Upanishads

Rama Tapini Upanishad

Atharvaveda, a group of Upanishads – Vaishnava

The title of this Upanishad means "worship (or surrender) to Rama."

I. First (Purva) Chapter

Om! O devas, let our ears listen to what is auspicious;
May our eyes see what is auspicious, O ye worthy of worship!
May we enjoy the life span allotted to us by the devas,
Praising them unwaveringly 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!
May peace be in my surroundings!
Let there be peace in those forces that act upon me!

1. Rama's tattva (principle/philosophy) exists in this world, his life shows the way to life, his name shows the way to the knowledge of the subtle world, and also blesses all those who meditate or worship him with wealth and renunciation.

The word "Rama" to which the yogis devote themselves is immeasurably and eternally joyful and points to Parabrahman itself.

The body [of Rama] has been attributed to Parabrahman, who is holy, without a second, who has no blemishes and who is incorporeal, so that the worshippers are shown the way.

2. Just as the entire banyan tree exists in the seed of the banyan tree, the entire world exists in the seed of "Rama".

3. Rama, when incarnated, shone along with Sita, who is nature itself, like the moon shining with its moonlight. He, who was born of mother Kausalya, was black in color, wore yellow silk, had colored hair, wore earrings and chains of precious stones, held a bow in his hand, had two arms, had a very pleasant smiling face and was heroic and blessed with victory and ruled with the help of eight ministers (Jayanta, Vijaya, Surashtra, Rashtravardhana, Akopa, Dharmapala, Artavit and Sumantra), headed by Drishti. He held Parameshwari, who was the mother of the world, who was nature, who had two arms, who was well colored and held a lotus flower in her hand, on his lap and embraced her affectionately.

4. He and Sita formed a triangle with Lakshmana, who held a bow in his hand and was golden in color. The Devas approached him, who was sitting under a "wish-fulfilling tree" in the shape of a triangle, and prayed: "Our salutations to you, the personification of passion and illusion, and the original deity of the Vedas. Our salutations to Raghu Vira, who killed Ravana, who is drowned in joy, holding the Goddess Lakshmi on his chest, who is the personification of all souls, who is the ornament of the body of Janaka (Janaka's daughter), who killed the Rakshasas, who is beautiful, and who is the personification of all good."

5. The Devas further said, "Hey, killer of Ravana, please give us your protection and your mercy." Then they were with him and became very happy.

6. To his left with Shatrughna, to his right with Bharata and in front with Hanuman who was listening to his advice was another triangle. Below Bharata was Sugriva and below him was Vibhishana. Behind him Lakshmana held an umbrella and below him Vibhishana and Sugriva held fans made of palm leaves. This was another inverted triangle. So the long-armed Lord Rama who was shining was meditating between this six-pointed figure. This is the first row surrounding him. The second is surrounded by Vasudeva and others (Shanti, Sankarshana, Sri Pradyumna, Saraswati, Anirudha and Rathi) and by fire and others in different directions.

The third is surrounded by Hanuman, Sugriva, Bharata, Vibhishana, Lakshmana, Angada, Jambhavan, Shatrughna, and also Drushti, Jayanta, Vijaya, Surashtra, Rashtra Vardhana, Ashoka, Darmapala and Sumandra.

The fourth is surrounded by 10 dig-balakas (direction protectors), namely: Indra, Agni (god of fire), Yama (god of death), Nirruti, Varuna, Chandra, Ishana, Brahma and Ananta.

The fifth is beyond the dig-balakas and consists of their main arms, namely: Vajra, Shakti, Danda, Vara, Pasha, Angusa, Gada, Sula, Madma and Chakra; these should be worshipped.

Sixth: After the arms, Nila and other monkeys. Vasishtha, Vamadeva and other sages worship him. One should meditate on him and worship him.

7. Thus worship Sri Rama, who has the form that is the basis of this world and who is ever joyful. All persons who worship him as the one who carries the mace, the sword, the conch and the lotus and who is known as the remover of birth and death, will attain salvation.

Thus ends the first chapter of the Sri Rama-tapini Upanishad.

II. The Second (uttara, "extreme") Chapter

Om! Let my speech be based on (i.e. in agreement with) the mind;

Let my mind be based on speech.

O Self-Illuminating One, reveal Thyself to me.

May both of you (speech and mind) be the bearers of the Veda for me.

May all that I have heard never leave me.

I will connect (i.e. erase the difference) of the days

And nights through this study.

I will say what is true in words;

I will say what is right in my mind.

May it (Brahman) protect me;

May It protect the speaker (i.e. the teacher), may It protect me;

May It protect the speaker – may It protect the speaker.

Om! Let there be peace within me!

May there be peace in my surroundings!

May there be peace in the forces that act upon me!

