Chapter 7, Sections 4 & 5
Mantra 7-4-1
sankalpo vava manaso bhuyanyada vai sankalpayate'tha
manasyatyatha vachamirayati tamu namnirayati namni mantra ekam bhavanti
mantreshu karmani || 7.4.1 ||
The will is certainly superior to the mind. When a person wills,
he starts thinking. Then he directs the organ of speech, and finally he makes
the organ of speech utter the name. All the Mantras merge in the names
and all the actions merge in the Mantras.
Will (Sankalpa) is the discriminatory power that
differentiates between proper and improper action and it is higher than the
mind as ‘Will’ functions as the central office for the other three factors i.e.
mind, speech and name. ‘Will’ takes the decision that later mind executes
through speech and name. The mind is, no doubt, important but it needs to be
guided by the ‘Will’ as the mind is a bundle of desires and is always wavering.
Further when Mantras are recited
with Sankalpa only they become powerful and yield result and without Sankalpa
they are mere words only.
Mantras 7-4-2&3
tani ha va etani sankalpaikayanani sankalpatmakani sankalpe pratishthitani
samaklpataṃ dyavaprthivi samakalpetam vayuschakasam cha samakalpantapascha
tejascha tesham sam klptyai varsham sankalpate varshasya samklptya annam sankalpate'nnasya
sam klptyai pranah sankalpante prananam sam klptyai mantrah sankalpante mantranam
sam klptyai karmani sankalpante karmanam samklptyai lokah sankalpate lokasya
sam klptyai sarvam sankalpate sa esha sankalpah sankalpamupassveti || 7.4.2 ||
sa yah sankalpam brahmetyupaste samklptanvai sa
lokandhruvandhruvah pratishthitan pratishthito'vyathamananavyathamano'bhisidhyati
yavatsamkalpasya gataṃ tatrasya yathakamacharo bhavati yah samkalpam
brahmetyupaste'sti bhagavah sankalpadbhuya iti sankalpadvava bhuyo'stiti tanme
bhagavanbravitviti || 7.4.3 || iti chaturthah khandah ||
All these things [mind, speech, name, etc.] merge in Sankalpa, arise from Sankalpa,
and are supported by Sankalpa. Heaven
and earth will, and so do air, space, water, and fire. (That is, their Sankalpa
drives them to play their role.) Through their will the rain wills, and through
the will of the rain, food wills. The will of food is the will of life. The
will of life is the will of the Mantras, and the will of the Mantras
is the will of all activities. The will of the activities is the will of the
worlds, and the will of the worlds determines the will of everything. Such is
the will. Worship this will. (2) ‘One
who worships Sankalpa as Brahman attains
worlds as per his Sankalpa – himself being permanent, the permanent
worlds; himself being well-established, the well-established worlds; and
himself being undistressed, the undistressed worlds. One who worships Sankalpa as Brahman
can do what he pleases in the sphere within the reach of Sankalpa.’ Narada asked, ‘Revered sir,
is there anything higher than Sankalpa?’ ‘Of course there is something
higher than Sankalpa,’ replied Sanatkumara. Narada then said, ‘Revered sir, please
explain that to me’. (3) End of fourth section.
Sanathkumara tells Narada that Sankalpa (Will) is
the beginning and end of everything concerning the mind and that because of Sankalpa,
each of the forces of nature plays its role, as if each knows the duty it is
supposed to perform and has made a Sankalpa to do it. The nature goes
on, the society goes on, the world goes on due to their doing their respective
duties as per their Sankalpa. So Sanathkumara advises Narada to meditate on Sankalpa
as Brahman i.e. Sankalpa Brahma Upasana.
Mantra 7-4-3 is
similar to Mantras 7-3-2, 7-2-2 and 7-1-5, with Sanathkumara giving the
benefit of sakama upasana as gaining punyam to go to any Loka
within the reach of the Alambanam, Sankalpa, himself being equipped aptly
as per the nature of that world and Narada wanting to know whether there is
anything higher than Sankalpa. Sanathkumara replies in the affirmative and
Narada wants to know it. Sanathkumara
agrees and the section ends.
