[Published in the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam 36th Anniversary Souvenir, 2023]
Abridged from the book Vaidika Sukka Mañjarī by Swami Tattvavidananda
Overview of the sūktas
Sūkta means su ukta or suṣṭhu ukta, very well said. There is no better way of expressing the thrill of relating to the wisdom contained in any statement other than by exclaiming, “Well said!” A sūkta is a set of mantras praising the glory of a god or goddess. The dictionary meaning of the word sūkta is ‘hymn’ or ‘word of praise.’
The Ṛgveda consists of a large number of sūktas, like the Indra sūkta, the Agni sūkta, the Śraddhā sūkta, the Śrī sūkta, etc. The Yajurveda also contains a few sūktas, like the Oṣadhi sūkta, the Puruṣa sūkta, etc. The Medhā sūkta is one of them
Every sūkta is an encomium to a specific manifestation of Īśvara, through which we wish to appreciate His glory. For instance, let us consider the element of fire. It is an object of common experience and occurrence, yet what a wonderful thing it is! We cannot imagine the world without fire. When heat, which is all-pervading, is highly concentrated in a small volume of space, it becomes fire. With its brilliance and power, fire is seen to be an aspect of the cosmic glory of Īśvara. Thus, when a ‘seer of hymns’ invokes Īśvara at the altar of fire and praises this aspect of His glory, we have the Agni sūkta.
Let us now examine the Medhā sūkta in detail.
Medhā
The buddhi, the faculty of knowing or the intellect, is an important manifestation of Īśvara. Every living being has an intellect, although the intellect in other life forms has not evolved to the same degree as in humans. The glory of the intellect is present in every human being in some form or the other. As the saying goes, mukhe mukhe sarasvatī, meaning that the Goddess of knowledge is present in every head. This power of intellection is considered an important vibhūti or aspect of the magnificence of Īśvara. The buddhi plays a pivotal role in one’s life, and the entire focus of Vedanta is therefore on buddhi-nirmāna or the creation of suitable mind-stuff in the individual.
Purification of the mind
In our worldly lives, we constantly hear about any number of sense pleasures that abound in the world. The scriptures add their share by describing the pleasures of the heavens. Upon hearing all this, we develop attachment to the sense objects and aversion to that which we do not like. The mind is thus flooded with likes and dislikes and becomes fickle, making the realisation of ātmā, the infinite source of happiness, impossible. We take all that we see to be real, just because we see a form and a name. If, on the other hand, the mind rises above the impressions created by one’s interaction with the world of sensory pleasures and abides steadfast in its source, ātmā, one achieves union with Īśvara.
The many emotions of anger, hurt, or guilt in the mind function as secondary circuits for the loss of energy. A large amount of energy is continuously dissipated in these mutually conflicting emotions and wrong tendencies. At the level of the mind, there exists only the phenomenal world, which is mithyā, unreal. The human being is essentially condemned to this unreal existence as long as he identifies with the mind. Therefore, our effort in Vedanta is to extricate the mind from the quagmire of desires and fears and render it conducive to assimilating the truth.
The Medhā sūkta occurs in the Mahānārayaṇa Upaniṣad, a part of the last chapter of the Yajurveda, The logic of this set of hymns is that we seek Īśvara’s grace through the celebration of the mind, which is His manifestation. It is not a prayer to yet another god in the Hindu pantheon of gods. Traditionally, it is recited before commencing the study of Vedanta. One needs all the grace of Īśvara to receive and assimilate the knowledge of ātmā. Reciting this sūkta induces an elevated state of mind and also creates the appropriate environment required to assimilate the sacred teaching of Vedanta.
Medhā Sūktam Swami Tattvavidananda
real) as well as the dream state (which is
obviously unreal). The reality or lack of it त्वया जष्टु ा नदु माना दुरुक्तान ब् हृ िदमे द्ववदथ े सवु ीरााः॥ १ does not contribute to these experiences of
मधे ा दवे ी जषु माणा न आगाद्विश्वाची भद्रा समु नस्यमाना
medhā devī juṣamāṇā na āgādviśvācī bhadrā sumanasyamānā
tvayā juṣṭā nudamānā duruktān bṛhadvadema vidathe suvīrāḥ. (1)
viśvācī – all-knowing; bhadrā – all auspicious (the source of welfare); sumanasyamānā – with a mind that is pleased with us; medhā devī – the Goddess Medhā; juṣamāṇā – blessing; naḥ – us; āgāt – may come; duruktān – vile words; nudamānāḥ – rejecting; tvayā – by you; juṣṭāḥ – blessed; suvīrāḥ – having good offspring; vidathe – having gained knowledge; bṛhat – about Brahman; vadema – may we speak.
