Second Adhyaya, Twenty-fourth Khanda (4 mantras)

Mantra 2.24.1.

1. The (pupils) inquirers of Brahman ask their teacher—“If morning oblation belong to the Vasus, the noon oblation to the Rudras and the third oblation to the Ādityas and the Viśvadevas (and consequently the three worlds the earth, the intermediate world and the heaven are already occupied by these Devas), where then is the work! of the sacrificer? He who does not know the method of attaining the world, how must he proceed with the sacrifice, etc. (since he does not know the method) therefore let him learn how to perform it and then perform it.

[Note.—Brahmavādinaḥ—the enquirers about Brahman, the disciples (who inquire about the Supreme Brahma from their teachers).]

[Note.—Prātaḥsavanam (Prātaḥsavana)—sacrifice in the morning, morning-oblation (as the bhuḥ loka is ruled by Vasus, therefore, the Vasus are the dwellers of Bhūloka).]

[Note.—Rudrāṇām—belonging to the Rudras (the antarīkṣa [antarikṣa] loka is dwelt by Rudras, because they are the lords of antarikṣa who get the oblation given in the midday)]

[Note.Tṛtīya Savanam—third oblation: (As all the three worlds are kept under control by the Vasus, the Rudras, the Āditya and the Viśvadevas) respectively and fully occupied by them.]

Mantra 2.24.2(a).

2(a). Before the commencement of the matin chant, sitting-facing north, behind the household altar, he sings the Sāman addressed to Viṣṇu dwelling among the Vasus thus:—Open the passage to the world of the Vasus so that we may see Thee and obtain terrestrial glory therein.

[Note.—Rājyāya, for the sake of kingdom (that we may rule on earth.) The prolated “ā” of “rā” is chanted 7 times with the seed mantra “huṃ” inserted in the middle, viz., rā ā ā ā huṃ ā ā ā, the prolated ā of jyā 3 times, etc.]

Mantra 2.2.24(b).

2(b). Then he offers oblations in the fire saying—“all hail, O Viṣṇu, dwelling in fire, dwelling on the earth, dwelling in all regions. Lead me, thy worshipper to the place appropriate for me, to that which is verily the world of the pious, (Lit. This is verily the world of the pious).”

Mantra 2.24.2(c).

2(c). After my life is over may I, the sacrificer, go there. Svāhā. Then having said “Remove the obstacle O Lord!” let him rise. For him the Lord, through the Vasus, makes perfect and complete his morning oblation

Mantra 2.24.3(a).

3(a). Before the commencement of the noon oblation, the sacrificer sitting down behind the Dakṣīṇāgni altar, and looking towards the north, sings’ the Sāman addressed to Viṣṇu dwelling in the Rudras thus:—Open the passage to the world of the Rudras so that we may see Thee and obtain astral glory therein.

Mantra 2.24.3(b).

3(b). Then he offers oblations in the lire saying:—All hail, O Viṣṇu, dwelling in the Rudras, dwelling in the sky, dwelling in all regions, Lead me, thy worshipper, to the place appropriate for me; to that which is verily the world of the pious. After my life is over may i, the sacrificer, go there. Svāhā! Then having said “Remove the obstacle, O Lord,” let him rise. For him the Lord through the Rudras makes perfect and complete his midday oblation.

Mantra 2.24.4.

4. Before the commencement of the evening oblation, the sacrificer sitting down behind the Āhavanīya altar and looking towards the north, sings, the Sāman addressed to Viṣṇu dwelling in the Ādityas and in the Viśvedevas thus:—Open the passage to the world of the Ādityas and Viśvedevas so that we may see Thee and obtain celestial and supreme glory.

Then he offers oblations to the fire saying:—All hail O Viṣṇu! dwelling in the Ādityas and in the Viśvedevas dwelling in the heaven, dwelling in all regions. Lead me, Thy worshipper to the place appropriate for me, to that which is verily the world of the pious. After my life is over may I, the sacrificer, go there. “Svāhā.” Then having said “Remove the obstacle O Lord,” let him rise. For him the Lord, through the Adityas and Viśvedevas perfects his evening oblation. He verily knows this Lord called Yajñamātrā, the Saviour of the pious; who knows him thus, who knows him thus.