Mantra 7-5-1
chittam vava sankalpadbhuyo yada vai cetayate'tha
sankalpayate'tha manasyatyatha vachamirayati tamu namnirayati namni mantra ekam bhavanti mantreshu karmani || 7.5.1 ||
Intelligence is certainly superior to will. A person first understands,
and then he wills. Next he intends in mind, and then he sends forth speech and
he sends it forth in a name. All the Mantras merge
in the names, and all the (sacrificial) actions merge in the Mantras.
Higher than Sankalpa is Chittham. Chittham is intelligence, the ability to think well, taking all the relevant
information into consideration before making a decision. It is right understanding of what to do in a present situation
in the light of past experience. It is subtler than all that we have considered thus far
(will, mind, speech and name) and hence it pervades all that we have discussed
so far. As Chittham leads
to proper action and action covers will, mind, speech and name, it is the
karanam for the other four.
Mantras 7-5-2&3
tani ha va etani chittaikayanani chittatmani chitte
pratishthitani tasmadyadyapi bahuvidachitto bhavati
nayamastityevainamahuryadayaṃ veda yadva ayaṃ vidvannetthamachittah syadityatha
yadyalpavicchittavanbhavati tasma evotha susrushante chittamhyevaishamekayanam
chittamatma chittam prathishtha chittamupassveti || 7.5.2 ||
sa yaschittam brahmetyupaste chittanvai sa lokandhruvandhruvah
pratishthitanpratishthito'vyathamananavyathamano'bhisidhyati yavacchittasya gatham
tatrasya yathakamacharo bhavati yaschittaṃ brahmetyupaste'sti bhagavaschittadbhuya
iti chittadvava bhuyo'stiti tanme bhagavanbravitviti || 7.5.3 || iti panchamah
khandah ||
All these [will, mind, etc.] merge in intelligence, are directed
by intelligence, and are supported by intelligence. That is why, a person may
be learned but if he is dull, people [ignore him and] say: ‘He does not exist,
no matter how much he seems to know. If he were really learned, he would not be
so foolish.’ On the other hand, if a person is not learned but he is
intelligent, people will listen to him [with respect]. It is intelligence that
governs all these. It is their soul and their support. Therefore, worship intelligence.
(2) ‘One who worships intelligence as Brahman attains
worlds of intelligence – himself being permanent, the permanent worlds; himself
being well-established, the well-established worlds; and himself being
undistressed, the undistressed worlds. One
who worships intelligence as Brahman can do what he pleases in the
sphere within the reach of intelligence.’ Narada asked,
‘Revered sir, is there anything higher than intelligence?’ ‘Of course there is something higher than
intelligence,’ replied Sanatkumara. Narada then said, ‘Revered sir, please explain
that to me’. (3) End of fifth section.
Intelligence is more valuable than sheer factual knowledge or information. The intellect is the power that utilizes information intelligently to make good decisions. The person with intelligence has the ability to respond rightly to what he encounters in the world. He has presence of mind. He is fully alert. He takes in the whole picture and then makes his decision. Intelligence is, indeed, the very soul of knowledge. One who is simply like an ‘encyclopaedia’ of knowledge is not greatly respected if he does not have intelligence added to it, as people are very quick to notice this. However, there are people who may not know much, but the little they know they use with intelligence. They are found to be more successful than the others who know more but do not have intelligence. So Sanathkumara advises Narada to meditate on Chittham as Brahman i.e. Chitttha Brahma Upasana. Mantra 7-5-3 is similar to Mantras 7-4-3, 7-3-2, 7-2-2 and 7-1-5, with Sanathkumara giving the benefit of sakama upasana as gaining punyam to go to any Loka within the reach of the Alambanam, Chittham, himself being equipped aptly as per the nature of the world and Narada wanting to know whether there is anything higher than Chittham. Sanathkumara replies in the affirmative and Narada wants to know it. Sanathkumara agrees and the section ends.
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