स्तृणीत बर्हिरानुषग्घृतपृष्ठं मनीषिणः ।
यत्रामृतस्य चक्षणम् ॥ ५ ॥

Strunita Barhir Anushagh Ghritaprishtham Manishinah
Yatramritasya Chakshanam ॥ 5 ॥

Meaning

स्तृणीत (Strunita): Spread, lay out, prepare. Here it does not refer merely to spreading an external grass seat or arranging a place for sitting. It refers to preparing the heart, the inner seat within the house of the human body, where the Divine can be seated. The deeper meaning of “Strunita” is that the mind and heart should be purified, disciplined and developed so that they become capable of receiving divine awareness.

बर्हिः (Barhih): Seat, sacred seat that is spread out; a heart from which inner tendencies have been removed. In Vedic Yajnas, “Barhih” is the sacred seat of sacred grass prepared for the Devas to sit upon. In this mantra it is used in an inner sense. A pure heart from which desires, attachments, old mental tendencies and ego have been removed is the true “Barhih”. The sense of “Udbharhana”, removing or taking away, is also contained in it. Therefore, the heart should be made free from inner tendencies so that it becomes a place where the Divine can dwell.

आनुषक् (Anushak): Without interruption, continuously, always. Purification of the heart is not an action that can be completed once and for all. It is a continuous spiritual discipline. Thoughts, emotions, desires and mental tendencies must be constantly examined and purified. This steady inner practice is emphasised by the word “Anushak”.

घृतपृष्ठम् (Ghritaprishtham): Having a surface that is luminous like clarified butter; possessing purity and radiance. “Ghrita”, clarified butter, is regarded in the Vedas as a symbol of purity, light and sacredness. “Ghritaprishtham” refers to a heart that is luminous, free from impurity and pure. Just as a face cannot be seen clearly in a dirty mirror, divine light cannot manifest in an impure mind. Only a pure and radiant heart can reflect divine grace.

मनीषिणः (Manishinah): The wise; those who govern the mind through intellect; those endowed with discrimination. Those who do not allow themselves to be dragged by the mind, but regulate the mind through the guidance of intellect, are called “Manishinah”. Even if a person has a good body and excellent senses, it is the intellect that directs them in the right direction. Therefore, this mantra calls upon the wise, saying, “Purify your heart so that the Divine may be seated there.”

यत्र (Yatra): Where, in which place. The place referred to here is not an external temple or sacred place; it is the inner realm of the human heart. Although the Divine is present everywhere, the place where the Divine is experienced and realised is the pure heart. “Yatra” refers to that inner sacred place.

अमृतस्य (Amritasya): Of the immortal one; of the imperishable Divine. “Amrita” refers to the deathless and eternal divine truth. Here it refers to the Supreme Being. The Divine, who exists as eternal bliss beyond all impermanent experiences, is “Amritasya”.

चक्षणम् (Chakshanam): Vision, seeing, experience. This does not mean merely the act of seeing with the physical eyes. It means spiritual experience, awareness of the Divine and inner vision. Although the Divine is present everywhere, the heart is the place where the seer, the individual being, becomes awakened and the One who is seen, the Supreme Lord, becomes manifest. When the heart becomes pure, realisation of the Divine takes place. This is “Amritasya Chakshanam”.

Explanation:

This Vedic mantra deeply explains the necessity of purity of the heart in spiritual life and how the vision of the Divine takes place. Using the imagery of external Yajna, sacred seats and worship, it teaches the need to purify the inner world of the human being.

The mantra first says “स्तृणीत (Strunita)”, calling upon one to “spread, lay out and prepare”. This does not merely refer to spreading a grass seat or arranging a seat for a guest. If the human body is considered a house, its heart should be prepared as the seat upon which the Divine can be seated. The mantra teaches that a person should cultivate inner purity so that the mind and heart can be brought to a state capable of receiving divine awareness.

