Suktambramha ji

श्री ब्रह्म सूक्तम्

Shri Brahma Suktam

The Shri Brahma Suktam, drawn from the Atharva Veda and the Taittiriya Brahmana, glorifies Brahman as the Supreme Being, the first-manifested source from whom the gods, the Vedas, and the whole universe arise. Revered as the inmost Self and the foremost of all beings whom none can rival, it is chiefly chanted in the Udakashanti rite performed before the Upanayana and other samskaras.

Atharva Vēda and the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa

ओं ब्रह्म॑जज्ञा॒नं प्र॑थ॒मं पु॒रस्ता᳚त् । वि सी॑म॒तः सु॒रुचो॑ वे॒न आ॑वः । स बु॒ध्निया॑ उप॒मा अ॑स्य वि॒ष्ठाः । स॒तश्च॒ योनि॒-मस॑तश्च॒ विव॑: ।

Brahman was manifested first, before all, in the east. Vena, the radiant one, disclosed the shining realm from its very boundary. He is the foundation; the highest and the lowest stations are his forms; he revealed the womb of both the existent and the non-existent.

पि॒ता वि॒राजा॑मृष॒भो र॑यी॒णाम् । अ॒न्तरि॑क्षं वि॒श्वरू॑प॒ आवि॑वेश । तम॒र्कैर्-अ॒भ्य॑र्चन्ति व॒थ्सम् । ब्रह्म॒ सन्तं॒ ब्रह्म॑णा व॒र्धय॑न्तः ॥

The father of the Viraj, the bull (lord) of all riches, of universal form, he entered the mid-region (the firmament). Him, the calf, they worship with hymns of praise, magnifying by their prayer the Brahman that he is.

ब्रह्म॑ दे॒वान॑जनयत् । ब्रह्म॒ विश्व॑मि॒दं जग॑त् । ब्रह्म॑णः क्ष॒त्रं निर्मि॑तम् । ब्रह्म॑ ब्राह्म॒ण आ॒त्मना᳚ ॥

Brahman brought forth the gods; Brahman (created) all this universe. From Brahman the Kshatra (ruling power) was fashioned. Brahman is the Brahmana (the priestly power) in its very self.

अ॒न्तर॑स्मिन्नि॒मे लो॒काः । अ॒न्तर्विश्व॑मि॒दं जग॑त् । ब्रह्मै॒व भू॒तानां॒ ज्येष्ठम्᳚ । तेन॒ को॑ऽर्हति॒ स्पर्धि॑तुम् ॥

Within it are these worlds; within it is all this universe. Brahman alone is the eldest (foremost) of beings; who then is able to rival it?

ब्रह्म॑न् दे॒वास्त्रय॑स्त्रिग्ंशत् । ब्रह्म॑न्निन्द्र प्रजाप॒ति । ब्रह्म॑न् ह॒ विश्वा॑ भू॒तानि॑ । ना॒वीवा॒न्तः स॒माहि॑ता ॥

In Brahman are the thirty-three gods; in Brahman are Indra and Prajapati. In Brahman indeed all beings rest, held well together within, as (cargo) within a ship.

चत॑स्र॒ आशा॒: प्रच॑रन्-त्व॒ग्नय॑: । इ॒मं नो॑ य॒ज्ञं न॑यतु प्रजा॒नन्न् । घृ॒तं पिन्व॑न्न॒जरग्ं॑ सु॒वीरम्᳚ । ब्रह्म॑ स॒मिद्-भ॑व॒त्याहु॑तीनाम् ॥

May the fires go forth to the four quarters. May he who knows lead onward this our sacrifice, swelling with ghee, undecaying, granting strong heroes. Brahman becomes the kindling-fuel of the oblations.

Additional Information अतिरिक्त जानकारी

Significanceमहत्व

The Brahma Suktam, found in both the Atharva Veda and the Taittiriya Brahmana, extols the glory of the Supreme Being, Brahman, as the primordial source from whom the gods, the Vedas and the entire universe arise. It opens with the well-known mantra Brahma jajnanam prathamam purastat, describing Brahman as manifesting first, before all.

As a Vedic suktam it invokes Brahman as the origin, support and inmost Self of all beings, the one none can rival. It is especially associated with the Udakashanti rite performed before the Upanayana and other samskaras.

Sources & Referencesस्रोत एवं संदर्भ

Source: Atharva Vēda and the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa

The Brahma Sūktam is found both in the Atharva Vēda and the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa. This text deals with the glory of the Supreme Being. The Brahma Sūktam is used during the famous ritual Udakaśānti. The Udakaśānti is very prevalent and well known to many. It is performed before Upanayana where Varuṇa is invoked in the waters and later the same water is poured on the people who are getting their Upanaya done, this is the same for all the Samskāras. Some even do daily Pārāyaṇa of this Mantra, but normally it is used mainly in the rituals.