Thirty Minor Upanishads: 29. Nāḍabinḍu-U... | Internet Sacred Text Archive

Hinduism

NĀḌABINḌU 1-UPANISHAḌ

OF

ṚGVEḌA

The syllable A is considered to be its (the bird Om's) right wing, U, its left: M 2, its tail; and the arḍhamāṭrā (half-metre) is said to be its head.

The (rājasic and ṭāmasic) qualities, its feet upwards (to the loins); saṭṭva, its (main) body;  3 ḍharma is considered to be its right eye, and aḍharma, its left.

The Bhūrloka is situated in its feet; the Bhuvarloka, in its knees; the Suvarloka, in its loins; and the Maharloka, in its navel.

In its heart is situate the Janoloka; the ṭapoloka in its throat, and the Saṭyaloka in the centre of the forehead between the eyebrows.

Then the māṭrā (or manṭra) beyond the Sahasrāra (thousand-rayed) is explained (viz.,) should be explained.

An adept in yoga who bestrides the Hamsa (bird) thus (viz., contemplates on Om) is not affected by karmic influences or by tens of crores of sins. 4

The first māṭrā has agni as its ḍevaṭā (presiding deity); the second, vayu as its ḍevaṭā; the next māṭrā is resplendent like the sphere of the sun and the last, the Arḍhamāṭrā the wise know as belonging to Varuṇa (the presiding deity of water) .

Each of these māṭrās has indeed three kalās (parts). This is called Omkāra. Know it by means of the ḍhāraṇās, viz., concentration on each of the twelve kalās, or the variations of the māṭrās produced by the difference of svaras or intonation). The first māṭrā is called ghoshiṇī; the second, viḍyunmāli (or viḍyunmāṭrā); the third, paṭaṅginī; the fourth, vāyuveginī; the fifth, nāmaḍheya; the sixth, ainḍrī; the seventh, vaishṇavī; the eighth, śāṅkarī; the ninth, mahaṭī; the tenth, ḍhṛṭi (ḍhruva, Calcutta ed.); the eleventh, nārī (mauni, Calcutta ed.); and the twelfth, brāhmī. 1

If a person happens to die in the first māṭrā (while contemplating on it), he is born again as. a great emperor in Bhāraṭavarsha.

If in the second māṭrā, he becomes an illustrious yaksha; if in the third māṭrā, a viḍyāḍhara; if in the fourth, a ganḍharva (these three being the celestial hosts).

If he happens to die in the fifth, viz., arḍhamāṭrā, he lives in the world of the moon, with the rank of a ḍeva greatly glorified there.

If in the sixth, he merges into Inḍra; if in the seventh, he reaches the seat of Vishṇu; if in the eighth, Ruḍra, the Lord of all creatures.

If in the ninth, in Maharloka; if in the tenth, in Janoloka (Ḍhruvaloka, Calcutta ed.); if in the eleventh, Ṭapoloka, and if in the twelfth, he attains the eternal 2 state of Brahma.

That which is beyond these, (viz.,) Parabrahman which is beyond (the above māṭrās), the pure, the all-pervading, beyond kalās, the ever resplendent and the source of all jyoṭis (light) should be known.