Introduction to Vedas People usually say some date for origin of Vedas. But, in fact, we don’t know the origin of Vedas at all. Even the creation of world is based on Vedas. Then how can one living in the world create Vedas. Even Veda Vyasa gave a clear picture of what exists already, but He Himself didn’t compose Vedas. Bramha does His creation work, with Vedas as basis. Once Madhu and Kaitaban, two Asuras stole these Vedas from the hands of Bramha and Lord Vishnu in the form of Hayagriva (Lord with the face of Horse and Human body & Gurudeva of Lordess Saraswathi as well) killed those Asuras, brought back Vedas from them and preached Bramha again, the basis of creation. So, Vedas had existence even before this. So, it is believed that God Himself formed Vedas first. Vyasa, a Rishi is called Veda Vyasa because he classified the Vedas, which remained unstructured, into different categories and gave a shape to them. We have four main Vedas namely Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas. It is believed that Vedas are divided into three main categories, namely, 1. Samhita: Praying various Devas 2. Bramhanam: Details of Yagas 3. Aranyam (Upanishads): Research about the Ultimate Reality (God) But, every thing we need can be obtained from Vedas. Here, Aranyas and Upanishads slightly differ though interconnected. Only four Vedas are known to us and hence we say Vedas are four in numbers. But, the fact is there are ‘n’ numbers of Vedas which we still don’t know at all. But, we shall make use of the available resources to reach God. Importance of Shanti Mantras Before going into Sukthas, we shall know the importance of Shanti Mantra. Plain meaning of Shanti is ‘peace’. When we go to a temple built as per Agama Sastras, we can’t see the Deity directly from street. We need to cross so many Gopuras and Prakaras before having Darshan. Do you know why? People should completely concentrate on the Deity while having Darshan, shall be free of other thoughts to have peace during Darshan. So, when one crosses different Prakaras, slowly he loses concentration on other lower valued things and gets matched with the temple atmosphere & frequency slowly and thereby starts concentrating on this. So, he starts to attain peace slowly and will be able to concentrate completely on the Deity inside, when he has Darshan finally. In the same way, concentration is more important while chanting Vedas, to understand the complete meaning of hymns. This Shanti mantra when chanted brings peace to the mind of chanter & listeners and hence allows them to concentrate on the complete meaning of hymns by giving peace to their minds. So, any Vedic hymn should be started with the respective Shanti mantra. Sukthas: Sukthas are none but extractions from Vedas and Upanishads. Let us first start with some Sukthas and their meaning. In the temples, you might have heard the priests singing some Sukthas during the Abhishek of the deity, especially in Vainavite Temples. Pancha (five) Maha Sukthas are sung in Vainavite temples during Abhishek. They are Purusha Sukta, Narayana Suktha, Vishnu Suktha, Sri Suktha, Boo Suktha and Neela Suktha. You may ask there are Six Sukthas listed but classified into Five Sukthas. Purusha Suktha and Narayana Suktha are combined to form one Suktha and hence there are five. Even in small Vaishnavite temples, Abhishek mantras contain Purusha Suktha + Narayana Suktha as a minimum and this is the one I like the most. So, I will start with those. Anyway, there are so many other Sukthas, which we will discuss in this thread.
You might know the meaning of ‘Purusha’. We usually discuss about males and females as two categories in the world, domination of males over females and so many other things. But, from the point of view of Purusha Suktha, the Parabramha alone is considered as a perfect ‘Purusha’ i.e. ‘male’. All other beings are considered as ‘Sthris’ i.e. ‘females’ irrespective of whether they are male or female based on Structure and hence the name ‘Purusha Suktha’. The Rasaleela of Krishna is also justified in this manner, as there is no female or male discrimination from the point of view of the Lord. Both, male and female are same for Lord, as all are females except the Lord Himself. Biological Proof: No male among humans is a perfect male or no female among humans is a perfect female. A Biology student or a Doctor can explain this better. There are secretions of Androgens and Estrogens in the body. Androgens are responsible for developing male characters and Estrogens develop female characters. When one is secreted more than other, the being develops characters accordingly. So, Androgens will be more in males and Estrogens will be more in females. But, both males and females secrete both androgens and estrogens in their body. Hence Vedas describe the Lord alone as Purusha and all others as Sthris. Now, let us start with the Shanti mantra of Purusha Suktha and then read the mantras in it. Narayana Suktha though combined with Purusha Suktha as one, has a separate Shanti Mantra. So, let us complete Purusha Suktha first and then go to Narayana Suktha. Purusha Suktha: Shanti Mantra: Om Dhacchamyoravruneemahe | Kaadhum Yajnyaaya| Kaadhum Yajnyapathaye| Dhaiveeswasthirasthu Naha| Swasthir Manushebyaha| Oordhvam Jigadhu Bheshajam| Sanno Asthu Dhvibadhe| Sum Chadushpathe| Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi|| Meaning: Let us pray the God who gives all Mangala to us. Let us pray Him to complete this yagya in a grand successful manner. Let us pray for the one who does yagya. Let all Devathas do good to us. Let good things happen to all human beings. Let all plants and trees flourish. Let all two legged living beings with us be blessed with Mangala. Let good happen to all four legged beings. Purusha Suktha Chanting: it is better to hear the audio and learn how to chant, rythm is very important while chanting Veda mantras. The following is a you tube Video which gives us the chanting of Purusha Suktha. Now, listen and enjoy Purusha Suktha.
