Madhu Kanda

 The head of the sacrificial horse is the dawn, his eyes are the sun, his breath of life is the wind-god, his face is the fire-god, the centre of his body is the year, his back is heaven, his stomach is the atmosphere, his hooves are the earth, his sides are the four directions, his bones are the other directions, his limbs are the seasons, the joints of his body are the months and the fornights, his feet are the night and the day, his marrow is the stars, his flesh is the clouds, the undigested food in his stomach is sand, his veins are the rivers, his liver is the mountains, the hair of his body is the herbs and the trees, the front of his body is the rising sun, the rear of his body is the setting sun, his belching is the lightning, the shaking of his body is the thunder, and his neighing is speech.

(A sacrificial horse was used at horse-sacrifices and, in this verse, an analogy is being drawn between the Brahman and the sacrificial horse.)

The day is the vessel that is to the front of the horse and the origin of the day is in the eastern ocean. The night is the vessel that is to the rear of the horse and the origin of the night is in the western ocean.( Two golden or silver vessels were placed to the front and the rear of a sacrificial horse as receptacles for offering.) As haya the horse bears gods, as vaji he bears gandharvas(a semi-divine species), as arva he bears demons, and as ashva he bears humans.(Haya, vaji, arva andashva are all synonyms for a horse.) The ocean is the stable and it is in the ocean that the horse originated.

Sikshavallyadhyaya

May the god Mitra grant us happiness. May the god varuna grant us happiness. may the god Aryama grant us happiness. May the god vishnu, whose footsteps are gigantic, grant us happiness. We bow in obeisance befor the god vayu; he is the brahman himself. O vayu! We worship you. You are the brahman who is before us. We will call you the brahman, we call you incantations of the sacred texs, we will call you truth. May the brahman protect me, may the brahman protect the one who is the spearker (of these words). May the brahman protect me, may the brahman protect the one who is the speaker. Let there be peace. Let there be peace. Let there be peace.

(The above shloka is often recited and the sanskrit is as follows.)

Oum sham no mitrah sham varunah

sham no bhavatvaryama

shama no indro brihaspatih

sham no vishnururukramah

namo brahmane

namaste vayo

tvameva pratyaksham brahmasi

tvameva pratyaksham brahma vadishyami

ritam vadishyami

satyam vadishyami

tanmamavatu tadvaktaramavatu

avatu mam avatu vaktaram

oum shantih shantih shantih

(This shloka is also the shanti patha for the Taittriya Upanishad, together with the shloka that was gven as the shanti patha for the kena Upanishad.)

Source of all Life

"The sun is the source of life and the moon is the source of foodgrains. Everything survives on foodgrains, be it thick of form or thin. All forms are thus nothing but foodgrains".
"The sun rises in the east and blazes forth in his energy. It is the rays of the sun that instill the force of life into living beings. Wherever the sun radiates his rays, east, west, north, south, up and down, the rays enter into the bodies of living beings and make them thrive."
"This is the entity that is there in all living beings. This is the entity is life and fire throughout the universe. This is the entity that rises as the sun. And it is about this entity that the following has been said in the Rig Veda."
"The learned know the omniscient sun whose form permeates the universes. Many are his rays and he is the source of all life. He is the unique one who is like the eye of the universe. The Sun radiates heat and his rays are everywhere. The sun rose to be the life force of living beings."

The Mandukya Upanishad

The Mandukya Upanishad is entirely in prose. It is the shortest Upanishad with a mere twelve stanzas. Part of the original text seems to have been lost. This Upanishad is associated with the Atharva Veda. But the name is derived from a school of the Rig Veds, know as the Mandukas. The essential point made in this Upanishad is that the syllable Oum is an expression of the universe.

Everything in the universe is captured in the syllable Oum. The past, the present and the future, are all in Oum. All that is beyond these three states of time, is also in Oum. The syllable Oum is the way to attain proximity to the brahman.

The first part of the brahman is fire. Fire savours the state of being awake; fire feels the external world. Fire enjoys all the material objects. Fire has seven limbs and nineteen faces.

The nineteen faces of fire are the ten senses, the five constituents of the breath of life, the mind, intelligence, ego and the heart. Fire has a head in heaven, the sun forms the eyes, the wind is the breath of life, the sky is the body, the water forms the lower organs, the earth is the feet and the sacrificial fire is the mouth. These are the seven limbs that are mention in Mandukya Upanishad.

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The Atman

When the body decays and dies, the atman is intact. The atman has no sense of sin, old age, death, sorrow, hunger or thirst. A king rules over his subjects. Like that , a person who does not know about the atman, is ruled over by the desire to savour the fruits of his action. Those who do not know about the atman during life, continue to be in bondage in the after-life. But those who know about the atman during life, become free in the after-life. 

