śrī kr̥ṣṇārpaṇamastu,
Jayakrishna Nelamangala
|| ōm̐ śrī gurubhyō namaḥ hariḥ ōm̐ ||
Mantra #16
In this mantra, the Upanishat seems to be talking about sun and sun-rays. Some say that it is the sun’s brightly shining disc that is blocking us from seeing God. Such physicality is not what the Upanishat is talking about because, if that were true, then during a solar eclipse when the brightness is absent, we should have seen God, at least partially. This is why, such interpretations of this mantra are not proper. Then, what is the proper interpretation?
In this mantra, several mahimās of Parabrahman are established: sarva-pravartaka (pūṣan), pradhāna-jñāna-rūpatva (ēkarṣē), rishi-pravartakatva (ēkarṣē), sarva-niyāmakatva, jnāni-prāpyatva (sūrya), attainability by hiraṇyagarbha in a very special way (prājāpatya), svarūpa-bāhya-jñāna pravartakatva, kalyāṇa-rūpatva, and tad jñānasya tat-prasādaika-sādhyatva. What has been established as the qualities of Parabrahman in the previous mantras is stated in this mantra, in the form of this “prayer”.
उपनिषत् upaniṣat
पूषन्नेकर्षे यम सूर्य प्राजापत्य व्यूह रश्मीन् समूह तेजो
यत्ते रूपम् कल्याणतमं तत्ते पश्यामि ॥ १६ ॥
pūṣannēkarṣē yama sūrya prājāpatya vyūha raśmīn samūha tējō yattē rūpam kalyāṇatamaṁ tattē paśyāmi || 16 ||
Oh pūrṇa! The Complete (हे पूषन् hē pūṣan), Oh the pradhāna-jñāni! (एकर्षे ēkarṣē), Oh! by being the sarva-niyāmaka, Yama-pravartaka, the Controller of Yama (यम yama) Oh! the One who is attainable by the knowledgeable, oh! the Controller of Sūrya (सूर्य sūrya), Oh! the One who is attainable by Caturmukha in an extraordinary way (प्राजापत्य prājāpatya), Oh! Parabrahman, bring out my svarūpa-jñāna and expand my vritti-jñāna (व्यूह रश्मीन् समूह तेजो vyūha raśmīn samūha tējō), and also that most auspicious form of Yours (यत्ते रूपम् कल्याणतमं yattē rūpam kalyāṇatamaṁ) that Form I will get the direct knowledge of it, by Your prasāda, grace (तत्ते पश्यामि tattē paśyāmi).
NOTES:
1) Parabrahman is सर्व-वस्तु-प्रवर्तक sarva-vastu-pravartaka. The upanishat is bringing to light His All-Doership by these mahimās. The jnyāni who understands this secret, only understands the sarva-kartrtva or the work of Parabrahman in everything he sees such as Sun, Yama, etc., and that jnyāni understands Parabrahman’s dēva-dēvatva . These mantras bring out the fact that to recall or anu-smaraṇa of the upanishat siddhānta itself is the prayer. There is no prayer, without this siddhānta.
2) jñāna knowledge is of two kinds – internal and external
The external knowledge of objects is generated by sense organs and mind. The internal knowledge itself is of the nature of self. It is anādi and nitya. For both kinds of knowledge, Parabrahman is the pravartaka. Without Him, there is neither external knowledge nor internal knowledge. One should study other upanishats such as mānḍūka to get a better understanding of this mahimā of Vedic Parabrahman described as Vishwa-taijasa-prājnya in mānḍūka upanishat.
3) The form of Parabrahman as sarva-pravartaka is kalyāṇa-tama. i.e, there is nothing which is more auspicious than that. For an adhikārin, there is nothing that is more auspicious than knowing It. Refer to an earlier mantra, “shuddham apāpaviddham” – Parabrahman is pāvitrya-hetu. The other interpretations using “removal of sun-rays” etc is uncalled for. What about the words pūshan and Yama? Both these words are also interpreted to mean Sun!!
4) Several other upanishats establish the fact that Sun does not operate on his own. Study taittareeya “” भीषास्मात् वातः पवते भीषोदेति सूर्यः bhīṣāsmāt vātaḥ pavatē bhīṣōdēti sūryaḥ “(Because of His fear, i.e., under His Control, Sun rises and wind blows). “न तत् भासयते सूर्यो na tat bhāsayatē sūryō” teaches śrīkrishṇa in the geetā, “न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं na tatra sūryō bhāti na candratārakaṁ” teaches kaṭhōpaniṣat.
This being the case, do you pray to the Sun? Or to the Controller of Sun which is the One controller of all? Every luminous object in this universe receives its brightness from an iota of the infinite effulgence of Parabrahman. Readers should study, “ॐ अनुकृतेः तस्य च ॐ ōm̐ anukr̥tēḥ tasya ca ōm̐” of the brahma-sūtras and get a better understanding on this.
5) pradhāna-jñāna-rūpa Parabrahman is the only rishi called एकर्षे ēkarṣē. This really helps while understanding Parabrahman of the vēda. The concept expands into the fact that vēda-rishi is paramātma which goes a long way in establishing the apourushēyatva of vēda i.e., unauthordness of Veda and also establishes the fact that all of vēda is there to teach only Vedic Brahman.
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