Heal all your unfounded fears and impediments. Become confident of the Lord’s protection with this powerful prayer of Sri Narasimha Bija mantra.
Feel the healing and experience the inexpressible:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghOd7lPtskk
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9UfkNDC_0c
उग्रं वीरं महाविष्णुं ज्वलन्तं सर्वतोमुखम्। नृसिंहं भीषणं भद्रं मृत्युमृत्युं नमाम्यहम् ॥
Om Ugram Veeram Mahaa-Vishnum, Jwalantham Sarvatho Mukham |
Nrisimham Bheeshanam Bhadram, Mrityu-Mrityum Namaamyaham ||
Hi viewer. Welcome to my blog on Atharva Veda.
According to tradition, the Atharva Veda was mainly composed by two groups of rishis known as the Atharvanas and the Angirasas. Additionally, tradition ascribes parts to other rishis, such as Brihu, Kauśika, Vasiṣṭha and Kaśyapa. There are two surviving recensions, known as Śaunakīya and Paippalāda. Unlike the three Vedas of the Trayi, which derive their names from the nature of the composition, Atharva Veda derive the name from their authors, namely Atharvan, Angirasa and Bhrigu.
The Atharvaveda stands apart from Rig, Yajur and Sama Veda texts. The Atharva Veda is rich in spiritual and philosophical knowledge, patriotism, knowledge of medical science and various beneficial knowledge of the mundane world. In short, the Atharva Veda combines the knowledge of the four goals of life - Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.
The Atharva Veda has incurred wide recognition from grand personalities like Manu, Yajnavalkya, Vyasa, Usana and Shankaracharya and can never be excluded from the group of Vedas. Moreover, the Atharva Veda is meant to be recited by the Brahma priest in the sacrifice, without which Vedic sacrifice (Yajna) is incomplete.
The Atharva Veda has highly rich Upanishadic literature. Among the ten major Upanishads of the four Vedas, three very important Upanishads, namely, Prasna, Mundaka and Mandukya Upanishads belong to this Veda. The Atharva Veda is a great mine of Indian wisdom meant not only for happiness in the other world but also guiding to a happy and fruitful life.
It contains both hymns and prose passages and is divided into 20 books (khandas), which have 763 Suktas (hymns), in which there are 6077 mantras.
Prapathakas | Kāndas | Suktas | Mantras |
I | 1 to 7 | 433 | 2030 |
II | 8 to 12 | 45 | 1573 |
III | 13 to 18 | 43 | 1063 |
IV | 19 & 20 | 215 | 1411 |
Total | 763 | 6077 |
Books 1–7 contain magical prayers for precise purposes: spells for a long life, cures, curses, love charms, prayers for prosperity, charms for kingship and Brahman-hood, and expiations for evil actions. They reflect the magical-religious concerns of everyday life and are on a different level than the Rigveda, which glorifies the great gods and their liturgy.
Books 8–12 contain similar texts but also include cosmological hymns that continue those of the Rigveda and provide a transition to the more-complex speculations of the Upanishads.
Books 13–20 celebrate the cosmic principle (book 13) and present marriage prayers (book 14), funeral formulas (book 18), and other magical and ritual formulas. This text is an extremely important source of information for practical religion, particularly where it complements the Rigveda.
In the 1st Kanda, most hymns contain four mantras. In the 2nd Kanda, most hymns contain five mantras. In the 3rd Kanda, the hymns mostly contain six mantras. In 4th Kanda, the hymns contain seven to eight mantras. In the 5th Kanda, the hymns have more than eight mantras. In the 6th Kanda, the hymns mostly have three mantras. In the 7th Kanda, the hymns mostly have one or two mantras. From the 8th Kanda up to the 12th, the hymns are very long with diversity of the subject matter. From 13th to 20th Kanda, the hymns are also very long but with uniformity of the subject matter.
The Atharva Veda deals with very important subject matters. Some of the subject matters on which there are detailed discussions are:
Brahman: There is detailed spiritual discussion on Brahman, the ultimate reality, realisation of Brahman and liberation, the concept of Jivatma, the concept of Virat, Hiranyagarbha, etc.
Polity: This is another important subject matter of the Atharva Veda. The selection of a ruler, duties of the ruler, ideal method of administration, justice and punishment, army, war, victory and many other related subjects.
Fraternity and Harmony (Samanasya): Religious fraternity, harmony in the society, good relation in the family, good relation among kingdoms and similar subjects.
Diseases and Treatment: One of the most important contributions of the Atharva Veda is discussion about various diseases, their causes and their treatments. Various medicinal plants, mantra therapy, water therapy, sunray treatment, psychological treatment and other relevant discussions are in prominence in the Atharva Veda. In fact, the Indian medical system Ayurvedais considered to be a sub-branch (Upanga) of the Atharva Veda.
