Section 2.9 (ninth khaṇḍa) (eight texts)

Upaniṣad text:

Now, verily, one should meditate upon the Seven-fold Sāma as the Sun. He is always the same; hence he is Sāma. He is the same to all, as everyone thinks ‘He faces me’, ‘He faces me’.—Hence he is Sāma.—(1)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

In the first Discourse, it was stated that parts of the Sāma should be viewed and meditated upon as the Sun; and this was in reference to the fivefold Sāma. What is going to be said now is that one should meditate upon the Seven-fold Sāma., viewing the entire Sāma as the Sun, in reference to the constituent factors (of the Sāma and of the Sun).—“But in what way has the Sun the character of the Sāma?”—The answer is as follows:—The ground for regarding the Sun as the Sāma is the same as that for regarding the Sun as Udgītha [i.e., in both cases the ground is as stated in the Vedic texts],—“What is that ground?”—The Sun is always the same, as there is no expansion and contraction (as there is in the case of the Moon);—hence He is Sāma.—The phrase ‘He faces me, He faces me’ indicates the idea of Sameness. For the reason the Sun is the same to all, and hence He is Sāma, Because he is the same; this is the meaning.—When the Text spoke (in the earlier discourse) of the San as the syllables ‘Hiṅ’ and the rest, no special reason was assigned for it, because the similarity of the Udgītha-factor itself implies the said similarity to the Regions; in the present instance, however, Sameness has been assigned as the reason for the Sun being viewed as Sāman,—as this reason which would not be easily intelligible.—(1)

Upaniṣad text:

One should know that all these beings are dependent upon Him. That form of His which appears before his rise is the syallable ‘Hiṃ’; on this depend the animals. It is for this reason that they utter the syllable ‘Hiṃ’; they being supplicants to the syllable ‘Him’ in the Sāma.—(2)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

On Hiṃ,—On the various forms of the Sun, —all these Beings—going to be described—are dependent— i.e. depending upon Him as their support;—this is what one should know.—“How?”—That form of it which appears before His rise,—i.e. the form of Dharma (Righteousness),—is the syllable ‘Hiṃ’, which is a constituent of Sāma. And this is the similarity (between the Sun and the Sāma). The Sun being the Sāma, that form of the Sun which is parallel to the syllable ‘Hiṃ’,—on that depend the animals,—cow and the rest; i.e., they follow it and live upon that factor.—Because this is so, therefore they utter the syllable ‘Hiṃ’, before sunrise. For this reason they are supplicant to this syllable ‘Hiṃ’ of the Sāma as ‘Sun’; and because they are so supplicant—inclined to worship—that Factor, therefore they behave like this.—(2)

Upaniṣad text:

That form which appears on the first rising of the Sun is the Prastāva; on this Men are dependent; hence they desire Eulogy and Praise; being supplicants to the Prastāva of the Sāma.—(3)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

That form—of the Sun—which appears on His first rising,—is the Prastāva of the Sāma in the

shape of the Sun;—on this Men are dependent etc. etc.—as before. Thus for this reason that they desire Eulogy and Praise; because they are supplicants to the Prastāva of the said Sāma.—(3)

Upaniṣad text:

That Form which appears at the ‘assembling time’ is the ‘Ādi’; on this are dependent the Birds; hence do they, without support, betake themselves to the Sky and fly about; being supplicants to the Ādi of the Sāma.—(4)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

That form which appears at the ‘Saṅgava-time’;—that time at which there is an assembling (or coming together) of the Rays,—or that time at which there is assembling (or coming together) of the calves with the cows;—that form of the Sun which appears at this ‘assembling time’ is the Adi,—which is a particular part of the Sāma; this is the syllable ‘om’;—on this are dependent the Birds; and because it is so, therefore, the Birds, without support— without any thing to support them,—betake themselves to the sky—depending upon themselves,—and fly about,— move about. For this reason—i.e. on account of the common factor in the shape of the letter ‘ā’ (which occurs in ‘āditya’ and also ‘ādi’), these Birds are supplicants to this factor of the Sāma.—(4)

Upaniṣad text:

That form which appears at midday is the Udgītha; on this the Deities are dependent; hence these are the best among the offsprings of Prajāpati; being supplicants to this Udgītha of this Sāma.—(5)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

That form which appears at midday,—i.e., exactly at midday—is that factor of the Sāma which is known as ‘Udgītha’;—On this the Deities are dependent; because at that time there is existence of light.—Hence they are the best—best qualified—among the offsprings

Prajāpati.—those born of Prajāpati;—these are supplicants to the Udgītha of this Sāma.—(5)

Upaniṣad text:

That form which appears after midday and before afternoon is the Pratihāra; on this the Embryos are dependent; hence, on being held up, they do not fall down; being supplicants to the Pratihāra of this Sāma.—(6)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

That form of the Sun which appears after midday, and before afternoon is the Pratihāra; on this the Embryos are dependent; hence, when they are held up by the upholding potency of the Sun, they do not fall down; that is, even though there is a way for them to fall through; and the reaons [reason?] for this lies in the fact that the Embryos are supplicants to this Pratihāra of the Sāma.—(6)

Upaniṣad text:

Now that form which appears after the afternoon and before Sunset is the Upadrava; on these the foresters are dependent; hence on seeing a man, they run away to the forest as a safe place.—being suppliants to the Upadrava of the Sāma.—(7)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

That form which appears after the afternoon and before sunset is the Upadrava;—on this the foresters— wild animals—are dependent; hence on seeing a man, they,—being frightened,—run away to the forest as a safe place—free from danger;—because they run away (Upadravaṇāt) on seeing a man, therefore they ere supplicants to the Upadrava of this Sāma.—(7)

Upaniṣad text:

That form which appears on the first advent of sunset is the Nidhana; on this the Pitṛs are dependent; hence they place these,—these being supplicants to the Nidhana of the Sāma.—Thus, verily, does one meditate upon the seven-fold Sāma in the Sun.—(8)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

That form which appears on the first adven of sunseti—i.e., when the sun is just becoming invisible,—is

the Nidhana; an this the Pitṛs are dependent; hence they place them,—instal them in the form of the three ancestors. Father, Grand-father and Great-grand-father,—either those ancestors themselves, or the ball-offerings meant for them,—on Kuśa-grass;—because the Pitṛs, being connected with Nidhana, are supplicants to the Nidhana of this Sāma.—Thus, one meditates upon the seven-fold Sāma,—divided into seven parts,—as the Sun;—with the result that one becomes merged into the Sun,—this is understood.—(8)

End of Section (9) of Discourse II