[Advaita-l] 1st rik of vAk sUktaM with sAyaNA's commentary

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,

Thought of sharing a sublime truth during the auspicious moments of 
navarAtri which is from the vAk sUtaM also called dEvi sUktaM 
from Rg Veda (10.125).   

This sUkta is regularly chanted by dEvi upAsakAs 
which is also mandatory during the pArAyaNa 
of dEvi mAhAtmyam / chaNDi sapthasathi.  

The seer is the female rishi by name “vAk AmbhriNi” and 
hence this sUkta is also called as “vAk AmbhriNi sUktaM”.

Interestingly, in the 1st rik of this sUkta, Sri sAyaNa while 
commenting on this, touches the adhyAsa tattva where 
the perception of world is compared with the wrong 
cognition of “shukti” (oyster shell) as “rajata” (silver).

The 1st mantra:

ahaM rudrEbhirvasubhischarAmyaha mAdtiyairutavishwa dEvaiH /
ahaM mitrA varuNO bhA bibharmyahaM indrAgni ashwinObhA //

sAyaNa bhASya:

//
ahaM – sUktasya draSTrI vAk AmbhriNI yadbrahma 
jagatkAraNaM tadrUpA bhavati. rudraikAdashabhiH 
tadAtmanA charAmi. EvaM vasubhirityAdau tattadAtmanA 
charAmIti yOjyaM. tathA mitrA varuNA – mitraM cha 
varuNaM cha. ubhA – ubhAvahamEva brahmIbhUtA. 
bibharmi – dhArayAmi . indrAgni apyahamEva 
dhArayAmi . ubhA – ubhau, ashwinau – ashwinAvapyahamEva 
dhArayAmi . maihi sarvaM jagat shuktau rajataM iva 
adhyAstayaddrushyatE / mAyA cha jagadAkArENa 
vivartatE. tAdrushyAmAyAyA AdhAratvEnA sanga 
syApi brahmaNa utkrAmya 
sarvasyOtpattiH
//

The female vedic seer “vAk AmbhriNi” after attaining 
the Oneness with the Supreme Absolute Being expresses 
Her ecstatic state of realization in the form of  a 
sUkta called “vAk sUktaM”.  The 1st mantra itself 
takes off with the highest sublime truths of Advaita 
which speaks of illusoriness of the creation.  

Sri Sayanacharya says:

“I, the Seer of the Mantra and also the adhiSTAna 
dEvata of vAk, that which is brahman and cause of creation, 
move about with 11 rudras and 12 adityas and vishwEdEvatAs. 
I hold in Me, the pair of Mitra-Varuna; Indra-Agni; twin deities as aswini.  

Thus, saying so, comments as:

//

In Me is the entire creation which is perceived by 
Me just as the Silver (rajata) is superimposed on the 
Oyster Shell (shukti).  The Maya is getting transformed 
as cause of the Universe.  With the help of such Maya, 
the Creation takes place by surpassing / overstepping 
the Brahman who remains unattached.

//

shubha vijaya dashami...

Regs,
sriram