VEDA MANTRAS THAT PROMPTED HINDU UPANAYANA & UPAKARMA

VEDA MANTRAS THAT PROMPTED HINDU UPANAYANA & UPAKARMA

(Compilation for Discourse by N.R. SRINIVASAN, Nashville, TN, 

USA, April  2019)

Sraddhāṃ prātai havāmahe śraddhāṃ madhyandinaṃ pari | śraddhāṃ sūryasya nimruchi śraddhe śraddhāpayeha naḥ ||(Rigveda 10-121-4)

Faith in the early morning, Faith at noonday will we invocate, Faith at the setting of the Sun. O Faith, endow us with beliefs.

Sandhyaavandanam is a Nityakarma (daily ritual) prescribed by Hindu Sastras to all who have undergone Upanayana Samskaram and who are called Dwijas. It is Karmayoga, Bhaktiyoga and Jnaanayoga combined says Jagadguru Chndrasekharananda.  It unites the three paths of Karma, Devotion and Knowledge.

Sandhyaavandanam is the most important Nitya karma ordained by the scriptures for dvijas. Literally put, the karma refers to vandanam or salutations at the sandhyaa (meeting) time. Sandhyaa kaala occurs thrice a day - just before day break, noon and dusk.

Contrary to what many people think, "nitya karma" does not refer to daily karma, but to mandated karma. Again, contrary to common opinion, a "dvija" isn't just a Brahmana, but a person of any   Varna that has undergone specific samskaras (sacraments).

All the important mantras of Sandhyaavandana are found in various Upanishads and particularly in Mahanarayana Upanishad which is otherwise known as Yajniki Upanishad as it contains almost all ritual mantras used in Hindu worship. Also Kesavaadi Tarapana, Japa and Achamana are based on Paancharaatra Doctrine of Bhaagavata Tradition which has found favor with all later sectarian traditions. Some of these Veda and Puranic sources are given below:

There are references in the Veda  in  Second Prasna, Second Anuvaka of Taittareeya Aranyaka (Yajur Veda)  explaining procedures of worship by  offering "Arghya" (water in the palms of both hands being  thrown up), at the time of sunrise and sunset, meditating on Aditya (Sun).

Eesaavasya upanishad of Shukla Yajurveda also refers to Sun worship as above at sun rise and sunset in mantras 15 and 16.

Chandogya Upanishad says Aditya is Brahmapurusha and one may meditate upon Sun alone as Brahman.  It also    explains the importance of meditation of Sun or Aditya at sunrise   and sunset. Chapter 3, Section 12 of this Upanishad explains meditation of Aditya through Gayatri Sadrisyaanuroopa Vidya. It also explains that the sun in the horizon outside and the sun element inside us are one and the same and there is no difference and the identity should be kept in mind while meditating with the help of Gayatri Mantra. This is the meaning of "Asavadityoe Brahma" recited during Sandyavandanam there by meaning Brahman is within all of us.

Several mantras contained in Mahaanaaraayana Upanishad (MNU) formed the basis for Sandhyaavanadana  Prayer  Mantras   without prescribing Upanayana Samskara,  compiled by Smritis  later where these mantras along with Gayatree mantra are inducted during Upanayana—Aaachamana mantra (purifying lips with achyutaya namah);  Invocation of Gayatree (Aayaatu varadaa devee); Three types of Pranaayaama (Gayatree) Mantras and Upasthaana Mantra of Gayatree (Uttame sikhare devee) and expiation mantras for  the daily atonement   without prescribing Upakarma ritual. MNU also says the Supreme Power of Vishnu is signified by the names Rik, Yajus and Saaman; this trinity burns all sins and that resides resplendent in the Sun who should be meditated upon as Brahman.

Taittariya samhitha says: agnih poorvaroopam adityah uttara roopam--Agni is Suryadeva’s first part; Aditya is his later part. For morning Surya is the presiding deity; for night, Agni is the presiding deity (as prescribed in Sandhyavandana ritual)

Agnirjyotiragniswaahaa iti saayam juhoti sooryojyotisoorya swaahaa iti pratariti

Saayankaala is moksharoopa. When a man gets moksha, he gets into Saayam sandhya philosophy   and gets the real knowledge (Jnaana).  Therefore, Saayam Sandhya (evening prayer) is equally very important and has profound basis.

Sage Agasthya explains to Sri Rama, the merits of worshipping Aditya in Valmiki Ramayana Yuddhakanda. Aditya protects everyone, helps them in their duties, gives luster, removes ignorance and provides happiness. He is friend of water and resides in every living being.

In several places in our Vedas, Soorya is mentioned as the Atman and as the Paramatman. Mantras pregnant with the concept of this oneness have carefully been compiled by the rishi of   Mahanarayana Upanishad that our ancestors have handed down to us as Trikala Sandhya-vandana mantras. Whatever was left-over to be mentioned in respect of karma, upaasana (meditation) and Jnana (knowledge) after the recital of the Samhitas and Brahmanas is brought together in this Upanishad of which Sandhyopasana is considered most important.

Sandhyavandana is meant to be the quiet experience of this oneness of our Atma with the paramAtma in the form of the perceivable Surya. The mantra says it all - "asavAdityo brahma brahmaivahamasmi" - this Aditya is the Parabrahma and the Parabrahma is none other than me.

A popular story from Garuda Purana refers to Raakshasas named Mandheharunas who are driven away by way of Arghya oblation (throwing of water with both palms) during sandhyavandana as the weapons dvijas launch to suppress them until the next sandhyakala. While the literal meaning of the word mandeharuna is "the ones that dull aruna", the learned have also taught us to interpret this as "mama deha aruNa" or the aspects of our existence rife with ignorance - primarily Kama (desire) and Krodha (anger) that are focused in Upakarma ritual in Kamokarsheet yajna and Japa.

In sandhyavandana Surya and consequently the - Antaryami Paramatma - the indwelling lord, is praised with the Gayatri mantra.  Hindu scriptures say - "na gAyatryAh parO mantraha na mAtuh daivatam param" - there exists neither a mantra superior to the GAyatri, nor a deity superior to the mother. The most essential components of the sandhyaavandana are the arghya and the japa. The arghya is the offering of water, or of sand when water is unavailable. Japa is the meditation on the Gayatri itself. Pranayama practiced prior to the Gayatri japa is the regulation of the Prana, aimed at reigning the mind in to focus on the Gayatri japa.

We have to  appreciate the intent of the rishi of this Upanishad to have compiled all the  essential mantras of  sandhyaavandana from Vedas self-sufficient in terms of a daily upasana, by including into it other elements like prayers to other deities, nama japa etc. Sandhyavandana usually ends with the customary concluding mantra in Hindu prayers and rituals “kayena vachaa”

Ritualistic elements of sandhyaavandana are mostly preparatory rites. The pranayaama that precedes the japa, done properly and over time, should help with some noise cancellation. There aren't a whole lot of things internal to our body that we can continuously feel, experience or indulge in - Prana is unique and special. The japa is advised to be performed entirely in the mind without whispers or even lip movements. This detaches all muscular and physical participation of the body from the experience.

