The Upanishads

SARASVATI-RAHASYA UPANISHAD

Krishnayajurveda
Shakta group of Upanishads

Having honored the blessed Ashvalayana, the sages asked:

Tell me, venerable one, how is Knowledge of the meaning of the word manifested, by honoring which you know the Truth? /1/

(Ashvalayana said):

By reciting and glorifying the ten verses of Sarasvati with rikas mixed with bijas, the highest perfection is attained, O sages! /2/

The Rishis said:

Tell me, what is the attainment of Sarasvati? By what contemplation is the goddess Mahasaraswati satisfied? /3/

Ashvalayana said:

This great mantra of Sri Saraswati (consisting) of ten slokas, I, Ashvalayana, am a rishi, the metre is anushtubh, the deity is the Mistress of Speech, "yad vak" is the bija, "devim vacham" is shakti, "prano devi" is the kilaka, the application is Her satisfaction. Anga nyasa – (with the deities) Shraddha, Medha, Prajna, Dharana, Vagdevata, and Mahasaraswati. /4/

To the Radiant One, Carrying in Her Hands a string of precious pearls, water, and nectar, Bestowing beauty, Adorned with gold, Jasmine, gold, and champaca flowers, with high, full breasts, possessing a body that carries the mind, I bow with speech and mind to Speech for the sake of power. /5/

This "prana devi" mantra has the rishi Bharadhvaja, the meter gayatri, the deity Saraswati, pranava bija, shakti, kilaka; application – for achieving the desired. Union through mantra; /6/

That Single Essence of Vedanta, the Supreme Mistress, the revealed Essence of name and form, may Saraswati protect me! /7/

OM Breath – Goddess Saraswati. Rich in gifts through the word. Named by the mind, may She bestow blessings! /8/

This "a no devi" mantra has Atri – Rishi, metrical measure – trishtubh, deity – Saraswati, HRIM – bija, shakti, and kilaka, application – for the attainment of desire. Union by mantra; /9/

She who (abides) in the complements and branches of the four Vedas is glorified, the Non-dual Shakti of Brahman. May Saraswati protect me! /10/

HRIM. From heaven, may the revered Saraswati appear to us with majesty and gold for the sacrifice! At the call, beloved, sleek, desired Goddess, may She hear our pious speech! /11/

This "pavaka na" mantra has the rishi Madhuchchanda, the meter of Gayatri, the deity Saraswati, SHRIM (bija, shakti, and kilaka), and is used for achieving the desired. Connection with the mantra; /12/

She who exists through the inner essence of the meaning of a letter, a word, a sentence, an ocean without beginning or end, may Saraswati protect me! /13/

SHRIM. Saraswati, who purifies us, is rich in gifts through words, possessing wealth, may she desire sacrifice! /14/

This "chodayatri" mantra has the rishi Madhuchchanda, the meter of Gayatri, the deity Saraswati, BLOOM (bija, shakti, and kilaka). Connecting with the mantra; /15/

Prevailing Essence and Prevailing Deity, Mistress of the gods, She who speaks directly at sunset. May Saraswati protect me! /16/

BLOOM Patroness of the righteous, wisdom of the wise, I invoke Saraswati for sacrifice! /17/

This "maho arna" mantra has the rishi Madhuchanda, the metrical metre Gayatri, the deity Saraswati, SAUH – bija, shakti, and kilaka. Connecting with the mantra; /18/

Essence of the inner Ruler of all, She who governs the three worlds, Dwelling in the forms of the Rudras, Adityas, and others, may Saraswati protect me! /19/

SAUH (Saraswati) – The Great Stream, Surrounding Itself with Light, Who illumines the mind and the Universe. /20/

This "chatvari vag" mantra has the rishi Uchatyaputra, the metrical metre trishtubh, the deity Saraswati, AIM – bija, shakti, and kilaka. Connection with the mantra; /21/

That which is directly experienced by the seeing souls performing the sacrifice – the penetrating, unified form of Cognition. May Saraswati protect me! /22/

AIM – Speech, Encompassing the four feet, known to the wise brahmins. Three, hidden in the heart, are not perceived, the fourth is the one with which people speak. /23/

This "yad vag" mantra has the rishi Bhargava, the meter trishtubh, the deity Saraswati, and Klim, the bija, shakti, and kilaka. Conjunction with the mantra; /24/

She who is perceived as eightfold in gender, name, and other distinctions, the Manifest Essence of contemplation. May Saraswati protect me! /25/

Klim, She whom the wise call Speech, (Which) abides as the Mistress among the gods, (She) is plump, (She) milks with force four times. How else can we attain the Supreme? /26/

This "devi vacha" mantra has Bhargava as its rishi, trishtubh as its meter, Saraswati as its deity, and SAUH as its bija, shakti, and kilaka. Mantra connection: /27/

She whom all Vedas call the Beginningless, the voice revealed and unrevealed, the cow who fulfills all desires. May Saraswati protect me! /28/

SAUH, the Goddess of Speech, was born of all the gods. Through her, the many-breasted incarnate beings speak. May She come to us as a well-known, fat, milking cow! /29/

