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MARCH, 1887.)
VASUDEVA AND GOPICHANDANA UPANISHADS.
91
production, preservation and cessation,- dana should be regarded as pare, and should be Prakriti, intellect, egotism and the rest,-the treated with respect by kings. (5) great illusionists. And who is Viahņu ? By applying gopichandana, the sins of the Vishņu is the supreme Brahma and no other. Brahman-slayer, of the ungrateful, of the And what is delight? It is the acquisition cow-slayer, and of the defiler of his Guru's of the knowledge of Brahma, by men who bed, disappear. Wheresoever he dies whose have applied the gopichandana,' and whose body is smeared with gôptchandana,'' stretchinternal organ has been purified by the removal ing forth he gains the abode of the chief of of sin." He who knows this (obtains these the gods. Brahman and the other gods turn benefits); such is the Upanishad. (2).
towards and reverence those who do reverence Let the word gôpi be uttered first, and after to a man whose body is smeared with gópíchanit the word chandana. Gopi consists of two dana (6) syllables, and chandana of three; thus there He who honours a man whose body is smeared are five syllables. He who, knowing this, with gopichandana is highly esteemed in the applies the gópíchandana, reaches the unchang world of Vishņu, because he has thereby done ing goal; he does not (again) experience dis- honour to the majesty of Vishņu. The man of solution; after that one death) he obtains
good deportment, well-dressed, & moderate immortality." (3)
eater, having his members in subjection and Now Brahma was brought into contact with his body smeared with gopichandana, is Vishņu máyá; then, from Brahma united with that in proprid persona. He who engages in great máyá came Intellect (the great principle) austerities with his body smeared with góp and the rest. Amongst the five elements was chandana, obtains thereby ten million times this earth whose characteristic is smell,” and more merit, -80 said the sage. When japa or owing to the power of earth came varieties of almsgiving is practised by those whose limbs colour. Soils of a yellow colour are produced are ameared with gopichandana, if defective, for the benefit of mankind. The power of this it is rendered completo ; whilst the exact chandana is owing to its employment by (or, to performance according to rule is exceptionally the loves of) Brahma in association with máyd." | efficacious." Gópichandana is life, the promoHe who, knowing this, gives some of it into ter of health and strength, the granter of the hand of a devotee for kindness' sake, lives desires, and the bestower of emancipation, for the full period, undisturbed by mayá, and 80 said the sages. (7) becomes besides the possessor of progeny, wealth | By the application of gopichandana, one and cattle. He who, morning and evening, secures tho merit of thousands of agnishtômareflects on this mystery, destroys the sins com- sacrifices, and of hundreds of vájapéya-sacri. mitted by day or by night, and at death obtains fices. The fruit resulting from the gift of emancipation. (4)
gópíchandana does not accrue .even to the The Ekadandin or Tridandin who smears his offerer of an asvamédha; there is no tirtha equal forehead with the paste of gôpichandana, to the Ganges, and no purity like that derived verily obtains emancipation. Everybody who from gopichandana. But why enlarge on it ? is looked at by a man smeared with gôpichan- That there is no ornament in the world equal
I advinpdly sbatain from using the word creation, as containing an idos foreign to Hinduism which demands & material, as well as an efficient, cause for every. thing. Ex nihilo nihil ft is an important axiom with Hindus of all schools.
* This is to remove the idea that Brahms can only be known by the learned.
- Consequent on that application.
#akshayar padam Apnotiti kir tinaiva dehêna! nahil tarbi dehaty Agaduhkham anivrittam dva ity Asanky. Aha panchatvan na sa paiyatiti maranaduḥkham ningbhavatity arthabi kifaha maranam api sakepid évéty Aha tato 'mritatvam ainuta iti II (Dipika.)
* For the distinguishing characteristion of the five elements, see Turkasathgraha, 10-17.
* vaibhsvåt såmarthyat 1 (Dipika.)
** mAy Asahitabrahmambhôgavaild Mya Chandananya vaibhavam iti gopikrishnasambhögmamaktak Asmira. kahAlanôdakasan bhàtatvat parabrahmaikarupa gôpi. chandanamrida iti arvajanina prasiddhir iti taya vaibhavam !! (Dipika.). This same compound, beginning with ghpikrishna, ooours elsewhere in the Dipiko, but there the word chandana is inoluded after kdómfra. It should undoubtedly be added here.
This rendering is very, 'doubtful. Nardyana's explanation is as follows:-Ayato dirghð bhdtvå abhivylpya sarvatirthini avagdhya. I don't think it helps as much
* NyQuam avidhikritar chet, sampurnath ay Ad, vidh nëna krita“ ohed bhavati, tarhi vládabatah phaladan sydt (Dipiled.)
.