Good health and longevity: The Atharva Veda stresses upon various methods of enjoying good health and long life. Human being, says the Atharva Veda, should aspire to live for one hundred years (Jivema saradah satam). There are mantras of various gods for granting long life with good health. Wearing jewels and tying enchanted threads round the wrist and neck are some of the measures to propitiate gods for granting health and longevity.
Pacification (Shanti Karma): The Atharva Veda prescribes performances of many measures to eradicate undesirable incidents, disasters, bad dreams and bad omen. These measures are known as Shanti Karma.
Prayaschitta: Introspection, confession of one’s sins, sacrifices (Yajna) and oblations to avoid the bad results of the same, various mantras to propitiate gods, various rituals for well-being of a child based on its Nakshatra, etc., are also prominently discussed in this Veda.
To overpower undesirable elements (Abhichara Karma): There are discussions about various measures to overpower enemies, demons and evil spirit, etc. There are measures to kill (Marana), subdue (Vasikarana), paralyse (Sthambhana), distract the mind (Uchhatana), etc., by which the undesired elements could be subdued.
Adharva Veda Samhita
A guru is responsible for the spiritual birth of a student. By imparting them the knowledge of liberation, he is also responsible for their birth in the world of Brahman. He is therefore worthy of worship as one's very father. Salutations to the supreme seers, salutations to the supreme seers."
Let us listen to the Shanti mantra and the excellent “Ganapathi Atharvashirsha Chanting” by 21 Priests:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yf1kZyBkNU
Om! O Devas, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious; May we see with our eyes what is auspicious, O ye worthy of worship! May we enjoy the term of life allotted by the Devas, Praising them with our body and limbs steady! May the glorious Indra bless us! May the all-knowing Sun bless us! May Garuda, the thunderbolt for evil, bless us! May Brihaspati grant us well-being!
Adharva Veda contains 6,077 mantras in 763 suktas spread over 20 kāṇḍas in 4 prapāṭhakas. However, due to the different methods adopted in grouping or classifying, the number of suktas given by various scholars varies from 598 to 763. But there is no difference in the number of the mantras. The last kāṇḍa, i.e., the 20th, has borrowed it thoughts heavily (to the tune of 90%) from the Rigveda Samhitā.
The subject matter of the Samhitā of this Veda has no systematic division in the first twelve kāṇḍas. The last two again, deal with miscellaneous topics. However, there are eight topics that are covered:
- Bhaisajya: diseases, their causes and cures
- Āyusya: supplications for longevity
- Paushtika: worldly progress and welfare
- Ābhichārika: destroy or harm enemies who obstruct progress
- Prāyaścitta: expiatory rites
- Rājakarma: political system
- Brahmanya : nature of Brahman, the Absolute.
Bhaisajya Suktas
These suktas deal with diseases, their causes and cures, show a remarkable insight into the subject of health sciences. This is why this Veda is considered to be the precursor of Ayurveda or the Science of health and longevity. Sometimes, Ayurveda is listed as an Upaveda or subsidiary of the Atharvaveda. These suktas contain many prayers for health and longevity. The various names of the parts of the body given here bespeak of an intimate knowledge of human anatomy. Several diseases like fever, leukoderma, leprosy, jaundice, diabetes, dropsy, skin disorders, troubles of the ear, nose and throat, fracture of bones, diseases of the heart and tuberculosis, are mentioned with their respective cures. These diseases are caused by germs, violation of the laws of nature, anger of deities, malevolent spirits and sins committed previously. Apart from medicines and physical remedies, use of chants and charms was also in plenty. A deep knowledge of the herbs and their various medicinal properties can be inferred from many of the mantras.
Āyusya Suktas
These suktas contain supplications for longevity. They are to be uttered on auspicious occasions like chaula (tonsure), upanayana (investiture with the sacred thread), godhāna (gifting of cows) and so on. The desire to live the full span of life, viz., 100 years, is often expressed. One of the suktas indicates to wear the ‘rakṣāsutra’ (‘thread of protection’) on the body to attain longevity.
Paushtika Suktas
Puṣhṭi means worldly progress and welfare. These suktas generally contain prayers for the blessings of deities like the Maruts, Parjanya and others so that there can be good rains. Due to these rains crops and works like house-building, agriculture and trade flourishes well.
Ābhichārika Suktas
The Ābhichāraka Suktas are aimed to destroy or harm enemies who obstruct our progress or try to destroy us. This is said to be achieved by pleasing or appeasing certain deities or spirits and getting one’s wishes fulfilled through them. The number of such suktas is rather large. Destruction of one’s enemies including the lovers of one’s spouse, annihilation of evil spirits, mesmerizing others through whom one can get one’s desires fulfilled are some of the topics dealt with in these suktas.
Prāyaśchitta Suktas
These are concerned mainly with expiatory rites to offset the evil effects due to non-performance or wrong performance of religious rites. Omens foreboding evil and the rites necessary to combat them are also described.
