः energy, पुरुषः intelligence, इति thus चिन्त्या cannot

bear examination, न nor तु even एषां of these संयोजः

combination, आत्मभावात् due to identity, their own birth, and to

the existence of the self. आत्मा the individual soul अपि also

अनीशः not master of itself सुखदुःखहेतोःbecause of happiness and

misery.

Time, nature, law, chance, matter, energy, intelligence—

neither these, nor a combination of these, can bear

examination because of their own birth, identity and the

existence of the self. The self also is not a free agent, being

under the sway of happiness and misery.

[NOTES—The various possible explanations for the riddle of the

universe are here considered one by one, and rejected as

unsatisfactory. To explain a riddle is to relate it to something which

we already know through the law of causation. A cause is something

which must invariably and immediately precede the effect. To explain

the universe, therefore, is to find out something which must

necessarily and immediately precede it, and a knowledge of which is

essential before we can understand the universe. The various possible

explanations offered cannot bear scrutiny, as we shall see.

First let us take time. The fact that things are born and exist in time

may make it a plausible explanation of the world. There are however

serious objections to this. Time is but a part of the framework of thought itself, and without thought it cannot exist. Thought itself is a part of the universe whose explanation we seek. Therefore to consider time as an explanation of the universe will amount to reducing the former into an explanation of itself. It would be the same thing as to say that the cause of time is time itself, which is no explanation. Again, time, though it appears to be eternal, always changes from the past through the present to the future, and it would seem to consist of innumerable moments which come into existence and die away just as any other object we can conceive of. It will also be seen on self-analysis that the cognizing self always precedes the cognition of time. So time cannot be considered as the first cause which brought the universe into existence. The word ‘ātmabhāva’ gives the three reasons explained above as to why time cannot be considered as a cause. These are oneness with the universe, subjection to birth, and existence of the self prior to it.

Next with regard to nature. Nature may here be taken in the sense of inherent property, or as representing the vast expanse of spacial objectivity. Nothing can come into existence if it were against its nature to be born. So the presence of nature may be considered a necessary antecedent to the birth of the universe, and as such, nature may be taken as its cause. Again, nothing can exist, or come into birth, or be conceived of, except as an object in space. Therefore spacial objectivity, being a necessary and inevitable antecedent, may plausibly be considered as a cause of the universe.

But we find on scrutiny that in either case, nature cannot be considered a cause for the very same reasons as are condensed in the aphoristic expression ‘ātma-bhāvāt.’ Thus an inherent property can at best exist only in some object, and apart from the object it cannot have separate existence as a cause. Spacial objectivity, again, like time, is one of the frameworks of thought itself, and cannot exist as an antecedent to thought. So in either case nature cannot be considered as a cause of the universe of which it is a part. The existence of the cognizing self is again necessary for knowing nature. For this reason also nature cannot be the cause. Moreover to say that the cause of the universe is its own nature is virtually to confess our ignorance of its true origin.

Next with regard to law. The universe is not a chaos but a cosmos. Everything seems to be related to everything else, and the whole seems to be well arranged, co-ordinated and organized into a system, each object having its definite place and function in respect of the whole, and each being subject to a particular kind of behaviour. Law is nothing but an intellectual formulation of this uniformity of

behaviour of objects under particular circumstances. This uniformity may be supposed to be due to some controlling force from outside, which must necessarily exist beforehand. It is on this supposition that law is brought in as a plausible cause. But really law, being only an expression of the behaviour of objects, cannot exist apart from the universe and independent of the cognizing mind.

Next with regard to chance. Science tells us only about the why, and not the how, of things. Thus the science of botany traces the various stages, and analyses the diverse agencies at work, in the development of a seed into a tree, but it cannot say why those agencies work in a particular way alone, and why the seed grows into a tree and not an animal. We may push back our explanation further and further, but there is a limit to all such explanations, and we shall be forced to admit finally that we do not know the why of things. It is then that we have to take refuge in the explanation that it is due to accident or chance. If, however, we look at it a little closer, we find that the explanation means nothing more nor less than the denial of the universal law of causation. Along with time and space, causation forms a framework of thought itself. Therefore to deny it will be tantamount to denying thought itself. Intellectually, therefore, it is impossible to conceive of anything as due to chance. It will be simply a confession of our ignorance.

Next comes matter. The whole universe may be conceived of as a combination of irreducible particles of matter called atoms, as scientists used to do till recently. But as even these admittedly form part of the universe that we are trying to explain, and as they require the presence of the cognizing subject for their very existence, they cannot be properly considered as cause of the universe.

Next as regards energy. Even in a materialistic view of the universe the inert atoms have to be brought into union by force or energy, which may, on that account, be spoken of as the cause of the universe. Or, as modern scientists say, the ultimate particles of matter may themselves be units of energy. Therefore it may be proper to consider energy as the source of all matter. A little thought, however, will show that even this energy cannot be the cause of the universe, because, like everything else, energy itself is part of the universe which we seek to explain, and cannot exist apart from the cognizing self.

Next comes intelligence. In the ultimate analysis, the whole universe consists of cognizing minds, cognized objects, and cognition, the bond between the two. This is the Triputi of Vedānta. The cognizing intelligence must be present in every thought, although the objective world may or may not be cognized. In the act of introspection, the cognizing subject does not feel or know the

existence of anything external to itself. It converts itself, as it were, into an object for the purpose of observing itself. The cognizing subject is also present in sleep when the whole of the objective universe seems to have vanished. This perceiving intelligence, therefore, has better claims to be considered as the cause of the universe than the entities mentioned before. But on closer scrutiny we find the perceiving subject as much part of the universe as the perceived object, as both cannot exist apart from each other. We thus see the necessity for the self itself to take the form of an object of observation in introspection. As part of the universe, this perceiving subject also, like the perceived object, vanishes in deep sleep and Samādhi, and only pure consciousness remains. Thus intelligence cannot be the first cause.

Next, as regards the self. The self must remain in Samādhi as well as in deep sleep, although even intelligence vanishes. The consciousness of having enjoyed sound sleep, and of the non-awareness of the existence of the world at the time of deep sleep bear evidence to this fact. The self must have existed in deep sleep, as it could not otherwise have had memory of these experiences after awakening. We cannot also be sure otherwise whether the awakened self is the same as the one that had gone to sleep. This individual self, which must thus be presumed to exist in all the three states of waking, dream and sleep as the knower, the enjoyer and the doer, may be supposed to be the ultimate principle on which the explanation of the universe depends. But even this individual self seems to be not free. If it were free, it would have always continued to enjoy and not to suffer, as nobody likes suffering. The very fact that it has to come back to the dream world or to the waking world, which is full of happiness and misery, shows that there is some agent which is keeping it under its subjection.

We thus see that the explanations offered by the intellect, on the basis of reason, are not satisfying to the cause-seeking intellect itself.

The Ultimate Truth has to be experienced and realized in the depths of Samādhi, and only then intellect and reason may be of use to us in comprehending the truth of our experience. That is the province of reason. Meditation is, therefore, the most important method for realization, and hence it is this process and its results that form the topic of the next Mantra.]

ते ध्यानयोगानुगता अपश्यन् देवात्मशक्तिं स्वगुणैर्निगूढाम् ।

यः कारणानि निखिलानि तानि कालात्मयुक्तान्यधितिष्ठत्येकः ॥३॥

ते they ध्यानयोगानुगताः practising the method of meditation स्वगुणैः by the Guṇas निगूढाम् hidden or concealed, देवात्मशक्तिम् the self-conscious

power in themselves; or the sources of intellect, emotions, and will;

or, the God of religion, the Self of philosophy, and the Energy of

science अपश्यन् realized or experienced; यः who एकः the one without a

second कालात्मयुक्त्तानि beginning with time and ending with self निखिलानि

all तानि those कारणानि causes अधितिष्ठति superintendents or controls.

Practising the method of meditation, they realized that Being who1 is the God of religion, the Self of philosophy and

the Energy of science; who exists as the self-luminous power

in everyone; who is the source of the intellect, emotions and

will; who is one without a second; who2 presides over all the

causes enumerated above, beginning with time and ending

with the individual soul; and who had3 been incomprehensible

because of the limitations of their own intellect.

[Notes—1. Who is the God of religion etc.— The word ‘devātmaśakti’

is an aphoristic expression which is variously interpreted by various

commentators, but to us it seems to embody the following view: The

word ‘deva’ represents the God of Religion, ‘ātma’ the Self of

philosophy, and ‘śakti’ the Energy of Science. The word also means

the self-conscious power which is in everyone, Deva meaning self-

luminous. It thus means to emphasize the presence of the Ultimate

Truth in everybody in the form of self-conscious power. Devātmaśakti

also means the source of knowledge, emotions and will, the three

aspects of mind, Deva standing for knowledge, Ātma for the emotions,

and Śakti for will. This gives the characteristics of the Ultimate Reality

which is beyond the province of mind and language.

2. Who presides over... the individual soul—By the word ‘adhitiṣṭhati’

(presides over) the Śruti wants to make clear that all the other causes

mentioned before as possible explanation depend for their very

existence on this fundamental principle, and cannot function

independently of it. The other so-called causes are only the

instruments of this principle. It is to be noted that the Śruti calls this

principle not as causing the universe, but as presiding over everything.

This is to indicate that the question of causation, with which the

Upaniṣad begins, arises only at the intellectual stage of thought and

enquiry; it ceases to crop up when the state of unity is realized in

Samādhi.

3. Had been incomprehensible etc.—The word ‘svaguṇa’ may here

refer to Sattva, Rajas and Tamas—the constituent elements of Nature

according to Sāṅkhya philosophy. It may also mean the apparent

limitations that the Supreme Reality assumes by itself, or better still,

the limitations of the intellect in the spiritual aspirant who has been

trying to find out the Reality. This last meaning is preferrable, because the Śruti wants to emphasize that the obstruction to spiritual realization lies within ourselves, and that as soon as this is removed by meditation the Spirit reveals Itself.

This universe is nothing but the Ultimate Principle as it appears to our intellect. The next two Mantras give a description of this phenomenal universe.]

तमेकनेमिं त्रिवृतं षोडशान्तं शतार्धारं विंशतिप्रत्यराभि: । अष्टकै: षड्भिर्विश्वरूपैकपाशं त्रिमार्गभेदं द्विनिमित्तैकमोहम् ॥४॥

तम् Him एकनेमिम् with one felly त्रिवृतम् with a triple tyre षोडशान्तम् with sixteen extremities शतार्धारम् with fifty spokes विंशतिप्रत्यराभि:(युक्तम्) with twenty counter-spokes or wedges षड्भि: अष्टकै: (युक्तम्) with six sets of eight विश्वरूपैकपाशम् with a belt which is single yet manifold त्रिमार्गभेदम् with three different roads द्विनिमित्तैकमोहम् with each revolution giving rise to two (अधीम: we think).

We think of Him as the universe resembling a wheel which has one1 felly with a triple2 tyre, sixteen3 extremities, fifty4 spokes, twenty5 counter-spokes and six6 sets of eight; which is driven along three7 different roads by means of a belt8 that is single yet manifold; and which each9 revolution gives rise to two.

[NOTES—This abstruse Mantra is Sāñkhya in terminology, and uses a highly technical imagery. It conveys the sense that, to one bound by the intellect and the senses, the universe is explainable only as an expression of the Supreme Being. Hence God is meditated upon as the wheel of this universe. The universe itself is compared to a wheel in order to indicate its dynamic nature—its perpetual motion. It also alludes to the cyclic nature of all worldly processes—the movement of heavenly bodies, the rounds of birth and death, the succession of involution and evolution, the repetitive process of history, the alternation of happiness and misery, etc.

1. One felly—The circumference of the wheel represents Nature, known variously as unmanifested ether, Māyā, Prakṛti, Śakti, Ajñāna, etc. It is the cause on which the whole creation depends.

2. Triple tyre—The three tyres represent the three qualities of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, or it may be taken as representing time, space and causation, or the Tripuṭi of Vedānta.

3. Sixteen extremities—These represent the sixteen products or Vikṛtis of the Sāñkhya philosophy. They are the eleven organs (Indriyas) and the five gross elements (Pañcabhūtas). They are called

extremities because creation becomes complete with their evolution.

4. Fifty spokes—These consist of (a) the five Viparyayas or misconceptions, (b) the twenty-eight Aśaktis or disabilities, (c) the nine Tuṣṭis or satisfactions, and (d) the eight Siddhis or perfections. More information on this may be found in Sāñkhyasūtra III, 37, 45, and Sāñkhyakārikā 47 et seqq.; in Yogasūtra I, 8 and II, 2; and in the Brahmapurāṇa.

5. Twenty counter-spokes—These are the wedges to strengthen the spokes, and they refer to the ten senses and their ten objects.

6. Six sets of eight—Aṣṭagas or six sets, each consisting of eight entities, are commonly enumerated as follows: (1) eightfold Nature (Prakṛtyaṣṭaka) consisting of the five elements and mind (Manas), intellect (Buddhi) and egoism (Ahaṅkāra); (2) eight ingredients of the body (Dhātvaṣṭaka) consisting of external skin (Carma), internal skin (Tvak), blood (Asṛk), flesh (Māmsa), fat (Medas), bone (Asthi), marrow (Majjā), and semen (Śukra); (3) eight psychic powers (Aiśvaryāṣṭaka) like Animā, Mahimā, etc.; (4) eight mental states (Bhāvāṣṭaka), consisting of righteousness (Dharma) and unrighteousness (Adharma), knowledge (Jñāna) and ignorance (Ajñāna), renunciation (Vairāgya), and attachment (Avairāgya), super-human powers (Aiśvarya) and want of super-human powers (Anaisvarya); (5) eight super-human beings (Devāṣṭaka) like Brahmā, Prajāpati, Devas, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Piṭṛs and Piśācas; and (6) the eight virtues of the soul (Guṇāṣṭaka), consisting of compassion (Dayā), forbearance (Kṣamā), absence of jealousy (Anasūya), purity (Sauca), freedom from fatigue (Anāyāsa), freedom from poverty (Akārpaṇya) and desirelessness (Aspr̥hā).

7. Three different roads—These are virtue (Dharma), vice (Adharma), and knowledge (Jñāna).

8. Belt—It is Kāma or desire, which is said to be manifold on account of the differences in the objects of desire.

9. Each revolution—The corresponding word ‘moha’ in the text literally means delusion, and is synonymous with Bhrama. In its application to the wheel, Moha can, however, mean only revolution. This revolution represents delusion, which gives rise to the two opposites, namely, merit and sin, or happiness and misery.]

पञ्यस्रोतोम्बुं पञ्ययोन्युगवक्रं पञ्यप्राणोर्मिं पञ्यबुद्ध्यादिमूलाम् ।

पञ्यावर्ता पञ्चदुःखौघवेगा पञ्याश्रद्दधान् पञ्यपर्वामधिमः ॥५॥

(तम् Him) पञ्यस्रोतोम्बुं who contains the waters of five streams पञ्ययोन्युगवक्रं who has five big turnings due to five causes पञ्यप्राणोर्मिम् whose waves are the five Prāṇas पञ्यबुद्ध्यादिमूलाम् whose source is the

mind, the basis of five-fold perception पञ्चवर्ताम् who has five whirlpools पञ्चदुःखौघवैगाम् whose rapids are the five-fold misery पञ्याश्रद्दाम् who has fifty (numerous) aspects पञ्यपर्याम् who has five branches अधीमः we think.

We think of Him (in His manifestation as the universe) who is like a river that contains the waters of five1 streams; that has five big turnings due to five2 causes; that has the five Prāṇas for the waves, the mind3—the basis of five-fold perception—for the source, and the five-fold4 misery for its rapids; and that has five5 whirlpools, five branches and innumerable aspects.

[NOTES—The points of resemblance between the river and the universe, which make the metaphor suggestive and significant, are as follows: (1) as the river water comes from the sea and goes back to the sea, the universe springs from God and goes back to Him. (2) As the river is full of potential dangers to the unthinking masses living on its banks on account of possible floods, so is the world capable of mischief to men absorbed in it; but, then, just as the river contributes to the prosperity and convenience of people who make use of it for irrigation and communication, the world also helps the spiritual evolution of those who have the right outlook on it. (3) The waters of the river always change but yet keep a unity because of the banks; so also the universe is full of change, but it keeps up an appearance of unity within the limits of its banks of time and space situated in the bed of causation. (4) As the waters of the river are not different from the ocean, the universe is not different from God in the absolute sense.

1. Five streams—These represent the five senses.

2. Five causes—These are the five elements, or Pañcabhūtas.

3. Mind... for the source—The expression indicates that the universe is dependent on the mind, and that if it is transcended in Samādhi, the universe disappears.

4. Five-fold misery—It consists of the sorrows of pre-natal existence in the womb, those attendant on birth, the miseries of old age, the pains of diseases and the sorrows of death.

5. Five whirlpools—The objects of the five senses of sound, touch, colour, taste and smell, in which individual souls generally get drowned.]

सर्वाजीवे सर्वसंस्थे बृहन्ते अस्मिन् हंसो भ्राम्यते ब्रह्मचक्रे ।

पृथगात्मानं प्रेरितारं च मत्वा जु॒ष्टस्ततस्तेनामृतत्वमेति ॥६॥

सर्वाजीवे in which everything lives सर्वसंस्थे in which everything rests पृथगात्मानं प्रेरितारं च मत्वा जु॒ष्टस्ततस्तेनामृतत्वमेति

बृहन्ते in अस्मिन् in the infinite in this बहुचक्रे in the wheel of Brahman हंसःthe pilgrim soul भ्राम्यते is whirled about. पृथगात्मानम् the individual soul hitherto regarded as separate च itself प्रेरितारम् as the moving force or God मत्वा knowing, ततः then तेन by Him जुष्टः blessed or favoured अमृतत्वम् immortality एति attains.

