Minor Upanishads - Bhavana Upanishad, Atharvasiras Upanishad, Dakshinamurthi Upanishad and Dattaatreya Upanishad

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Minor Upanishad

Bhavana Upanishad

Translated by Dr. A. G. Krishna Warrier
Published by The Theosophical Publishing House, Chennai

Om ! Gods ! With ears let us hear what is good;
Adorable ones ! With eyes let us see what is good.
With steady limbs, with bodies, praising,
Let us enjoy the life allotted by the gods.
May Indra, of wide renown, grant us well-being;
May Pusan, and all-gods, grant us well-being.
May Tarksya, of unhampered movement, grant us well-being.
May Brihaspati grant us well-being.
Om ! Peace ! Peace ! Peace !
1. The holy Teacher is the Power (Para-Sakti) that is the cause of all.
2. Of that Power the body with its nine orifices is the form.
3. It is the holy Wheel in the guise of the nine wheels.
4. The Power of the Boar is paternal: Kurukulla, the deity of sacrifice, is maternal.
5. The (four) human Ends are the oceans (purusharthas – dharma, artha, kama and moksha).
6- 7. The body with the seven constituents (Chile, blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow and semen) like the skin and the hair is the island of the nine gems.
8. Resolutions are the wish-granting trees; energy (of the mind) is the garden of the trees of plenty.
9. The six seasons are the tastes, namely sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, astringent and saltish, which are apprehended by the tongue.
10. Knowledge is the material for worship; the object of knowledge is the oblation; the knower is the sacrificer. The meditation on the identity of the three, knowledge, its object, and the knower, is the worship rendered to the holy Wheel.
11. Destiny and sentiments like love are (the miraculous attainments like) atomicity, etc. Lust, anger, greed, delusion, elation, envy, merit, demerit – these constitute the eight powers of Brahma, etc. (Brahma, Maheshvari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Raudri, Charmamunda and Kalasamkarsini).
12. The nine abodes (muladhara etc.,) are the powers of the mystic gestures.
13. The earth, water, fire, air, ether, ear, skin, eye, tongue, nose, speech, feet, hands, the organs of evacuation and generation and the modification of mind are the sixteen powers such as the pull of lust, etc.
14. Speech, grasp, motion, evacuation, generation, and the attitudes of rejection, acceptance and apathy are the eight (entities) such as the flower of love, etc.
15. Alambusa, kuhu, visvodara, varana, hastijihva, yasovati, payasvini, gandhari, pusa, sankhini, sarasvati, ida, pingala and susumna – these fourteen arteries are the fourteen powers such as the all-exciting, etc.
16. The five vital breaths and the five minor breaths are the ten divinities of the outer spokes, (styled) Sarvasiddhiprada, etc.
17. The digestive fire becomes fivefold through distinctions based on its association with this pre-eminent breath. (They are) what ejects, what cooks, what dries, what burns and what inundates.
18. Owing to the prominence of the minor breath, these (fires) in the human body come to be styled as the corroder, the ejector, the agitator, the yawner and the deluder. They promote the digestion of the fivefold food: eaten, chewed, sucked, licked and imbibed.
19. The ten aspects of Fire are the ten divinities of the inner spokes, Sarvajna, etc.
20. The qualities of cold, heat, pleasure, pain, desire, sattva, rajas and tamas are the eight powers, vasini, etc.
21. The five, rudimentary sound, etc., are the flowery shafts.
22. Mind is the bow made of sugarcane.
23. Attachment is the cord (that binds).
24. Aversion is the hook.
25. The unmanifest, the Great, and the principle of Egoism are the divinities of the inner triangle: Kameshvari, Vajreshvari and Bhagamalini.
26. Absolute awareness, verily, is Kameshvara.
27. The supreme divinity, Lalita, is one’s own blissful Self.
28. Of all this the distinctive apprehension is the red glow.
29. Perfection (ensues from) exclusive concentration of the mind.
30. In the performance of meditation consist (various acts of) respectful service.
31. The act of oblation is the merger in the Self of distinctions like I, Thou, Existence, non-Existence, the sense of duty and its negation, and the obligation worship.
32. Assuagement is the thought of identity of (all) objects of imagination.
33. The view of time’s transformation into the fifteen days (of the half lunar month) points to the fifteen eternal (divinities).
34. Thus meditating for three instants, or two, or even for a single instant, one becomes liberated while living; one is styled the Siva-Yogin.
35. Meditations on the inner wheel have been discussed (here) following the tenets of Saktaism.
36. Whoso knows thus is a student of the Atharvasiras.
Om ! Gods ! With ears let us hear what is good;
Adorable ones ! With eyes let us see what is good.
With steady limbs, with bodies, praising,
Let us enjoy the life allotted by the gods.
May Indra, of wide renown, grant us well-being;
May Pusan, and all-gods, grant us well-being.
May Tarksya, of unhampered movement, grant us well-being.
May Brihaspati grant us well-being.
Om ! Peace ! Peace ! Peace !

