Hiranyagarbha Sukta - A Nirishwara-vaadi (Non-Theistic) inquiry

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The background of this post lies in these two articles published long ago.

1. What is Existence (Satyam)?

2. Origin of Atheism in India

Readers can find entire Hiranyagarbha Sukta posted and discussed in second link provided above. The recurring phrase in Hiranyagarbha Sukta goes like this - 

कस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम ? (to) which god, (our) oblation offered/goes/given? 

The phrase comes after description OR characteristic OR act which pertains to creation OR existence of this world (I will not use the word Universe, simply because I do not know whether it is a "uni"verse or not)... 

हिरण्यगर्भः समवर्तताग्रे भूतस्य जातः पतिरेकासीत | स दाधार पर्थिवीं दयामुतेमां कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम || 

Now, the verb used for Hiranyagarbha's entry in our frame of inquiry is "Sama+vartana" - Sama + vartana - vartana (rotation), Sama refers to even, symmetrical, equal.. Samavartana means during course OR point of a symmetrical cycle (or existence, sustenance and dissolution, perhaps). Which point? Beginning (Agre) Samavartataagre - At the beginning of a symmetrical cycle. 

So हिरण्यगर्भः समवर्तताग्रे means Hiranyagarbha (one with a golden womb - something like sun) first arose upon the samaavartana (of? perhaps world). This is origin of our concept of Pralaya and new genesis. But the clause is not complete. Hiranyagarbha itself is an adjective. A description. But of whom? This is answered in second clause of the first line - 

भूतस्य जातः पतिः एक आसीत   One Lord of all beings who exist. 

So, in my understanding, sages are saying that the "One lord of all beings that exist, who is a Hiranyagarbha, came into being (aasit) at the beginning of this symmetrical cycle."

What did he do?

स द आधार पृथ्वी द्युः उत् इमा  He gave support to earth and skies (thus making this world which is fit for life to exist). 

So the entire verse comes to mean as following:

हिरण्यगर्भः समवर्तताग्रे भूतस्य जातः पतिरेकासीत | स दाधार पर्थिवीं दयामुतेमां कस्मै देवायहविषा विधेम ||  

"One lord of all beings that exist, who is a Hiranyagarbha, came into being at the beginning of this symmetrical cycle. He (then) gave support to earth and skies (thus making this world which is fit for life to exist). Who is such a radiant being (deva) to whom we should offer our havi (offerings, oblation in yagna)"

They are asking this question to Prajapati. Prajapti is another name OR earlier name of Brahmadeva (creator). He is perhaps the most supreme force described in Vedic literature. Yet, he is not this "lord of all that exists" and who "supported earth and heavens". They are asking Prajapati this question, so they are perhaps sure that Prajapati is not the one. 

This entire Sukta (known as Hiranyagarbha Sukta, Rigveda 10.125) is question inquiring who this eka Bhootasya Jaata pati (one lord of everything that exists) is?

The answer comes 4 suktas later in Naasadeeya Sukta (RV 10.129). In the last verse, where they doubt whether even Prajapati knows the answer to this question or not. Perhaps even Prajapati (who is ultimate repository of all knowledge of this world because he created this world) does not know because perhaps there IS NO such "Eka Bhootasya Jaata pati (One lord of everything that exists). 

जाबार दिने - On the day of my departure - Gurudev Ravindranath Thakur

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जाबार दिने - Jaabar Dine - A Bangla poem by Ravindranath Thakur in Devanagari script..

जाबार दिने एइ कथाटी बले जेन जाई

जा देखेछि जा पेयेछि तुलना तार नाई..

एइ ज्योति: समुद्रमाझे

जे शतदल पद्म (पद्द) राजे

तारह मधुपान करेछि

धन्य आमी ताई..

जाबार दिने.....

विश्वरुपेर खेलाघरे

कतई गेलेम खेले

आपरूप के देखे गेलेम

दुटि नयन मेले..

जाबार दिने.....

परश जारे जाये ना करा

सकल देहे दिलेन धरा

एइखाने शेषे करेन जदि 

शेष करे दीन ताई..