May the all-knowing, all-auspicious Goddess Medhā (the intellect personified) have pleasing thoughts about us (be pleased with us). May She come to us and bless us. O Goddess, may we give up vile speech and, by your grace, be blessed with good offspring. May we gain the knowledge (with your blessings) and extol Brahman.
This hymn is an invocation to goddess Medhā to come and bestow her grace upon the seeker in the form of a good intellect – an intellect that is not deluded by the unreal names and forms of the world. Īśvara’s grace takes many forms, like good offspring, material wealth, etc. It takes Īśvara’s grace to appreciate how much grace there already is in one’s life, even as we go about feeling dissatisfied with our lot!
The state of happiness is the direct result of right thinking and right understanding; it is not the property of external objects or of a given situation. The Self alone is the locus of happiness and one derives happiness only as one’s mind abides in the Self. We become happy in the waking state (which is taken as
relative happiness, since happiness is always derived from the Self. A pure mind taps the happiness from the Self. The grace of Goddess Medhā manifests as both absolute happiness and relative happiness.
Ignorance is bondage and knowledge alone is liberation. An ignorant mind projects an imperfection centered on the individual self, the ‘me,’ giving rise to a binding desire. The pleasure resulting from its fulfillment is transitory. When we recognize this truth, the bondage of desires ends and the joy of the freedom from desires stays with us.
The bondage of saṁsāra, the life of continuous becoming, is not caused by external objects. Saṁsāra is the result of our attachment to those objects and lies entirely within the mind. Whatever is outside is Īśvara’s creation or, if we know better, Brahman. We need the grace of Īśvara to know this truth.
All auspiciousness arises from right understanding. It begins at the level of the intellect and blesses everything and everybody around. Self-knowledge is the most auspicious; the knowledge that the world of names and forms is unreal and the Self alone is real is the greatest blessing and happiness. The prayer is that God may grant such a mind as is fit to gain this knowledge.
It is interesting to note that the prayer is in the plural – naḥ, to us. Vedic hymns are generally community prayers. The famous Gāyatrī mantra is also a community prayer. It is usually chanted by the individual, but the prayer is for the welfare of the entire family or entire community. The scope of the meaning of the phrase ‘to us’ depends upon the person’s inner maturity and may even include every living being on the planet.
Bṛhad means the Reality, which transcends the limitations of space-time, namely, Īśvara. Only by the grace of Medhā devī can we even understand and talk about Īśvara. When someone takes it upon himself to talk about Īśvara without really knowing Īśvara, he only does a disservice to listeners by handing over a set of beliefs. There are those who have a set of non-verifiable beliefs and travel to other countries seeking to convert everybody to their system of beliefs. Vidathe means having gained the knowledge. The implication is that we become qualified to speak about Brahman only upon gaining the knowledge.
Vadema, may we speak. Speech is a wonderful expression of the inner intelligence and life. The organ of speech is special among all the organs. We have two sets of organs, namely, the organs of action and the sense organs. Though speech is considered to be an organ of action, it is something more than an organ of action; it is a direct expression of the knowledge of a person. We should not use the faculty of speech for uttering inauspicious or harsh and hurtful words. It should be an expression of the inner harmony creating harmony all around. Even in the face of dire provocation, we should maintain control over speech. That becomes possible by the grace of Goddess Medhā.
Suvīrāḥ is an interesting word. It also occurs in the well-known prayer, śataṁ jīvema śaradassuvīrāḥ. It means may we live a hundred autumns or years together with our children and other members of the family and relatives, in the best of health.
त्वया जष्टु ऋद्वषभवभ द्वि दद्वे व त्वया ब्रह्माऽगिश्रीरुि त्वया । त्वयाजष्टुद्वित्रंद्ववन्दिेवसुसानोजषुस्वद्रद्ववणोनमधे े॥२
tvayā juṣṭa ṛṣirbhavati devi tvayā brahmā’’gataśrīruta tvayā
tvayā juśṭaścitraṁ vindate vasu sā no juṣasva draviṇona medhe (2)
devi medhe – o Goddess Medhā; tvayā – by you; juṣṭaḥ – blessed; ṛṣiḥ – seer; bhavati – becomes; tvayā – by you; brahmā – scholar of the Vedas; uta – and; tvayā – by you; āgataśrīḥ – one embraced by lustre; tvayā – by you; juṣṭaḥ – blessed; citram – a variety of; vasu – wealth; vindate – gains; sā – that you; naḥ – us; draviṇona – with wealth; juṣasva – bless.
