SECTION THIRTY-FIVE 241 the metre, the deity and the seer are also remember- ed. So giyatri, Visvamitra and Savitr are next mentioned. Then the formula of gayatri is personi- fied for meditation :—Agni the first of Gods is the mouth, Brahmi the first-born is the head, Visnu is the heart and Rudra is the sikha or flame causing the final dissolution (or what is placed at the top of all). The earth is the Yoni i.e. the source, and the winds, the breath, Fairness in hue is indicative of the highest purity. The knowledge of family is necessary to assess the greatness of an individual and so it is stated that Gayatri is of the same Gotra as Brahman. (aie: IRR: mrad Zia area: aus aa). The form of Gayatri mantra is then described. It has three feet of eight Syllables each, six sheaths or auxiliaries to the Vedas which protect the Vedas represented by Gayatri like & sheath, five heads consisting of four Vedas and Itihasa and Purina known as the fifth Veda. These details about Gayatri are recited before a boy is initiated into studentship and Gayatr! is instructed.] af qe) ait ya | age | th Ae | aif Ba: | ait aa: | ote gem ait waa ail Raed state | feat at a setae | attest sata Wlsag aw yea: gaa NR U BR a, | ay coreg GevaAMs MATH: | HET AE | ETT 16942 MAHANARAYANOPANISAD seta Se; A sat sera Zia sa; | SARA aR: ae Th: aad Be a: | aaa SATA, FEAL | ad weer: eaeIEAaTEM: ao Reet aactedal ae, Tat SMa GT: | Sedat ce; TATA ITS Tee RTARTA SA Se SIRT, || sit Ree aerate: Fae AS as: ea | a; after wea: rear: gat Sati aera Reg || eff ar greta: ene:, Fares eh by Ae AGT i, A PR, TET TEL ae | RSE = aaa Ae || 2. Om Earth. Om Sky. Om Heaven. Om Middle Region. Om Place of Birth, Om Man- sion of the Blessed. Om Abode of Truth. Om may we meditate on the Adorable Light of that Divine Generator who quickens our under- standings. Om He is water, light, flavour, ambrosia and also the throe worlds. He who is denoted by pranava is all these. [This passage gives the mantr: mental repetition and concent: performance of praniyaima, pranava, vyadhrti-s, the whole unit. formula ‘as employed for ation during the Four elements namely: Styatri and gayatrisiras make UP According to Manu this composité is to be mentally repeated clearly and attentively thrice while the breath is retained withiD- During the retention of the breath the nostrils at?SECTION THIRTY-FIVE 243 closed with the thumb and the little and the ring fingers. The seven vyihrtis denote the seven worlds created by Brahma by uttering them in the beginning and the first three of them are called Mahavyahrtis. Pranava is added to each of them to point out that each vyahrti independently also stands for the Sup- reme. After the seven vyabrtis the giyatrimantra follows them headed by another pranava, which again. implies that the Supreme alone is denoted by the Sayatrimantra. This is succeeded by gayatrisiras bracketed by the pranavas in the beginning and the end. Gayatri coming in the middle is the fundamental element and the rest are auxiliaries thereof. When a person performs the prinéiyama and concentrates his thought on this mantra, the latent spiritual tendencies in the depth of his being are awakened and he becomes fit for communion With the Supreme Reality and eventually he realises the spiritual goal. The metre associated with the seven vyahrtis are Syatri, usnik, anustubh, byhatt, pankti, trisubh, and Jagat and their deities are Agni, Vayu, Strya, Brhas- Pati, Varuna, Indra and Vis'vadevas respectively. Prajapati is their Rsi. Giyatrisiras consisting of Sixteen syllables is called so because it forms as if it Were the head of the formula, Prajapati is its 88i, anustubh is the metre and Brahma, Agni and 4yu ave the deities. It has been mentioned on p. 44 that the giyatri is employed during the performance of japa, homa and dbyana. Until one is purified244 MAHANARAYANOPANISAD by the practice of pranayama he is not ready for japa, Hence the importance of the formula given here for the practice of priniyama. The praniyama which is performed during the twilight devotions differs’ from the one advocated by Pataiijali for