Understanding a Vedic Mantra for Intellect and Retention

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The Vedic approach is very practical. Obtaining Brahmajnana is the purpose of learning the Vedas. However, we must take into consideration the constraints of the human body and worldly life. To understand the higher spiritual aspects, one must first possess intelligence, concentration, and focus. The body should be disease-free, and good health is necessary. Food, water, and clothes are essential, as it is difficult for knowledge to enter the mind if one is starving. This is different from intentional abstinence, like upavasa. Abstaining from food when it is available is a choice, but when food is not available, hunger becomes unbearable. Suitable clothes are also important for protection from heat and cold.

Motivation is crucial, and fame can be a strong motivator. A teacher's recognition often comes from the number of students they have; the larger the number, the greater the recognition. This, too, serves as motivation. In the Vedic tradition, there are mantras in the form of prayers for all these needs, typically in the academic context. These prayers address the essential elements of an academic environment: intelligence, health, good food, comforts, recognition, and a growing number of students. Ancient gurukulas performed homas with these mantras, and even today, schools, colleges, and other educational institutions can benefit from them.

These mantras are found in the Vedic corpus called the Taittiriya Aranyaka, specifically in the seventh prapathaka as the fourth anuvaka. The first mantra is:

'यश्छन्दसामृषभो विश्वरूपः ।
छन्दोभ्योऽध्यमृतात्संबभूव ।
स मेन्द्रो मेधया स्पृणोतु ।
अमृतस्य देव धारणो भूयासम् ।'

This mantra is for praying for intellect and is addressed to Indra:

'स मा इन्द्रो मेधया
छन्दसां ऋषभः ।'

Here, Chhanda means Veda, as Vedic mantras are bound by meters, or chhandas. The term ऋषभः means bull, symbolizing the leader or most prominent figure, just as the seed bull stands out in a herd. This simile is common in the Vedic corpus, such as in the phrases tridha baddh rishabho roraveeti or vrishabham charshaneenam. In this context, rishabha refers to what is most important in the Vedas, and thus, in knowledge itself.

The term vishavaroopaha refers to Pranava or Omkara, as the universe is a perceptible form of Omkara. Omkara is the essence of the Vedas. The idea that Brahma created the universe from the Vedas means that the universe was created from Omkara, which contains the essence of the entire Vedic corpus.

The Vedas are described as:
'छन्दोभ्यः अमृतात् अधिसंबभूव ।'
When the milky ocean was churned, amrita emerged, which is the essence of the ocean. Similarly, if the Vedas are churned, Omkara emerges. Since it is impossible for a human to learn the entire Vedic corpus—Vasishta Maharshi could only count a few waves in the ocean-like Vedas after a thousand years—the prayer here is for the essence or the most important parts of the Vedas.

Why Indra? One might expect the deity of knowledge to be Saraswati, Brihaspati, Jagadguru Shrihari, or Dakshinamurthy Rudra. However, Indra represents divine strength and power, making him the rishabha among the Devas. The prayer seeks intellectual power, the strength of intellect like Indra’s, which comes from understanding Vedic principles. Only one who possesses power can grant power.

'सः इन्द्रः मां मेधया स्पृणोतु'—May Indra bless me with medha (intelligence and intellectual power). Indra is addressed as अमृतस्य देव (O Deva of immortality). अमृतस्य धारणो भूयासम् refers to dhaarana shakti, or the ability to retain knowledge. Dhaaranam means to keep and support knowledge within oneself, just as clothes are supported by the body. First, we hear knowledge (shravanam), and then we must retain it (dhaaranam), ensuring it stays with us permanently.