(DISCOURSE BY N.R.SRINIVASAN,
SEPTEMBER 2011)
This Upanishad is from Atharvaveda and of later origin. Rishi
of this Upanishad is Ganaka, probably an assumed pen name. This Upanishad also
employs one of the famous Shanti mantras of major Upaniishads. In its first part it repeats mantra (1 to 10)
from Rigveda, Yajurveda and other Upanishads making them
applicable to Lord Ganesha. Last four mantras deal with Phalasrutis or benefits
to be derived from chanting this Upanishad or
benefits to be derived by
chanting them during Ganesha Homas. Normally Upanishads do not dwell
on Phalsrutis but for Narayanopanishad and this Upanishad. Normally Upanishads
deal with Brahmopaasana and Liberation. Many of the phalasrutis indicated have
the same wordings in both Upanishads.
Narayanopanishad is different from Mahaanaarayana Upanishad. This Upanishad also strongly urges to do homa
with thousand modakas besides the usual homa with fagots. It also recommends
fasting on Chaturthi day and chanting this Upanishad. Such a style is normal
with slokas or Hymns in praise of the Lord.
Fasting, chanting, sacrifices and fancy homas (with all sorts of material
offered to the Lord) are common amongst Bhaktimaarga followers. This Upanishad
also says that the mantras contained in it should not be imparted to
undeserving candidates in the usual Vedic style.
It is strange there are no such Upanishads for Lord Kartikeya
who is celebrated much earlier in Ramayana. Though celebrated in Ramayana
Kartikeya is not at all popular in the North. Peculiarly there is no mention of
Ganesha in Ramayana yet he is popular all over India. We can find a parallel to
this Upanishad for Subhramanya only in Tamil scriptures like Thiruppugazh of
Arunagiri Nathar. Thirimurugatruppadai which praises the glory of Lord Skanda
by Nakkiraar is quite famous. Tamil Saivite Scholars of later days wrote only
in Tamil language and so these scriptures are revealed to Tamilians only.
Nevertheless this Upanishad contains many mantras
used in the worship and Fire sacrifices (Homas) directed to Lord Ganesha and
therefore worth memorizing and chanting or use it for daily Paaraayana or
recitation (mantras 1 to 10). Modaka fire sacrifice is also common in Ganesha
Homas.
SRI GANESHA ATHARVASEERSHAM
Om bhadram karnebhih srinuyaama devaaah | bhadram pasyema
akshabhir- yajatraah | sthirair-angaihs-tushtuvaa(ga)m sastanoobhih |vyasema
devahitam yadaayuh | svasti nah indro
vriddhasravaah |svasti nah pooshaa visvavedaah | svasti nah taarkshyo
arishtanemih | svasti no brihaspatir-dadhaatu ||
Om saantih! saantih! saanth!
Om namste Ganapataye |tvameva pratyaksham tatvamaci |tvameva
kevalam kartaaci |tvameva kevalam dhartaaci| tvameva kevalam hartaaci | tvameva
sarvam khalvidam brahmaaci | tvam saaksaht aatmaaci nityam ||1||
Ritam vachmi
satyam vachmi || 2 ||
Ava tvam maam | ava vaktaaram | ava srotaaram | ava daataaram
| ava dhaataaram|avan-oochaa-namava sishyam | ava-paschaattaat | ava pursttaat | avottaraattaat | ava dakshinaattaat
ava chordhvaattaat | avaadharattaat | sarvato maam pahi paahi samantaat || 3 ||
Tvam vangmaystvam chinmayh | tvam aanadamayastvam
brahma-mayah | tvam sacchidaanandaa-adviteeyoci | tvam pratyaksham Brahmaaci |
tvam jnaanamayo vijnaanamayoci || 4 ||
Sarvam jagadidam tvattoe jaayate | sarvam jagadidam
tvattastishthati |sarvam jagadidam tvayi layameshyati | sarvam jagadidam tvayi
pratyeti | tvam bhoomir-aapo-analo-anilo nabah | tvam chatvaari vaakpadaani ||
5 ||
Tvam guna-traya-ateetah || tvam avasthaa-traya-ateetah| tvam
deha-traya-ateetah | tvam kaala-trayaa-teetah | tvam moolaadhaara-sthitoci
