Thursday, June 09, 2011

prayer for knowledge

prayer for knowledge

ॐ यश्च्छन्दसामृषभो विश्वरूपाः।
छन्दोभ्योऽद्यमृतात् संबभूव।
समेन्द्रो मेधया स्पृणोतु।
अमृतस्य देवधारणो भूयासं।
शरीरं मे विचर्षणं।
जिह्वा मे मधुमत्तमा।
कर्णाभ्यां भूरिविश्रुवं।
ब्रह्मणः कोशोऽसि मेधया पिहितः।
श्रुतं मे गोपाय।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः।
तैत्तरीय आरण्यकं  ७-४
om yaścchandasāmṛṣabho viśvarūpāḥ|
chandobhyo'dyamṛtāt saṁbabhūva|
samendro medayā spṛṇotu|
amṛtasya devadhāraṇo bhūyāsaṁ|
śarīraṁ me vicarṣaṇaṁ|
jihvā me madhumattamā|
karṇābhyāṁ bhūriviśruvaṁ|
brahmaṇaḥ kośo'si medhayā pihitaḥ|
śrutaṁ me gopāya|
om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ|
taittarīya āraṇyakaṁ  7-4

"That Pranava ( Omkara) (1) which  is verily called as Indra,(2) which is the most revered among metres (chandas), (3)  which spreads the entire universe in the form of sound (Naada brahman), (4) which is foremost in importance above all  other vedic metres,  may enlighten me with the power of  intellect to fully understand all the vedas and related scriptures. Oh Divinity in the form of pranava, please kindle my faculties for  grasping the vedas which are immortal. Render my body capable of acquiring such splendid knowledge. May my tongue be the source of the sweetest of the sweet words from  the scriptures . May my two ears be blessed with the opportunity  and capability of hearing and understanding the sublime meaning of various scriptures. You are the source of the eternal Brahman. You have spread yourself all over the universe through the supreme intellect. Oh pranava, who is Brahman itself, may you protect me who has learned the scriptures from the mouth of my guru( preceptor) through my ears blessed by you.  Om Peace, peace, peace

This is a prayer to the Pranava, the source of supreme intellect (though addressed  in this mantra as Indra also, we have to consider this prayer as addressed only to the supreme brahman.   There are various metres used  in rendering vedas  but the pranavam is in the metre Gayatri and it is supreme.  It is the supreme sound which  became the cause for everything in the universe. 
The mantra is a prayer by the student that he may be blessed with the physical and intellectual faculties to enable him to learn and understand the sublime vedas  and  in general all great knowledge.  For a student, healthy body, sweetness in words and speech, and  unimpaired capacity to hear and grasp the meaning of what he hears are essential. 
The holy word is here described as the treasure-house  from which the entire universe and its knowledge sprang up.
The tradition that the knowledge should spring from the mouth of the Guru and should be grasped through the attentive  hearing of the disciple is highlighted in this prayer.

This mantra is chanted as the first part of Medhaa Sooktham by the initiates,   and it is considered to be a potent  vedic  prayer which should be chanted by all seekers and also by students who are in pursuit of any knowledge.
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