Sthreekarma Suktas
These suktas deal mainly with marriage, love and allied topics. Rites that help in regaining the lost love of one’s spouse are also described.
Rājakarma Suktas
This section gives an account of the political system during those days. The king was elected by the people. National and social problems were discussed by or decided in a ‘samiti’, a parliament of the people. The Raja Purohit (Chief Priest of the State) had an enviable place in the affairs of the State. Prayers for victory in war and hymns expressing devotion to the Motherland given here are highly poetic and moving.
Brahmanya Suktas
These suktas unfold the nature of Brahman, the Absolute. The philosophical ideas given here form a link ideas of the Rigveda and the Upanishads. Peculiarity of this Veda is the names designated to God - Kāla, Skambha, Ucchishta and Vrātya.
The whole universe emerges and is established by him. He is the lord of the whole creation. The sun is a symbol of his power and is called ‘Rohita,’ the ‘Red-One’. The Sun is identified with God himself. This Absolute is also identified with the Atman.
Following is a link to Atharva Veda recital:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4Sa6DqUfTE
Teachings of Atharva Veda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKzUW2-aiZI
(Atharva veda explanation – Times Music)
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The sacrificial rites of the Rig Veda were expensive and only the rich could afford to perform them. Also, the Rig Vedic rites could not be expected to cure a man from his diseases. The Atharvanic priest brought the sacrificial technique within the reach of the common man by simplifying its procedure. They introduced sacrifices which were less elaborate, less expensive and were manageable by single individual and which gave the same fruit as the old Vedic sacrifices.
According to Sayana the Atharva Veda was indispensable to kings for warding off their enemies and securing many other advantages and the royal priests had to be well versed in the Atharvanic practices. As these practices were mostly for the alleviation of the troubles of an ordinary householder, the grhya sutras drew largely from them.
The Atharvavedis evolved and popularised the worship of the pitrs and through a special rite known as Vratyastoma, admitted the Vratyas (followers of a non-Vedic cult) into the Vedic fold.The hold of the Atharvanic charms on the mind of the people was probably very strong since they had occasion to use them in all their daily concerns. Even now when the Rigvedic sacrifices have become extremely rare, the use of Atharvanic charms and of their descendants, the Tantric charms of comparative later times, is very common amongst all classes of Hindus.
Atharva Veda is resorted to for the performance of auspicious rites (svastyayana), purification penance (prayashcitta) and oblations (homa) for curing chronic and serious illness, winning law suit, alleviating sufferings, securing a male issue to the family, cursing an enemy and the like. Amulets are used almost as freely as they were three or four thousand years ago and snake charms and charms for dog bite and others are still in vogue.
The Atharva Veda, while undoubtedly belonging to the core Vedic corpus, in some ways represents an independent parallel tradition to that of the Rigveda and Yajurveda. It incorporates much of early traditions of healing and magic that are paralleled in other Indo-European literatures. There are striking parallels with Hittite and Germanic sorcery stanzas.
Two main post-Samhita texts associated with the AV are the Vaitāna Sūtra and the Kauśika Sūtra. The Vaitanasutra deals with the participation of the Atharvaveda priest (brahmán) in the Shrauta ritual while the Kauśikasūtra contains many applications of Atharvaveda mantras in healing and magic. This serves the same purpose as the vidhāna of the Rigveda and is of great value in studying the application of the Atharva text in Vedic times.
Several Upanishads also are associated with the Atharva Veda, but appear to be relatively late additions to the tradition. The most important of these are the Mundaka and the Prasna Upanishads.
The Atharvaveda also informs about warfare. A variety of devices such as an arrow with a duct for poison (apāskambha) and castor bean poison, poisoned net and hook traps, use of disease spreading insects and smoke screens find a place in the Atharvaveda samhita. These references to military practices and associated Kshatriya rites were what gave the Atharvaveda its reputation. In the Mahabharata there is a frequent comparison between weapons and the mantras of the heroes.
The Atharva Veda is the first Indic text dealing with medicine. It identifies the causes of disease as living causative agents such as the yatudhāna, the kimīdin, the krimi and the durnāma. The Atharvans seek to kill them with a variety of incantations or plant based drugs in order to counter the disease. The hymn AV I.23-24 describes the disease leprosy and recommends the rajani auṣadhi for its treatment. From the description of the auṣadhi as black branching entity with dusky patches, it is very likely that is a lichen with antibiotic properties. Thus the Atharva Veda may be one of the earliest texts to record uses of the antibiotic agents.
Philosophical excursions are found in books 8-12. One of the most spectacular expressions of philosophical thought is seen in the hymn XII.I, the Hymn to goddess Earth or the Prithivī Sūkta used in the Āgrayana rites (agriculture).
