[Advaita-l] त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे

[Ravi Kiran]

// For what? उर्वारुकमिव बंधनात् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय – protection from death
like the cucumber / melon protected by its stem
// (मुक्षीय) माsमृतात्   and not from immortality

// All of a sudden, why has cucumber / melon come in?  Are there no better
comparables? उर्वारुकम् has other meaning. उर्वा + अरुकम्.  उर्वा
 // means big and अरुकम् means disease.  Now, this उर्वारुकम् is adjective
to मृत्यु.  A big disease called death is holding me – Oh Rudra!
// Please protect me.  This is the inner meaning.

Can this be elaborated /explained further with the analogy used ?


Thanks

On Tue, Feb 28, 2017 at 3:40 PM, girish girish via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

>
> ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगंधिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् ||
> उर्वारुकमिव बंधनात् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माsमृतात्||
> [From Rigveda]
>
>
> Vasistha Maharshi was the द्रष्ट (Person who first saw/heard this mantra)
> of this mantra.  So anyone who wishes to know anything about this mantra
> should first offer respects to him. – वसिष्ठ महर्षये नमः
>
> Meaning of the mantra:
>
> यजामहे - We pray
> Whom?-  त्र्यम्बकं (3 eyed ones), सुगंधिं (good scented) and पुष्टिवर्धनम्
> (who nourishes and gives full health and well being)
> For what? उर्वारुकमिव बंधनात् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय – protection from death like
> the cucumber / melon protected by its stem
> (मुक्षीय) माsमृतात्   and not from immortality
>
>
> Out of so many names of Rudra, why त्र्यम्बकं, सुगंधिं and पुष्टिवर्धनम्
> are only appearing?  Further, why only 3 names, it could have stopped at
> one or have had a couple of them more.     This, again, has significance.
> The prayer is for protection from death.  Death is a trouble / problem.  We
> face three types of problems (ताप) – आधिभौतिक (from nature/ environment),
> आधिदैविक (from acts of god like floods, famine etc.,), आध्यात्मिक (from
> self).  Generally we tell ॐ शांतिः शांतिः शांतिः to get the rid of these
> three troubles.
>
> Now, these three names of Rudra are significant because each of the names
> represent that form of Rudra which has power to eliminate the respective
> trouble when remembered.  (मननात् त्रायते इति मंत्रं)
>
> 1.      त्र्यम्बकं form of Rudra is prayed to overcome आधिदैविक problems –
> as in this form He as the supreme vision through three eyes (त्रीनि अंबकानि
> यस्य सः).  This means Rudra has अनंत दृष्टि – his vision can cut through
> time and space.  (सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् in पुरुष सूक्त; and सर्वतः चक्षुः in
> Vishnu Sahasranama).  He is the one and only witness – साक्षि (संयक् ईक्षण
> शक्ति – means always seeing).
> 2.      सुगंधिं form of Rudra is prayed to overcome आधिभौतिक problems – He
> is सु-गंधिं – the गंधं is interpreted as one of the पंचतन्मात्र s - शब्द,
> स्पर्श, रूप, रस & गंध.  As per the उपलक्षक न्याय it is not only सुगंधिं,
> but applies to all as सु-शब्द, सु-स्पर्श, सु-रूप and सु-रस.  By praying so,
> the entire पंचभूतs do not constraint us.
> 3.      पुष्टिवर्धनम् form of Rudra is prayed to overcome आध्यात्मिक
> problems – He is not only देह – पुष्टिवर्धनम् but also आत्म पुष्टिवर्धनम्.
> What has happened is that the all prevailing आत्म has confined itself into
> a small mortal body and thinks that it is only that mere body (जीवात्म).
> This is due to आवरण शक्ति of माय that this जीवात्म feels he is small.  Now,
> for him to realize that he is big – ब्रह्मन् –he needs lot of पुष्टि –
> Hence this form of Rudra is prayed for realization of one’s true form which
> is not the mere body as we think.
>
>
> So, to sum up, the prayer is addressed to Rudra in his three forms which
> would eliminate the three troubles (ताप).
>
> What is the purpose of prayer – मृत्योर्मुक्षीय to get away from the
> death.  How is it sought?  उर्वारुकमिव बंधनात् – like how the cucumber /
> melon is protected by its stem.  All of a sudden, why has cucumber / melon
> come in?  Are there no better comparables? उर्वारुकम् has other meaning.
> उर्वा + अरुकम्.  उर्वा means big and अरुकम् means disease.  Now, this
> उर्वारुकम् is adjective to मृत्यु.  A big disease called death is holding
> me – Oh Rudra! Please protect me.  This is the inner meaning.
>
> Is it possible to get protection from death?   Krishna in the Geetha says
> जातस्यहि धृवो मृत्युः meaning “everyone born has to die”.  Is it not in
> contradiction to the prayer in the above mantra?  What is the position
> now?  The extreme science has to be understood in a very methodical way.
> Else, we are bound to fall in confusion.
>
> What Krishna said is “everyone born has to die” – So death is for person
> who takes birth.  What is birth – it is change of form, from one उपाधि
> (body) to another उपाधि (body).  So whose form is changed from one उपाधि to
> another उपाधि ? – The birth and death is to whom? – Now clarity emerges.
> Birth and death is to body and not for the आत्म चैतन्य (soul) which resides
> in the body.  So if one thinks he is the mere body, he has birth and
> death.  If the same person thinks he is the very soul, he has no birth and
> so no death.
>
> Now we understand the last word of the mantra – माsमृतात् which means – Oh
> Rudra, do not push me from the state of अमृत (I am not mere body, I am the
> soul - आत्म चैतन्य).  This is what even Krishna said – if you take a birth
> you will die.  Effectively, death is nothing but a change.  What would
> change is the nature – प्रकृति.  If one recognizes the self as mere body,
> change is bound to be there.  The body takes birth, grows and dies.  But
> for the pure consciousness (आत्म चैतन्य) there is no question of such
> changes as it just exists in that body and only witnesses the changes
> साक्षि.  Now we can understand the significance of the name - त्र्यम्बकं in
> a better way.
>
> To sum up:  This is another supreme mantra which the Almighty has revealed
> through Vasistha Maharshi.  The prayer is to Rudra for protecting ones true
> self, being just a witness (the state of साक्षित्व).  Even though it is
> aimed to bestow the ultimate realization of one’s true self, it also helps
> to keep the उपाधि protected from the troubles (ताप).
>
>
> Namastripurasundaryai
>
> V Girish
> _______________________________________________
> Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
> http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
>
> To unsubscribe or change your options:
> http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
>
> For assistance, contact:
> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
>