Another important aspect of the sandhyaavandana is that it should be a nishkaamya karma - one should not expect to benefit or gain from it. It must be executed as a duty and not weighed down by expectation of fruits - not even the fruit of calmness of the mind. This approach will lend a certain sense of freedom to the karma.

 Sandhyaavandanam is a complete and comprehensive form of entire Vedic wisdom condensed into a capsule form of ritual that can be finished in a short time. It has achamana, pranaayaama, marjana, tarpana, dhyana, mudra, mantra japa and namaskara. Sandhyavandanam when performed regularly, has the power to immensely aid any form of spiritual saadhana one takes. The three paadas of Gayatri represents the three Vedas. Since, Vedic study is not possible for everybody   at all times, it is made mandatory that one must chant the Gayatri mantra (if eligible) as it encapsulates the entire Vedic wisdom. Sandhyaavandanam is a Vedic ritual and performing it everyday aligns and underscores all our spiritual practices with the true spirit of Vedic wisdom.

There are 4 main components of Sandhyaavandana:

1. Gayathri Japa - this is the core of the ritual. It comprises of 5-10 min of meditating on a manthra (hymn) that Hindus consider very sacred. The manthra has a deep calming effect and sharpens the concentration for the following couple of hours.
2. Praanaayaaama - this is the breath control part of the exercise. Pranayama is said to have great health benefits and can greatly reduce stress. Each Sandhyavandana ritual has 13 pranayamas - 39 in total per day.
3. Achamaneyam & Tharpanam - this is the cleaning part of the ritual where we wash our hands and feet and take the water "ritually cleansed". Given a hot, humid tropical climate, our ancestors believed in periodic cleaning of the body. The constant handwashing involved in these rituals was probably related to ancient hygiene.
4. Upasthana Manthra - This is the part of the ritual where we "placate" the Vedic gods. In the morning, we address to "Mitra" - the god of oath & friendship, in the afternoon we address to "Surya" - Sun god and in the evening we address to "Varuna" - the god of water. The hymns are quite deep and pray for family and social peace. The afternoon upasthana mantras are especially deep and brings the essence of the Vedas (stressing on the happiness).

Apart from these 4, there are various small parts that address various gods that builds a "spiritual" bond in our inter-net.

The benefits of Sandhyavandana:

1. It brings down the stress levels - especially important in a chaotic India. The Pranayama & Gayathri Manthra to be performed in 6 hour intervals can indeed calm tempers.
2. Early morning and early evening times are most conducive for learning and children do their meditation before their studies to improve their concentration.
3. It stresses a lot on hygiene. The rituals have to be performed after bathing and has a lot of cleaning exercises. In a crowded, dirty nation, you cannot stress enough the importance of hygiene.
4. The hymns address various gods of nature and brings a certain appreciation for nature's beauty. Ardent practitioners face the early morning sun standing in a river and enjoy the divine joy of nature's bounty.
5. It brings a discipline in us. Having to do it 3 times day on specific periods builds a sort of rhythm.
6. It builds a bond between the elders and young guys in the home. In traditional households, the grandfathers, fathers, sons, uncles, cousins and brothers all perform the ritual at the same time and given the meanings of many mantras praying for family peace, it brings a sort of calmness to home.
7. It connects us to our ancient culture. It teaches about our great men of the past and how our ancestors performed the rituals. They always came together spoke together and prayed together --sanghacchadvam samvadadvam; sahanavavatu sahanaubhunaktu

Sriman Madhvacharya informs us that “there are many things mandated in shastras but it is impossible for us to perform all those because of many reason like one don’t have time / money eligibility etc. GOD forgives all those but will not forgive if one does not perform Sandhyaa-vandana.  Shastra inform us that not doing Sandhyaavandana one loses his Dwija status.    

Safeguarding Dwija status   is achieved by performing Sandhyaavandana with lot of shraddha  and bhakti. One has to perform Sandhyaavandana first and then learn shastrokta pooja paddhati from father or guru and then perform the same as prescribed in shastra.  Doing this we please the LORD and then he will accept the same from us.  Few people think that we will do all this in our next birth and postpone it indefinitely.      

Whatever important work we  may have, whatever problems we  may have we should not forget in rendering our thankfulness to LORD and it can only be achieved by doing Sandhyaavandana. You do or do not do other rituals but don’t forget to perform Sadhyavandna. Lord will ignore everything if we perform this and excuse us from other things.

Sandhyaavandana has many parts and within that Arghyapradana and Gyatri japa are most important. To perform this one has to perform many anga and upa-anga like pranayama / marjana / papa purusha visarjana / upasthana / dig namaskara etc. Doing only the important thing is not enough but we need to perform all anga and upanga to complete the ritual. The main agenda of performing Sandhyaavandna is rendering Kritagnata (gratitude) to LORD. Kritagna means One who remembers even smallest of good deeds. Kritagnata also means which is beholden grateful / indebted / thankful. Not performing this we will render our kaRataghnata [unthankful/thanklessness]. In simple words rendering krutagnata towards lord will gain us punya and rendering kaRataghnata will gain us papa. Lord has done ananta upakara on us and it is our bounded duty to render our thankfulness to lord by performing Sandhyavandana. 

Especially for the improvement of Buddhi / Prajna performing Gayatri japa is very mandatory. Doing this will bring peace in house. One gets rid of many ailments. Ailments like heart disease can also be cured by this and it has been scientifically proved and accepted by many scientists around the world. If one does Gayatri japa according to shastriya paddhati then he will get good benefits out of it. By doing this we get jnana / bhakti vairagya and it improves by many folds by continuously doing it daily. Not one or two there are many advantages and benefits which we will get by performing Gayatri Japa daily. Japa means nothing but directly talking with GOD. Listening to our problems HE will provide quicker solution for them. So bottom line is whatever you do or don’t do perform Sandhyavandana without fail”.

Madhvacharya’s above advice is directed to Dwijas based on the caste   system then and of  today and are  also based on Grihyasutra  and Agama  mandates  for those who have  undergone Upanayana Samskara and wearing holy threads. But all the essential Veda mantras of Sandhyaavandana are found in Mahanarayana   Upanishad and therefore not confined to only male Dwijas. In Early Vedic culture   none got Dwija status automatically by birth but had to earn by one’s own effort and that included women also. Who does not need Repentance, self-purification (achamana), Expiation (prayaschitta), Prayer (dhyana), Japa (meditation) and Nyasa (Renunciation) and Submission (Saranagati).   

These are what the Agama based Upanayana and Upakarma Mantras direct Dwijas that are again borrowed only from Upanishads.  Upanishads are open to all and benefit all who study and follow their teaching.  It calls for clean heart and clear mind to seek a Guru and get inducted to Svadhyaaya (self-study) and derive the benefit by spiritual enlightenment. Even in modern times we have come across many Azhwars, Nayanmars and Gurus like David Frawley, Velansamy Karunamayi, Saibaba and many others who are Vedantins who are not Brahmins by birth and have not gone through the showmanship of Upanayana and boast as dvijas.  In this I do not include all Brahmins and at the same time realize the vanishing caste system in migrant countries   like USA, Canada etc. They should know how to be guided by the wisdom of Vedas and Upanishads. Are we not aware of Vedic scholars like Max Mueller, Hans Heinrich, Schopenhauer, Phil Goldberg and others to whose writings we approach for understanding Vedas with our limited knowledge of Sanskrit or its absence?

