विषय

ब्रह्मविद्या का उपदेश।

पदार्थ

(ऋतस्य) सत्य के (यम्) जिस (ओदनम्) वृद्धि करनेवाले परमात्मा को (प्रथमजाः) प्रख्यात पुरुषों में उत्पन्न हुए, (प्रजापतिः) प्रजापालक योगी जन ने (तपसा) अपने तप, सामर्थ्य से (ब्रह्मणे) ब्रह्म की प्राप्ति के लिये (अपचत्) परिपक्व अर्थात् हृदय में दृढ़ किया है। (यः) जो परमात्मा (लोकानाम्) सब लोकों का (विधृतिः) विधाता (न) कभी नहीं (अभिरेषात्) घटता है, (तेन) उस (ओदनेन) बढ़ानेवाले वा अन्नरूप परमात्मा के साथ (मृत्युम्) मृत्यु के कारण [निरुत्साह आदि दोष] को (अति=अतीत्य) लाँघकर (तराणि) मैं तर जाऊँ ॥१॥

भावार्थ

जिस परमात्मा को ऋषि मुनि महात्मा लोग साक्षात् करते चले आये हैं, उसी के गुणों को हम जानकर पुरुषार्थ के साथ अपने जीवन को सुधारें ॥१॥

विषय

लोकधारण आदेन

पदार्थ

१. (ऋतस्य प्रथमजा:) = ऋत के-सब सत्यविद्याओं के प्रथम उत्पत्तिस्थान (प्रजापति:) = सब प्रजाओं के रक्षक प्रभु ने (तपसा) = अपने ज्ञानरूप तप के द्वारा [तस्य ज्ञानमयं तपः] (यम् ओदनम्) = जिस ज्ञान-भोजन [ब्रह्मौदन] को (ब्रह्मणे) = ज्ञान के लिए लोगों को ज्ञान देने के लिए (अपचत्) = पकाया, प्रभु ने ही सृष्टि के प्रारम्भ में लोकहित के लिए इस जानभोजन को परिपक्व किया, २. (यः) = जो ज्ञान का भोजन (लोकानाम्) = सब लोकों का (विधति:) = धारण करनेवाला है और (न अभिरेषात्) = जो हमारा हिंसन नहीं करता-हमें हिंसित होने से बचाता है, (तेन ओदनेन) = उस ज्ञान-भोजन से (मृत्युम् अतितराणि) = मृत्यु को तैर जाऊँ। प्रकृति का ज्ञान मुझे प्राकृतिक पदार्थों के यथायोग द्वारा रोगों से बचाता है तथा आत्मज्ञान जन्म-मरण के चक्र से बचानेवाला बनता है।

भावार्थ

प्रभु ने ही सृष्टि के आरम्भ में इस ज्ञान-भोजन का परिपाक किया। यह ज्ञान ही सब लोकों का धारक है। यह मुझे मृत्यु से तराता है।

भाषार्थ

(ऋतस्य) सत्य के (प्रथमजा:) प्रथमोत्पादक अर्थात् प्रथमाश्रम, ब्रह्मचर्याश्रम में उत्पादक और (प्रजापतिः) प्रजाओं अर्थात् सन्तानों के पालक तथा रक्षक गृहस्थी ने, (ब्रह्मणे) ब्रह्म की प्राप्ति के लिए, (यम्, ओदनम्) जिस ओदन-परमेश्वर को, (तपसा) तपस्या द्वारा (अपचत्१) निज जीवन में परिपक्व किया, तथा (य:) जो ओदन (लोकानाम्) लोकलोकान्तरों का (विधृतिः) विशेषेण धारक है, (न अभिरेषात्) वह [मेरे लिए] नष्ट न हो, (तेन ओदनेन) उस ओदन द्वारा (मृत्युम् अति) मृत्यु का अतिक्रमण कर, (तराणि) मैं तैर जाऊँ [भवसागर को]।

विषय

प्रजापति की उपासना से मृत्यु को तरना।

भावार्थ

(प्रजापतिः) कुलपति आचार्य ने (ब्रह्मणें) वेदविद्या की प्राप्ति के लिये (तपसा) तपश्चर्या द्वारा (यं ओदनम् अपचत्) जिस ओदन रूप परमेश्वर या ब्रह्म को परिपक्व किया है वह ओदनरूप परमेश्वर (ऋतस्य प्रथमजाः) नियमों तथा ज्ञानों का प्रथम उत्पादक है। (यः) जो ओदन (लोकानाम्) समस्त लोकों का (विधृतिः) विशेष आधार रूप है, (न अभिरेषात्) और जो कभी नष्ट नहीं होता (तेन ओदनेन) उस ओदन रूप परमेश्वर द्वारा (मृत्युम् अति तराणि) मैं मृत्यु के सागर को तरता हूं। जीवन का आधार यह परमात्मा है जिस प्रकार कि सात्विक अन्न शारीरिक जीवन का आधार है। इस कारण से परमेश्वर को ‘ओदन’ कहा है ।

