Third Adhyaya, Nineteenth Khanda (4 mantras)

Mantra 3.19.1.

1. This is the teaching “let one meditate upon the Lord dwelling in the Sun as the Supreme Brahman.” (There is now given) the reason for this (meditation) and an explanation (of creation). The Unknown alone existed when this (world) was (in Latency) in the beginning (of creation). That Unknown became the Known. That Known (called Vāsudeva) united with (Māyā). From that (union) were produced (all beings from Brahmā) down to the Egg. That Egg lay for the time of one year. After that (period) it (as if) broke open. The two shells of the egg were one of silver and the other of gold.—231.

[Note.—Ādityaḥ—the Sun. The Lord dwelling in the sun and called Āditya. Because he takes up (ādāna) everything, withdraws them into himself in the Pralaya or the great latency, he is called Āditya.]

[Note.—Ādeśaḥ (Ādeśa)—teaching. This is the teaching, “meditate on the Lord who is called Āditya and who dwells in the sun”.]

[Note.—Upa, reason, for the sake of showing his fitness as an object of meditation (upāsanā).]

[Note.—Vyākhyānam (Vyākhyāna)—explanation. The Lord may be worshipped everywhere, why particularly in the sun? Because by such meditation one can attain the knowledge of all the Vedas (the Laws of nature). If one wishes to learn all the laws of nature he should meditate on the Lord as Āditya. The word “sṛṣṭeḥ = of creation,” is to be supplied to complete the sentence. The explanation of of creation also will be given in this Khaṇḍa. The latter part of the verse shows what is the Primal cause of creation.]

[Note.—Asat—Non-Being. The Un-known. √sad = ‘to know’; asad = ‘not-known’. The Great Un-known. The Lord is not known by the ignorant and therefore He is called the “Un-known”.]

[Note.—Aṇḍam (Aṇḍa)—the (cosmic) Egg: beginning from Brahmā called the Pum or the First Male, the tattvas like mahat, etc., up to the organised cosmos called the Egg.]

[Note.—Niravartata—were produced, not only up to the Egg were produced, but the Egg also was produced.]

[Note.—Nirabhidyata—broke open. It was not actual breaking open, for the cosmic Egg still exists as an entire whole, but its contents divided themselves into two parts, the Upper and the Lower, like the two halves of an egg.]

Note.—The lower one was silvery, and the upper one was golden. May it not mean that the white of the egg was the lower portion, and the yolk (which is yellow and hence golden) became the upper portion.

Mantra 3.19.2.

2. In the silvery half of the shell (floats) this earth (and all the lower globes) in the golden half, the heaven (and the globes above it). The thick membrane is represented by the mountains, the thin membrane by the fogs, and the clouds. The rivers are as if the small veins, and the sea the visceral water.—232.

[Note.—Pṛthivī—the earth. The earth is in the silvery portion of the Egg. The Earth includes the physical plane as well as the seven lower planes, the Atala, etc. When we say the universe consists of the three worlds Bhuḥ [Bhūḥ?], Bhuvaḥ and Svaḥ: we include in the word Bhūḥ the physical plane as well as the seven sub-physical planes; and in the word Svar, the Svarga plane proper as well as the higher super heavenly planes like Mahar, Janaḥ, etc.]

[Note.—Dyauḥ—the heaven. The heaven and the higher worlds exist in the upper hemisphere of the shell of the Egg.]

Mantra 3.19.3.

3. Now what was born in that egg is this Āditya. When He became manifest all Beings adored Him with auspicious offerings and hymns of praise. Therefore, whenever He rises or sets, all Beings (even now) adore Him daily with auspicious offerings and hymns of praise.—233.

[Note.—Ulūlavaḥ=Urūravaḥ—Hallhlujaes [Hallelujahs?], Hurrahs, great, infinite all-pervading. The nominative is to be construed as instrumental.]

[Note.—Sarveca Kāmāḥ—with all desired objects, nominative construed in the instrumental. The desired objects are the auspicious offerings, things, with which pūja [pūjā?] offerings are made.]

Mantra 3.19.4.

4. He who knowing it thus meditates on Āditya as Brahman, understands quickly all divine Vedas, and this knowledge remains permanent in him: yea permanent in him—234.

Note.—The worshipper of Brahman as the In-dwelling Spirit of the Solar Logos, masters all the laws of nature, called the Vedas, and ultimately gets release too.

Madhva’s commentary called the Bhāṣya:

Note.—This Khaṇḍa teaches a particular kind of meditation by which one acquires all the Vedic Knowledge, and thus gets Mukti.

(It is thus written in the Brahma-Tattva):—“Brahman called Nārāyaṇa is here designated as “Asat”, because He is Unknowable (√sad = ‘to go’, ‘to know’) (by the ignorant; or in His entirety by any one). He existed in Pralaya (the Great Latency). As Vāsudeva, He became the Known to the Wise and so got the designation of “Sat” (sat = ‘known’ or ‘knowable’). He (Vāsudeva) united with Prakṛti; from which union were produced all up to the Egg. In that Egg, He got the name of Āditya, because He indeed controls the Sun (Solar Logos) who is in the solar orb. He is verily the Lord, the Highest Person (Puruṣottama). Therefore let one meditate on the Supreme Brahman under the name of Āditya, as the Lord Janārdana dwelling in the Solar Logos. From this will accrue the knowledge of all the Vedas.” Thus it is in the Brahma Tattva.

Ulūlava (Ulūlavaḥ) is the same word as Urūrava (Urūravaḥ) (r and l are interchangeable letters). It means exceedingly great. Ghoṣāḥ are the rhythmic sounds like that of the Gāyatrī, etc. (and not sounds in general).

The word upanimreḍeran means, they dwell in Him even in the state of Release (He never forgets them).

(Madhva now quotes another authority for giving the above explanation of “Ulūlavaḥ Ghoṣāḥ” as meaning the great Vedas, etc.)

“When Viṣṇu the Supreme Self (first) manifested Himself in the Solar Orb, then Brahmā and the rest approached Him with Vedic Hymns, like the Gāyatrī, etc., and sang his praises. Therefore even now men adore him always with Gāyatrī, etc., when he rises or sets. He who knows this gets Release (Mukti), and becomes a permanent receptacle of all the Vedas.” Thus in the same.