COMMENTARY ON THE ISHOPANISHAD PART 3 - MANTRAS 15 TO 18. BY SRI ANIRVAN, TRANSLATED BY SRI GAUTAM DHARMAPAL. COPYRIGHT

[mrinalini]

 COMMENTARY ON THE ISHOPANISHAD PART 3 - MANTRAS 15 TO 18. BY SRI ANIRVAN, TRANSLATED BY SRI GAUTAM DHARMAPAL. COPYRIGHT

 

Part III

Mantras 15 to 18

 

All the four mantras of This part are mantras of prayer. In the first two mantras the prayer is to Pushan, and in the last two mantras the prayer is to Agni. It is worth noting that in the Madhyandin version all the mantras are a prayer to Agni. Pusha or Pushan is omitted there.

Generally this Part is considered to be a prayer of a yogi at the time of death. In one mantra of Rik Samhita Agni and Pushan are invoked together. The tricha (three mantra) in which the mantra occurs, describes the ascent of the Purusha after death.2 We can easily see the similarity of idea both here and in that mantra. Therefore it is natural to conclude that the ascent of the soul is described here.3 It is possible to explain and define the mantras in a different perspective. There is a mantra in Vajasaneyi Samhita which says, “Devo bhutva devan apyeti”– by becoming a God one attains Gods. –Soyan in his commentary says, “ihaiva sakshatkaro devabhavah, marnad urdhuam devatva–patt devapyayah,”i.e. Realisation in this very birth, this life, is called Godliness; attaining Godliness after death is GodAttainment. We have in the Kenopanishad, “iha ched aveditt atha satyam asti.”4 – One must know (Brahman) here itself, then only it is true. Enjoyment of immortality has to be here. If the Supreme fulfilment of the will to live is the sacred aim of this Upanishad, then it is appropriate to call this Part 3 the Prayer of Ascension of a Yogi who has conquered death, rather than of a person who is dying; otherwise the high note of the Upanishad will suddenly come down. It does not seem proper as the end of the White and pure (Shukla) Yajurveda. The reason for omitting Pushan in the mantra of the Madhandin branch also indicates this. Pushan is the chief duty in the Mantras of Ascent in RikSamhita. If he is omitted then the force of ascent will be weakened, as the gods that remain then are Agni (The Fire) and Aditya (The Sun) only, whose togetherness is the main sustenance of a life seeking immortality. Keeping all this context in mind, the way in which we wish to understand the meaning of these mantras does not contradict or cancel the supporters of (Ascension) Ascent, it only becomes secondary. We should also keep in mind the fact that in the Veda, the word ‘preti’ has a hi,polar root.– it points both to the natural death of a common man, a man of no learning as well as to the Enlightened Death of a yogi or a learned person.

In Parts 1 & 2 we had the teaching of the wise and the discourse on fundamental Truths, the essentials. Now in the last Part we are given a short elucidation of the discipline (Sadhana) and final attainment (Siddhi).

 

Mantra 15

 

HIranmayena patrena Satyasyapihitam mukham

Tat twam Pusan apavrinu Satyadharmaya dris’taye 15.

 

The face of Truth is covered by a brilliant gold leaf;

That Thou removeth, O Pushan, the fosterer,

for mine eyes the Satyadharma to see.

 

Now begins the ascent of consciousness. Ascending “prithivyah Sapta dhamabhih”5 from this earth the seven regions, he will have to reach the Sunless world where there is the lightless void of the NIght of Varuna. As the shadow of the Brightness of that Unmanifest, the light of the Prajapatya Surya – the Sun who is the Father of all Greatures – illumines this sky, whose golden bright light is maintainer of this universe but at the same time it is also the coverer of the Supreme Truth : Piercing this Sun,door, removing this sheath of light the Yogi has to reach that uncoloured Truth from where radiates the variegated light of the universe. God Pushan is the guide of that ascending (way). Path. A passionate (intense) prayer is addressed to Him in this mantra : “O Pushan, the face of Truth is covered by the bright golden leaf that you remove in order that I see.”

The seed of this idea that the face of Truth is covered behind light is there in the RikSamhita. Rishi Srutavid Atreya addressing the Gods Mitra and Varuna says.” The Face of Permanent Eternal Harmony (Rita) is covered by Harmony (Rita), where the gods unharness the horses of the Sun. There thousands of Rays of the Sun amass and stand still. I saw there the “One That” ‘of Ekam Tat,’the best of the wonders of the gods.6 This is the description of that Beyond where the Sun shines not, where the secret of the Supreme Truth is hidden from our sight by the reflected golden light of the lower truth. Mithra has covered Varuna; we are blind to the secret of the Dark, the Black, due to the Maya, the illusion of Light.