ऋषि | देवता | छन्द | स्वर

प्रजापतिर्ऋषिः। मृत्योरेतिक्रमण देवताः। ३ भुरिक्। ४ जगती, १, २, ५-७ त्रिष्टुभः। सप्तर्चं सूक्तम्॥

Subject

Conquest of Death

Meaning

Brahmaudana, divine food of life, which Prajapati, divine generator and sustainer of his creation, first self-manifested of Rtam, laws and dynamics of existence, brooded over, perfected and brought into being by ‘tapas’, his will and power, for his self¬ manifestation as well as for the expansive manifested universe, which is the mainstay of the worlds of existence and the people therein, never decays, nor does it hurt anyone. By that very food of life I would conquer and outlive death unto eternity. (Brahmaudana here can be interpreted as ‘Brahma that itself is the food of life’, and ‘life that is the food of Brahma’. Both ways, the interpretation is the same with reference to human life. In Shatapatha Brahmana (13, 1, 1, 4) and in Taittiriya Brahmana (3, 8, 2, 4) Odana is interpreted as Retas, creativity of divinity. Rgveda 10,129 also speaks of the precreation stage of existence as the state of Brahma existing with its creative power. And power and the powerful both are one, together, integrated. Odana is also interpreted as Brahmacharya, the way of life in which one knows as well as lives the life divine with perfect self control. So, if Brahma is the food of life, it means that you dedicate your life and time to Brahma as your sole object of love and service. On the other hand, if life is the food of Brahma, you totally surrender yourself to Brahma. In one case, Brahma is your food, in the other, you are the food of Brahma. How do we conquer death by Brahma? Our life on earth is a cycle of birth, age and death: Life is body and soul together, death is seperation of the two. If we identify ourselves with life-in-body, we identify ourselves with the motal despite our immortality. But if we know our real nature and live in full awareness as such and dedicate ourselves to Brahma, we abide in freedom from the ravages of mortality. Death then becomes irrelevant and meaningless, at best a stage in the journey. Thus we conquer death and outlive it in the state of freedom from mortality. Thus we become identified with eternity, with Brahma.

Subject

Prajapati

Translation

The rice, which the Lord of creatures, the first offspring of the righteousness, cooked with austerity for the sake of knowledge, and which is the main sustenance of people and which never does any harm; with that odana (cooked rice) may I cross over death.

Translation

[N.B. Odana is here used in very comprehensive sense. Accor ding to shatapath Brahmana (13.1.1.4) and Taitiriya Brahmana (3.8.2.4) Retas, the generative vigor is called Odana, God who desires to create the world from its material cause, the matter, first produce universal generative power. Everything is basically depending on its strength which is the result of this power. A banian tree is lying hidden in its generative power, the seed-power. Same is the case with all the objects of the world. Whatever shape and stature will the sun assume under the creator's will and design worked out on the material cause is lying in its atomic seed-power. In the same manner an individual creature is the product of his seed-power or retas. This generative vigor being preserved under the discipline of Chastity and celibacy makes one attain Brahman, the Vedic knowledge, and God as well as immortality. In this hymn the term Odana represents universal generative vigor.] I, the observer of celibacy conquer mortality or death with this Odana, the generative staminal vigor which Prajapati, the Lord of all creatures, who is first manifested ordainer of the eternal law, prepared for the creation of Brahma, the universal by His heating power and which is the supporting power of the worlds and which never embraces decay.

Translation

That God, Who is firmly fixed in his heart by a yogi, through austerity, for the sake of acquiring Vedic knowledge, is the First Promulgator of Laws. He is the main support of all the worlds, and beyond the reach of Death. Through Him, may I cross the ocean of death.

टिप्पणीः

१−(यम्) (ओदनम्) सू० ३४। म० १। सेचकं प्रवर्धकं वा परमात्मानम् (प्रथमजाः) प्रथमेषु श्रेष्ठपुरुषेषु जातः (ऋतस्य) सत्यस्य परब्रह्मरूपस्य (प्रजापतिः) प्रजानां पालको योगिजनः (तपसा) स्वसामर्थ्येन (ब्रह्मणे) ब्रह्मप्राप्तये (अपचत्) पक्वं हृदये दृढं कृतवान् (यः) ओदनः (लोकानाम्) ब्रह्माण्डानाम् (विधृतिः) विधारयिता (न) निषेधे (अभिरेषात्) रिष हिंसायाम्-लडर्थे लेट्, कर्मण्यर्थे। रेष्यते। नश्यति (तेन) (ओदनेन) सेचकेन प्रवर्धकेन अन्नरूपेण वा परमात्मना (अति) अतीत्य (तराणि) पारं गच्छानि प्राप्नवानि (मृत्युम्) मरणकारणं निरुत्साहम् ॥