28.9.8 ADITYAHRIDAYAM FROM VALMIKI RAMAYANA - 3
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Sanatana Dharma - 19: Aaditya-hRRidayaM - 2 of 2 )
Thus we have come to the last stage of our confrontation with ahamkAra. Ravana was ahamkAra personified, and even for Rama it was no easy task . For this direct confrontation with ahaMkAra we need to be aware of our own real nature. Our real nature is sat-chit-Ananda, that is, brahman. Brahman’s power can be spoken of in two ways. One is known as parAshakti; Its innate nature is jnAna. It is also known as VidyA (knowledge) and also as cit-shakti (Absolute Consciousness). The manifestation of this is the duo of JIva and Ishvara. Gita calls it Purusha or kshetrajna. The other Power of Brahman is known as aparA-shakti. Its nature is inert. It has several other names such as, PrakRti (Cosmic Nature), avyaktaM (the unmanifest), avidyA (Ignorance) and MAyA ( which is untranslatable).This is what gives rise to the five fundamental elements and therefrom the entire universe.
When this avyaktaM in its equilibrium stage where all the three guNas are equally poised (guNa-sAmyaM) is one with cit-shakti, then there is no vikAra of anything ; that citshakti is known as the para-rUpa of brahman. i.o.w., it is the nirguNa brahman, to be realised and known. When the Absolute Consciousness is associated with the satva-dominated avyaktaM, that is called the apara-rUpa of brahman; also known as saguNabrahman. This is the Ishvara with all infinite qualities (and also the God of all other religons) and is to be worshipped and meditated on. This is what shines in our hridayAkAsha with the light of a thousand suns, so to say
This is the Aditya that we propitiate everyday. The Vedas mention this Aditya as residing in our hridayAkAsha.
asau Adityo brahmaivAhamasmi ( Part of Sandhyavandana-mantras )
Sa ya eshhontarhridaya AkAshaH . tasminnayaM purushho manomayaH .
amRRito hiraNmayaH. antareNa tAluke . yaeshhastana ivAvalambate .
sendrayoniH . yatraasaukeshAnto vivartate . vyapohya sIrshhakapaale .
(Taittiriyopanishad I - vi - 1)
Here, in this bright space within the heart, is He, that Soul who is of thought-form, undying, full of light. In between the throat’s two pillars, that which hangs down like a nipple, that is the gateway to the Supreme Lord; it passes out at the crown where the root of the hair is made to part, opening the skull in the centre.
The Adityahridayastotra propitiates this Aditya. What we are worshipping is not the physical Sun that is visible He resides in our hridayAkAsha and so this stotra gets the name Adityahridayam To nullify the powers that Creator Brahma Himself granted Ravana, our ahamkAra, we need to (and Rama was advised to do the same) propitiate this Aditya residing in our hridayAkAsha. This propitiation is what is done from shloka 7 to shloka 24 (eighteen shlokas: eighteen is a spiritually important number!)
When getting the meaning of the words note that many of them fit both the Absolute and the Sun-God. We follow the vyAkhyAna of Sri Govindaraja on Valmiki Ramayana :
7 सर्वदेवात्मको ह्येषः तेजस्वी रश्मिभावनः। एष देवासुरगणान् लोकान् पाति गभस्तिभिः॥
He is the upadanakarana for everything and so for all the divines; He is expert in lighting up everything
tejasvI : sarvabhAsana-samartha tejo yuktah
By his rays of wisdom He gives existence to everything
rashmibhAvanaH : reflector of rays
jnAnarashmibhiH sarvaM vastujAtaM bhAvayati iti
cf. nAnAcchhidra-ghaTodara-sthita-mahAdIpaprabhA-bhAsvaraM …. (Dakshinamurti - ashtakam - iv)
yathA prakAshayatyekaH kRRitsnaM lokamimaM raviH .
kshetraM kshetrI tathAkRRitsnaM prakAshayati bhArata (B.G. XIII - 33)
mayAdhyaksheNa prakRRitiH sUyate sacarAcarm (B.G. IX - 10)
Endowed with that brilliance which lights up everything
8 एष ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च शिवस्स्कन्दः प्रजापतिः। महेन्द्रो धनदः कालो यमस्सोमो ह्यपां पतिः॥
A vindication of the fact that we are talking of the Absolute Reality
and not of its one manifestation, the Sun.