Please go through the “Veda Mantras in Mahanarayana Upanishad that Gave Birth to Upanayana Samskara &  Sandhyavandana and Upakarma Rituals”  with full explanation of all Mantras as compiled and benefit yourself in appropriate manner.

Excerpts from Mahanarayana Upanishad by Swami Vimalananda

Mantras to chant while taking dip in water

atyāśanādatīpānād yacca ugrāt pratigrahāt |tanme varuṇo rājā pāṇinā hyavamarśatu  |
so'hamapāpo virajo nirmukto muktakilbiṣaḥ | nākasya pṛṣṭhamāruhya gacched brahma salokatām  ||

May the King Varuṇa efface by his hand whatever sin I have incurred by unlawful eating, unlawful drinking and accepting gifts from an unlawful person.

Thus being sinless, stainless and unbound by evil and bondage; may I ascend to the happy heaven and enjoy equality of status with Brahman!

Commentary:

It is the duty of a religious man to eat and drink only after having performed his daily devotions which consist in the worship of gods, ancestors and men duly with oblations. If he attended to his own physical needs of nourishment before dis­charging this religious duty it is considered unlawful.

So also a religious man must be careful about right livelihood. He should not accept wealth or articles of necessity from any person whose earnings are not approved by scriptural regulations.

If under straitened circumstances he is exposed to the sin resulting from the transgression of the rule in these res­pects, he ought to expiate it by this penitent prayer to Varuṇa.

The goal of the aspirant is to become god-like in the highest heaven. For him, life on this earth, therefore, must be an effort for freedom from sin and attainment of purity. The bondage which is often spoken of in this context comprises not only in the commission of sins forbidden by the śastras and omission of enjoined duties, but also the sins of temper and passion as stressed in the first half of mantra 60.

yaścāpsu varuṇaḥ sa punātvaghamarṣaṇaḥ |

May the sin-effacing Varuṇa who dwells in other sources of water like rivers, tanks, and wells also purify us! (This short mantra is evidently a supplement to the previ­ous one.)

imaṁ me gaṅge yamune sarasvati śutudri stomaɱ sacatā paruṣṇiyā | asiknia marudvṛdhe vitastayārjīkīye śṛṇuhyā suṣomayā  ||

O Ganga, O Yamuna, O Sarasvatī, O Śutudrī, O Marudvṛidhā, O Ārjīkīyā, come together and listen to this hymn of mine along with Paruṣṇī,  Asiknī, Vitastā and Suṣomā.

Commentary:

To the Vedic seers the great rivers men­tioned here represented Divinity. They often expressed their devotion and gratitude to these life-sustaining and purifying rivers by proper invocations. Their descendants even when they had emigrated from the banks of those rivers prayed to the river goddesses to be present in any water which they used for their daily needs and worship. With the simplicity of a guileless child they prayed to these liquid divinities to be present in their own bodies through the connection of water which they used. They also entreated them to purify their bodies and minds and to vouchsafe them safety and welfare.

Students of Indian history find here the names of those rivers on the banks of which the Rig-Vedic people settled at a very remote period. They identify Suṣomā with Sohān, Vitastā with Jhelum, Asiknī with Chenab, Marudvṛidhā with Maruwārdwān, Paruṣṇī with Rabi and Śutudrī with Sutlej. – These all are rivers in North India, Punjab state and present day Pakistan’s territories.

Present day pundits use the sloka: Gange cha Yamuna chaiva Godavari Sarsvati | Narmadaa Sindhu Kaveree jalesmin sannidhim kuru ||

The prayer purports to be a means of self-purification. According to the dharma śāstras these mantras may also be repeated for the expiation of sins (Prāyaśchitta), besides their use during bath.

Although Hindu religion has accepted the idea of the creation of the universe in general, there is a marked difference between the Hindu view of creation and the Christian view of it.  Hinduism declares that each creationistic cycle is a counterpart of the previous one similar in order and categories created for the benefit of individual souls.

āpo hi ṣṭhā mayobhuvastā na ūrje dadhātana| mahe raṇāya chakṣase | yo vaḥ śivatamo rasas tasya bhājayate aha naḥ |  usateeriva maatarah  tasmaa aram gamaama vo yasya kshayaaya jinvatha |aapo janyathaa cha nah ||

O waters, verily you are bliss-conferring! Being such, grant us food, and great and beautiful insight (of the Supreme Truth)! Further, make us in this very life participators of that joy of yours which is most auspicious, just like fond mothers (who nurse their darlings with nourishment)! May we attain to that satisfactory abode of yours which you are pleased to grant us! Generate for us also the waters of life and pleasures on earth (during our sojourn here)!

Commentary: These three Rigveda verses, reproduced here from Taittirīya Saṁhitā IV 1-5, rank among the important prayers addressed to the Divine Being in connection with the twilight devotions and other acts of worship.

These are repeated also for the cere­monious regeneration of oneself by prokṣana (sanctification by water sprinkle) or holy asper­sion.

The deity extolled in these passages is water which is not merely the essential liquid element that sustains life but the Supreme Reality. No doubt, the liquid element is supremely important as the giver of food, happiness and the sustenance, which is necessary for higher insight and achievement. The qualifying words used here, however, serve also as signs to infer the Supreme Truth or Brahman.

The word mayaḥ in the Vedic means bliss, and unlimited bliss is Brahman only. The immediate intuition of Brahman alone deserves to be called the great and beautiful vision.

The term rasa in the Upaniṣad is expressive of the bliss of Brahman, and here it is described as most auspicious. The homely analogy of the fond mother nourishing her children applies to Divine Providence ever solicitous for the welfare of created beings. Ordinary water required for the sustenance of life has its home or source in Brahman and so here the cause and the effect are described as identical.

In substance, there­fore, this is a prayer addressed to the Supreme Being by the needy man who has been awakened to the necessity of worship, entreating for food and sustenance for body, mind and spirit, and for imperishable bliss.

To the pious Hindu the universal liquid element is not merely an essential of life but also the visible and tangible divinity available at hand for worship and self-purification.

Therefore the tendency to think of water solely as a chemical substance, to defile it wantonly and to waste it when living beings are in need of it deserves to be treated as sin against God Himself.

Regarding this the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka I 26-7 states: Let not a person neither spit, urinate, or defecate in water, nor bathe unclad. Let him not eat any part of the tortoise or fish. Then no aquatic creature will hurt him and water will be auspicious:

Naapsu mootrapureesham kuryaat| na nishtheevet| na vivasanah sraayaat…..na koormsasyaasneeyaat nodakasya aghaatukaanyenamodakasya bhavanti | aghaatukaah aapah

I take refuge in Varuṇa, who is of golden luster or who has a golden diadem! O Varuṇa,  being entreated by me, grant me the saving grace! For I have enjoyed what belongs to bad people and accepted gift from sinners.