Purusha Suktha starts here. Mantra 1: Om| Sahasra Seersha Purushaha| Sahasraksha Sahasra paad| Sa Boomim Viswadho Vrithva| Adhyathistaddasangulam| Meaning: God (Parabramha) is a Purusha, who has thousand heads; thousand eyes; thousand feet. He is the one who is spread all over the Universe (Omni-present) and beyond the count/grasp of humans. Note for all: By saying God has thousand heads, thousand eyes, thousand feet; we should not plainly assume the number thousand. Thousand is some thing used to refer ‘infinite’ as per the above mantra. So, we should read as “God has infinite number of heads, eyes and feet”. Other facts in above mantra can be understood by every one. One may ask if God has every thing in infinite quantity, then why he gives Darshan in a simple form with four hands, two hands, two eyes and feet etc. The fact is, we, the humans don’t have the capability to see the God as a whole. Having a desire to see the Parabramha as a whole is like trying to fill a small water jug with big ocean. So, he makes Himself simple, to give Darshan. He is the smallest of all as well as largest of all. Mantra 2: Purusha evedakum Sarvam| Yadbootham yaccha Bhavyam| Udhamrutatvasyesanaha| Yadhannenadhi rohatihi| Meaning: What ever was found before, what ever will be seen in future and what ever is seen now; all are the Parabramha Himself. He is the head or Lord of Immortality. He is beyond this materialistic world or beyond this universe of food. Note for all: This is the philosophy of Advaita too. Any thing and every thing seen around is the Swaroopa of Parabramha and He alone exists in the past, present and future. So, philosophies are also derived from Veda mantras. By saying, “He is beyond”, we should not understand as, “He is away from the Universe”. He is every where. The meaning is, “He is not limited to any materialistic world and He is beyond the control of all of us.” A small incident for your information: Among Pancha Pandavas, Sahadeva was the one who always acts as per Dharma. Duriyodhana came to Sahadeva, to ask the date of Kalabhali, to win the war. As Sahadeva can’t lie to any one, he told Kauravas can do it on next Amavasya to win the war. Srinivasan Pranesh -3 de junho de 2010-denunciar abuso Then, Krishna was worried by His act and asks Sahadeva, “What can we do now? If Kauravas give Kalabhali on Amavasya and start the war, then no one can stop their Victory. So, the only way is to stop the war at present. What shall we do for it?” Sahadeva replies, “The only way to stop the war now is to kill Bhima and Arjuna, Cut Draupathi’s hair to break her promise, third one is to tie you tightly and so on…..” Krishna asks, “Ok Sahadeva. First two are ok. But, are you capable of tying me? Can you do it?” Sahadeva says yes and holds the Lord’s feet tightly. Krishna then said, “Sahadeva! You are a Gyani. You clearly understood the way to tie me. Let this be within ourselves. Please don’t reveal this to any one else.” Then Krishna thought for a while and started doing Tharpana one day before Amavasya. Seeing Him all started doing the same. Shocked Surya and Chandra came to Krishna to stop Him. They stood in front of each other and asked Krishna, “Why you are doing such a thing?” Krishna asked, “Can you define Amavasya?” They replied, “It is the day where myself Surya and Chandra are in a straight line facing each other.” Then Krishna said, “At present, you are standing in a straight line and are facing each other. So, What is wrong if I take today as Amavasya?” Surya and Chandra had no answer and left away. Krishna asked Pandavas to give Kalabhali on that day itself. Poor Kauravas gave Kalabhali the next day and lost the war. So, Krishna changed the Amavasya itself for His devotees. Moral of the Story: God, who is uncontrollable and beyond the limits, can be controlled by our true devotion, by holding His feet tightly, this is Sharanagadi Tatva, which is the best method to attain Moksha. Mantra 3: Yethava nasya Mahima| Athodhyayakuscha Purushaha| Padosya Vishwa Boothani| Tripadasyamrudham Dhivi| Meaning: What ever we see here is His glory. But, He is very great than what we see here. What ever we understood is only one forth of His glories. Remaining three fourth remains in the indestructible Heaven. Note for all: We can’t simply quantify His glories we understood