जाबार बेला एइ कथाटी बले जेन जाई

जा देखेछि जा पेयेछि, तुलना तार नाई...

On the day of my departure, let these be my parting words,

whatever I saw, whatever I experienced in my life, is incomparable...

I have tasted the nectar of magnificent lotus

bloomed in the infinite and luminescent ocean (of Parabrahman),

I am fulfilled...

In the theater of this world

I played many games and assumed many roles

While doing so, "I" "saw" "me" (Aatmagnana-Moment of Moksha/Nirvana)

With my own eyes... (here eyes are metaphorical - I perceived my "self")

"Beings" which cannot be perceived, (faculties of aatman(I), mind, intellect, body etc)

I have "retained" them in "me" (Dhaarana - to retain, maintain, resolve)

Now if "they" wish to stop here,

"they" are free to do so...

At the moment of departure, let these be my parting words....

What is Existence (Satyam)?

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What is "Sat"?

Origin of Atheism in India

नासदासीन नो सदासीत तदानीं नासीद रजो नो वयोमापरो यत | 

किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद गहनं गभीरम ||  - Rigveda 10:129:1

THEN was not non-existent (Asatyam) nor existent (Satyam): there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it. What covered in, and where? and what gave shelter? Was water there, unfathomed depth of water?

The primary and most fundamental attribute of "Sat" which is acceptable by all philosophies in India (including Naastika ones like Buddhism and Jainism) is the one that "Exists" in all spaces and times. The Chidaananda attribute is strictly Vedantic interpretation of reality. In a way, the very term "Brahman" is one-sided description of reality. How? Nasadiya answers in following manner.

कामस्तदग्रे समवर्तताधि मनसो रेतः परथमं यदासीत | 

सतो बन्धुमसति निरविन्दन हर्दि परतीष्याकवयो मनीषा | - Rigveda 10:129:4

Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire, the primal seed and germ of Spirit. Sages who searched with their heart's thought discovered the existent's kinship in the non-existent.

Satya and Asatya are siblings - both came into existence together. The very "Idea" of "existence" comes with a corollary of "Non-Existence". Similarly vice-versa. Both these terms cannot exist without each other. In a way, this is also the origin of our "Saamkhya" philosophy. The sages here are describing a point when there was "Absolute Nothing".  This state of Absolute Nothingness (or what Buddha calls to as Shunyataa) is what is intriguing. 

तिरश्चीनो विततो रश्मिरेषामधः सविदासीत रेतोधाासन 

महिमान आसन सवधा अवस्तात परयतिः परस्तात - 10:129-5

Transversely was their severing line extended: what was above it then, and what below it? There were begetters, there were mighty forces, free action here and energy up yonder.

The term Brahman comes from the word-root "BRhat बृह" which means "expansion". One which "expands" is Brahma. One which expands extremely is "Para-Brahma" (usually they are used as synonyms.

This state of "absolute Nothingness" is what yogis, Saamkhyins, Buddhists, contemplate on. But hold on... Was there something even then? Can there be anything else which is more "fundamental" than "Existence"? Furthermore, if Brahman is "Satyam" (as proclaimed by Sri Adi Shankara) then what is "Asatyam"? And both "Satyam (Brahman) and "Asatyam" came into existence simultaneously (this is the "Ved-Vaakyam"). If we assume that time was there then (which isn't the case because the very concept of time requires a 3-D space which wasn't there. 

But for the ease of imagination (since our brains aren't evolved to run the simulations of such complexity to create images in mind) we assume that there is some axis relative to which all this is happening. So at point "X" satyam-Asatyam siblings are born. That means they weren't there "before that point". Thus the very term of "Satyam" is shown as "limited". And since Brahman == Satyam, this applies to Brahman as well. 

In this scenario, the factually correct statement would be "After that point X, Satyam (Brahman) refers to absolute and complete existence. As alluded in previous paragraph, Space-time came into existence after "Sat" came into existence. Thus Sat still holds true when it comes to its definition as "an entity which is changeless and existent in all spaces in all times". But what beyond/before that? Naasadiya leaves the question unanswered - 

को अद्धा वेद क इह पर वोचत कुत आजाता कुत इयंविस्र्ष्टिः | 

अर्वाग देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथा को वेद यताबभूव || RV 10:129:6

इयं विस्र्ष्टिर्यत आबभूव यदि वा दधे यदि वा न | 

यो अस्याध्यक्षः परमे वयोमन सो अङग वेद यदि वा नवेद ||RV 10:129:7

Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation?