Here ends the Bhavanopanishad, included in the Atharva-Veda. 


(My humble salutations to Sreeman A G Krishna Warrier for the collection)

Minor Upanishad

Atharvasiras Upanishad

Translated by P. R. Ramachander
Published by celextel.org

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 !
Om ! Let there be Peace in me !
Let there be Peace in my environment !
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !

[In the Atharvasiras Upanishad, the three syllable letter, which has meaning and also does not have meaning and which is perennial stands alone. It is told that it is the basis of everything and there is no basis for it.]

The devas with their upturned hands extended upwards pray to Rudra. 1

Om!
He who is Rudra, he alone is god. He is Brahma and we salute him again and again.
He who is Rudra, he alone is god. He is Vishnu and we salute him again and again.
He who is Rudra, he alone is God. He is truth and we salute him again and again.
He who is Rudra, he alone is God. He is everything and we salute him again and again.

Earth is your feet. The Bhuvar Loka (one of the seven worlds above earth) is your middle. And the Suvar Loka (another world above earth) is your head. You are of the form of the universe. You who are Brahma appear united also divided in to two, and divided in to three and appear as if you are beyond all relations (attachments). You are peace. You are vigour. You are that which is offered in fire and that which is not offered in fire. You are that which is given in charity and that which is not given. You are everything and also nothing. You are the entire universe and you are not. You are that which is done and that which is not done. You are that which is at the top and that which is at the bottom. And you are the home for all beings. 3-1

Deeply drinking the somapana (a holy drink) of your grace we have become deathless. We have reached the ultimate. We have seen the devas. Who can cause any harm to us? We humans do not have any shortage of that nectar (your grace). 3-2

You who are primeval are older than the sun and the moon. 3-3

For the sake of this world, this deathless primeval being, catches hold of this world which is created by Prajapathi and which is minute and peaceful, without touching it and attracts its shape of things by shape, peacefulness by peace, minuteness by minuteness and airy nature by its airy nature and swallows it. Salutations and salutations to that great swallower. 3-4

Those gods who reside in the heart reside in the soul of the heart. And you who live in that heart are beyond the triad nature. [The three letters Aa, Uu and ma or three states viz. wakefulness, sleep and state of dream.] 3-5

The head of “the sound of Om” is on your left side. Its feet are on your right side. That “Sound of Om” is the Pranava(primeval sound). That Pranava is spread everywhere. That which is everywhere is the greatest. That which is limitless, shines like a white star. That which is also called Shuklam (seminal fluid- the basic unit of life) is very very minute. That which is minute is like a lightning power. That which is like lightning power is the ultimate Brahman. That Brahman is one and only one. That one and only one is Rudra (loosely translated angry one), it is also Eeshana (the form of Lord Shiva with tuft and riding on a bull), it is also the ultimate God and it is also the lord of all things. 3-6

Rudra is called the personification of Pranva because he sends the souls towards heaven, at the time of death (dissolution).

He is called the “one who has the shape of Pranava “, because the Brahmins read and propagate the Rik, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas only after reading “om”.

He is called “all pervading “ because like oil in gingili (Til), he peacefully pervades all over the world and its beings, from top to bottom and from right to left.

He is called “Anantha (endless)”, because his end is neither at the top nor bottom, nor right nor left.