the prac- tice of yoga. In the former the retention period alone is measured by the formula given here. In the latter case breathing in, holding the breath within and breathing out are appropriately measured. There is a considerable literature explaining the meaning of gayatri towards which all the great achryas have made their contribution. The word tat qualifying savitr makes it clear that the visible prime luminary of the heavens is only a representation of the Godhead who is referred to here as immanent in all creatures and also transcendent. He is savitr because He is the cause of the universe and He animates and impells all that exists. He is deva because He is self-luminous, and all other light, whether intellectual or physical, is a loan from Him. The devotee meditates upon His bharga, light, for the attainment of all the fourfold values of life. The term bharga is derived from the root bhrsj meaning to roast -or to burn. It, there- fore, implies not only the radiant light but also the heat which destroys the root of ignorunce and misery which bars one from the attainment of the Supreme. Hence this Divine Light is eagerly sought after by all who seek release from the round of birth and death. The significance of the third line of the gayatri is this: According to the Vedas, thought and activitySECTION THIRTY-SIX 245 make up human destiny.. A man’s mental activities elevate him if and when they are under the influence of divine operation. Hence in this line the devotee’s longing is expressed that the Supreme should guide his mind towards the performance of religious duty, selfless devotion to God and the highest illumination. Two ancient authorities have paraphrased the ideas contained in the gayatri by the following verses :— at @a: ahaa Ret aan: | FATS Aq WATE TGIAE | 2 Il aaa Met eft afte at Safest a: seat: | Wistert asda are Rel areeeT |] 2 II For the explanation: of giyatrisiras see note on Section XV, stanza 2. The shorter version gives two alternative formulas for pranayama. (1) Si aaa: Sea, wa TRA Ta at sah wisad ae ws: BRT | (2) Sif awe | Sit Ta: | Sth Aare | St aAeTT | ait ae, | ai aeqaa: \| The first one differs from the gayatris'iiras only by the prefixing of pranava and vyibrtis and by substituting Savitri for tat brahma. The second one will be explained later in the longer version.] azfaaisqate: SECTION THIRTY-SIX gat frat 88 (sa) wai ans 1 MAE srtgaal ss SF TaAPaA Wel246 MAHANARAYANOPANISAD & 3 wah, sees: ate: aaa ae ava ¢: Saar aa TARA Sat acted aera aa ad at Torn: wer: em wae & 8S, ca ea ya Brat wert aah ser eA sqeaeT ar ew, TAT a faz || z Sf O Goddess ARO: for the sake of brihmanas SEM until they remember aq in the highest, holiest frat on the peak YAN on the earth LT on the mountain = af O shining One aTgay at pleasure 71=3 go, remain. 1. O Goddess, Thou mayest go and remain at Thy pleasure on the highest and holiest peak on the earth, or in any high place until the brihmanas remember Theo again. [This stanza. and the succeeding one are repeated at the close of twilight devotions for the dismissal of Gayatri. The longer version reads jate in the place of devi. According to Sayana the abode of Gayatri from where she is summoned is on the highest peak of the mountain called Meru on the earth. Whereas Bhattabhiskara appears to under- stand the various epithets in the first line as places where Gayatri is at liberty to be until She is sum- moned further.] Egat gar aver Azmtat caieaedt 9a Berar ag: ofaeat afaol daase sei acar sid desta tySECTION THIRTY-SIX 247 mar at ar asa wad aala AR =a Ie at caaiietn sitet seat esr warecradat: argiiat Fema Sat Aarat Sart wet Test Pera ea: aeasiet sot aed a ear sad aalq sasit oid FAS TST || Tar by me Weal magnified 4v@l boon-conferring cad (aaa =) like the wind yaleari impelling fesTaT born from two sources AcHal Mother of the Vedas Faq to me Few on the earth SY: long life FAT wealth FTL power of Vedic learning f : AML aE cam sai wised am wT TRA 1SECTION THIRTY-EIGHT 249 gt: dar ad: smeecta: oat awrite Fer al enter, met at eefesrara ea ofa Saar aT atin wRoh | at suteeet seh gt