We see the parallel of This idea in the story of “Twastra VishwaRupa.’ Twasta is the architect of the Universe. Chiselling the Casual Waters he has given form to the Universe, therefore he is called Twasta. As this is the formation of his own Self, he is also called “Viswarupa.” His son ‘Twastra’ is also ‘Viswarupa.” But he is “Vritra”– the Coverer, a demon (asura). And therefore Indra had to kill him. This is the meaning of the story: when we see from this side this ‘Viswarupa’ is Vritta, desire or the demonic illusion, he stands between us and the Supreme Truth. So we have to remove the illusion of Form and leap into the Formless. When we see the Form springing (flowing) out of the Formless, then alone do we see the Truth, then we see the most “blessed Form of the Divine.”7

hiranmayen patrena : patra means leaf on which food to be enjoyed is placed. Just as in S’aunak Samhita, this Earth is called bhujisyam patram ‘nibhRitam guha,’8 leaf (for food) on which is served concealed the resting place of the indwelling spirit of all individual souls or the unmanifest pastimes of the Lord. Such a leafr is this ‘Prajapatya Surya’ – the Sun who is the Father of all– ‘Yen ima Viswa bhavanani abhrita Viswa Karmana Viswa devyavata’9 who upholds all This Universe as God Viswakarma, the architect of the universe with the might and greatness of Universal Gods. The word ‘hiranmaya,’ golden, is symbolic here. In the Aitareya and S’atapatha Brahmanas there is a tale of three forts or cities built by the demons10 – iron on earth, silver in the midregions (antariksha) and gold in the heavens (dyuloka). The three gunas (qualities) of Samkhya philosophy can be compared with the three metals. Gold is the sattwa guna, purity and goodness. In the language of Nyaya philosophy it is taijasa, fiery, and therefore by nature it is clean, pure, unfading. The gods destroyed all the three cities. Consciousness ascended beyond all the three gunas (qualities); it became uncoloured. We have the same story of the destruction of the three cities in the Puranas. In Saptashati (popularly known as ‘Chandi,’ the Bible of the Tantrikas), there is the same meaning behind the killing of three demons (asura) by the three incarnations of the Goddess. Sattwa guna is golden, it is the chain of gold; in the Gita that too is called a cause of bondage.

As the Prajapatya Surya – Sun, the Father of all creatures – is the receptacle of the quality of Sattwa, He also is a golden receptacle. In the language of Samhita He too is Truth (Satya) but the Truth that is established in or dedicated to the law (dharma) that upholds the heavens (dyuloka), – “dharman divo dharune satyam arpitam.” That which is called ‘dharma’ – the how – here is the ‘satya’ – the Truth of this Mantra. In Brihedaranyaka too we have, “what is ‘dharma’– the law, is ‘Satya,’the Truth, as will.12 This TRUTH is that uncoloured Truth which is beyond all the worlds, whose appearance is this universe.

Removing or overcoming the golden sheath of the Prajapatya Surya we have to arrive at the Truth. ‘Pusha,’ The Fosterer Sun, is then our guide. In the Veda Pusha is a god of the heavens (dyusthana). Yaska the author of Nirukta has associated Him with the rising of the Sun.13 This Rising of Sun is called ‘Saptapadi’ – Seven Steps – of Lord Vishnu. This is the ascending of the Sun to the ‘Uttaujyoh,’the zenith in Seven steps beginning from the Blind Darkness, ‘andha Ta misra.’ There are seven abodes, states or places of the seven steps. The beginning the first stage is in the depth of the midnight, where there is no light of the Sun but the impelling force is there. The gods of this abode are “aswidvaya”–the two Aswins – one of them belongs to ‘tamobhaga’–the Dark side,and the other to ‘Jyotirbhaga”–the Light side. So long as there is no sign of light but the momentum “Samivega” to march forward is there, it is in the jurisdiction or dominion of the Tamobhaga (The Dark) Aswin. He is as if marching towards light on a black horse. Then when nearing dawn the sky becomes grey, slowly removing the darkness of night, the Aswin of that time is ‘Jyotirbhaga’–that of LIght side ... The next abode belongs to “Usha” – the Dawn. The grey light then becomes reddish giving an assurance of the Rising of the Sun. The next god is abode that of Savita,’ The LIght of the Sun; this is below the horizon but it lightens the whole sky. This is the rising of the pure Sattwa in the consciousness. After that, when the orb of the Sun slowly rises from the horizon, the god is called ‘Bhaga.” He is The Child Sun or the child (Bala) Gopal of the Bhagawatas (The Vaishnavas). When this ‘Bhaga’ becomes a little older (–Kishora”– in between childhood and youth) – the god is called “Surya,” the Sun. When the rays of the Sun become stronger, the young Sun becomes a lad, the god then is called “Pusha.” The Sun moves forward. When it reaches the zenith or midsky, then athe god is called “Vishnu, who is no more a lad, but a youth in his prime. According to the Seven Lokas (worlds) SURYAS world is Janahoka; Pusha’s world is ‘tapohoka’ and Vishnu’s world is Satyahoka. He is the “Shuklam Bhyah” (The white light) of the ‘Chandogya’ Upanishad. He is again the “nitam parakkrishnan” (The Blue supreme Darkness) as well. That is why in the Purana there is the imagery of dazzling White Light of the demon ‘Kaustubha’ on the Blue Breast of Lord Vishnu. According to subjective viewpoint, Vishnu is the Expansive consciousness, Surya is Prana the life force, in Samhiti Surya is “Jiva asuh”–the Soul that is the ray of the Sun, and the god ‘Pusha’ is in between the two, the seeking light of pointed concentrated intelligence.