as ¼ and remaining as ¾. The intention of the mantra is not to quantify His glories. The mantra intends to say, what ever we understood about Him is a little quantity (like only one ‘atom’ in the whole world) and His actual characters lies with Himself unrevealed. Our ancestors said, “Iraivan Vedangalalum Ariyapadadhavan”. We say Vedas describes God. The meaning of above is, “God cannot be completely understood even with the aid of Vedas. He is beyond our imagination.” Mantra 4: Tripa dhoordhva udhaith Purushaha| Padhosyeha Bavad punaha| Datho vishwan vyagramath| Sasana nasane abhi| Meaning: Parabramha’s ¾ remains in the heaven. His ¼ again is formed as this Universe. Then he became Omni present in all living and non-living beings. Note for all: Parabramha, as a whole, is not divided into Universe, living and non-living beings. His ¼ only is created as this Universe means only a little part is created as Universe; the same is destructed and is again created. The remaining ¾ remain with Him unrevealed. Just think where we are, when not only the world, but the whole Universe is only a small part of Him. Is ego necessary for us? Where are we and what are we? Nothing and look like a small invisible bacteria, when compared to His glory. Mantra 5: Tasmaath Viradajaayatha| Virajoo adhi Purushaha| Sa Jaatoathyarichyatha| Pashchyat Bhoomi Madho Puraha| Meaning: The Brahmanda/Universe is formed from Him. Following the Brahmanda, Brahma was created and He became Omni-present. Then He created the world. Then He created the body for living beings. Note for all: From Him came forth the Brahmanda/Universe. By saying, ‘Brahma was created’, we should not understand that Brahma is a separate God created by the Parabramha and should not think that Brahma is of least importance than Parabramha. The Parabramha Himself took the form of Bramha to create the world and there after living beings there. So, Brahma is one form of Parabramha. Veda Vyasa also says in Vishnu Purana, the Parabramha takes His form as Bramha during Creation, Shiva during Destruction and Narayana during Saving. So, all are different forms of Parabramha. Some says Puranas are false, stories, imagination of Vyasa and are not authenticated. But, we can’t deny that Puranas are also derived from Vedas. It is the same Veda Vyasa who wrote Puranas and gave shape to Vedas as well. So, those who believe Vedic hymns can believe Puranas also.
Mantra 6: Yatpurushena Havishaa| Deva yajnya matanvatha| Vasantho asya seethanjyam| Kreeshma itmas saraththavi| Meaning: For the yajyas that Devas did with Lord Himself as Havirbhokta, Spring was the ghee that brightened the fire, Summer was the wood that fueled it and Autumn was burnt as Naivedya. Note for all: Devas who were created, wanted to do yajya, but they didn’t have any material with them. So, they considered the Lord Himself as Havirbhokta (i.e. the Lord sacrificed Himself for the purpose of creation) and did yajya within their heart, using different seasons as materials for yajya. So, it is understood from the above mantra that God accepts any type of yajya, whether done at heart or done physically outside. Those who don’t have sufficient money to do yajyas physically, atleast do yajya inside you. Result of any yajya finally reaches God Himself. A small story: Once lived a saint, called Poosalaar Nayanar, one among the 63 Nayanmars. He wished to build a temple to Lord Shiva, but was not rich enough to do it physically. So, He started imagining at his heart, as if He is building the temple, dreamed as if He arranges the stones one by one and started construction. The King of the Country also started building a temple to Lord Shiva at the same time physically, as he was rich. Now, the construction of both is over. The real temple was built by the king; where as the temple of Poosalaar was just an imagination. Now, both the temples had Kumbabhishek on the same day. Lord Shiva came in the dream of the King and asked him to postpone the festival of the temple he built, as Shiva will not be available on that day, saying that one more Devotee of Him also built a temple out of imagination and Shiva as a whole wishes to attend Him. Then, the King realized the importance of Bakthi and the greatness of Nayanar. Moral of the Story: For those whom, it is not possible to do poojas and