Class notes by Sharmila

The best preparation for Bhagavad Gita is Srimad Bhagavatam. The best preparation for the Upanishad is Bhagavad Gita. In the Bhagavad Gita, there is exploration of Yoga starting with Karma yoga. Those who practice Karma yoga will experience more ‘clarity’. After that is Bhakti yoga, and those who practice this will have more ‘conviction’. Finally is Jnana yoga, and those who practice this will feel more ‘confidence’. This is seen clearly in chapter 18, in Prince Arjuna’s confidence. The fulfillment of yoga is to be ‘yukta’ (means joined). This where ‘tvam’ has completed ‘asi’ into ‘tat’. With clarity, conviction and confidence, one becomes content. The contentment is elaborated in chapter 2 of Bhagavad Gita. 

Rishi Vyasa is the father of Vedanta, Acharya Shankara is the champion of Vedanta. Most of what we study, including the arrangement of the Upanishad has been facilitated by Rishi Vyasa. As time went on, people misinterpreted this, so Acharya Shankara championed Vedanta, He interpreted and implemented this rightly. All Acharya Shankara would want from us is to be content. That is what this Upanishad course wants from us too! To destroy this feeling that we are not joy. 

Recap: Lesson 23 is on Shanti Mantras. Shanti mantra is chanted at the commencement so that the vision is clear that this class/yagna is for shanti. There is a subhashitam that says ‘Where there is many there is bhraanti (politics), where there is two there is kraanti (anger) and where there is one there is shanti’. These shanti mantras are directing us to Advaita (oneness). The jiva (us) has mixed up the object and the subject.  The object factually is the ‘jagat’ (idam, ‘Am’), the factual subject is ‘Jagadeeswara’ (aham, ‘I’). When we mix ‘I’ with ‘Am’, then we become a jiva. What we are trying to do is to separate this mixture (Jagat is am, Jagadeeswara is I),  and when this is separated , we experience Brahman (infinity). Sanatana dharma means infinite nature. Sanatana dharma is facilitated by our shastra or map, we call this the Veda. There is one Veda, volumized into four by Rishi Vyasa. (Vyasa means one the who has a vision).

Traditionally the first Veda is known as the Rk Veda (RgVeda). The shanti mantra in the RgVeda is: 

Om Vaanga Me Manasi Pratisstthitaa

Mano Me Vaaci Pratisstthitam

Aavir-Aavir-Ma Edhi

Vedasya Ma Aanniisthah

Shrutam Me Maa Prahaasiih

Anena-Adhiitena-Ahoraatraan-Sandadhaami

Rtam Vadissyaami |

Satyam Vadissyaami

Tan-Maam-Avatu

Tad-Vaktaaram-Avatu

Avatu Maam

Avatu Vaktaaram

Avatu Vaktaaram

Om ShantiH ShantiH ShantiH

In this mantra, we pray for protection, not physical but the protection of our intellect (to know what our purpose is). If we are steady with the study of the Upanishad, then naturally we will be more passionate about the purpose. There is a sharing in the Mahabharata ‘Dharmo rakshati rakshitaH’ (the one who follows Dharma is protected by Dharma). 

The second Veda is known as the (Yajus) Yajur Veda.

Om sahanaa vavatu

Sahanau bhunaktu Sahaviryam karavaavahai

Tejasvi naavadhee tamastu maavidhvi shaavahai

Om ShantiH ShantiH ShantiH

Tejasvinaavadhi tamastu  (may we shine) – The word Teja means one who is filled with shining, and one who knows they are awareness. In a practical sense, this is applying what we know. 

This Class: Lesson 23 (Continued) – Pujya Swami Tejomayananda has shared ‘what is absolutely essential is the marker of Sannyasa’ – these mantras have the same bhava/feel. These mantras show us the means and the ends. In these mantras, there is no sense of secular utility, no other purpose, they all end with Shanti. The loud Shanti means it is for us, then a quieter shanti is for those around us, and the quietest shanti is for all. 

Traditionally, the third Veda is the Sama Veda. The Shanti Mantra from Sama Veda is:

Om aapyayantu mamaangani vaakpraanaschakshuH shrotramatho

Balamindriyani cha sarvani

Sarvam brahmopanishadam Maaham brahma nirakuryam

Maa maa brahma nirakarod anirakaranamastvanirakaranam me astu

Tadatmani nirate ya upanishatsu dharmaaH

Te mayi santu te mayi santu 

Om ShantiH ShantiH ShantiH

“May my limbs, speech, prana, eye, ear, strength of all my senses grow vigorous.All is the Brahman of the Upanishads. May i never deny Brahman. May Brahman never spurn me. May there be no denial of Brahman, may there be no spurning by Brahman, but all the virtues recited in the Upanishad repose in me who delight in the Atma. May they in me repose. Om peace, peace peace.”

Tat atmani nirate ya upanishatsu dharmaaH means all of the virtues that are needed to feel the Atma, is all outlined in the Upanishad – May this reside in me, May this be me. 

If we leave the course with one thought which is to ‘convert values to virtues’ we will feel shanti. 

Traditionally, the fourth veda is the Atharva Veda or Atharvana Veda. The Shanti mantra here is:

Om Bhadram Karnnebhih Shrnnuyaama Devaah 

Bhadram Pashyemaakshabhir Yajatraah 

SthirairanggaisTushttuvaamsastanuubhih 

Vyashema Devahitam Yadaayuh 

Svasti Na Indro Vrddhashravaah 

Svasti Nah Pushaa Vishvavedaah 

Svasti Nastaarkshyo Arishtta Nemih

Svasti No brhaspatir dadhaatu

Om ShantiH ShantiH ShantiH

“Oh deities may we always hear with our ears what is auspicious, may with our eyes see what is auspicious, may we live our length of entire life hale and hearty, offering our praises to you. May Indra the ancient and the famous , Pushan (the all-knowing), Tarkshya (the Lord of swift motion, who saves us from all harm) and Brhaspati (who protects the spiritual wealth in us) bless us all with the intellectual strength to understand scriptures and the heroic heart to follow its teachings”.

Bhadram shrunuyama and bhadram pashyema – may i listen to that which is auspicious and may i see that which is auspicious. But what is auspicious? Bhadram is anything that reminds you of the divine. If all reminds us of the divine, then we become divine! That is the effort of our maps – to infuse all our experiences with divinity! 

Shaakambari is a name for Devi, it means the one who body parts are vegetables, one whose body is vegetation.The implication of this is to feel that vegetation/vegetables/food/water/breath all is facilitated by Her! For a person who is very vigilant, will remember that even the air we breathe is divine. As we think so we become.

Vyashema devahitam yadaayuH – May we live our lives celebrating Bhagavan.