Madhuvidya

Author(s): S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 48

MEHENDALE: "Satyam Eva Jayate Nānstam"
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satyam hy eva brahma. It will, therefore, (or åtman). teşām evaişu brahmaloko be clear that in the above creation account yeşāṁ tapo brahmacaryam yeșu satyam satya and brahma can both be first-born if pratisthitam/ ... na yesu jihmam anstań na the two words are understood to be in māyā ceti, Praśna 1.15-16; nāyamātmā apposition. We have, therefore, to pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na translate the passage as: "In the beginning bahuna śrutena, Mund. 3.2.3." But since this world was just Water. That Water in our verse the context is the goal reached emitted the Real-Brahma (being) the Real, by a sage, satyam should be taken to mean Brahma, Prajapati, Prajāpati, the gods" brahman and not 'true speech.' (Hume).
The verb V ji is used both in the sense It is not intended to suggest here that in - 'to win, to obtain'as well as 'to conquer, the Upanişads satyam is employed only in to be victorious' since the earliest times. In the sense of the ultimate Reality, i.e., the usual translation of satyam eva jayate, brahman. It is true that it is also used in the the latter meaning is thought of. But the sense 'truth, true speech.' Thus in the former meaning 'to obtain,' which is advice given by the teacher to his pupil we intended in the suggested interpretation, is read: satyaṁ vada / ... satyān na also to be found in the Upanişads. For pramadita vyam, Taitt. 1.11.1 In the instance, we often come across Chand. 1.2.3 we find tasmät taya expressions like lokar jayati, salokatām ( = vācā) ubhayaṁ vadati satyam jayati. In the Mundaka itself (3.1.10) we cānstam ca. A sage has to lead a life of read taṁ lokaṁ jayate tāmś ca kāmăn good conduct and therefore we find where the meaning obviously is 'obtains.' satyam 'true speech' also included in the The above discussion will show that means of obtaining brahman (or ātman). the interpretation of the passage under Thus Mund. 3.1.5: satyena labhyas tapasă discussion, viz., 'A sage obtains only the hyesa ātmā, samyagjñanena Real and not the unreal'is in keeping with brahmacaryeņa nityam, Svet. 1.15 the Upanişadic usage of the words satyam satyenainam tapasā yo'nupaśyati. and ji. Occasionally we also get a mention of While commenting on this passage those means which do not lead to brahman Sankarācārya observes: satyam eva
satyavän eva jayate jayati, nånstam ? Also,cf., Chand.6.16; Brhad.5.14.4.
nånstavādity arthaḥ / na hi satyānştayoḥ yas tu vijñānavăn bhavati samanaskah sadā sucih
kevalayoḥ puruşānāśritayor jayah sa tu tat padamāpnoti yasmād bhūyo na jāyatellparājayo vā sambhavati / prasiddhaṁ loke Katha.3.8.
satyavādinānstavādy abhibhūyate na For other references giving means to obtain
viparyayaḥ / ataḥ siddhamṁ satyasya brahman, cf., tasmăd vidyayā tapasă cintaya copalabhyate brahma, Maitri.4.4.
10 Also,cf., Katha 2.23-24 and Mund.3.2.4.
Madhu Vidya/23