Origin of Universe is described in the mantra XII.1.26 in which the 'atoms' (Pāṃsu) are described to form the stone, the stones aggregate to form the rocks and the rocks were held together to form the Earth. Early pantheistic thought is seen in the hymn X.7.28 that describes the common thread running through all manifest and non-manifest existence as the skaṃbha. This skaṃbha is described as what poured out of the Hiraṇyagharbha, that was the precursor of the complex world in a very simple form. The hymn also describes a pantheistic nature of the Vedic gods (X.7.38): skaṃbha is the heat (tapaḥ) that spreads through the universe as waves of water (fluids); the units of this spreading entity are the gods even as branches of one tree. This theme is repeatedly presented in various interpretations in later Hindu philosophies, emphasising God is really one, and only one.
In Atharva Veda, Kama is associated with the broad range of human desire; wanting enemies to be defeated; wanting lovers to reciprocate feelings of infatuation, lust, affection, wanting more money and more power; in short wanting to be successful in love and work. The person who mistreats a noble woman, or does bad towards a friend, and he who is senior but is ignorant is treated as a degraded person. A person should refrain from all those things that take him towards, fallacy, misery and degradation.
The Atharva Veda is all about the mortal life. It teaches on how one acquires a disease, how to cure it, how one gets a desire to do something, how one gets attracted to it, how the animals can be treated with various ways, how to build charm among others, how to find success in gambling, how to behave or how to be passionate in love, what are the different types of sins, how sins are done and in what ways sins can be cured, what should a merchant do when he is in losses, what should a king do when his subjects are suffering, what are and how the strategies are used against enemies, how kings are exiled, how and why are innocents killed, what will be the results of such killing, how to scare many and what are its uses and causes, what happens when evil is done, how evil are killed, what are the medicines that suits for various diseases, how are those medicines made and many more.
Basically, it has information on worldly pleasures and sufferings, and how to deal with it.
According to our scriptures it is believed that, the four Vedas have evolved from the 4 faces of Lord Brahma. Before the start of any Yuga, it is believed that Lord Brahma sleeps (the transition time taken from one Yuga to another) for some time, and at that time, the Knowledge or the Vedas leave Lord Brahma’s mind and spread in the atmosphere. When the Sacred Vedas were thus in the form of Cosmic energy and were present in the atmosphere, the great sages / Rishis , connected to the cosmic energy and gave an account of the Vedas “seen” by them.
In the Satya yuga, there were only three Vedas. At the end of Satya Yuga, when the 4th Veda was in the form of Cosmic energy in the Sky, an Asura out of His powers, could read the Veda and thus got good virtue. And that asura was born as Sage Atharva in his next birth and because of his good virtue, penned down the fourth Veda and it is believed that Lord Shiva gave the authenticity to the Veda and named it after him, as Atharva Veda.
Atharvaveda comprises of what the casual reader might conclude as “spells” or “incantations” or “prayers” or “magic” or “philosophical speculation” or sometimes even “lovely poetry”. Atharvaveda is never ever to be taken in its “literal” meaning, because it is again about the “purpose”, the “reflection”, through the Brahmā. Atharvaveda relies much on your intuition and the instinct - hence it always has a deliberately mystic nature
Prasna Upanishad
(Presna = Question)
Pippalapada is the teacher of this Upanishad. Pippalapada, the son of Dadhichi, was a historic person, considered a teacher of the Atharvaveda and founder of an ancient school of thought.
As the name suggests, this Upanishad consists of six questions, asked by six students and answered by sage Pippalapada. The questions cover a wide range of subjects concerning: the origin of creation:
- superiority of breath, the supporting and illuminating powers of manifest creation,
- the source of life for the physical body,
- the paths of breath in the body,
- the nature of dream and deep sleep states,
- the benefits of chanting the sacred mantra Aum and
- the significance of the sixteen tattvas or realities of Nature.
The six students are:
- Sukesa, son of Bharadvaja,
- Satyakama son of Sibi,
- Gargya grandson of Surya,
- Kausalya son of Asvala,
- Bhargava of the Vidarbha country,
- Kabandhi son of Katya.
First Question by Kabandhi
From what, indeed, all these creatures arise?"
Answer:
Prajapati, the Lord of all creation initially produced the pair, Life and Matter.
Aditya, the Sun, is the Life, the Moon is the Matter.
The Sun bathes with his effulgent rays all that lives and therefore he is the Life.
“Of innumerable forms, golden coloured, the knower of all, the object of study, the one light, the result of austerity, with a thousand rays, who exists in a hundred forms, the life in all beings, thus rises the Sun” - Rig Veda.
Prajapati established two paths the southern and the northern. The southern path leads to Moon and is occupies by those who perform sacrificial actions out of desires. This one, which is called the path of ancestors (pitru), is verily matter.
Those who search for their true Selves through austerity, celibacy, faith and knowledge take the northern path and conquer the Sun and become immortal. This is the highest goal. From this none ever returns to be born again. The Sun creates Samvatsara, the “year”.