yajyas physically, atleast try to do Manasika pooja and yajya. God is not interested in your physical offerings, but only on the true love you show towards Him. One may ask, “I am rich and have enough money to do yajyas. I also have enough time to do. But, still I wish to do yajyas at heart and save money. Can I? Will God accept it?” God will absolutely not accept. When a person is controlled by money motto, then the true love towards God is already gone. Then, how does the yajya work out? So, I suggested the above for those who can’t. But, those who can do please do it physically, with true love to God at heart. Mantra 7: Sapthasyasan Parithayaha| Thrissapdha samithah kritaha| Deva yadhyajnyam thanvanaha| Abadhnan Purusham Pasum| Meaning: For this yajya, Pancha Boodhas, Night and Day, so all these seven became as the sheathing logs, the fences. 21 Thathvas became fire brands. Devas started the yagya (sacrifice) and Bramha was made the sacrificial cow. Note for all: The interpretation of Mantra 6 applies to this also. The 21 Thathvas mentioned above are as follows. 1. 5 Gyanendriyas – eyes, ears, body, nose and tongue/mouth (used to attain Gyana) 2. 5 Karmendriyas – vocal chords, feet, hands, rectum and genitals (used to do Karmas) 3. 5 Pranas – prana, apana, udana, samana and vyana 4. 4 Andhakkaranas – Manas, Chitta, Ahankara and Buddhi 5. Dharma and Adharma We all know what the first ten Indriyas are as mentioned above and Dharma/Adharma. I will explanation for the third one and fourth one. 5 Pranas: Prana - Responsible for the beating of the heart and breathing. Prana enters the body through the breath and is sent to every cell through the circulatory system Apana - Responsible for the elimination of waste products from the body through the lungs and excretory systems Udana - Responsible for producing sounds through the vocal apparatus, as in speaking, singing, laughing, and crying. Also it represents the conscious energy required to produce the vocal sounds corresponding to the intent of the being. Hence Samyama on udana gives the higher centers, total control over the body. Samana - Responsible for the digestion of food and cell metabolism (i.e. the repair and manufacture of new cells and growth). Samana also includes the heat regulating processes of the body. Auras are projections of this current. By meditational practices one can see auras of light around every being. Yogis who do special practice on samana can produce a blazing aura at will. Vyana - Responsible for the expansion and contraction processes of the body, e.g. the voluntary muscular system. 4 Andhakkaranas: Manas – Sensory or Processing mind Chitta – Storage of Impressions Ahankara – ‘I’ maker or Ego. Buddhi – knows, decides, judges and discriminates So, all these 21 Thathvas became the fire brands. I don’t think sacrificing the cow, means throwing the cow into fire or killing it. Cow is given as Dhana (Donated) after each yajya, to attain the fruit of yajya. In those days, once popularity was decided based on the number of cows he had. Cow is treated as the God and all the 33 crore Devas are believed to be inside a Cow. So, sacrificing a Cow was considered as a great dhan those days and is also described by Vedas. Note: We can’t simply donate ‘any’ cow to others. The cow which we donate should be healthy, producing milk and very useful to the receiver. Then only, it is considered as real sacrifice. If one thinks of donating an unhealthy cow, which is about to die, with an intention to save money, then he will go to worst of all lokas and starts suffering. This is told in Katha Upanishad, where Nasikhetan warns his father for doing such a donation. Let us see about this in detail, when we come to Upanishad sections later. Moral: What ever we donate or sacrifice, should be the best one we have with us. Then only, it is considered as Dhana. If we simply donate some thing, to show that I am also donating, like throwing coins in the hands of beggers, then it is not at all a Dhana. This act only shows the ego of a human being and he goes several steps away from the God. ‘Atiti Devo Bhava’. Receivers are our Atithis (Guests). They should be treated as the God Himself. So, the best sacrifice is the sacrifice of a cow. As this is the Manasika yajya done by Devas, Bramha acted as the Cow for Sacrifice.
