मनावर्तन सूत्र:
Oh Mind, come to the center
In the Yoga Vashishtha, Rama queries of Rishi Vashishtha: “What is mind?”. The Rishi responded, “Space is the emptiness in which matter appears, and mind is the emptiness in which space appears.”
While the power of the mind is within our grasp, we are often controlled by the mind (instead of the other way around). Depression, sickness, anger, jealousy…the various negatives that affect us can be resolved by control of the mind and control of our relationship and attachment with the world and things of the world.
The Vedas address the concept of the mind in many places. The Shivasankalpam mantras of the Yajur Veda provide provides the Vedic concept of evaluating and enhancing the quality of the mind. The verses therein allows for such contemplation leading to protection of the mind from negative forces and negative thoughts.
Here, this Manaavartana Sootra takes the approach of introspection. Assessment is made of the various material things that take the focus of the mind away from our control – and a conscious effort is then made to disassociate from those things so that the mind is “brought to the center” and within conscious control.
These verses allow us to defeat depression and laziness while building mental fortitude and discipline – as well as overcoming the ties of bad and unhealthy habits.
The manaavartana sootra is from the Rig Veda 10.58.1-10.
यत्ते यमं वैवस्वतं मनो जगाम दूरकम् ।
तत्त आ वर्तयामसीह क्षयाय जीवसे ॥
Yatte yamam vaivasvatam
mano jagaama doorakam.
Tatta aa vartayaamas-iha
kshayaaya jeevase.1
O mind that travels deep and far into the layers of depression and death, aa come vartayaamaseeha stay in the present, right here kshaaya without weakness or decay jeevase throughout my life.
यत् that यमम् controller of everything वैवस्वतम् belonging to Yama (accompanying death) is depression etc मन mind मनो – with mind जगाम went, travelled दूरकम् far, distant तत्त that आ come, arrive for it to stay right here वर्तते turn around वर्तयति live on इह here, in this realm क्षयाय weakness क्षय decay, wasting, weakness जीवसे for life, for sanity in life
यत्ते दिवं यत्पृथिवीं मनो जगाम दूरकम् ।
तत्त आ वर्तयामसीह क्षयाय जीवसे ॥
Yatte divam yat-prithiveem
mano jagaama doorakam.
Tatta aa vartayaamas-iha
iha-kshayaaya jeevase.2
O mind that travels into thoughts of heaven and earth, aa come vartayaamaseeha stay in the present, right here kshaaya without weakness or decay jeevase throughout my life.
यत् that दिवम् heaven पृथिवीम् earth मन mind मनो – with mind जगाम went, travelled दूरकम् far, distant तत्त that आ come, arrive for it to stay right here वर्तते turn around वर्तयति live on इह here, in this realm क्षयाय weakness क्षय decay, wasting, weakness जीवसे for life, for sanity in life
यत्ते भूमिं चतुर्भृष्टिं मनो जगाम दूरकम् ।
तत्त आ वर्तयामसीह क्षयाय जीवसे ॥
Yatte bhoomin chatur-bhriṡhṫim
mano jagaama doorakam.
Tatta aa vartayaamas-iha
iha-kshayaaya jeevase.3
O mind that travels to all the different directions, aa come vartayaamaseeha stay in the present, right here kshaaya without weakness or decay jeevase throughout my life.
यत्ते that भूमिं earth, land, territory चतुर्भृष्टिं four-pointed, four-cornered; the different directions मनो – with mind जगाम went, travelled दूरकम् far, distant तत्त that आ come, arrive for it to stay right here वर्तते turn around वर्तयति live on इह here, in this realm क्षयाय weakness क्षय decay, wasting, weakness जीवसे for life, for sanity in life
यत्ते चतस्रः प्रदिशो मनो जगाम दूरकम् ।
तत्त आ वर्तयामसीह क्षयाय जीवसे ॥
Yatte chatasrah pradisho
mano jagaama doorakam.
Tatta aa vartayaamas-iha
iha-kshayaaya jeevase.4
O mind that travels to all side of property and ownership, aa come vartayaamaseeha stay in the present, right here kshaaya without weakness or decay jeevase throughout my life.
यत्ते that चतस्रः four प्रदिशो possession, directions all around (as opposed to the four directions); direction that include horizontal/vertical space and regions of space. मनो – with mind जगाम went, travelled दूरकम् far, distant तत्त that आ come, arrive for it to stay right here वर्तते turn around वर्तयति live on इह here, in this realm क्षयाय weakness क्षय decay, wasting, weakness जीवसे for life, for sanity in life
यत्ते समुद्रमर्णवं मनो जगाम दूरकम् ।
तत्त आ वर्तयामसीह क्षयाय जीवसे ॥
Yatte samudram-arṇavam
mano jagaama doorakam.