ena TARE | 1. The imperishable Aditya who is the giver of lustre and the creator of the universe moves in the sky like his own rays. The essence of him in the form of sweet water flows in the shape of rivers. Hoe is the Truth .... (Rest as XV. 2.) [The present Section gives this mantra as a sub- stitute for the upisana mentioned on pages 238 to 246. f it if he is incapable of One may perform japa o has been described. Perfoming the worship which The same formula appears in the shorter version, and it has been fully dealt with at Section XV, Passage 2, to which place it naturally belongs. So here it is not discussed at length-] apfiaisgarm; SEOTION THIRTY-FIGHT aelig aH | agiig ar | qaliaa HIAG ATI amex ala gar aeatsfy aT AeA | SAS ZENE | aed ar goatee Ul ll250 MAHANARAYANOPANISAD R rar AW | Ra ceed ag aT mag | Fat Ag ei Senta oeeed ae HT ATT FEARS | Sa se aahiea ae ada FIER, OT, AST: UR oT: aS rahe, eer are AeTe WE AR: WS: Tey OT: |S TEL MAT gare ass & Rie gee od sein Hara | Eat were, Feta a aoe: apy aa seria, ART AMRIT: Fr: a Ee: oar aT ane aT TA I AML (Aa) the Supreme FI me Ug reach, receive: AIL (AY) the sweet, blissful ary me wg reach, receive. Fey (Ae) the Supreme alone A (3) the sweet, blissful a me uw reach, receive. z ae O Lord @ thy a1: those 9s: creatures (qq; them) 44 regarding @ such Seq 1 ae: child. eae O destroyer of the bad dreams EW destroy sorrow. & O Lord = belonging to thee WT: that which a those AMT, breaths gee 1 offer, 1. May the Supreme reach me. May the Blissful reach me, May the Supreme alove that. is blissful reach me. O Lord, beiné one among Thy creatures I am Thy child. Suppress the dreary dream of the empirical existence that I experience. For that I offer myself as an oblation into Thee, O Lord, avd the vital and mental powers, Thou hast kep’ in me.SECTION THIRTY-FIGHT 251 [This is the first of the notable group of mantras called Trisuparna. From the free rendering given above it is evident that the kernal of it is a prayer on the part of the spiritual aspirant to Paramitman for enlightenment and release from the round of birth and death, for the effecting of which he makes an oblation of his senses and energies—hitherto en- grossed in worldly persuits—into the Supreme to whom they really belong. The Trisuparna is prescrib- ed for japa to be undertaken by the seekers of the divine knowledge and who wish to expiate all known and unknown sins that stand in their way to illumi- nation. In the Vedic literature the term suparya stands for the Sun, Fire, Prajapati and other gods and in the Puranas the pird Garuda is called Suparna. Garuda is the King among birds and protector of amrta, These mantras guard the highest good of the Soul. So they are called Suparne. Pranava is also called Suparna, for it takes the upasaka to his divine goal. Since these passages help one to reach that goal they are here called Suparna. Bhatta- bhiskara understands the text slightly differently. He splits Brahmametu into Brahma and met avoid- ing the awkward form Brahmam and explains metw Jar of the root mt as imparative third person singu of the tenth conjugation. He gives a ruling that without justification in sense the addition of any ele- ment toa Vedic word is unacceptable ; and so to con- sider Brahmam as the actual form and not Brahma is not legitimate according tohim. Again abhi and252 MAHANARAYANOPANISAD so taken as two words above is considered as one word by him and therefore abhiso means—Somend dradhayita—one who worships with Soma. The word abhiso also implies abhitah sarvatah sota isitd —one who rules all around, the Lord. This implies that through the grace of the Lord the worshipper has achieved his union with the Supreme. Bhatta- bhaskara reads dussvapnahan durussaha (sarnjatah), and explains the second word as an adjective mean- ing one who is not capable of being overpowered (because of divine knowledge). The word Soma is explained by him as Isvara, the Lord, who impells the universe and explains the word Uma in it as Parasakti denoted by pranava in part reversed— mé u.] Fdciaatd aoe TUL | awarat at ea aa) 3 aleoufegadt aga | % aa sedated | ST Baa TERS GHEE | si | ey __Peguntast Sears Beary are cag | aren t ARO: Hal Pewiast valet wt ageet ae } Bare aa | 3 Aer: Wi eran Bp at grata | F SAT TEMES ara: at wataA aan gal Fee | ase wef afer se | pmqaraed at ore Fswiz the Trisuparna SRT unsolicited ATA to a brahmana aq should be imparted. q thoseSECTION THIRTY-EIGHT 253. ART: brihmanas fight the Trisuparna Wied repeat Ud these Agee brahminicide Hirt destroy z indeed. 