O Goddess Medhā, the one blessed by you becomes a seer, a scholar of the Vedas, and gains splendor. The one blessed by you gains a variety of riches. Being such a Goddess, may you bless us with wealth.
Ṛṣirbhavati, the one blessed by the Goddess becomes a seer. Rṣiḥ darśanāt, one who sees the truth is a ṛṣi. Ṛṣi does not mean a person with a long white beard sitting in a cave. A person is a ṛṣi by virtue of his wisdom and not his appearance. Anyone who has gained wisdom is a ṛṣi. Some people believe that at present there are no ṛṣis; this is not correct. There are a few ṛṣis in all societies at all times. Viśvāmitra, Āryabhatta, Varāhamihira, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, etc. are all ṛṣis.
O Medhā devi, whoever you bless with wisdom becomes a ṛṣi. A person blessed by you with wisdom becomes Brahmā, meaning a Brahmin. One should claim the status of being a Brahmin on the basis of knowledge, not birth. Brahmā can also mean the Creator, who is not only the author of this creation, but also the originator of knowledge in the form of the Vedas. Lord Viṣṇu bestowed the knowledge of the Vedas to the first born, Brahmāji, who subsequently created the universe based on that knowledge. Thus, the knowledge of the Vedas is the basis of this creation.
The mantra can also be explained differently. The moment any person knows the truth of his own innermost Reality, he becomes one with Brahman. As declared in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3–2–9): brahma veda brahmaiva bhavati, the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman.
Ātmā, namely, the essential nature of a human being, is Brahman, the cause of the universe. This truth is unknown to the individual. The moment a person comes to know this truth, his apparent isolation from the Whole ends. This Self-knowledge, which liberates the person from the thralldom of ignorance, is gained by the blessings of Goddess Medhā. Therefore, students of Vedanta regularly recite this sūkta.
Knowledge is virtue, according to Socrates. The modern world, a knowledge-based economy, proves that knowledge is also wealth. While some people inherit wealth, a person of knowledge creates his own wealth. Knowledge not only brings wealth to a person, but also helps the person enjoy that wealth, while riches without knowledge may even ruin a person. Knowledge is particularly necessary for the wealthy, so that they can use their wealth judiciously.
Citraṁ vasu, a variety of riches. Wealth is not economic prosperity alone. Good understanding and love between different members of the family, well-behaved children, good health, and peace of mind are all part of the spectrum of wealth. The Sanskrit word citram means spectrum. The word draviṇona means draviṇena, with riches.
मधे ंमइोददािुमधे ांदवे ीसरस्विी।
मधे ां मे अद्वश्वनावभु ावाधत्ां पष्कु रस्रजा ॥ ३
medhaṁ ma indro dadātu medhāṁ devī sarasvatī
medhāṁ me aśvināvubhāvādhattāṁ puṣkarasrajā (3)
indraḥ – lord Indra; me – for me; medhām – wisdom; dadātu – may give; devī – goddess; sarasvatī – Sarasvatī; medhām – wisdom; ubhau – the twin gods; aśvinau – Aśvins; puṣkarasrajā – with a garland of lotuses; me – for me; medhām – wisdom; ādhattām – may impart.
May the Lord Indra and Goddess Sarasvatī impart wisdom to me. May the twin gods, the Aśvins, wearing garlands of lotuses, infuse me with wisdom.
In this prayer, we seek to receive intelligence and wisdom from the Lord of the heavens or the Lord (Indra also means the Lord) and from the Goddess of knowledge. In the vision of the Vedas, the seeker has to initially perform certain rituals, then gradually progress to meditation, and finally gain Self-knowledge. In the rituals section of the Vedas, a number of deities are propitiated, each deity symbolizing a certain cosmic aspect of Īśvara. The presiding deity of physical strength and of the hands as an organ of action is Indra. There is a presiding deity for every faculty. For the eyes it is the Sun, while for the mind, it is the Moon. In this manner, the individual is connected to the Whole.