1. In Varanasi, Lord Shiva performed japa (repetition) of the Rama Mantra. Pleased with this, Sri Rama spoke to Lord Shankara as follows:

In this temple (city), whoever worships me with devotion, I will help them get rid of sins like killing a Brahmin. Those of them who receive the six-letter mantra (Ram Ramaya Namah) either from you or from Brahma or his disciplic line, will live with the mastery of the mantra or attain salvation. At the time of death, if you say this mantra in their ear, they will attain salvation.

2. Then Brahma thought of that Maha Vishnu who is the basis of this world, who is this Narayana who has no faults, and who is this Parameshwara who has the form of Para Brahman and who is full of complete joy, and then bowed down to him as follows:

3.1. Om! He who is Ramachandra is verily God. He is the "non-dual soul of great happiness." I salute him again and again on earth, in bhuvar-loka and in suvar-loka.

(This is followed by repeating the above mantra 47 times with the above words in quotation marks changed, i.e., "non-dual soul of great happiness". Only this part is translated below. It should be substituted into the text of mantra 3.1 accordingly.)

3.2. The infinitely wide soul of the senses; (Om! He who is Ramachandra is verily God. He is the infinitely wide soul of the senses. I salute him again and again on earth, in bhuvar-loka and in suvar-loka.)

3.3. Nectar of Brahma's Happiness;

3.4. He who makes us cross birth and death;

3.5. He who is the soul of the gods such as Vishnu and Indra;

3.6. He who is all the Vedas, all the Sakhas (branches of scriptures), all the Sankhyas and all the Puranas (epics);

3.7. He who is the soul of all beings;

3.8. He who is the inner soul of all beings;

3.9. He who is the perception of the devas, asuras and humans;

3.10. One who has taken ten incarnations such as fish, tortoise, etc.;

3.11. He who is the soul;

3.12. He who is the soul of the inner consciousness;

3.13. He who is the God of Death;

3.14. He who is a destroyer;

3.15. He who is death;

3.16. He who is nectar;

3.17. He who is the five great elements;

3.18. He who is the soul of the moving and the immovable;

3.19. He who is the five fires;

3.20. He who is seven vyahriti;

3.21. He who studies;

3.22. He who is the goddess Saraswati;

3.23. He who is the goddess Lakshmi;

3.24. He who is the goddess Parvati;

3.25. He who is the daughter of Janaka;

3.26. He who is the three worlds;

3.27. He who is the Sun;

3.28. He who is the moon;

3.29. He who is the stars;

3.30. He who is the nine planets;

3.31. He who is the eight protectors of the directions;

3.32. He who is the eight Vasus;

3.33. He who is the eleven Rudras;

3.34. He who is the twelve suns;

3.35. He who is the past and the future;

3.36. He who is the Supreme Being beyond Brahmanda (the universe);

3.37. He who is Hiranyagarbha;

3.38. He who is nature;

3.39. He who is the letter Om (in Sanskrit it is one letter ॐ);

3.40. He who is half of the pranava (letter and sound Om);

3.41. He who is the greatest (parama) purusha (man);

3.42. He who is Maheshvara (the great deity);

3.43. He who is a great deity (maha-deva);

3.44. He who is the mantra "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya";

3.45. He who is Maha Vishnu;

3.46. He who is Param-Atma (the Supreme Self);

3.47. He who is the "I" of knowledge (vijnana-atma).

4. Om! All glories to the Supreme Personality of Godhead – Sri Ramachandra, the Supreme Soul of Advaita, the Supreme Bliss; he who is the Self of Truth, Bliss and Advaita, bhur, bhuva, svaha. This is what Brahma told them.

Praise the Lord with these forty-seven mantras daily, and then the god will be pleased. He manifests himself.

5. Therefore today, one who daily glorifies the Lord with these mantras will see the Lord. In the great Upanishads it is said that he attains immortality.

1. Then Bharadwaja approached Yajnavalkya and said to him:

Please tell me about the greatness of the king of mantras, Lord Rama. He said, "Yajnavalkya. He is his own light, the light of others, and the one consciousness of his own perception.

This is the first syllable of Ramachandra's mantra.

2. It signifies the inseparable, the unique, the blissful, the saving, and signifies Brahman.

She is realized as Rama and is the consciousness of truth and bliss.

3. The word "namah" is understood as the only cause of complete bliss.

All the demigods seeking liberation always bow down before Him in their hearts. (the third verse continued so far)

4. He who thus daily repeats the six-syllabled mantra of Sri Ramachandra (Ram Ramaya Namah), the king of mantras, he is purified by fire. He is purified by air. He is purified by the sun.

He is purified by the moon. He is purified by Brahman. He is purified by Vishnu.

He is purified by Rudra. He is known to all the gods. He becomes desirable for all sacrifices.

By repeating this mantra one gets the reward of hundreds of thousands of readings of the stories of Rudras in the Puranas.

By remembering Sri Ramachandra, one obtains the fruits of reciting hundreds of thousands of Gayatri.

(then follows a description on several pages of the incredible fruits of repeating the six-syllable mantra of Rama)

Thus ends the Rama-tapini Upanishad, which belongs to the Atharva Veda.