Commentary:

This mantra and the following one are addressed to Varuṇa, the regent of the waters, during the plunge bath. Varuṇa is prayed for a proper bathing place and for the saving religious merit that accrues from a holy bath. If a person is compelled by the force of circumstances to accept necessaries of life from wrong and sinful persons (like Daksahina), expiation for such transgression of the scrip­tural rule is required through the performance of purification acts.

The high moral tone evident in the mantra mobilizes common sentiment against cooperation with sin and wicked­ness in any form:

  

yanme manasā vāchā karmaṇā vā duṣkṛtaṁ kṛtam | tanna indro varuṇo bṛhaspatiḥ savitā cha punantu punaḥ  ||

May Indra, Varuṇa, Bṛhaspati and Sāvitrī completely destroy that sin committed by me and my people in thought, word and act! (This too is a mantra repeated along with the previous one during bath).

So aham apaapo virajo nirmukto muktakilbishah | naakasya prishthamaaruhya gacchet brahma salokatam ||

May I, whose sin is wiped out by you, becoming sinless, freed from the quality of Rajas, freed from the defect of Rajas of the mind, being freed from all defects go to the world of Brahman climbing the region of heaven!

Mantrasa  for Prokshna  (spray sanctifying body)

āpaḥ punantu pṛthivīṁ pṛthivī pūtā punātu mām |punantu brahmaṇaspatirbrahmapūtā punātu mām ||  yaducchiṣṭamabhojyaṁ yadvā duścaritaṁ mama | sarvaṁ punantu māmāpo'satāṁ ca pratigrahaɱ svāhā || 

May this water cleanse my physical body that is made of earthy substances! Thus purified, may the earthy body purify me, the Soul within! May this water purify the guardian of the Vedas, my preceptor! May the purified Vedas taught by the purified teacher purify me! (Or may the Supreme purify me! May the water purified by the Supreme purify me) My defilement, repast on prohibited food and misconduct if any, and the sin accruing from the acceptance of gifts from persons disapproved by the scripture—from all these may I be absolved! May the waters purify me! Hail!

Commentary:

These   two mantras supply   the formulas employed for purifying ceremoniously a quantity of water taken through the mouth as a part of the midday devotion and also for ācamana during bath.

Here again the water stands for both, the element and the Deity. Intoning this mantra the twice-born drinks little water in the prescribed form with the following ideas in mind:

May I become fit to enjoy the bliss of liberation here in this life through the realization of the Supreme.  For that may I receive instruction, and practice reflection and contemplation upon the final teachings of the Vedas with my mind and body cleansed of ail impurities and sins.

The prayer in the text is built up by a number of clauses: The importance of physical purity comes first. Water purifies the human body which is perpetually rendered unclean by exudations. A clean body is an aid for a pure mind.

The second stanza is both a prayer and an expiation for transgressions of the individual and collectivity. Scrupulous avoidance of offences against the accepted code of religious conduct is possible only for the thoughtful and the painstaking aspirants. Consciousness of the intrusion of sin necessitates such a penitent prayer as this.

Food defiled by others by intention or by contact is unfit for sacramental worship. In peril one may be compelled to take unclean food. The man behind the gift exerts an influence over the enjoyer of it, often in an invisible manner. Hence religious people who insist in right living do not welcome gifts from disapproved people.

Life is beset with these and many other offences against holy regulations and so daily expiations and resolutions are provided in the routine of devotion.

 Expiation Mantras

agniśca mā manyuśca manyupatayaśca manyukṛtebhyaḥ |
pāpebhyo rakṣantām | yadahnā pāpamakārṣam |
manasā vācā hastābhyām | padbhyāmudareṇa śiśnā |
ahastadavalimpatu | yatkiñca duritaṁ mayi | idamahaṁ
māmamṛtayonī | satye jyotiṣi juhomi svāhā || 1||

May Fire, Anger and Guardians of anger guard me from the sins resulting from anger! May the Day efface completely whatever sin I have committed on this day by thought, word, hands, feet, stomach and the procreative organ! Further, whatever sinful deed has been committed by me, all that and myself I offer as an oblation into the Self-luminous Truth, the source of Immortality! Hail!

Commentary:

Similar to the previous Section this one also is employed for praying over the purificatory water that is taken in as part of daily evening devotion, which serves for expiation of sins.

Manyu is a Deity found mentioned in the Vedas. The meaning given is “longing fervor”— as Bhaṭṭabhāskara puts it.

From this meaning, by restriction, we get the sense of anger towards one’s enemies- including internal foes like craving, rage, covetousness and passion.

The guardians of Manyu are the senses and energies of man. Man’s passions are his misfortunes. Just as the home is protected from thieves and burglars by placing proper guard so a man has to protect himself from sinful acts perpetrated through his enslavement to the passions and pleasures of the senses.

Every act of devotion is an act of weeding and sowing. The mind has to be cleansed of possible sins and planted with thoughts of purity and holy resolutions.

During the evening twilight-devotion offences of the day are burnt in the fire of divine contemplation. The list of sins given here, though fairly comprehensive, may be considered only as illustrative.

A pure mind is at the root of all spiritual progress. Wrong and sinful emotions and feelings stain the mind. Control of mind implies controlling and directing of one’s acts in proper and approved way.

All day-dreaming’s based on personal hurts and satisfaction are therefore to be shunned as sin and repented for.

Sins are committed by words in the shape of lying, swearing, tattling, disparaging and bantering. Aimless and hurtful activities are consciously or unconsciously performed by the hand. The feet are responsible for gadding about and walking over places where one ought not to go. The belly offends by taking in wrong food. Un-chastity is a sin for which the procreative organ is held responsible. All the senses are to be carefully guarded.

Without fear of sin no man can tread the right path and human nature is prone to all these weaknesses.

As a preventive and cure for these foibles the aspirant during his evening devotions contemplates daily upon the Supreme Truth—The Shining Reality within himself.

He forgets at least for the time being his lower human nature as it were. Daily repetition of this process finally burns away all the dross in him and makes him pure and divine. That is the purpose of this and similar other mantras recited in this context.

sūryaśca mā manyuśca manyupatayaśca manyukṛtebhyaḥ | pāpebhyo rakṣantām | yadrātriyā pāpamakārṣam | manasā vācā hastābhyām | padbhyāmudareṇa śiśnā | rātristadavalumpatu | yatkiñca duritaṁ mayi | iadamahaṁ māmamṛtayonī | sūrye jyotiṣi svāhā || 1 ||

May the Sun, Anger and the Guardians of anger guard me from the sins resulting from anger! May the Night efface completely whatever sin I have committed during the last night by thought, word, hands, feet, stomach and the procreative organ! Further, whatever sinful deed has been committed by me, all that and myself I offer as an oblation into the Supreme Light represented by the sun, the source of Immortality! Hail!

Commentary:

This mantra serves the same purpose as the one described in the previous two mantras. The only difference is that this is employed during the performance of the morning twilight devotion of the twice-born.