In Samhita one of His names is ‘anasta pashuh,’ one under whose care no animal is lost. “Pashu,” an animal, is a symbol of ‘Prana,’ the life force. When the lifeforce is weakened, Pusha strengthens it; or while going to attack the unmanifest, if it is lost, Pusha finds it and brings it back. In the language of the Yaga, His place is at the centre of “Ajna” centre, between the brows in the Point (bindu) consciousness, or in the middle of a tabor or a small drum (damaru) from where two triangles are extended, are above and the other below. Pusha is touching Vishnu. With His attracting power of the Sule Seer (ekarshi) He drags upwards the consciousness through the SunDoor (Suryadwara). According to “Samhita” He is then ‘Savita.’17

This Pusha will take me at the third period of crushing soma, of the Sacrifice of life to that attainment of the kingdom of Self (‘Swarajya’) and the kingdom of All (the empire) –’Samrajya,” where beyond the white light is the Supreme Black Blueness of Vishnu; where there is the abode of the god of Unmanifestation, Lord Varuna. Wherein resides (‘Riten apihitam Ritam dhruvam’). The steady, constant and Immutable Harmony is covered by mutable Harmony or where Varuna Himself is sitting as the Lord of the kingdom of All (samrajya), wearing gold armour and his immaculate cloak, ni sosada ... samrajyaya...Vibhrad drapim hirnyayam.. vastra nirnijam.”18 This is the true Form of the Supreme Truth. This Satya,Truth, is my ’dharma’ or Nature. Because of that I am ‘Satya dharma’ or I am verily ‘Vishnu’19 who upholds from His Supreme Abode all the dharmas (laws).20 The next mantra (too) also is a prayer to Pusha.

 

Mantra 16

 

In this Mantra too the description of Ascension continues, along with means and fulfillment.

 

Pushan ekarse Yama surya prajapatya

Vyuha ras’min samuha tejah

Yat te rupam kalyana tamam tat te pasyami

Yo asau asau purusah So’ham asmi – 16 –

 

O, the sole Seer Pushan, O Yama, the Ordainer,

O, Sun, the Power of the Father of creatures, Prajapatya,

Marshal Thy rays, draw together and concentrate thy light,

The most blessed Form That is Thine, that in Thee I behold – 16.

 

In the very beginning Pusha is addressed with three names according to the three stages of the ascent of the consciousness. If we consider them in reverse order, it will be easier to understand the path of the ascent.

Pusha is first addressed as ‘prajapatya surya.’ This ‘prajapatya Surya’ is the golden receptacle, ’hiranmaya patra’ of the previous mantra. The Sun is ‘prajapatya,’ the power of Prajapati, the Father, the progenitor of all creatures. In Samhita ‘Hirnyagarbha,’ the Golden Womb, is Prajapati, who was before all, and as soon as He was born, He became the only Lord ‘Pati,’ of all beings. Death and immortality are His shadows, He is the One God ‘Ekadeva,’ master of all Gods.

He is the Truth and The law ‘Satyadharma;’ ‘yatra adhi sura udito vibhati,’ in whom the Sun rises and spreads light.1 Thus this Sun is His lustre, the brightness of his body ‘tanubha.’ In the beginning of the worship, this ‘living Shining light’ is our object of worship.2 The Aryas were called ‘Jyotiragrah,’3 those who always kept light in front of them, and according to the objective physical viewpoint for us the highest and brightest manifestation of light is the Sun. The root of the Vedic discipline is in making the physical Sun an object of direct Subjective vision imparting divinity to it, to see the Sun as God.

In whatever form we may see the Sun, He is foremost, viewing God as the Good. But the reality or Truth of That, ‘tat,’ cannot be exhaustively described by seeing God as Good alone. On one side is the rising Sun; on the other side is the setting of the Sun. So behind the positive there is the urge for the negative,‘ not this, not this’ view as well. Then, due to the strong impelling of a seeker of Truth, we cry out, “O Pusha, remove this sheath of light, place me face to face before Truth.”