|tvam sakti-traya-aatmakah | tvaam yogino dhyaayanti nityam | tvam brahma tvam
vishnustvam rudrastvam-indrastvam-agnistvam vaayustvam sooryastvam chandramaastvam
brahma bhoorbhuvah suvarom || 6 ||
Ganaadim poorvam-ucchaarya varnaadeem stada-nantaram | anusvaarah paratarah | ardhendu-lacitam
taarena riddham | etaat-tava manu-svaroopam | ga-kaarah poorvaroopam | akaaro
madhyama-roopam | anusvaarascha-antya-roopam | bindur-uttarara-roopam | naadah
sandhaanam |sa(ga)mhitaa sandhih | saishaa ganesavidyaa | ganaka rishih |
nichrid-gaayatree-cchandah | ganpatir-devata | O(ga)m ganapataye namah || 7 ||
Ekadantaaya vidmahe vakratundaaya dheemahi | tannoe dantih
prachodayaat ||8||
Ekadantam chatur-hastam paasam-ankusa-dharinam | radam cha varadam hastair-bibhraanam mooshaka-dhvajam | raktam
lambodaram soorpa-karnakam raktavaasasam | raktagandhaanu-liptaangam
raktapuspaih supoojitam | bhakta-anukampinam devam jagat-kaaranam-achyutam aavir-bhootam
cha srishtyaadau prakriteh
purushaat-param | evam dhyaayati
nityam sa yogee yoginaam varah ||
9 ||
Namo vraatapataye
|namo ganapatye | namah prathamapataye | namstestu lambodaraaya ekadantaaya
vighnavinaasine sivasutaaya varada-moortaye namoh namah || 10 ||
Etad-atharvaseersham yo–adheete sa brahma-bhooyaaya kalpate |
sa sarvavighnair-na-baadhyate | sa sarvatra sukhamedhate | sa panchamahaapaapaat pramuchyate |
saayamadheeyaanoe divasakritam paapam naasayati | praataradheeyaano
raatrikritam Paapam naasayati | saayam praatah prayunjaano paapo-apaapo bhavati
| sarvatraadheeyaano-apavighno bhavati| dharma-artha-kaama-moksham cha vindati
| idamatharvaseersham-asishyaaya nadeyam | yo yadi mohaad daasyati sa
paapeeyaan bhavati | sahasraavartan-aadyam yam kaamam-adheeyate tam tamanena saadhayet|| 11||
Anena ganapatim-abhishinchati sa vaagmee bhavati |
chaturtyaamanasnan japati sa vidyaavaan bhavati | ityatharvanavaakyam |
brahmaady-aavranam vidyaanna bibheti kadaachaneti || 12 ||
Yo doorvaankurair–yajati sa vaisravanopamo bhavati | yo
laayair-yajati sa yasovaan bhavati | sa medhaavaa bhavati | yo modakasahasrena
yajati sa vaanchitaphalmaaapnoti | Yah saajya samidbhir-yajati sa sarvam labhate
sa sarvam labhate ||13 ||
Ashtau brahmanaan samyag graahayitvaa sooryavarchasvee
bhavati | sooryagrahe mahaanadyaam pratimaasannidhau vaa japtvaa siddhamantro
bhavati | mahaavighnaat pramuchyate | mahaadoshaat pramuchyate |
mahapratyavaayaat pramuchyate | sa sarvavid-bhavati sa sarvavid bhavati | ya
evam veda | ityupanishat || 14 ||
Om saantih! saantih! saantih ||
SREEGANESAATHARVASEERSHAM TRANSLATION
Bhadram
karnebhihsrinuyaama devaah | bhadram pasyema akshabhiryajatraah \ sthirair
angaih tushtuvaa(ga)m sastanoobhih | vyosema devahitam yadaayuh |
svasti na indro vriddhasravaah | svasti nah pooshaa visvsvedaah | svastinah
taarkshyo arishtanemih svasti noe brihaspatir-dadhaatu || Om saantih! Saantih!
saantih!
Let
us hear good things through our ears, see good things through our eyes and may
we enjoy our life allotted to us offering praise to the Gods with our strong
bodies. May the gods Indra, Puusha, Garuda and Brihaspati bestow blessings on
us and protect us. May there be peace all around (both outside and inside us)
and peace of God which passes all understanding!.
Om namaste Ganapataye | tvameva pratyaksham
tattvamaci |Tvameva kevalam kartaaci |tvameva kevalam dhartaaci | tvameva
kevalam hartaaci | tvameva sarvam khalvidam brahmaaci | tvam saakshaad-aatmaaci
nityam || 1 ||
I bow to thee, Ganapati. You are
personified form of the Brahman. You are the creator, protector and destroyer
of all beings, You are the in-dweller eternal evident Self in all of us.