And Matter, on the other hand, is whatever that has a definite form and has no form. Therefore body of all beings is matter.
Moon creates the month, having two Paksha, Krishna Paksha and Sukla Paksha. Of this the dark half (Krishna) is matter and the bright half (Sukla) is life. That is why, the seers perform sacrifices in the bright half; while others perform them in the other half.
Food is created by the Sun, the force of Life and from that are born all these beings, as Matter.
Second Question by Bhargava:
How many deities support a being? Which of them illumine it? Who is superior among them?"
Answer:
Space, air, fire, water, earth, speech, the mind, eyes, and ear are the deities, who support this aggregate body by holding it together."
Breath or Prana is the foremost among them. When Prana settles down, all others also settles down, just as all the bees fly out, when the queen bee flies out and all settle down when she settles down.
Prana burns like fire; this one is the Sun; this one is the rain; this one is the air; this one is the earth, matter, deity; he is what is and what is not and what is immortal.
Third Question by Kausalya
From where does this breath born? How does it enter into this body? And having established, how does it divide itself in the body? How does it leave? How does it support what is outside and what is within oneself ?
Answer:
From the self this Breath is born. Like this shadow of a person, the breath spreads in this body by the actions of the mind in to several pranas, such as, Apana, Samana, Vyana and Udana. Just as an emperor appoints officers, saying, "Preside over this and this village," so does Breath allots separate duties to the other pranas in the body.
Breath established Apana in the two lower apertures, breath itself in the eye, in the ears and in the mouth, and Samana in the middle. It distributes the food that has been offered equally.
The Self, indeed, is in the heart. In that (heart) are one hundred and one arteries. Each of them again has a hundred and each of these branches into seventy two thousand sub-branches. Vyana moves in them.
Now rising up through one of these, Udana leads to the world of merit and to the world of sin.
The sun is the external breath. It rises up empowering the breath in the eye. The Earth is that very deity which draws a person's Apana towards itself. The mid-region between Sun and Earth in between is Samana. Air is Vyana.
Light is Udana. Therefore, he whose light has departed, attains another existence together with his senses drawn into his mind.
Whatever thought he had (at the time of death), with that he enters into breath. Yoked to the light (Udana) and along with the Self, breath leads him to the world as intended by him.
He who knows breath thus, has no shortage of progeny. He becomes immortal. Of this, there is this verse.
Knowing the origin, the entry, the placement, and the fivefold manifestation of breath within oneself, one attains immortality. Knowing one does indeed attain immortality.
Fourth Question by Sauryayani Garya
Who Remains Awake in Sleep? Which organs remain asleep and which organs remain awake in this person? Who is the deity who watches the dreams? Who happens to be happy and in whom they become fully resolved?
Answer:
The rays of the sun become one in the sphere of the sun and spread out as he dawns again and again, so do all these organs become one in the highest deity, the mind. Therefore, during that time the person does not hear, see, smell, taste, touch, speak, grasp, rejoice, expel, and does not move. He is asleep, they say.
In our body, it is only the fires of “prana” that remain awake. Since it equalizes the two oblations, the inhalation and exhalation, it is called samana. The mind is indeed the host of this sacrifice. The desired fruit of the sacrifice is udana, i.e., the withdrawal of senses. Day after day it leads the host to Brahman.
There, in the dream state, that deity experiences greatness. Whatever he has seen and not seen, whatever he has heard and not heard, whatever was felt and not felt, whatever exists and not exists, he sees all, experiences all again and again, thus becoming all. When he is overwhelmed by light, udana, through death, then that deity does not see the dreams. Then peace and happiness arise in this body.
Just as the birds fly towards the tree that shelters them, so also all this proceeds towards the supreme Self to rest there.
The earth and the earth element, water and the water element, light and the light element, air and the air element, space and the space element, eyes and the object of seeing, ears and the object of hearing, nose and the object of smelling, tongue and the object of tasting, skin and the object of touching, speech and what can be spoken, hands and what can be handled, the sex organ and the pleasure it can produce, the mind and what can be thought of, the intellect and what can be discerned, the ego and its egoism, consciousness and what can be consciously experienced, light and what can be illumined with lightning, the breath and all that it can hold together.
And this one, indeed, is the seer, the touching one, the hearing one, the smelling one, the tasting one, the thinking one, the discerning one, the doer, the person who is the knower himself. He remains established in the supreme imperishable Self.
He who knows that one who is without shadow, without body, without color, and who is pure and imperishable, O dear, attains the supreme and the imperishable. He becomes all and all-knowing. Regarding this there is this verse.
He who knows that imperishable one, in whom are established the all-knowing Self, along with all the deities, breaths and elements, that one, O dear, becomes all-knowing and enters into all.
Fifth Question by Satyakama Saibhya
He who among men mentally fixes his mind upon Aum until the end of his life, which world he wins by that?