Mantra 8: Tam Yajnyam Barhishi Prokshan| Purusham Jatamagrathaha| Tena Deva Ayajantha| Sadhya Rushayaschaye| Meaning: On the first formed yagya Purusha Bramha, they sprinkled water. Then Sadhyas, Devas, Rishis and who ever was present there conducted the yagya. Note to all: Usually Sadhyas and Devas are considered as same by some people. But, there is a major difference between Sadhyas and Devas. Devas are those who live in Swarga loka. Any good human being can become a Deva. If one performs ‘Aswameda Yagas’ certain number of times, as prescribed in Sasthras, he can become Indra too. But, becoming a Sadhya is not that easy, because Sadhyas are those who are in Vaikunta. Only when the Almighty wishes, He will make a person Sadhya. So, let us not confuse between the both. Sadhyas are very greater than Devas. This Purusha Suktha is one which speaks about the Creation of the Bramha and World. By indicating Rishi here, we can understand that some Rishis existed even before the creation of world, but after Bramha was created. That’s why our ancestors said, “Don’t ever try to know about the source of a Rishi and River. You can’t.” They can only be known through Gyana. Not practically. Mantra 9: Tasmadh yajnyath sarvahutaha| Sambrutham rushadajyam| Pashugsthagschakre Vaayavyan| Aaranyan gramyascha ye| Meaning: From this yaga of sacrifice, curd mixed with ghee came out. Bramha created birds, forest animals like Deer, Tiger etc. and domestic animals like Cow. Note for all: This is how the creation started as per Purusha Suktha. This is for the first time cow was created and since there was no cow before, Bramha Himself acted as a cow of sacrifice in the yagya. Now, all the birds, animals and all other pranees are created by Bramha. I heard some of my friends saying, we human beings alone has the fate of sacrificing. But, God is very cool and enjoying, putting the humans alone into trouble. So, from the above, we can understand that we ourselves are created by the sacrifice of God in yagya and there by understand the importance of sacrifice. Vivekananda also says, "If you need to gain every thing, you need to donate/sacrifice every thing." So, nothing could be done without sacrifice. We, Humans shall understand this, lower our ego levels, leave thought that the materials with me are mine and come forward for sacrificing. Mantra 10: Tasmadh yajnyath sarvahutaha| Rucha saamanee jagniree| Chandhagmsi jagnire Tasmath| Yajus tasma dajayaatha| Meaning:From this yaga of sacrifice, the chants of Rig Veda were born, the chants of Sama Veda were born, and from that well known sandhas like Gayatri were born, and from that born the Yajur Veda. Note for all:So, Vedas themselves describes when they were born. The Vedas like Rig, Sama and Yajur were born in this first yagya. Modern atheists saying these were written by humans in the medieval period are not justified. Say for example, I am writing the hymns and meanings in this thread. But, I am writing what already exists. Does this mean I myself created those? Not at all. Similarly, who ever wrote this does not compose them. They just projected those for our benefit. In the same way, some argue that Rishi Vishvamitra only composed Gayatri mantra. The same explanation is apt for this also. Vishwamitra brought this to the awareness of humans. But, only preached what already existed. Even the three philosophies Advaita, Dvaita and Visishtadvaita were not created by Shankara, Madhva and Ramanuja themselves. They just explained in detail, what already existed. So, trying to find the origin of Vedas will not yield any result. We should simply accept that the Origin of Vedas is the God Himself. Mantra 11: Thasma dasva Ajayantha| Ye Kechobayadhathaha| Gavo ha Jaknyire tasmat| Tasmat Jadah Ajavayaha| Meaning:From those, came the horses, animals with one rowed teeth, animals with two rowed teeth like Cow, and from that came out sheeps and goats. Mantra 12: Yatpurusham Vyadadhuhu| Kathita vyakalpayan| Mukam kimasya kau bahoo| Kaavooru padhauchyete| Meaning: When Devas sacrificed Bramha, in what forms He was divided? What his face became? What his hands became? What came from his thighs and feet? What did they make them? Mantra 13: Brahmanosya mukamaseeth| Bahoo rajanyaha kritaha| Ooru tadasya yathvaisyaha| Padhbyakm sudhro ajayatha| Meaning: Brahmas face formed Bramhana; Hands became Kshtriya: Thighs became Vysya and feet became Sudhra. Note for all: So, Vedas intend to say that from Bramha’s sacrifice came all humans and all humans are a part of Bramha. No one is superior or inferior. They may differ from their nature of work but all are same in the perspective of God.