The atman is like a bridge; it holds the worlds together. The atman knows no night or day, it knows not old age, death, misery, sorrow, righteousness and evil. Sins cannot touch the atman. 

Cycle of Birth and Death

"A drop of water runs off a lotus leaf and cannot cling to it. In that fashion, sin does not taint one who knows about the brahman. The immortal brahman graints freedom from fire and he is in the pupils of the eyes. He who knows this, ensures his own welfare. The brahman is the one presides over all good deeds. The brahman is the radiant one and he grants radiance to others. A person who attains this knowledge becomes like the gods. Such learned ones are freed the cycle of birth and death."

Sacred Syllable Oum

The syllable Oum must be worshiped. Oum stands for the Brahman. It is for this reason that Oum is there at the beginning of every incantation.

The earth constitutes the essence of the elements, water constitutes the essence of the earth, the herbs are the essence of water, the human body constitutes the essence of the herbs, speech constitutes the essence of the human body, the mantras of the Rig Veda are the essence of speech, the mantras of the Sama Veda are the essence of the mantras of the Rig Veda, and Oum constitutes the essence of the hymns of the Sama Veda.

Oum is the most sacred of all essence, standing for the Brahman. speech is manifest in the mantras of the Rig Veda and the life force is manifest in the mantra of  Sama Veda. The syllable Oum is signifies the union of the two. The syllable Oum is the essence of the hymns. One who worships the syllable Oum thus, obtains all the objects of his desire. One who knows the syllable Oum to be the source of all prosperity, obtains all the objects of his desire.

Five Types of Sama Hymns

Sama means that which is the same everywhere. Since the sun shines everywhere equally, the sun should be worshipped as sama hymns. It is in sun that all the elements find their refuge.  Five types of sama hymns are to be worshipped in the earth, the fire, the sky and the sun. He who worships five types of sama hymns, attains all the worlds. Five types of sama hymns are to be worshipped in the wind that blow from the east, in the clouds, in the rain, in the lighting are to be worshipped in the clouds, in the rain, in the rivers that flow to the east, in the rivers that flow to the west, and in the ocean.

Five types of sama hymns are to be worshipped in the spring, the summer, the monsoon, the early autumn and the late autumn. Five types of sama hymns are to be worshipped in goats, buffaloes, cows, horses and men. Five types of sama hymns are to be worshipped in the powers of smell, speech, sight, hearing and thought.

Five types of sama hymns should be worshipped in the flames, in the sparks, and in the process of the fire going out. He who worships sama hymns thus, attains fame, sons and animals. Five types of sama hymns should be worshipped in the earth, the atmosphere, heaven, the redirections and the ocean. Five of sama hymns should be worshipped in the body-hair, the skin, the flesh, the bones and the marrow. Five types of sama hymns must be worshipped in the fire, the wind, the sun, the stars and the moon. He who worships sama hymns thus, obtains all the objects of his desire. 

Visualise The Brahman

The Brahman does not make himself manifest to the external senses. It is because of this that living beings can visualise the external world, but not the Brahman . those who wish to become learned and immortal control their senses. They can see the Brahman.

The ignorant ones lust after material objects. As a result of this, they become engulfed in ignorance and action. The learned ones can visualise the Brahman in all the objects of the universe. They desire nothing that belongs to this world.

It is thanks to the Brahman that men can savour form, taste, touch, sound and smell. There is nothing in this entire universe that is unknown to the Brahman. It is the Brahman who makes men see objects, be they awake or asleep. Learned ones visualise the great and omnipresent Brahman and overcome all sorrow.

A wise man knows that the fruit off all action vest with the Brahman. The Brahman regulates all forms of life. A learned person who realises this overcomes all fear. 

Navdurga Roop

India is a vast country; with a widespread Hindu Population comprising a multiplicity of language and faiths, we find innumerable local goddesses known as Devi. In rural India, it is not uncommon for every village to have its own Devi, with a place of prayer assigned to her. She is credited (or discredited) for whatever happens in the village. Everyone tries to keep the Devi happy. Even in everyday life, pious Hindus consider young girls to be a form of devi, pious offering them food and gifts at the end of the Navratri prayers.

During the navratri, Thousand of temporary pandals (tent structures) are erected to house the idols of the goddesses and other deities. At the end of the festivities, the idols are immersed in river or the sea.

When Shumbha and Nishumbha heard about the end of Chanda and Munda . He declared a state of emergency and Millions Asura moved the battlefield to attack the goddess from all sides.