Answer
Aum is the very transcendental and immanent Brahman only. Therefore, if he meditates upon Aum, he attains greatness through austerities and practice of celibacy, endowed with faith.
then reaches the subtle world, the world of the moon. experienced supernatural existence, he returns again.
Again, when he continues to meditates upon the Supreme Self with the three letters of Aum, he becomes endowed with the light of the sun. Just as a snake is freed from its slough, in the same manner he becomes free from sin. Led by the Samans, he is lifted to the world of Brahman and he sees the Supreme Being.
Sixth Question by Sukesa Bharadwaja
Is there a person of sixteen parts? If so, where can we find him?
Answer:
Here, inside this body only, is that person, in whom the sixteen parts manifest. He created prana; from prana faith, space, air, light, water, earth, senses, mind, and food; from food sperm, heat, sacred chants, action, worlds and in the worlds, name.
The flowing rivers go towards the ocean and having reached the ocean end up completely dissolved in it, with their names and forms completely lost. So does the sixteen parts of this all seeing one, moving towards the person and on reaching the person, disappear, and with their names and forms lost, they are spoken as the person only. He, who reaches that person and unites with him like the rivers unite with the ocean, becomes without parts, immortal.
(Ref: https://www.hinduwebsite.com/prasna1.asp)
Mundaka Upanishad
(Pathway to Brahman)
Mundaka Upanishad, which is of one of the major Upanishads on which Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya had written commentary, takes up the question of relationship between the Jivatma (individual self) and Paramatma (Supreme Self) by means of an analogy of two birds living together on a branch of a tree; one keeps eating all the fruits and other just witnessing it.
The word “Mundaka” means Razor Blade or Shaved face. This leads one the get rid of (shave) their sins and hence the name. Sage Angirasa taught this Upanishad to Sage Saunaka. The core subject matter of this Upanishad is Brahma Vidya or knowledge of Brahman;
The Mundaka Upanishad contains three Mundakams (parts), each with two sections.
The first Mundakam, classifies knowledge as "Higher Knowledge" and "Lower Knowledge", and then asserts that acts of oblations, mere reading of Vedas etc do not lead to liberation rather it is True knowledge that frees. It draws a clear distinction between the higher knowledge of Brahman (Para Vidya) and the lower knowledge of the phenomenal world (Apara Vidya).
Knowledge has to be judged as lower or higher on the basis of the end-results it brings forth on its acquisition. That knowledge which cannot remove ignorance (avidya) which is the cause of samsara or world process or that which is concerned with things perishable is lower or Apara Vidya. On the other hand that knowledge which is concerned with Brahman and which can eradicate ignorance in its entirety is higher or Para Vidya.
The Mundaka Upanishad opens with declaring Brahma as the first of gods, the creator of the universe, and the knowledge of Brahman (Ultimate Reality) to be the foundation of all knowledge. The text then lists a succession of teachers who shared the knowledge of Brahman with the next generation, such as the One who Illuminates, Keeper of Truth, Planetary Spirit, mythological messenger between Gods and Men, among others, suggesting the divine nature and the responsibility of man to continue the tradition of knowledge sharing across human generations.
The second Mundakam describes the nature of the Brahman, the Self, the relation between the empirical world and the Brahman, and the path to know Brahman.
The third Mundakam expands the ideas in the second Mundakam and then asserts that the state of knowing Brahman is one of freedom, fearlessness, complete liberation, self-sufficiency and bliss.
First Mundakam
A Grihastha (householder) approaches a teacher, and inquires:
कस्मिन्नु भगवो विज्ञाते सर्वमिदं विज्ञातं भवतीति ॥ ३ ॥
Sage, what is that through which, if it is known, everything else becomes known?
It asserts that knowledge transfer is not limited to old teachers to youthful students, rather even adult householders became pupil and sought knowledge from teachers in Vedic tradition. The teacher answered, by classifying all knowledge into two:
Apara Vidhya is lower knowledge or traditions of religion as compared to Para Vidhya which is higher knowledge, the knowledge of the eternal.
The lower knowledge, states the Upanishad, includes knowledge of Vedas, phonetics, grammar, etymology, meter, astronomy and the knowledge of sacrifices and rituals.
Some manuscripts of Mundaka Upanishad expand the list of lower knowledge to include logic, history, Puranas and Dharma.
The higher knowledge is the knowledge of Brahman and Self-knowledge - the one which cannot be seen, nor seized, which has no origin, no Varna, no eyes, nor ears, no hands, nor feet, one that is the eternal, all-pervading, infinitesimal, imperishable, indestructible.
The second khanda of the First Mundaka makes it clear that performing sacrifices, oblations and pious works would not lead one to liberation from samsara. It is like blind men leading the blind since these practices may provide relief to Self but will not help one to know Brahman.