In this infinite wheel1 of Brahman, in which everything lives and rests, the pilgrim2 soul is3 whirled about. Knowing the individual4 soul, hitherto regarded as separate, to be itself the Moving Force, and blessed5 by Him, it attains immortality.

[NOTES—1. Wheel of Brahman—The reference here is to the wheel described in Mantra 4. The wheel is the universe.

2. Pilgrim soul—The word Hamsa, which literally means swan in classical Sanskrit, is here interpreted to mean traveller or pilgrim. The progress of consciousness from Tamas to Sattva, or from the unconsciousness of inert substance to the super-consciousness of Samādhi, is compared to a pilgrimage. There seems also to be a subtle reference to the similarity of the soul to a swan kept in a revolving cage, fluttering about so as to escape from its confinement.

3. Is whirled about—The reference is to the theory of reincarnation.

4. Individual soul etc.—The line is variously interpreted by commentators of various schools of thought, each trying to find in it a support for his own favourite system of Vedānta. It is referred to many times in the commentary on the Vedāntasūtras. The Advaitic commentator takes the line to be connected with the previous part of the Mantra and interprets it to mean, ‘Thinking that the individual soul is different from God.’ According to him this conception of the difference between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul is the real cause of bondage and reincarnation. According to the Advaitic interpretation, the line has to be construed thus: Ātmānaṁ Jīvaṁ preritāraṁ ca īśvaraṁ pṛthag eva matvā bhrāmyate. Theists take this line as related to the last line of the Mantra. According to them it means that the realization of the Ātman as separate from its Lord and Master gives immortality. They, therefore, would construe it thus: Ātmānaṁ preritāraṁ ca pṛthag matvā amṛtatvaṁ etc. Even taking this line as referring to the last line of the Mantra, others interpret the line to mean, ‘Knowing the individual self to be the same as God; and treat it as referring to the cause of liberation. We may attempt to reconcile these views, which are generally supposed to be in opposition, as follows: The ignorant man is usually concerned only with himself and the world. To him God, the third entity, does not exist. The intelligent man soon finds out, however, that there is some unknown power behind the universe, which is guiding his destinies.

The first part of spiritual practice, therefore, is to realize the existence of this power on whom both he and the world depend. At first this realization is only intellectual. In the history of humanity, as well as in the life of the individual, we find that the idea of God comes early in the picture. With the maturing of intellectual powers comes the real search as to the fundamental character of this power. Sādhanā (spiritual practice) first begins with a separation of God from the universe, as a being with qualities entirely different from the individual and the world. Subsequently, with the analysis of the individual and the world psychologically and scientifically, the various systems of philosophy, dealing with the relations between God, the individual and the world, come into being. Each system represents a stage in the progress of thought and Sādhanā. In the final stage of realization, in the depths of Samādhi, the world and the individual soul, as we know them, vanish entirely, and God alone remains. The individual soul gradually acquires all the fundamental characteristics of God, and gives up all the characteristics of the world. This process of transformation of the individual soul is referred to in this line. This transformation involves both the processes, namely, first finding out the difference between God and the individual soul, as we know it, and secondly, the identification of God with the individual soul, as it really is. The two being part of the same process, there is no real conflict between them.

5. Blessed—The blessing of God, according to Advaitic interpretation, is the realization of the oneness of Jiva and Brahman. The theists construe it as referring to the doctrine of grace.

There is no real conflict between the two views, as the Lord's grace is necessary for the realization of identity. A greater difficulty is as to how to reconcile the doctrine of grace with the doctrine of Karma or self-effort. Here also the difficulty can be overcome if we understand that the grace of God is bestowed on a person only after he has reached the limits of self-effort.

How to get absorbed in Brahman is described in the next Mantra.]

उद्रीतमेतत्परं तु ब्रह्म तस्मिन्स्त्रयं सुप्रतिष्ठाक्षरं च । अत्रान्तरं ब्रह्मविदो विदित्वा लीना ब्रह्मणि तत्परा: योनिमुक्ता: ॥७॥

एतत् this परमम् Supreme ब्रह्म(इति) Brahman उद्रीतम् expressly declared. तस्मिन् In that त्रयम् the triad. (तत्) सुप्रतिष्ठा That is the firm support, (तत्) अधरम् that is imperishable च and अत्र here अन्तरम् the inner essence ब्रह्मविद: knowers of Veda विदित्वा knowing, तत्परा:devoted to it ब्रह्मणि in Brahman लीना: merged योनिमुक्ता: released from birth (भवन्ति are).

This1 is expressly declared to be the Supreme Brahman. In

that is the triad.2 It3 is the firm support, and it is the imperishable. Knowing the inner4 essence of this, the knowers of Veda become devoted to Brahman, merge themselves in It, and are released from birth.

[NOTES—1. This—The word may refer to the visible universe inclusive of individual souls, or to the Ultimate Reality behind it experienced in Samādhi as the Self of ourselves. In the former case, the first line would mean: ‘This universe is expressly declared (by the Vedas) to be the Supreme Brahman.’ In the latter case, it means, ‘The Absolute (experienced in Samādhi) is what is expressly declared (in the Vedas) as the Supreme Brahman.’ According to the Advaitic explanation, the line means that the Supreme Brahman described in the Vedas is above the world of cause and effect.

2. Triad—The expression signifies the world of multiplicity, which is conceived as different series of three like time, space and causation; waking, dream and sleep, etc. The world of multiplicity may be said to exist in Brahman either in reality as the theists would have it, or by way of superimposition as the Advaitins would prefer.

3. It is the firm support—The passage may mean any three of the following: Either ‘The Absolute is the substratum of all manifested appearances’, or ‘It is the one support, which always saves everything from a fall’, or ‘The whole universe rests in It after dissolution’.

4. Inner essence—The reference is to the Taittirīya passage which describes how the knowers of the Veda realize the inner essence of this universe by progressing step by step from the gross body through the subtle and causal bodies.]

संयुक्तमेतत् क्षरमक्षरं च व्यक्ताव्यक्तं भरते विशमीशः । अनीशश्श्वात्मा बध्यते भोक्तृभावाज्ज्ञात्वा देवं मुच्यते सर्वपाशैः ॥८॥

संयुक्तम् bound together धरम् perishable अधरम् imperishable व्यक्ताव्यक्तम् manifest and unmanifest च and एतत् this विश्वम् universe ईशः the Lord भरते supports.अनीशः without the Lord आत्मा the self भोक्तृभावात् because of being the enjoyer बध्यते is bound.देवम् God ज्ञात्वा knowing सर्वपाशैः from all fetters मुच्यते is released च and.

The Lord supports this universe, which consists of a combination1 of the perishable and the imperishable, the manifest and the unmanifest. As long as the self does not know the Lord, it gets attached to worldly pleasures, and is bound; but when it knows Him, all fetters fall away from it.

[NOTES—1. Combination etc.—Refers to the subtle and gross aspects,

cause and effect, spirit and matter, into which everything in the world may be divided.]

ज्ञौ द्वावजावीशनीशावजा होका भोक्तृभोग्यार्थयुक्ता । अनन्तश्चात्मा विश्वरूपो ह्यकर्ता त्रयं यदा विन्दते ब्रह्ममेतत् ॥९॥

ज्ञौ the conscious subject and the unconscious object ईशनीशौ: the master and the dependent दौ both अजौ are unborn. भोक्तृभोग्यार्थयुक्ता Who is engaged in bringing about the relation of the enjoyer and the enjoyed एका another one हि too अजा is unborn. यदा when एतत् this त्रियं triad बृहत् Brahmaṇ (इति as) (कश्चित् somebody) विन्दते realizes, आत्मा the self अनन्तः infinite विश्वरूप: having assumed the form of the universe अककर्ता inactive भवति becomes.

The conscious subject and the unconscious object, the master and the dependent, are both unborn. She too, who is engaged in bringing about the relation of the enjoyer and the enjoyed (or between these two), is unborn. When all these three are realized as Brahman, the self becomes infinite, universal and free from the sense of agentship.

[NOTES—This Mantra deals with the Tripuṭi or the three elements of thought—the subject, the object and the relation between the two. These three are said to be unborn, because nobody knows when and how they came to be. The conscious subject is described as the master because it exists independent of the object in deep sleep, while the object is considered to be dependent because it cannot exist independent of the perceiving subject. The second line refers to how the subject and object are brought into relation by the inscrutable power of Māyā, which invests them with the character of the enjoyer and the enjoyed, and thus gives rise to all kinds of sufferings. This reminds us of Yogasūtras, II. 17 and 23, where junction of the subject and the object is described as the cause of avoidable misery. It is in deep Samādhi that this relation is finally severed, and all the three merge themselves into one in Brahman, and the Ātman, which till then was known to be finite, active and different from the universe, realizes its natural infinitude, universality and freedom from the sense of agentship.]

क्षरं प्रधानममृताक्षरं हरः क्षरात्मानावीशते देव एकः । तस्याभिध्यानाद्योजनात्तत्त्वभावात् भूयश्चान्ते विश्वमायानिवृत्ति: ॥१०॥

प्रधानम् matter धरम् perishable, हर: God अमृताधरम् immortal and imperishable. एक: One देव: God धरात्मानौ the perishable and individual souls ईशते rules over. तस्य His अभिध्यानात् by meditationयोगनात् by union तत्त्वभावात् by becoming one with Him भूय: again श्रान्ते in the end विश्वमायानिवृत्ति: cessation of the illusion of the universe.

विश्वमायानिवृत्तिः cessation of all illusion च and.

Matter is perishable, but God is imperishable and immortal. He, the only God, rules over the perishable matter and individual souls. By meditating on him, by uniting with Him, and by becoming one with Him, there is cessation of all illusion in the end.

[NOTES—The last two lines point out the various stages by which the Absolute is reached. The expression ‘by union’ refers to Savikalpa or Samprajñāta Samādhi, in which there is yet difference between the person meditating and the object meditated on, and the phrase ‘by becoming one with him’, to the Nirvikalpa or Asamprajñāta Samādhi, in which even this distinction is obliterated in the consciousness of identity.]

ज्ञात्वा देवं सर्वपाशापहानिः क्षीणैः क्लेशैर्जन्ममृत्युप्रहाणः ।

तस्याभिध्यानात्तृतीयं देहभेदे विश्वेश्वर्यं केवल आप्तकामः ॥१९॥

देवम् God ज्ञात्वा knowing सर्वपाशापहानिः the failing away of all fetters (भवति happens). क्षीणैः waning क्लेशैः by misery (i.e., ignorance and its effects) जन्ममृत्युप्रहाणः cessation of birth and death. तस्य on Him अभिध्यानात् by meditation देहभेदे getting beyond the consciousness of the body तृतीयम् third state विश्वेश्वर्यम् universal lordship (च and); (सः) केवलःone without a second आप्तकामः whose desires are satisfied (च भवति becomes).

With the knowledge of God, all fetters fall off. With the waning of ignorance, birth and death cease. Going beyond the consciousness of the body by meditating on Him, one reaches the third state, viz., the universal lordship. All his desires are satisfied, and he becomes one without a second.

[NOTES—The Mantra describes the various stages of realization—knowledge through scriptural study etc., waning of ignorance, cessation of future births, continuous meditation on Him, overcoming the body consciousness, and becoming one without a second which is the same as the fulfilment of all desires and attaining universal lordship.

एतज्ज्ञेयं नित्यमेवात्मसंस्थं नातः परं वेदितव्यं हि किञ्चित् ।

भोक्ता भोग्यं प्रेरितारं च मत्वा सर्वं प्रोक्तं त्रिविधं ब्रह्ममेतत् ॥१२॥

एतत् this नित्यम् eternally आत्मसंस्थम् existing in one’s own self एव only ज्ञेयम् is to be known. अतः परम् beyond this न किंचित् nothing वेदितव्यम् to be known हि indeed. भोक्ता enjoyer भोग्यम् the enjoyed प्रेरितारम् च and that which brings about the enjoyment मत्वा as a result of meditation सर्वम्

all एतत् this त्रिविधम् threefold ब्रह्मम् the Brahman प्रोक्तम् is declared (in the Veda).

This1 is to be known as eternally existing in one’s own self. Indeed, there2 is nothing to be known beyond this. As a result of meditation, the enjoyer, the enjoyed and the power which brings about the enjoyment—all are declared to be three aspects of Brahman.

[NOTES—1. This is to be known etc.—The state attained by the knower of Brahman, which is described in the previous Mantra, is natural to one, and exists in oneself even before realization; only one is not conscious of it on account of one’s limitations. So meditation should be on the eternal Truth existing in one’s own self, and should not be on anything which is separate from it.

2. There is nothing to be known etc.—This line refers to the fact that, when consciousness of unity is reached, knowledge cannot proceed further, as all science attempts only to find out the unity behind diversity.]

वह्नेरेशिया योनिगतेस्य मूर्त्तीर्दृश्यते न च लिङ्गनाशः : स भूय एवन्धनयोनिगृृ्ह्म- स्तद्रोभयं वै प्रणवेन देहे ॥१३॥

यथा as योनिगतेस्य latent in its source वह्ने: of fire मूर्त्ती: the form न दृश्यते is not seen, लिङ्गनाश: destruction of its subtle form नैव च (भवात ) and yet there is not, स: he भूय:again इन्धनयोनिगृृ्ह्म: capable of being perceived when that piece of wood is brought into contact with another piece of wood एव surely. तद् वा similarly उभयम् both प्रणावेन by means of Praṇava देहे in the body गृृ्ह्मते is realized.

Fire is not perceived in its cause, the firestick, till it is ignited by percussion. The subtle essence of fire, nevertheless, is not absent in the stick; for fire can be obtained from the source, the fire-stick, by striking again. (The state of the Ātman before and after realization) is like that of fire (before and after percussion). By meditating on the Praṇava, the Ātman is perceived manifestly in the body, (but it was there in a latent state even before realization).

[NOTES—The Mantra introduces an illustration to convince, even a layman, of the eternal existence in himself of the glory of Ātman, which he subsequently realizes as a result of meditation. The act of percussion, which brings out the latent fire, stands for spiritual practices which reveal the Ātman within. Here spiritual practice is identified with meditation on Praṇava or the sound symbol ‘Om’.]

स्वदेहमरिणं कृत्वा प्रणवं चोत्तरारणिम् ।

ध्याननिर्मथनाभ्यासादेवं पश्यन्निगूढवत् ॥१४॥

स्वदेहम् one’s own body अरणिम् the lower piece of wood, प्रणवम् thesymbol Om उत्तरारणिम् the upper wood च and कृत्वा making, ध्याननिर्मथनाभ्यासात् by practising churning in the form of meditation देवम् God पश्येत् one should see निगूढवत् like something hidden.

[NOTES—Elsewhere we find the teacher and the disciple compared to the two pieces of wood, and the process of learning, to churning, in place of the three factors mentioned here—viz., body, the Praṇava and the process of meditation.]

तिलेषु तैलं दधिनीव सर्पिरापः स्रोतःस्वर्णीषु चाग्निः ।

एवमात्माडत्मनि गृृह्यते’सौ सत्येनैनं तपसाऽनुपश्यति ॥१५॥

सर्वव्यापिनमात्मानं क्षीरे सर्पिरिवार्पितम् ।

आत्मविद्यातपोमूलं तद्ब्रह्मोपनिषत् परम् ॥१६॥

तिलेषु in the sesame seeds तैलम् oil, दधिनि in curds सर्पिः butter,स्रोतःसु in (underground) springs आपः water,अरणीषु in pieces of wood अग्निः fire इव just as च and एवम् in like manner असौ this आत्मा the Self आत्मनि in the self गृह्यते is perceived. यः who एनम् this सर्वव्यापिनम् all-pervading धीरे in milk आर्पितम् which is contained सर्पिः butter इव like आत्मविद्यातपोमूलम् rooted in self-knowledge and concentration अनुपश्यति perceives again and again, तत् that परम् supreme ब्रह्म Brahman उपनिषत् the destroyer of ignorance.

[NOTES—All the four similes have distinct shades of suggestiveness. The first suggests that the Ātman is present everywhere just as oil pervades the whole of the sesame seed; the second implies that the Impersonal Ātman though all-pervading, assumes the form of Personal God under the influence of Bhakti, like butter contained in milk; the

third conveys the idea that the bliss of Ātman relieves us of all suffering, even as a man digging for water is relieved of his trouble when the water level is reached. Primarily, they all alike convey by implication the idea of the immanence of God.

1. Self— It stands for Buddhi (intellect).

द्वितीयोऽध्यायः

CHAPTER TWO

युज्जानः प्रथमं मनस्तत्त्वाय सविता धियः । अग्नेज्योतीर्निचाय्य पृथिव्या अध्याभरत् ॥१॥

प्रथमम् first मनः: the mind धियः:the senses (च and तत्त्वाय with a view to realize the Truth युज्जानः: harnessing, सविता the Ultimate Principle conceived of as the immanent cause of the evolution of the universe (Antaryāmin) अग्ने: of the fire ज्योति: light निचाय्य having found out, पृथिव्या: out of the earth अध्याभरत् brought out.

