Sanskrit Tidbits-41:Vedic Sanskrit and wisdom of Upanishadas
Someone asked me a very valid question. Why has tidbits concentrated on classical Sanskrit literature and avoided Vedic Sanskrit literature? The criticism is true. Let me try and rectify it a bit. We will return to Magha and Kalidasa and others. But this version of tidbits will be on Vedic Sanskrit. We have to be a bit careful when we use the word वेद. Do we meanवेद, वेदान्त or वेदाङ्ग? Strictly speaking, the samhita part of the Vedas is only mantras. In addition, there are the brahmanas, the aranyakas and the Upanishads. Collectively, they are referred to as both Vedas and Vedanta, though Vedanta is also used for a specific kind of philosophy. We will ignore Vedanga for now. When I say this version of tidbits will be on Vedic Sanskrit, I am using the word Vedas in that broader sense of Veda Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads. One reason for staying away in the past was that the grammatical rules of Vedic Sanskrit are a little different. By the time of classical Sanskrit literature, grammar became standardized. As we go along, you will notice this, both in vocabulary and in the structure of sentences.
सत्यमेव जयते. Every Indian has heard this. Thanks to general knowledge questions, every Indian also probably knows that this is from मुण्डक उपनिषद् or मुण्डकोपनिषद्. All of us also know the translation, “truth alone triumphs” or “truth indeed triumphs”, with an atmanepadi rather than parasmaipadi form of the verb. But I also sometimes wonder whether it is fair to pluck expressions, words and terms out of context. Here, therefore, is the context for सत्यमेव जयते. Upanishads are associated with specific Vedas. Mundaka Upanishad is associated with Atharva Veda and its driving motive is true knowledge, about the brahman or the paramatman.
इष्टापूर्तं मन्यमाना वरिष्ठं नान्यच्छ्रेयो वेदयन्ते प्रमूढाः।
नाकस्य पृष्ठे ते सुकृतेहनुभूत्वेमं लोकं हीनतरं वा विशन्ति॥
इष्टा-पूर्तं मन्यमानाः वरिष्ठं न-अन्यत्-श्रेयः वेदयन्ते प्रमूढाः।
नाकस्य पृष्ठे ते सुकृते-अनुभूत्वा-इमं लोकं हीनतरं वा विशन्ति॥
The word नाक means heaven. Here is the translation. A word for word translation is not really needed. Those extremely confused people think that the performance of sacrifices is the best and do not know about what is better. Because of their good deeds, they enjoy themselves in the vault of heaven. But thereafter, they enter (after rebirth) this world or inferior ones (inferior worlds than earth, or inferior sub-human species).
प्रणवो धनुः शरो ह्यत्मा ब्रह्म तल्लक्षयमुच्यते।
अप्रमत्तेन वेद्धव्यं शरवत्तन्मयो भवेत्॥
प्रणवः धनुः शरः हि आत्मा ब्रह्म तत्-लक्षयम-उच्यते।
अप्रमत्तेन वेद्धव्यं शरवत्-तत्-मयः भवेत्॥
Om (pranava) is the bow, the atman (the jivatman or the human soul) is the arrow and the brahman (the paramatman) is said to be the target. Like an unwavering arrow, immerse yourself in that objective and pierce it.
ब्रह्मैवेदाममृतं पुरस्ताद् ब्रह्म पश्चाद् ब्रह्म दक्षिणेतश्चोत्तरेण।
अधश्चोर्ध्वर्ञ्च प्रसृतां ब्रह्मैवेदं विश्वमिदं वरिष्ठम्॥
ब्रह्म-एव-इदम-अमृतं पुरस्ताद् ब्रह्म पश्चाद् ब्रह्म दक्षिणतः-च-उत्तरेण।
अधः-च-ऊर्ध्वः-ञ्च प्रसृतां ब्रह्म-एव-इदं विश्वं-इदं वरिष्ठम्॥
This immortal brahman is indeed in the front. The brahman is at the rear. The brahman is to the right and the left (alternatively, south and north). The brahman is extended, above and below. This extensive universe is nothing but it.
सत्यमेव जयते नानृतं सत्येन पन्था विततो देवयानः।
येनाक्रमन्त्यृषयो ह्यप्तकामा यत्र तत् सत्यस्य परमं निधानम्॥
सत्यम्-एव जयते न-अनृतं सत्येन पन्थाः विततः देवयानः।
येन-आक्रमन्ति-ऋषयः हि-आप्तकामाः यत्र तत् सत्यस्य परमं निधानम्॥
Truth indeed triumphs, not falsehood. The path of the gods is strewn with truth. It (the path) is the one traversed by the rishis who have conquered desire. It (the path) is the supreme resting-place of truth. Perhaps I am too much of a purist. But I somehow think that people should also know the context of satyameva jayate.
नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन।
यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्य-स्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूं स्वाम्॥
This is probably the most quoted shloka from Mundaka Upanishad.प्रवचन is doctrinaire exposition. The atman (in the sense of the paramatman) cannot be obtained through doctrinaire exposition, intelligence, or a great deal of learning. That’s the first line – simple. The word विवृणुते means to reveal, manifest, illuminate. The second half of the second line says that the atman himself reveals its own self (to the seeker). The word वृणुते has multiple meanings. Here, the best meaning is to choose such a person or grant it to him (the seeker). The word यम also has multiple meanings. Here, it means self-restraint or control. What’s then the sense of the second line? The atman chooses out such a person with self-restraint and reveals its own self to that person. A word of caution. With the Upanishads, you will find several translations floating around and even for the verses from the Mundaka Upanishad that I have given, you will find alternative translations. The problem is that many translations interpret and there is indeed scope for this. I have given you the straight literal translation, no interpretations. The best thing is to read the Mundaka Upanishad yourself. It is a relatively short Upanishad, with 64 mantras and you will find the devanagari here. I forgot to tell you, why is it called mundaka? A rare usage of the word mundaka is section, as in the lopped off section of the trunk of a tree. This Upanishad has three mundakas or sections.