The diffusion of the Prajapatya Sun is withdrawn and gets concentrated at the end of the right eye or in the point consciousness at the centre between the eyebrows,4 or the Sunlight of the dawn slowly merges in the deep, dark heart of the Night, as if after waking comes down the shadow of sleep, of death after life. In the language of Samhita, it is as if at the gesture of the uncoloured light of selfhood arises God Yama, the Ordainer or the God Varuna. In the Stillness and silence of the all enveloping Night of Varuna comes Nachiketa as a guest to the house of the lustrous Death.

This is the second stage of the ascent of consciousness at the other end of the positive viewpoint. It is the New Moon Night of Negation pierced by the lightning needle of a hidden aspiration. There one has to move forward searching the way with bated breath through the attraction of bottomlessness. That way is through the Great Void that is lit with lightlessness) NonLight There is no revolution of seasons, Time stands Still. The blinding brightness of the Sun has softened with the cool effulgence of moonlight. In between comes the lightning invitation of the unknown. This is the “Ekakshi pusha,” the lone seer God Pusha described in the Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishads as the guide of the pilgrim who walks on the ‘path of Gods’ or the path of Brahman–’devapatha,’’brahma,patha’ He is the ‘purushah amanavah,’ the Person who is not a human or “purushah amanasah, ”The Person who has no mind.”5 The authority of the Prajapatya Sun has come to an end with revolutions of the year or seasons. The shadow of the evening of Yama connects the light of the Prajapatya Sun and dazzling brightness of (God) Pusha.

This Pusha is ‘Ekakshi,’ the only, the sole seer. In the adjective there is the indication of Nonduality, as in the adjectives “Ekavira”–The only Hero–and ‘EkaVratya’–the only Outcast, in the Samhita,6 The word ‘Rishi’ is bipolar, is derived from root ‘Rishi,’ which means ‘to walk or move forward,’ ‘to pierce’ or ‘to see;’ all the three can apply. Therefore ‘Ekakshi,’ means needle pointed seeing power of concentrated intelligence, which shines in the deep darkness of the Unmanifest like the line of gold on the black stone. This is how ‘Ekakshi’ is described in Samhita, “He is given, fixed or concentrated in Stambha Brahman7 (Brahman who has taken the form of a pillar); if one knows Yama, one can attain to the union of Ekakshi.8 In the geneology Brahmana of Brihadaranyaka we see that the knowledge of Brahman (Brahma Vidya) comes down from Ekershi to Pradhwansana, from Pradwansana to Yama and from Yama to Atharva etc.9 The means that the knowledge of Brahman is the knowledge of the ‘NaVeda’–one who knows not–the light of the Indescribable, the unknowable is beyond the Darkness. In Prasnopauishad PranaBrahma is both Vratya and Ekrshi.10

A sudden flash of Pusha’s searching light in the Darkness is the Third Stage of the Ascent. Three different Gods at three different stages of the Ascent are the three aspects and Powers of the One Supreme God. In Kanva Samhita He is “Aditya Purushah,” the Person in the Sun; in Maitrayaniya Brahmana He is “Vishnu” and in this Upanishad He is the TRUTH (‘Satya,’swarupa) Itself. That TRUTH is at the Supreme Feet of Abode of Vishnu – which according to the Nirukta,kara Ournavabha is beyond the midday Brightness of the Feet of Vishnu on the ‘Head of Gaya’ (gayas’irasi) or on that height of the lokottara (beyond all worlds) where there is the concentration, togetherness of the Universe in the “grey” nebula of Nolight (i.e. where there is no light) – analoka’11.

It is beyond the Great life and the Great Death, where (no ratrya ahnah praketah) there is no sign of the darkness of Night nor the light of the Day, There I wish to see the face of Truth by the flash of the light of Pusha. O God! Vyuharashmin,” marshal thy rays. It is your light that shines in the net of the rays of consciousness spread out in all directions. Be kind and gather the in an organised rhythmic harmony... “Samiha tejah”–draw together and concentrate Thy light – concentrate them in the Hita nadi (vein) of the heart by the magnetic attraction of the pointed intelligence; like the sharpened edge of the needlepointed sharp lightning like spear. By its light please remove the sheath of the onconcicnh so that, “Yat te rupam kalyanatamam tht te pas’yami”–I can behold your most blessed form that is the wonderful togetherness of the Formless and the Form, dissolution and becoming.

In the language of the Samhita, this is a ‘paraura sandrik’–a Supreme sight, supreme seeing and Right Seeing. In Becoming we see Him in one way, when we see His own reflection in every form; while in this seeing we are introduced to His Indescribable form which is beyond all (sarvatita); to see that beyond all, above which there is nothing.12 To the unenlightened mind His Real Form is covered by the hundred fold (S’atarupa) illusion of the Universe of Form (Viswa Ruapa). According to the Bauls, we will have to remove this sheath by dipping our eyes in the darkness of the sap of the Formless.” Then when from the Formless His many reflected Forms (prati rupa) spring out, standing at the confluence of the Form and the Formless, we behold His True Form (Swarupa). In that Seeing we get the knowledge of His most blessed Form, the Face of the TRUTH that we see after removing the sheath of the golden leaf.

