Seventh Adhyaya, First Khanda (5 mantras)

Mantra 7.1.1.

1. Nārada approached Sanatkumāra and said, “teach me Sir.” He said to Nārada “tell me first what thou, knowest already, then come to me and I shall tell thee what is beyond that.”—471.

Note.—Sanatkumāra called also Skanda—the warrior, belongs to a higher hierarchy than the Devarṣi Nārada.

Mantra 7.1.2.

2. Nārada said “I know, Sir, the Ṛgveda, the Yajurveda, the Sāmaveda, and the Atharvaveda, the fourth, the Itihāsa-purāṇa, which is a fifth book among the Vedas; the science of ancestors, the science of numbers, the science of Devatās, the science of treasure finding, the undivided original Veda and its twenty-four branches, the superhuman Deva sciences, the science of Brahman, the science of ghosts, the science of politics, the science of stars, the science of serpents and Deva-officials (Gandharvas); all this I know O venerable Sir.”—472.

Mantra 7.1.3.

3. “But Sir, with all this I am like one who knows the Mantras only (I know the names of the Lord only) but not the Lord. I have heard from personages like your honour, that he who knows the Lord overcomes grief. I am in grief. Therefore, O Sir, take me over this Ocean of grief”

Sanatkumāra said to him “whatever you have read is verily only the name of the Lord.”—473.

Mantra 7.1.4.

4. Verily Name is the (presiding deity of the) Ṛg-veda, the Yajurveda, the Sāmaveda, and the Atharvaveda the fourth, the Itihāsa-purāṇa which is a fifth book among the Vedas; the science of ancestors, the science of numbers, the science of Devatās, the science of treasure finding, the undivided original Veda and its twenty-four branches, the superhuman Deva sciences, the science of Brahman, the science of ghosts, the science of politics, the science of stars, the science of serpents and Deva-officials (Gandharvas). All these are verily Name only. Meditate on Brahman in the Name.—474.

Mantra 7.1.5.

5. He who meditates on Brahman in Name, gets freedom of movement throughout all that region over which Name has her scope; he who meditates on Brahman in Name (Uṣā).

“Is there something better than Name?” “Yes there is something better than Name.” “Sir tell it to me.”—475.

Madhva’s commentary called the Bhāṣya:

In the sixth Adhyāya, it has been determined that the Lord Viṣṇu is the highest of all and separate from the Jīvas. Now in the present Adhyāya it will be taught, that to completely understand the superiority of Viṣṇu, it is necessary to know the gradation of Devas, and to understand that the Lord is the final term of this series; for by such knowledge alone and by understanding the various grades of the divine hierarchies, one understands the infinitely great superiority of the Lord Viṣṇu. Therefore, this Adhyāya teaches chiefly this gradation.

When Narada goes to Sanatkumāra and asks him to teach him, the latter says “Yad Vettaha Tena Mopasida.” This is a doubtful phrase, and if “Mo” be taken as equal to “Mā” meaning “not”; then the phrase would mean “what thou knowest, do not come to me with that, but leave all thy learning behind, and then approach me.” Even if this “Mo” be taken as a form of “Mā” meaning ‘to me’ yet the phrase may be translated “leaving behind thy knowledge come to me.” This is also impossible, for no one can, at his will, forget all that he knows. Therefore, the Commentator explains this

The phrase “Yad Vedtha”, etc., means “first tell me, what thou already knowest, and then come to me to learn something further.”

Thereupon Narada enumerates all the sciences that he knows. Most of the names of these sciences are clear, but some are not. The Commentator explains those of them, which are of doubtful import.

Pitṛyam means “the knowledge of the Pitṛs, namely the science of Śrāddha in which is taught the characteristics of the Pitṛs.” Rāśi means ‘the science of numbers (including arithmetic and algebra).’ Daiva [Daivam] means ‘the science teaching about the nature and function of the Devas their gradation and their thirty-two marks, etc., it does not mean the science of portents.)’ Nidhi means the science of divining hidden treasures buried in the earth. Vākovākya [Vākovākyam] is the original Veda, the root Veda. Ekāyana [Ekāyanam] means the supplemental science of the original Veda (the twenty-four branches into which the. Vedas were subsequently divided. These two words do not mean logic and ethics). Deva-Vidyā means that science which is known only to the Devas, and never to human beings, Brahma-Vidyā means the Upaniṣads taught in the forests. Bhūta-Vidyā means the science teaching about the mark, and qualities of spirits, other than the Devas (the science of Samudra (palmistry?) is a part of this spiritist science). Kṣatra-Vidyā means the science of politics, (and does not mean the science of archery). Nakṣatra-Vidyā means the science of stars, i.e, astronomy. Sarpa-Vidyā means the science describing the nature of serpents (it is called also the Garuḍa science). Deva-jana-vidyā the science cultivated by the Deva-officials, the servants of the Devas are called Deva-janas, the science peculiar to them is so called. Nārada knew all these sciences Thus it is in the Sāmasaṃhitā.

Here says an objector, “Nārada knew all the sciences, how can then you say that he did not know the science of the Self, and why does he say that I am like one who knows Mantras only and does not know the Self? And why does he say that he is overwhelmed with grief and prays Sanatkumāra to take him over the ocean of grief.” This objection is answered thus by the Commentator

A man is said to be not learned if he does not know the co-relation of sciences and their relative importance; even, if a man knew all the sciences he would still be called not wise. Therefore Devarṣi Nārada with the object of understanding eagerly the co-relation of sciences, goes to Sanatkumāra and puts the question that he did; because Sanatkumāra was a higher knower of Brahman than Nārada. Thus it is in the same.

This shows that among the knowers of Brahman also, there are various grades. Sanatkumāra, being Skanda, is superior to Nārada; and consequently there is no incongruity in Narada’s asking him for further illumination. The word Nāma is used in this Khaṇḍa, and it says Nāmopasva. What is this Nāma. Does it merely mean name, and does Sanatkumāra teach Nārada to worship names? No. It means that all names are under the jurisdiction of a particular deity, as the Commentator explains it

The Goddess Uṣā is the presiding deity of names and all names are primarily the names of Viṣṇu who is called Sarvanāma; the Śruti therefore, teaches that Brahman should be mediated in Uṣā, the Goddess of names.

But why is Uṣā called Nāma? She is so called for two reasons; 1st because She is the presiding deity of names, and secondly because the word Nāma means Na—Not, and Ama=unmeasured, therefore, Nāma (na+ama) means not-unmeasured. Not-unknown, i.e., known.

Since She is not immeasurable and unknown, because She is thoroughly measured or known at the time of dawn, even by persons who do not know the length of night, therefore, She is called Nāma.

Uṣā is the wife of Aśvi. She is not the Goddess of all learning; had she been son she would be like Bhārati and consequently immeasurable, not fully known; but She can always be fully known, and therefore, called Nāma. In fact Nāma or science expressed through words must always be a definite and fully known thing. So far as we know a thing, we name that thing, and it means that it is fully known to that extent. Thus naming a thing is a mark of knowing that thing which is at the same time a mark also of limiting that thing. Uṣā therefore, is a Goddess of definite knowledge. Dawn is also a symbolic representation of this knowledge. A man asked about the time of night, may not know it so long as it is night, say midnight or any other portion of night, but if it is Dawn (Uṣā) he would at once say ‘it is Dawn.’ Thus any man and every man knows the time of night when it is Dawn. Thus Uṣā or Dawn is definite, commensurate or measured time.