Traditionally Sūrya is here interpreted as the Supreme, represented by the Sun. Even the word rātri is interpreted to denote the Supreme Being— rā means to give and trai means to protect, that is to say, the protector of the universe who confers the Puruṣārthas to the devotees.

This Section vanes from the previous one only by the substitution of 2 words —sūrya and rātri.

Significance of OM

omityekākṣaraṁ brahma | agnirdevatā brahma ityārṣam | gāyatraṁ chandaṁ paramātmaṁ sarūpam | sāyujyaṁ viniyogam || 

The one syllable ‘Om’ is Brahman. Agni is its Deity. Its Ṛṣi also is Brahman. Its meter is Gāyatrī. Its use is for the union with Paramātman who exists as the manifold universe.

Commentary:

The purpose of the passage is to inform us that the very form of the syllable ‘Om’ is Brahman, that what is denoted by it is also Brahman, here named as Agni, that its Ṛṣi is Brahman, that its meter is Gāyatrī, and that its use is to aid an aspirant to realize his union with the Supreme.

Inviting Gayatri divinity

āyātu varadā devī akṣaraṁ brahma saṁmitam |
gāyatrī chandasāṁ mātedaṁ brahma juṣasva naḥ || 

May the boon-conferring divine Gāyatrī come to us (in order to instruct us about) the imperishable Brahman who is determined by the Vedanta! May Gāyatrī, the mother of meters, favor us with the Supreme just mentioned!

Commentary:

This is the Gāyatrī invocation used in the twilight –devotions. The instruction on the Supreme is mainly conveyed through Prāṇava and Gāyatrī.

Here, therefore, a prayer is addressed to Gāyatrī, the Deity denoted by the verse, requesting her to visit the devotee and favor him with the intuition of the Supreme Brahman—the last word of the Vedas and the final purpose of religious righteousness taught in it.

We note as part of the Vedic faith inspired by the Kena Upaniṣad that Brahmāvidyā is acquired through the grace of the Divine Mother, there named as Umā, and here as Gāyatrī.

The alternative interpretation of the verse, which is given by Bhaṭṭabhāskara, in English would read —

May the boon-giving Deity of Gayatri come to us O Devi, mother of meters, deign to accept this prayer of ours in Gāyatrī meter, which is similar to the imperishable Brahman of greatness.

yadahnātkurute pāpaṁ tadahnātpratimucyate | yadrātriyātkurute pāpaṁ tadrātriyat-pratimuchyate | sarvavarṇe mahādevi sandhyāvidye sarasvati   

O thou who art the source of all letters, O thou the great Deity, O thou the object of meditation at twilight, O thou Sarasvatī, may thy devotee be liberated from the sin, which he commits during the day, by the same day and the sin, which he commits during the night, by the same night.

Prayer

yo vedādau svaraḥ prokto vedānte ca pratiṣṭhitaḥ | tasya prakṛtilīnasya yaḥ paraḥ  sa mahesvarah ||

He is the Supreme Lord who transcends the syllable Om which is uttered at the commence­ment of the recital of the Vedas, which is well established in the Upaniṣads and which is dis­solved in the primal cause during contemplation.

Commentary:

This mantra describes the Reality mentioned in the previous stanza as the sorrow-less ether in the heart.

The Prāṇava is the symbol and the representation of the Supreme and so the source and substance of the Vedas and the Upaniṣads.

The aspirant is advised to meditate on the three elements of Prāṇava --a, u and m representing Virāt, Hiraṇyagarbha and Avyakrta (material, mental and causal aspects of the universe).

By this meditation the grosser principle is refunded to its subtle cause, so Virāt is dissolved in Hiraṇyagarbha and Hiraṇyagarbha in Prakṛti. Beyond Prakṛti, the causal principle, is the Supreme, corresponding to the nada or the intangible reverberation, which continues forever when the three syllables of the Prāṇava are uttered in succession and their physical sound has subsided.

  

Ojo'si saho'si balamasi bhrājo'si devānāṁ dhāmanāmāsi |viśvamasi viśvāyuaḥ sarvamasi sarvāyurabhibhūroṁ gāyatrīmāvāhayāmi| sāvitrīmāvāhayāmi sarasvatīmāvāhayāmi chandarhīn- āvāhayāmi | śriyamāvāhayāmi gāyatriyā gāyatrī chando Viśvāmitra ṛṣiḥ |
savitā devatāgnirmukhaṁ brahmā śiro viṣṇuhṛdayaɱ rudraḥ śikhā | pṛthivī yoniḥ prāṇāpānavyānodānasmānā saprāṇā śvetavarṇā sāṁkhyāyanasagotrā gāyatrī caturviṁśatyakṣarā tripadā ṣṭkukṣiḥ pañcaśīrṣopanayane viniyogaḥ || 

O Gāyatrī, Thou art the essence of strength! Thou art patience, or the subduing power! Thou art physical capacity! Thou art splendor! Thou art the abode of gods and their name! Thou art the insentient universe! Thou art the full span of life or the Lord of all! Thou art every living thing! Thou art the life span of all! Thou art the vanquisher of all that is hostile to us! Thou art the Truth denoted by the Prāṇava!

I invoke Gāyatrī, (into my heart)! I invoke Sāvitrī! I invoke Sarasvatī! I invoke the meters, the Ṛṣis (and the gods)! I invoke the splendor (of all the gods)!

Of Gāyatrī the meter is Gāyatrī, the Ṛṣi is Viśvāmitra and the Deity is Sāvitrī.

Fire represents the mouth; the four-faced Brahma, the head; Viṣṇu, the heart, Rudra, the crown- hair, Earth, the source; the m-breath, the out- breath, the diffused breath, the up-breath and the middle breath, the breath. Gāyatrī is fair in hue and is of the same family as Paramātman attained by the Sānkhyas—the illumined sages.

The deity Gāyatrī (explained further as a formula) has twenty-four syllables, comprised in three feet, six sheaths or cavities and five heads. It is employed in Upanayana, or initiation into Vedic studentship.

Commentary:

Along with the previous stanza this section is also employed for invoking Gāyatrī in the heart of the worshipper.

 The Vājasaneyins use this Section for the invocation of Gāyatrī instead of the verses beginning with Āyātu varadā devī of the immediately preceding Section.

Worship implies a relation between the worshipper and the object of worship, and also a felt need and a suitable attitude in the worshipper which he naturally and genuinely adopts.

The apparent limitations and imperfections, as well as the consciousness of sin and impurity incidental to his inherited nature as described in the preceding Sections, engender in the mind of the worshipper the need for invoking the grace of the Supreme in the shape of Gāyatrī to retrieve his own true divine nature which had been temporality eclipsed by the life of the world.

Gravitational flow of water takes place only to a low ground. Similarly only a person who is humble, penitent and eager for purity and freedom can receive the divine glory in its unsullied splendor.

Such an aspiring soul looks to the Divine for all its needs and exclaims “Thou art my strength, Thou art my power, Thou art my glory, Thou art my all”.

So here Gāyatrī conceived as non-different from Brahman is eulogised as the various excellences and attributes listed above.