First harnessing1 the mind and the senses with a view to realize the Truth, and then having found out the light2 of the fire, the Evolving3 Soul brought itself out of the earth.4

[NOTES—This and the next four Mantras are taken bodily, with slight variations here and there, from the Samhitā portion of the Vedas, and some of them are also cited in the Brāhmaṇas and interpreted in relation to their application to liturgy. The Upaniṣad however, makes use of them as relating to the practice of Yoga, and in its application to the knowledge of Brahman. These Mantras are often taken as authority to show that meditation and self-culture are as old as the Vedas. The present Mantra alludes to the preliminary steps in the process of spiritual practice.

1. Harnessing the mind and the senses—this refers to the preliminary process of attaining purity of mind by a life of self-control in accordance with the rules of righteousness.

2. Light of the fire—Fire and light are both symbolic. ‘Fire’ refers to the ordinary waking intellect conscious of external objects, and ‘light’ refers to Pure Consciousness. To find out the ‘light of fire’ is to understand that Pure Consciousness is separate from the ordinary consciousness of the intellect. This part of the Mantra alludes to the capacity to discriminate between truth and untruth, the first of the four qualifications demanded of the spiritual aspirant according to the Advaita system.

3. Evolving soul—The word ‘Savitā,’ ordinarilly meaning ‘one who brings forth or inspires’, and usually taken as a synonym of sun, is used here symbolically to denote the Antaryāmin or the Ultimate Principle conceived intellectually as the source of all creation, and as working constantly and eternally in the hearts of all beings to raise them to higher and higher levels of life, and thereby causing the process of evolution from behind the scene.

4. Earth—The expression is used symbolically to denote matter in

general. 'Brought itself out of the earth' therefore means extracted itself out of all attachment to the pleasures of the world. This refers to the spirit of renunciation, the second of the four qualifications demanded of spiritual aspirants.

युक्तेन मनसा वयं देवस्य सवितुः सवे ।

सुवर्गेयाय शक्त्या ॥२॥

देवस्य self-luminous सवितुः of the Immanent Soul सवे for the birth युक्तेन controlled मनसा with the mind शक्त्या vigorously सुवर्गेयाय for the attainment of bliss वयं we (प्रयत्नमहे shall endeavour).

With our minds controlled so as to manifest the self-luminous Immanent1 Soul, we shall vigorously endeavour for the attainment of supreme bliss.

[NOTES—This Mantra speaks of the necessity for constant and vigorous practice or Abhyāsa, which, according to Patañjali, forms, along with Vairāgya (renunciation), the most necessary requisite for success in Yoga.

1. Immanent Soul—The word in the original is Savitṛ.]

युक्त्वाय मनसा देवान् सुवर्गतो धिया दिवम् ।

बृहज्ज्योतिः करिष्यतः सविता प्रसुवाति तान् ॥३॥

सवर्गतः heaven-aspiring देवान् the senses मनसा with the help of the mind धिया with the help of the intellect च and युक्त्वाया controlling, दिवम् self-luminous बृहत् infinite ज्योतिः light करिष्यतः manifesting, तान् them सविता the Immanent Soul or God within प्रसुवाति regenerates.

Controlling the heaven-aspiring1 senses with the help of the mind2 and the intellect, the Immanent3 Soul so regenerates them as to enable them to manifest the self-luminous Infinite Light.

[NOTES—1. Heaven-aspiring—The reference here is to the natural tendency of the senses to run after external worldly pleasure, 'heaven' indicating only pleasure arising out of the enjoyment of external objects through attachment.

2. Mind and intellect—Senses are by nature attracted to their objects. No external method is ultimately of any avail in checking their natural propensities. The mind and the Buddhi (intellect), which control the senses, have to be purified and transformed by a changed outlook on life. Then alone can sense-control be successfully practised.

3. Immanent Soul—The word in the original is Savitṛ. For detailed explanation vide Note 3 on the first Mantra of this Chapter. All

evolution is to be traced ultimately to the working of the Divinity within.]

युज्‍जते मन उत युज्‍जते धियो विप्रा विप्रस्य बृहतो विपश्‍चितः ।

वि होत्रा दधे वयुनाविदेक इन्मही देवस्य सवितुः परिष्‍तुतिः ॥४॥

विप्रा: wise men मनः the mind युज्‍जते control, धियः the activities of the intellect or Buddhi युज्‍जते control उत and. वयुनाविद् the knowing one एकः single इतः alone होत्राः spiritual practices विदधे undergoes. विप्रस्य all-pervading बृहतः infinite वपश्‍चितः all-knowing देवस्य self-luminous सवितुः of the Immanent Soul मही great परिष्‍तुतिः glory.

Great is the glory of the Immanent Soul who is all-pervading, all-knowing, infinite and self-luminous. Only those rare few who1 know, undergo the necessary discipline and spiritual practices. The wise do, indeed, control the activities of the intellect, and practise meditation and concentration.

[NOTES—1. Who know—Who are convinced, through scriptural study and the instruction of the Guru, that a higher kind of bliss is attainable through concentration and meditation, than that gained through giving free reins to the senses.]

युजे वां ब्रह्म पूर्व्यं नमोभिर्विश्‍लोक एतु पथ्येव सूरे: ।

श्रृणवन्तु विश्‍वे अमृतस्य पुत्रा आ ये धामानि दिव्यानि तस्थुः ॥५॥

सूरे:of the wise पथि according to the way एव only वां you two नमोभिः by meditation पूर्त्यम् the ancient ब्रह्मा Brahma युजे I merge. विश्‍लोकः the Glorious One एतु may manifest. सर्वे all अमृतस्य of immortality पुत्राः sons श्रृणवन्तु may hearken, ये who दिव्यानि celestial धामानि regions आ तस्थुः occupy.

Following only in the footsteps of the wise, I merge you both1 in the ancient Brahman by continued meditation. May the Glorious One manifest Himself! May the sons2 of Immortal Bliss hearken to me—even they who occupy celestial regions !

[NOTES—This Mantra speaks of Nirvikalpa Samādhi in which the spiritual aspirant gains complete absorption in Brahman. The Ṛṣi, who has realized that blessed state, is exhorting others to tread the path leading to it—even those occupying celestial regions whose bliss is insignificant compared with that this highest absorption. Those who are priding in their worldly prosperity are shown that there is something higher for them to gain—their birthright of Immortal Bliss.

1. Both—The mind and the intellect, whose limitations were hitherto acting as a screen hiding the vision of the Ultimate Truth.

2. Sons of Immortal Bliss—All men are referred to by this expression, thus indicating that the attainment of Divinity is the birthright of all.]

अग्निर्यत्राभिमथ्यते वायुर्यत्राधिरुध्यते । सोमो यत्रातिरिच्यते तत्र सज्जायते मनः ॥६॥

अग्नि: fire यत्र where अभिमथ्यते is churned out, वायु: air यत्र where अधिरुध्यते is controlled, सोम: Some juice यत्र where अतिरिच्यते overflows, तत्र there मनः the mind सज्जायते attains perfection.

Where fire1 is churned out, where air2 is controlled, where Soma3 juice overflows,—there the mind attains perfection.

[NOTES—This Mantra aims at a synthesis of Jñāna-yoga, Rājayoga and Karmayoga, and utilizes them all for the realization of the Ultimate Truth.

1. Fire—In Vedic symbology fire stands for intellectual knowledge in the form of ideas couched in language. This knowledge is said to be churned out, like fire form fire-sticks, as a result of study and reflection and philosophical enquiry under the guidance of a competent teacher. Of the two pieces of wood used for lighting fire for sacrificial purposes, the upper one stands for the teacher and the lower one for the disciple, and the process of study is spoken of as ‘churning out’. The whole line refers to Jñānayoga in general.

2. Air—This represents Prāṇāyāma or the control of the vital functions, which is associated with Rājayoga. Hence this line refers to the practice of that Yoga.

3. Soma Juice—The Soma juice used in Vedic sacrifice symbolizes the exhilaration arising out of the pursuit of worldly enjoyments, and giving rise to the forgetfulness of one’s higher nature and birthright of eternal bliss. Soma is said to overflow, when the physical character of the Vedic sacrifice is transcended, and ritual gives place to self-sacrifice; and when work becomes unattached, and is elevated to the rank of worship and service of God in man. This line therefore stands for Karmayoga or the Yoga of active self-sacrifice.]

सवित्रा प्रसवेन जुषेत ब्रह्म पूर्व्यम् । यत्र योिन्ं कृणवसे न हि ते पूर्तमक्षिप्तं ॥७॥

यत्र where योनिम् the source कृणवसे thou destroyest, ते they पूर्तम् the results of past actions न do not अधिपत cause trouble (च and), (तत् that) पूर्व्यम् the ancient ब्रह्म the Brahman, प्रसवेन through the Creator or Prime Cause सवित्रा through the Immanent Soul जुषेत should be devoted to.

Attaining whom thou destroyest the source1 and art no more troubled by the results2 of past actions—to that ancient

Brahman be thou devoted through3 the Prime Cause, the Immanent Soul.

[NOTES–This Mantra refers to Bhaktiyoga for completing the picture of sythesis of Yogas referred to in the previous Mantra.

1. Source—Here refers to the mind which gives rise to the phenomenal world. This is finally destroyed only when the Absolute Brahman is realized and the aspirant becomes one with It.

2. Result of past actions—The word Pūrta means charitable acts, and is generally used in conjunction with the word Iṣṭa, which denotes ritualistic sacrifice. These stand for all meritorious actions leading to heaven. Here it refers to the accumulated results of all past actions in general. The virtuous actions are specially referred to for showing that even they lead to rebirth, and should be transcended before attaining final release from the cycle of births and deaths, by becoming one with the Absolute.

3. Through the Prime Cause—The Absolute is beyond thought and speech, and cannot be the object of devotion. Devotion moreover requires the duality of Bhakta (devotee) and Bhagavān (the Divine). We have therefore to approach the unity of Absolute through some perfect form conceived by the intellect. The best possible form of devotion is that towards the Immanent Soul conceived as the First Cause, whose presence is felt by all devotees in their hearts.]

त्रिरुन्तं स्थाप्य समं शरीरं हृद्दीन्द्रियाणि मनसा सन्निवेश्य ।

ब्रह्मोडुपेन प्रतरेत विद्वान् स्रोतांसि सर्वाणि भयानकानि ॥८॥

शरीरम् the body त्रिरुन्तम् with the chest, throat and head समम् held erect in a straight posture स्थाप्य placing, इन्द्रियाणि the senses मनसा together with the mind हृदि in the heart सन्निवेश्य making it enter, विद्वान् the knowing One सर्वाणि all भयानकानि fearful स्रोतांसि currents ब्रह्मोडुपेन by means of the raft of Brahman प्रतरेत should cross over.

Placing the body in a straight posture, holding the chest, throat and head erect, and drawing1 the senses and the mind into the heart, the knowing2 one should cross over all the fearful3 currents by means of the raft4 of Brahman.

[NOTES–1. Drawing the senses etc.—Refers to the practice of Pratyāhāra or abstraction of the mind. It is the process of checking the out-going tendencies of the mind and senses, and turning the mind back upon itself.

1. Knowing one—He who knows the meaning of Praṇava (Om) and the practice of meditation on it.

2. Fearful currents—Tendencies of the mind caused by ignorance,

which drag one to the ocean of births and deaths (Samsāra).

3. Raft of Brahman—The Tāraka-Brahman or Praṇava. This refers to

the practice of silent repetition (Japa) of Om in combination with

meditation on its meaning.]

प्राणान् प्रपीड्येह संयक्तचेष्टः क्षीणे प्राणे नासिकयोच्च्वसीत ।

दुष्टाश्रययुक्तमिव वाहमं विद्वान् मनो धारयेताप्रमत्तः ॥९॥

इह in this world संयक्तचेष्टः: regulating the activities प्राणान् the senses

प्रपीडय controlling with an effort,क्षीणे प्राणे when the vital activities

become gentle नासिकयो through the nostrils उच्च्वसीत should breathe out.

अप्रमत्तः (सन् ) without being distracted विद्वान् the knowing one दुष्टाश्रययुक्तम्

attached to restive horses वाहम् the reins इवlike मनः the mind धारयेत

should control.

Controlling1 the senses with an effort, and regulating2 the

activities in the body, one should breathe3 out through the

nostrils when the vital activities become gentle. Then the

knowing one, without being in the least distracted, should

keep his hold on the mind as on the reins attached to restive

horses.

[NOTES—1. Controlling the senses with an effort— Refers to the

practice of Yama or moral virtues consisting of non-injury, non-

stealing, continence, truthfulness, non-acceptance of gifts, etc. The

practice of these guards the aspirant from the influence of evil

tendencies acquired in the past.

2. Regulating etc. ——This refers to Niyama or practice meant to direct

the tendencies and activities of the mind towards worthy objects. This

practice is more positive than negative. It consists of such observances

as purity, contentment, austerity, scriptural study, devotion to God,

etc.

Breathe out etc.—Refers to the practice of Prāṇāyāma or breath

control as elaborated in the Yogic scriptures. It does not consist of

merely breathing out (Recaka), but also of breathing in (Pūraka) and

holding the breath for some time, both inside and outside

(Kumbhaka). This should be attempted only after fair progress is made

in the preliminaries of Yama and Niyama, and a fair control of the

psycho-physical activities is already attained; otherwise it is

dangerous. Moreover it should be practised only under the guidance

of a competent Guru.]

समे शुचौ शर्करावहिवालिका- विवर्जिते शब्दजलाश्रयादिभिः ।

मनोनुकूले न तु चक्षुपीडने गुहानिवाताश्रयणे प्रयोजयेत् ॥१०॥

समे where the floor is even, शुचौ pure, शर्करावधिहालुकाविवर्जिते free from pebbles, fire and dust, शब्द -जलाश्रयादिभः (विवर्जिते) free from distrurbing noises and dampness, मनोनुकूले helpful for concentration of mind न तु चक्षुपीडने not displeasing to the eye, गुहानिवाताश्रयणे resorting to caves and other places free from wind, प्रयोजयेत् one should perform one's exercises in mind control.

One should perform one's exercises in concentration, resorting to caves and such other pure places helpful to its practice—places where the ground is level without pebbles, and the scenery pleasing to the eyes; where there is no wind, dust, fire, dampness and disturbing noises.

[NOTES—The passage describes the various conditions that are to be observed, if Yoga is to be practised successfully and assosciations safely. A pure place is one which fulfils the hygienic conditions, and has also holy associa tions. It is difficult to sit in a place for long and in comfort, if it is not level, or is full of pebbles. Dust, dampness, fire and smoke that invariably accompanies fire, make the air impure, and thus render Prānāyāma dangerous. A pleasing scenery helps one to compose the mind, while noise and strong wind disturb the mind practising concentration.]

नीहारधूमार्कानिलानलानां खद्योतविद्युत्स्फटिकशशीनाम् । एतানি रूपाणि पुरःसराणि ब्रह्मण्यभिव्यक्तिकराणि योगे ॥११॥

नीहारधूमार्कानिलानलानाम् Of snow, smoke, sun, wind and fire खद्योतविद्युत्स्फटिकशशीनाम् of fire-fly, lightning, crystal and moon एतानी these रूपाणि forms योगे in Yoga practice ब्रह्मणि of Brahman पुरःसराणि which precede -अभिव्यक्तिकराणि the manifesters.

Forms that appear like snow, smoke, sun, wind, fire, fire-fly, lightning, crystal and moon, precede the manifestation of Brahman in Yoga practice.

[NOTES—If these forms gradually manifest themselves during Yoga practice, one can be sure that the manifestation of Brahman is not very far off. These represent the various stages of the mental modifications as one progresses towards the ultimate realization.]

पृथिव्यप्तेजोनिलखे समुत्थिते पञ्चात्मके योगगुणे प्रवृत्ते । न तस्य रोगो न जरा न मृत्युः प्राप्तस्य योगाग्निमयं शरीरम् ॥१२॥

पृथिव्यप्तेजोनिलखे in earth, water, light, air and ether समुत्थिते arising, पञ्चात्मके fivefold योगगुणे perception of Yoga प्रवृत्ते (सति) when these have न तस्य रोगो no disease न जरा no decay न मृत्युः no death प्राप्तस्य having attained योगाग्निमयं the body of fire शरीरम् the body.

appeared, योगाग्निमयम् made of the fire of Yoga शरीरम् body प्राप्तस्य becomes possessed तस्य his न no रोग: disease न no जरा old age न मृत्यु: no death.

When the fivefold1 perception of Yoga, arising from (concentrating the mind on) earth, water, light, air and ether, have appeared to the Yogin, then he has become possessed of a body made of the fire of Yoga, and he will not be touched by disease, old age or death.

[NOTES—The Yogin understands that his physical body is a combination of the five elements, and that his real self is separate from them, and that as such he is not affected by disease, old age or death, which are inseparable from all material things that are by nature always subject to change. He throws off his physical body into the fire of Yoga, and takes up, as it were, a new individuality purer than the previous. His physical body itself, he knows, does not change its essential character as matter, whatever changes it may undergo. Matter remains indestructible, so also the soul which is separate from it.

1. Five-fold perception of Yoga etc.—The reference seems to be to the Yoga practice, mentioned also in Patañjali’s Yoga-sūtra, I. 35, of steadying the mind through fixing attention on one of the five senses of smell, taste, colour, touch and sound. This is done by concentrating on the tip of the nose, the tip of the tongue, the fore-part of the palate, the middle of the tongue and the root of the tongue, respectively.]