‘May Sarasvatī, the Goddess of knowledge, bless me with medhā, the capacity to retain and assimilate what I learn.’ The twin gods, the Aśvins, are the celestial physicians. In fact, there is an astrophysical symbolism connected to the Aśvins. The Viṣṇu of the Vedas is the Sun. The Bhagavad Gītā (10– 21) also says: ādityānāmahaṁ viṣṇuḥ, I am Viṣṇu (the Sun) among the offspring of Aditi (the goddess representing the Cosmic Power of Life).
The Aśvins correspond to the twin planets Mercury and Venus of the zodiac, which can be seen in the eastern sky before sunrise as the morning stars, or in the western sky after sunset as the evening stars. When we look at the planetary system as the manifestation of Īśvara, the Sun obviously represents Īśvara and the planets represent the gods. In the vision of the Vedas, praying to the Sun at sunrise and sunset is part of one’s nitya- karma, a mandatory ritual, which bestows good health upon the devotee. Intellectual excellence is not possible without good physical health. This could be the symbolism associated with the Aśvins being the divine physicians.
Puṣkarasrajā. The Aśvins are supposed to wear a garland of lotuses or lillies. Each devatā, being the personification of a natural phenomenon, is visualized in distinctive attire. The āgama–śāstra describes the form and attire of the different gods and these descriptions are incorporated in temple sculptures and architecture. These forms and the attire of the gods could be very significant. For example, Goddess Sarasvatī wears white, whereas Goddess Lakṣmī wears red. White traditionally stands for knowledge and red for rāga, the fulfillment of desires, which is possible only through wealth. Indra, the god of strength and rains, is depicted as vajrahasta, holding a thunderbolt as a weapon.
The beautiful lotus is very popular in Vedic and Puranic literature as the symbol of purity and prosperity. It is the national flower of India, and is, indeed, synonymous with the Hindu culture. In Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine, there is a tonic, called vasanta kusumākara, which is recommended for general health. It is prepared from the juices of all kinds of spring flowers, including the lotus and the lily. This could be the connection between the lotus and the divine physicians, the Aśvins. Interestingly, all gods and goddesses are associated with the lotus, either in holding it, or sitting or standing in it. Lotuses are also offered in worship at the altar in addition to other flowers. The lotus
is a symbol of purity because it remains untainted by the murky waters in which it grows.
अप्सरासुच या मधे ा गन्धवषे ुच यन्मनाः ।
दवै ींमधे ासरस्विीसामांमधे ासरुद्वभजषभु िागंस्व् ाहा॥४
apsarāsu ca yā medhā gandharveṣu ca yanmanaḥ
daivīṁ medhā sarasvatī sā māṁ medhā surabhirjuṣatāgṁ svāhā (4)
yā – which; medhā – intelligence; apsarāsu ca – in the divine damsels; ca – and; yat – which; manaḥ – mind (intelligence); gandharveṣu – in the divine musicians; daivī(m) – present in the gods; medhā – intelligence; sā – that; sarasvatī – Goddess Sarasvatī; surabhiḥ – the celestial cow; mām – me; juṣatām – may bless; svāhā – I offer.
There is intelligence in (the dance of) the celestial damsels, in (the music of) the divine musicians, and in the gods themselves. May That (well known in the scriptures) Goddess Sarasvatī bless me with that intelligence. She fulfills the aspirations (of the devotees) like the divine cow. I offer (my prostrations).
Apsarās are celestial damsels and the gandharvas are celestial musicians. Music and dance are very important art forms, each an expression of the power of life and knowledge. It seems that these art forms are popular among the celestials as well. As the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2–1–10) says, yadeveha tadamutra yadamutra tadanviha, as is here, so is there; as is there, so is here too! The gods also need the blessings of Sarasvatī, the goddess of knowledge. In the Vedas and Purāṇas, we come across many gods who have the knowledge of Brahman. Lord Yama is a teacher of Self-knowledge, as we see in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad. Similarly, in the Kauṣītaki Upaniṣad, Lord Indra imparts the knowledge of Brahman to King Pratardana.
This mantra describes the Goddess Sarasvatī as Surabhi, the celestial cow, also known as Kāmadhenu, since it grants all the aspirations of the seeker. There is a well- known story in the Rāmāyaṇa about Surabhi. Surabhi belonged to sage Vasiṣṭha and lived in his hermitage. According to the story, one day, King Viśvāmitra visited Vasiṣṭha, who offered him and his entourage a grand feast with the help of this wish- yielding cow. Seeing this, Viśvāmitra became very jealous and wanted to grab the cow for himself. Vasiṣṭha resisted, and there followed a duel, in which Viśvāmitra was vanquished. Here Surabhi, the celestial cow, symbolically represents Self-knowledge. Knowledge is a unique wealth that nobody can plunder. One can steal another’s material wealth, but it is not possible to steal knowledge. Viśvāmitra realised his mistake and, in time, also gained the knowledge by performing severe penance.