The Gods are later than this world's production. Who knows then whence it first came into being?

He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it,

Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, [b]he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not

All the Moksha-Maargas of India (aastika and naastika who delve this far) are in fact various approaches taken by different people in the quest to answer this riddle which the sages have put. Every body makes their bunch of assumptions and hypothesis and puts forth a theory. But there is always something which remains. Just as it is described in Purusha-sukta. Hence multiple approach is recommended in Upanishads. 

As far as Advaita is concerned, this is where the anomaly unfolds as both beginning and end. The necessity of the assumption of "Maya" is required here, and with that, we require a concept of "Maayaadhipati Ishwara". This is a very useful assumption (the assumption that Ishwara exists). I guess to be able to imagine this state of "nothingness", our brain needs to be secreting some weird and special neurotransmitters and chemicals in some special part. All the training by Yogis, the meditative practices, the mind-influencing drugs, is perhaps to induce this state in one's brain. It is one of the life-altering experiences (as described by sages). Yogis call it Kaivalya (Only-ness/Singularity), others call is Advaita, Shunyata (zero-ness), Moksha, nirvana, fanaa (by sufis). 

As many saints have said, Bhakti is the simplest way to induce this. You love something which is very grand so intensely that the state is induced and you experienced that which sages state in last two verses of Nasadiya Sukta but couldn't elaborate or explain. But corollary to this is that it would be difficult to be a Bhakta (lover in essence) after knowing that Ishwara (the beloved) is probably just an assumption. But Adi shankara, Santa Gnaaneshwara, Swami Vivekananda and many others have shown that it is possible.


In any case, the spirit of inquiry and scepticism shown in final two verses of Naasadiya Sukta is least common denominator and perhaps the "originator" for all the Indian religions and Indian way of life.

सुनता हैं गुरु ज्ञानी - Sunta hain Guru Gyani - Nirgun Bhajan by Kabeer

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संत कबीर रचित निर्गुण भजन - Nirgun Bhajan by Kabeer

Rendition of this Bhajan by Pandit Kumar-Gandharva

Another Rendition of this Bhajan by Rahul Deshpande (I love this version more)

सुनता हैं गुरु ज्ञानी गगन में,

आवाज हो रही झिनी झिनी - (धृ)

पाहि लीयाये नाद बिंदु से,

पीछे जमया पानी हो जी

सब घट पूरण बोली रह्या है,

अलख पुरुष निर्बानी हो जी ll 1 ll

वहां से आया पता लिखाया,

तृष्णा तौने बुझाई ..

अमृत छोडसो विषय को धावे,

उलटी फाँस फंसानी हो जी ll 2 ll

गगन मंडलू में गौ भी आनी

भोई पे दही जमाया...

माखन माखन संतों ने खाया,

छाछ जगत बापरानी हो जी ... ll 3 ll

बिन धरती एक मंडल दीसे,

बिन सरोवर जूँ पानी रे

गगन मंडलू में होए उजियाला,

बोल गुरु-मुख बानी हो जी ll 4 ll

ओऽहं सोऽहं बाजा बाजे,

त्रिकुटी धाम सुहानी रे

इडा पिंगला सुखमन नारी,

सुनत भजन पहरानी हो जी ll 5 ll

कहत कबीरा सुनो भई साधो,

जानी अगम के बानी रे..

दिन भर रे जो नज़र भर देखे,

अजर अमर वो निशानी हो जी ... ll 6 ll

Attempted Translation

Says the all knowing teacher from the sky, if you care to listen His gentle whisperings... (Dhripad)

1. I am unable understand the full significance of this verse as yet.. :-)

2. When You arrived from There at a particular address (took birth in particular family), spotless and desireless you were.. why then are you falling back in trap by desiring worldly pleasures over eternal peace and complete knowledge?

