Mantra: Yajur Veda 1.5
agnE vratapatE vratam charishyAmi
O sacchidaananda! One who protects our vratAs, I will follow them
Synopsis
agnE = O sacchidaananda!
vratapatE = one who protects our vratas
vrata = the vows we take
Root: vRutu (vartanE) = that which is continuous
patE = one who protects
Root: pA (rakshaNE) = protect
charishyAmi = I will follow
Root: chara (gatou) = that which moves
vrata
vrata in Vedas is different from the vratas spoken in the purANas.
In the purANas, the vrata is for following some deity (god) only for a particular day or time period.
Example: God vinaayaka – elephant headed god. We worship him on a particular day. bhAdrapatha shukla chouti.
Example: satyanArAyaNa vrata worshipped only on full moon days. We perform his puja only in that day.
Many such vrata examples are there each to worship some God or other.
This is NOT vrata in the real sense.
vrata in Vedas
That which is performed continuously every day, every moment.
What are the vratas
5 yamas
ahimsa = non violence
satya = truth
astEya = non stealing
brahmacharya = always being in a learning mode always, control over sense organs
aparigraha = Taking only as much as we need (not more)
5 niyamas
shoucha = cleanliness
santOsha = being in a pleasant mood always
tapas = taking good and bad equally. Being equipoised.
swAdhyAya = introspection
iishwara praNidhaana = surrender to His supreme will
We shall follow these vratas continuously every day. Every moment.
Mantra: Yajur Veda 1.5
aham anRutAt satyam upaimi
I shall go closer from untruth to truth
Synopsis
aham upaimi = I shall go closer to
satyam = truth
anRutAt = from untruth
I shall leave behind untruth and move closer to truth. Let me consciously in my life, leave behind untruth and move towards truth.
Analysis both parts of the same Yajur Veda Mantra 1.5
These 2 sentences have been made a part of the upanayana samskaara. There are 16 samskaaraas. One of them is upanayana samskaara. These two lines are the core of it.
agnE vratapatE vratam charishyAmi
O sacchidaananda! One who protects our vratas, I will follow them
aham anRutAt satyam upaimi
I shall go closer from untruth to truth
upanayana = upa (closer) + nayana (take)
Taking a student closer to the aachaarya (aachaarya’s Gurukula)
When the child is taken there, they prescribe some vows to be followed by the brahmachaari and brahmachaariNi.
The first line taught in the upanayana samskaara is to love and follow the path of truth. This truth that we follow will be protected by God. The one who follows the right path will always be protected.
upanaya is generally performed around the age of 8. A boy or girl who is at that age takes this vow and understands what it is, they will never become an antisocial element. They will never cheat. The importance of truth will be taught at that young age.
upanayana is for all
Everyone should follow the upanayana samskaara. It does not discriminate on caste, creed, age, gender.
Education starts from understanding the importance of truth in life. That is taught by an aachaarya. Who is an aachaarya? One who practices first and them teaches. i.e. He practices truth and honesty and teaches it to his student.
When adolescence starts
It is a fluid stage. Whatever is imprinted during this stage will stand till death. Instead of good things, if wrong things get into their lives during this time, that too will stay with them throughout their lives and they will perish.
If good things are implanted, they will have a very good life.
It is an important stage where right education has to be given to them. Right education starts from teaching the importance of truth and honesty.
What is truth and honesty? How to identify?
One who is truthful and honest is definitely transparent in his life. He has nothing to hide. If we have secrets of our own, we will be in tension.
If I am truthful, I am never afraid of anything. Truth is the solution to fear.
Truth = knowing things as they are (neither less nor more)
If we know something wrongly, there will be a lot of problems.
Example: Say there I a piece of rope. The light is dim. Someone may misunderstand the rope to be a snake. People may run towards it with a stick, turn on the light and realize that it is only a rope. All the anxiety was for no reason.
On the converse, is someone thinks that a real snake is a rope, they may be careless and be bitten.
Understanding something wrongly is a problem.
Another Example:
What is God?
Vedas say God is an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent power that is the source of all peace and bliss.
Instead of this, if I imagine different idols for God, the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent factors are gone. If I block it within 4 walls and say this is a temple, mosque, church, etc. I will not be able to see God beyond those boundaries.
This is one of the main problems and cause of so many anti social elements.
But if I understand God as truly being omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, I will know that God is everywhere. I will be able to see Him everywhere. And that he is always watching. So I will never do anything.
We can apply this truth concept to anything.
Eg: mistaking the difference between food and poison.
Example:
If I understand the shariira indriya manas as ME, then I am wrong. I am the soul. I am the consciousness. The shariira indriya manas is a tool. If I understand it well, I will make good use of the tool for the sake of the aatma.
