हिन्दी
Om! Once upon a time the Devas resorted to the world of Bliss (Kailasa); and the Devas addressed Rudra thus, “who are you?” He replied: “I alone was in the beginning; I am now; and will be in the future. There is none but me.” He spread out himself and pervaded all the quarters. (He said): “I am eternal and non-eternal, I am Brahma, I am eastern and western quarters, south and north, up and down, the quarters and cross quarters, I am man and otherwise, woman, I am Gayatri, Savitri, Sarasvati, Trishtup, Jagati, and Anushtup, I am the metre, I am Garhapatya, Dakshina and Ahavaniya fires, I am truth, I am the Cow (the Cow of plenty) Gauri, the first born, superior and best, I am Water and Light, I am the Rik, Yajus, Saman, and Atharvangirasa, I am perishable and imperishable, I am to be protected and kept in secrecy, I am the forest, I am the lotus (universe), I am pure, top, centre, out-side and front, and I am the light which is in ten quarters and otherwise.” I alone exist. All are equal to me. He who knows me knows all the Devas. I nourish the earth through the light of the Sun, (according to a commentator, I perpetuate creation through man and woman), preserve the Brahmins by Brahmic glory, the oblations by ghee etc, the life by life-giving energy, the truth by truth, and Dharma by Dharma. Next, the Devas did not see Rudra in his own glory. They thought to meditate upon Rudra and began to praise Him with uplifted hands.
He who is Brahma is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Vishnu is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Skanda is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Indra is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Agni (fire) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Vayu (air) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Surya (sun) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Soma (moon) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Ashta Grahaa (8 planets) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Pratigraha is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Bhuh (human body, earth, physical realm, existence) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Bhuvah (vital energies, outer space, consciousness) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Suvah (soul, inner space, spiritual realm, bliss) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Maha (great, big, high) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Prithvi (earth) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Antariksha (universe) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Dyu (sky) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Ap (water) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Taijas (endowed with light) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Akasa (ether) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Kaal (time) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Yama (lord of death) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Mrityu (death) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Vishvam (universal) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Sthula (gross) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Sukshma (subtle) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Shukal (bright) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Krishna (all-attractive) is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Whole is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is Truth is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
He who is All is verily the Rudra. Salutation to Him over and over.
You are the first Bhuh, the second Bhuvah, third Suvah, and the last head (Svaha or Turiya). O goal of humanity, O, Om! You are many-formed. You Brahman are one, two (manifested and unmanifested), and three (the three gunas). You are the zenith and nadir. You are tranquillity, nourishment, and contentment. You are that which is given in the form of oblations, and otherwise, yes and no, gift and deed, and superiority and their respective negatives. You are the resting place. We drank the Soma Juice (we realized Soma as being Siva with Uma) and became immortal. We reached the Light and knew the Devas. What injury, indeed the enemies (evil passions, etc.), will do us, or what pain will they give to us, who have neither to receive nor reject anything?
Adoration over and over, to that great consumer devourer and involver, who with his own light makes the subtle syllable (om) which is the friend of all the worlds, and which has Prajapati as its presiding deity, who (receives) the unthinkable person (Jiva), who is the part of Isa, by the difficult path (Jnana-marga) the Vayu (Linga Sarira) by Vayu (Bhakti, path, and the Soma (actions) by Soma (by the path of action). All the Devas are in the heart. The Pranas are established in the heart. Thou art even dwelling in the heart. Thou art transcending the three states of consciousness.
In its (heart) left is the head (northern path), in its right is the leg (Southern path). That which is in the left is Om. The Om is Pranava. This is All-Pervading; it is Infinite; it is called Tara; this is Sukshama (subtle); the same is Sukla (white). This is Vaidyuta (brilliant); that which is brilliant is the Supreme Brahman. He is one. He is only one Rudra. He is Isana. He is Lord (Bhagavan). Maheswar and Mahadeva.
Why is Rudra called Om?
It is said because the breath (prana) has to be drawn upwards in pronouncing Omkar.
Next, why is it named Pranava?
Because it is used (pronounced) to pay obeisance to Rik, Yaju, Sama, Atharvangiras and Brahmins. That is why it is named 'Pranav'.