Richam
vachmi |satyam vachmi ||2 ||
I
shall speak the scriptural truth and experiential truth only.
Ava tvam maam | ava vaktaaram | ava srotaaram |
ava daataaram | ava dhaataaram | avaan-oochaanam-ava sishyam | ava paschattat |
ava purastaat | avottaraattat |ava dakshinaattaat | ava choerdhvaattaat |
avaadharattaat I sarvatoe maam paahi paahi samantaat || 3 ||
Please, protect me, the speaker, the
hearer, the teacher and the taught, and the giver | Please protect me from all
sides and the directions (North, South, East and West).
Tvam vangmayas-tvam chinmayah | tvam
aananda-mayastvam brahma-mayah | tvam sat-chit-aanandaa-adviteeyoci | tvam
pratyaksham brahmaaci | tvam Jnaanamayoe vijnaana-mayoeci ||4 ||
You are the word, deed and thought. You
are the truth, consciousness and bliss. You are the entire knowledge and
science. You are the non-dual Universal Self. You are personified Brahma,
appearing before us.
Sarvam
jagadidam tvattoe chinmayah | saram jagadidam tvattas-tishthati | sarvam
jagad-idam tvayi layameshyati | sarvam jagadidam tvayi pratyeti | tvam
bhoomir-aapoe-analoe-aniloe nabhah | tvam chatvaari vaakpadaani ||5||
This
world has been created by you, nourished by you and again destroyed by you.
This world leans towards you. You are the five elements of earth, water, fire,
air and ether. ou are the 4 -line
stanzas of all hymns (four levels of speech).
Tvam
guna-traya-teetaha | tvam avsthaa-traya-ateetaah | tvam dehaa-traya-ateetah |
tvam kaalaa-traya-ateetah | tvam moolaadhaara-sthitoeci niy tyam | tvam sakti
–tryaatmakah | tvam yoeginoe dhyaayanti nityam | tvam brahma tvam vishnis-tvqam
rudras-tvam-indras-vamagnis-tvam vaayus-tvam sooryas-tvam chandramaas-tvam
brahma bhoor-bhuvah svaroem ||6||
You are beyond the three Gunas (satva, rajas and tams), the three states (of
awakening, sleeping and dreaming), and the three times (past, present and
future) period. You are seated in the Moolaadhaara (pelvic region) from where
the Kundalini shakti is aroused. You are being meditated by the sages. You are the Creator Brahma, the Protector
Vishnu and the destroyer Rudra. You are the Indra, the Fire, the Air, the Sun,
the Moon and the three worlds.
Ganaadim
poorvam-ucchaarya varnaadeem stada-anantaram | anuswaarah paratarah |
ardhendu-lasitam |taarena riddham | etat-tava-manusvaroopam | makaarah
poorva-roopam | akaaroe madhyaroopam | anusvaaras-cha-antya-roopam |
bindur-uttara-roopam | naadah sandhaanam | sa (ga)hitaa sandhih | saishaa
ganesa-vidyaa | ganaka rishih | nichrid-gayatree-cchandah | ganapatir-devataa | Om ganapataye namh ||7||
Your name starts with the letter ”ga”,
and ends with the letter “sa” and in-between come the letter “a” and anuswara
“n”. These have symbolic meanings representing the “ganas” of prosody, and the
letters and sounds of “akaara anuswara” of the language and the “sandhis”
(letter combinations) of the grammar. The sage of this hymn is “ganaka”, its
meter is “nichridgaayatree” and the presiding deity is “Ganapati. I pay my
obeisance to the letter/sound “gam”'. The mantrabeeja “gan” with (n as
Ardhachandrabinduviraama--half creascent moon with a dot) is described as the
true form of Ganapati! This part is giving the deeper Vedic meaning of the
mantrabeeja gan and is called the “ganesavidyaa”.
Ekadantaaya
vidmahe vakratundaaya dheemahi tannoe
dantih pracchoedayaat || (Ganesa Gaayatree)
We
meditate upon that Purusha (Supreme Principle). For that purpose, we meditate
upon Vakratunda-the Lord of the curved trunk. May the lord with the elephant
face invigorate us
Ekadantam chatur-hastam
paasam–ankusa-dhaarinam | radam cha varadam hastair-bibhraanam mooshaka-dhvajam
| raktam lamboedaram soorpa-karnakam rakta-vaasasam |
rakta-gandhaanu-liptaangam rakta-puspaih supoojitam | bhaktaanu-kampinam devam
jagat-kaaranam-achyutam | aavir-bhootam cha srishty-aadau prakriteh
purushaat-param | evam dhyaayate yoe nityam sa yogee yoginaam varah || 9 ||
That yogi who meditates on the Lord in
the following manner is better than the other yogis who meditate otherwise: The
Lord holding a tusk, a rope, and goad (ankusha) in three hands and a fourth
hand showing the boon-giving posture and having his body smeared with a red
fragrant paste wearing a red dress and being worshipped with red flowers,
having the mouse as his carrier, a large belly (pounch) and long ears
compassionate to the devotees, being the cause of this earth, the one who is primordial and Supreme Principle.