लघुत्वमारोग्यमलोलुपत्वं वर्णप्रसाद: स्वरसौष्ठवं च । गन्ध: शुभो मूतपुरिषगन्धं योगप्रवृत्तिं प्रथमां वदान्ति ॥१ॻ॥

लघुत्वम् lightness, आरोग्यम् health, अलोलुपत्वम् thirstlessness, वर्णप्रसाद: clearness of complexion, स्वरसौष्ठवम् beauty of voice, शुभ: agreeable गन्ध: odour, अल्पं मूत्रपुरीषम् scantiness of excretions, च and प्रथमाम् first -योगप्रवृत्तिम् signs of entering Yoga वदन्ति they say.

It is said that the first signs of entering Yoga are lightness of body, health, thirstlessness of mind, clearness of complexion, a beautiful voice, an agreeable odour and scantiness of excretions.

यथैव बिम्बं मृदयोपलिप्तं तेजोमयं ब्राजते तत् सुधान्तम् । तद्राड्ढ्यात्मतत्त्वं प्रसमीक्ष्य देही एक: कृतार्थो भवते वीतराग: ॥१ॴ॥

यथा एव just as मृदया by dust उपलिप्तम् stained तत् that बिम्बम् metal disc तेजोमयं ब्राजते shining तत् सुधान्तम् cleaned । तद्राड्ढ्यात्मतत्त्वं प्रसमीक्ष्य देही एक: कृतार्थो भवते वीतराग: ॥१४॥

सुधान्तम् (सत्) when cleaned तेजोमयम् brightly भ्राजते shines, तद् वा in like manner देही the embodied being आत्मतत्वम् the truth of Ātman प्रसमीध्य seeing एक: single वितशोक: free from sorrow कृतार्थ: भवते attains the goal.

Just as the same metal disc, which was stained by dust before, shines brilliantly when cleaned, so the embodied being, seeing the truth of Ātman, realizes oneness, attains the goal, and becomes sorrowless.

यदात्मतत्वेन तु ब्रह्मतत्वं दीपोपमेनैह युक्तः प्रपश्येत् । अजं ध्रुवं सर्वतत्वैविशुद्धं ज्ञात्वा देवं मुच्यते सर्वपापैः॥१५॥

यदा when युक्तः the Yogin दीपोपमेन resembling a light आत्मतत्वेन by the truth of Ātman ब्रह्मतत्वं the truth ofBrahman प्रपश्यते sees, (तदा then) अजम् unborn ध्रुवम् eternal सर्वतत्वै: विशुद्धम् free from all the modifications of Prakṛti देवम् the Divinity ज्ञात्वा realizing, सर्वपापै: from all sins विमुच्यते is freed.

When the Yogin realizes the truth of Brahman, through the perception of the truth of Ātman in this body as a self-luminous entity, then, knowing the Divinity as unborn, eternal and free from all the modifications of Prakṛti, he is freed from all sins.

[NOTES—This Mantra identifies the pure Spirit (Ātman) in man with the Spirit at the back of the universe, denoted by the words Brahman and God, and emphasizes that this true knowledge of the nature of God and His affinity with the soul of man constitutes perfection in Yoga.

This Mantra is also remarkable for the simultaneous use of three important Vedāntic terms—Ātman, Brahman, and Deva. ‘Ātman ‘means Spirit in the embodied state. ‘Brahman ‘, interpreted as unrelated to the universe, is Spirit in transcendence, the Impersonal Absolute of philosophy. Interpreted, however, in relation to the universe, the word means the Personal God of religion i.e., the Spirit behind the universe. Deva, here translated as the Divinity, clearly implies Divine Personality, and is the same as Brahman as Personal God. In Vedāntic literature the meanings of these terms, though definite. often imperceptibly shade off into one another. Although this leads to confusion sometimes, it is really one of the most charming features of Vedantic thought, and is responsible for making it the highest mysticism and philosophy in one.]

एषो ह देवः प्रदिशोऽनु सर्वा: पूर्वो ह जातः स उ गर्भे अन्तः । स एव जातः स जनिष्यमाणः प्रत्यङ् जनास्तिष्ठति सर्वतोमुखः॥१६॥

एषः this देवः Divinity सर्वा: all प्रदिशः directions अनु in their entirety (व्याप्नोति pervades). सः ह पूर्वः जातः He is the first born, the Hiranyagarbha. सः He उ indeed गर्भे अन्तः inside the womb. सः He एव alone जातः is born, सः He जनिष्यमाणः is to be born.( सः He) प्रत्यङ्जनाः तिष्ठति stands inside all persons as the indweller (Antarayāmin) सर्वतोमुखः facing all directions.

यो देवो अग्नौ योऽप्सु यो विश्वं भुवनमाविवेश । य ओषधीषु यो वनस्पतिषु तस्मै देवाय नमो नमः ॥१७॥

यः which देवः Divinity अग्नौ is in the fire, यः who अप्सु is in water, यः who विश्वं all भुवनम् universe आविवेश has entered, यः who ओषधीषु in the plants, यः who वनस्पतिषु in the trees, तस्मै देवाय to that God नमः नमः salutations.

Salutations to the Divinity who is in the fire, who is in the water, who is in the plants, who is in the trees, who has pervaded the whole universe.

[NOTES—This Mantra and the one preceding identify the various aspects of Nature as really forms assumed by the self-same Ātman, and shows that the same Ātman is behind all phenomena.]

तृतीयोऽध्यायः

CHAPTER THREE

य एको जालवान् ईशनीभिः सर्वोल्लोकानीशत ईशनीभिः ।

य एवैक उद्ववे सम्भवे च य एतद् विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति ॥१॥

यः who एकः one एव and only उद्ववे at the time of creation सम्भवे at the time of dissolution च and, यः who एकः one जालवान् by his incrutable power of Māyā ईशनीभिः with innumerable powers ईशते appears as the Divine Lord, सः He ईशनीभिः (सहितान्) having innumerable forces working therein सर्वान् all लोकान् worlds ईशत controls. ये who एतद् this विदुः know, ते they अमृताः immortal भवन्ति become.

It is the self-same One who exists alone at the time of creation and dissolution of the universe, that assumes manifold powers and appears as the Divine Lord by virtue of His inscrutable power of Māyā. He it is that protects all the worlds and controls all the various forces working therein. Those who realize this Being become immortal.

[NOTES—This Mantra speaks of the oneness of the Ultimate Principle in spite of its apparent diversity in functions. It also shows how the Divine Lord or God is nothing but this Ultimate Principle (the Absolute), appearing as active in creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe by virtue of the power of Māyā. This Māyā, again, is shown to belong to Him. He is the master of it, and is not affected by it, just as a cobra is not affected by its own poison. All the forces that we see active in the universe are nothing but the manifestations of His Māyā, and as such these forces can work only at His will and pleasure.]

एको हि रुद्रो न द्वितीयाय तस्थुर्य इमाँल्लोकानीशत ईशनीभिः ।

प्रत्यङ् जनास्तिष्ठति सञ्चुकोचान्तकाले संसृज्य विश्वा भुवनानि गोपाः ॥२॥

यः Who इमान् these लोकान् worlds ईशनीभिः by His own powers ईशते protects and controls, (सः that) रुद्रः Rudra एकः one हि indeed. द्वितीयाय as a second being न तस्थुः did not stand, हे जनाः O men. प्रत्यङ् inside every being तिष्ठति He stands. विश्वा all भुवनानि worlds संसृज्य projecting, गोपाः protector (भूत्वा being),अन्तकाले at the end of time सञ्चुकोच He withdrew unto Himself.

He who protects and controls the worlds by His own powers, He—Rudra1—is indeed one only. There is no one beside Him who can make Him the second. O men, He is present inside the hearts of all beings. After projecting and maintaining all the worlds, He finally withdraws them into

Himself.

[NOTES—1. Rudra—This word is a synonym of Śiva in later Purāṇa literature, but no such sectarian meaning is intended here. The word is used in its literal sense. The root meaning of the word is ‘the destroyer of the sins and sorrows of devotees as well as the bestower of Jñānā and bliss on them’. Rudra also means ‘the punisher of those who break His laws, physical, moral and spiritual’. The word seems to be used here to hint that God as the Indwelling Self watches the deeds of men, good as well as bad.]

विश्वतश्चक्षुरुत विश्वतोमुखो विश्वतোবाहुरुत विश्वतस्पात् । सं बाहुभ्यां धमति सं पतत्रैर्वाबीभूमि जनयन् देव एकः ॥१३॥

(यघपि though) घावाभूमि heaven and earth जनयन् creating देव: God एक: one only, (तथापि yet सः He) विश्वतश्चक्षु: the owner of all eyes, विश्वतोमुख:the owner of all faces, विश्वतोबाहु: the owner of all hands, उत and विश्वतस्पात् the owner of all feet (भवति is), बाहुभ्याम् by means of two hands, संपत्रै: by means of the bellows, (सः He) संधमति fans the fire into flame, or excites.

Though God, the creator of heaven and earth, is one only, yet He is the real owner of all the eyes, faces, hands and feet in this universe. It is He who inspires1 them all to do their respective duties in accordance with the knowledge2, past actions and tendencies3 of the various beings (with whom they appear to be associated).

[NOTES—1. Inspires—As the Indwelling Self, it is God who really guides creatures in the use of all their senses. The exact meaning of the word ‘dhamati’ is ‘to fan a fire into flame’. It is used here metaphorically for kindling fire in the senses, i.e., to enlighten and inspire them. It shows how dependent we are on His grace for every one of our achievements.

2. Knowledge, past actions etc.—This the symbolic sense of the word ‘bāhubhyām’ according to the commentator Nārāyaṇa. According to Mahīdhara, the ‘two hands ‘refers to Dharma and Adharma. These form, as it were, the two hands by means of which the senses are worked. It symbolically describes how the work of the senses in this life is dependent upon the knowledge and habits acquired by the individuals in past lives. It also implies that the grace of God works only on the basis of man’s self-effort. Thus it reconciles the conflict between divine grace and human responsibility.

3. Tendencies—The word ‘patatra’ literally means ‘wings or bellows for blowing fire,’ but here it is used metaphorically for Vāsanās or tendencies, as noted by Nārāyaṇa. The senses work only as guided by

यो देवानां प्रभवश्रोद्रवश्र विश्वाधिपो रुद्रो महर्षिः । हिरण्यगर्भं जनयामास पूर्वं स नो बुद्धया शुभया संयुनक्तु ॥४॥

यः Who देवानाम् of the gods or senses प्रभवः creator उद्धवः supporter च and विश्वाधिपः the lord of all रुद्रः the destroyer of the sins and sorrows of the devotees, the bestower of wisdom and bliss and the punisher of all those who break His laws महर्षिः the great seer हिरण्यगर्भम् the cosmic soul पूर्वम् in days of yore जनयामास brought into being. सः He नः us शुभया good बुद्धया with thoughts संयुनक्तु may endow.

May He, who created the gods1 and supports them; who is the origin also of the cosmic2 soul; who3 confers bliss and wisdom on the devoted, destroying their sins and sorrows, and punishing all breaches of law;—may He, the great seer4 and the lord of all, endow us with good thoughts.

[NOTES—1. Gods—The word ‘deva’ means also ‘senses’ As the Indwelling Self it is He who guides them. (Vide previous Mantra.)

2. Cosmic soul—Universal intelligence. It is not too much for Him who has brought the universal intelligence into existence to give us good thoughts.

3. Who confers etc.—Vide the meaning of the word Rudra in the notes on the second Mantra of this chapter.

4. Great Seer—The word conveys the idea that He sees all the actions of men, and is therefore in a position to apportion their rewards. That God is the eternal subject is also implied.]

या ते रुद्र शिवा तनूरघोराडपापकाशिनी । तया नस्तनुवा शन्तमया गिरिशन्ताभिचाकशीहि ॥५॥

हे रुद्र O Rudra, गिरिशंत who blesses all creatures through the Vedas, या what ते Thy शिवा calm अघोरा not terrible अपापकाशिनी rooting out sin तनू body or self, तथा by that शंतमया blissful तनुवा by the self नः अभिचाकशीहि deign to make us happy.

O Lord, who1 blesses all creatures by revealing the Vedas, deign to make us2 happy by Thy calm and blissful self, which roots out terror as well as sin.

[NOTES—1. Who blesses all creatures by revealing the Vedas—The Vedas, which give us an insight into the highest truth behind this phenomenal world, are revealed only because of His grace and of His consideration for the welfare of His creatures. Had it not been for this, mankind would have remained ignorant, as it is not possible even for

a realized man to speak of his experience of the Absolute which is beyond word or thought.

2. Us—The plural number indicates that it is a prayer for the benefit, not merely of the individual, but of all beings.]

यामिषुं गिरिशन्त हस्ते विभर्ष्यस्तवे । शिवां गिरित्र तां कुरु मा हिंसी: पुरुषं जगत् ॥६॥

हे गिरिशंत O revealer of the Vedas, याम् what इषुम् arrow हस्ते in Thy hand विभर्षि Thou holdest अस्तवे for shooting against somebody, हे गिरित्र O protector of devotees, ताम् that शिवाम् propitious or auspicious कुरु make.पुरुषम् the divine person जगत् who has manifested himself as the universe मा हिंसी: do not destroy.

O revealer of the Vedic truths, deign to make propitious that arrow¹ which Thou holdest² in Thy hand for shooting at somebody. O protector of devotees, do³ not destroy that benign personal form of Thine which has manifested as the universe.

[NOTES—The Pranava or the mystic syllable ‘Om’ represented by the arrow, reveals the form of the Chosen Ideal. The Pranava means both the impersonal (Nirguṇa) and personal (Saguṇa) Brahman.

1. Arrow—Refers to one of the Vedic Mahāvākyas (cryptic instructions like Tat tvam asi), or the Tāraka Mantra, i.e., the Pranava, which constitutes the quintessence of the Vedas. These form the weapons of God for destroying ignorance.

2. Holdest in Thy hand—This shows that the Lord is ever ready to reveal Himself unto His devotees, if they repeat, and contemplate on, the Praṇava and Mahāvākyas,

3. Do not destroy etc.—Shows that the devotee likes to meditate on the personal aspects of God even after the realization of the formless Absolute.]

तत: परं ब्रह्म परं बृहन्तं यथानिकायं सर्वभूतेषु गूढम् । विश्वस्यैकं परिवेष्टितारमीशं तं ज्ञात्वाडमृता भवन्ति ॥७॥

तत: than that (the Personal Brahman) परम् higher बृहन्तम् infinite परम् supreme ब्रह्म Brahman यथानिकायम् according to the bodies सर्वभूतेषु in all beings गूढम् hidden. विश्वस्य of the universe एकम् single परिवेष्टितारम् enveloपर ईशम् Gods तम् Him ज्ञात्वा realizing श्रमृताः immortalभवन्ति become.

Higher than this Personal Brahman is the infinite Supreme Brahman hidden in all beings according to the bodies and enveloper of the universe. Gods realizing Him become immortal.

Brahman, who is concealed in all beings according to their bodies, and who, though remaining single, envelops the whole universe. Knowing Him to be the Lord, one becomes immortal.

[NOTES—Though the devotee would like to remain satisfied with the form of God, the highest Mukti, or liberation, is possible only by realizing the Absolute. This Mantra therefore leads the aspirant from the Personal to the Impersonal. But coming as it does immediately after one invoking the blessing of the Deity as the Personal, the Mantra seems to imply that the realization of the Impersonal Absolute can be had only through the maturity of devotion to the Personal and the grace He bestows on the devotee. The Personal and the Impersonal are not two different beings, but the same Deity in His two aspects. It must also be remembered that even after the realization of the Absolute, there is nothing contradictory in retaining devotion to the Personal God.]

वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्त- मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् । तमेव विदित्वाऽतिमृत्युमेति नान्यः पन्था विद्यतेऽयनाय ॥६॥

तमसः परस्तात् beyond darkness आदित्यवर्णम् effulgent realizing like the sun एतम् this महान्तम् great पुरुषम् Being अहम् I वेद have realized. तमेव Him alone विदित्वा realizin अतिमृत्युम् beyond death एति goes, अयनाय for thus passing अन्यः another पन्था: way न विद्यते there is not.

I1 have realized this Great Being who shines effulgent like the sun beyond all darkness.2 One passes beyond death only on realizing Him. There is no other way of escape from the circle of births and deaths.

[NOTES—1. Ṛṣi Śvetāśvatara.

2. Darkness—Stands for ignorance which is the cause of Saṃsāra.]

यस्मात् परं नापरमस्ति किंचिद्घस्मान्नाणीयो न ज्यायोडस्ति कश्चित् । वृक्ष इव स्तब्धो दिवि तिष्ठत्येकतेनेंदं पूर्णं पुरुषेण सर्वम् ॥९॥

यस्मात् than whom परम् higher अपरम् different किंचित् anything न अस्ति there is not, यस्मात् than whom अणीय: more minute ज्याय: greater or older in age कश्चित् any one न अस्ति there is not. वृध: इव like a tree स्तब्ध: immovable एक: alone दिवि in His own glory तिष्ठति stands, तेन पुरुषेण by that Being इदम् सर्वम् the whole of this पूर्णम् is filled.

There is naught higher than or different from Him; naught greater or more minute than Him. Rooted in His own glory He stands like a tree, one without a second and immovable. By that Being the whole universe is filled.

ततो यदुत्तरतरं तदरूपमनामयम् ।

य एतद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति अथेतरे दुःखमेवापियन्ति ॥१०॥

यत् which ततः than that उत्ततरम् far higher, तत् that अरूपम् formless अनामयम् free from misery. ये who एतत् this विदुः know ते they अमृताः: become. अथ but इतरे others दु:खम् misery एव alone अपियन्ति suffer.

