First Adhyaya, Fourth Khanda (5 mantras)

Mantra 1.4.1.

Note.—This is exactly the same as the first mantra of the Khaṇḍa First. For fuller word-meaning, see page 2.

1. Om is the Lord, the Imperishable, the Udgītha, He must be meditated upon. Him the Udgātṛ sings our as Om. About Him is this full explanation.—35.

Mantra 1.4.2.

2. The Devās verily being afraid of the Goddess Durgā, entered into the three Vedas. They covered themselves with the metrical hymns (as if with an armour). Because they covered themselves with these (hymns), therefore the hymns are called Chandas.—36.

[Note.—Mṛtyoḥ—from death; from Durgā, the goddess of death (Maraṇāt Mṛtyuḥ Itiuktā Durgā). Mṛtyuḥ is called Durgā because she destroys all ignorance.]

[Note.—Prāviśan—entered into fully, i.e., the devas being afraid of Durgā, without meditating on the Lord Viṣṇu, in the deity presiding over the three-fold knowledge, (three Vedas).]

[Note.—Chandobhiḥ—with metrical hymns, by means of the meditations on the Lord in Vedic hymns.]

[Note.—Ācchādayan—covered (themselves); they covered themselves with the armour of the Chandas.]

Mantra 1.4.3.

3. As the bird, called the fish-catcher, might observe a fish in water, so Durgā, the goddess of death, observed the Devās (covered with the metrical hymns, i.e.,) in the Ṛk, Yajus, and Sāman. As the Devas were intelligent, so they knew that the goddess of death had found them out, so they leaving (the worship of Hari in the presiding deities of) the Ṛk, Yajus, and Sāman, worshipped the Lord called Svara, the Independent, in the Chief Vāyu called Svara or the Lord-devoted.—37.

[Note.—Urdhvāḥ, superior; qualifies Devāḥ. The phrase ūrdhvāḥ devaḥ means ‘the intelligent Devas’—“the Devas because they were intelligent, found out so.” They were not like fish who does not know its catcher.]

[Note.—Svaram—in the Chief Vāyu named Svara. (sva = Lord; ra = devoted); and meditated therein on the Lord called Svara, the Independent (sva = self, ra = relying; delighting).]

Mantra 1.4.4.

4. Therefore when one learns a Ṛk (stanza) he prefixes an Om (to it in reciting it), so (when he sings) a Sāman hymn, (he chants out Om first), and so (when he utters) a Yajus formula, (he pronounces first Om). This is the Independent. Because He is the Nearest, the Imperishable, the Immortal, and the Giver of freedom from fear. The Devas by entering into (and worshipping) that (Lord) became Immortal, i.e., released.—38.

[Note.—Yajus—the Yajur Veda. The hymns of the Ṛk, Yajus or Sāman have no protective efficacy unless preceded by the syllable Om. Therefore the japa of every mantra is with Om in the beginning.]

Mantra 1.4.5.

5. He who knowing this Lord thus (as the giver of immortality to the Devas) meditates on the Imperishable with praṇava and takes refuge under the Self-dependent, the Immortal and the Giver of freedom from fear, becomes free from death, just as the Devas became Immortal.—39.

Madhva’s commentary called the Bhāṣya:

(It was not mentioned before what was the fruit of worshipping the sacred syllabic Om which is the symbol of Lord in Vāyu. The Śruti now mentions that by such worship one gets release from the bondage of the saṃsāra and a story is being related to that effect.)

In Mantra 3 it is said the Devas entered Svara. This word Svara requires explanation and the Commentator therefore says:—

Svara is the name of Viṣṇu because He takes delight (rati) in Himself (Sva). Vāyu is called Svara because He is devoted to Sva or Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is called Sva because He is Independent. Svara also means Vāyu. Thus both Viṣṇu and Vāyu are called Svara:—Viṣṇu because He alone is independent; and Vāyu, because He is devoted to Sva or the Lord.

Admitted that both Viṣṇu and Vāyu have the names of Svara, but it does not follow that in Mantra 3 the entering of the Devas into Svara refers to their entrance into Vāyu and Viṣṇu. For it is said there, that by entering into it, the Devas became immortal. This is wrong because in deep sleep (Suśupti [Suṣupti]?) and in dissolution of the universe (Pralaya) all beings enter into Svara (God) and ought to become immortal. But we do not see so. The Commentator explains the sentence “the Devas became immortal” of the Mantra 4 thus:—

In the Svara called the Vāyu the Devās worshipped the Svara called Viṣṇu, whose another name is Om. By such worship of the Svara, in the Svara, the Devas obtained immortality, namely, Mukti or salvation, which is absence of death and the fear of death.

In the Mantra 2, it is said the Devas were afraid of mṛtyu or death. The old commentators have explained the word mṛtyu as Yama, but this is wrong, because all Devas are immortal and so have no fear of Yama.

Therefore the Commentator explains the word mṛtyu:—

The Goddess Durgā is called mṛtyu because She causes death.

Through fear of this Goddess the Devas worshipped Om and obtained the highest immortality, i.e., Lord Viṣṇu himself. Thus in Sandhyāna.

The word Ūrdhvāḥ, in Mantra 3, has been explained wrongly by old commentators. It really means Superior, Best; and docs not mean risen above.

The fish does not know or recognise its catcher, but the Devas knew that Durga was their enemy and consequently, the Devas were certainly superior to fish: hence Ūrdhvāḥ is an epithet of the Devas meaning they were possessed of great intelligence. In other words, “Ūrdhāḥ Devāḥ” mean “the intelligent (lofty) Devas.”