3. The celestial cow (of knowledge/Brahman) is milched for the benefit of everyone.. The knowledgeable opt for butter (spiritual knowledge), while the commoners out of ignorance are content in butter-milk...

4. Instead of seeing at earth, understand that it is merely a circle... Just like seeing at lake, one should understand that it is (in principle) nothing but water.. When one starts experiencing the underlying unifying principle over apparent diversity and duality, the knowledge dawns.. Says the words of the Teacher..

5. When this happens (verse 4), then all the questions like "Who am I" and "So am I" are answered and one easily can meditate on Agnaa-Chakra (आज्ञा चक्र ) and experience peace and pleasure. Ida and Pingala Naadis are pacified and Sushumna Naadi is activated upon listening these protective hymns... Says the Teacher from sky....

6. Says Kabeer, listen oh righteous brothers.. Understand and experience and become one with the Non-Aging and eternal One-Principle who looks after this entire universe every single moment..

Comments

The composition of this song in Raaga Ahir Bhairav is highlight which makes it enjoyable, even if one decides to overlook the deeper esoteric meaning of the words being sung. However, it is bound that listeners who get stuck with these beautiful renditions and listen to it often, enquire about the meaning of the composition.

To analyse and comment on experiences of Kabir authentically requires a spiritual qualification far beyond my current understanding and status. Furthermore, my incomplete knowledge of Bhojpuri language makes it further more difficult. I wish and hope that at some point of time in future, when the complete significance of these verses dawn on to me, I will update this blog-article and share it with my readers..

Meanwhile, if any of the readers have any greater understanding and insight of the verses than the one provided by me, please feel obliged to correct me.. :-)

P.S. - I would request the Sikh-readers of the blog to please comment on this article and let me know whether this bhajan is included in Sri Gurugranth Saahib or not. If yes, what is the elaboration of this Bhajan from Sikh perspective. My translation is slightly influenced by Advaita-Vedanta world-view. I would appreciate the Dvaita and Sikh take on these verses.

Dhanyavaad...

पसायदान - Pasaaydaan

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पसायदान

आतां विश्वात्मकें देवें। येणें वाग्यज्ञें तोषावें।
तोषोनि मज द्यावें। पसायदान हें।। 1 ll

जे खळांची व्यंकटी सांडो। तया सत्कर्मी रती वाढो।।
भूतां परस्परें पडो। मैत्र जीवाचें।। 2 ll

दुरितांचें तिमिर जावो । विश्व स्वधर्मसूर्ये पाहो।।
जो जें वांछील तो तें लाहो। प्राणिजात।। 3 ll

वर्षत सकळमंगळीं। ईश्वर निष्ठांची मांदियाळी।।
अनवरत भूमंडळीं। भेटतु या भूतां।। 4 ll

चलां कल्पतरूंचे अरव। चेतना चिंतामणीचें गांव।।
बोलते जे अर्णव। पीयूषाचे।। 5 ll

चंदमे जे अलांच्छन। मार्तंड जे तापहीन।।
ते सर्वांही सदा सज्जन। सोयरे होतु।। 6 ll

किंबहुना सर्वसुखीं। पूर्ण होऊनि तिहीं लोकीं।।
भजिजो आदिपुरुखीं। अखंडित।। 7 ll

आणि ग्रंथोपजीविये। विशेषीं लोकीं इयें।।
दृष्टादृष्टविजयें। होआवें जी।। 8 ll

येथ म्हणे श्रीविश्वेश्वरावो। हा होईल दानपसावो।।
येणें वरें ज्ञानदेवो। सुखिया जाला।। 9 ll

- संत ज्ञानेश्वर (ई.स.१२७५ - १२९६)

Translation -

1. Oh Luminescent Principle which makes up the entire universe, please accept this oblation and grant me the fulfilment (prasaad) of this task.

2. Those who take pleasure in needlessly inflicting pain on to others, rid them of this mentality; enable them to enjoy the pleasure one gets by doing righteous deeds; let all the living beings, concurrently, find friendship and peace with each other and self...

3. May the darkness of unrighteousness in the universe be dispelled by the rising sun of righteousness and duty; Let all the righteous desires of every living soul be fulfilled and may they find peace...