If I forget this, I will live my life only for the shariira indriya manas and the soul will be starving. The soul will be starved.
It doesn’t mean that the shariira indriya manas has to be ignored. It also has to be taken care of but clearly knowing that the purpose is for the sake of the upliftment of the soul.
So truth is…
Knowing something as it is.
What is honesty
kaayEna vaachaa manasa
All three must be in coordination. Whatever we think, we have to put in words. Whatever we put in words we have to act on.
Thought, words and action has to be in perfect sync. This is honesty.
Think rightly, talk rightly and act rightly.
When we do this, we will have a clear mind. No tension, no anxiety. My life becomes transparent. My life becomes burden less. They are not contradictory.
When a person who doesn’t do this, it means he thinks something, talks something else, does something else. He is defined as a cheat.
Contradictions complicate a person’s life.
When Truth and Honesty are practiced, life becomes very transparent and life becomes easy to carry on. No secret. It is an open book.
When I think something, talk something and do something, a lot of pressure will be created. A lot of energy will be lost. Easiest way to live is to think, talk and act in the same way.
This lesson is taught to a student in the very beginning through the upanayana samskaara. And the learning continues for many years in the Gurukula.
Their life becomes easy. They become good citizens of the world. They grow up to be truthful, honest, reliable, transparent. They are reliable. Reliability and dependability are very important to a good society.
The world runs on reliable people only.
Truthful people contribute to the wellbeing of the society. Untruthful people contribute to the destruction of the society. Think about if your society is in peace and bliss?
When the children are taught these 2 lessons, we can create a better world. This type of lesson is compulsory to everyone irrespective of caste, creed, race, gender.
Today education is so costly. How can I make it compulsory?
Answer is very clear in the Vedas. Education has to be given free of cost to every child and person in the society irrespective of their financial condition.
When they stay in a Gurukula their boarding, lodging, education is all free.
How does the Gurukula run without taking fees?
The society contributes to the Gurukula to keep it running. The contribution is not to any specific child. There is no money transaction. There is no commercialization. It is not a business. IT is free. There is no question of not affording.
Those who are affluent may contribute more. Those who are poor may contribute less or nothing.
When education is free, when instilling of values is free, it can be made compulsory. No one can object.
All these are to be understood in the 2 sentence of this Mantra. These words are dictated to the brahmachaari and brahmachaariNi 4-5 times. That is the beginning of the upanayana samskaara.
The values start from recognizing truth and honesty and doing them routinely (continuously). That is a vrata.
Imagine, a person taught in this way, that too freely by using the funds contributed by the society, tomorrow, the student cannot become an antisocial element. Why? The society that has contributed can question you. IT is a binding agreement. Whatever the student learns has to be contributed back to the society (in additional to whatever they need to earn for their own livelihood)
Therefore, we won’t find cheats or liars in the society because the core values are taken care of in the very beginning. We can frame them as very good citizens of the world. Whatever they do will be for the welfare of themselves and for the welfare of the society.
Education is not just literacy. Education is instilling in them, human values. If done, they become truthful and honest and transparent. No external police is required. They are their own internal polices. No courts. No cases. They themselves will say “I have not spoken the truth” even if they do.
Is this possible?
This is not utopia. It is possible. How? Provided we take care of the upanayana samskaara rightly and teach them the two basic Mantras in the right way.
Teach the right values. Teach at a young age.
satya vrata is the engine. Once that is founded, other values will automatically follow.
agnE vratapatE vratam charishyAmi
O sacchidaananda! One who protects our vratAs, I will follow them
aham anRutAt satyam upaimi
I shall go closer from untruth to truth
Mantra: Yajur Veda 1.14
sharmaasi
You are our shelter
Synopsis:
sharmaasi = sharma + asi
sahrma = shelter, abode, the protecting layer
sharma = sacchidaananda
Youa re our shelter and resort. If we are under your shelter, we are protected.
Should we go in search of that God?
No. God is everywhere. Omnipresent. We are protected by Him (Her).
How are we protected?
By following the values prescribed to us human beings. We call them human values. If we practice them, we are under the protection of that God. Then we can say he is our sharmaasi (our protector).
If we don’t practice, we cannot claim the protection.
The Guidelines are perfect (because the guidelines are given by the omniscient).
Those rules are so strong and capable of protecting us anywhere, anytime.
We cannot lead a life as we want and seek protection. We should be eligible. How? By following the values.
What are the human values?
Vedas give this to us in detail.
Example: previous Mantra. Practice it.
Maybe sometimes, we may materially be at loss. i.e. poor. Doesn’t matter. Material loss is not a loss at all. Spiritual loss is disastrous.
We cannot get spiritual strength and protection in any other way. We can get it only by following the human values.