3 they @mq (the result of) Soma sacrifice Nara attain. qe upto one thousand veh the row Yafed purify. aq Om. 2. One may impart Trisuparna to a brah- mana unsolicited. Those brahmanas who recite Trisuparna indeed destroy even the sin of brihminicide. They attain to the fruit of the Performance of Soma sacrifice. They purify all those who sit in a row of a thousand (while at dinner) and attain union with pranava i.e. the Deity of this mantra. [This passage glorifies the Trisuparna mantra in eulogistic language. Like the word saptarsi each unit of the Trisuparna is also called by the same Name. Knowledge is imparted toa disciple generally on request. Bub this mantra may be given to any brahmana whom one encounters without his asking for it, ‘Evon such grave sins like Brahmahatya are expiated by its repotition and it will confer the fruit of the Somayaga. It is a custom in India to feed non- Possessing brahmanas who minister to the religious Needs of the community and also the hungry and the destitute according to one’s capacity on special Oceasions with a view to obtain religious merit. The Scriptures which encourage this practice lay down254 MAHANARAYANOPANISAD also that the brihmanas entertained must be sinless and learned. Even if a single person who practises the japa of Trisuparna happens to be present on the holy occasion of religious feeding, it is said here, that the host or atithipati is exculpated from the sin of feeding the wrong persons. The purpose of this eulogy here is to draw attention to the greatness of Trisu- parna which calls away man from the path of worldli- ness to that of divinity. The pranava ending the section points out to the fact that it is also indicative of the greatness of that syllable. Bhattabhiskara explains it by saying that the person mentioned here attains union with Brahman denoted by pranava, while Sayana states that pranava here implies that the deity of Trisuparna is the Paramitman denoted by pranava.] cataqareatsaara: SECTION THIRTY-NINE aa aaat | ag Heal | setiaad taal ye sandy 24 affa: saree: aaa | wl g:8aftas GF NR Ul alfa 24 afaghala wigs | aad aa enga i adatal ama agertted farda: | areas geceSECTION THIRTY-NINE 255 ag adbaalaa adacuflas ei: iagaiteg a: fat nt agaral aaevaddars cea ga: | areata aaeg Al Tai Seo Fa TERT aETaT ag a Fear Geers sad aad ar) west Fa weet Oar aTAT Il 2 I @ afc; eran 23 aa aR a: Se efi mad Brann ssttd heat arta shal aay gona at: case Sea | seat geanecat Pana quad RUE ART I = abies Oa, sae feat ska aati oot eres Rage | tq at TAT Badraarieeteang test aera a A sat aT BIST WHAT FAS || 3 II earth Oh me afew Het aaa: AY Sa aa Vala qa ara | feat: aa: ay Maree ata BATA | ara, ah ae area: aT: FC UI YU ene wre ah Val Be Tart a ay Head ss seg | TPT i; Agag segs ore | fewest ah aff ateaearfemie- FERRI AY eRe |) 4 || aaa: Gese a: AL Ee AGA, ayUHela: Mae: RT | BA: ST areca Ga AYA, BAN, ST | We: a: STAT Aa ATeA: Fa. afar: Fa US A 1. qa the Supreme Heat through power of intel- ligence (HI@is attained). ag bliss Hua through power of intelligence (qmid is attained), wen, (@@) the256 MAHANARAYANOPANISAD Supreme vq alone FY bliss Faq through power of. intelligence (aI is attained). 2. 2afad: O creator and impeller 24 God et (Hz) today 4: for us ASAT possessing progeny at prosperity at vouchsafe. Tar (Ga) like a bad dream Res turn away. 3. % afi: O creator 24 God faarff all aha sins Wigq turn away. Aq that which (is) wa beneficial aq that % for me aaa bring from all sides. 4. 