Thread by @DefiledGod

-- Thread on the Tryambaka Offerings in the Veda --

Tryambaka Ishti is an ancillary rite of Sakamedha Yajna, 1 of the 4 Yajnas comprising Chaturmasya. Housed in Vājasaneyi samhita of Yajur Veda, it contains “tryambakaṃ yajāmahe…” mantra.+

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However, even good scholars have not been able to decipher the mantra in this section, “rudra bʰāgáḥ sahá svásrā́mbikayā” – which declares Ambikā as sister of Rudra. Many queries about this are on the internet (eg Hinduism Stack Exchange) .+

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I am giving the interpretation, which those with dispassionate minds can appreciate. To understand why Ambikā is mentioned as a sister of Rudra, one must accept that parts of Veda talk in metaphors and common terms denote many things.+

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The link to a rough translation of the section can be found here - sacred-texts.com/hin/wyv/wyvbk0…. We are dealing with mantra 56 onwards+

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vayám̐ soma vraté táva mánas tanū́ṣu bíbʰrataḥ \ prajā́vantaḥ sacemahi \\

Soma! May we act in accordance with your will, keeping the mind in the forms (of Brahman). Grace us with progeny (for kāmya karmas).+

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Intent is clear. To ensure one gains progeny and uses it for veda-kāryas without attachment, one pledges to act according to Brahman called “Soma” as he is full of nectarine attributes. This is achieved by focusing the mind (manas) in the forms of Brahman+

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eṣá te rudra bʰāgáḥ sahá svásrā́mbikayā táṃ juṣasva svā́hā \

This offering is yours, O mind that bestows good (rudra) with experience of Brahman (Ambikā) associated with you. May it be favorable, svāhā! +

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rudam dadati iti rudra” – previous mantra already declared intent – to place the mind in Brahman, ie control the mind. Then, it makes sense to refer to the mind as “rudra” – that which bestows good. What good? - experience of Brahman, metaphorically “Ambikā”+

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Experience of Brahman is referred to metaphorically as woman in śāstra. In Mbh, Rudra describes how he gained 4 heads when Tillottama came to him. Tilottama signifies experience of Brahman. I have attached a screenshot to this tweet explaining that incident.+

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In addition, Bhāgavataṃ itself has a story wherein Narada meets a woman called bhakti devi. Thus, experience of Brahman is personified as a woman in the texts. More pramāṇās for the obvious meaning. Now, for “sister”+

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svasrā – svayaṃ saha utpannā vā prajā – Experience of Brahman, arises from the mind during its’ contemplation of Brahman. Thus, the “experience of Brahman” arises in association with the mind. “sister” is appropriate.+

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Why is experience of Brahman personified as a woman? Because a strī attracts a man, and hence “woman” signifies an object of enjoyment, this case being the experience of Brahman (Note to SJWs: No objectification here, just a metaphor)+

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Satapatha Brh (SB) explains what “ambikā” signifies: svāhetyámbikā ha vai nā́māsya svásā táyāsyaiṣá sahá bʰāgastadyádasyaiṣá striyā́ sahá bʰāgastásmāttryámbako nā́ma tadyā́ asya prajā jātāstā́ rudríyātprámuñcati (SB 2.6.29)+

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Gist: As the share belongs to it (mind) together with a pleasing experience of Brahman (stri), mind is called “Tryambaka” - perceiver of the 3 abodes. By this, we relinquish experiences of sense objects (prajā) that sprung from power of desire called “Rudra”.+

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The three abodes are bhogya sthāna, bhoga sthāna and bhogopakaraṇa sthāna (object, place and instrument for experiencing Brahman). Thus, “Tryambaka” here refers to the mind, not to śūlapāṇi rudra.+

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"rudríyātprámuñcati” in the end refers to desire as “rudra”. Mbh uses the term for lust in Aila-Kashyapa samvāda. See how confusingly the Veda uses same term for different things, little wonder great scholars get confused.+

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SB 2.6.2.13 also says - tadu hyā́pi kumāyáḥ párītyuḥ bʰágasya bʰajāmahā íti yā́ ha vai sā́ rudrásya svasā́mbikā nā́ma sā́ ha vai bʰágasyeṣṭe tásmādu hā́pi kumāryá párīyurbʰágasya bʰajāmahā íti (SB 2.6.2.13)+

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Let the women circumambulate, thinking, “May we attain prosperity”! That associate of mind (Rudra) called Ambikā (experience of Brahman) is the dispenser of happiness (bliss of brahmānubhava), so, women circumambulate thinking, “May we attain prosperity (via husbands)”+

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Mahīdhara, a commentator, remarks reg “Ambikā”, that the Taittiriya Brahmana (TB) refers to her as the autumn, and thus she signifies onset of fever, ills etc. He is wrong, as shown below+

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TB says “Sarad vai asya ambikā svasā́ tayā vai eṣá hinasti” – Ambikā (experience of Brahman), is verily the autumn, with whom it (the mind) kills (the experience of sense objects).+

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Significance of autumn season is that it is conducive for clarity of mind for upāsaṇa. Rāsa leela was performed in Sarad Rtu. Bhāgavataṃ 10.20.33 compares autumn to the minds of the yogis getting purified, which exactly fits this context. Moving on+

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Rest of the original mantra:

eṣá te rudra bʰāgá ākʰús te paśúḥ \\
This is your (mind + exp of Brahman) portion, this thief (of knowledge about the self), ie, attachment/anger, is your sacrificial animal.+