This mantra ends with svāhā, which means offering. In a ritual, whenever an oblation is offered to a god with a mantra, it ends with svāhā. The word svāhā itself has an interesting etymology. It is su plus āhā, meaning, well said or well uttered. It also means ‘may the oblation be well offered.’ When the devotee recites the mantra ending it with svāhā and offers the oblation, the deity’s response of immediate acknowledgement and blessing is contained in the word svāhā. The word svāhā is a compliment from the devatā to the seeker, uttered by the seeker on behalf of the deity.
आ मां मधे ा सरु द्वभद्ववश्वभ रूपा द्वहरण्यवणाभ जगिी जगम्या ऊजस्वभ िी पयसा द्वपन्वमाना सा मां मधे ा सप्रु िीका जषु न्ताम ् ॥५
ā māṁ medhā surabhirviśvarūpā hiraṇyavarṇā jagatī jagamyā
ūrjasvatī payasā pinvamānā sā māṁ medhā supratīkā juṣantām (5)
surabhiḥ – the wish-yielding cow; viśvarūpā – helping to understand a variety of things or the universe; hiraṇyavarṇā – by nature benedictory and pleasing; jagatī – present in all the life-forms; jagamyā – attainable by the seekers; medhā – goddess of intelligence; mām – towards me; ā – having come; ūrjasvatī – strong ; payasā – (heavy) with milk (milk-like boons); pinvamānā – showering me; sā – that; medhā – goddess of intelligence; supratīkā – with auspicious beginnings; mām – me; juṣantām – may bless.
The Goddess of intelligence is, by nature, benedictory and pleasing, like the wish- yielding cow (to the devotees). She is present in all living beings (in varying degrees) and helps the devotees that gain Her grace to understand the different aspects of the universe. May That Goddess come into my life, gain strength in me, make me begin auspicious things, and bless me by showering me with milk-like boons.
The Goddess of wisdom helps us understand various things and situations as they really are, so that we do not fall prey to delusion, enticed by the nāma–rūpa, names and forms. Along with the knowledge of the sciences and humanities, a discriminating intellect is also to be acquired so as not to waste life in the blind pursuit of material possessions and sense pleasures. This is the viśvarūpā medhā.
Hiraṇyavarṇā literally means having the luster of gold. Just as gold is bright and glitters, so also, a brilliant intellect shines perceptibly. This brilliance is particularly visible when a person can remember and say the most appropriate things at the proper time. Here the devotee seeks an intellect that is ever fresh and creative. Vidyāraṇya, the master commentator on the Vedas, provides another interesting meaning to the word hiraṇya. He interprets it, almost in the manner of an abbreviation, as hitaṁ ca tat ramaṇīyam. Hita is that which offers benefit in the long run and ramaṇīya means attractive. Generally speaking, most attractive things will not do any good in the long run, while whatever is good is seldom attractive. This rule would seem to apply to food straightaway! A food item that is very delicious and presented in a very attractive way may not necessarily be good for health, whereas a dish like bitter gourd may not be kind to the taste buds, but is very good for health. So also, in this world of names and forms, hita and ramaṇiya are generally not compatible; whatever is hita is not ramaṇiya, and whatever is ramaṇiya is not hita. Medhā is the one thing in which both of them are available simultaneously. Therefore, the prayer is that one may acquire that kind of intellect, which not only provides aesthetic enjoyment, but also helps overcome the thralldom of saṁsāra.
Jagamyā means worth gaining. There is only one thing truly worth possessing in this universe, and that is wisdom. This sole absolute of knowledge is jagatī, present everywhere. For instance, it can be found in a bird. A bird knows its role and also as much of the sciences of acoustics, meteorology, aerodynamics, and geography as it needs to know in order to survive. Parameśvara is present in all living beings as the Awareness that illuminates their individual intellects. Thus, medhā obtains in all the life forms.
The metaphor of the cow symbolizing wisdom continues in this hymn. It is ūrjasvatī, a strong and healthy cow that yields copious milk. Medhā is compared to the cow that makes us strong and healthy with its milk.