3@a- yd to one desirous of reaching the Supreme Truth art: winds 43 sweet, happy (ard let blow). fara: rivers HY sweetly att (avg) let flow. rat; ‘ (air) herbs 4; for us Arat (area) sweet dg let be. 5. FHA at night Tq and =qff at dawn, during day HY happiness (#e let be). api of earth Ti; particle AJA sweetness-bearing (A let be). fiat father, paternal @; heaven @: for us AY sweet ag let be. 6. qqetfa: fruit-bearing tree 4: for us AYA sweetness-bearing (“kg let be). aa: the sun Agar, sweetness-bearing ST jet be. Wa: cows 4; for us wel; (Ar=q:) sweetness-giving Yard let be. _ 1. That Brahman is attained through the power of intelligence. That Bliss is attained through the power of intelligence. The Bliss which is indeed Brahman is attained through the power of intelligence. 2. O God, O Thou creator, vouchsafe to us today the prosperity consisting of progeny.SECTION THIRTY-NINE 257 Turn away from us this bad dream (of the world). 8. O God, O Creator, turn away from me all the sins. Bring to me that which is beneficial. 4. To me, who is the devotee of the Supreme Truth let the wind blow sweetly. Let the rivers run sweetly. Let the herbs be to us sweet and beneficial. 5, Let there be sweet- ness day and night. Let the particles of the earth be sweotness-bearing. Let heaven, our father, be sweet to us. 6. Let the fruit- bearing trees be sweet to us. Let the sun be sweet and beneficial to us. Let the cows be sweetness-bearing to us. [This hexad gives the second Trisuparna—a prayer for power of intelligence and for the environment conducive to the attainment of supreme knowledge and realisation of the Divine Truth. The stanzas 2 and 3 are found in the Rgveda at V. 82. 4-5 and stanzas 6 to 8 ibid. I. 9. 6-8 respectively. They are to be explained here according to the prakarana or context. Hence the meaning given above follows. The term medha implies power of intelligence in general and particularly the capacity to retain and recall the words and their meaning taught by the preceptor. In the Vedas medhda is considered as a deity and hymns are sung in her praise, of which the passages extracted just below give some good 17258 MAHANARAYANOPANISAD examples. Stanzas 1-2 are from the Vajasancyisamhita (XXXII. 14-15) and the next 5 from the Atharvaveda (VI. 108. 1-5) :-— at Rai Jano: fatalda | cat aaa yaaa waea Se set ey Wat a ako aang Aaah: gad: | aafieda aged Hai aa daq a amet Ro ea al AY gaa PTA ae | ea aiea chatted at afa afar a aang slant agoadt adsarefieay | stat awarhthigar- aaaad Ste ll at aaa gal Farge fag: | eal aat Bai at Agat weaaarefa il aratat yaral Hat Haya fag: | wat area aaa Fafa eau & Sat art dai medal fe eset 9) 7 weatead oft | dat qdea cRafesqartgane tell Although the Supreme Truth is described as ineffa- ble and beyond thought and expression, yet the path to Its knowledge lies through the scriptures learned from the preceptor by the power of intelligence. The importance of the scripture and the line of teachers and their disciples who carry forward the torch of knowledge in suitable environments, is therefore, recognised here (pages 254—257) with details as it has been done at Tatttiriyopanisail 1.4. The wor- shippers pray :—Give us many sons and disciples whoSECTION THIRTY-NINE 259 will propagate this knowledge. Dispel the dream of this illusory world through right knowledge. Suppress sins and encourage virtue. We are seckers of Truth and let Nature be benign to us. Let us be surrounded by sweetness —chiefly consisting of salubrious wind and water. May herbs and cows give us healthful yield in proper time. May day and night cause for us only joy and happiness. May every particle of the earth and the sky, paternal to all, favour us with suitable conditions of climate and weather. May the sun shine favourably over us and the trees give us sustenance through edible fruits.—Only in such a happy surround- ing proper cultivation. of knowledge and realisation of the Truth become effective and fruitful. According to Bhattabhiskara : madhu means Self-knowledge and he derives it from mananiya or rasaniya; the word rtayate means ‘to the institutor of the sacrifice’ and parthivam rajah means the earth. The Madhu- mantras occur also in the Taittiriyasamhita IV. 2. 