The Mundaka Upanishad, in verses 1.2.11 through 1.2.13, asserts that true knowledge liberates man, and those who undertake Sannyasa (renunciation) to gain such knowledge achieve that knowledge through Tapas (meditation, austerity), living a simple tranquil life on alms, even without any sacrifices and rituals. In verse 12 and 13, the Upanishad suggests that "perishable acts cannot lead to eternal knowledge", instead those who seek freedom must respectfully approach a competent, peace-filled, wise Guru(teacher) to gain knowledge.
Second Mundakam
Mundaka Upanishad expands on the doctrine of Atman-Brahman. It asserts that just like a blazing fire creates thousand sparks and leaping flames in its own form, beings are brought forth from Brahman in its form. The Brahman is imperishable, without body, it is both without and within, never produced, without mind, without breath, yet from it emerges the inner Self of all things. From Brahman is born breath, mind, sensory organs, space, air, light, water, earth, vedas, gods, everything.
It asserts Brahman as the cause of mountains, rivers of every kind, plants, herbs and all living beings, and it is "the inner Soul that dwells in all beings". Brahman is everything, the empirical and the abstract, the object, the subject and the action (karma). To know Brahman, is to be liberated.
The Mundaka Upanishad, second Mundakam, suggests a path to knowing the Self and the Brahman: meditation, self-reflection and introspection.
The verses in the second and third Mundakams, also assert that the knowledge of soul (self) and Brahman cannot be gained from chanting the Vedas, but only comes from meditation and inner introspection for meaning. Adi Shankara, in his review of the Mundaka Upanishad, calls the meditation as Yoga.
It offers an aid to the meditation process, namely Om (Aum), as a means of meditation for self-realization.
Om is the bow, the arrow is the Soul, Brahman the mark,
By the undistracted man It is to be penetrated,
One should come to be in It,
as the arrow becomes one with the mark. — Mundaka Upanishad, 2.2.2 - 2.2.4.
The Upanishad, in verse 2.2.8 asserts that the man with the knowledge of the soul and who has become one with Brahman, is liberated, is not affected by karma, is free of sorrow and self-doubts, is one who lives in bliss.
Third Mundakam
The third Mundakam begins with the allegory of two birds, as follows,
Two birds, inseparable friends, cling to the same tree.
One of them eats the sweet fruit, the other looks on without eating.
On the same tree man (Jeevatma) sits grieving, drowned in sorrow, bewildered and feeling helpless. But when he sees the Isa (Paramatma) he becomes content, knows his glory and his grief passes away.
When the seer sees the brilliant maker and Isa as the Purusha who has his source in Brahman, then he is wise, he shakes off good and evil, stainless he reaches the highest oneness. — Mundaka Upanishad, 3.1.1 - 3.1.2
This metaphor of the birds sitting on the same tree refers to one being the empirical self and the other as the eternal and transcendental self. It is the knowledge of the eternal self, Atman-Brahman and its Oneness with all others, that liberates.
The last section of the Mundaka Upanishad asserts the ethical precepts necessary for man to attain the knowledge of the Brahman and thus obtain liberation.
सत्येन लभ्यस्तपसा ह्येष आत्मा सम्यग्ज्ञानेन ब्रह्मचर्येण नित्यम् ।
Through continuous pursuit of Satya (truthfulness), Tapas (perseverance, austerity), Samyajñāna (correct knowledge), and Brahmacharya (celibacy), one attains Atman (Self, Soul). — Mundaka Upanishad, 3.1.5[44]
Through ethical practices combined with meditation, must a man know his Self. Atman-Brahman is not perceived, states the Upanishad, by the eye, nor by speech, nor by other senses, not by penance, nor by karma of rituals. It is known to those whose nature has become purified by the serene light of knowledge, who meditate on it, who dwell unto it. This is the state, asserts Mundaka Upanishad, when one's thoughts are integrated and interwoven with one's body and all else. This state of man is the state of “Bhuti”, inner power, prosperity and happiness.
In the second section of the third Mundakam, the Upanishad asserts, "the soul cannot be realized by those who lack inner strength, nor by the careless or heedless, nor by devotion or false notions of austerity, nor by knowledge of the empirical. It is obtained by the soul by which it is desired. His soul reveals its own truth". Once such self-knowledge is reached, calmness of mind results, a life of liberation emerges, one becomes and behaves like the Brahman. He is beyond sorrow, he is beyond sin, he is in tranquil union with the soul of all.
Mandukya Upanishad
(Advaidic Teachings)
The Mandukya Upanishad is the shortest of all the Upanishads, with only 12 verses in all. It discusses the syllable Aum, presents the theory of four states of consciousness, and asserts that Aum is Brahman, which is the Whole, and that Brahman is this self (jeevātman).
The Upanishad opens by declaring, "Om!, this syllable is this whole world". Thereafter it presents various explanations and theories on what it means and signifies. This discussion is built on a structure of "fourfold", derived from A + U + M + "silence".