Translations which say, He is like Brahma, because He creates light and everything lightens up because of his rise, and so on, is not acceptable. These translators find it difficult to accept non-duality. Note there is no ‘like’ in the shloka
dhanadaH: dhanaM caitanyaM dadAti iti dhanadaH
9पितरो वसवः साद्या ह्यश्विनौ मरुतो मनुः। वायुर्वह्निः प्रजाः प्राण ऋतुकर्ता प्रभाकरः॥
pitaraH; sarveshhAM bIjapradaH; mama yonirmahat brahma (B.G. XIV - 3)
sarvaynishhu kaunteya …ahaM bIjapraadaH pitA (B.G. XIV-4)
bIjaM mAM sarvabhUtAnAM (B.G. VII - 10)
10 आदित्यस्सविता सूर्यः खगः पूषा गभस्तिमान्। सुवर्णसदृशो भानुः हिरण्यरेता दिवाकरः॥
AdityaH : yasmAt sarvaM Adatte etasmAt One from which everything started
savitA : sarvasya jagataH prasavitA
sUryaH : sUte sarvaM iti (sU to beget)
khagaH : khaM paramAkAshaM hRRidayAkAshaM gacchati iti ; antaryAmidvArA vyApnoti
11 हरिदश्वस्सहस्रार्चिः सप्तसप्तिर्मरीचिमान्। तिमिरोन्मथनश्शम्भुःत्वष्टा मार्ताण्ड अंशुमान्॥
He has 7 horses yoked to his Chariot, He shines with brilliant light having infinite rays, He is the destroyer of darkness, the giver of happiness and prosperity, mitigator of the sufferings and is the infuser of life.
He is the Omnipresent One who pervades all with immeasurable amount of rays.
He has a Horse by name Sapta. Having a Chariot with this name he is called as Sapta Sapti. This name is given to Kalki Avatara riding this horse. Here is therefore an indication of the Kalki Avatar
Number 7 is significantly denoted in all talk about the Sun-God
Seven colours of his rays; Seven horses of His chariot
Chariot of seven chandas: gAyatrI, jagatI, ushnik, trishhTup, anushhTup, pangtI, brhatI
Seven service personnel for Him: namely, Nakshatras, fortnights, months, seasons, years, days, nights
Suryanamaskaraprashna, (Yajur Veda, Taittiriya Aranyaka, 1st Prashna) anuvaka 14
Contains prayers to the seven personnel to protect us from ‘akAla-maraNa’ at any of the passages caused by these in the heavens. Not only to us, but to our kith and kin, including our cattle :
Yosau tapannudeti …. mA me prajAyA mA pashUnAM; mA mama prANAnAdAyodagAH …..
tvashhTA (maker of divine implements) indicates Parashurama-avatar,
because parashu is axe
12 हिरण्यगर्भश्शिशिराः तपनो भास्करो रविः। अग्निगर्भोऽदितेः पुत्रः शङ्खः शिशिरनाशनः॥
shishiraH : one who makes cold by rain produced by him
tApatrayataptAnaM vishrama sthAnatvAt shishiraH
tapana : cf. tapAmyahamahaM varshaM (B.G. IX - 19)
bhAsah karoti iti bhAskaraH one that makes the light
shankhaH : one who becomes cool when He sets;
13 व्योमनाथस्तमोभेदी ऋग्यजुस्सामपारगः। घनवृष्टिरपां मित्रो विन्ध्यवीधीप्लवङ्गमः॥
vyomanAthaH : AkAshakartA Lord of the Cosmos
rigyajussAmapAragaH : RRigAdInAM pAraH tattat upanishat tadgataH tadekapratipAdyaH
vindhyaveedhIplava~NgamaH Vindhya veedhI is sushumna nADi. He sports in BrahmanADI, He goes on his course swiftly
Plavangama is one who travels fast. The Kundalini shakti travels fast and upward on the sushumna nADi if properly aroused. The Supreme is the One who does this.
14 आतपी मण्डली मृत्युःपिङ्गळस्सर्वतापनः। कविर्विश्वो महातेजा रक्तस्सर्वभवोद्भवः॥
AtapI : (Ordinary meaning) Blazer of heat with His rays.
Aa samantAt tapaH jagannirmANasankalpaH asya asti iti
Pingala : yellow colour (ordinary meaning)
Pingala nAdi corresponds to the right side of the sushumna nADi and stands for solar energy and so activates the vital processes.
Pingala nAdi pravartanena karmamArga pravartakaH
Vishati iti ishvam = brahma; sarvatra pravishhTatvAt jnAnarUpatvAt vishvaH
cf. vishvamevedaM purushhaH
sarvabhavodbhavaH : sarveshhAM bhavaH samsAraH yasmAt udbhavati
NOTE: The following seven shlokas together form a most powerful prayer. Just these seven should be repeated as many times as possible every day for all kinds of benefits, material as well as spiritual. It is as powerful as the Rudram chapter, probably because of the 'namaH' used repeatedly n these shlokas !