4. Let every living soul always find the continuous company of pious, righteous people who desire and think of nothing but well being of everybody all the time..

5. Those saints who always move around amongst people, fulfilling their wishes like mythical tree, granting them peace, energetically spreading the message of righteousness using the sweet words which are like heavenly nectar (let everybody enjoy the company of such men all the time)

6. Those saints with minds as spotless as moon, with radiance as brilliantly pleasant as morning sun, let such men always be friends with common man in all times...

7. Let everybody obtain the grace, peace and knowledge of the primordial spirit of the universe after attaining material and spiritual success in life's all aspects...

8. May all those who find light after reading this book, emerge victorious against all seen and unseen desires of mind...

9. Upon hearing this (wish-list), the master of the universe said," So Be It !!!" Then the composer (Gnaaneshwar) attained state of complete harmony and peace...

- Saint Gnaaneshwar (1275-1296 AD)

I guess, the universal principle truly accepted this wish list of this great young man. Or perhaps, the supreme principle said what it wanted to give mankind through this great young man. The saints, revolutionaries, reformers, teachers, authors, artists, warriors, poets, painters and each and every one of us are those people who can leave this world around us fragrant. All we don't have is the knowledge about the existence of this fragrance gland within us.

Let this wish-list initiate our quest of finding that hidden potential within us to make this world a beautiful place...

Seven Stages of Love

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According to Arabic literature, there are seven stages of love..

1. हब - Hub - Attraction

2. उन्स - Uns - Infatuation

3. इश्क़ - Ishq - Love

4. अक़ीदत - Aqeedat - Reverence

5. इबादत - Ibaadat - Worship

6. जूनून - Junoon - Obsession

7. मौत - Maut - Death

This seven fold philosophy of love is beautifully depicted in this song from the movie Dil Se, which is one of my favorite movies... The song and film is extremely figurative and artistic and the symbolism is not easily understood in first viewing. However this symbolism and theme of seven steps, is artistically depicted in the movie...

This song is played at all the major turning points of the film where the characters cross each of these 7 check points leading ultimately to their death.. Inexorably drawn towards each other, the crescendo of love goes on increasing unchecked....

तू ही तू.... तू ही तू सतरंगी रे...

तू ही तू... तू ही तू मनरंगी रे..

दिल का साया हमसाया सतरंगी रे... मनरंगी रे...

कोई नूर है तू, क्यूँ दूर है तू....

जब पास है तू, अहसास है तू....

कोई ख़्वाब हैं या परछाई है, सतरंगी रे ???.... सतरंगी रे.....

इस बार बता मुजोर हवा ठहरेगी कहाँ ???

This is the first stage of Hub... The eyes meet, the spark is initiated... the journey begins...

इश्क़ पर जोर नहीं, हैं ये वो आतिश ग़ालिब....जो लगाए न लगे और बुझाए न बने.....

One of the most beautiful and insightful lines of Mirza Ghalib... He compares love with of an uncontrolled fire... Difficult to ignite, and once started, impossible to extinguish...

आँखों ने कुछ ऐसे छुआ.... हल्का हल्का उन्स हुआ...

हल्का हल्का उन्स हुआ, दिल को महसूस हुआ...

Second stage of infatuation achieved...

तू ही तू.... तू ही तू, जीने की सारी खुशबू

तू ही तू... तू ही तू, आरजू आरजू...

तेरी जिस्म की आंच को छूते ही, मेरे सांस सुलगने लगते हैं..

मुझे इश्क़ दिलासे देता हैं, मेरे दर्द बिलखने लगते हैं.....

Third stage of love.. This is the pinnacle of the feel good involved in the process. The most blissful of all the stages.. If this point is crossed, the bliss starts decreasing. We can't say whether pain starts after this stage or not, but the the ideas of bliss and pain start getting increasingly impersonal... If love crosses this point, there usually is no turning back.. One has to follow the chain of events which leads to death or severe heart-break, poetically worse than Death...

तू ही तू... तू ही तू, जीने की सारी खुशबू...

