The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - 26. Swami Krishnananda.

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Sunday, March 26, 2023. 07:45.
Chapter- III :
FIRST BRAHMANA: SACRIFICIAL WORSHIP AND ITS REWARDS
Mantras-7,8,9,10.
Post-26.

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Mantram-7.

"In this sacrifice, how many Ṛg verses are used, and what types of verses are used? Can you tell me?" Yājñavalkya, iti hovāca, katibhir ayam adya ṛgbhir hotāsmin yajñe kariṣyatīti: "The Hotr, the Ṛg Vedic priest, performs the sacrifice by the recitation of a set of Ṛg Vedic Mantras." "What are those Mantras? Can you tell?" Tisṛbhir iti: "Three types are there," says Yājñavalkya. "These are used by the Hotr, the Ṛg Vedic priest." Katamas tas tisra iti: "Which are those three?" again Aśvala asks. Puro'nuvākyā ca yājyā ca śasyaiva tṛtīyā:  "The introductory verses which precede the principal chant, the Mantras that are connected directly with the offering of the oblations called Yājyā, and the Mantras which are having their concern with the extollation of the consequences or results of the sacrifice, the glorification of the deity of the sacrifice called Śasya – these are the verses that he chants." Kiṁ tābhir jayatīti: "What is the purpose of this chant? What does he gain by it." "Do you know what he will gain by the recitation of these Mantras which are of a very comprehensive nature?" Yat kiṁ cedam prāṇabhṛd iti: "He can gain control over everything," says Yājñavalkya. "These Mantras are forces which he releases by a method of recitation, and these forces are directed to all those objects which can be regarded as living or non-living. So it is an all-powerful chant which can exercise a control over all beings. So, what does he gain? Everything ."

Mantram-8.

"Well Yājñavalkya! I put you another question. What are those Mantras which the Adhvaryu, the Yajurvedic priest uses in this sacrifice, and what is the connection between these Yajurvedic Mantras that he chants and the results that he expects from the performance of the sacrifice?" Yājñavalkya, iti hovāca, katy ayam adyādhvaryur asmin yajña āhutīr hoṣyatīti:  "How many oblations are offered in this sacrifice? Tell me." Tisra iti: "Three are offered." Katamās tās tisra iti:  "What are those three?" Yā hutā ujjvalanti: "There are certain Yajurvedic Mantras which, when they are recited at the time of the offering of the oblations, cause the flames to flare up vertically in the direction of the sky or the heaven. That is one set of Mantras which he chants. The moment you pour āhuti, by recitation of those Mantras the fire will flare up vertically. Yā hutā adhiśerate: There are other Mantras in the Yajur Veda which, when they are chanted at the time of the oblations, will cause the flames to make a roaring noise and they rush upwards as if a lion is opening his mouth. They are the second type of Mantras. Yā hutā adhiśerate: There is a third set of Yajurvedic Mantras, which when they are chanted at the time of the offering of the oblations, will make the flames go down and bury themselves in the Yajña Kunda." Kiṁ tābhir jayatīti: "What is the purpose of these chants? What does he gain out of these recitations and stirring of the flames in this manner?" Yā hutā adhiśerate, manuṣya-lokam eva tābhir jayati: "When he recites Mantras which are capable of flaring up the flames vertically, they will produce a force which will take him to the celestial region. This is what he gains. Dīpyata iva hi deva-lokaḥ: The celestial region shines like the flames that go upto the sky, deva-lokaḥ; Yā hutā adhiśerate, manuṣya-lokam eva: When he chants Mantras which will make the flames roar with gusto, they will produce a strength and a force and potential by which he will gain the Pitṛ Loka, or the world of the ancestors. Yā hutā adhiśerate, manuṣya-lokam: When he chants Mantras which will make the flames go down and bury themselves in the pit, they will produce another kind of vibration which will make him a good human being in the next birth-adha iva hi manuṣya-lokaḥ. So, there are three types of Mantras which will produce three kinds of effects. This is the result that follows from these recitations of the Yajurveda."

Mantram-9.

Yājñavalkya, iti hovāca: "Yājñavalkya, I put you another question," he said.  "Which is the deity, by the power of which Brahma, the Atharva Vedic priest protects this sacrifice? Tell me which deity it is? How many gods are there whom he resorts to for the protection of this Yajña that is being performed here?" Yājñavalkya says, ekayeti. "Only one God is there. He resorts to one God." Katamā saiketi: "Which is that one God?" "The mind of the Brahma, the priest, itself is the God. He conducts his mind in such a manner in respect of the purpose of the sacrifice that it becomes a force by itself. There is no other god there except his own mind.  The mind can assume infinite forms through the functions that it performs. So the mind is identical with what is known as a group of celestials called : are the protectors of the sacrifice. The mind itself stands for here. All the gods are comprehended in the mind, and as a matter of fact, every god is nothing but one function of the mind. So, his mind is all the gods." "What does he gain by resorting to this psychic god which he has generated in his mind?" : "Infinite is the result that follows. There is nothing which the mind cannot gain if it properly conducts itself in contemplation. So Brahma, the Atharva Vedic priest, raises himself to the status of an all-comprehensive force,  by the very concentration that he practises."

Mantram-10.

"Yājñavalkya, I ask you another question. Answer that – : What are the set of Mantras which the Udgatri, the Sāma Vedic priest chants here?" : "There are three chants." : "What are those?" : "The same are the Mantras as they are mentioned in connection with the rg Veda – the introductory, the oblationary and the laudatory." : "Which (Mantras) are the inner ones among these?" " within is identifiable in this context with the introductory verses, the Apāna is identifiable with the oblational chants, and Vyāna is identifiable with the laudatory verses. :   the Yajyā, or the middle one, is the Apāna; whereas the last one, the Śasya or laudatory Mantras, the praise that he offers to the gods through the third type of recitation, is identifiable with Vyāna. So, Prāna, Apāna, Vyāna are the real sources of these Sāma Vedic chants. He must meditate in a manner by which the vital breath within becomes the deity of the Sāmaveda." Kiṁ tābhir jayatīti: "What is the purpose of this meditation and what does he gain by these three chants through the Sāma Veda?" Prthivī-lokam eva puro'nuvākyayā jayati: "The whole earth can be governed by him, by the force generated by the introductory chant. Antarikṣa-lokam yājyayā: The atmospheric world can be controlled by him by the recitation of the middle one, the oblational chant. Dyu-lokaṁ śasyayā: The heavenly world can be gained and controlled by him by the recitation of the third chant, namely, the laudatory one." Aśvala felt that every question was answered and that he could not put any further questions to this man. He kept quiet and occupied his seat – tato ha hotāśvala upararāma. The chief priest Aśvala who put all these questions, the principal priest of the sacrifice performed by Janaka in his court, was defeated in the argument, because to every question which was so difficult to answer, Yājñavalkya gave an immediate answer on the very spot, without any hesitation whatsoever. Aśvala kept quiet. But though Aśvala, the priest, kept quiet, there were some others who wanted to put further questions to Yājñavalkya.

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Next
SECOND BRAHMANA: MAN IN BONDAGE AND HIS FUTURE AT DEATH
To be continued

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