Namoe vraatapataye | namoe ganapataye|
namah pramatha-pataye | namste-astu lamboedaraaya ekadantaaya vighna-naasine sivasutaaya
varadamoortaye namah || 10 ||
Obeisance to the Lord of gods and the one governing
abstinence and discipline and controlling pride; to that Lord who has the large belly and single tusk; to that
Lord who is the remover of obstacles, the son of Shiva and the boon-giver
embodiment.
Etad-atharvaseersha
yoedheete sa brahmabhooyaaya kalpate |
sa vighnair na baadhyate| sa sarvatra sukham-adheeyate | sa
pancha-mahaa-paapaat pramuchyate | saayam-adheeyaanoe divaskritam paapam
naasayati | praatar-adheeyaanoe ratrikritam paapam naasayati | saayam praatah
prayunjaanoe paapoe-apaapoe bhavati | dharma-artha-kaama-moksham cha vindati |
idam –atharvaseershaam-asishyaaya na deyaam | Yoe yadi mohaad daasyati sa
paapeeyaan bhavati | sahasraavartanaadyam yam kaamam-adheete tam tam-anena
saadhayet || 11 ||
Benefits
of reciting the Hymns
Now for the benefits derived from
reading these hymns: The reader becomes one with Brahma. He attains all
happiness and is released from the five great sins. If one reads in the evening
one is absolved of the sins committed during the day, if read in the morning
the sins of the night are washed away, if read both times, one is totally
absolved of all sins, read anywhere one is freed from all obstacles, one
attains all the four goals in life Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha (nobility,
prosperity, fulfillment of wants and Liberation). One should not, however,
teach this to the unworthy student; if done so through infatuation, the teacher
will become a sinner. If one reads 1000 times, one achieves whatever one
desires.
Anena
ganapatim abhishinchati sa vaagmee bhavati | chaturthyaam-anasnan japati sa
vidyaavaan bhavati | ityatharvana-vaakyam | brahmaady-aavaranam vidyaanna bibheti kadaachaneti || 12 ||
The devotee who chants these mantras
fasting, becomes a master of speech, if
read on the 4th day from New Moon/Full Moon (Ganesha chaturthi day),
he becomes a great scholar and he knows no fear; never will he be.
Yoe doorvaangair–yajati sa vaisravanoepamoe
bhavati | Yoe laajair-yajati sa yasoevaan bhavati | sa medhaavaan bhavati | yoe
modaka-sahasrena yajati sa vancchita-phalam-avaapnoeti | yah saajya
samidbhir-yajati sa sarvam labhate sa sarvam labhate || 13 ||
He who worships with “doorva flowers
becomes equal to the lord of wealth (Kubera); the worshipper who uses puffed
rice in fire sacrifice (homa), becomes a man of fame and scholarship; if one
offers 1000 coconut-sugar mixed rice balls (modakas))in fire sacrifice
(homa), he obtains whatever he desires;
and one who uses ghee and fagots (samid)
in the fire sacrifice ((homa) he attains everything, everything indeed.
Ashtau braahmanaan samyag graahayitvaa
soorya-varchasvee bhavati | soorya-grahe mahaa-nadyaam pratimaasan-nidhau vaa
japtvaa siddha-mantroe bhavati | mahaa-vighnaat pramuchyate | mahaa-doshaat
pramuchyate | mahaa-pratyavaayaat pramuchyate | sa sarva-vit bhavati | ya evam
Veda | ity-upanishat || Om saantih, saantih, saantih || 14 ||
By teaching this (atharva) to eight
Brahmins properly, the scholar
glows like the Sun
; if Ganesa is propitiated by chanting the mantra, at the time of the
solar eclipse, by standing in a great river, one gets all the beneficial effects of the mantra; one gets
released from great obstacles; great defects/imperfections; and great sins. May there be peace from
internal disturbances, outside disturbance and disturbances from heavenly
bodies!
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