The mantra:- ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥ The meaning:- Om, that (Divine Illumination) which Pervades the Bhu Loka (Physical Plane), Bhuvar Loka (Antariksha Loka or the Astral Plane) and Suvar Loka (Swarga Loka or the Celestial Plane), That Savitr (Divine Illumination) which is the Most Adorable, On that Divine Radiance we Meditate, May that Enlighten Our Intellect and Awaken our Spiritual Wisdom. The above mantra is a divine salutation to the supreme being i.e.brahm... First line->> it is a reference to brahm pervading all the lokas(commonly called as the trilok,or the three worlds).What are the three worlds?The three worlds are commonly the world of aakash(sky),bhumi(land) and (jal)water.The spiritual equivalence of the three worlds are physical plane,astral plane and the celestial plane. Simplifying the concept,the three worlds mentioned here are on a macroscopic scale.On the microscopic plane i.e.the plane of jeeva or the plane which is significant to jeeva for its spiritual liberation,the three worlds are the jaagrit(waking),swapna(dreaming) and sushupti(deep sleep)states of consciousness... Since aatma(the self) is not confined in space and time thus it pervades the three worlds equally.In the model of seer-seen or the drig drishya viveka(i.e. discriminatory knowledge between seer and seen),consciousness or aatma is the ever witness of all activities of that of the mind and body(thus is unaffected by the changes in them).It is the turiya or the 4th state...In actuality the turiya is not a state rather it is a status of aatma and non different from it. In upanishads the fourth state is explained in the form of a simple example--> The turiya or aatma is like a thread in a necklace which goes through all the beads.The beads here represent the three states of waking,dream and deep sleep stages.By recognising the thread being exposed between any two pearls one infers that the thread goes through all the beeds.Similarly by analysing the three states of consciousness(or the avastha traya viveka,which is already discussed in this group previously) and knowing that aatma (or self) is attributeless one comes to the conclusion that turiya(or aatma) pervades them all. This turiya is equivalent to the word Om” mentioned in the gayatri mantra.Om also represents the unity or trinity i.e. the unity of brahma(god of creation),vishnu(god of sustainence) and shiva(god of destruction).In simplicity it is a direct reference to brahm(or the one). Second line->> “the most adorable.” This interpretation represents the blissful aspect of sacchidanand brahm(sat(truth)-chit(consciousness)-aanand(bliss)).It is adorable because it brings pleasure,tranquility and stillness to mind(as the result of dissolution of self’s ignorance).Pleasure is the reflection of unchanging and undivided bliss of aatma(the self). Third line->> “On the divine” What is divinity? Divinity is something unnatural,out of the world and blissful in nature.The most important aspect of the brahm being divine is it’s union with jeeva.The jeeva is individual consciousness and brahm is the universal consciousness.This line here proves the jeev-brahm-ekyam or unity of jeeva and brahm as expounded by advait vedant. Fourth line->> “May that enlighten” Enlightenment is the realisation of the eternal truth that you are the same and unchanging.(The changeless aatma behind every manifestations of maya). Here the supreme being is invoked to enlighten us in the sense that knowledge of it brings awakening.It is responsible because it is the cause of dissolution of dualism or dvait belief of jeeva.The belief that there are two real entities i.e.brahm and maya.Awakening results in the dissolution of unreal maya and what is left is the only real entity i.e.brahm. One may ask that knowledge arises due to transaction between the knower and known(thus implying dualism).But this arguement is not true since it is knowledge not of some object(known) different from the subject(knower).It is not an interaction between self(aatma) and non self(anaatma).Rather the entity(param-aatma or supreme consciousness) invoked here is none other than the jeev-aatma(the individual consciousness) itself. Just like the moon cannot enlighten the sun or the illumined can never illumine the illuminator,in the same manner the sense organs of intellect can never know the consciousness that is the cause of working or sentiency of senses.The consciousness is undivided i.e.it has no parts and thus cannot be categorised.It implies that jeevatma,believed to be inferior to paramaatma(or the superior consciousness) is non-different to it.Or in simple words there is no inferiority or superiority in aatma,as it is the one and the same. Let there be many objects which are heated on fire...the warmth appears to be shared between them but warmth is the very nature of one-undivided fire.Similarly consciousness appears to be shared between individuals(in the form of localisation) but being conscious is the very nature of non-dual aatma(the very self).
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 12:07:37 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015