Prayer of the Day

Prayer from Shvetashvatara Upanishad

ॐ

कालः स्वभावॊ नियतिर्यदृच्छा
    भूतानि यॊनिः पुरुष इति चिन्त्या ।
संयॊग एषां नत्वात्मभावा-
    दात्माप्यनीशः सुखदुःखहॆतॊः ॥ २ ॥

ॐ 

Hymn as Romanized text

 
Om

kAlaH svabhAvO niyatiryadRuchChA
    bhUtAni yOniH puruSha iti chintyA |
saMyOga eShAM natvAtmabhAvA-
    dAtmApyanIshaH sukhaduHkhahEtOH || 2 ||

(kAlaH svabhAvO niyatiH yadRuchChA
    bhUtAni yOniH puruSha iti chintyA |
saMyOga eShAM na tu AtmabhAvAt
    AtmA api anIshaH sukhaduHkha hEtOH || )

Om 

Meaning of the Prayer Hymn:

 If we analyse - the time, the nature, the evolution, 
by chance, based on the elements, or by an intelligent design -
all of the above cannot instill life. 
The life also is not a master of its own and prone to joy and sorrow.

(So, the cause is Ishvara, the Master).

 Notes: 

1. yadRuchChA - by chance; hetu - cause.

2. This hymn addresses the first quesion asked in the previous hymn - What is the cause?

Now, the cause for world is analysed. There are multiple options possible.

Is it time? Did the time create the world? 

Is it the nature? i.e. none created the world, it just existed.

Is it the evolution? Did this world in the process of evolution came into existance?

Or is it just a chance? Just some accidental event created it?

Is it born out of the five elements - space, air, fire, water, earth?

Or was there design done to create?

All the above a bonafide questions that one could think of as to what is the cause.

3. If we think deep, none of the above could be the answer. The key reason being,
it is not a dumb world created. There are lives all around in this. Those cannot have
come into existence by any of the means above. 

Then comes a question. Can the life have been the cause? It cannot.
Because the life itself is not independent or the master of its own.
It is subjected to the joy and sorrow from others.

4. From all the above, the answer the Upanishad gives us is,
"There is an Ishvara, Who is the cause."

The hymns that follow talk more about that Ishvara.