92 There Sayana interprets them to suit the Sacrificial context.] a a Bera area zard | yoeeat at wa diea 1 Ft alerorr ag aot atta 18 ale sredafea | at gearqeten gaa 1 ez Io [The declaration of the fruit of Trisuparna given above is a copy of the same given at the close of the previous Section with only the substitution of260 MAHANARAYANOPANISAD bhrinahatya in the place of brahmahatya and the addition of ya imam at the head. So the apparatus of interpretation is not repeated here as well as in the coming Section. The word bhriinahatyd means feticide, or hurting a brahmana well versed in the Vedas and in their auxiliaries.] ararkatsdare: SECTION FORTY aa saat | ug Baal | aaa wt Aaal ye aan Sarat sa: ddivafatasiat atest zara | wat aglors catafaaatars aa: Tanda ta Bxe: Uharvrakaagial sesafaagaaa | AITALANAASSAT AAT AAT ALAS RA ARAL It wai mat Fea cat Fea) ag Fa | wats ay wea II . [This is the third Trisuparna made up of three units. The first unit is a Yajus similar to the one appearing as the first line of Section Thirty-nine, medhava substituting the word medhaya. The term medhava is a disguised form of medhavat i.e. possess- ing or connected with medha or sacrifice. The idea: behind the expression is that. the Supreme BrahmanSECTION FORTY 261 is attained only by a person in whom the desire for Self-knowledge is generated by the proper perform- ance of prescribed duties and sacrifices. Thus Brah- man is connected with medha (sacrifice) in so far as sacrifices and other similar activities help one from a distance for the realisation of Brahman by creating purity of mind and desire for knowledge. It may be noted that the first Tisuparna prescribes a medita- tion in the shape of offering oneself into the Supreme as @ means of attaining Him. The second one stresses the need of knowledge engendered through intelligence developed by scripture, preceptor, and proper environment, and the third one here em- phasises karma or Vedic sacrifice as an ‘aid to the atitainment of the Supreme. Since the text is ex- actly similar to the previous one but for the word medhavé@ just explained, the apparatus of interpreta- tion is omitted. The second unit is.a repetition of Section 12, stanza 4, and the third unit is the repeti- tion of Section 12, stanza 6. For the explanation of these two passages vide passim.] sea cal GA cat afiedalta afar a Yale 1 aaa! aAdat vaatar: | aera erfiatsaltha al Tae WR qeT ERAT ST wae GE re alte aie at wie | ate aay A AGED SRS Fa: a: Tara: Sar: daar:262 MAHANARAYANOPANISAD aRa: 7 a ST fa Saled | aa; aE ears srr RET la FO sre STEMAT | a for thee #4 for the attainment of the know-: ledge contained in the Vedas headed by the Rk @ for thee 4 (4) in the form of Rgveda ate (ata aq) fuel (ar afemiat place in fire). ardeat from the inmost heart, with purity and sincerity aaa by the mind (ear: offered as oblation) TATHI; what is’ being rendered holy ade of ghee YT; unbroken currents 4: potable afta: rivers 4 like @afed flow. afraraiifir I kindle the lustre. j 4. I pile fuel in the consecrated fire with a view to acquire the Vedas necessary for Thy worship, meditating on Thee in the form of Rgveda. The unbroken currents of clarified butter offered into the kindled fire—rendered sacred by cordial and hearty thoughts—flow like rivers, the water of which is potable for Gods. By this I kindle the splendour of the holy fire. [his and the immediatly succeeding passage are not found in the shorter version and so the ex- planatory rendering given here is based upon the commentary ascribed to the untraced author in the Anandasrama edition. Ina footnote supplied by the editor of that publication, it is remarked that two manuscripts used for determining the text contain vee in the place of ruce and that ruce is only aSECTION FORTY 263. Vedic disguise of ce. But at Taittirtyasamhita IV. 2. 9, the source of it, the form actually found is ruce.] fieoaal Saat aed sree) aithecguit aga, Sort asad wd Saale: | aeated et: 8a at carat getar atadea arta 4 Ul erat sieve wet ara ereaet waa: satieea: aaa: Ager: BYE AiOat FAIA saa FerA seTa- fet citi Bedleera: Brevi: fegistrra: WAT aaa: ag ediet oad Pee Prea