Mantra 14: Chandrama manaso jathaha| Chaksho Suryo ajayatha| Mukadheendras chagnischa| Pranad vayurajayatha| Meaning: From His mind was born Chandra, from His eyes born Surya, from His face born Indra and from His prana/soul born Vayu. Note to all: Now, Bramha Himself is a swaroopa of Paramatma and He is the one who created the World. Then, why we call Bramha’s soul is born as Vayu. Then by meaning Bramha’s soul, you may ask does Bramha have end like us? I will tell a truth to all, which may be quite difficult to digest, but fact. Though Bramha is a Swaroopa of Paramatma and the first creation of Paramatma, Bramha too has His end, not normal death like us but mingles with the Parabramha Himself and vanishes. People usually know about four yugas, namely Krita/Satya Yuga, Tretayuga, Dwaparayuga and Kaliyuga. Most of us think that the world will come to an end, once Kaliyuga is complete. But, this is not true. Again a new Yuga will start. These four yugas together contribute to one Chaduryuga/ Mahayuga. Several Mahayugas like this will be there before the world faces its complete destruction. We know only a year which constitutes 365 days. But, there is some thing called Bramha year. The life of a Bramha is 100 Bramha years, as per our Shastras. Let us now read the yugas and the life span of humans. Satyayuga: 1,728,000 human years (Life span is in lakhs of years and death occurs only at one’s own will) Tretayuga: 1,296,000 human years (Life span is 10,000 years) Dwaparayuga: 8,64,000 human years (Life span is 1,000 years) Kaliyuga: 4,32,000 human years (Life span is 120 years) But, this 120 is applicable to only those who are with cleanly habits and follow Shastras. There is no use in siting an example which lived only for 40 years and stating the average life span that science states today. So, a Mahayuga consists of 4,320,000 human years. 1000 such Maha yugas together contributes one Kalpa and one Kalpa is a single day time for Bramha and the night also has equal length. So, two Kalpas constitutes one day and night to Bramha. A Kalpa is thus equal to 4.32 billion human years. A year of Brahma is composed of 360 day/night cycles of Brahma, or 720 kalpas, or 8.64 billion human years. The lifespan of Brahma is 100 Brahma years, or 72,000 kalpas, or 311.04 trillion human years. At the end of the life of Brahma, all worlds are completely dissolved (mahapralaya). Another cycle that overlaps the others is that of manvantaras. Each Kalpa is reigned over by a succession of 14 Manus, and the reign of each Manu is called a manvantara. A single manvantara is approximately 71 maha yugas. Each Manvantara is followed by a Deluge, which destroys the existing continents and swallows up all living beings, except the few who are preserved for the repeopling of the earth. We are located in the fifty-first Brahma year of the life of our Brahma. Within that Brahma year, we are in the first Brahma day, called the Varaha kalpa. Within that Brahma day, we are in the seventh manvantara (called Vaivaswatha Manvantra), and in the 28th maha Yuga of that manvantara. To know more about present Manu, you may read the History of Matsya avatar. This would place us at about the 454th maha yuga of the 1,000 maha yugas that comprise this day of Brahma. Within this maha Yuga, we are in Kali Yuga. The 5100th year of Kali Yuga will correspond to the year 2,000 A.D. That means that we are fairly early in Kali Yuga and this age will continue 4,26,000 more years. At the end of Brahma's daytime period, the Three Worlds (Bhooloka, Bhuvarloka, Swarloka) and the seven underworlds (of the nagas) are temporarily dissolved (pralaya); that is, the same souls will be reincarnated when the next day of Brahma begins. When the Bramha’s life ends, every thing will come to an end and the post of Bramha itself will change. Dvaita Philosophy says, Rama pleased with Lord Hanuman’s devotion gave Him a boon Himself without request that Lord Hanuman will be the next Bramha. So, ‘Dvaita Philosophy’ says ‘Hari Sarvottama Vayu Jeevottama’, means, “Hari is Sarvothaman. He is every thing. Vayu (means Hanuman as per Dviata) is Jeevottama means best of all the Devotees. Lord Hanuman plays a very important role and is considered as one of the main deities in Dvaita. Even Madhvacharya, who explained Dvaita, is considered to be an Amsa of Lord Hanuman. I think I confused you a lot by saying all these. So, let us continue with next mantra. Those who can understand can understand that we are still in the beginning of Kaliyuga. When the beginning itself is this much worst, this will be more worse in future. So, it is our duty to make Sanadhana Dharma grow and there by save all. Also, Bramha Himself has end. Why do we Humans fear for Death? Where are we, when compared to Bramha.
Mantra 15: Naabhya aasee dhantariksham| Sreeshnau dhyaus samavarthata| Padbhyam bhoomir dhisas shrothrath| Thatha lokakum akalpayan| Meaning: Space/sky was born from His navel (belly button), Swarga/heaven born from His head, Bhoomi (Earth) from His feet and Directions from His ears were born. In this way, all the Worlds were created. Note to all: The God has sacrificed Himself to create this world. So, our duty/ purpose of life is to know Him and sacrifice us for Him. But, people often forget this and involve completely in materialistic matters. Mantra 16: Vedahametham Purusham Mahantam| Adhityavarnam Tamasastu pare| Sarvani roopani vichitya dheeraha| Naamani krithva bhivadhan yadaste| Meaning: I know the God who created all forms, who named all of them, who is famous and rules over them, who shines like the Sun, who is beyond all darkness. Note to all: This mantra says, God is the one who created every thing. He is the ruler of Universe. Let us salute such God and serve Him. Rishis when chanting this mantra says, “I know the God”, because they know Him more than us and to the maximum extent a human can know Him (Note: God cannot be known completely even by the Rishis. But they certainly know to the maximum extent that a human can know and none in the world can attain knowledge about Him, more than what Rishis know). But, normal humans like us should not take as such. We should read as, “I ‘should’ know such a God” and act accordingly. What ever Rishis, who attained Gyana says, should be taken as advice for us and we should act accordingly. Then we can reach their level. If we too read, “I know the God”, like Rishis, then it develops our ego and the fact is that we don’t know God as they know. Only when one thinks, “Known is a drop and unknown is an ocean”, he could learn more and more. If he starts thinking, “I know the whole ocean”, then there stops his learning and he becomes unfit to learn more. So, we should always think that, “What ever I know about God is a drop. What Rishis know may be a part of the ocean, may be 25%. But, God is the large ocean. So, let me know Him atleast to the extent our Rishis know.” A human with such attitude will definitely reach the level of a Rishi and reach Moksha too. This is what I intend to say from the above post. Mantra 17: Dhata purasthadh yamudhajahara| Shakrah pravidvan pradisas cathasraha| Tamevam vidhva namrutha iha bhavathi| Naanyah phantha ayanaya vidhyate| Meaning: The learned one, who knows the Purusha, who was found as Paramatma at the beginning by Bramha (i.e. considered by the creator as one before Him) and whom the Indra understood in all directions, would attain Moksha (Salvation) in this birth itself. There is no way to attain Moksha, other than knowing Him. Note to all: We all know the troubles we face by taking birth. A mother’s uterus is considered as the worst of all hells by ‘Garuda Purana’. One who takes birth should definitely face this hell. The only way to get liberated from hells is attaining Moksha. Even the one who goes to Swarga loka and enjoys happiness should take birth again one day. So, even Swarga is not permanent remedy. Vedas say that attaining Moksha is by knowing His glories. Though no one can know Him 100%, we should spend our whole life in knowing Him. He will be satisfied with what ever we know about Him. The purpose of life is evident from this. So, don’t think that human birth is a curse, as we suffer. But, think that human birth is a boon, an opportunity given to avoid further sufferings. God never thinks how much you know about Him, because He too knows that He is un revealed completely. He offers Moksha only for the ‘effort’ that we take to know Him, to what ever level we reach success. All our scriptures are not just opinion of our saints about God, to say that who ever interested can learn it and who ever not willing can have their own thoughts. Vedas say, “Knowing God is the only way to attain Moksha”. This is why, all our Rishis and Saints selflessly explained what they knew, with an intention that others should also reach Moksha. If we don’t read, then there is no harm for them. We harm ourselves. Mantra 18: Yajnyena Yajnya mayajantha Devah| Thani dharmani prathama nyasan| Teha naakam mahimanas sachanthe| Yatra poorve sadhyas santi devah| Meaning: Thus the Devas worshipped the Purusha through this yagya and those became the first among Dharmas. Those Mahans (great people), who observe this yagya, for sure will reach the heavens occupied by Devas and Sadhyas. Note for all: I already explained the difference between Sadhyas and Devas. Sadhyas are Nitya Suris those who live in Vaikunta loka. Those who observe this yagya, “with self less thought”, will surely reach the Sadhya loka, means Vaikunta, which is called Moksha. With these 18 Mantras, Purusha Suktha ends actually. But it is a practice singing Purusha Suktha as the principle mantra proceeding with Uttara Narayanam & then continuing with Narayana Suktha and Vishnu Suktha. So, let us continue with the 19th mantra from Uttara Narayanam.
Uttara Narayanam: Uttara Narayanam briefs the total Purusha Suktha. Mantra 19: Adhbyas sambhoodap prithivyai raasccha| Vishwakarmanas samavartathadhi| Thasya thvashta vidhadhat roopameti| Tatpurushasya vishwa maajaana magre| Meaning: From water and from essence of earth was born the Universe. The Great Bramha who created the world was created by the God. The God who created the structure of Bramha (which is filled in all 14 Worlds) then spread inside Bramha. This Bramha’s Universal structure was created at the beginning of creation. Mantra 20: Vedaha metham Purusham Mahantam| Adityavarnam tamasas parastath| Tamevam vidhva namritha iha bavati| Naanyap panta vidhyate ayanaya| Meaning: I know the great Lord, who is glorious, who is brighter like Sun and who is beyond all darkness. The one who knows Him like this attains Moksha (Salvation) here itself, in this birth itself. There is no other way for Moksha. Note for all: Read Note for all after Mantra 16. ‘I know Him’ is told by Rishis. But, we should think as, ‘I should know such a great God’, as there are lot for us to know about Him, to the level of Rishis. Mantra 21: Prajapathis charathi garbe anthaha| Ajayamano bahudha vijaayathe| Thasya dheerap parijananti yonim| mareecheenam padamicchanti vedhasaha| Meaning: God is living inside the Universe. Though He is unborned, He appears in different forms. The Saints