15 नक्षत्रग्रहताराणां अधिपो विश्वभावनः। तेजसामपि तेजस्वी द्वादशात्मन्नमोस्तुते॥
vishvabhAvanaH : The thought of origin of creation
tejasAmapi tejasvI : more brilliant than the great brilliant ones
cf. tejastejasvinAmahaM (B.G. VII - 10)
He is AtmacaitanyaM. svataHsidhaM
Cf. jyotishhAmapi tajjyotiH tamasaH paramucyate (B.G.Xiii - 17)
dvAdashAtman : twelve months, twelve Rasis, twelve names,
16 नमः पूर्वाय गिरये पश्चिमे गिरये नमः। ज्योतिर्गणानांपतये दिनाधिपतये नमः॥
jyotirgaNAnAM pataye : Lord of the Stellar bodies
17 जयाय जयभद्राय हर्यश्वाय नमोनमः। नमो नमः सहस्राम्शो आदित्याय नमो नमः
Oh! Lord of thousand rays, son of Aditi, Salutations to you, the bestower of victory,
auspiciousness and prosperity, Salutations to the one
who has coloured horses to carry him.
haryashvAya indicates Ramavatara
18 नम उग्राय वीराय सारङ्गाय नमो नमः। नमः पद्मप्रबोधाय मार्ताण्डाय नमो नमः॥
Salutations to Martanda the son of Mrukanda Maharisi, the terrible and fierce one,
the mighty hero, the one that travels fast. Salutations to the one
whose appearance makes the lotus blossom
(also the awakener of the lotus in the heart); This indicates Narasimha avatar
sArangAya : sAraM = praNavaM, tatpratipAdyAya He indicates the Absolute, the Pranava.
padmaprbodhAya : padmaM = hRRidayakamalaM Lotus of the heart
19 ब्रह्मेशानाच्युतेशाय सूर्यायादित्यवर्चसे। भास्वते सर्वभक्षाय रौद्राय वपुषे नमः॥
brahmeshAnAcyuteshAya: This can apply only to the Absolute Reality
Adityavarcase = the glow of Aditya.
Adityasya antaraM varcaH jnAnam tadrUpAya == not just the physical glow of the Sun, but the glow of the Inner Absolute in the Sun
sarvabakshhAya =sarvam vishhayajAtaM bhakshhayati iti = He consumes everything that arise from sensory contact
raudrAya vapushhe: rurduHkhaM tanmUlau rAgadveshau tanmUlaajnAnaM ca
vidrAvayati iti rudraH . tasya idaM raudraM . ruH means misery, sorrow. The roots of this misery are rAga (passion, attachment) and dvesha (hate, dislike). He destroys (vidrAvayati) these roots
ajnnAnasamhArasamartha jnAnakArAya = In sum, he is the expert in rooting out Ignorance
20 तमोघ्नाय हिमघ्नाय शत्रुघ्नायामितात्मने। कृतघ्नघ्नाय देवाय ज्योतिषां पतये नमः॥
shatru: dehoham-bhAvaH = He is the destroyer of your shatru (enemy); and who is the enemy: it is the thought and attitude that 'I am the body' (aham dehaH).
amitAtmane : all-pervading: kAladeshaparicchedarahita svarupAya = He pervades everything because, he is devoid of time, space and causation.
21 तप्तचामीकराभाय वह्नये विश्वकर्मणे। नमस्तमोभिनिघ्नाय रवये लोकसाक्षिणे॥
He possesses lustre of refined gold, He is the dispeller of Ignorance,
Sve mahimni svayaM pratishhTito bhUtvA svasmin sAraM vahati iti vahniH
He is the architect of the Universe; He uproots all Ignorance
He is the Witness for everything in the world
22. नाशयत्येष वै भूतं तदेव सृजति प्रभुः। पायत्येष तपत्येष वर्षत्येष गभस्तिभिः॥
He alone is the destroyer of all beings and things and He is the one who brings them into existence;
He protects (nourishes), He radiates heat and He pours rains , by His radiated rays.
23.एष सुप्तेषु जागर्ति भूतेषु परिनिष्टितः। एष चैवाग्निहोत्रम् च फलं चैवाग्निहोत्रिणाम्॥
He remains awake when all are asleep, because in all created beings He is planted within. (antaryAmitayA sthitaH) He alone is all oblation offered to Fire God and He is the fruit attained
24.देवाश्च क्रतवश्चैव क्रतूनां फलमेव च। यानि कृत्यानि लोकेषु सर्व एष रविः प्रभुः॥
He is all the gods, and all sacrifices (made by all beings) and also the fruit of all sacrifices.
Whatever activities there are in the world everything is Him only.
Rauti upadishati iti raviH (through the vedas and upanishads)
Rama absorbs the whole thing, recites it and meditates on it. It was that day that He finally won the battle.
I am not telling you the obvious benefits that are listed at the end.