This is my seeing but His influx (infusion) “Ino Viswasya bhuvanasya gopah, Sa ma dhirah pakam atravivesha”– The One who is the Lord, the shepherd of this universe enterd in me here in my body ; Oh, That wise one entered in me who am ignorant!13 His influx (infusion) in me melts all that I have known or have to know and trams forms me into His Form : According to Yagyavalkya, “that form is the form of The Fearless which is beyond rhythm and from whom all sins are removed. How is that? It is like “the person who close embraced by his dear wife does not know anything of the outward or of the inward – similarly this person (purusha) being closely embraced by the wise self (prajna atma) does not know the outward or the inward. Then, his Form is the Form of the One who is has fulfilled all his desires, who is self,satisfied, decireless and sorrowless”14.

And from the deep sensation of that close embrace rises this loud sound of Brahman (brahma ghesha) “yo asau asau purushah So how asmi,” That, That Purusha (Person), That I am.

This is the vision, the seeing of the Truth and its enjoyment. Then after ascent comes descent, the coming down as is seen in the rules and regulations of the sacrifice. During the Ascent, Pusha was the guide, now in descent Agni is the guide. With the moving passion of Vamadeva, we say to Him. “O Agni, O Fire, how near am I to you? I know only this much, that there was no negligence on my part in my vow or worship. Yet what a heavy burden of meditation has been placed on me by the tormenting burden that is vast (binhat), deep and overflowing as well as all pervading.”15

 

Mantras 17

 

Just as in the beginning, in the end again the Upanishad tells about works after Vision (seeing) and Enjoyment. Whatever has been received from the Gods has to be distributed amongst All; thereby to liquidate the debt of the Gods, the burden has to be borne by the impellies (power) of His will and Force; by the impelling of His Truth Resolve and Prana momentum or swiftness.

And so, there is again the prayer in the last two mantras.

 

Vayur anilam amritam athedam bhasmantam shariram

(`) Om! Krato Smara Kritam Smara,

Krato Smara Kritam Smara 17

 

Vayu, the Wind God is Life breath and immortal

but the ashes are the end of this body;

Om; O Will, remember that which was done, remember,

O Will, remember that which was done, remember.

 

After the vision of Truth that we have in the last mantra, there can be question whether it is possible to return to this world. Some desire to return some do not. Of course, this option is possible only while standing on the bank of the Bottomless, But once one takes a leap into That, no individual desire remains; there cannot be. And he who has the strong hunger for the Truth of Dissolution, he has to take a leap into Death. The pull of the undercurrent of the sea drags some to the depths within and he cannot return. Again the Sea throws back some to the bank, riding on the waves. Those who do not return, are liberated in Nirvana (Extinction). But he who returns like Varnadeva as a vehicle or as a messenger of Gods’ will,he can say, “Bahuni me a krita kartwani,” I have many things to do which no body has done.” Such a person is called “Adhikarika Purusha,” the person who has received the Authority. Standing before the Dazzling Death, Nachiketa too had resolved, “I will return, and get the recognition and acceptance of the world.”

The vision of the Truth that is beyond all worlds is possible after ‘preti,’ passing over. We have seen that this “preti” is to jump into death willingly, with full control over one’s self. In the Upanishads it is called Acension or Evolution (Utkranti). Both return or nonreturn are possible after ascension. We can consider the mantra both as the strong wish of the person who desires liberation or the rejoicing of the liberated. From the context we can say that the last meaning is appropriate here.

The Kaushitaki Upanishad tells about the three principles that are at the root of the Universe, Knowledge, Life Force and the Becoming (Prajna, Prana and Bhuta), that is Consciousness (Chaitanya), Life Force (Prana) and Matter (Jada). It has been said that all the three are interdependent. Just as the rim of the chariot wheel is joined to the spokes and the spokes are joined with the nevel, similarly Matter is joined with Knowledge Or Consciousness and Knowledge Or Consciousness Is joined with Lifeforce (joined or placed into). This Prana, Life force, is indeed KnowledgeSoul (prajnatma), Blissful, Undecaying or Unageing and Immortal.2 Though Knowledge (Prajna) and Life Force (Prana) are inseparable, here the emphasis is put on the LifeForce. Prana is presented as the Supreme Principle. This is an older viewpoint in the Upanishads; and because of that until the Middle Ages it was said in our country that the Vedas are a great vision of Truth means the same.