It has been already noted that Gāyatrī is also known as Sāvitrī and Sarasvatī. The Supreme Being as the Indweller and impeller of all Creation is known as Savitri and hence the passage in praise of Him is called Savitri.

The Vedas are represented as a lake which gives the waters of life and hence Gāyatrī, as the essence of the Vedas, is called Sarasvatī. These two terms magnify Gāyatrī as the object of worship.

Traditionally Gāyatrī is the name given to That Deity in the forenoon, Sāvitrī in the midday and Sarasvatī in the evening. Gāyatrī is explained as that which protects the person who chants it from the various sins. The epithet Sāvitrī is given because it represents Savitri, who illumines the creation; and Sarasvatī because in that aspect it expresses the world in the shape of speech.

These three are also represented as Brahma, Rudra and Viṣṇu as well as red, white and black.

Whatever may be the details of worship, the Supreme is worshipped through the Gāyatrī.

The principal part of this devotion consists in the meditation of Gāyatrī in the orb of the sun, visualized in one's own heart as non-different from Paramātman. The ritualistic details are secondary.

The Mahābhārata states that during the Kurukṣettra war, Yudhisṭhīra and other leaders did the twilight meditation at the appropriate time without retiring from the battle field for the performance of detailed rituals.

Being the essence of all mantras, Gāyatrī embodies in it mystically all the meters, all the Ṛṣis, all the gods as well as their splendor. So by the invocation of Gāyatrī all these are invoked within oneself. No mantra is fit for employment in religious acts unless the meter, the deity and the seer are also remembered. So Gāyatrī, Viśvāmitra and Savitri are next mentioned.

Then the formula of Gāyatrī is personified for meditation —Agṇi, the first of Gods, is the mouth, Brahma the first-born is the head, Viṣṇu is the heart and Rudra is the śikhā or flame causing the final dissolution (or what is placed at the top of all).

The earth is the Yoni, i.e. the source, and the winds, the breath. Fairness in hue is indicative of the highest purity. The knowledge of family is necessary to assess the greatness of an individual and it is explained that Gāyatrī is of the same Gotra as Brahman.

The form of Gāyatrī mantra is then described:

It has 3 feet of 8 syllables each, 6 sheaths or auxiliaries to the Vedas which protect the Vedas represented by Gāyatrī like a sheath, 5 heads consisting of 4 Vedas and Itihāsa and Purāṇa known as fifth Veda.

These details about Gāyatrī are recited before a boy is initiated into studentship and Gāyatrī is instructed.

Gaytri Mantra for Meditation

auṁ bhūḥ | auṁ bhuvaḥ | auɱ suvaḥ | auṁ mahaḥ |auṁ janaḥ | auṁ tapaḥ | auɱ satyam |
auṁ tatsaviturvareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya dhīmahi | dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt | omāpo jyotī raso'mṛtaṁ brahma bhūrbhuvaḥ suvarom || 

Om Earth! Om Sky! Om Heaven! Om Middle Region!! Om Place of Birth! Om Mansion of the Blessed! Om Abode of Truth. Om may we meditate on the Adorable Light of that Divine Generator who quickens our understandings! Om He is water, light, flavor, ambrosia and also the three worlds! He who is denoted by Prāṇava is all these!

Commentary:

This is the longest Mantra

This passage gives the mantras employed for mental repetition and concentration during the performance of Prāṇāyāma. Four elements namely, Prāṇava, Vyāhṛtis, Gāyatrī and Gāyatri-Śiras make up the whole unit.

According to Manu this composite formula is to be mentally repeated clearly and attentively thrice while the breath is retained within. During the retention of the breath the nostrils are closed with the thumb and the little and the ring fingers.

The seven Vyāhṛtis denote the seven worlds created by Brahma, by uttering them in the beginning, and the first three of them are called Maha- Vyāhṛtis.

Prāṇava is added to each of them to point out that each Vyāhṛti independently also stands for the Supreme. After the seven Vyāhṛtis the Gāyatrī mantra follows them, headed by another Prāṇava, which again implies that the Supreme alone is denoted by the Gāyatrī mantra.

This is succeeded by Gāyatrī-Śiras bracketed by the Prāṇavas in the beginning and the end. Gāyatrī coming in the middle is the fundamental element and the rest are auxiliaries thereof.

When a person performs the prāṇāyāma and concentrates his thought on this mantra, the latent spiritual tendencies in the depth of his being are awakened and he becomes fit for communion with the Supreme Reality and eventually he realizes the spiritual goal.

The meters associated with the seven Vyāhṛtis are Gāyatrī, Uṣṇik, Anuṣṭubh, Brihati, paṅkti, triṣṭub, and jagatī and their deities are Agṇi, Vāyu, Surya, Bṛhaspati, Varuṇa, Indra and Viśvadevas respectively. Prajāpati is then Ṛṣi.

Gāyatrīśiras consisting of sixteen syllables is called so because it forms as if it were the head of the formula.

Prajāpati is its Ṛṣi, Anuṣṭubh is the metre and Brahma, Agṇi and Vāyu are the deities.

It has been mentioned that the Gāyatrī is employed during the performance of japa, homa and dhyāna. Until one is purified by the practice of prāṇāyāma he is not ready for japa. Hence the importance of the formula given here for the practice of prāṇāyāma.

The prāṇāyāma which is performed during the twilight devotions differs from the one advocated by Patañjali for the practice of yoga:

In the former the retention period alone is measured by the formula given here. In the latter case breathing in, holding the breath within and breathing out are appropriately measured.

There is a considerable literature explaining the meaning of Gāyatrī towards which all the great ācāryas have made then contribution.

The word tat qualifying Savitri makes it clear that the visible prime luminary of the heavens is only a representation of the Godhead who is referred to here as immanent in all creatures and also transcendent.

He is Savitri because He is the cause of the universe and He animates and impels all that exists. He is deva because He is self-luminous, and all other light, whether intellectual or physical, is a loan from Him. The devotee meditates upon His Bhargā, light, for the attainment of all the fourfold values of life.

The term Bhargā is derived from the root meaning to roast or to burn. It, therefore, implies not only the radiant light but also the heat which destroys the root of ignorance and misery which bars one from the attainment of the Supreme.

Hence this Divine Light is eagerly sought after by all who seek release from the round of birth and death.

A man’s mental activities elevate him if and when they are under the influence of divine operation. Hence in this line the devotee’s longing is expressed that the Supreme should guide his mind towards the performance of religious duty, selfless devotion to God and the highest illumination.The shorter version gives two alternatives.

Om bhurbhuvah  suvarmaharjanastapah satyam tadbrahma tadaapa aapojyotee raso-amritam brahma bhoorbhuvah suvarom ||

Comments:

The first one differs from the Gaayatrisiras only by the prefixing of the pranava and vyahritis and by substituting Savitar for tat brahma

Here is the shortest:

Auṁ tadbrahma | auṁ tadvāyuaḥ | auṁ tadātmā | auṁ tatsatyam | auṁ tatsarvam | auṁ tat purornamaḥ || 

Om that is Brahman. Om that is Vāyu. Om that is the finite self. Om that is the Supreme Truth. Om that is all. Om that is the multitude of citadels (the bodies of creatures). Salutations to Him!