Next, why is it called All Pervading (Sarvavyapi)?
Because by mere recitation, it makes the aspirant Omnipresent. Like the oil in the oil-seed, pervading through all this, it, the peaceful Om, remains mingled and inter-mingled together.
Next, why is it infinite?
Because the mere recitation of it, makes the reciter feel neither beginning, nor end, or up and down, nor across.
Next, why is it named Tara?
The mere recitation of it enables one to transcend the great four of the trans migratory life consisting of conception, birth, old age and death.
Next, why is it called Sukushma?
Because, be mere recitation, the aspirant becomes very minute, dwelling in all the bodies.
Next, why is it named Sukla?
Because, by its recitation, one depresses and exhausts (his passions).
Next, why is it Vaidyuta?
Because a mere recitation of it, illuminates his whole body which is in great darkness.
Next, why is it called the Supreme Brahman?
The mere recitation of it makes him great.
Next, why is He one? Because He alone uplifts all the worlds, always creates, preserves and destroys them.
Next, why is He called one Rudra?
(In reply to this a mantra is quoted). “Rudra alone exists and there is no second. He rules over all these worlds, possessed of creative and preservative powers. Having created the whole universe, He protects it. At the end, He destroys the same. O men, He remains inwards.” Therefore, He is called only one Rudra.
Next, why is He called Isana?
Because He rules over all the worlds, possessed of all supreme energies of power and rulership. (To support this a hymn is quoted here). “We approach you, O Mighty One, with salutations, like the calves before mulching. O Light, You are the ruler of the movable as well as of immovable ones, You are the light of the heaven.” Hence Isana.
Next, why is He called Bhagavan (Lord)?
Because He sees all things (directly) and also causes one to see the knowledge of Atman and leads one to Yoga.
Next, why is He called Mahesvara?
Because he devours all the worlds. He always creates, preserves and destroys them.
Next, why is He called Mahadeva?
Having given up all activities, He shines in His great glory of Atma-jnana-yoga. Hence Mahadeva.
Thus is the mystery of Rudra.
There is only one God who resides in all directions. He appeared first. It is situated in the middle and end. The same thing has arisen and will arise in the future also. The same thing is happening in everyone. No one else but only one Rudra is regulating (controlling) this world. All the living beings reside in him and ultimately everyone merges in him. The origin and preserver of the world is also the same, which is pervading in all the living beings and in whom all the living beings are pervading. Man can get the benefit of ultimate peace by meditating on that 'Ishaan' God. For the sake of all the worlds, by abandoning the past-ignorance, by offering the accumulated deeds to Rudra through the intellect, the oneness of God is attained. The eternal and ancient man who frees the living beings from the trap of death by providing food etc. with his power. This Om, which provides self-knowledge, is the provider of peace and freedom from bondage in the fourth quantity. The first quantity of those Rudeva is of Brahma, who is of red complexion, by regular meditation on him one attains Brahmapada. The second quantity is of Vishnu, who is of Krishna varna, by regular meditation one attains the status of Vishnu. The third quantity is of Ishaan, whose colour is yellow, by meditating on it one attains Ishaan Pada. The half-fourth quantity, which roams in the sky unmanifested in the form of all the gods, is of the colour of a pure crystal gem, by meditating on which one attains liberation. The sages say that worship of this Artha Matra is appropriate, Because it cuts the bonds of karma. It is through this Uttarayan (northern route) that gods, ancestors and sage's travel. Here, there is the Upper and Parayan Marg. Only those knowledgeable people who see within themselves the supreme God who is like the tip of a hair, who resides in the heart in a subtle way, who is the form of the world, the form of gods, who knows all the born people, attain peace, no one else attains that peace. Can't happen.
