MAHAAVAAKYA MANJOOSHA
BRAHMA BINDU UPANISHAD
ॐ श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः। ॐ श्री भवानिशङ्कराय नमः।
ॐ श्री मात्रे नमः।
JAI SHANKAR BRAHMA BINDU UPANISHAD
This small Upanishad belongs to Atharva Veda and its शान्ति मन्त्र is सहनाववतु….(explained earlier in another series). The Upanishad is small, but, every Mantra is indeed a quotable quote because of its profundity. True to its name, every Mantra is a nectarine drop(bindu) from Brahman.
BRAHMA BINDU UPANISHAD
ॐ श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः। ॐ श्री भवानिशङ्कराय नमः।
ॐ श्री मात्रे नमः।
JAI SHANKAR BRAHMA BINDU UPANISHAD
This small Upanishad belongs to Atharva Veda and its शान्ति मन्त्र is सहनाववतु….(explained earlier in another series). The Upanishad is small, but, every Mantra is indeed a quotable quote because of its profundity. True to its name, every Mantra is a nectarine drop(bindu) from Brahman.
01. मनो हि द्विविधं प्रोक्तं शुद्धं चाशुद्धमेव च। अशुद्धं कामसङ्कल्पं शुद्धं कामविवर्जितम्।।(1)
01. Mind is two-fold: pure and impure. Defiled by desire, it is impure. Devoid of desire it is pure.
02-A. मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः। बन्धाय विषयासक्तं मुक्त्यै निर्विषयं स्मृतम्।।(2)
02-A. Mind is the cause of bondage and liberation. Mind, addicted to sensory pleasures, leads to bondage. Mind that is not so addicted
leads to liberation.
NOTE: John Milton, English poet says in his
“Paradise Lost” – “The mind is its own place and, in itself, can make a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven”. “मन हि देवता मन हि ईश्वर, मनसे बढा न
कोई। तोरा मन दरपण कहलाये” says a song sung by
Ashaji Bhosle.
Maharshi Yaaska, the Vedic lexicographer(author of dictionary) says: Man is called Manushya because ‘he stitches actions with mind'(मनसा कर्माणि सीव्यति इति
मनुष्यः).
02-B यतो निर्विषयास्य मनसो मुक्तिरिष्यते। तस्मात् निर्विषयं नित्यं मनः कार्यं मुमुक्षुणा।।(3)
02-B. Since liberation is for him, whose mind is not addicted to sensory pleasures, the aspirant should try daily to keep away from them.
03. तदेव निष्कलं ब्रह्म निर्विकल्पं निरञ्जनम्। तद् ब्रह्माहमिति ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्म सम्पद्यते ध्रुवम्।।(8)
03. I am that Brahman that is partless, beyond thought and stainless – by this contemplation
one realises Brahman.
04. एक एवात्मा मन्तव्यो जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तिषु। स्थानत्रयादतीतस्य पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते।।(11)
04. One should contemplate that Self is One and that He surpasses the three states of
wakefulness, dream and deep sleep. Such
contemplation staves off rebirth.
05. एक एव हि भूतात्मा भूते भूते व्यवस्थितः। एकधा बहुधा चैव दृश्यते जलचन्द्रवत्।।(12)
05. There is only One Self and He is present in every thing,. He is like the One moon reflected
in (several vessels of) water.
06. घटसम्भृतमाकाशं लीयमाने घटे यथा। घटो लीयेत नाकाशं
तद्वज्जीवो घटोपमः।।(13)
06. When a pot is broken, what breaks is the pot only and not the space within. This analogy applies to the embodied soul(जीव).
NOTE: Our body is like a brittle pot. This is a favourite of saints- दरसन दो घनश्याम नाथ मोरे,
घटघटवासीरे। Just as the space within a pot(घटाकाश) is unaffected when the pot breaks,
physical death doesn’t affect the soul within.
07. द्वे विद्ये वेदितव्ये शब्दब्रह्म परं च यत्। शब्दब्रह्मणि निष्णातः परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति।।(17)
07. Two streams of learning are to be known – one bookish(शब्द) and the other beyond(परम् ) the world of letters. One, well versed in letters,
goes beyond them and reaches the Supreme.
08. ग्रन्थमभ्यस्य मेधावी ज्ञानविज्ञानतत्परः। पलालमिव धान्यार्थी त्यजेत् ग्रन्थमशेषतः।।(18)
08. One, who is intelligent, and is dedicated to
acquiring knowledge and realisation, should
give up the books totally just like a seeker of grain discards the chaff to get the grain.
NOTE: Revered Swami Vivekanandaji says: We want to lead mankind to the place where there is neither the Vedas nor the Bible nor the Koran. Yet, this has to be done by harmonising the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran. Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but varied expressions of THE RELIGION which is Oneness
sothat each may choose the path that suits him best.
Sri Ramakrishna says: We use the boat to reach a destination. Once the shore is reached, we
just leave the boat.
Don’t we discard the bus ticket after getting down at the destination?
09. गवामनेकवर्णानां क्षीरस्यास्त्येकरूपता। पश्यन्ति क्षीरवत् ज्ञानं लिङ्गिनस्तु गवां यथा।।(19)
09. The cows may be of many colours, but, the milk thereof is alike. The aspirants look upon
Knowledge like milk.
NOTE: Says a Subhaashita: एक वर्णंं यथा दुग्धं बहुवर्णेषु धेनुषु। तथा धर्मस्य वैचित्र्ये तत्वमेकं परं पुनः।।
(The milk has the same colour though the cows may be of many colours. Likewise, despite the variety of religions, the Truth they proclaim is one and the same).
10. घृतमिव पयसि निगूढं भूते भूते च वसति विज्ञानम्।
सततं मन्थयितव्यं मनसा मन्थानभूतेन।।20।।
10. Ghee is concealed in milk. Likewise, Consciousness (Brahman) is latent in every thing, in every being. With the mind as the churning rod, one should keep churning always.
NOTE: Says Santa Jnaneshwar Maavuli likewise in His Haripaatha: मंथूनि नवनीता तैसें घें अनन्ता।
11. ज्ञाननेत्रं समादाय चरेद् बहिः अतःपरम्। निष्कलं निर्मलं शान्तं तद्ब्रह्माहमिति स्मृरन्।।(21)
11. Endowed with the eye of Knowledge, he(the aspirant) should move around in the world without, constantly remembering that “I am the
partless, everpure and ever serene Brahman.”
12. सर्वभूताधिवासं च यद्भूतेषु वसत्यपि । सर्वानुग्राहकत्वेन
तदस्म्यहं वासुदेवः तदस्म्यहं वासुदेव इति।।22।।
12. I am that Vaasudeva, I am that Vaasudeva,
who is the ground and the basis for everything and everyone; who also resides within all and is a universal benefactor. I am that Vaasudeva.
I am that Vaasudeva.
GLEANINGS FROM BRAHMA BINDU UPANISHAD CONCLUDED.