तू ही तू... तू ही तू, आरजू आरजू

छूती है मुझे सरगोशी से, आँखों में घुली खामोशी से...

मैं फर्श पे सजदे करता हूँ, कुछ होश में कुछ बेहोशी से...

Fourth and Fifth stage is seen in this stanza.. Reverence and Worship... An object one initially was infatuated with and attracted to, becomes the object of reverence which leads to it becoming an object of worship... The object of worship is elevated to a higher pedastal where nothing can be wrong with the object.. There can be no negotiations about the infallibility of the object...

Interesting thing is, until this point, the Dvaita (Duality) of lover and beloved is maintained.. Although the object becomes infallible and utmost important, this is not the point where the identity of person is lost...

All the relations which come until this point are dualist. Devout lovers, Devout Bhaktas (Devotees), Fanatic believers in God, all come until this point of the journey..

The next 2 steps are so insanely dangerous that few dare to tread them...

तेरी राहों में उलझा उलझा हूँ, तेरी बाहों में उलझा उलझा...

सुलझाने दे होश मुझे, तेरी चाहों में उलझा हूँ....

मेरा जीना जूनून, मेरा मरना जूनून...

अब इसके सिवा नहीं कोई सुकून...

The sixth stage of Obsession achieved... Here, slowly, person starts identifying whole-heartedly with the object of his obsession.. He starts loosing his identity and begins the process of becoming one with the object of obsession.. He entangles hopelessly into the identity of object of obsession.. To such an extent that the existence-nonexistence of the object becomes the matter of his own existence-nonexistence...

तू ही तू.. तू ही तू, सतरंगी रे...

तू ही तू... तू ही तू, मनरंगी रे...

इश्क़ पर जोर नहीं हैं ये वो आतिश ग़ालिब... जो लगाए न लगे और बुझाए न बने...

मुझे मौत की गोद में सोने दे.....

तेरी रूह में जिस्म डुबोने दे....

सतरंगी रे.....मनरंगी रे.....

Final stage.... Death.. This can be literal as well as figurative...

The other words which convey the meaning of this stage are फना (Fanaa - Destruction of ego), कैवल्य (Kaivalya - Singularity) and अद्वैत (Advaita - Non-Dualism).

All these four concepts of Death, Destruction (of ego), Singularity and Non-dualism signify the same climax.. The lover destroys his self-identity; his Aatman (Sense of "I")..

If someone contemplates on a woman and travels these stages, he will end up destroying himself, but will not become one with the woman or her identity... If one chooses to contemplate on some idea or something abstract, like Brahman, he will achieve unity... It is a matter of great skepticism whether an accomplished Yogi actually experiences the state of Singularity (Kaivalya) or not... But he claims to be, and there is no way to either prove or disprove it...

Just as it is the case with love... It is strictly a personal experience.... No one can feel it for you... No one can measure it and validate it... It is something which simply exists.. without any requisite explanation OR justification...

As it is said by Ghalib... Love is like an uncontrollable fire.... Difficult to ignite and impossible to quench...

The song of the soul - Nirvana Shatkam

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Nirvana Shatkam

मनो बुद्धि अहंकार चित्तानी नाहं

नच श्रोत्र जिव्हे नच घ्राण नेत्रे

नच व्योम भूमि न तेजो न वायु

चिदानंद रूपः शिवोहम शिवोहम ||1||

I am not mind, Intellect, Ego, and Seat of consciousness. Neither I am ear and tongue nor I am nose and eyes. Neither I am sky or earth nor I am power or wind. I am the eternal bliss, I am Shiva, the Auspicious.||1||

नच प्राण संज्ञो न वै पञ्चवायुः

न वा सप्तधातु: नवा पञ्चकोशः

न वाक्पाणिपादौ न च उपस्थ पायुः

चिदानंदरूप: शिवोहम शिवोहम ||2||

I am not the state of being alive or the five type of Vayu. Neither I am the seven elements constituting the body (Dhatu) nor I am the five sheaths which invest the soul. Neither I am voice, hand, or leg nor I am Genitals. I am the eternal bliss, I am Shiva, the Auspicious.||2||

