ātmapūjopaniṣad
आत्मपूजोपनिषद्
आत्मपूजोपनिषद्
ātmapūjopaniṣad
This is a minor Upanishad with twenty Mantras depicting the ways to do the worship of the Atman. One understands from this Upanishad that the outer ritual is a symbolic form of the inner ritual. In any Puja or worship the second has to exist. But as per this Upanishad the ONE alone exists and to do puja means to grow more and more conscious of the the ATMAN within and be regulated by the IT. It’s an interesting Upanishad revealing many secrets of the inner ritual and also bringing clarity to many concepts and ideas pertaining to spirituality and religion.
Here is my English translation of the Upanishad.
ॐ तस्य निश्चिन्तनं ध्यानम्।
oṁ tasya niścintanaṁ dhyānam
1. Meditation or Dhyana is the repeated or constant remembrance of the SELF, the Atman.
सर्वकर्मनिराकरणमावाहनम् ।
sarvakarmanirākaraṇamāvāhanam
2. Invocation or avahana of the SELF means to bring all actions to a rest.
निश्चलज्ञानमासनम्।
niścalajñānamāsanam।
3. Settled knowledge refers to the settled posture or asana.
समुन्मनीभावः पाद्यम्।
samunmanībhāvaḥ pādyam
4. Remaining open to the SELF is the paadya or sacred water for worship.
सदा मनस्कमर्ध्यम्।
sadāmanaskamardhyam
5. Undeviating attention towards the SELF is the arghyam or offering.
सदा दीप्तिराचमनीयम्।
sadādīptirācamanīyam
6. To shine with the brilliance of the SELF is achamaniya or sipping the sacred water.
वराकृतप्राप्तिः स्नानम्।
varākṛtaprāptiḥ snānam
7. To attain to greatness of the SELF is snāna or the holy bath.
सर्वात्मकत्वं दृश्यविलयो गन्धः ।
sarvātmakatvaṁ dṛśyavilayo gandhaḥ
8. Merging of all objective phenomena in the SELF is the gandha or fragrance.
दृगविशिष्टात्मानः अक्षताः ।
dṛgaviśiṣṭātmānaḥ akṣatāḥ
9. The inner vision, the eye of the SELF is the akshata or the unbroken sacred rice.
चिदादीप्तिः पुष्पम् ।
cidādīptiḥ puṣpam
10. The brilliance of the SELF is the pushpa or the flower.
चिदग्निस्वरूपं धूपः ।
cidagnisvarūpaṁ dhūpaḥ
11. The fire of awareness is the dhupa or incense.
सूर्यात्मकत्वं दीपः ।
sūryātmakatvaṁ dīpaḥ
12. The SELF in the form of Sun is the dipa or lamp.
परिपूर्णचन्द्रामृतरसैकीकरणं नैवेद्यम्।
paripūrṇacandrāmṛtarasaikīkaraṇaṁ naivedyam
13. Accumulating the ambrosia that flows from the full moon is naivedya or the sacred food offering.
निश्चलत्वं प्रदक्षिणम्।
niścalatvaṁ pradakṣiṇam
14. Movement springing from the steadiness of the SELF is the pradakshina or taking a round.
सोऽहंभावो नमस्कारः ।
so’haṁbhāvo namaskāraḥ
15. To be in the state of ‘I am That’ is to remain in the state of namaskara or surrender to the SELF.
परमेश्वरस्तुतिर्मौनम्।
parameśvarastutirmaunam
16. To remain in the state of silence indeed is the stuti or singing the praise ofthe SELF.
सदा सन्तोषो विसर्जनम्।
sadā santoṣo visarjanam
17. To remain in a state of contentment is the true visarjana or relaxing in the SELF by giving up everything.
एवं परिपूर्णराजयोगिनः सर्वात्मकपूजोपचारः स्यात् ।
evaṁ paripūrṇarājayoginaḥ sarvātmakapūjopacāraḥ syāt
18. This is how a perfect Rajayogi offers its worship to the SELF within.
सर्वात्मकत्वम् आत्माधारो भवति ।
sarvātmakatvam ātmādhāro bhavati
19. To be in the fullness of the SELF is the foundation of the SELF.
सर्वनिरामयपरिपूर्णोऽहमस्मीति मुमुक्षूणां मोक्षैकसिद्धिर्भवति ॥
sarvanirāmayaparipūrṇo’hamasmīti mumukṣūṇāṁ mokṣaikasiddhirbhavati
20. To be in a state of completeness where one is filled in with THAT and is free from all weaknesses and infirmities leads the aspirant to the attainment of Moksha or liberation.
-Translation by Sampadananda Mishra ( PhD)