That Being is far1 beyond this world, is formless and free from misery. They who know this become immortal. But all others have indeed to suffer misery alone.

[NOTES—1. Far beyond—The Absolute cannot by any stretch of imagination be brought into relation with the world, as all conception of relation based on space, time and causation is within the realm of Māyā.]

सर्वाननशिरोग्रीवः सर्वभूतगुहाशयः ।

सर्वव्यापी स भगवान्तस्मात् सर्वगतः शिवः ॥११॥

तस्मात् therefore स: that भगवान् Divine Lord सर्वव्यापी pervading everything, सर्वगतः omnipresent, शिव: benevolent (सन् being), सर्वाननशिरोग्रीव: making use of all faces, heads and necks सर्वभूतगुहाशय: dwells in the hearts of all beings.

Therefore,1 that Divine Lord, being all-pervading, omnipresent and benevolent,2 dwells in the hearts of all beings, and makes3 use of all faces, heads and necks in this world.

[NOTES—It is noteworthy that this Mantra, speaking of divine immanence, comes immediately after the previous one, which depicts the Supreme as the Absolute, far beyond all relations. The idea is that God is both transcendent and immanent. This beautiful synthesis of the conceptions of the Personal and the Impersonal, of the Transcendent and the Immanent, is a characteristic feature of this Upaniṣad.]

1. Therefore—Becuse He is formless, all-pervading, etc., He can take any form, and be present anywhere and everywhere, according to the wish of the devotee.

2. Benevolent—If He did not graciously dwell in the hearts of all beings, and guide their senses, thoughts and actions, it would not have been possible for man to realize Him, by his own unaided effort.

3. Makes use of etc.—To bring about the evolution of the souls, and ultimately bring them to the goal of liberation (Mukti).]

महान् प्रभुर्वै पुरुष: सत्वस्यैष प्रवर्तक: । सुनिर्मलामिमां प्राप्तिमीशानो ज्योतिरव्यय: ॥१२॥

अङ्गुष्ठमात्र: पुरुषोडन्तरात्मा सदा जनानां हृदये सन्निविष्ट: । हृदा मनीषा मनसाभिक्लृप्तो य एतद् विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति ॥१३॥

[NOTES— 1. Size of a thumb—Denotes the size of the heart where the Ātman is to be meditated upon and realized. The Ātman is not really reduced to a limited size but only appears to be so. 2. By virtue of intellect etc.—For explanation of the passage, see notes on IV. 17.]

सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुष: सहस्राक्ष: सहस्रपात् । स भूमिं विश्वतो वृत्वा अत्यतिष्ठद्दशाङ्गुलम् ॥१४॥

[NOTES—1. Thousand heads etc.—The reference to thousand heads, eyes and feet indicates that He is the real thinker, witness and worker

पुरुष एवेदँ सर्वं यद् भूतं यच्च भव्यम् ।

उतामृतत्वस्येशानो यदन्नेनातिरोहति ॥१५॥

इदम this सर्वम् all यद् भूतम् all that was यद्व्यम् all that is to be च and पुरुषः Infinite Being एव alone. यद् even though अन्नेन in the form of the objective universe अतिरोहति grows beyond His true nature,(सः He) अमृतत्वस्य of immortality ईशानः the Lord उत also.

That which is, that which was, and that which is yet to be—all this is nothing but this Infinite Being. Though He grows1 beyond His own nature into the form of the objective2 universe, He still3 remains the lord of immortality.

[NOTES—1. Grows beyond etc.—Appears to have form and qualities, which are opposed to His real nature as Infinite Existence, Knowledge and Bliss.

2. Objective universe—The word ‘anna’ literally means food. In the technical language of the Vedas it stands for the universe, which is the object of enjoyment for the one Eternal Subject.

3. Still remains the lord of immortality—The idea is that though the Supreme Being manifests Himself as the universe, yet his perfection and infinity are not in any way affected by it. It is for giving a logical interpretation of this mystic truth that theories like Saṅkara’s doctrine of apparent transformation, and Rāmānuja’s doctrine drawing a distinction between the body of God and His Self, and limiting change to the body alone, have been formulated.]

सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत् सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् ।

सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ॥१६॥

सर्वतः पाणिपादम् with hands and feet everywhere, सर्वतः आँखिशिरोमुखम् with eyes, heads and mouths everywhere, सर्वतः श्रुतिमत् with ears everywhere, लोके in the universe सर्वम् all आवृत्य pervading तत् That तिष्ठति exists.

With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads and

mouths everywhere, with ears everywhere, That exists, pervading everything in the universe.

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्ज्जितम् ।

सर्वस्य प्रभुमीशानं सर्वस्य शरणं सुहृत् ॥१७॥

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासम् shining by the functions of all the senses सर्वेन्द्रियविवर्ज्जितम् devoid of all the senses, सर्वस्य प्रभुम् the Lord of all, सर्वस्य ईशानम् the ruler of all, सर्वस्य शरणम् the refuge of all, सुहृत् the friend of all, (तम् विदुः they realize Him.)

They realize Him as shining by the functions of all the senses yet without the senses, as the lord of all, the ruler of all, the refuge of all and the friend of all.

नवद्वारे पुरे देही हंसो लेलायते बहिः ।

वशी सर्वस्य लोकस्य स्थावरस्य चरस्य च ॥१८॥

नवद्वारे having nine gates पुरे in the city देहि inhabiting a body हंसः swan (soul) बहिः outside लेलायते sports. (सः He) स्थावरस्य inanimate चरस्य animate सर्वस्य लोकस्य of the whole world वशी ruler.

It is He who resides in the body, the city of nine gates. He is the soul1 that sports in the outside world. He is the master of the whole world, animate and inanimate.

[NOTES—1. Soul—The word Hamsa in the text literally means swan. The suggestion is that God is sporting in the world unaffected by it, as a swan does in water without getting wet by it.]

अपाणिपादो जवनो ग्रहीता पश्यत्यचक्षुः स श्रृणोत्यकर्णः ।

स वेधि वेद्यं न च तस्यास्ति वेत्ता तमाहुरग्रयं पुरुषं महान्तम् ॥१९॥

(सः He) अपाणिपादः without hands and feet जवनःfast ग्रहीता one who grasps; सः He अचक्षु without eyes पश्यति sees; अकर्णः without ears श्रृणोति hears; सः He वेध्यम् that which is to be known वेत्ति knows; तस्य of Him वेत्ता knower नास्ति there is not तम् Him अग्रयम् the foremost महान्तम् great पुरुषम् Infinite Being आहुः they say.

Without hands and feet He goes fast and grasps; without eyes He sees; without ears He hears. He knows whatever is to be known, yet there is none who knows Him. They say He is the foremost, the great Infinite Being.

अणोरणीयान् महतो महीया- नात्मा गुहायां निहितोऽस्य जन्तोः ।

तमक्रतुः पश्यति वीतशोको धातुः प्रसादान्महिमानमीशम् ॥२०॥

अणोः अणीयान् subtler than the subtlest, महतः महीयान् greater than the great आत्मा guhायां in the cave निहितः hidden अस्य जन्तोः of this creature. तम् Him अकृतुः without (desire) पश्यति sees वीतशोको free from sorrow धातुः धातुः creator प्रसादात् by the grace महिमानम् greatness ईशम् the Lord ईशम्.

greatest आत्मा the Self अस्य जन्तो: of this creature गुहायाम् in the heart निहितः is hidden. धातुः of the Creator प्रसादात् by the grace वितशोक: free from all sorrows अकृतु: free from desires तम् Him महिमानम् the great ईशम् the Lord पश्यति sees.

Subtler than even the subtlest and greater than the greatest, the Ātman is concealed in the heart of the creature. By the grace of the Creator, one becomes free from sorrows and desires, and then realizes Him as the great Lord.

वेदाहमेतं पुराणं सर्वगतं विभुत्वात् । जन्मनिरोधं प्रवदन्ति यस्य ब्रह्मवादिनो हि प्रवदन्ति नित्यत् ॥२१॥

यस्य whose नित्यम् eternal जन्मनिरोधम् absence of birth ब्रह्मवादिन: the knowers of Brahman प्रवदन्ति say, एतम् Him अजरम् undecaying पुराणम् primeval सर्वगतम् omnipresent विभुत्वात् because of His all-pervading nature सर्वात्मानम् Immanent Self of all अहम् I वेद know.

I know this undecaying primeval Immanent Self of all, who is omnipresent because of His all-pervasiveness, and whom the expounders of Brahman declare to be eternally free from birth.

चतुर्थोऽध्यायः

CHAPTER FOUR

य एकोऽवर्णो बहुधा शक्तियोगाद् वर्णाननेकान्निहितार्थो दधाति ।

विचैति चान्ते विश्वमादौ च देवः स नो बुद्ध्या शुभया संयुनक्तु ॥१॥

आदौ in the beginning यः who एकः one अवर्णः colourless शक्तियोगात् by virtue of His own power अनेकान् वर्णान् innumerable colours निहितार्थः for His inscrutable purpose बहुधा in many ways दधाति creates, अन्ते in the end च and विश्वम् the world वि एति destroys, च and सः देवः that Divine Being नः us शुभया बुद्धया with good thoughts संयुनक्तु may endow.

May that Divine Being, who, though Himself colourless1, gives rise to various colours in different ways with the help of His own power, for His own inscrutable purpose, and who dissolves the whole world in Himself in the end,—may He endow us with good thoughts !

[NOTES—1. Colourless—The simile of a ray of light, which, though colourless in itself, assumes different colours when it passes through a prism, seems to be suggested here to show how the formless can assume forms.]

तदेवाग्निस्तदादित्यस्तदायुस्तदु चन्द्रमाः।

तदेव शुक्रं तद् ब्रह्म तदापस्तत् प्रजापतिः ॥२॥

तत् एव that Itself अग्निः is Agni (fire) तत् आदित्यः That is the sun, तत् उ चन्द्रमाः That is the moon, तत् एव शुक्रम् That is also the starry firmament, तत् ब्रह्म That is the Brahman (Hiraṇyagarbha), तत् आपः That is the waters, तत् प्रजापतिः That is the Prajāpati.

That Itself is the fire, That is the sun, That is the air, That is the moon, That is also the starry firmament, That is the Brahman, That is the waters, That is Prajāpati.

[NOTES—This Mantra is very important; it shows that the various gods that we meet with in the Vedas, such as Agni (fire), Āditya (sun) and the rest represent the same Being; therefore there is no reason to consider that the Vedic religion advocates the worship of different gods. The Mantra occurs in the Samhitā portion also.

It is also noteworthy how here as well as in other places the Upaniṣad interposes both masculine and neuter pronouns to indicate the Supreme Being. A comparative study of the previous Mantra, the present one and the next will provide a striking example of this. It shows how these Upaniṣadic thinkers were deeply imbued with the idea that the Supreme Being is both Personal and Impersonal.]

त्वं स्त्री त्वं पुमानसि त्वं कुमार उत वा कुमारी । त्वं जीर्णो दण्डेन वज्रसि त्वं जातो भवसि विश्वतोमुखः ॥३॥

त्वम् स्त्री Thou art the woman, त्वम् पुमान् Thou art the man, त्वम् कुमारः Thou art the youth, (त्वम्) कुमारी उत and maiden too. त्वम् Thou जीर्णः: as an old man दण्डेन with a staff वज्रसि totterest along. त्वम् Thou विश्वतोमुखः having faces turned in all directions जातः becomes born.

नीलः पतङ्गो हरतो लोहिताक्ष- स्तदिदृभ ऋतवः समुद्राः । अनादिमत् त्वं विभुत्वेन वर्तसे यतो जातानि भुवनानि विश्वा ॥४॥

नीलः: the dark blue पतङ्ग: butterfly लोहिताक्ष: with red eyes हरितः green parrot; तडिद्रभः the thunder-cloud; ऋतवःthe seasons;समुद्राः the oceans(च) त्वम् Thou; अनादिमत् without beginning विभुत्वेन beyond all time and space (त्वम् thou)वर्तसे existest. विश्वा all भुवनानि the worlds यतः from which जातानि are born, (सः त्वम् Thou art He).

अजामेकां लोहितशुक्लकृष्णां बहुः: प्रजाः सृजमानां सरूपा: । अजो ह्येको जुषमाणोऽनुशेते जहात्येनां भुक्तभोगामजोऽन्यः ॥५॥

अजाम् the Female who is unoriginated एकाम् the onlyone लोहितशुक्लकृष्णाम् red, white and black in colour सरूपा: resembling herself बहुः: many प्रजाः offspring सृजमानाम् giving birth to. जुषमाणः being attached to एकः अजः one unborn Male अनुशेते lies by her side. अन्यः another अजः unborn Male एनाम् her भक्तभोगाम् who has been enjoyed जहाति gives up.

[NOTES—1. Female of red, white and black colours——The Female referred to is Prakṛti or Nature, and the three colours indicate the three Guṇas or constituents of Prakṛti, known as Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Some interpret the three colours to mean the three primordial elements—fire, water and earth.

2. Numerous offsprings etc.—The various objects of creation. They

are said to resemble Nature, because being its products, they are made

of the same constituents.

3. Unborn Male—This referes to Puruṣa or Spirit in bondage.

4. Another Male—The reference is to the Puruṣa or Spirit that has

liberated itself from the trammels of Prakṛti.

5. After having enjoyed her—After discovering, through experience,

that all worldly enjoyments offered by Prakṛti are mixed with misery,

one gets rid of all attachment for worldly objects.

The reference to the two Puruṣas may also be taken as signifying the

individual soul and God.]

द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परिषस्वजाते ।

तयोरन्यः पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्यो अभिचाकशीति ॥६॥

दू two सयुजा inseparable सखाया friends सुपर्णा birds of beautiful

plumage समानम् the same वृक्षम् tree परिषस्वजाते reside on. तयोःof these अन्यः

one पिप्पलम् fruit स्वादु with relish अत्ति eats. अन्यःthe other अनश्नन् without

eating अभिचाकशीति looks on.

Two birds of beautiful plumage, who are inseparable

friends, reside on the self-same tree. Of these, one¹ eats the

fruits of the tree with relish while the² other looks on without

eating.

[Notes—The two birds referred to in this highly poetic passage are

the individual soul (Jīva) and the Supreme Soul (Paramātman). They

are said to be inseparable friends, because, as the Advaitins would

interpret the passage, the Jīva is only an image of the Paramātman

thrown upon the mind, and hence both these are inseparable as the

sun's image is from the sun; or, if we take it in the dualistic sense,

because the relationship of love existing between God and the soul,

and the dependence of the latter on the former, are eternal. The tree is

the body, the point of resemblance between the two being their

perishableness. The soul and God are both said to reside in the same

body, because in respect of the soul the body has to be conceived as

its locus, and in respect of God—even though He is transcendent, He

being also immanent in all beings—He is realized by an embodied

being through the means of the body. The fruits of the tree are the

results of one's Karma, or past actions, which are performed with the

help of the body. Out of attachment the individual soul clings to these

fruits of actions, and suffers the consequences, good as well as bad, in

successive embodiments; but the Lord, its companion bird on the tree

of this body, remains non-attached to actions and their fruits, being

the mere witness of this cosmic play. If in place of this devotional interpretation we prefer a philosophic sense for this last line, we may say that behind the superficial personality of man which gets identified with various thoughts, feelings and actions that are incidental to life, there is a deeper level of being in him which remains unruffled and detached, with which unfortunately he is not in conscious touch owing to his outward-going tendencies. But in spite of this forgetfulness it is none-the-less present there, and spiritual life is largely the establishment of this broken-off connection with it.]

समाने वृक्षे पुरुषो निमग्नोऽनीशया शোচति मुह्यमानः ।

जुष्टं यदा पश्यत्न्यमीशमीशमस्य महिमानमिति वीतशोकः ॥७॥

समाने the same वृक्षे on the tree पुरुषः the individual soul निमग्नः gets entangled अनीशया forgetting his own divine nature मुह्यमानः being deluded शোচति feels miserable. यदा when जुष्टम् who is worshipped by all अन्यम् the other ईशम the Lord of all पश्यति sees, अस्य

His महिमानम् greatness (इति thus च ) and पश्यति realizes.

(तदा then) वीतशोकः (भवति) becomes free from misery.

Sitting on the same tree the individual soul gets entangled and feels miserable, being deluded on account of his forgetting1 his divine nature. When he sees the2 other, the Lord of all, whom all devotees worship3, and realizes4 that all greatness is His, then he is relieved of his misery.

[NOTES—In the first half the Mantra points out that the forgetfulness of man’s divine affinity, whether we take that affinity to mean one of identity with the Supreme, or one of inseparable loving relationship with Him, is the root of all our miseries. The second half says how man frees himself from all misery by establishing his true relationship with the Divinity.

1. Forgetting his divine nature—The word ‘anīśayā’ in the original, literally meaning by helplessnéś, is interpreted in this way here, because the nature of that helplessness is its very cause, namely, ignorance or the forgetfulness of the soul’s real nature i.e., its divine affinity.

2. The other—The dualists take this to mean that God is separate from the soul. The Advaitins, however, harmonize it with their doctrine by contending that He is spoken of as ‘the other’ only in relation to the soul in its embodied state, and that the expression does not therefore deny their identity from the standpoint of the highest

truth.

3. Worship—Implies that all true spiritual aspirants should worship

Him, and that even identity with the Divinity is realized through the

grace He bestows on sincere worshippers.

