365bet

Chandogya Upanishad (Madhva commentary)

by Srisa Chandra Vasu | 1909 | 169,805 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165

The English translation of the Chandogya Upanishad including the commentary of Madhva called the Bhasya. This text describes in seven sections the importance of speech, the importance of knowledge and the journey towards salvation.. It is one of the largest Upanishads and is associated with the Sama Veda. The Mundaka Upanishad is variously spelled...

Second Adhyaya, Eighth Khanda (3 mantras)

Mantra 2.8.1.

1. Now is taught the seven-fold. Let one meditate on the seven-fold Harmonious in a sentence. Pradyumna in that sentence which has ‘hiṅ� in it, ܻ𱹲 in that which has �Para�; ղ in that which has ‘ā�.�112.

[Note—Adiḥ—the aspect of Lord called Ādi�, because in the beginning (Ādi) He appears as a boar (ղ); this ղ aspect is called Ādi.]

Mantra 2.8.2.

ⲹṇa is in that sentence which has the syllable “Ut� in it, Aniruddha in that which has �Prati,� ṛsṃh in that which has “Upa� and ṅkṣaṇa in that which has “Ni� in it.�113.

ڱdzٱ.貹ḥĔc upadrava, the cause calamity or upadrava. In this aspect the Lord is called ṛsṃh and is the cause of all national calamities or misfortunes.]

Mantra 2.8.3.

3. The Lord gives to him Release which is the milk of speech. He becomes rich in food, and able to consume food (healthy), who knowing Him thus, meditates on the seven-fold Harmonious.�114.

Madhva’s commentary called the Bhāṣya:

Having thus described the five-fold meditation on the Lord, the Śܳپ now mentions seven-fold meditation on him. The words Hiṅkāra, ʰ屹, 岵īٳ, and ʰپ, have already been explained before, as the names of the various forms of the Lord; namely, Pradyumna, ܻ𱹲, ⲹṇa, Aniruddha, and ṅkṣaṇa. Two more names are now mentioned. They are Ādi, and Upadrava.

The Commentator, therefore, explains these two words by quoting an authority:�

Thus it is said:—“The Lord is called Ādi because He is the cause of the beginning of a Kalpa, (and the word Ādi means beginning). The sportful Lord ś Himself in the beginning of a Kalpa assumed the form of a ղ (boar), therefore, this form is called Ādi. The Lord is called Upadrava (or ‘public calamity�) in his of ṛsṃh, because in this form He destroyed the great evil-doer called ᾱṇy첹ś.�

(Lest one may think that the syllables Hum, Pra, Ā, Ut, Prati, Upa, and Ni are identical with Pradyumna, etc., the Commentator now explains this Śܳپ:�)

In a sentence containing the syllable ‘Hum,� the Lord in His aspect of Pradyumna constantly resides; in a sentence containing the syllable “Ā� the Lord in the form of ղ (Boar) has His abode, in a sentence having Pra, dwells ܻ𱹲; similarly, the Lord in His aspect of ⲹṇa is in that sentence which has the syllable “Ut,� in His aspect of Aniruddha, He is in the sentence which has the syllable “Prati�; in His aspect of ṛsṃh (man-lion), He is in that sentence, which contains the syllable “Upa�; in His aspect of ṅkṣaṇa, He is in the sentence that has the syllable “Ni.�

This shows that the syllables “Hum,� “Pra, “etc., are not names of mere syllables; had it been so, the proposition “one should meditate on the seven-fold Lord in the sentence,� becomes meaningless. These, therefore, are rightly explained as syllables occurring in a sentence. A question arises here, what is the ٱ𱹲 of that sentence in which some one of these seven syllables does not occur?

To this the Commentator replies:�

If any one of these syllables is absent from a sentence, so many as are present in it, they will be the ٱ𱹲s of the sentence.

If of these syllables any one is omitted, so many as remain will regulate the ٱ𱹲 of the sentence.

Thus he who meditates always on the All-pervading վṣṇ called Vāk, in His seven-fold aspect, for Him the Lord becomes the Giver of all desires and objects (literally becomes the milker of all objects for him.)

Let's grow together!

I humbly request your help to keep doing what I do best: provide the world with unbiased sources, definitions and images. Your donation direclty influences the quality and quantity of knowledge, wisdom and spiritual insight the world is exposed to.

Let's make the world a better place together!

Like what you read? Help to become even better: