Upanishads and Strength

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Swami Vivekananda has dealt extensively with the concept of 'Strength' in

the Upanishads. Inspired by the speeches, I went thru the major Upanishads

and found that all of them explicitly deal with positive characteristics of

strength. Here I shall present a few such excerpts from the Upanishads.

Translations are mine, and it is suggested that the original Sanskrit words

be referred to, for a better understanding of the verses.

 

First, a most inspiring quote from Swami.

 

'The Upanishads are the great mine of strength. Therein lies strength enough

to invigorate the whole world; the whole world can be vivified, made strong,

energized through them. They will call with trumpet voice upon the weak, the

miserable and the downtrodden of all races, all creeds and all sects, to

stand on their feet and be free; freedom, physical freedom, mental freedom

and spiritual freedom are the watchwords of the Upanishads. ' (III.238)

 

These excerpts are taken from the invocation prayers at the start of the

Upanishads. The invocations present the 'gist' of the Upanishads. The

Upanishadic students are asked to keep the spirit of the invocation in mind,

while they learn the Upanishads. Hence the invocations have great

importance.*

 

1. Om. May my limbs and my strength become fully developed, so also my

senses including sight and hearing. Everything in the world is the

Upanishadic Brahman. May I become strong. May I not deny the Brahman. May I

never deny myself. Let the truths of the Upanishads become manifested in me,

who am ever devoted to the Atman. May the truths become manifested in me.

Let there be peace everywhere.

 

2. Om. May WE be protected by this knowledge. May the knowledge uplift US.

May this knowledge give US strength. May this knowledge make US Tejaswis**.

MAy we not cavil at each other. Let there be peace everywhere.

 

3. Om. May our ears hear only the beneficial(bhadra). May we see only the

beneficial(bhadra). May we worship him with steady limbs and body, as long

as we live. May all Gods give us Strength. May there be peace everywhere.

 

More in next post.

 

regards,

Hari

 

* - You won't find the invocations in translations by Westerners.(I can't

understand why!) So it would be better to refer a translation authorized by

Ramakrishna Math or one by any Indian pandit.

 

** I can't give accurate translations to these words in English.