4. Realizes that all greatness is His—‘Greatness’ refers to the whole of

the cosmic working, of which one's individual life and activities are

only an insignificant speck. One who has a vivid consciousness of the

impulsion of the Divinity behind everything in this universe, is no

longer moved by egoism in his activities. Absence of egoism frees him

from attachment, and the absence of attachment, from the misery of

wordly life.]

ऋचो अक्षरे परमे व्योमन् यस्मिन्देवा अधि विश्वे निषेदुः ।

यस्तं न वेद किमृचा करिष्यति य इत्तद्विदुस्त इमे समासते ॥८॥

यस्मिन् in which अधरे indestructible परमे highest व्योमन् in the Ethereal

Beingऋचः the Vedas विश्वे देवा: the various gods अधि निषेदुः reside, तम् Him

यः who न वेद does not know, ऋचा with the Vedas किम् करिष्यति what will

he do? ये who इत् only तत् That विदु: know, ते इमे these समासते are satisfied.

Of what avail are the Vedas to him who does not know that

indestructible, highest Ethereal Being, in whom the gods and

the Vedas reside? Only those who know That are satisfied.

[NOTES—Mere scriptural study, which has not fructified into spiritual

realization, does not bring peace to the mind of man, and is therefore

quite valueless.]

छन्दांसि यज्ञाः ऋतवो व्रतानि भूतं भव्यं यच्च वेदा वदन्ति ।

अस्मान् मायां सृजते विश्वमेतत् - तस्मिन्श्रानयो मायया सन्निरुद्धः ॥९॥

छन्दांसि the Vedas, यज्ञाः sacrifices, ऋतवः spiritual practices, व्रतानि

religious observances, भूतम् past, भव्यम् future, वेदा: the Vedas यत् which

वदन्ति declare, एतत् this विश्वम् the whole world, अस्मान् च including

ourselves मायी the Lord of Maya सृजते creates or projects. तस्मिन् In this

अन्य: the other मायया by Māyā सन्निरुद्धः fettered.

The Lord of Māyā projects the Vedas. sacrifices, spiritual

practices, past and future, religious observances, all that the

Vedas declare, and the whole world including ourselves. The1

other, again, is bound by Māyā in this.2

[NOTES—1. The others—Refers to the Jīva.

2. The world of creation referred to before, in which the

soul is entangled.]

मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यान्मायिनं च महेश्वरम् ।

तस्यावयवभूतैस्तु व्याप्तं सर्वमिदं जगत् ॥१?०॥

मायाम् Māyāं प्रकृतिम् Prakṛtiं विधात् know, मायिनम् the Lord of Māyāं महेश्वरम् the great God च and. सर्वम् all इदम् this जगत् world तस्य His अवयवभूतै: by beings who form His parts व्याप्तम् is filled.

यो योनिं योनिमधितिष्ठत्येको यस्मिन्निदं सं च वि चैति सर्वम् ।

तमीशानं वरदं देवमीड्यं निचाय्येमां शान्तिमत्यन्तमेति ॥१?१॥

य: who एक: alone योनिम् योनिम् all the various aspects of Prakṛtiं अधितिष्ठति presides over, यस्मिन् in whom इदम् सर्वम् all this समेति dissolves, च and, वि चैति takes manifold forms च and, तम् Him ईशानम् Lord वरदम् who gives blessings ईड्यम् the adorable देवम् the shining one निचाय्य realizing इमाम् this अत्यन्तम् unlimited शान्तिम् peace एति attains.

[NOTES—1. Various aspects of Prakṛti—This refers to the various evolutes of Prakṛti beginning from Avyakta, Mahat, etc.]

यो देवानां प्रभवश्रोद्र्वश्र विश्वाधिपो रुद्रो महर्षि: ।

हिरण्यगर्भं पश्यत जायमानं स नो बुद्धया शुभया संयुनक्तु ॥१?२॥

य: who देवानाम् of the gods or senses प्रभव: creator उद्रव: supporter च and विश्वाधिप: the lord of all रुद्र: the destroyer of the sins and sorrows of the devotees, the bestower of wisdom and bliss and the punisher of all those who break his laws, महर्षि: the great seer हिरण्यगर्भम् the cosmic soul जायमानम् being born पश्यत witnessed, स: He न: us शुभया good बुद्धया with thoughts संयुनक्तु may endow.

[NOTES—Compare this with III. 4, a parallel Mantra. 1. Who confers etc.—The word ‘Rudra ‘in the text is explained in the Notes on III. 2]

यो देवानामधिपो यस्मिन्ल्लोका अधिश्रिताः ।

य ईशे अस्य द्विपदश्चतुष्पदः कस्यै देवाय हविषा विधेम ॥१३॥

य: who देवानाम् of the gods अधिप: is the lord, यस्मिन् in whom लोका: the worlds अधिश्रिता: rest, य: who अस्य this द्विपद: biped चतुष्पद: quadruped ईशे governs, कसमै blissful देवाय to that Divine Being हविषा विधेम let us offer our worship with oblations.

[NOTES—This shows that all worship is due only to the one God, although He may be called by different names as is done in the Vedas.]

सूक्ष्मातिसूक्षं कलिलस्य मध्ये विश्वस्य सष्टारमनेक रूपम् ।

विश्वस्यैकं परिवेष्टितारं ज्ञात्वा शिवं शान्तिमत्यन्तमेति ॥१४॥

सूक्ष्मातिसूक्ष्मम् subtler than the subtlest, कलिलस्य मध्ये in the midst of chaos विश्वस्य of the universe सष्टारम् creator अनेक रूपम् who assumes various forms, विश्वस्य of the universe एकम् परिवेष्टितारम् the only one who encompasses, शिवम् the Blissful One ज्ञात्वा realizing अत्यन्तम् infinite शान्तिम् peace एति attains.

स एव काले भुवनस्य गोप्ता विश्वाधिपः सर्वभूतेषु गूढः ।

यस्मिन् युक्ता ब्रह्मर्षयो देवाताश्च तमेव ज्ञात्वा मृत्युपाशांश्छिनत्ति ॥१५॥

स: He एव alone काले at the proper time भुवनस्य of the world गोप्ता protector; विश्वाधिप: the lord of the universe सर्वभूतेषु in all beings गूढ: concealed; यस्मिन् in whom ब्रह्मर्षय: Brahmaṛṣis such as Sanaka and others देवता: the gods such as Brahma and others युक्ता: merged; तम् एवम् thus ज्ञात्वा realizing मृत्युपाशान् the fetters of death छिनत्ति cuts asunder.

घृतात् परं मण्डमिवातिसूक्ष्मं ज्ञात्वा शिवं सर्वभूतेषु गूढम् ।

विश्वस्यैकं परिवेष्टितारं ज्ञात्वा देवं मुच्यते सर्वपाशैः ॥१६॥

घृतात् परं like the ghee मण्डम् iv मण्डमिवातिसूक्ष्मं extremely subtle, सर्वभूतेषु in all beings गूढम् hidden शिवं the Blissful One ज्ञात्वा realizing विश्वस्य of the universe एकम् परिवेष्टितारम् the sole encompasser ज्ञात्वा realizing देवम् the Divine मुच्यते is freed सर्वपाशै: from all bonds.

घृतात् than ghee परम् finer मणडम् essence इव like अतिसूध्मम् exceedingly subtle शिवम् the Blissful One सर्वभूतेषु गढम् hidden in all creatures ज्ञात्वा realizing, विश्वस्य of the world एकम् only परिवेष्टितारम् encompasser देवम् God ज्ञात्वा realizing सर्वपाशै: from all fetters मुच्यते is released.

[NOTES—1. Essence finer than ghee—Ghee or butter, which forms the very essence of milk, exists in it in the form of very minute and invisible particles. Only the process of churning can make it manifest. So also God is the subtle essence of the world, but He remains invisible to us until we feel His presence through spiritual practices.]

एष देवो विश्वकर्मा महात्मा सदा जनानां हृदये सन्निविष्ट: । हृदा मनीषा मनसाSभिकृप्तो य एतद् विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति ॥१७॥

एष: this देव: Divinity विश्वकर्मा the creator of the universe महात्मा the all-pervading soul हृदा by the heart (emotions) मनीषा by the intellect मनसा by imagination and will अभिकृप्त: finitized जनानाम् of creatures हृदये in the hearts सदा always सन्निविष्ट: dwells. ये who एतद् this विदु: realize ते they अमृताः immortal भवन्ति become.

This Divinity, who created the universe and who pervades everything, always dwells in the hearts of creatures, being finitized by emotions, intellect, will and imagination. Those who realize this become immortal.

[NOTES—The passage may be taken in two ways, either (1) as referring to the psychological conditioning of the Ātman in the embodied being, or (2) as indicating the way in which the Ātman is intuited. Here it is translated according to the former sense. If construed with a view to give the second meaning, it will read: ‘This Divinity, who created the universe and who pervades everything, always dwells in the hearts of creatures. They become immortal who realize Him (by the process indicated by the expression) Hṛdā manīṣā manasā abhiklptah.’

The significance of this expression requires further elucidation. Our translation here (‘being finitized by emotions, intellect, will and imagination’) is somewhat different from that of old commentators, most of whom take it according to the second way of construing, viz., as referring to the way of intuiting the Ātman. There are three important words in it,

Hṛdā, Maniṣā and Manasā, The word Hṛd or Hṛdaya (literally ‘heart’) is one of frequent occurrence in the Upaniṣads, and is given different meanings varying from the physical organ of that name to the various higher psychical levels in man like the Prāṇa, mind, intellect, etc., up to the Ātman. The connection between the physical heart and these higher levels of our being is established by the theory that the heart is their locus. Thus the Chāndogyopani-ṣad, III. 2.4 says “All the Prāṇas are established in the heart.” Bṛhadāraṇyaka IV. 3. 22.

speaks of the ‘sorrows of the heart’, and Śaṅkara says this is so because the lump of flesh known as the heart is the seat of the Antahkarana (inner organ), here identified with Buddhi (intellect). Bṛhadāraṇyaka III. 9. 11 says, ‘Whose instrument of vision is the heart’, where heart means intellect according to Śaṅkara. Again Bṛhadāraṇyaka III. 9. 20 contains the passage,’ ‘Knows colours through the heart’, where heart is interpreted by Śaṅkara as intellect and Manas (mind) taken together. Chāndogya, VIII. 3. 3 gives as the etymological meaning of Hṛdayam ‘Hṛdi ayam iti, tasmāt hṛdayam’ (because this one, i.e. Atman resides in it, it is Hṛdayam). Here the heart is the seat of Ātman. In the Śvetāśvatara we find the same idea in Mantra III. 13; ‘Assuming a form of the size of the thumb, the Infinite Being… dwells in the hearts of creatures.’ This gives one an idea of the wide range of meaning attached to the word heat. Our old thinkers believed that the Prāṇa, Buddhi and Manas, or Antahkarana as a whole, and the Ā man itself, are all in a special sense centred round this most important of all physical organs.

In interpreting this particular Śvetāśvatara passage under discussion, many of the old commentators take Hṛdā or ‘by the heart’ to mean ‘by Buddhi or intellect’, because the heart is the seat of Buddhi. Maniṣā qualifies Hṛdā, and means ‘that which regulates the activities of thought’. Manasā means ‘direct experience, which is of the nature of thought’. Thus the meaning given to this, as well as to the identical Kaṭha passage, by Saṅkara is: ‘They become immortal, to whom this Ātman is revealed through direct experience, which is of the nature of thought, and which is gained through the faculty of intellection (Buddhi) that regulates the activities of thought

यदाडतस्तान्न दिवा न रात्रिः न सन्नचासच्चिव एव केवलः ।

तदक्षरं तत् सवितुवरेण्यं प्रज्ञा च तस्मात् प्रसृता पुराणी ॥१८॥

point of view.

2. Ancient wisdom—God is the source of all wisdom which has come down to us in the from of the Vedas.]

नैनमूर्ध्वं न तिर्य्यञ्चं न मध्ये न परिजग्रभत् ।

न तस्य प्रतिमा अस्ति यस्य नाम महद् यशः ॥१९॥

ऊर्ध्वम् above तिर्य्यञ्चम् across मध्ये in the middle एनम् Him न परिजग्रभत् no one can grasp. यस्य Whose नाम name महद् यशः is great glory तस्य प्रतिमा न अस्ति there is none equal to Him.

No1 one can grasp. Him above, or across, or in the middle. There is none2 equal to Him whose name is great glory.

[Notes—1. No one can grasp Him etc.—This shows that He is not specially limited.

2. None equal—The word Pratimā (here translated as ‘equal’) does not refer to any image, as is interpreted by some who are not in favour of image worship; according to them the passage means, ‘There is no image of Him’. The true meaning of it, however, is that He has no equal.]

न संदृशे तिष्ठति रूपमस्य न चक्षुषा पश्यति कश्चनैनम् ।

हृदा हृदिस्थं मनसा य एनमेवं विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति ॥२०॥

अस्य his रूपम् form संदृशे in the field of vision न तिष्ठति does not stand. एनम् Him चक्षुषा with the eyes कश्चन anybody न पश्यति does not see. ये who एनम् Him हृदा मनसा by the heart, by the mind (i.e., through the faculty of intuition) एवम् as thus seated in the heart विदुः realize, ते they अमृताः immortal भवन्ति become.

His form does not stand within the range of the senses. No one perceives Him with the eye. Those who know Him through the faculty of intuition1 as thus seated in their heart, become immortal.

[Notes—1. Intuition—This is clearly a reference to the way of realizing the Ātman, which cannot be seen by the ordinary sensuous perception as mentioned in the previous line. The super-sensuous and super-rational way of knowing is what is called intuition. Is this faculty something entirely different from the mental faculties of man? The Upaniṣad does not seem to say so, for what we have interpreted as ‘by intuition ’ is in the original represented by the two words Hṛdā (by the heart) and Manasā (by the mind). For detailed comments on these words, the reader may refer to the Notes on Mantra 17 of this Chapter. The combination of these words implies that intuition is only

the heightened power of cognition born of the refinement and concentration of all the faculties of the mind—feeling, thought and will. In other words, in the experience of the Ātman is involved not any one of these faculties alone, but all of them purified by ethical life, and unified by the power of concentration into a form of cognition that gives unerring and unshakable certainty.]

अजात इत्येवं कश्चिद्‌भीरुः प्रपद्यते । रुद्र यत्ते दक्षिणं मुखं तेन मां पाहि नित्यम् ॥२१॥

कश्चिद्‌भीरुः someone who is afraid अजात इत एवम् as the unborn प्रपद्यते approaches.हे रुद्र oRudra यत्त् which ते Thy दक्षिणम् benevolent मुखम् face तेन by that माम् me नित्यम् always पाहि protect.

Some1, being afraid, approach Thee, thinking that Thou art the unborn. O Rudra2, deign to protect me with that benevolent face of Thine.

[NOTES—1. Some etc.—This refers to the mental attitude of the spiritual aspirant. He experiences a dread for Saṃsāra or the cycle of births and deaths. In his helplessness he looks to God for help and protection, seeing that He is the unborn, i.e. the only being that is not subject to Saṃsāra, and therefore capable of helping individual souls out of it.

2. Rudra etc.—contrast between the expressions ‘Rudra’ and ‘benevolent face’ is striking, because Rudra is generally conceived to be a terrible aspect of the Deity, having no touch of benevolence. The passage implies that the same Deity is both the terrible and the benevolent one, and that to the true spiritual aspirant the very face of terror appears as one of benevolence.]

मा नस्तोके तनये मा न आयुषि मा नो गो‍षु मा नो अश्वेषु रीरिषः । वीरान् मा नो रुद्र भामितो-वधीर्हविष्मन्तः सदमित् त्वा हवामहे ॥२२॥

तोके in respect of children तनये in respect of grandchildren आयुषि in respect of life गो‍षु in respect of cattle अश्वेषु in respect of horses नः us मा नः injure not. हे रुद्र O Rudra भामितः in Thy anger नः our वीरान् heroes मा वधीः: do not kill. सदम् always इत् thus त्वा Thee हविष्मन्तः with offerings हवामहे we invoke.

Injure us not in respect of children, grandchildren and life, nor in respect of cows- and horses. Do not destroy our heroes in Thy anger, O Rudra. We invoke Thee always with offerings.

[NOTES—This is a prayer for the prosperity of the whole world, which depends upon our effort to live a divine life. Effort in this direction is the best offering.

1. Heroes—Ail those who struggle valiantly to make themselves and their life pleasing to the Lord in spite of the heavy obstacles put in their way by Māyā.]

पञ्चमोडध्यायः

द्वे अक्षरे ब्रह्मपरे त्वनन्ते विद्या‌विद्ये निहिते यत्र गूढे क्षरं त्वविद्या ह्यमृतं तु विद्या विद्याविद्ये ईशते यस्तु सोड्न्यः ॥१॥

अविद्या तु ignorance धर्मः is mortal, विद्या wisdom तु but अधरम् हि is verily immortal. अधरे in the imperishable अनन्ते in the infinite गूढे in the hidden ब्रह्मपरे in the Supreme Brahman, यत्र in whom विद्याविद्ये knowledge and ignorance द्वे both निहिते exist, यः who विद्याविद्ये knowledge and ignorance ईशते controls, सः He अन्या: is different

Ignorance leads to the perishable. Wisdom leads to immortality. Entirely different from these1 is he, the imperishable, infinite, secret, Supreme Brahman, in whom exists wisdom as well as ignorance, and who governs them both.

