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Prayer of the Day

Prayer from Rig Veda

ऋषि    :    औचत्यॊ दीर्घतमा
दॆवता    :    विश्वॆदॆवाः
छन्दस्    :    त्रिष्टुप

ॐ

द्वा सु॑प॒र्णा स॒युजा॒ सखा॑या समा॒नं वृ॒क्षं परि॑ षस्वजातॆ ।
तयॊ॑र॒न्यः पिप्प॑लं स्वा॒द्वत्त्यन॑श्नन्न॒न्यॊ अ॒भि चा॑कशीति ॥ १. १६४.२० ॥

ॐ

Mantra as Romanized text

 
RuShi    :    Auchatyo Dirghatama
Aspect Hailed:    Vishvedevah
Chandas    :    Trishtup

Om

dvA suparNA sayujA sakhAyA samAnaM vRukShaM pari ShasvajAtE |
tayOranyaH pippalaM svAdvattyanashnannanyO abhi cAkashIti || 1. 164.20 ||

( dvA suparNA sayujA sakhAyA samAnaM vRukShaM pariShasvajAtE |
tayOH anyaH pippalaM svAd atti anashnan anyO abhicAkashIti || )

Om

Meaning of the Prayer Mantra:

 Two glorious birds together and intimate reside on the same tree.
Among them, one tastes the fruits; The other looks on (or shines without eating).

 Notes: 

1. suparNa - birds; sayujA - together; sakhAyA - companion; sashvajat - live;
pippala - fig; svAdu - delicacy; atti - eater; anashnan - eats; abhicAkshIti - Looks on / shines.

2. A phylosophically fundamental mantra that describes the nature of the living being and God.
It is explained through a metaphor in this hymn.

3. Explanation of the Metaphor:
The two glorious birds are the living being (us) and the God. 
They are always together. They are intimate too.
The tree they reside on is this body.
One of those birds - the living being - eats the fruits of the tree - that is enjoys the external pleasures and pains.
The other bird - that is God - does not have enjoyment of the external pleasures, but is always Splendid!

4. Key philosophical conclusions from this manta:
a. In the body there are two beings - one the life and the other the Divine.  (samAnaM vRukShaM pariShasvajAtE)
b. Both the living being and the God are special - they both have intelligence (one semi-intelligent and the other completely intelligent) (suparNa) 
c. They are always together (God never leaves out the living being.) (sayujA)
d. They are intimate - They are so intimate that it is very difficult to find the two distinct beings. (sakhAya)
e. The living being enjoys the fruits of the tree - the creation - the external pleasures and pains. 
Or in other words, the life is dependent for its enjoyment. 
(Interestingly both in the bonded state or in liberated state c.f. uta amRutatvasya IshanO yat annEna atirohati) 
(tayOH anyaH pippalaM svAd atti anashnan)
f. God is not dependent on anything else and is ever Blissful. (anyO abhicAkashIti )

4. There is a very nice Thirumanthiram on the similar lines:
அன்னம் இரண்டுள ஆற்றங் கரையினில்;
துன்னி இரண்டும் துணைப் பிரியா; தன்னந்
தனிநிலை அன்னம் தனிஒன்று; அது என்றக்கால்
பின்ன மட அன்னம் பேறணுகாதே
  
5. c.f. உண்ணாது உறங்காது இருந்தாய் போற்றி - அப்பர்

6. This mantra also appears in the Mundakopanishad.