Tatta aa vartayaamas-iha
iha-kshayaaya jeevase.5
O mind that travels and becomes fixated with the vastness of oceans and space, aa come vartayaamaseeha stay in the present, right here kshaaya without weakness or decay jeevase throughout my life.
यत्ते that समुद्र oceans, vast expanse of earthly and cosmic oceans (of water and space) अर्णव ocean of air (space) मनो – with mind जगाम went, travelled दूरकम् far, distant तत्त that आ come, arrive for it to stay right here वर्तते turn around वर्तयति live on इह here, in this realm क्षयाय weakness क्षय decay, wasting, weakness जीवसे for life, for sanity in life
यत्ते मरीचीः प्रवतो मनो जगाम दूरकम् ।
तत्त आ वर्तयामसीह क्षयाय जीवसे ॥
Yatte mareecheeh pravato
mano jagaama doorakam.
Tatta aa vartayaamas-iha
iha-kshayaaya jeevase.6
O mind that travels like fast-moving rays of light, aa come vartayaamaseeha stay in the present, right here kshaaya without weakness or decay jeevase throughout my life.
यत्ते that मरीचीः rays of light, also, mirage प्रवतो advancing, blazing forth, fast-moving मनो – with mind जगाम went, travelled दूरकम् far, distant तत्त that आ come, arrive for it to stay right here वर्तते turn around वर्तयति live on इह here, in this realm क्षयाय weakness क्षय decay, wasting, weakness जीवसे for life, for sanity in life
यत्ते आपो यदोशधीर् मनो जगाम दूरकम् ।
तत्त आ वर्तयामसीह क्षयाय जीवसे ॥
Yatte aapo yadoṡhadheer
mano jagaama doorakam.
Tatta aa vartayaamas-iha
iha-kshayaaya jeevase.7
O mind that is affected by the medicines and mixtures, aa come vartayaamaseeha stay in the present, right here kshaaya without weakness or decay jeevase throughout my life.
यत्ते that आपः Omnipresent; also – water Ap one of the five panchabhootas यत् that ओषधी medicinal plants मनो – with mind जगाम went, travelled दूरकम् far, distant तत्त that आ come, arrive for it to stay right here वर्तते turn around वर्तयति live on इह here, in this realm क्षयाय weakness क्षय decay, wasting, weakness जीवसे for life, for sanity in life
यत्ते सूर्यं यदुषसं मनो जगाम दूरकम् ।
तत्त आ वर्तयामसीह क्षयाय जीवसे ॥
Yatte sooryam yaduṡhasam
mano jagaama doorakam.
Tatta aa vartayaamas-iha
iha-kshayaaya jeevase.8
O mind that is affected by the illusion of the dawn and dusk, aa come vartayaamaseeha stay in the present, right here kshaaya without weakness or decay jeevase throughout my life.
यत्ते that सूर्यम् Soul (driving force) of the universe allure of dawn (and dusk) यत् the/that उषसं dawn मनो – with mind जगाम went, travelled दूरकम् far, distant तत्त that आ come, arrive for it to stay right here वर्तते turn around वर्तयति live on इह here, in this realm क्षयाय weakness क्षय decay, wasting, weakness जीवसे for life, for sanity in life
यत्ते पर्वतान्बृहतो मनो जगाम दूरकम् ।
तत्त आ वर्तयामसीह क्षयाय जीवसे ॥
Yatte parvataan-brihato
mano jagaama doorakam.
Tatta aa vartayaamas-iha
iha-kshayaaya jeevase.9
O mind that is affected by the sights and allure of the high mountains and vast skies and space, aa come vartayaamaseeha stay in the present, right here kshaaya without weakness or decay jeevase throughout my life.
यत्ते that पर्वतान्बृहतो alluring sights of mountains and space पर्वत् mountains, high/tall sights बृहत् heavens and earth मनो – with mind जगाम went, travelled दूरकम् far, distant तत्त that आ come, arrive for it to stay right here वर्तते turn around वर्तयति live on इह here, in this realm क्षयाय weakness क्षय decay, wasting, weakness जीवसे for life, for sanity in life
यत्ते विश्वमिदं जगत् मनो जगाम दूरकम् ।
तत्त आ वर्तयामसीह क्षयाय जीवसे ॥
Yatte vishvam-idam jagat-
mano jagaama doorakam.
Tatta aa vartayaamas-iha
iha-kshayaaya jeevase.10
O mind that is presently affected by the vastness of the universe as well as the things taking place in the world, aa come vartayaamaseeha stay in the present, right here kshaaya without weakness or decay jeevase throughout my life.
यत्ते that विश्वम् universe, everything इदम् at present time, now जगत् world मनो – with mind जगाम went, travelled दूरकम् far, distant तत्त that आ come, arrive for it to stay right here वर्तते turn around वर्तयति live on इह here, in this realm क्षयाय weakness क्षय decay, wasting, weakness जीवसे for life, for sanity in life