For this reason, the mantra uses the word “बर्हिः (Barhih)”. In Vedic Yajnas, Barhih is the sacred seat of grass spread out for the Devas to sit upon. Here, however, it becomes a profound spiritual metaphor. A heart filled with desires, attachments, ego and old mental tendencies cannot become the dwelling place of the Divine. Removing these tendencies and creating a pure, peaceful and desireless heart is the true “Barhih”. In other words, the place where the Divine should be seated is not outside; it is the inner heart of the human being.

Creating this sacred heart is not an action that can be completed in a single day. Therefore, the mantra says “आनुषक् (Anushak)”, meaning “without interruption and continuously”. The mind is constantly moving through thoughts and desires. Therefore, purification of the heart is not a practice that can be performed once and then abandoned; it is an inner discipline that must continue throughout life. The word emphasises the need to continuously purify thoughts, emotions, desires and habits.

The heart prepared in this manner should be “घृतपृष्ठम् (Ghritaprishtham)”, luminous and pure like clarified butter. In the Vedas, clarified butter is regarded as a symbol of purity, light and divinity. Just as a stained mirror cannot clearly reflect light, an impure mind cannot experience divine light. A pure and radiant heart becomes a sacred platform capable of reflecting divine grace.

For whom is this teaching given? The mantra calls them “मनीषिणः (Manishinah)”, the wise who govern the mind through intellect. Even when a person possesses a good body and powerful senses, the guidance of intellect is necessary to direct them correctly. Only when the mind is not dragged by desires but is regulated through discrimination does the heart become worthy of the Divine. Therefore, the mantra instructs the wise: “Transform your heart into a sacred seat where the Divine can dwell.”

It is such a purified heart that the mantra refers to through “यत्र (Yatra)”, meaning “where”. It is not an external temple or pilgrimage centre; it is the inner world of the human heart. It is true that the Divine pervades everything. He exists in stone, in trees and in all the objects of the world. But there is no conscious “seer” in those objects who experiences Him. In the heart alone there are both: the One who is seen, the Divine, and the one who sees, the individual being. Therefore, the heart is the place where divine experience takes place.

The One who manifests in this heart is “अमृतस्य (Amritasya)”, the immortal and imperishable Supreme Being. All worldly experiences are temporary; they are subject to birth, growth, change and destruction. But the Divine is eternal, blissful and beyond death. This immortal divine truth is referred to by the mantra as “Amrita”.

Experiencing this immortal Supreme Being is “चक्षणम् (Chakshanam)”, vision or realisation. This is not merely seeing with the physical eyes; it is spiritual experience, inner awareness and realisation. When the heart becomes free from impurity, radiant and free from old tendencies, the Divine reveals Himself within it. Then the individual being experiences the divine light. This inner vision is the “Amritasya Chakshanam” spoken of in the mantra.

Thus, this mantra stands as a profound guide for the spiritual life of a human being. It emphasises that inner purity is more important than external rituals. Through knowledge and discrimination, desires and mental tendencies should be removed, and the heart should be purified continuously. For it is in a radiant and pure heart that the vision of the immortal Supreme Being takes place. This is the central teaching of the mantra.

Conclusion:

This mantra deeply teaches that purity of the heart is the foundation of spiritual progress. Just as an external seat is prepared, a human being should transform the heart into a sacred seat where the Divine can be seated. The central message is that inner impurities such as desire, ego and mental tendencies should be removed and a state of mind that is radiant and pure like clarified butter should be continuously cultivated. The mantra teaches that the wise who govern the mind through the guidance of intellect are the true travellers on this inner spiritual path. Although the Divine pervades everywhere, the place where He is experienced and realised is the pure heart. There, the individual being who sees and the immortal Supreme Being who is seen become united in divine experience. Therefore, through continuous inner purification, a heart free from negative tendencies, a radiant state of mind and a life guided by discrimination, a human being can attain divine grace and the realisation of the immortal Supreme Being. This is the profound teaching of this mantra.