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Mahanārāyaṇa Up. refers to anger or attachment as the sacrificial animal. Anger is sacrified to the mind (Rudra) united with experience of Brahman (Ambikā).+

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This thread, thus, clarifies exactly what is meant by “Rudra, Sister of Ambikā”. Will look at the succeeding mantras in a separate thread as Part 2 of the discussion which I will get to soon.//

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--The Tryambaka Offerings, Pt 2--

In part 1 (Link: threadreaderapp.com/thread/1288228…), we clarified “Rudra” signified mind, and “Ambikā” experience of Brahman. In this thread, let us finish interpreting mantras of the Tryambaka rite that come after this+

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áva rudrámad īmahy áva deváṃ tryàmbakam

We have satisfied mind that bestows good (rudram), that shines out auspicious qualities of Brahman (devam), perceiver of 3 abodes – place, object & instrument for brahmānubhava (tryàmbakam).+

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yáthā no vásyasas kárad yád yátʰā naḥ śréyasas kárad yád yátʰā no vyavasāyáyāt

So it may make us wealthy, may it make us attain the path of liberation, make us closely bound to Brahman.+

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bʰeṣajám asi bʰeṣajáṃ gávé śvāya púruṣāya bʰeṣajám \ sukʰáṃ meṣā́ya meṣyái \\

You, mind w/ experience of Brahman, are medicine (for Saṃsāra). You are medicine for (use of) cows, horses & offspring. You bring bliss (by proper use) to rams and ewes.+

#Vedas #Hinduism

So far, all self-explanatory. These are all articles to be used in kāmya karmas. The mind, being detached, can now use them in karma-yoga to Bhagavān without getting attached to them+

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etát te rudrāvasáṃ téna paró mū́javató tīhi \

This (experience of Brahman), O mind (Rudra), is your food (sustenance), by which, you go beyond the experiences of sense objects (mū́javató) .+

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mū́javató – Experiences possessed of attachment produced by the triguṇās that tie or bind (mū́ja) the self to Saṃsāra.

Yaska’s Nirukta refers to mū́javat as the name of a mountain. Possibly the case elsewhere (Sauptika Parva, Mbh is one), but not here.+

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ávatatadʰanvā pínākāvasaḥ krttivāsā áhim̐san naḥ śivó tīhi

(Mind with) no ego of self-effort, controlling the pínākās, ie, senses that are abodes for the self to experience (pínākāvasaḥ)...+

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….having residences of food, ie, meditating on forms of the Lord (krttivāsā), not causing hurt to the self by indulging in sense objects (áhim̐san), agreeable to the self (śivó), cross over (attachments of prakrti).+

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The bow signifies knowledge of the Upanishads. Untied bowstring means there is lack of self-effort, ie, ego in thinking one’s efforts are a cause of success. As one can see, makes no sense to interpret this as “śūlapāṇi rudra, cross over”.+

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"pínākāvasaḥ” – Note “pínākā” is in plural and hence cannot denote Shiva’s bow. Senses are abodes (nāka-s) the self resides in, to drink (experience) .Terms like “pínākā”, “krttivāsā” etc are used on the basis of etymology here+

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Next, we come to the mṛtasañjīvanī mantra (tryambakaṃ yajāmahe…). As everyone knows the mantra, I give the meaning without sanskrit text to save space+

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Mind which is the perceiver of bhogya sthāna, bhoga sthāna and bhogopakaraṇa sthāna (Tryambakam)! We worship (meditate; yajāmahe) on you, as that which is full of fragrances, ie, associated with all auspicious things (sugandhim)…+

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…Who augments nourishment, ie, jnāna-vairāgya (puṣtivardhanaṃ). As a gourd (severed) from its’ stem (urvārukamiva bandhanād), may we be freed (mukshīya) from the attachment to sense objects that cause death, ie, rebirths (mrityor) +

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…But not from meditation on Brahman, ie, lead us not astray from upāsaṇa by indulging in sense objects (māmṛtāt)

Next mantra is minor modification of the same for added emphasis: Tryambakām yajāmahe sugandhim pativedanam urvārurkamiva bandhanād ito mukshīya māmuta +

#Vedas

Same meaning, except, it says “Mind, which acquires for us the Supreme Brahman called “pati” (pativedanam) as per patiṃ visvasya ātmesvaraṃ (nārāyaṇa sūktaṃ)"+

(Superficial level, "pati" refers to gaining good husband. Inner (true) meaning - Supreme Lord.)

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As a gourd (severed) from its’ stem, may we be freed from this, ie, the attachment to sense objects (ito mukshīya), but not from the attachment to that, ie, Brahman (māmuta)+

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A gourd is severed from its’ stem when it is ripe. Likewise, when mind is filled with jnāna-vairāgya, attachments to sense objects are severed. But attachment to Brahman, once acquired, should not be relinquished for sense objects again+

It can happen, hence the prayer.

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Q arises - how can one meditate on the insentient mind? The brahma sūtrās clarify that anything pure is a pratīka or symbol for meditation, superimposing the view of Brahman on it. Sanatkumara tells Nārada, “meditate on the mind” (Chan.Up)+

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There are 2 more mantrās left in this section to truly conclude the rite, but for lack of space and their relative unimportance, I skip those.+

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Qs will arise now – How can “tryambakaṃ yajāmahe”.. mantra be interpreted as referring to the mind when well-known interpretations take it as Shiva pratipādya? Why do some texts (Shiva/Linga Ps) attribute it to Shiva? Will be answered in the final “Part 3” thread//

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