TAATTRIYA UPANISHAD: SHANTI PAATA: CONTD. SHANTI: SHANTI: SHANTI: [शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः]

2018  0128 04  Taittriya Upanishad: Shanti Paata Contd.: Shanti: Shant i: Shanti:

ॐ शं नो मित्रः शं वरुणः  |   शं नो भवतु  अर्यमा  | 

शं न इन्द्रो बृहस्पतिः  | शं नो विष्णु रुरुक्रमः  |    

नमो ब्रह्मणे  |  नमस्ते  वायो  |  त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि  |  

त्वामेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्म वदिष्यामि  |

ऋतं  वदिष्यामि |  सत्यं  वदिष्यामि |  

तन्मामवतु  |  तद्वक्तारमवतु  |  अवतु माम्  |  अवतु  वक्तारम्  |

ॐ शान्तिः  शान्तिः शान्तिः ||    थै 1 .1

Om Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:   T 1.1

Adi Sankara's Commentary:

The repetition thrice of the word Shanti: is for resolution of all the three types of obstructions standing in the way of my gaining knowledge viz those centred on myself, those centred on surrounding environment and those coming from the domain of the devatas.

Repetition of the Shanti three times is for the purpose of resolution of three-fold obstructions in the way of my gaing brahma-vidya. What are the three-fold obstructions? They are 1] adhyatmika, 2] adihbhautika and 3] adhidaivika.

Adhyatmika-ashanti is centred on your body and mind [like ill-health or constantly wandering mind]. Therefore there is a prayer for adhyatmika shanti.

Adhibautika-ashanti is due to environmental situations [like a sleeping neighbour or a flying wasp]. Therefore there is a prayer for adhibautika shanti.

Adhidaivika-ashanti means disturbances centred on devatas. It is daivadhinam. It is not within the domain of people or creatures around. You have no control over that.

For the purpose of resolving all of them, three times shanti is repeated. While chanting this shanti-mantra,see the meaning, then it is effective.

Source: Swami Dayananda Saraswati: Taittriya Upanishad Vol1 [pp 83-85]

                             

TAITRIYA UPANISHAD: SHANTI PAATA CONTD: RUTAM VADISHYAMI SATYAM VADISHYAMI [ऋतं वदिष्यामि सत्यं वदिष्यामि]

2018  0121 03  Taittriya Upanishad: Shanti Paata Contd.: Rutam Vadishyami, Satyam Vadishyami

ॐ शं नो मित्रः शं वरुणः  |   शं नो भवतु  अर्यमा  | 

शं न इन्द्रो बृहस्पतिः  | शं नो विष्णु रुरुक्रमः  |    

नमो ब्रह्मणे  |  नमस्ते  वायो  |  त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि  |  

त्वामेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्म वदिष्यामि  |

ऋतं  वदिष्यामि |  सत्यं  वदिष्यामि |  

तन्मामवतु  |  तद्वक्तारमवतु  |  अवतु माम्  |  अवतु  वक्तारम्  |

ॐ शान्तिः  शान्तिः शान्तिः ||    थै 1 .1

Rutam Vadishyami; Satyam Vadishyami;

Tanmamavatu; Tadvaksharamavatu; Avatu mam; Avatu Vaksharam;  T 1.1

Adi Sankara's Commentary:

Rutam [ऋतं] means what has to be done in keeping with the sastra and which has been very well ascertained in the intellect. I declare you to be that rutam because it is in your domain.

That Rutam when it is expressed through speech and body is called Satyam [सत्यं]. That also is accomplished with Your grace and so I declare you to be that Satyam.

Any human end is purushartha. What is desired by people is purushartha. What you want to accomplish in life is purushartha. We have two words rutam and satyam.

One has checked one's understanding to see if it is in keeping with sastra, in keeping with what is right and wrong. That is rutam. In one's buddhi it is very well ascertained as to how a thing has to be done. That kind of clarity is rutam. And that is what Bhagavan is.

The student addresses Bhagavan: I declare you to be in the form of rutam.

Once I have done this, afterwards when I express it, it is called satyam. If what you think is not well-ascertained and you speak what you think, it is not satya-vadanam.

O Bhagavan! You are Satyam in the form of Vayu, Sutratma in everyone. Satyam is the same Bhagavan who is Rutam, who is now accomplished, manifest in the form of words and physical deeds.What is spoken is followed by action, and that is also Satyam.

Without Your grace I cannot maintain Satyam, it is within your domain. And without Your grace I cannot understand Rutam. For both I require Your grace.This support system is Bhagavan.

Even to  understand dharma, follow dharma and live up to that dharma, I require the support of Bhagavan's grace. Prayers become the support system. Bhagavan is the only permanet factor in the support system.

Let that Brahman protect me, the seeker of knowledge, by blessing me with knowledge. Let the same Brahman protect the teacherby blessing him with the capacity to teach. The repetition of the words avatu mam, avatu vaktaram is for emphasis.