He is called “thara (protector)” because he protects one from the fear of life which consists of the fear of staying in the womb, fear at time of birth, fear from diseases, fear from old age and fear from death.

He is called “Shukla (white/ seminal fluid) because by pronouncing his name we get rid of all pains.

He is called “sookshma (minute)”, because he pervades in a minute form all over the body without touching any of the organs.

He is called “vaidhyutha (electric)” because as soon as his name is pronounced , in the state of darkness where nothing is visible, the holy knowledge comes like a ray of lightning.

He is called “Para Brahmam (the ultimate reality)”, because though he is inside every thing, he is in and out of everything, he is the refuge of every thing and bigger than the big, he is inside every thing.

He is called “Eka (single)” because he singly destroys everything and recreates everything.

He is called “theertha (sacred water)” because he is the ultimate mingling of all sacred waters which are sought after, in the east, south, north ad west.

He is “Eka (loner)” because he creates all beings and travels within them alone without any one realizing where he comes from and where he goes.

He is “Rudra” because he is fast moving form is not understood by all but only by great sages and devotees.

He is “Eeshana” because by his power for creation and upkeep and also because he rules over all devas (gods).

Like approaching a cow for getting milk, we come to you. You are “Eeshana’ because Veda points you out as one who shows the heaven and one who rules over other Gods.

You are also called “Maheswara (great lord)” because you bless your devotees by giving them knowledge, because you created words and brought out knowledge, and because you have forsaken everything and reached a highest state of existence through yoga and your grace.

This is the story of Rudra. 4

This god is the one who pervades in all directions. He is the one who came earlier than every thing. He is the one who is in the womb. He is the one who is in all the creatures which have come out till now and all those who are going to be created in future. He is also the one who sees the inside but the one who has a face which looks outside. 5.1

Rudra is one and only one. There is none second to him. He rules all worlds by his power. He pervades fully in all beings. He is the one who, at the time of deluge, absorbs all beings. He is the one who creates all beings and upkeeps them. 5.2

He alone exists, in all organs where birth takes place. He travels among all beings and is the reason for their existence. The seeker would get immeasurable peace by searching and surrendering to this god, who gives everything to the one who asks and who is praiseworthy. 5.3

He converts fire, air, water, earth, ether and everything that exists here in to ash. He who sees this and mentally realizes it and observes the “penance to Pasupathi (Lord of all beings)” and who coats ash all over his body with this ash attains the state of Brahman. By worshipping “Pasupathi (lord of all beings)” like this, the ties of bondage of all beings get cut and they attain salvation. 5.4

There is none greater than him, on whom all the worlds are strung like beads. Over ages, nothing so far where greater than him and nothing is going to be greater than him. He has thousands of legs but one and only one head. He pervades every where.

From “Akshara (letter/language/ the deathless being)” time is created. From “time (ages) the “all pervasiveness” is created. This “all pervasiveness” is Rudra. Rudra destroys beings even when he is sleeping. From his “breath” is produced the “power of Thamas (darkness)”. From Thamas is created water. Mixing this water with finger makes it cold. By mixing the coolness the “foam” is produced. From that foam, the galaxy is produced. From the galaxy, Brahmam is produced. From Brahmam, air is produced. From air, “the sound of Om” is produced. From “the sound of Om”, Savithri is produced. From Savithri, Gayathri is produced and from Gayathri, all the worlds are produced. They who worship “penance” and “truth”, get permanent happiness. Worshipping that Brahmam, which is the mixture of light, water, essence and nectar, by chanting “om Bhoor bhuva swarom” is the greatest penance.

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 !
Om ! Let there be Peace in me !
Let there be Peace in my environment !
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !

Here ends the Atharvasiras Upanishad, as contained in the Atharva-Veda

Minor Upanishad

Dakshinamurti Upanishad

Translated by P. R. Ramachander
Published by celextel.org

Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy,
May our study be vigorous and effective;
May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).
Om ! Let there be Peace in me !
Let there be Peace in my environment !
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !

Om. In Brahma Vartha (Land of Brahma), under a banyan tree called Maha Bandira, many sages including Sounaka had assembled to perform a Sathra fire sacrifice. They approached sage Markandeya wearing samiths (dried twigs of banyan tree)
as gloves and asked him, “How do you manage to be a Chiram Jeevi (One who does not have death) and how are you always in the happy state?” 1

He replied, “This is because of the knowledge of the most secret philosophy of Shiva. This very secret Shiva philosophy by which Shiva who is the Dakshinamurthy, becomes some thing which is not visible to others. He is that God who at the time of
final deluge, who keeps every thing else within himself and shines because of the pleasure of his own spirit. The secret mantras about him are as follows: Brahma is the sage, the meter is Gayathri and the god is Dakshinamurhy for this mantra.

First Mantra of 24 letters: After telling “om”, tell “Namo” and then “Bhagavathe Dakshinamurthaye”, then the fourth form of “asmad” viz “Mahyam”, then “medham Pragnam”, then the root of wind “ya”, added with “chcha”, followed by the name of wife of fire God “swaha”. This is the mantra with 24 letters. That is “Om Namo Bhagwathe Dakshinamurthaye Mahyam, Medham Pragnam Prayacha Swaha!” 2

Then Dhyanam (thinking abut the form in the mind, when mantra is chanted). I salute him who is white like a crystal, who holds in his hands, a chain of pearl beads, the pot of nectar which is the form of knowledge, and the mudhra (symbol) of wisdom, who
ties himself with a snake, who wears the moon on his head and who wears different type of ornaments. 3

Second Mantra of nine letters: First Say “Om”, then the first vowel with the visarga and in the end ell Panchakshari with visarga in the end, and this gives the Navakshari mantra (nine letters mantra). That is “Om Aam Aa Sivaya Nama Om!” 4

Then Dhyanam. Let the three eyed god who does only good, who has in his three hands, the sign of protection, deer and axe in three hands and fourth hand kept on his knee, who has tied a snake on his body, who shines white like milk, who sits below a
banyan tree and who is surrounded by sages like Shuka, gives us pure thoughts. 5

[Slokas 6 is not available.]

Third Mantra: Add Broom Nama, Maya Bheeja, Vagbhava Bheeja, Dakshinamurthaye and Jnanam dehi Swaha to Om. The mantra would be “Om Broom, Namo Hreem Im Dakshinamurthaye Jnanam Dehi Swaha!” 7

Then Dhyanam: Let the God Dakshinamurthy, who has a white body due to application of holy ash, who wears the crescent moon on his head, who holds in his hands, Jnana mudra (symbol of wisdom), beaded chain, Veena and books, who wears all ornaments, who wears the elephant hide, who resembles the meditating Rama, who sits on the throne of explanation and who is being served by great sages protect us always. 8

We have to see that lamp of wisdom, which burns with renunciation as oil, devotion as wick and which shines in the full vessel of wake up state. 9

In the beginning of creation, Lord Brahma prayed this Dakshinamurthy, and obtained the capacity of creating beings and became very happy. He became blessed after getting what he desired. That Brahma therefore has become a devotee as well as
somebody who deserves our devotion. 10

The one who reads this philosophy of Shiva with understanding, would get rid of all his sins. The ones who know this truly will attain salvation. 11

Om ! May He protect us both together; may He nourish us both together;
May we work conjointly with great energy,
May our study be vigorous and effective;
May we not mutually dispute (or may we not hate any).
Om ! Let there be Peace in me !
Let there be Peace in my environment !
Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me !

Here ends the Dakshinamurti Upanishad belonging to the Krishna-Yajur-Veda.

(My humble salutations to Sreeman P R Ramachander for the collection)

Minor Upanishad

Dattaatreya Upanishad

Once Brahma the creator asked Lord Narayana about the efficacy of the taaraka-mantra to which the latter replied:

“Always think of Me and My glory, and be in commune with Me in the attitude ‘I am Datta, the great Lord.’ Such ones who medidate thus do not swirl in the ver-recurring course of worldly existence.”

Accordingly, after meditating on Lord Vishnu (Dattatreya), Brahma said: “Yes. The Brahman that is the infinite and peerless alone remains as the residuum after negation of everything else.”