This "uta tva" mantra has Brihaspati as its rishi, trishtubh meter, Saraswati as its deity, SAM as its bija, shakti and kilaka. Union with the mantra; /30/

By knowing which all influences of bondage are erased and the yogi attains the highest position. May Saraswati protect me! /31/

SAM Someone looking at Speech does not see, someone listening does not hear Her. But to someone She gives (Her) body like a passionate wife in a beautiful dress to (her) husband. /32/

This "ambitama" mantra has Gritsamada as its rishi, anushtubh meter, Sarswati as its deity, AIM as its bija, shakti and kilaka. Union with the mantra; /33/

Manifesting in everything as the Essence of name and form, Who is contemplated as the image of the One Brahman. May Saraswati protect me! /34/

AYM O Best Mother! Best River! Best Goddess! O Saraswati! (You) are very incomprehensible, make us comprehended, O Mother! /35/

Four-faced, lotus-eyed, Swan, My wife, ever pleasing to the mind, all white Saraswati. /36/

Homage to You, Sarada Devi, Dwelling in Kashmirapur! I pray to You constantly! Endow Me with knowledge and gifts! /37/

Holding the rosary and the goad, Holding the book and the noose, the connection with Whom leads to liberation. May She always be in my speech! /38/

Conch-necked, dark-armed, adorned with all garments – Goddess Mahasaraswati, residing on the tip of the tongue. /39/

She who is Faith, Concentration, Wisdom, the Goddess of speech, Loving ritual, Residing on the tip of the devotee's tongue, bestowing the qualities of patience and so on. /40/

I bow down to Yamini, Helper in writing, Adorned with a necklace, Existing, Ceasing the sufferings of existence, Beginningless nectar. /41/

He who desires insight, peace, enjoyment and liberation, he constantly glorifies by honoring Saraswati with these ten shlokas. /42/

He who constantly glorifies by worshiping Saraswati, endowed with faith and devotion, will have faith in six months. /43/

Then the Imperishable Lalita, at her will, will endow (him) with speech consisting of incomparable, inconceivable prose and verse. /44/

The illiterate (will become) an eloquent poet understanding all books. /45/

Saraswati said; Through Me is the Knowledge of the Atman attained. I am the eternal Brahman, Always (abiding) in the Essence of Brahman in the form of Being, Consciousness and Bliss. /46/

By contact with prakriti, the union of the gunas, beginning with sattva, the shadow of Consciousness, I reflect Reality as a reflection in a mirror. /47/

This reflection of Consciousness manifests in three ways prakriti, inseparable from purusha, and then Me. /48/

The Unborn is reflected through pure Being, Pradhana, and Maya. Being generates Pradhana, Prakriti generates Maya. /49/

This Maya is a superposition on the Autocracy of the Omniscient Ishvara. (She is) His One Power, Omniscience. /50/

From Beingness, from finitude, from perception in the universe, the Universe, active and inactive, (arises). Nothing else can create, (except) He Who is called Ishvara because of Omniscience and other qualities. /51/

Maya has two forces: pushing and covering. The pushing force creates the Universe from the linga to the universal egg. /52/

The internal is the difference between subject and object, the external is the difference between Brahman and Creation. The lower Shakti covers; She is the cause of samsara. /53/

The subject, filled with light, is bound to the body. Consciousness, enveloped by (Its) shadow, is in reality the jiva. /54/

Due to identification with the jivatma, subjectivization occurs. With the destruction of the veil, separation subsides. /55/

The Creation of Brahman also remains enveloped by separation. That is, Shakti, through Whose influence Brahman manifests through transformation. /56/

However, with the destruction (of separation), the separation of Brahman and creation no longer exists. Change is its distinction, which is not present in either Brahman or Creation. /57/

The beautiful Name and Form of five kinds exists and manifests; the original triple form of Brahman and the dual form of the Universe. /58/

Neglecting name and form other than Being, Consciousness, and Bliss, one should always abide in samadhi, whether externally or within the heart. /59/

In the heart, there are two types of samadhi: savikalpa and nirvikalpa. Savikalpa (samadhi) is twofold: divided into visible and audible. /60/

Desired objects and others located in the mind are perceived by consciousness through the eyes. If visible objects are contemplated, this is savikalpa samadhi. /61/

I am unattached, Being, Consciousness, Bliss, Myself master, devoid of duality. (If) such words exist, this is savikalpa samadhi. /62/

Self-knowledge, immersion in experience, devoid of images and sounds, is nirvikalpa samadhi, like a lamp in a windless place. /63/

Whatever the realities within the heart or without, samadhi differs from the realities of name and form. /64/

A state of equilibrium, filled with experience third (in relation) to the experience of pleasure, indestructible time leads to these six samadhis. (?) /65/

By destroying the idea of oneself as a body, the Supreme Self is realized. Wherever (his) mind goes, there is supreme immortality. /66/

The knots in his heart are severed, all doubts are cut off, all karmas are destroyed upon seeing the Supreme Good. /67/

In reality, there is no soulfulness or dominion in me; whoever knows this is undoubtedly liberated. This is the Upanishad. /68/