One gets unity with Rudra by abandoning the group roots of thirst, anger etc. and intelligently placing the accumulated karmas in Rudra. Rudra is eternal and Purana (ancient). Astu, he is the controller of all by his power and tenacity. Fire, air, water, place (land) and sky are all ashes. Lord Pashupati (Lord of the bound creatures), whose body part is not touched by ashes, is also like ashes. In this way, Brahmaroop Bhasma of Pashupati Rudra is going to cut the bonds of animals (creatures). The substance remains in its form because the tendency to keep the particles together (winding tendency) is active in it. When it becomes ashes, that form of it ends, because its ability to bind is lost. In the form of Pashupati, the same primal power binds the living being with the body and in the form of Brahma, the same power remains free from the tendency to remain bound, that is why Parabrahma has been said to be in the form of ashes, free from the bondage of form and qualities.)
Rudra, who resides in fire and water, also entered in medicines and herbs. Salutations to Rudra in the form of fire, by whom this whole world has come into existence. Salutations to Rudradeva, who resides in fire, herbs and plants and by whom the world and all the worlds are created. Rudradeva who resides in water, plants and medicines, by whom this whole world is sustained, who governs this earth with Rudra Dwidha (Shiva and Shakti) and Tridha (Sat, Raja, Tama), who has created snakes (clouds) has been enshrined in space, we salute him. Atharva, who worships Lord Rudra's Pranavarush Murdha, attains a high position and those who do not worship remain in a low position. The collective form of all the deities is the head of Lord Rudra. His life is the protector of mind and death. The gods themselves are not capable of protecting the earth, sky or heaven. Everything is contained in Lord Rudra, there is nothing beyond him, there was nothing before him. There is nothing before them in the past and beyond them (future). Rudra with thousand feet and one head pervades all beings.
Rudra's determination is only one. Astu, he is said to have one head. There are thousands of aspects of their mobility, that is why they have been called Sahastrapad. From Akshar comes time and from time it is called comprehensive. When the broad and beautiful Rudra starts sleeping, then all the people (animal community) are killed. When Lord Rudra inhales, Tama is created. From Tama arises Aapaḥ element. Shishir (concentrated form of Aap: Tattva) is generated when it is touched to Aap (by Rudra) with one's finger. When that Shishir goes to the forehead, foam is generated, from foam the egg and from the egg Brahma emerges. After that, Vayu appears from Brahma, Omkar from Vayu, and Savitri from Omkar. From Savitri comes Gayatri and from Gayatri the worlds emerge. When he (Rud) performs penance, then the honey of truth is released, which is eternal. This is the ultimate penance. Salutations to Parabrahma in the form of Aapah, Jyotihah, Rasa, Amrit, Brahm, Bhuh, Bhuvah and Swah.
(In this paragraph, the meaning of 'Aap' as Water is not appropriate. In the Vedas, 'Aap' has been said to be the basic active element of the universe. The meaning of the mantra is clear from the same concept of 'Aap'. Similarly, the meaning of 'Shishir', especially the season, is not appropriate. Shishir also means frozen; in this sense the meaning of the mantra is clear. By churning the thickened element, foam i.e., frothy substance is produced. Both Vedas and science agree on the fact that the density of the initial original substance is very high. It became capable of creation only after being inflated and lightened. The universe is in the form of foam. Similarly, Anada does not mean egg but universe itself is appropriate. Within each universe, the creative 'Brahma' develops, only then the visible creation is formed. From air. The origin of Omkar is also sensible. Omkar is a special sound. Sound originates from air only. In this sequence, the sage has explained the stages of development of the universe.)
The Brahmin who studies this Atharvashir Upanishad, even if he is not a Shrotriya, still becomes a Shrotriya. An unpoet person becomes accomplished. He becomes as pure as fire, as air, as pure as the Sun, as pure as Soma and as pure as Truth. He becomes the knower of all the Gods, a student of all the Vedas and a graduate of all the pilgrimages, he gets the results of the virtues of all the Yagyas and the results of chanting sixty thousand Gayatri Mantras. He gets the reward of studying history and Puranas, chanting one Laksha Rudra and chanting ten thousand Pranavas. People become pure after getting his darshan. He redeems the seven generations before him. God said that by chanting Atharvashir once, the seeker becomes pure and becomes entitled to welfare deeds. By chanting for the second time, one attains the position of Ganapatya and by chanting for the third time, he enters Satyarush Onkar.
This true form Omkar (Trikal) is the truth.