Amongst the three principles of consciousness (Prajna), LIfe Force (Prana) and Matter (Bhuta), consciousness and Life Force are immortal and Matter is mortal. But we have in Samhita the saying, ”amartyo martyina sayonih.”4 The source of the womb of the immortal and the mortal is the same, we cannot deny the fact that in this mortal body there is the joyful manifestation of undecaying, immortal LifeForce and consciouness. It is true that “bhasmantam idam S’ariram.” this body one day shall become a handful of ashes. This becoming ashes is a matter of honour for the body, that in which Fire burns slowly turns into ashes. By the lightning of God’s infusion the body will be toned by Fire, it will be possessed by the Fire of yoga. This is the foundation of the Vedic Sadhana (Discipline, Practice). By offering everything into the Fire and becoming one with Fire is the significance behind the day-to-day sacrifice or ‘Ishti’ the Firesacrice, which finally ends in “antyeshti”– the cremation – when the Fire God JataVeda,(the God who knows all births), the promoter (pravartaka) of my life sacrifice by His austerities, heat and flame will kindle the innermost “unborn part” (ajo bhaga) of my mortal body, and clasping me by His Blessed Body will take me to the abundance of the immortal consciousness.5 Then even when my body has turned to ashes, my eyes will go to the Sun, my life force (Prana) to the winds, all that I am will merge in the earth, in the mind, regions (antarikoha), in the heavens (dyuloka); I will become all, established everywhere in all bodies.6

But this enlightened experience of the Pervasive consciousness can come not only in Death but in Life as well. The “preti” or the ‘passing forward’ of consciousness can take place in this very body, when in the language of ‘Samhita Agni,’ the FireGod becomes the Impeller, “Ishani,”7 by His impelling carried by the Sunray in the Sushumna Nadi, after crossing the door of the Sun (Suryadwara) and poossessing the fiery vision of Truth when I come back (to waking consciousness), Then my ‘vayur anilam amritam,” my Prana is breathing immortality, the immortality that breathes. This body whose end is ashes (bhasman ta Sharira) is then pulsating with that animating immortality.9

To come back from the other side to this side. Carrying the “Kratu”– The Doing, of the Purusha–the Self or his will to do, the TruthResolution (Satyasankalpa) of the self. This ‘kratu’ is the “agni Kavikrati”–the Fire God who is the Poet as well as the Willpower. He is the envoy of the Sun ‘vivaswaha’10 on earth ; that Fire God whose power is visionary, the one who knows what has been done (krita), and therefore what is to be done “Kartva.” ‘Shata Krati” Indra is in that person The vision of the goal, which moves forward and ascending from peak to peak, sees what more he has to do.11 In me He is “shruvam jyotir nitutam drwsaye kam,’ that eternal blissful Light established in my heart, around whom the rhythmic march of the Universal God moves towards “One Doer,” eka krati.’12 That Doer (‘Krati’) is this doer (kratn) who established in my heart (antaryami) is the lord of all that has happened and will happen, ishano bhuta bhavyasya.’13 Then I say to this PoetDoer (Kavikratn), the FireOrdeal guide of my life, “One Krato smara, Kritam Smara”–Om O, Doer (Kratu), remember – remember what has been done (Krita) – and “klibe smara” – remember also what has to be done.

The last part is taken from the Madhandin recession. The reading there is “om, krato smara, kliben Smara, Kritam Smara’. The fourth (case,ending) singular of “klib’ is “Klibe.” the word comes from root ‘kleep’ which means to execute, to construct to form. Similar word is ‘kalpa’–the mystic meaning of which is, form the golden body of the host by performing sacrifice. According to the sacrificial viewpoint and from the viewpoint of the nonreturning ascent this part of the mantra will mean.” O, PoetDoer, O, fire,14remember the sacrifice that has been performed by me for forming my golden body.”15 Another meaning for “krita” is ‘Truth.”16 One dotted dice is called “Krita” or “Truth” (satya) in which there is the echo of “Ekam Sat”– the One Existence– or the Supreme Truth.17 Whatever may be the popular definition, ‘krita’ as Batya etc, performances in works or worship, be applicable here as the Upanishad while talking about the ascent, tells about the concentration and enlightenment of consciousness in the heart at the time of death18 and not anything about peattered ideas. But from the Madhyand recension we can understand that here the parallel words for ‘Krita’ are “Klip” or “kalpa” which are similar to “bhuta” and ‘bhauya’. After removing the golden leaf and seeing the face of Truth when I am coming back, then the companion of Pusha, the PoetDoer alone can be my guide, He is my InnerBeing, my self, the Lord of my past and future. His remembrance is not ordinary remembrance, but the eternal, permanent Remembrance (druva smriti) or ‘Smara,”1, the lightning Remembrance, the glitter of intuition in the stainless sky of consciousness.