[NOTES—1. These etc.—Ignorance and wisdom. Brahman is said to be different from them because both ignorance and wisdom are modifications of the mind. He is not therefore of their form, but their witness. Again it is in Him that they both subsist, and He governs them.]

यो योनिं योनिमधितिष्ठत्येको विश्वानि रूपाणि योनীश सर्वाः । ऋषिं प्रसूतं कपिलं यस्तमग्रे ज्ञानैर्बिभर्ति जायमानं च पश्येत् ॥२॥

यः: who एकः alone योनिम् योनिम् all the various aspects of Nature अधितिष्ठति presides over: विश्वानि all रूपाणि forms सर्वाः all योनिः: sources of production च and (अधितिष्ठति presides over); यः: who अग्रे in times of yore ऋषिम् the all-knowing कपिलम् the golden coloured one प्रसूतम् created by Himself ज्ञाने: with every kind of knowledge बिभर्ति nourishes जायमानम् being born च and पश्येत् sees च and.

He alone presides over Nature in all aspects, and controls every form and every cause of production. He witnesses the birth of the first born seer of golden colour and nourishes him with wisdom.2

[NOTES—1. First born seer of golden colour etc.— Refers to Hiranyagarbha or the cosmic soul who projects the universe. 2. Wisdom—The knowledge of the Vedas.]

एकैकं जालं बहुधा विकुर्वन्नस्मिन् क्षेत्रे संहरत्येष देवः । भूः: सृष्टवा पतयस्तथेशः सर्वाधिपत्यं कुरुत एको महात्मा ॥३॥

एको महात्मा one great आत्मा Being एकैकम् each जालम् group बहुधा the various forms विकुर्वन् transforming, अस्मिन् क्षेत्रे in this field संहरति withdraws इष देवः this divine Being भूः: having created पतयस्तथेशः and having become the lord, सर्वाधिपत्यम् supreme control कुरुते exercises एकः alone.

अस्मिन् धेत्ते into this ground एष: देव: this God संहरति withdraws. भूय: again पतय: the Lokapālas सृजति creating, महात्मा the great soul ईश: God तथा as before सर्वाधिपत्यम् supreme sway over all कुरुते holds.

Differentiating each genus into its species, and each species into its members, the Supreme Being withdraws them once more into their own ground.1 Again,2 bringing forth the agents3 of creation, the Great Self holds sway over them all.

[NOTES—1. Ground—Mūlaprakṛti or Māyā which is the ultimate source or ground of creation. The word ‘kṣetra’ (field) in the text suggests the idea of vegetation springing up from barren ground and decaying there itself, only to appear again afresh in proper season.

1. Again—Refers to cycles of creation.

2. Agents etc.—Marīci and other Progenitors.]

सर्वा दिश: ऊर्ध्वमधश्व तिर्यक् प्रकाशयन् भ्राजते यदूनडवान् । एवं स देवो वरेṇयो योनिस्वभावाधितिष्ठत्येक: ॥४॥

यत् उ just as अनडवान् the sun सर्वा: all दिश: space—ऊर्ध्वम् above अध: below तिर्यक् across च and प्रकाशयन् lighting up भ्राजते shines, एवं even so स: देव: that God वरेṇय: adorable भगवान् the repository of all goodness and greatness एक: one योनिस्वभावान् everything that has the nature of a cause अधितिष्ठति presides over.

Just as the sun shines lighting up all space above, below and across, even so does that one adorable God, the repository of all goodness and greatness, preside over everything1 that has the nature of a cause.

[NOTES—1. Everything that has the nature of a cause—Nature (Prakṛti) and its evolutes. All these, which are variously conceived as the causes of the world by different schools of philosophy and science, are not in themselves causes of the world. They deserve the name cause only because God works through them.]

यच् स्वभावं पचति विश्वयोनि: पाच्यांश् सर्वान् परिणमयेद् य: । सर्वमेतद् विश्वमधितिष्ठत्येको गुṇांश् सर्वान् विनियोजयेद् य: ॥५॥

यच who विश्वयोनि: the source of the world स्वभावम् its own Nature पचति develops, सर्वान् all पाच्यान् that are fit for being brought to perfection परिणमयेत् च transforms, य:who सर्वान् गुṇान् various qualities विनियोजयेत् distributes, (स: He) एक: one सर्वम् all एतत् this विश्वम् universe आधितिष्ठते presides over.

He who is the one source of the world brings out everything develops, सर्वान् all पाच्यान् that are fit for being brought to perfection परिणमयेत् च transforms, य:who सर्वान् गुṇान् various qualities विनियोजयेत् distributes, (स: He) एक: one सर्वम् all एतत् this विश्वम् universe आधितिष्ठते presides over.

out of His own Nature, and leads creatures to perfection according to their deserts, and endows each being with its distinguishing characteristic. Thus he presides over the whole universe.

[NOTES—The Mantra conveys the idea that the whole evolution of the universe is to be traced ultimately to the Divinity, but in the details of the cosmic process like the birth and growth of individuals, as well as in the periodic recurrence of creation and dissolution, He is guided by the law of Karma. The expression ‘according to their desert’ points out the right place of Karma in the development of individuals.]

तद् वेदगुग्रोপনिषत्सु गूढं तद् ब्रह्मा वेदते ब्रह्मयोनिम् ।

ये पूर्वं देवाः ऋषयश्र तद् विदु स्ते तन्मया अमृताः वै बभूवुः ॥६॥

वेदगुह्योपनिषत्सु in the Upaniṣads which from the essence of the Vedas तद् That गूढम् is hidden. ब्रह्मा the Hiranyagarbha तद् That ब्रह्मयोनिम् as the source of himself and the Vedas वेदते knows. पूर्वम् in days of yore ये who देवाः the gods ऋषयःseers तद् That विदुः realized, ते they तन्मया: being identified with Him, अमृताः immortal बभूव became वै verily.

He lies hidden in the Upaniṣads, which form the essence of the Vedas, Him the Hiranyagarbha knows as the source of himself and the Vedas. Those gods and seers who realized Him in former days became identified with Him, and verily became immortal.

गुणान्वयो यः फलकर्मकर्ता कृतस्य तस्यैव स चोपभोक्ता ।

स विश्वरूपस्त्रिगुणास्त्रिवर्त्मा प्राणाधिपः सञ्चरति स्वकर्मभिः ॥७॥

यः who गुणान्वयः is attached to the qualities सः he एव alone फलकर्मकर्ता does work for the sake of fruits, तस्य कृतस्य of his own deeds उपभोक्ता enjoys the fruits च and. सः He (यगपि)प्राणाधिपः though master of the senses त्रिगुणः bound by the three Guṇas विश्वरूपः assuming various forms through त्रिवत्र्मा the three paths स्वकर्मभिः on account of his own deeds सञ्चरति wanders.

Only he who gets attached to the pleasurable qualities of things does work for the sake of its fruits, and enjoys the fruits of his own deeds. Though really the master of the senses, he becomes bound by the three Guṇas, and assuming various forms, wanders about through the three paths as a result of his own deeds.

[NOTES—1. Three paths—Dharma (righteousness), Adharma

(unrighteousness) and Jñāna (knowledge). It may also mean the three well-known paths along which the soul proceeds after the death of the gross body. These are Devayāna (the path of the Gods), Pitṛyāṇa (the path of the Fathers) and Tiryañmārga (the path to lowest births).]

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रो रवितुल्यरूपः सङ्कल्पाहङ्कारसमन्वितो यः ।

बुद्धेर्गुणेनात्मगुणेन चैव आराग्रमात्रोप्यपरोडपि दृष्टः ॥८॥

यः: who आराग्रमात्रः subtle as the point of a goad रवितुल्यरूप pure, effulgent and infinite like the sun सः He एव alone बुद्धे: गुणेन by the limitations of the Buddhi सङ्कल्पाहङ्कारसमन्वितः associated with the ego and the Saṅkalpa, आत्मगुणेन by the finiteness of the heart अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः of the size of a thumb च and, अपरः another आपि also दृष्टः is seen.

Subtle1 as the point of a goad, and pure, effulgent and infinite like the sun, He alone is seen assuming as another2 the size of a thumb on account of the finiteness of the heart (in which He appears), and associating Himself with egoism and Saṅkalpa3 on account of the limitations of the intellect.4

[NOTES—1. Subtle—Incapable of being known by the gross mind and the senses.

2. Another—The Jīva or individual soul. That the individual soul should be conceived as the manifestation of the Supreme Being is the purport of the Mantra.

3. Saṅkalpa—The quality of the mind due to which it finds attraction for something which does not really deserve it.

4. Intellect—The intellect and the heart referred to here are the two most important aspects of human personality. The individual soul, which is of the same nature of the Supreme Being, looks otherwise because of the limitations of these, its manifesting mediums.]

बालाग्रशतभागस्य शतधा कल्पितस्य च ।

भागो जीवः स विज्ञेयः स चानन्त्याय कल्पते ॥९॥

जीवः च the individual soul शतधा कल्पितस्य divided a hundred times बालाग्रशतभागस्य of the hundredth part of the point of a hair भागः part. सः he आनन्त्याय कल्पते is capable of infinity. सः he च and विज्ञेयः is to be known.

That individual soul is as subtle as a hair-point divided and sub-divided hundreds of times. Yet he is potentially infinite. He has to be known.

नैव स्त्री न पुमानेष न चैवायं नपुंसकः ।

यद्यच्छरीरमादत्ते तेन तेन स युज्यते ॥१०॥

एष: he न एव स्त्री: is neither female न पुमान् nor male, अयम् he न एव नपुंसक: is not even neuter च and यत् यत् whatever शरीरम् body आदत्ते assumes तेन with each one of that स: he युज्यते is identified.

करमानुगानुयक्रमेण देही स्थानेषु रुपाण्यभिसम्प्रपद्यते ॥११॥

(यथा just as) ग्रासाम्बुवृष्ट्या by showers of food and drink आत्मविवृद्धिजन्म the growth of the body (तथा so) सङ्कल्पनस्पर्शनदृष्टिमोहै: by desire, contact, sight and delusion देही the embodied soul स्थानेषु in various places कर्मानुगानि according to his deeds अनुक्रमेण successively रुपाणि forms अभिसम्प्रपद्यते assumes.

[NOTES—Just as food and drink help the body in its growth in this life, the various actions and their effects resulting from desire etc. contribute to the development of the individual soul in various stages and through various forms, till it attains its highest destiny.]

क्रियागुणैरात्मगुणैश्च तेषां संयोगहेतुरपरोऽपि दृष्ट: ॥१२॥

देही the embodied soul स्थूलानि gross सध्माणि subtle बहूनि many रुपाणि forms स्वगुणै: by its own qualities वृणोति chooses. तेषाम् their संयोगहेतु: the cause of combination अपरो: another अपि still दृष्ट: is found.

[NOTES—1. Qualities belonging to himself—Belonging to the body. When the embodied self assumes a new body, he is influenced in the choice by the qualities of his previous body, mind and actions.

2. Cause of their combination—This cause is God. Had it not been for God who guides the individual in his choice, he would not have been able to choose for himself.]

अनाद्यनन्तं कलिलस्य मध्ये विश्वस्य सष्टारमनेक रूपम् ।

विश्वस्यैकं परिवेष्टितारं ज्ञात्वा देवं मुच्यते सर्वपाशैः ॥१॥३॥

अनाघनन्तम् without beginning or end, कलिलस्य of chaos मध्ये in the midst विश्वस्य of cosmos सष्टारम् creator, अनेक रूपम् who assumes many forms, विश्वस्य of the universe एकम् only परिवेष्टितारम् one who envelopes, देवम् God ज्ञात्वा realizing सर्वपाशैः from all fetters मुच्यते becomes free.

भावग्राह्यमनिडाख्यं भावाभावकरं शिवम् ।

कालासर्गकरं देवं ये विदुस्ते जहुस्तनुम् ॥१॥४॥

भावग्राह्यम् to be apprehended by the intuition of a pure and devoted heart अनीडाख्यम् the incorporeal and the nameless भावाभावकरम् who creates both life and matter शिवम् blissful one कालासर्गकरम् who is the source of all arts and sciences देवम् God ये who विदु: realize, ते they तनुम् body जहुः give up.

षष्टोडध्यायः

स्वभावमेके कवयो वदन्ति कालं तथान्ये परिमुह्यमानाः ।

देवस्यैष महिमा तु लोकै येनदं भ्राम्यते ब्रह्मचक्रं ॥१॥

येन by which इदम् this ब्रह्मचक्रं the wheel of Brahman भ्राम्यते is revolved, (तम् it) एके some परिमुह्यमानाः deluded कवयः thinkers स्वभावम् Nature वदन्ति say. तथा and thus अन्ये others कालम् time.एषः this तु but लोकै in the world देवस्य of God महिमा glory.

Some deluded1 thinkers speak of Nature, and others of time, as the force that revolves this wheel2 of Brahman. But really all this is only the glory of God manifested in the world.

[NOTES—1. Deluded thinkers—The delusion of the thinkers referred to consist in not recognizing God, the real power behind even the so-called natural causes of creation.

2. Wheel of Brahman—Vide, Ch. I. 4.]

येनावृतं नित्यमिदं हि सर्वं ज्ञः कालकारो गुणी सर्वविद् यः ।

तनेनित कर्म विवर्तते ह पृथिव्यप्तेजोनिलखानि चिन्त्यम् ईशः॥२॥

येन by whom इदम् सर्वम् all this नित्यम् always आवृतम् is enveloped, यः who ज्ञः Pure Consciousness कालकारः the maker of time गुणी the master of Guṇas सर्वविद् omniscient (च and भवति is,) तेन by Him ईशितम् commanded कर्म action (energy) पृथिव्यप्रेजोनिलखानि as earth, water, light, air and ether विवर्तते assumes various forms (इति thus) चिन्त्यम् it should be known.

It should be known that energy assumes1 various forms such as earth, water, light, air and ether at the command of Him who is the master of Guṇas and the maker of time, who is omniscient, who is Pure Consciousness itself, and by whom all this is ever enveloped.

[NOTES—1. Assumes—The word ‘vivartate’ in the text seems to suggest the vivarta theory of Śrī Saṅkara, according to which Brahman appears as the world without really undergoing any change.]

तत्कर्म कृत्वा विनिवर्त्य भूय- सतत्त्ववस्य तत्वेन समेत्य योगम् ।

एकेन द्वाभ्यां त्रिभिरष्टभिर्वो कालेन चैवात्मगुणैश्वर सूक्ष्मैः॥३॥

तत् कर्म karma (creation) कृत्वा after setting in motion, विनिवर्त्य withdrawing Himself from it, भूयः again तत् तत्त्वस्य principle तत्वेन with योगम् union समेत्य bringing about, एकेन with one द्वाभ्याम् with two त्रिभिः with three अष्टभिः with eight वा and कालेन through the

instrumentality of time सूधर्मैः subtle आत्मगुणैः through the instrumentality of their own inherent properties च and एव alone (समेतি unites).

After setting the creation in motion and withdrawing1 Himself from it, He unites the principle of Spirit with the principle of Matter—with2 one, with two, with three and with eight—through3 the mere instrumentality of time and their own inherent properties.

[NOTES— 1. Withdrawing—The expression means that though God creates the universe and enters into active relation with it, yet He remains aloof as the silent witness.

2. With one, with two, etc.—The meaning of these is very obscure. We take the sense to be as follows: one = Avidyā (ignorance); two = Dharma and Adharma (the good and evil effects of the actions of past lives); three = the three bodies—the physical, subtle and causal bodies; eight = the eightfold aspect of Nature, as described in the Gītā, viz. the five elements, mind, intellect and egoism.

3. Through the mere instrumentality of time etc.— The idea seems to be that though God is the ultimate force at the back of the world process indicated by the expression ‘unites the principle of Spirit with Matter, with one, with two, etc.’, yet His hand is invisible, and to a person who seeks some natural explanation of things, time, inherent property of things, etc., appear to be all-sufficient explanations. Really they are only the instruments through which the Divinity works.]

आरभ्य कर्माणि गुणान्वितानि भावांश्र सर्वान् विनियोजयेद् यः । तेषामभावे कृतकर्मनाशः कर्मक्षये याति स तत्त्वतोऽन्यः ॥४॥

यः: who गुणान्वितानि associated with Guṇas कर्माणि creation आरभ्य beginning सर्वान् all भावान् beingsविनियोजयेत् orders, सः च He तेषाम् their अभावे in the absence कृतकर्मनाशः: the destroyer of created objects. कर्मक्षये after the destruction of created object तत्त्वतःin his essence अन्यः: other याति remains.

[NOTES—The Mantra is difficult to interpret. Some commentators take it, not in the cosmic sense given here, but in a spiritual sense, and interpret it thus: ‘Having performed work associated with Guṇas and dedicated them all to the Lord, man is liberated from Karma and the

cycle of births and deaths, the effects of his actions being all destroyed by non-attachment.’ While such an interpretation is quite acceptable, we have none-the-less translated it in the cosmic sense, as done by Max Muller, because the Mantra occurs in a context dealing exclusively with the glory of God as the creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe.

1. Absence of the Guṇas—The idea is that it is when the three Guṇas or the three constituents of Nature like Sattva, Rajas and Tamas lose their equilibrium that a new cycle of creation starts. When the three Guṇas are absent, i.e. regain their equilibrium, and are no longer operative, cosmic dissolution or Pralaya takes place.]