The one-, six-, eight-, twelve-, and sixteen-syllabled mantras of Dattaatreya

The taaraka monosyllable is ‘Daam’. He is the haMsa established in all beings. ‘Daam’ in the lengthened form is the Paramaatman. The six syllabled one is ‘OM, Shriim, Hriim, Kliim, Glaum, Draam.

The eight-syllabled one is ‘Dram’ or ‘Draam’ and then adding to it the syllables ‘Dat, taa, tre, yaa, na, maaH.” The portion ‘Dattatreya’ is of the character of knowledge, existence, and bliss, and that of namaH is of full- blown bliss.

The twelve-syllabled formula is ‘Om, Aam, Hriim, Krom, ehi Dattatreya svaahaa.’ The sixteen-syllabled formula is Om, Aim, Krom, Kliim, Cluum, Hraam, Hriim, Hruum, Saum (nine) and the five syllables constituting Dattaatreyaaya, and the twin syllable svaahaa. The whole formula is ‘Om, Aim, Krom, Kliim, Cluum, Hraam, Hriim, Hruum, Saum Dattaatreyaaya svaahaa.’

The anushhtubh-mantra of Dattaatreya

All the portions of the mantra are said to be in the vocative forms right through as ‘Dattaatreya Hare KRshhNa unmataananda-daayaka, digambara, mune, baala, pishaaca, jn~aana saagara.’

The moola-mantra of Dattaatreya

This is then given as:

‘OM namo bhagavate Dattaatreyaaya, smarana-maatra-samtushhtaaya

OM salutations unto Lord Dattatreya who is propitiated by remembrance (devotion),

mahaa-bhaya-nirvaanaaya, mahaa-gyaaana-pradaaya, cidaanandaatmane

that is the dispeller of great fears, who bestows the highest character of sentience and bliss

baalonmatta-pishaaca-veshaaya’

who is in the guise of a child, a mad-man, a devil, thus:

mahaa yogine avadhuutaya, anasuuyaananda-vardhanaayatri-putraya

a great yogin, is the enhancer of the bliss of Anasuya (His mother), is the son of the sage Atri,

sarva-kaama-phala-pradaaya, bhava-bandha-mocanaaya,

who bestows the fruits of all the desires of the devotee’s heart, the redeemer of the bonds of worldy existence,

sakala-vibhuuti-daaya saadhyakarshhaNaaya sarva-manaH-kshhobhaNaaya, ciram- jiivane vashi-kuru, vashi-kuru, aakarshhaya-akarshhaya, vidveshhaya, vidveshhaya, uccaaTaya-uccaaTaaya, stambhaya-stambhaya, maaraya-maaraya namaH, saMpannaaya, namaH saMpannaaya, svaahaa poshhaya, poshhaya, para-mantra para-yantra para tantraaMshh ccindhi, ccindhi;
grahaan nivaaraya; nivaaraya; vyaadhiin nivaaraya, nivaaraya; duHkhaM haraya, haraya; daaridryam vidraavaya, dehaM poshhaya, poshhaya; citttam toshhaya, toshhaya:

Do thou counteract the malignant influences of the planets, cure the ailments, drive off anguish, melt away all penury, fill the mind with joy

sarva mantra sarva yantra sarva tantra sarva pallava svaruupaaya iti Om namah shivaaya. Om

.unto Thee of the real form of incantations, all mystic symbols and powers, etc. OM salutations!

OM salutations unto Lord Dattatreya who is propitiated by remembrance (devotion), that is the dispeller of great fears, who bestows the highest character of sentience and bliss and who is in the guise of a child, a mad- man, a devil, a great yoin, is the enhancer of the bliss of Anasuya (His mother), is the son of the sage Atri, who bestows the fruits of all the desires of the devotee’s heart, the redeemer of the bonds of worldy existence, ..Do thou nourish my body, counteract the malignant influences of the planets, cure the ailments, drive off anguish, melt away all penury, fill the mind with joy…unto Thee of the real form of incantations, all mystic symbols and powers, etc. OM salutations!

He who knows all about this vidyaa and practices this becomes holy, and he attains the fruits of having muttered the Gayatri, the Mahaarudra, and the PraNava innumerable times, and he is absolved of all his sins.

Thus ends Dattatreya Upanisad as contained in the  Atharvaveda