THE BRIEF ABOUT YOGA
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THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE FROM THE NASADIYA SUKRA OF THE RIG VEDA, THE FIRST OF THE FOUR VEDAS CONSIDERED SHRUTI OR THE ORIGINAL FOUNTAINHEAD OF WISDOM, AS THE HYMN OF CREATION. PARTS OF IT READ LIKE A DESCRIPTION OF THE ORIGIN OF THE COSMOS IN SCIENTIFIC WORKS. THE FOREMOST POINT IS THE HEALTHY SPIRIT OF SCEPTICISM THROUGHOUT. HERE IS AN EXCELLENT TRANSLATION OF THE HYMN OF CREATION , RIG VEDA BY RALPH T.H. GRIFFITH. HAVING READ THE ORIGINAL IN SANSKRIT, I CAN VOUCH FOR ITS ACCURACY.
THE HYMN OF CREATION
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1. THEN WAS NOT NON-EXISTENT NOR EXISTENT, THERE WAS NO REALM OF AIR, NO SKY BEYOND IT.
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* WHAT COVERED IN, AND WHAT? AND WHAT GAVE SHELTER? WAS WATER THERE, UNFATHOMED DEPTH OF WATER?
2. DEATH WAS NOT THEN, NOR WAS THERE AUGHT IMMORTAL, NO SIGN WAS THERE, THE DAY'S AND NIGHT'S DIVIDER. THAT ONE THING, BREATHELESS, BREATHED BY ITS OWN NATURE, APART FROM IT WAS NOTHING WHATSOEVER.
3. DARKNESS THERE WAS, AT FIRST CONCEALED IN DARKNESS THIS ALL WAS INDISCRIMINATE CHAOS.
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* ALL THAT EXISTED THEN WAS VOID AND FORMLESS, BY THE GREAT POWER OF WARMTH WAS BORN THAT UNIT.
4. THEREAFTER ROSE DESIRE AT THE BEGINNING, DESIRE, THE PRIMAL SEED AND GERM OF SPIRIT.
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* SAGES WHO SEARCHED WITH THEIR HEART'S THOUGHT DISCOVERED THE EXISTEN'S KINSHIP IN THE NON-EXISTENT.
5. TRASVERSELY WAS THEIR SEVERING LINE EXTENTED, WHAT WAS ABOVE IT THEN, AND WHAT BELOW IT?
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* THERE WERE BEGETTERS, THERE WERE MIGHTLY FORCES, FREE ACTION HERE AND ENERGY UP YONDER.
6. WHO VERILY KNOWS AND WHO CAN HERE DECLARE IT, WHENCE IT WAS BORN AND WHENCE COMES THIS CREATION? THE GODS ARE LATER THAN THIS WORLD'S PRODUCTION. WHO KNOWS THEN WHENCE IT FIRST CAME INTO BEING.?
7. HE, THE FIRST ORIGIN OF THIS CREATION, WHETHER HE FORMED IT ALL OR DID NOT FORM IT.
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* WHOSE EYE CONTROLS THIS WORLD IN HIGHEST HEAVEN, HE VERILY KNOW IT, OR PERHAPS HE KNOWS NOT.
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TO BE SPECIFICALLY NOTED ARE THE NUMBER OF QUESTION MARKS AND THE FOURTH, SIXTH AND SEVENTH SHLOKAS, WHICH CAN BE RELATED TO THE PRACTICE OF YOGA.
SHANTHI MANTRA
NOW LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE SHANTI MANTRAS THAT OCCUR IN THE UPANISHADS, THE CORE AND ESSENCE OF THE VEDAS. THEY ARE MOSTLY ASSERTIONS, AFFIRMATIONS AND WISHES TO ASCEND SPIRITUALLY AND DERIVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STRENGTH TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS, RATHER THAN THROUGH PRAYERS TO AN ALMIGHTY CREATOR. MANY OF THEM END WITH THE SINCERE WISH FOR PEACE - SHANTI - AND THE WISH TO IMPROVE THE WORLD AND THE BEINGS THAT LIVE IN IT.
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ASATOMA SADGAMAYA
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FROM THE UNREAL MAY I ASCEND TO THE REAL,
TAMASO MA JYOTIRGAMAYA
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FROM DARKNESS, MAY I ASCEND TO LIGHT,
MRTYOR MA AMRTAM GAMAYA
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FROM DEATH MAY I ASCEND TO DEATHLESSNESS,
OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTIH
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OM! PEACE, PEACE, PEACE.