Mystically, what is there as already done, is krita , or siddha, the accomplished, what is already accomplished in the high heavens (lokoltara), to be accomplished here in this world. Thus we hear Sri Krishna speaking at Kurukshetra, “Maya eva etc mhatah purvam eva, nimitta matra bhava savyasachin”20– By me already are they slain, do thou become the occasion, the instrument only, O Savyasachi (Arjuna). In Samhita the doer who is only an instrument is called “Yogya,” that is one who is yoked like a horse to the chariot of God.21 There is the impelling of some divine ‘kratu’ (Action) behind his work. The eternal remembrance of that Divine Doer is the ordainer of the action of the worker who has become an instrument of the Divine.

And so the prayer rises to Him, “O, PoetDoer (Kaviksatm) whatever is already there as done or accomplished(Krita) in the harmonious ordaining of the universe, remembering it, transmit its force of becoming (Sambhuti) to me.

Such AgniBlessed person is the best of the knowers. According to the Mundaka Upanishad of Brahman who is not only the Selflover (atmarati) and Selfenjoyer,(atma krida) but also a man of action, the self of the selves of all beings, whose life is a revelry of the Divine Action.

Thus, experiencing this oneness with All, a prayer rises to God Agni–

 

Mantra 18

 

agne naya Supatha raye asman

Viswani deva vayunani Vidwan

yuyodhi asmat juhuranam enah

bhuyistham te nama,uktin Vidhema 18

 

O God Agni, lead us by the good path to felicity.

O God! Thou knoweth the directions of all paths,

Remove from us the entangling sins,

Again and again we convey our obeisances to Thee.18

 

This mantra has been taken from Rik Samhita.1 It is a general prayer of the Rishi Maitravaruni Agastya. It is a prayer on behalf of all and for all. In the very beginning of the Upanishad we have seen a free and bounteous attitude, to see everything illumined by the light of God living amongst all and accepting all; not to reject Life but to make it harmonious and prosperous by lustless enjoyment and by unattached works. Then to become self consciousness by the infusion of the Divine, to experience Self within and outside of all beings, to know and feel all as one’s own self.

The nature of experience everywhere is that of the expansion, the pervasiveness of Self consciousness and because of that the concentration and radiation,(spreading out) of knowledge (wisdom); both happen simultaneously, like the concentration of the light of the Sun and the radiation, diffusion of its rays. The result is the union with the TruthPerson (Satya purusha) and Oneness with All. Then to return amongst all and experience that oneness with All, experiencing the Divine will and Action that is working everywhere and in all in the world and continuing the ascent together with all.

This is the prayer to Agni from a realized soul: “agne naya asman”– O, JataVeda (One who knows all births) O, Vaswanara (the Flame of Life), moving forward as our leader, lead us all to ‘raye,’ towards ‘rays,’ to the free stream of Seagoing LifeEnergy. ‘Raye’ is the fourth singular of the word ‘raui.’ In the Nighantu (Vedic dictionary) ‘rayi’ means wealth, actually ‘dhana’ in Sanskrit. But ‘Dhana’ is a common word and without derivation it is difficult to say which ‘dhana’ is meant! Generally it is understood that the word has come from the root ‘ra’ meaning charity, donation, alms. There is only one instance in Riksamhita which goes in favour of this inference, ‘ram’ whose other widely used form is ‘rayim.’ Other forms of the word have come from root ‘ri’. Vedic ‘royi’ in Sanskri is ‘raya’ which means ‘flow’ or ‘current’ of a river. Similar another word is ‘retah’ whose basic meaning is ‘srota,’3 stream flow. In RikSamhita ‘Sindhu’ or a river is called ‘revatri’ for example in ‘apo revati’ (water flows); samudra dharuno nayinam,’ the Sea is a receptacle of streams or rivers; pusha ‘rayo dhors’4 Pusha is stream of Rays. In S’atapatha Brahmana ‘umukhya ap,’ the main waters, is called ‘Vaiswanara ray,’ the flow or stream of the Flame of Life.5 In Chhandogya Upanishad His kidney is called ‘ragi.’6 From all these uses we can say that the basic fundamental meaning of ‘ragi’ is momentum. How or and because it is used in connection to ‘ap,’water, it will mean the momentum or flow of Prana , Life,force. as in the Veda ‘ap,’ water is a symbol of Prana, Life (tover). There is a beautiful description of ‘Rayi’ in “Sanchikagni Sukk’ of Riksamhita, there in the use of the root ‘ri’ is most worthy.