Commentary:

Here this formula and the immediately succeeding one are given for japa to be performed in order to remove all one’s sins.

In the other place this formula is given as a substitute for Gāyatrī together with its subsidiaries given for mental repetition when a person performs prāṇāyāma.

Both Bhaṭṭabhāskara and Sāyana explain the mantra adopting two philosophical view-points:

The syllable Om commencing each phrase announces that the passage is meant for magnifying Paramātman, and also for emphasizing His all-pervasive and all-inclusive nature.

According to Bhaṭṭabhāskara, Brahma here stands for expanding Prakṛti, which is but a mode of Brahman, Vāyu stands for the power of the Supreme perceptible as universal movement, Ātman for the individual self, and the word Sarva stresses the all-creating nature of the Supreme.

He takes the term puru in the sense of great or strong and explains namaḥ as namana or transformation, and so the phrase purornamaḥ is explained as the transformation of the universe into the shape which is powerful—or as the transformation of the Supreme Reality as Parāśaktī into the form of the universe.

Sāyana interprets Vāyu as Hiraṇyagarbha or Sūtrātman embodying the power of knowledge and activity inherent in the universe, and Ātman as the individual soul—both being derived from the Supreme.

He accepts the reading puro namaḥ and explains puraḥ as the nominative plural of pūḥ meaning a walled city, to which the gross and subtle body of creatures are often compared in the scriptures.

In the view of Sāyana, three alternative measures of breath are used in the act of prāṇāyāma according to the breathing capacity of individual aspirants.

Gayatri Visarjaa (biddig farewell) Mantra

uttame śikhare devi jāte bhūmyāṁ parvatamūrdhani | brāhmaṇebhyo
'bhyanujñātā gaccha devi yathāsukham ||

O Goddess, Thou may go and remain at Thy pleasure on the highest and holiest peak on the earth, or in any high place until the brāhmaṇas remember Thee again.

Commentary:

This stanza and the succeeding one are repeated at the close of twilight devotions for the dismissal of Gāyatrī.

According to Sāyana the abode of Gāyatrī from where she is summoned is on the highest peak of the mountain called Meru on the earth.

Whereas Bhaṭṭabhāskara appears to understand the various epithets in the first line as places where Gāyatrī is at liberty to be until She is summoned further.

stuto mayā varadā vedamātā prachodayantī pavane dvijātā |āyuḥ pṛthivyāṁ draviṇaṁ brahma varcasaṁ mahyaṁ datvā prajātuṁ brahmalokam ||

May the boon-conferring Mother of the Vedas, who has been magnified by me, who impels the created beings like wind and who has two places of birth, depart to the excellently produced world of Brahman, having conferred on me, here on the earth, long life, wealth and power of Vedic learning.

Commentary:

It is believed that the residence of Gāyatrī is both Brahmaloka and the orb of the sun as suggested by the word dvijātā. The passage, however, directly indicates Brahmaloka as the place to which Gāyatrī devī returns.

The Atharvaveda XIX 71 1 gives a similar form of the mantra as follows:

This is blemishless. Pāvamāna is the Indwelling Divine Spirit. Gāyatrī extols His glory, further Gāyatrī is the Mother of the Vedas or the Vedas are represented by Her.

The seer here prays for the fruits of the devotion properly performed for everyone including himself:

“May Gāyatrī, the Vedamātā, who glorifies the Supreme Reality, having been invoked by me during the worship grant me and all the twice-born, longevity, life, progeny, cattle, renown, wealth and splendor of  spirituality.

After giving these, may Gāyatrī go back to the Supreme Brahman from whom She arose.”

Concluding Prayers

oṁ antaścharati bhūteṣu guhāyāṁ viśvamūrtiṣu | tvaṁ yajñastvaṁ vaṣaṭkārastvam indrastvaɱ rudrastvaṁ viṣṇustvaṁ brahma tvaṁ prajāpatiḥ | tvaṁ tadāpa āpo jyotī raso'mṛtaṁ brahma bhūrbhuvaḥ suvarom ||

That Supreme Being moves inside the heart of created beings possessing manifold forms. O Supreme, Thou art the sacrifice, Thou art the expression Vaṣaṭ, Thou art Indra, Thou art Rudra, Thou art Brahma, Thou art Prajāpati, Thou art That, Thou art the water in the rivers and the ocean, Thou art the sun, Thou art flavor, Thou art ambrosia, Thou art the body of the Vedas, Thou art the threefold world and Thou art Om.

Commentary:

The first line here announces that the Supreme described above is hidden in the hearts of all created beings, in the various shapes and the fauna and flora of the world.

In the next, the worshipper directly addresses the Supreme and exclaims: Thou art the sacrifice etc.

Words like Vaṣat, Svāhā, Svadhā, and Hanta are employed, as specified before, while making offerings to gods, manes and men.

Great gods like Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, the progenitor of mankind, sacrifices and formulas, of offering, water and light, and other facts of the world are indiscriminately collected here and asserted to be one with the Supreme. The worshipper thereby thinks that there is nothing other than the Supreme and that everything has its value derived from the Supreme.

According to Sāyana, this mantra is employed for the contemplative worship of the Supreme after Gāyatrī-visarjana connected with the twilight-devotion.

Tripadaa--three steps (paadas) of Gayatri

I.   Om (01) tat (02) sa (03) vi (04) tur (05) va (06) re (07) nyam ( 08)

II.  Bhar (09) go (10) de (11) va (12) sya (13) dhee (14) ma (15) hi (16) 

III. dhi (17) yo (18)  yo ( 19)  nah (20) pra (21) cho(22) da (23) yaat (24)

KAMOKARSHEET MANYURAKARSHEET DAILY EXPIATION MANTRAS NOW USED FOR ANNUAL ATONMEMENT IN UPAKARMA MANTRAS

kāmo'kārṣīnnamo namaḥ |kāmo'kārśītkāmaḥ karoti nāhaṁ karomi kāmaḥ kartā nāhaṁ kartā kāmaḥ kārayitā nāhaṁ kārayitā eṣa te kāma kāmāya svāhā

Salutations to the gods! Desire performed the act. Desire did the act. Desire is doing the act, not I. Desire is the agent, not I. Desire causes the doer to act, not I. O Desire, fascinating in form, let this oblation be offered to thee Hail!

Commentary:

Desire is personified as a deity in the Vedas. The Nāsadīya Sūkta announces that Kāma or God's Will in the form of desire to create the world existed at a time when this universe did not come into being.

The Manu smriti II 4 points out that whatever activity is found in a creature, all that is the movement of desire.

In the Bhagavad Gītā chapter XIII it is pointed out that icchā (desire), pleasure, pain and the rest are the attributes of the kṣetra (psycho-physical being) and that the Kṣetrajña (Spirit or Self) is eternally pure, simple and divine.

The traditional codes declare that the five universal elements, the resident deities and one’s own heart witness the thoughts and actions of a man even though they are concealed from his neighbor.