[Note.—Yajñasyamātrām (equal to Yajñamātrām)—the saviour (trā) of the maker (mā), of sacrifice, viz., Viṣṇu who saves the Yajamāna. Yajñamā is the same word as Yajamāna. He who saves the Yajñamā is called Yajñamātrā.]

Madhva’s commentary called the Bhāṣya:

(In the previous Khaṇḍa has been taught the meditation on the Lord called Sāman, the Giver of Heaven and Release. Now is taught in the shape of a dialogue between the pupils and teacher, meditation on the Lord through his forms of Vasus, etc., established by a portion of the Sāma Veda, which also by removing the obstacles conduces to the attainment of Release and leads to the sovereignty in the worlds called earth, etc. Lest one should make the mistake that the offering of the morning, midday and evening oblations are given to the well-known Vasus, etc., and that they are prayed to in order that they may open the door, the commentary says:—

By praying with the Mantras “Loka Dvāra, etc.,” to the Lord God Hari residing in the Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas, and Viśvedevas and called also by those names, the sacrificer gets heaven if he is ignorant, and release, if he is wise. By no other means can the higher worlds be obtained.

(Even the attainment of high worlds like the intermediate, heaven, etc., depends upon the worship of the Lord Hari alone. The difference is, if he is worshipped with knowledge, then mokṣa is gained, if ignorantly then worlds higher or lower.)

To be eminent in earth and have glory here is called Rājya by the wise, to be eminent in the intermediate world is called Virājya, to be eminent in heaven is called Svarājya.

(But it has been said that the wise get mokṣa in these worlds. How is that? For the worlds of the Release are Vaikuṇṭha, etc? And those world-names are not used here. Then also it is said that one must go to the Śvetadvīpa and see the Lord, there, in order to get mokṣa. How then can men get Mokṣa in these inferior worlds, like the earth, etc. To this the reply is that some Released souls remain in earth, etc., even after Release. They prefer to so remain, instead of going to Vakuṇṭha. But they also must make pilgrimage to the Śvetadvīpa, before getting Release.

Even in these (earth, sky and heaven) there is Release for some special persons. They, however, go to Śvetadvīpa and after seeing the Lord Viṣṇu there and being permitted by Him, they remain on this earth, etc., enjoying happiness, and free from sorrow, as released souls.

(It is now established by quoting an authority that the Lord has the name of Vasu, Āditya, etc.).

The Śruti (Ṛg Veda, X. 82.3)—“He who one alone bears the names of all the Devas,” shows that the Lord alone has the names of Vasu, etc., also. (These are primarily the names of the Lord, and secondarily applied to the Devas.)

Admitted that the person who desires release should pray to the Lord, why should the person who does not want release, but heaven only, pray to him, when he can get these higher worlds, by praying to the presiding deities of those worlds, namely, to Vasu, etc. To this the Commentator says that all prayers are really offered tn the Lord; with this difference, that some are addressed so consciously and wisely, and others unconsciously and ignorantly.)

Says the Gita (9. 20):—The knowers of the three, the Soma-drinkers, the purified from sin, worshipping me with sacrifice, pray of me the way to heaven; they ascending to the holy world of the Ruler of the Shining Ones, eat in heaven the divine feasts of the Shining Ones.

This also shows that the Lord alone is to be prayed to for granting these worlds and not any lower being.

(But if the persons desiring Svarga also must pray to the Lord, how is it their reward is temporary only and they lose heaven after some time. To this the commentary says:—).

They obtain a limited world which comes to an end, because their knowledge of the form of the Lord, (and conception of the Godhead) is not perfect and complete, and because they have attachment and prejudices still alive.

As says the Gītā (9. 24):—I am indeed enjoyer of all sacrifices, and also the Lord, but they know me not in Essence, and hence they fall.

(This shows that through partial knowledge of the Lord is attained a temporary Svarga).

So also the Gītā (9. 21):—They, having enjoyed the spacious heaven world, their holiness withered, come back to this world of death. Following the virtues enjoined by the three, desiring desires, they obtain the transitory.

This shows that desiring desires or attachment also leads to a transitory world.

By merely not knowing that Viṣṇu is the highest and the best, one goes to blind darkness, what to say of those who hate Him or hate Brahmā, etc. Those who do not know the gradation and difference between Devas and Devas; and between all the devas and the Lord Viṣṇu, also go to darkness from which there is no extrication (easily).

