OM

Ajnanatimirintasyajnananjanasalakaya

Cakshurunmilitam yena tasmai 

srigurave namah

ADVAITA VEDANTA

D   Krishna Ayyar

BENEDICTION

Poornamadah poornam idam poornat pooranam udacyate

Poornasya poornam adadya pooornam eva avasishyate

This Santi Mantra (benedictory verse) which belongs to the Sukla Yajur Veda gives in a nut shell the teaching of the Upanishads, “Brahmasatyam jaganmithya”

Literal translation will read as “ that is whole, this is whole; from the whole the whole originates. When the whole is taken away from the whole the whole remains.”

The interpretation is as follows:-

“That is whole; this is whole”. “Whole” means infinite. “That” refers to Paramatma; “This” refers to Jivatma. Infinity can only be one . So, “That is whole; this is whole’ means identity of Paramatma and Jivatma – jivabrahma aikyam.

“From the whole, the whole originates.” Here, from the whole” means “ from Brahman the world originates.”  (Reference is to the unfolding of the universe from Maya, impelled by Iswara).

“When the whole is taken away from the whole, the whole remains”. This can only happen if what is taken out is unreal. So, this refers to the fact that when the world is born, Brahman does not undergo any diminution, does not undergo any change.  – Brahmasatyam Jaganmithya