A worshipper is represented here as offering repeated salutations to the gods who witness the inside of all men and arraign them to the bar of divine justice.

He pleads not guilty and deposes that he, the Self in man, did not do any act, is not doing anything, is not an agent, or an abettor, desire, charming to all in appearance, is the agent that did acts and is doing them.

Finally in order to propitiate the deity of Desire, so that the worshipper may be left in his pure nature, as a resent of the withdrawal of all harmful desires, an oblation is offered into the consecrated fire.

The efficiency of a religion depends upon the total and undistracted service which a Society constituted for its ministry is capable of rendering.

Priests and monks are therefore left free to serve the community without entering the arena of economic competition. They subsist on voluntary subscriptions and serve God and man by gaining and disseminating knowledge.

The hereditary priesthood and the monastic orders were therefore permitted to receive gifts. The Vedas contain descriptions of Dātā (giver of gifts) and Pratigrahītā (acceptor of gifts).

A person of outstanding moral and spiritual merits alone can accept free gifts without damage to his spiritual vitality. Even such, according to Manu IV 186, must not covet, for covetousness destroys spiritual brilliance.

Pratigraha is, therefore, a sin and its baneful effect on a person's moral conscience is mitigated only by disclaiming all self-interest.

In Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa II 2 5 it is stated that Kāma (God's prompting) is at the base of all cosmic activities. It is responsible for the giving and acceptance of gifts. The Pure Self is not affected by that. God it is that gives and God it is who receives. The passage is significant.

It is concluded that a person who accepts Dakṣiṇā with this attitude, a true knower, is not hurt by the act of acceptance of gifts.

Manyurakārṣīnnamo namaḥ |manyurakārṣīnmanyuḥ karoti nāhaṁ karomi manyuḥ kartā nāhaṁ |kartā manyuḥ kārayitā nāhaṁ kārayitā eṣa te manyo manyave svāhā 

Salutations to the gods! Anger performed the act. Anger did the act. Anger is doing the act, not I. Anger is the agent; not I. Anger causes the doer to act, not I. O Anger, let this oblation be offered to thee. Hail!

Commentary:

In many contexts in the Vedas the term Manyu is appropriately rendered by modern scholars as the longing fervor. According to Sāyana, Manyu is rage towards the enemy, internal or external.

In Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa   41 Manyu is eulogized as Bhaga and Varuṇa and also supplicated not to damage Tapas by intrusion. Since the term occurs here in connection with Kāma, it is translated as anger personified, for obstructed desire is the source of anger.

All those cravings, instincts, propensities, inclinations, desires and needs that express themselves continually in the thoughts and behavior of men are referred to by the word Kāma, and so obstruction of Kāma in any form evokes responses in the shape of rage or anger which supply the motive force for a wider area of thought and activity covered by human behavior.

Thus anger or dveṣa is another trait of the physical and psychological equipment of man from which his true Self stands aloof. Penitent man weeps for his sins and ascribes to desire and anger the sins that are committed by him.  Bhagavad Gita also says:

Explanatory Mantras

Dhyaayato vishayaan pumsah sangasteshupajaayate | sangaat sanjaayate kaamah   kammatkrodho abhijaayate || 

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from that anger arises. (The slightest thought of sense pleasure will agitate him to gratify his desires)

[See also Bhagavad Gītā II 62-68 and III 37-43 for further elucidation of this matter].

omityātmānaṁ yuñjīta | etadvai mahopaniṣadaṁ devānāṁ guhyam |ya evaṁ veda brahmaṇo mahimānamāpnoti tasmādbrahmaṇo mahimānamityupaniṣat || 

Having meditated upon the Supreme one should concentrate his thoughts on Him uttering the syllable Om.

This, the syllable Om, verily is the substance of many great Upaniṣads and a secret guarded by the gods without imparting to the unfit.

  

The seeker of Brahman or Brahmana who practices meditation on the Supreme thus, with the aid of Prāṇava, attains   the unlimited greatness of the Supreme. By that he attains the greatness of Brahman.

Thus the secret knowledge has been imparted.

Commentary:

Here the  seeker  of  Brahman or  Brahmana is first enjoined to worship GOD (Deva or Vidhartara) as the Antaryāmin and Creator to remove the obstacles in the spiritual path and then commanded to focus his inward attention on the Supreme Reality through the symbol and the sound form of Prāṇava.

 Prāṇava is then praised as the essence of all Upaniṣads and the secret which divines do not divulge to incompetent aspirants. Of course Prāṇava stands for the Supreme Truth.

The Brahmana thus attains to the greatness of the Supreme Reality, the goal of his life.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

1)      Swami Vimalanmanda, Mahanmarayana Upanishad, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India.

2)      Swami Devarupananda, Mantrtapushpam, Sri Ramakrisdhna Math, Mumbai, India.

3)      Anantha Rangacharya, Principal Upanishads, Bengaluru, India.

4)      Sri Vaishnavism-- Red Zambala and other Internet sources.

5)      Prologue to Sandhyavandana  Ritual by N. R. Srinivasan

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2014/10/prologue-to-sandhyavandanam-rituals-of.html

 

APPENDIX

kESAVADI TARPANA

T
arpana—chanting the mantra “Asaavaadityo Brahma”* sprinkle water on your body. Then Make a cup on your right hand, pour water from a vessel from your left hand each time and release water from right hand chanting each mantra after the word “Tarpayaami”—Kesavam tarpayaami (Release water); Narayanam tarpayaami; Maadhavam tarpayaami; Govindam tarpayaami; Vishnum tarpayaami; Madhsoodanam tarpayaami; Trivikramam tarpayaami; Vaamanam tarpayaami; Sreedharam tarpayaami; HrIsheekesam tarpayaami; Padmanaabham tarpayaami; Daamodaram tarpayaami. (These are the same twelve names of Vishnu you chanted for Aachamana).

[Tarpana means satisfying. Various deities mentioned in the Mantra are being satisfied with water oblation called Tarpana.] [* This Lord Soorya is Brahma alone]

NAVAKAANDARISHI TARPANA

The nine mantras are:

1)      Om Prajaapatim Kaaandam Rishim tarpayaami

2)      Om Somam Kaandam Rishim tarpayaami

3)      Om Agnim Kaandam Rishim tarpayaami

4)      Om Viswaandevan Kaandam Rishim Tarpayaami

5)      Om Saahiteer devataa Upanishads tarpayaami

6)      Om Yaajnakeerdevataa Upanishads tarpayaami

7)      Om  Varuneerdevata Upanishads tarpayaami

8)      Om Brahmaangam Swaayambhuvam tarpayaami

9)      Om  Sadasatpatim tarpayaami

This Navakaandarishi tarpanam is so important that it should be included as a part of daily routine ritual. Tarpayami is repeted thrice. For details see Sandhyavandana mantras:

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2013/07/sandhyaavandanam-worship-meet.html

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2013/07/part-ii-madhyaahneekam-midday-prayer.html

http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2013/07/part-iii-saayam-sandhyaavandanam.html