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Atharvashikha Upanishad
Atharvaveda
group of Upanishads – Shaiva
Om! O devas, may our ears hear what is auspicious;
May our eyes see what is auspicious, O worthy of worship!
May we enjoy the life span allotted to the devas,
By steadfastly praising them with our bodies and limbs!
May the glorious Indra bless us!
May the omniscient Sun bless us!
May Garuda, the thunderstorm of the evil and wicked, bless us!
May Brihaspati grant us prosperity and good fortune!
Om! Let there be peace in me!
Let there be peace in my surroundings!
Let there be peace in the forces that act upon me!
1. Om. Then Paippalada ("paippalaada"), Angiras and Sanatkumara asked Atharvan: "So, O Lord, what is this meditation, on which one should meditate first? What is this meditation? Who can be the meditator? On whom should one meditate?
2. Atharvan answered them thus: "The syllable (akshara) Om is the first thing prescribed for meditation."
3. This syllable is the transcendental (param) Brahman. The four Vedas form its parts (padas). [Therefore] the syllable consisting of four parts is the transcendental Brahman.
4. Its first part (matra) represents the Earth, the letter "A", the hymns of the Rigveda, Brahma, the deities Vasus (eight in number), the poetic meter of Gayatri and the fire of Garhapatya (the fire of the hearth). (The single-letter Sanskrit mantra Om, the single 50th letter of the Devanagari Sanskrit alphabet, can also be written as the three-letter Sanskrit word Aum, pronounced Om. The Sanskrit letter Om itself has features of the three separate Sanskrit letters A, U, and M.)
5. The second represents antariksha (bhuvar-loka, the intermediate world between earth and heaven), the letter U, various ritual mantras of the Yajurveda, Vishnu, the deity Rudra (eleven in number), the trishtubh meter, and dakshina-agni (the southern fire, funerary).
6. The third represents heaven (paradise), the letter "M", the Samaveda with its harmonious chants (samanas), Rudra, the deities Aditya (suns, twelve in number), the poetic metre jagati and the fire ahavanija (sacrificial fire).
7. That which is the fourth and last of this (Om) with ardhamatra (half the size of the sound, if compared with each of the 3 preceding letters), personifies the regions of soma, Omkara (the symbol and sound of Om), (the whole) Atharvaveda with atharva (magical) mantras, the samvartaka fire (which destroys the universe at the end of its cycle of existence), the deities Maruta (seven in number, sometimes written 49 or even 180 (Rigveda VIII.96.8)), Virat (universal), Ekarshi (the holy sage of the Atharvaveda, see Mundaka Upanishad 6.10).
8. Therefore, these (four parts) are shining.
9. The first is supposed to be reddish-yellowish, and its presiding deity is the great Brahma.
10. The second is bright blue, and its presiding deity is Vishnu.
11. The third is good and on the contrary, white, and its presiding deity is Rudra.
12-13. That which is the fourth and last with a half sound, possesses all the bright colors, and its presiding deity is Purusha.
14. Such, verily, is Omkara of four letters (A, U, M and the nasal half M); four feet (supports), four heads, four matras, and also the musical tones sthula (gross, metrically very long), hrasva (metrically short), dirgha (high, metrically long) and pluta (lengthened-vanishing).
15. One should repeat Om, Om, each time in the appropriate musical tone (hrasva, dirgha and pluta).
16. The fourth represents the calm Atman.
17. The repetition of Om (three) varieties in the musical tone of pluta leads at once to the light of Atman.
18. The mere repetition of it (Om) elevates, and therefore it is called Omkara (Om-doer, -motivator).
19. It is called Pralaya, because it absorbs all the pranas.
20. It (Om) is called Pranava, because it leads all the pranas to Paramatman.
21. Because it is divided into four, it is the Source of all the Devas and the Vedas.
22. It should be realized that Pranava means everything and all the devas.
23. It enables one to transcend all fears and pains, and therefore it is called Tara (tar = to cross).
24. Because all the devas enter into it, it is called Vishnu (vish = to enter).
25. It is Brahman because it expands everything.
26. It is called Prakasha because it illumines, like a lamp, all objects of meditation within the body.
27. The true Om shines more often in the body like a flash of lightning than everything illuminated. Like a flash of lightning, it permeates all directions. It permeates all worlds. It is the omnipresent Mahadeva, for it embraces everything and everyone.
28. The first matra of it, when awakened, signifies the waking state (jagrat); the second, dream sleep (svapna); the third, deep dreamless sleep (sushupti); the fourth, the state of "turiya" ("fourth").
29. The Self-effulgent becomes Brahman itself, for it completely transcends all the parts [of Om], including the matras contained in those parts. This mantra leads one to Perfection. Therefore it is used as the foremost means in meditation.
30. Brahman is the fourth (transcending the three states of consciousness), for He ceases all the activities of the senses, and also maintains everything that needs to be maintained.
31. That state of meditation is called Vishnu in which all the senses are firmly established in the mind.
32. That meditator who retains the prana along with the senses in the mind is called Rudra.
33. Having firmly established the prana and the mind along with the senses in the supreme self which abides at the end of the nada (sound) [Om], one should meditate on Ishana, on whom alone one should meditate.
34. All this, Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Indra, all the senses with their corresponding elements, are manifested from Him.
35. The cause (of all) causes is not the meditator. Only the cause should be meditated on.
36. On Shambhu – the Lord of all, Endowed with all perfections, one should carefully concentrate in the center of the ether-space (akasha) [of the heart].
37. A single minute of this [meditation] will yield the fruits of the 174 Vedic rites and also all the benefits of Omkara.
38. Omkara or the supreme Isha alone knows the fruits of all dhyanas (meditations), yoga and jnana (wisdom).
39. Shiva alone should be meditated upon, Shiva is the giver of boons. Leave all others. This is the conclusion of the Atharvashikha.
40. The twice-born who studies this (Upanishad) attains liberation and never again enters the womb; the twice-born never again enters the womb (the twice-repeated phrase indicates the end of the text).
41. Om, the Truth.
Thus ends the Upanishad.
Om! O devas, may our ears hear what is auspicious;
May our eyes see what is auspicious, O worthy of worship!
May we enjoy the term of life allotted to the devas,
By steadfastly praising them with our bodies and limbs!
May the glorious Indra bless us!
May the omniscient Sun bless us!
May Garuda, the thunderstorm of the evil and wicked, bless us!
May Brihaspati grant us prosperity and good fortune!
Om! Let peace be in me!
Let peace be in my surroundings!
Let peace be in those forces that act on me!
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