Source: Swami Dayananda Saraswati: Taittriya Upanishad Vol1 [pp 77-83]

                             

TAITTRIYA UPANISHAD: SHANTI PAATA CONTD.: NAMO BRAHMANE NAMASTE VAYO [नमो ब्रह्मणे | नमस्ते वायो | ]

2018  0114 02  Taittriya Upanishad: Shanti Paata Contd: Namo Brahmane; Namaste Vayo

ॐ शं नो मित्रः शं वरुणः  |   शं नो भवतु  अर्यमा  | 

शं न इन्द्रो बृहस्पतिः  | शं नो विष्णु रुरुक्रमः  |    

नमो ब्रह्मणे  |  नमस्ते  वायो  |  त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि  |  

त्वामेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्म वदिष्यामि  |

ऋतं  वदिष्यामि |  सत्यं  वदिष्यामि |  

तन्मामवतु  |  तद्वक्तारमवतु  |  अवतु माम्  |  अवतु  वक्तारम्  |

ॐ शान्तिः  शान्तिः शान्तिः ||    थै 1 .1

Namo BrahmaNE; NamastE Vaayo; TvamEva prayaksham BrahmAsi;

TvamEva prayaksham Brahma vadishyaami    T 1.1

Adi Sankara's Commentary:

The acts of salutations to and praise of Brahman are done for the resolution of all possible obstructions in gaining the knowledge of Brahman, by the one who is desirous of knowing it, since the results of all actions are dependent on Brahman. Brahman is Vayu. I offer my salutations, I bend down to that Brahman.

Namo Brahmane, Salutations to Brahman; Namaste Vayo, Salutations to you, O Vayu -- in these two places, Vayu alone is addressed. In the first instance, the word Brahma is used for Vayu and in the second, Vayu is addressed directly.  You visualize Vayu and do namaskara.

Again, 'You are pratyaksha-Brahma because, at the adhyatmika, physical level, which is pratyaksha, you are keeping my body alive and I see that directly. When I think of you as Sutratma, samashti, you become paroksha'. 

Further, since you are perceptible Brahman outside me with reference to eyes, etc and not away from me, I shall declare you to be perceptible Brahman. 

Without you in the form of Vayu, no living being can exist. Any living being needs you to breathe life. Therefore, O Vayu, I call you Brahman that is directly experienced by me.  Thus, Vayu, the Sutratma, is invoked as pratyaksha-Brahma.

Source: Swami Dayananda Saraswati: Taittriya Upanishad Vol1 [pp 74-77]

                             

TAITTRIYA UPANISHAD: SHANTI PAATA: OM SAM NO MITRA SAM VARUNAH [ॐ शं नो मित्र शं वरुणः ]

2018 0107 01  Taittriya Upanishad: Shanti Paata: Om sam no Mitra sam Varunah

This is the Shanti Paata of Taittriya Upanishad [T 1.1]

May Mitra be a source of blessing to us. May Varuna [be] a source of blessing [to us]. May Aryamaa be a source of blessing to us. May Indra and Bruhaspati [be] a source of blessing [to us].  May Vishnu, the Lord of long stride, [be] a source of blessing t[o us]. 

Salutations to Brahman [Hiranyagarbha]. O Vayu! Salutations to you. You alone are the perceptible Brahman.  I shall declare you to be the perceptible Brahman. I shall declare [you to be] Right Understanding.  I shall declare [you to be] Truthfulness.

May He protect me.  May He protect the teacher.  May He protect me.  May He protect the teacher.  Om. Let there be Peace, Peace, Peace!


                                


Adi Sankara's commentary on the above Shanti Mantra:

Sam means blessing. May Lord Mitra who is the presiding deity of prana [the function of respiration] and day be a source of blessing to us during the day. Similarly, Lord Varuna who is the presiding deity of apana [the function of evacuation] and night  be a source of blessing to us during the night [for good sleep and a clear morning].

Isvara, when looked at from the standpoint of the day becomes a devata and is called Mitra. It is another name for the Sun, as the adishtana devata of the day.  He is not only adhishthana-devata of the day from the standpoint of samashti adhibhuta , from the standpoint of vyashti-adyaatma, with reference to  one's own body-mind-sense complex, He is the adhishtana devata  of prana-vrutti, function of respiration. Let him bless us.

So too, may Varuna, who is the adishtana devata for the night and also for apana-vrutti, function of evacuation, bless us. With reference to eyes, the same Sun is called Aryamaaand he is the adishtana devata for eyes and the solar system. Indra is adishtana-devata of balam, strength. So may He bless us with strength.

Indra's Guru is Bruhaspati, who is the presiding deity of vak, speech and buddhi, intellect. For speech to be clear and truthful , Bruhaspathi's blessing must be there. May the Lord bless us with learning and clarity in understanding.

Similarly, all-pervasive Vishnu, the presiding deity of legs and feet, be a source of blessing to us.May all these presiding deities, and others not said here, bless us. Thus, we are seeking blessing at all levels in this mantra.

Only if all the deities remain blessing us with pleasant situations, listening to this teaching, retaining it and sharing it with others, take place without any obstacle. Hence their favourable is prayed for, by saying 'sam no bhavatu'.

   Source: Swami Dayananda Saraswati: Taittriya Upanishad Vol1 [pp 67-70]