नमे द्वेषरागौ नमे लोभ मोहौ

मदों नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभावः

न धर्मो नचार्थो न कामो न मोक्षः

चिदानंदरूप: शिवोहम शिवोहम ||3||

I have not envy and passion nor greed and attachment. Neither I am intoxication nor I am jealous. And I am neither Dharma (righteousness,Duty), nor Artha (Material Wealth), Nor Kama (Desire), nor Moksha (Liberation). I am the eternal bliss, I am Shiv,the Auspicious.||3||

न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दु:खं

न मंत्रो न तीर्थं न वेदों न यज्ञः

अहम् भोजनं नैव भोज्यम न भोक्ता

चिदानंद रूप: शिवोहम शिवोहम ||4||

There is nothing Punya (Virtuous deed), Paap (Vicious Deed), Saukhya (Wellbeing/Happiness), or Dukha (Grief) for me. Neither I am Hymns nor any Holy Place nor I am the Veda nor the oblation. I am not the Experience, nor the Experiencer nor the Experienced. I am eternal bliss, I am Shiv,the Auspicious.||4||

नमे मृत्युशंका नमे जातिभेद:

पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्म

न बंधू: न मित्रं गुरु: नैव शिष्यं

चिदानंद रूप: शिवोहम शिवोहम ||5||

Neither I have the fear of death nor I have the difference between Races/Castes. Neither I have [any relation like] father, mother, nor I am born. I am not a relative, nor a friend, a teacher (Guru), or a student (Shisya) of anyone. I am the eternal bliss, I am Shiv,the Auspicious.||5||

अहम् निर्विकल्पो निराकार रूपो

विभुर्व्याप्य सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम

सदा मे समत्वं न मुक्ति: न बंध:

चिदानंद रूप: शिवोहम शिवोहम ||6||

I am eternal and changeless, and lack all the qualities and form. I envelope all forms from all sides and am beyond the cognition of sense-organs. I am always in the state of equality — there is no liberation (Mukti) nor Bondage (Bandha). I am the eternal bliss state, I am Shiv, the Auspicious.||6||

- Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE)

The depth of each word used in this masterpiece unravels as we go on learning the meanings of the verses. First 5 stanzas, Shankara describes all the attributes of physical and spritual world and says that the "I" of every person is beyond material and spiritual world. In last line of every stanza, poet says, "I" actually is - "चिदानंद रूप: शिवोहम शिवोहम" - "I am the eternal bliss state, I am Shiv, the Auspicious" .

If we look at the meaning of this recurring phrase closely, we face a deluge of information and we grasp the flight of the creativity of this man.

नन्द - Nanda - propitious

आ - Aa - Towards, from all sides

Hence,

आनंद - Aananda - Propitiousness from all sides...

चित्त - Chitta - Derived from word root - चित् - Chit - to percieve.

Same word root forms the word - चेतना - Chetana which is power of perception.

चित्त - Chitta becomes faculty/tool of perception. Energy which makes perception possible is Chitta. It should be noted that there are two conditions for this. Perception is only possible in presence of

a) Subject (one who is percieving - self or "I")

b) Object (one which is being percieved - universe)

An energy which makes perception possible is the one which is responsible for existence of both a and b.

Is Chitta (चित्त) same as Maanas(मानस) or mind?

No... it is something which transcends mind... Perception is linked with ego ("I") OR ahamkar(अहंकार) OR aatman(आत्मा)... Without sense of 'I', there can be no perception... So, looking closely, chitta(चित्त) is that feature which enables perception, that is 'I' or the Aatman(आत्मा)... Chetana(चेतना) is power of perception which comes from 'Chitta'(चित्त) and enables us to 'Chit'(चित्) or to percieve.

रूप - Roop - Image

Shiva - शिव - Auspicious.

Thus, चिदानंद रूप: शिवोहम शिवोहम actually translates as "I am that auspicious form of Chitta (Energy) which is surrounded by propitiousness from all sides". In other words, state of complete and perfect equianimity where all duality vanishes and complete Advaita (Non-duality) is established with Kaivalya (Singularity).

One of the greatest philosophical gems ever produced in India and one of the masterpiece of Adi Shankaracharya....