know His true structure very well. Even Bramha wishes to be a saint like Mareechi. Note for all: The greatest of all posts that a human can attain is the place of Bramha. Even when Bramha lives for crore of years together, He too has His end one day, during the Mahapralaya. But, the condition of Saints is not like that. Those who attain Moksha have no end at all i.e. no death at all. So, even Devas like Bramha wishes to take birth in the world as Rishis. So, who ever had born in earth has a greater opportunity to reach a Him, which is greater than the post of Bramha. We should surrender at the God, to utilize this birth properly. Bagavad Gita 4.7: Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glanirbavadi Bharata Abyutthanamadharmasya Dhatatmanam Srujamyaham The one who is born in Bharata Kula (he means Arjuna here), when ever Dharma diminishes and Adharma strengthens; I will create myself those times. i.e. I will come out with a physical body that can be seen by people (like Rama, Krishna etc.) Bagavad Gita 4.8: Paritranaya Sadhunam Vinasaaya Cha Dushkrutham Dharmasamsthapanarthaya Sambhavami Yuge Yuge To save Sadhus, to destroy those who do sin and to make Dharma flourish, I am taking birth like this in each Yuga. Interpretation: Above are the direct meanings of the Gita verses. We speak about ten important Avatars of Lord Vishnu. But, the Avatars of Lord Vishnu is not limited to 10. He takes lakhs and lakhs of Avatars in each Yuga, to guide people and save Dharma. Even Veda Vyasa is prayed as an Avatar of Vishnu. He takes several forms and preaches the people about Dharma. When none other than Destruction helps and the condition of Sadhus become worse, He will take a Maha Avatar and destroy the sinners. Such Avatars are the ten we read. Doing yagyas to Devas is also a part of Dharma. The point is, “we should not pray them for self but pray for the benefit of others”. Mantra 22: Yo Devebhya aatapathi| Yo Devanam Purohitaha| Poorvo yo devebhyo jataha| Namo ruchaya brahmaye| Meaning: I pray the ever shining Parabramha, who is very divine to Devas, who is the Guru of that Devas and who was born before Devas. Mantra 23: Rucham brahmam janayantaha| Deva agre tadabruvan| Yastvaivam brahmano vidhyath| tasya deva asanvase| Meaning: The Devas who gave the truth about Parabramha, told in ancient times as follows, “Anyone who has interest in Parabramha will have the Devas under his control.” Note for all: By saying ‘Devas under one’s control’ we should not think that they will obey our order. This really means, if one prays Parabramha, then Devas will also be favorable to Him. So, we should not stop doing yagyas. We should continue those. The Purusha Suktha itself is saying about the condition of one who observes the said yagya. So, thinking that “by Praying Parabramha, the Devas will automatically come into control, then why to strain ourselves in yagyas” is a foolish thought. But, be cautious that yagyas are not done for self but are carried out for world benefit, in favour of God.
Mantra 24: Hreeshcha te Lakshmeescha pathnyau| ahoratre parshve| Nakshatrani roopam| Ashvinau vyattam| Meaning: Hree and Lakshmi are your wives. Day and night are your two sides. Stars are your body and Ashvini Devas is your mouth. Note for all: As far as possible, I tried to explain the characters of Parabramha and His Creation, without differentiating different Lords believed as Parabramha. But, this Suktha at last describes Lord Vishnu as Parabramha, by saying ‘Hree and Lakshmi are your wives.’ Mantra 25: Ishtam Manishana| Amum Manishana| Sarvam Manishana| Meaning: Oh Lord! Please grant us the knowledge that we want. Grant us the pleasures of this world and grant us all that is now and for ever. Note for all: ‘Grant us the knowledge’ means ‘Grant us the knowledge of Parabramha’. By saying ‘pleasures of this world’, we should not assume ‘materialistic things’. The real pleasure/happiness in the world lies in knowing Him, the Almighty. Our body, mind, intellect, senses and all are given for this purpose only. So, we should understand this in right way. ‘Grant us all that is now and for ever’ – Everything except the Parabramha Himself and the Moksha He gives are destructible and have an end. So, by saying ‘now and for ever’, we mean the Moksha here. We are asking for the Parabramha Himself, as He alone exists ‘now and for ever’. Shanti Mantra: Shanti mantra should be chanted at the beginning as well as end of Veda Mantras. So, we need to chant again the Shanti Mantra, which will be evident for all from the Video I posted for chanting Purusha Suktha, at the beginning of this Suktha. Shanti mantra as follows: Om Dhacchamyoravruneemahe | Kaadhum Yajnyaaya| Kaadhum Yajnyapathaye| Dhaiveeswasthirasthu Naha| Swasthir Manushebyaha| Oordhvam Jigadhu Bheshajam| Sanno Asthu Dhvibadhe| Sum Chadushpathe| Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi|| Meaning: Let us pray the God who gives all Mangala to us. Let us pray Him to complete this yagya in a grand successful manner. Let us pray for the one who does yagya. Let all Devathas do good to us. Let good things happen to all human beings. Let all plants and trees flourish. Let all two legged living beings with us be blessed with Mangala. Let good happen to all four legged beings.
