The “Siva-sankalpa-suktam” is a profound hymn found in Chapter 34 of the Shukla Yajurveda Vajasaneyi Madhyandina Samhita, consisting of six verses. These verses glorify the mind endowed with virtues and righteousness, known as Sankalpa, which empowers individuals to accomplish anything they set their minds to.
Chanting the Shiva-sankalpa mantras helps channel one’s attention and energy towards auspicious thoughts and noble intentions. Let’s delve into the interpretation of the first mantra among these six enlightening verses.
1st Mantra
यज्जाग्र॑तो दूर॒मुदैति॒ दैवं॒ तदु॑ सु॒प्तस्य॒ तथै॒वैति॑ ।
दूर॒ङ्गमं ज्यो ति॑षां॒ ज्यो ति॒रेकं॒ तन्मे॒ मन॑: शि॒वस॑ङ्क॒ल्पम॑स्तु ।। Vajasaneyi Samhita, 34-1
Yajjāgrato dūramudaiti daivaṁ tadu suptasya tathaivaiti.
Dūraṅgamaṃ jyo tiṣāṃ jyo tirekaṁ tanme manaḥ śiva saṅkalpamastu.
Word Meaning
- यत् – what,
- जाग्रतः – the creature, one who is awake,
- दूरं – as far away,
- उत्-आ-एति – all-pervasive and all-pervading,
- दैवं – capacity or ability to enlighten,
- तत् – that mahatattva,
- सुप्तस्य-सतः – in a state of sleep or dream,
- तथा-एव – similarly,
- एति – wandering,
- दूरंगमं – it travels near and far,
- ज्यो तिषां – all luminaries,
- एकं – be the only one,
- ज्यो तिः – luminary,
- मनः – Omniscient (knowing all things),
- तत् – that Parameshwara-tattva,
- मे – to self,
- शिव-संकल्पं – mind with good intentions and auspiciousness,
- अस्तु – may God answer our prayers.
Translation
The human mind is a sophisticated multi-tasking instrument God endowed us with. The mantra highlights its nature and quality. We all appear to be present with our minds, but our minds are not present with us. The first two words in the mantra state that the mind is a wanderer, slipping from one object to another in our waking state.
In its waking state, the mind has the habit of drifting into the materialistic world through the means of the senses, and it returns to the Self only in the state of deep sleep. May this extraordinary mind, the most luminous of all lights, ever dwell on good intentions and auspicious thoughts.
Explanation
Sri Ramakrishna declares, ‘That knowledge which purifies the mind and heart, alone is true Knowledge; all else is only a negation of Knowledge.’
He further elaborates that only two kinds of people can attain Self-knowledge: those who are not burdened at all with learning, that is, whose minds are not overcrowded with thoughts borrowed from others, and those who, after studying all the scriptures and sciences, have come to realize that they know nothing. ‘As long as I live, so long do I learn,’ says Sri Ramakrishna.
The famous quote by Swami Vivekananda, ‘Arise awake and stop not until the goal is reached,’ is the essence of the mantra from the Katha Upanishad of Yajurveda. This message always inspires individuals at all stages of life. Swamiji emphasizes the importance of morality, truth-seeking, and selflessness in strengthening the mind. He advises followers to cultivate holiness, benevolence, and self-reliance, advocating for the repetition of affirmations to build mental strength and resilience.
Swamiji emphasized in another quote, ‘Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong. Tell your mind it is strong and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself’. By repeating this continuously, one can build a strong mind.
Conclusion
O Lord, grant me the ability always to discern the right knowledge from the right sources and to approach life with the correct attitude guiding my actions. May my endeavors be infused with sincerity and righteousness, leading to positive outcomes aligned with this virtuous mindset.
Continue reading for 2nd Mantra of Siva Sankalpa Suktam