On seeing the Vast Asura force, the Goddess picked up her bow, pulled the string and let go, sending a resounding screeching sound that made everything shudder and tremble. Then she range the bell just as the lion roared in unison. Kali roared the loudest of all, shaking the hills and mountains. The gods watched with joy. from each god emerged power that they controlled, which merged with the Goddess .From Brahma emerged Brahmani, atop a swan, holding a kamandal and a garland of beads. Form shiva emerged Maheshwari, ridding a bull, wielding a trident and adorning a crescent on the crown. Shiva also sent his trusted virnhadra. from Kartikeya emerged Kumari, riding the elephant Airavata and wielding the vajra.

Virbhadra bowed before the Goddess, and suggested that the Asuras may now be killed. Then anew form with great strength and speed emerged from the body of the Goddess. She was Called Chandika. 

Atman is a Personality

"The atman is an entity about which very few people know. Even if they are told about the atman, very few individuals can comprehend its nature. Extremely rare are individuals who can teach about the atman or learn about it. rare is the skilled teacher and rarer still the student who know about the atman."

"There are ignorant ones who think they can teach about the atman. They have not been able to comprehend the nature of the atman. The atman appears to them in different forms, the only learned instructor is one who knows no difference between the atman and the universe. He alone is capable of dispelling all doubt. The atman may be proved to be as small as an atom. But, in reality it is smaller still. The atman is actually beyond all debate."  

THE KATHA UPANISHAD

The Katha Upanishad deals with the story of Nachiketa. This story is also to be found in the taittiriya samhita, in a section known as the katha segment. this nomenclature reflects the emergence of the text from a school known as the katha school. The name subsequently passed on the katha Upanishad. There are two chapters (adhyaya) in the katha Upanishad. As the philosophical parts are more developed in the second chapter, it is hypothesised that the second chapter, was a later addition. Each of the chapters is divided into three sections (vallis). There are 119 shlokas in the katha Upanishad and the entire text is in verse.

Four Stages of Life

Righteous deeds have three components. Performing sacrifices, studying and giving alms constitute the first strand. Meditation is the second strand. Studying in the house of one's teacher is the third strand. All such righteous people are destined for the most sacred of world. But he who worships the brahman becomes immortal.

(this is a reference to the four stages of life (ashrama). The first is that of celibate student hood (brahmacharya), when one studies at the house of one's teacher. The second is the householder stage (garhasthya), when one performs sacrifices, studies the Vedas and gives alms. The third is the forest dwelling stage (vanaprashta), when one retires to the forest and meditates. And the fourth and final stage is that of becoming a hermit (sannyasa), when one contemplates the brahman.)

The Divine Soul

The Divine soul is unique and immobile. It is swifter than the mind. The senses cannot attain it. The divine soul never moves. And yet, it can overtake all those who are swift. It is because the divine soul is present that the wind blows and spurs all beings to action.

The divine soul moves. And yet it does not move. It is far. And yet it is near. It is inside this universe. And yet it is outside the universe.

He who is truly learned sees the divine soul (paramatman) in all objects and objects in the paramatman. Such a person rise above all fear and hatred.

(The word used for the divine soul in the verse is atman. But we have used the word paramatman to draw a distinction with the individual human soul or atman.)

He who realises the identity between all objects and the paramatman is truly learned. He knows no illusion or sorrow. Such sentiments become meaningless for him.

The divine soul is radiant and omnipresent. It has no form and cannot be harmed. It has no veins and is pure. It is not touched by sin and sees everything. It is the ruler of the mind. The paramatman is supreme, it created itself. The divine soul is always present. It is the paramatman who decreed the rules that the universe follows.

Isha Upanishad

The Isha Upanishad is unique in two senses. It is a very short Upanishad, consisting of only eighteen shlokas or verses. It is also the only Upanishad that forms part of the last chapter of the Shukla Yajur Veda. It is known as the text is isha, which means, by the supreme godhead. The motif of the Upanishad is, someone who knows the identity of the human soul with the divine soul is learned. In contrast, an individual who lacks this knowledge is ignorant. The text is composed entirely in verse.

Every object in the universe is transient. And all such objects are encompassed by the supreme godhead. Give up all these transient objects and look to the eternal. Do not lust for the wealth of others. Wealth belongs to no one.

He who desire to live on this earth for a hundred years, pursues the path of action (Karma). There is no other prescribed path for one who aspires for a long life. Deviation from this norm leads one to tread the path of sin.

The worlds where the demons (asuras) dwell, are shrouded in impenetrable darkness. Individuals who commit suicide are destined for those worlds after their deaths.