God Agni will take us to the bank of ‘rayi,’ the flowing waters, ‘Supatha,’ by a good, harmless path, because He, Viswani Vayunani Vidwan,’ knows all the paths of this world. We have a description of this (Supatha) good path in Chhandogya Upanishad: Out of the hundred and one nadis of the heart, only one goes upwards to the head, taking which if one goes upwards, one will reach immortality.8 In Brihadaranyaka it is called “hita” nadi ; and in Madhandin Samhita its is called ‘Sushumnah Surya Rashmi”10 – the ray of the Sun that passes through the “Sushumna” nadi. in the spinal cord In Rik Samhita it is ‘antahstha S’ubhra patha, a pure white path which is within one, established (nihita) in which the stream of Soma moves (rises) upwards.11 The word ‘Vayun,” the path from root “vi” which also means motion moving forward.

But the path in the beginning is not straight and easy: there are many turns in the way, where in are nesting many ‘Juhuranam enah”–coiled sins. The word ‘juheirana’ comes from root ‘dhvri’ or ‘hwri,’ which means to move crookedly like a serpent. Another name for this crooked way is ‘dhwara’ or “dhurti,’ which means crooked nature, knavery, fraudulence. Its opposite is ‘adhwara’– which is another term for Sacrifice (yajna) Sacrifice is a simple sacrifice of innocent, straight forward, honest, upright person in whom there is no crookedness If there is any crookedness in us, O God, “yuyodhi asmat”–remove it from us ; untying the knots of the heart cave, kindly establish is in recfihede Sincow, straight forwardness, so that we may ‘bhuyistham to nama, uktim vidhema” again and again with all our hearts, we may bow down to you, and we may express this kneeling down in mantras of prayer; so that we may reach the centre of your heart like an arrow that becomes one with its goal. May our minds and hearts (chitta) be like that arrow whose consciousness is ever awakened for your close embrace and intense touch “Jaya iva patya ushati suvasah”–like a yearning wife makes herself beautiful to embrace her husband.12

“Asau asau purushah So’ham asmi” –That, That Person (who is in that Sun), That I am – after that experience of union. The inspiration to radiate and spread out automatically comes following the natural dharma of that SunPerson (aditya puruha) Then comes the Supreme fulfillment of the will to live (jijivisha) by moving with all, becoming one with all.

 

Here ends the Upanishad.

 

Foot Note

 

(x) The English word ‘Religion’ does not cover the wider sense of the word ‘Dharma.”

 

Bhava and Nirvan are Buddhist terms for Samsar and Moksha of the Hindus. Kaivalya is the term of jainiom.

 

This has allusion to the state of mind of a yogi who dives deep in Nirvikulpa Samadhi, Trance, in which the yogi goes beyond all thought of concepts – a consciousness which is totally SILENT truth. The Nirvana Bhumi of the Buddhas is the same.

 

During the British rule political prisoners were condemned and sent to the Andaman Islands and never returned. They died in this prison.

Partaking of food etc greed by the Divine the Guru

Blessing, gift, favour, kindness, grace etc.

 

“Sahasro Vai anantah” The Thousand is verily Infinite.

 

Chitta is a combination of the inner subtle organs – mind, intellect and ego.

 

All this universe of motion moves in the Prana and from the Prana also it proceeded. (Tr. by Sri Aurobindo)

 

Shruh actually means the Vedas.

 

Together they can be called “Dancing Shiva” – or there is the image of Shiva Shakti together, the Two-in-One.

 

It is very difficult exactly to translate “Vignana” in English. It is Higher or greater knowledge – or knowledge – Jnana combined with Power Shakti. In the Taittiriya Upanishad it is a state higher than MInd, Mana. Anna Prana Mana Vijnana & Ananda.

 

Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas are three Gunas or qualities of Nature (Prakriti) which bind men to the worldly life. Sattwa is the quality of goodness, purity, happiness and knowledge. Rajas binds by activity, desire, craving etc. Tamas is gnorance, dullness, Idleness and sleep.

 

(atistha) , Standing Beyond everything, The Absolute

(pratistha) , Proper status, respect, reputation, firm standing Foundation etc.

 

This reminds us Vivekananda’s famous sentence – This universe is like a circle with centre everywhere and circumference nowhere!

The words avidya and vidya are used in their technical sense which represent two separate philosophies. Avidya is not Ignorance in its ordinary sense. It has a deeper mysterious meaning akin to ‘asat’ NonExistence which is beyond Sat! Existence.

‘Savita’ is another name for Sun, the creative energy of the Sun. The famous “Gayatri Mantra” is the invocation of God “Savita.”

“Damaru” a TABOR like, Small drum, put in the hand of Shiva. It is shaped like an hourglass. The centre at the eyebrows is like the middle of Damaru

Gaya is the name of the Demon on whose head Lord Vishnu had placed His foot. Gaya is the place in Bihar where it is supposed to have happened.

Sushumna, the middle nadi rising up from Muladhara (the root chakra) centre to the head through the spinal cord. Ida and Pingla nadis are on each side of the central Sushumna.

‘Shatakratu’ is another name of Indra, the Indra of a Hundred great deeds.