(Let it be granted that there is darkness for one who hates Brahmā, etc. But is darkness the fate of those also who worship them but have made mistakes in their worship. To this the commentary replies):

If any one has done any offence with regard to these he verily goes to the lower worlds, (though not to the worlds of darkness, because his offence was not premeditated). By not worshipping them at all, one is born beyond the pale of the four castes. He who does not’perform all religious rites correctly and properly, does not go to heaven. He who does not possess direct vision of the Lord (aparokṣadṛṣṭi). can never get Mokṣa or Release.

(Says an objector:—Admitted that a person possesses the knowledge that Hari is the highest, and that such a person is also generally free from the faults mentioned above, suppose some of those faults happen to occur in such a person, will these faults destroy the merit of his good works and will he go to hell like other persons who have constantly such imperfections. To this the commentary says)

When a person lias the above-mentioned good qualities (accompanied with the knowledge that Hari is, the highest) and if subsequent faults (hatred of Brahmā, etc.) should occasionally and subsequently mar his character, such faults cannot produce their effect (i.e., can not degrade that man to hell). They can produce their effect, in two cases (namely, if the person is ignorant of Hari being the best and also is full of hatred), together with hatred of Brahma, etc., coupled with ignorance of their gradation, in these two contingencies only there is fear of hell, (In other words, it. is hatred of Hari and hatred of Brahmā, etc., which leads to hell.) There is no Release for those who have not got direct vision (aparokṣadṛṣṭi).

Those who have got hatred of good or attachment for contrary objects, never get direct vision of the Lord. They get it only when attachment for prohibited objects is destroyed, and they have become disgusted with all objects, worldly or otherwise except for divine objects, and when they are full of devotion and are always without heedlessness they see verily the Supreme Hari. By heedlessness is meant non-forgetfulness of the Lord Viṣṇu, remembering Him always, discarding false knowledge, studying scriptures, always being active, studious, hearing sacred scriptures, and thinking over their meaning, that is to say, studying scriptures intelligently, by constantly hearing them and by being energetic, renouncing all prohibited actions and always performing one’s own duties, this is what is called “want of heedlessness.” The scriptures are the five Vedas only, namely, the four Vedas plus the Bhārata, the Pañcaratra, the original Rāmāyaṇa, the Purāṇas called Bhāgavata, i.e., dealing with Lord Viṣṇu alone. These (Bhārata, Pañcarātra, etc.) are called the fifth Veda.

(The sentence “remove the bolt” does not mean “remove the sin which is an obstacle to the attainment of the worlds prayed for.” Its true meaning is thus given in the commentary)

There are three ancient Motes (or “rings-pass-not” between the three worlds, and they prevent the passage from one to the other, these (rings-pass-not or) Motes or called Parighas or bolts.

Viṣṇu residing in fire, etc., when appealed to, removes this obstacle.

(But, it is objected, we living on earth do not see this mote, this bar to the passage from one plane to another. How do you say that there is a mote which prevents the souls from coming on this earth? So far as this earth is concerned, we can confidently say there is no such mote. Nor can you say that this mote is invisible, so long as the man is alive, but becomes visible when he dies. All beings do not pray in the manner laid down in this book, how is it then that they are born on this planet, and are not prevented from entering it by the mote spoken of? To this the commentary says

After death when the souls want to go to those places where joy is to be experienced, this mote is met with successively, one after the other. When these motes are removed by Lord Viṣṇu, through these prayers, then the sacrificer attains earth, etc., to enjoy the happiness and Mukti.

(Thus these motes are round a particular plot or locality on these three planes; they serve to exclude all pain and evil from that limited circle. These places are regions of enjoyment and are called heavens. On the physical plane also there is such a heaven which is fenced round by such a mote; so also there are such heavens in the astral and mental planes, the Antarīkṣa and Svarga lokas. If it be asked that the physical heaven ought to be visible, at least to all human eyes; the reply is that without the grace of Lord Viṣṇu no one can cross the mote; nor can find out the existence of this physical paradise even.)

The phrase Yajñasyamātrā means the Lord Hari because He is the Saviour of the performer of sacrifice. The word Yajñamā means “the performer of sacrifice” (mā means performer). Yajñamātrā means the Saviour (trā means Saviour) of Yajñamā, (the sacrificer). That devotee alone who knows Him thus, goes to heaven (Svarga) if he is ignorant, or attains Mukti, if he is wise.