आदि: स संयोगनिमित्तहेतुः परस्त्रिकालादकालोडपि दृष्टः ।

तं विश्वरूपं भवभूतमीड्यं देवं स्वचित्तस्थमुपास्य पूर्वम् ॥५॥

तम् Him विश्वरूपम्who appear as the universe भवभूतम् who is the true source of all creatures ईड्यम् adorable देवम् God स्वचित्तस्थम् seated in one’s own पूर्वम् heart previously उपास्य meditating on, सः He आदि: primeval संयोगनिमित्तहेतुः: cause of the union त्रिकालात् पर: transcending the three divisions of time अकल: partless अपि even though दृश्ट: is perceived.

By previously1 meditating as seated in one’s own heart, on that Adorable Being who appears as the universe, and who is the true source of all creatures, He can be perceived even though He is the primeval Gause of the union (of Spirit with Matter), as well as the partless entity transcending the three divisions of time.

[NOTES—The purpose of the Mantra seems to be to stress the cosmic grandeur of the Deity, as well as His uniqueness as the Transcendent and the Absolute, and at the same time to emphasize that in spite of all this He reveals Himself, both in His personal and impersonal aspects, in the heart of one who meditates on Him in the true spirit.

1. Previously Meditating—The implication is that the loving contemplation and worship of the Deity is the necessary preliminary step for realizing Him both as the Personal God with attribute and as the Impersonal Absolute. The necessary mental fitness for Jñāna or realization of the Absolute and the identity of the self with It, is born of loving worship and contemplation of the Personal Deity—may, according to many great authorities, including Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa and the Bhagavadgītā, this very realization is bestowed on the devotee, who wants it, by the God of love out of His infinite grace. In the words of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, this monistic realization is like a master placing a

faithful and beloved servant of his on his own seat of authority, and calling him his very self.]

स वृक्षकालाकृतिभिः परोडन्यो यस्मात् प्रपञ्चः परिवर्ततेऽयम् ।

धर्मावहं पापनुदं भगेशं ज्ञात्वात्मस्थममृतं विश्वधाम ॥६॥

यस्मात् from whom अयम् this universe प्रपञ्चः proceeds in the form of cycles, तम् Him धर्मावहम् the source of virtue पापनुदम् the destroyer of sin भगेशम् master of all good qualities अमृतम् immortal विश्वधाम् the abode of the universe आत्मस्थम् seated in one's own heart ज्ञात्वा knowing, सः He वृक्षकालाकृतिभिः pāṇḍuḥ scending the tree of Saṁsāra as well as time and form अन्यः different (दृष्टः is perceived).

Knowing Him who is the origin and dissolution of the universe—the source of all virtue, the destroyer of all sins, the master of all good qualities, the immortal, and the abode of the universe—as seated in one's own self, He is perceived as different from, and transcending, the tree of Saṁsāra as well as time and form.

[NOTES—This Mantra is only another striking expression of the great Vedāntic doctrine that the clue to the nature of the Deity lies in one's own heart. The self of man is the best reflector of the Divinity, and if He is discovered as immanent in the self, He is also simultaneously realized as transcending Nature. Thus the Mantra emphasizes the simultaneity of the realization of Him as the Immanent and the Transcendent.]

तमीश्वराणां परमं महेश्वरं तं देवतानां परमं च दैवतम् ।

पतिं पतीनां परमं परस्ताद्- विदाम देवं भुवनेशमीड्यम् ॥७॥

तम् Him ईश्वराणाम् परमम् महेश्वरम् the great supreme lord of lords तम् Him देवतानाम् परमम् देवतम् च the highest God of gods पतिनाम् परमम् पतिम् the supreme ruler of rulers ईड्यम् adorable परस्तात् transcend भुवनेशम् the master of the universe विदामः may we realize.

May we realize Him—the transcendent and adorable master of the universe—who is the supreme lord over all the lords1, the supreme God above all the gods2, and the supreme ruler over all the rulers3.

[NOTES—1. Lords—Vaivasvata, Yama and others.

2. Gods—Indra and others.

3. Rulers—The Prajāpatis.]

न तस्य कार्य करणं च विद्यते न तत्समश्राब्यधिकश्र श्यते ।

परास्य शक्तिरिविविधैव श्रूयते स्वाभाविकी ज्ञानबलक्रिया च ॥८॥

तस्य for Him कार्यम् something to be achieved करणम् organ of action च and न विघते does not exist. तत्समः His equal अभ्याधीकः superior च and न दृश्यते is not seen. अस्य His परा शक्ति: great power एव alone विविधा of various kinds, ज्ञानबलक्रिया knowledge, strength and action स्वाभाविकि च and natural श्रूयते is described in the Vedas.

न तस्य कश्रित् पतिरसति लोके न चेशिता नैव च तस्य लिङ्गम् । स कारणं करणाधिपाधिपो न चास्य कश्रिज्जनिता न चाधिपः ॥९॥

लोके in this world तस्य of Him कश्रित् anybody पति: master न अस्ति does not exist; तस्य of Him ईशिता च न and there is no ruler. तस्य of Him लिङ्गम् च न एव not even a sign by which he can be inferred अस्ति there is. सः He कारणम् is the cause, करणाधिपाधिप: the ruler of the master of the organs of sense (i.e., of individual souls). अस्य of Him जनिता न कश्रित् there is no originator, आधिप: च न nor lord.

[Notes—1. No sign etc.—There is no syllogism that can logically demonstrate the existence of God. He is essentially known through revelation and spiritual realization, and the function of logic or reason is only to relate the knowledge thus gained with the rest of our experience.]

यस्तन्तुनाभ इव तन्तुभिः प्रधानजैः स्वभावतः । देव एकः स्वमावृणोति स नो दधातु ब्रह्माप्ययम् ॥१०॥

यः: who एक: one देव: God प्रधानजै: with the products of Nature स्वभावतः spontaneously तन्तुनाभ: spider तन्तुभिः with threads इव like स्वम् Himself आवृणोति covers, सः He नः to us ब्रह्माप्ययम् absorption in the Brahman दधातु may grant.

एको देवः सर्वभूतेषु गूढः सर्वव्यापी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा ।

कर्माध्यक्षः सर्वभूताधिवासः साक्षी चेता केवलो निर्गुणश्च ॥११॥

एकः one देवः God सर्वभूतेषु in all beings गूढः is hidden सर्वव्यापि is all-pervading सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा is the inner self of all creatures कर्माध्यक्षः presides over all actions सर्वभूताधिवासः is the home of all beings साक्षी is the witness चेता is Pure Consciousness केवलः is single निर्गुणः is free from the three Gunas of nature च and.

God, who is one only, is hidden in all beings. He is all-pervading, and is the inner self of all creatures. He presides over all actions, and all beings reside in Him. He is the witness, and He is the Pure Consciousness free from the three Gunas of Nature.

[NOTES—1. Gunas of Nature—The three Gunas (constituents or dispositions) of Nature are Sattva (purity and harmony), Rajas (passion and activity) and Tamas (dullness and inertia).]

एको वशी निष्क्रियाणां बहूनामेकं बीजं बहुधा यः करोति ।

तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीराः- तेषां सुखं शाश्वतं नेतरेषाम् ॥१२॥

(यः who) निष्क्रियाणाम् inactive बहूनाम् of the many एकः one तशी is controller यः who एकम् the one बीजम् seed बहुधा करोति makes manifold तम् Him आत्मस्थम् as residing in their self ये who धीराः those wise men अनुपश्यन्ति perceive तेषाम् to them शाश्वतम् eternal सुखम् happiness न इतरेषाम् not to others.

Those wise men, who ever feel in their own hearts the presence of Him who is the one ruler of the inactive1 many, and who makes the one seed2 manifold—to them belongs eternal happiness, and to none else.

[NOTES—1. Inactive many—The expression includes both Matter and individual souls. For the powers of action in both are entirely derived from God. 2. Seed—Prakrti or primordial Nature, from which everything evolves.]

नित्यो नित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनानां- मेको बहूनां यो विदधाति कामान् ।

तत्कारणं सांख्ययोगाधिगम्यं ज्ञात्वा देवं मुच्यते सर्वपाशैः ॥१३॥

यः who नित्यानाम् among the eternals नित्यः the eternal चेतनानाम् of intelligence चेतनः the intelligence एकः one सन् (being) बहूनाम् of the many कामान् desires विदधाति grants सांख्ययोगाधिगम्यम् to be comprehended by philosophy and religious discipline तत्कारणम् that cause देवम् God ज्ञात्वा realizing सर्वपाशैः from all fetters मुच्यते is released.

He is the eternal among the eternals1’ and the intelligent among all2 that are intelligent. Though one, He grants the desires of the many3. One is released from all fetters on realizing Him, the cause of all, who is comprehensible through philosophy and religious discipline.

[NOTES—1. Eternals—Manifestations of Matter like ether and the other elements, which are taken to be eternal by common men and some philosophers. But in reality God is the only eternal substance.

2. All that are intellect—This expression means either the many knowers (individual souls), or the various organs of knowledge, internal and external, like the senses and the mind, which appear to be intelligent to the ordinary man. In either case God is the intelligent entity in their midst in a unique sense, because the individual knowers are only His expressions, and the organs of knowledge only reflect the intelligence of Him who is the eternal witness.

3. Many—The countless numbers of beings in various stages of evolution, like the Gods, men, animals, etc.

It is the one God of the Universe who awards to them all the good and bad results of their Karma (actions) performed by the impulsion of various desires.]

न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोडयमग्निः ।

तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति ॥१४॥

तत्र there सूर्यः: the sun न भाति does not shine, न चन्द्रतारकम् nor the moon, nor the stars, इमाः विद्युत्: these lightnings न भान्ति shine not, अयम् श्रग्निः: this fire कुतः: wherefrom. भान्तम् shining तम् Him एव and alone सर्वम् all अनुभवाति shines after.तस्य His भासा by the light इदम् सर्वम् all this विभाति shines.

The sun does not shine there; neither the moon, nor the stars. There these lightnings shine not,—how then this fire? Because He shines, everything shines after Him. By His light all this shines.

[NOTES—By speaking of the Deity as the source of all luminosity, the Śruti refers not so much to any brilliance in a material sense, as to the fact that all knowing, whether through sensuous perception or other processes, takes place due to Him, the source of all intelligence. Light is symbolically used to indicate knowledge.]

एको हंसः भुवनस्यास्य मध्ये स एवाग्निः सलिले संनिविष्टः ।

तमेव विदित्वा अतिमृत्युमेति नान्यः पन्था विद्यतेऽयनाय ॥१५॥

अस्य भुवनस्य of this world मध्ये in the midst एकः: one हंसः destroyer of

ignorance. सः एव He alone सलिले in the water संनिविष्ट: stationed अग्नि: fire. तम् एव Him alone विदित्वा realizing मृत्युम् death अत्येति overcomes. अयनाय for emancipation अन्य: another पन्था: path न विघते there is not.

The one destroyer of ignorance in the midst of this universe, He alone is the fire which is stationed in water. Realizing Him alone one overcomes death. There is no other path for emancipation.

[NOTES—By speaking of God as the fire stationed in water, the Śruti indicates that Pure Spirit is immanent in the world, however different the latter might appear to be from it (as fire is from water) in point of grossness, corruption and other unspiritual qualities. The Mantra also makes it clear that the fire worshipped by the Vedic Ṛṣis, which was considered by them symbolically as hidden in the waters, is none other than this great god concealed in the midst of this world of change and limitation.]

स विश्वकृत् विश्वविदात्मयोनी- झः कालकालो गुणी सर्वविघः । प्रधानक्षेत्रज्ञपतिर्गुणेशः संसारमोक्षस्थितिबन्धहेतुः ॥१६॥

सः he विश्वकृत् the creator of everything, विश्वविद् the knower of everything, आत्मयोनी: his own source, झः all-knowing, कालकालः destroyer of time, गुणी the repository of all good qualities, सर्वविघः the master of all sciences, प्रधानधेत्रज्ञपति: the controller of Matter and Spirit, गुणेश: the lord of the Gunas, संसारमोक्षस्थितिबन्धहेतुः the cause of liberation from Samsāra and of bondage which results in its continuance (भवति is).

He is the creator of everything as well as the knower of everything. He is His own source, He is all-knowing, and He is the destroyer1 of time. He is the repository of all good qualities, and the master of all sciences. He is the controller of Matter and Spirit, and the lord of the Gunas. He is the cause of liberation from the cycle of birth and death, and of bondage which results in its continuance.

[NOTES—1. Destroyer of time—Time disappears with the world at the time of realization.]

स तन्मयो ह्यामृत ईशसंस्थो झः सर्वगो भुवनस्यास्य गोप्ता । य ईशेडस्य जगतो नित्यमेव नान्यो हेतुर्विद्यत ईशनाय ॥१७॥

यः who अस्य जगतः of this world नित्यम् एव eternally ईशे is the ruler, सः hi He verily तन्मयः the soul of the universe, अमृतः immortal, ईशसंस्थः:whose is the rulership, झः all-knowing सर्वगः all-pervading, अस्य भुवनस्य of this world गोप्ता protector. ईशनाय to rule over it अन्यः हेतुः another cause न विघते does not exist.

He is the soul of the universe, He is immortal, and His is the rulership. He is the all-knowing, the all-pervading, the protector of the universe, the eternal ruler. None else is there efficient to govern the world eternally.

यो ब्रह्माणं विदधाति पूर्व यो वै वेदांश्च प्रहिणोति तस्मै । तं ह देवं आत्मबुद्धिप्रकाशं मुमुक्षुर्वै शरणमहं प्रपद्ये ॥१८॥

निष्कलं निष्क्रियं शान्तं निरवयं निरञ्जनम् । अमृतस्य परं सेतुं दग्धेन्थनमिवानलम् ॥१९॥

He who at the beginning of creation projected Brahmā (Universal Consciousness), who delivered the Vedas unto him, who constitutes the supreme bridge of immortality, who is partless, free from actions, tranquil, faultless, taintless, and resembles the fire1 that has consumed its fuel,—seeking liberation I go for refuge to that Effulgent One, whose light turns the understanding towards the Ātman,

[NOTES—1. Fire that has consumed its fuels—As the fire burns up the fuel, God destroys the ignorance of spiritual aspirants.]

यदा चर्मवदाकाशं वेष्टयिष्यन्ति मानवाः । तदा देवमविज्ञाय दुःखस्यान्तो भविष्यति ॥२०॥

यदा when चर्मवत् like a skin आकाशम् the sky मानवाः men वेष्टयिष्यन्ति will roll up, तदा then देवम् God अविज्ञाय without realizing दुःखस्य of sorrow अन्तःend भविष्यति will happen.

Only when men shall roll up the sky like a skin, will there be an end of misery for them without realizing God.

[NOTES—The idea is that any effort to be free from misery, without realizing God, is as futile as the attempt to roll up the sky.]

तपःप्रभावाद् देवप्रसादाच्च ब्रह्म ह श्वेताश्वतरोऽथ विद्वान् । अत्याश्रमिभ्यः परमं पवित्रं प्रोवाच सम्यगृणिसङ्घजुष्ठम् ॥२१॥

तपःप्रभावात् through the power of his self-control and concentration of

mind देवप्रसादात् by the grace of God च and श्वेताश्वतर: the sage Śvetāśvatara ब्रह्म Brahman विद्दून् (सन्) having realized, अत्याश्रमिभ्यः to the highest order of Sannyāsins परमम् supreme पवित्रम् holy ऋषि सङघजुष्टम् resorted to by all the seers ब्रह्म Brahman सम्यक् well प्रोवाच expounded.

Himself realizing Brahman by the power of self-control and concentration of mind, as well as by the grace of God, the sage Śvetāśvatara expounded well to the highest order of Sannyāsins, the truth of that supremely holy Brahman resorted to by all the seers.

[NOTES—This Mantra shows the necessity of self-effort, God's grace as well as supreme Vairāgya (renunciation) for the realization of the highest Truth. It also implies that a true spiritual instructor must himself be a knower of Brahman.]

वेदान्ते परमं गुह्यं पुराकल्पे प्रचोदितम् । नाडप्रशान्ताय दातव्यं नाडपुत्रायाशिष्याय वा पुनः ॥२२॥

पुराकल्पे in a former age वेदान्ते in the Vedānta प्रचोदितम् expounded परमम् highest mysticism अप्रशान्ताय to one whose passions have not been subdued वा either अपुत्राय who is not a worthy son, आशिष्याय who is not a worthy pupil (वा)पुनः or न दातव्यम् should not be given.

This highest mysticism, expounded in the Vedānta in a former age, should not be taught to one whose passions have not been subdued, nor to one who is not1 a worthy son, nor to an unworthy disciple.

[NOTES—1. Not a worthy son—One who has not discharged his duties to the parents.]

यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः इति ॥२३॥

यस्य for whom देवे to God परा भक्तिः supreme devotion, यथा देवे as to God तथा गुरौ to the teacher, तस्य महात्मनः to that high-souled one कथिता: expounded एते अर्थाः these truths प्रकाशन्ते shine.

These truths, when taught, shine forth only in that high-souled one who has supreme devotion to God, and an equal degree of devotion to the spiritual teacher. They shine forth in that high-souled one only.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते । पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते॥

भद्रं कर्णेभिः श्रृणुयाम देवा: भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः।

स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवांसस्तनूभि: व्यशेम देवहितमं यदायुः॥

सह नाववतु। सह नौ भुनक्तु। सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।

तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु ।मा विद्विषावहै ॥

ओँ शान्तिः। शान्तिः। शान्तिः॥

Om Peace ! Peace !! Peace !!!