Supratīkā; pratīkā means beginning and su means auspicious. The desire expressed in this prayer is that one may make an auspicious beginning in the study of the śāstra. These hymns are typically recited at
the beginning of a Vedanta class, so that the ensuing teaching culminates in the knowledge that liberates. This recitation helps overcome all the obstacles that may arise during the course of study.
मद्वय मधे ां मद्वय प्रजां मय्यद्विस्तजे ो दधाि ु मद्वयमधे ांमद्वयप्रजांमयीइद्वयंदधािु
मद्वय मधे ां मद्वय प्रजां मद्वय सयू ो भ्राजो दधािु॥ ६
Mayi medhāṁ mayi prajāṁ mayyagnistejo dadhātu
mayi medhāṁ mayi prajāṁ mayīndra indriyaṁ dadhātu
mayi medhāṁ mayi prajāṁ mayi sūryo bhrājo dadhātu (6)
agniḥ – the god of fire; mayi – on me; medhām – intelligence; prajām – progeny; tejaḥ – bright appearance of the body (or courage); dadhātu – may bestow; indraḥ – the god of the heavens; indriyam – virility; sūryaḥ – the sun god; bhrājaḥ – brilliance
May the god of fire bestow upon me intelligence, progeny, and the bright appearance of the body (or courage), the god of heavens, virility, and the Sun god, brilliance.
In the Vedic hymns, we encounter many devatās, each devatā being an aspect of Īśvara who manifests as this universe. Of these, three are most important; they are Agni, Indra, and Sūrya. Agni is not only present in the form of the digestive fire, but also presides over the faculty of speech. Indra is the devatā responsible for physical strength and is the presiding deity of the faculty of the hands. Sūrya is the devatā of the faculty of vision and also the one who inspires our thoughts and the intellect. We seek the blessings of all the three devatās, because good digestion, good speech, good vision, and good physical strength are indispensable in the process of a seeker’s growth. Everything culminates in the faculty of the intellect.
Tejaḥ is brilliance. Brilliance can be of two kinds; brilliance of the body and brilliance of the mind. The prayer is that, by the blessing of Agni, one may have the courage of one’s convictions and the ability to face the vicissitudes of life. It seeks His help in emerging victorious in all pursuits.
t. When it is tuned well, you get the notes in harmony. Otherwise, there is discord.
Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ Susvara-vādya-niratām. The instrument of the hu-
Śānti means quietude of mind. That is what man bodywaendarmeirnedalhlyassetoekbienglikine alifwe,elal-toutnaeldfrmeeudsoi-m cal instrumfreonmt. aSlvlamranmneranosf adimstusrbicaanlcneo. tTeh. eSutrsovuabrales means theonfoltiefes athreatclceoamn,ewinellt-htuenweda.yVoāfdoyaurisganining instrumenth. eEvkenroywboleddygies caorenstihdreere–dfotoldb:eāadvhāydāytma,ika,
ādhibhautika, and ādhidaivika. Hence, we and that instrument has to be clean, like a flute. If you repeat the word śānti thrice. Ādhyātmika look at an Indian flute, it is made of bamboo, which problems are disturbances that are is a reed. It belongs to the sugarcane family. If you associated with the health of the physical cut the reed off and just make holes in it, nothing will body, like a fever or a headache etc. happen. You have to make it hollow. First, you have Ādhibhautika problems are associated with to dry it. If it is wet, it will not produce sound. It has the environment around us, like individuals to be dry and then you have to remove everything that we interact with, noise disturbances, is inside, everything that clogs it up. You make it hol-burglaries, etc. over which we have little low and clean. Then when you blow, you become eli-control. And, finally, ādhidaivika problems gible to be with Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, it is just a useless are calamities caused by the will of the gods, reed. But when it has made itself ready, then Kṛṣṇa such as a flood or a tsunami, hurricanes, is nirata, pleased, and claims “it is mine.” Every- earth quakes etc. We seek the grace of the body will claim it because it is well-tuned and inside Lord to help us overcome the three–fold it is hollow, clean. There is nothing clogging it, no calamities, so that we can pursue the rāga-dveṣa. That is the instrument; the whole body- knowledge of the Self in peace.
mind is like that. Susvara-vādya-niratām vande’haṁ śāradām. May we all enjoy the grace and blessing of Goddess Medhā and proceed to gain the knowledge.
हद्वराःॐित्सिश्र् ीकृष्णापणभ मस्तु
hariḥ om tatsat śrīkṛṣṇārpaṇamastu