Mantras
6 to 10
Mantra 6
Hrtpundarikam virajam visuddham, vicintya
madhye visadam visokam |
Acintyamavyaktamanantarupam, sivam
prasantamamrtam brahmayonim |
Tathadimadhyantavihinamekam, vibhum
cidanandamarupamadbhutam || 6 ||
Having turned one’s attention to the steady, pure, clear, (and) pleasant lotus of the heart, (one should meditate) there on Brahman which is the source of all, incomprehensible, unmanifest, many-formed, auspicious, tranquil, immortal, beginningless, middleless, endless, nondual, all-pervasive, consciousness-bliss absolute, formless, and wonderful.
One more stage of preparation is discussed in the first line – that is, visualizing one’s own heart. The sastras say that the mind resolves into the heart when not functioning, such as in deep sleep state. Even though Bhagavan is all pervading, at the time of meditation, Bhagavan is invoked in the mind as Sakshi Chaitanyam witnessing the presence and absence of the thoughts and hence in the heart. Lord Brahma is describing Dhyanam as an important sadhana, specifically, Sivadhyanam, which is meditation upon Lord Siva both as Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman. Both these aspects are given in this verse as we can see from the description with the respective aspect.
In this verse we have the physical description of the
heart followed by the description of the emotional state at the seat of
meditation. The description of Lord Siva
in both Saguna and Nirguna aspects follows the description of
heart in lines 2 and 3. We shall see them now.
Hrtpundarikam - the
heart which is shaped like a lotus bud that is hanging upside down.
Virajam – This means keeping
the Rajo guna under control
Visuddham - This means keeping
the Tamo guna under control
Visadam – This means Satva
guna is dominant
Visokam – This means a
cheerful mind free of grief or anxiety
Now we have description of the subject of
Dhyanam in both aspects:
Achintyam -
The unthinkable (Nirguna
Brahman)
Avyaktham – The Unmanifest (Nirguna Brahman)
Ananta
Rupam –
The one of endless forms (Saguna Brahman)
Sivam – Ever auspicious
(applicable to both aspects)
Prasantam – Totally tranquil
(applicable to both aspects)
Amrtam – Immortal (applicable to both
aspects but mainly to Nirguna
Brahman)
Brahmayonim - The origin of Lord
Brahma (Saguna Brahman)
Adimadhyantavihinamekam - The
One without a beginning, middle or end (applicable to both aspects)
Vibhum – All pervading (applicable
to both aspects)
Chidanandam – The
Knowledge-Bliss Absolute (Nirguna
Brahman)
Arupam – Formless (Nirguna Brahman}
Adbhutam – Wonder (applicable
to both aspects)
Mantra 7
Umasahayam paramesvaram prabhum, trilochanam
nilakantam prasantam |
Dhyatva munirgacchati bhutayonim, samastasakshim tamasah parastat || 7 ||
Having meditated on the tranquil, supreme Lord who is the
consort of Uma (and) who is the Lord with three eyes and blue neck, the
meditator attains (oneness with Brahman) which is the source of all beings,
witness of all, and beyond all darkness.
The verse starts by enumerating six qualities
of the Lord Siva in His Saguna aspect.
Umasahayam - the
consort of Uma
Paramesvaram –
the highest Lord
Prabhum – the all powerful Controller
Trilochanam – with three eyes
Nilakantam – with
blue neck
Prasantam – the ever tranquil
It is relatively easy for a meditator to be attentive when his mind is focused on a concrete form. This rapidly brings the mind to rest on the object. It ensures bringing the wandering mind under control and at the same time keeping it in an elevated state of religious fervour. This is the idea behind all Saguna upasana. After the meditation on Saguna Brahman, one has to go through Sravanam and Mananam to gain the doubt-free knowledge of Nirguṇa Brahman, which is: ‘Nirguṇam Brahman Aham asmi’. After gaining this knowledge, when one goes through the final step of Nirguṇa Brahma Dhyanam, which is also called Athma Dhyanam and Nitidyasanam, he will merge into Nirguna Brahman by claiming ‘Aham Brahma asmi’. This is revealed by the 2nd line, “bhutayonim, samastasakshim, tamasah parastat” being the description of Nirguna Brahman.
Mantra 8
Sa brahma sa sivah sendrah, so’ksarah paramah
svarat |
Sa eva visnuh sa pranah, sa kalo’gnih sa
candramah || 8 ||
He is Brahma. He is Siva. He is Indra. He is the supreme,
imperishable, self-effulgent one. He himself is Vishnu. He is prana. He is time
(He is) fire. He is the moon.
Mantra 9
Sa eva sarvam yad bhutam, yacca bhavyam sanatanam |
Jnatvatam mrtyumatyeti, nanyah pantha
vimuktaye || 9 ||
He alone is everything which was in the past, which (is in the present,) and which will be in the future. Having known that eternal one, one transcends mortality. There is no other means for liberation.
Mantra 10
Sarvabhutasthamatmanam, sarvabhutani chatmani ||
Sampasyanbrahma param, yati nanyena hetuna ||
10 ||
Clearly seeing oneself in all beings and all beings in
oneself, (one) attains the supreme Brahman; not by any other means.
In Mantras 8, 9 and
10, Lord Brahma describes the nature of Brahmavidya which leads one to
develop Sarvathma Bhava. Understanding
oneself to be the Adhishthanam or substratum of all is called Sarvatma
Bhava. By doing the Upasanas mentioned
earlier, whether it is Saguna or Nirguna, the object is to
cultivate Sarvatma Bhava. Mantra
8 states this Sarvatma Bhava in all deities including the Trinity of
Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. Mantra 9 points
out to the Sarvatma Bhava in all periods of Time; Past, Present and
Future. In this verse the guru also
makes an important statement that without Jnanam, liberation is not possible
through the remark that there is no other alternate means for liberation.
Mantra 10 outlines the Sarvathma Bhava in all beings. The acid-test of one’s Sadhana is when one
“experiences one’s own Self in all beings” as their Substratum; another
way of expressing this is to “experience all beings in one’s own Self” by
feeling that all are superimposed on the Brahman. Self-realisation
is the experience of Universal Consciousness.
Through these Mantras
Lord Brahma declares that the Eternal Truth now realized by the disciple
is the all-inclusive Divinity – He is Brahma, Siva, Vishnu, the Immortal
Supreme Self –effulgent Being, Indra, Prana, Time, Agni, the Moon etc., and
also everything that ever existed in the past, or will exist in the future, the
ever-existent one. Knowing this Reality
is the way to immortality. One attains the Supreme Brahman by realizing
the all –pervading Athma, who is ever present in oneself and in all other
beings. This really means
that the Self is not our body-mind-intellect package. It is something different
and greater than that. This principle of
Sarvatma Bhava, when followed in every detail, makes one totally free
from raga-dwesha.
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