Aum as all states of time: In verse 1, the Upanishad states that time is threefold: the past, the present and the future, that these three are "Aum". The four fourth of time is that which transcends time, that too is "Aum" expressed.
Aum as all states of Atman: In verse 2, it states this brahman is the Whole. Brahman is this self (ātman); that [brahman] is this self (ātman), consisting of four corners.
Aum as all states of consciousness: In verses 3 to 6, the Mandukya Upanishad enumerates four states of consciousness: wakeful, dream, deep sleep and the state of ekaatma (being one with Self). These four are A + U + M + "without an element" respectively.
Aum as all of etymological knowledge: In verses 9 to 12, the Mandukya Upanishad enumerates fourfold etymological roots of the syllable "Aum".
The first element of "Aum" is A, which is from Apti (obtaining, reaching) or from Adimatva (being first).
The second element is U, which is from Utkarsa (exaltation) or from Ubhayatva (intermediateness).
The third element is M, from Miti (erecting, constructing) or from Mi Minati, or apīti (annihilation).
The fourth is without an element, without development, beyond the expanse of universe.
In this way, the syllable Om is the Atman (the self) indeed.
Four states of consciousness
The Mandukya Upanishad describes four states of consciousness, namely waking (jagrat), dreaming (svapna), and deep sleep (sushupti).
1. The first state is the waking state, in which we are aware of our daily world. "It is described as outward-knowing (bahish-prajnya), gross (sthula) and universal (vaishvanara)". This is the gross body.
2. The second state is the dreaming mind. "It is described as inward-knowing (antah-prajnya), subtle (pravivikta) and burning (taijasa)". This is the subtle body.
3. The third state is the state of deep sleep. In this state the underlying ground of consciousness is undistracted, "the Lord of all (sarveshvara), the knower of all (sarva-jnya), the inner controller (antar-yami), the source of all (yonih sarvasya), the origin and dissolution of created things (prabhavapyayau hi bhutanam)". This is the causal body.
4. The fourth factor is Turiya, pure consciousness. It is the background that underlies and transcends the three common states of consciousness. In this consciousness both absolute and relative, saguna brahman and Nirguna Brahman, are transcended. It is the true state of experience of the infinite (ananta) and non-different (advaita/abheda), free from the dualistic experience which results from the attempts to conceptualise ( vipalka) reality. It is the state in which ajativada, non-origination, is apprehended.
Theory and nature of Atman
The verses 3 through 7 discuss four states of Atman (Self, Soul).
Verse 3 of the Upanishad describes the first state of Self as outwardly cognitive with seven limbs, nineteen mouths, enjoying the gross, a state of Self, common in all of human beings.
Verse 4, asserts the second state of Self as inwardly cognitive with seven limbs, nineteen mouths, enjoying the exquisite, a state of brilliant Self.
Verse 5 states the third state of Self as one without desire or anticipations, where pure conscience is his only mouth, where he is in unified cognition, enjoying the delight, a state of blissful Self.
The verses 6 and 7 of the Upanishad states the fourth state of Self as one beyond all the three, beyond extrospective state, beyond introspective state, beyond cognitive state, the state of ekatmya pratyaya sara (one with the Self), tranquil, benign, advaita (without second). He then is the Self, just Atman, the one which should be discerned.
These four states of Self, can be summarised, respectively, as seeking the physical, seeking inner thought, seeking the causes and spiritual consciousness, and the fourth state is realizing oneness with the Self, the Eternal.
Summary of Adharva Veda
With this, we have now come to the end of our blog on Atharva Veda. For a summary, you can listen to an excellent presentation by Prof. Gauri Mahulikar on Atharvaveda, in the following link. I am sure you would like it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR_Ms0AulOg
Adharva Veda offers healing practices for various diseases, such as fever, headache, cough, jaundice, excessive discharge, constipation, colic pain, heart diseases, paralysis, hereditary diseases, leprosy, sores, tumours, fractures, wounds, worms, poison, ophthalmic, baldness, virility, mania and cure against various charms. All these are achieved through gaining immunity from various medicinal plants, as nature's cure.
Coupled with prayers for long life and health, Atharva Veda offers holistic medical solutions for most of the diseases. Removal of various charms and spells against women, expiation of sins, defilement, securing prosperity, business success etc.
"Satyameva Jeyate"
(Only Truth prevails)
Satyameva jayate nanrtam
Satyena pantha vitato devayanah
yenakramantyrsayo hyaptakama
yatra tat satyasya paramam nidhanam
Only truth prevails, not untruth; by the path of truth is laid out, the Divine way, on which the sages of yore, fulfilled in their desires, attain the supreme treasure of Truth.
The above verse and the National Motto adopted thereof proclaims that as a nation, India is committed towards upholding the truth above all else.
Thats all for now.
See you soon in my next Blog.
Bye for now.
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