Meaning -
The face of truth is covered by a golden veil. The veil is removed by the Lord of golden glory. The life and light that shines in the sun is that Supreme Purusha. That is there, and that is here in me. Om is the saviour. Om is Brahma, Brahma is infinite, sublime. Swami Dayananda has accepted this version of Yajurveda chapter 40. There is another version, which is also accepted as Ishopanishad, and that has eighteen mantras. That version from mantra 15 to mantra 18 is given below: 15. The face of truth is covered with a golden veil (the veil of Prakrti). That veil, O Lord preserver and promoter of life, unveil so that we may see the Truth and eternal Dharma. 16. Lord giver of life and protection, universal guide, eternal light, lord of creation, Sole Lord, one and absolute, universal Eye, seer omniscient, gather up your light for me. The splendour that is yours is the most auspicious and sublime form I see. The light that shines in the sun is the Purusha. That is there, That is in me. 17. The end of the body is ash. The breath of life goes to eternal energy. The soul is immortal. O soul, remember Om. Remember your karma. Lord of yajna, agent of karma, remember the actions performed. 18. Agni, light of life, lead us on by the right path to the wealth of life. Brilliant lord omniscient of all laws and ways of existence, and all our thoughts and deeds, remove from us all sin and crookedness. We sing songs of celebration in praise of you. Homage to you again and again Note: In the Vaidic tradition of religious studies, thought and practice specially after Swami Shankaracharya, three works have been prominent. They are: Vedanta Sutras, Upanishads, and the Gita. The three together are known as Prasthana-trayi, and summed up as ‘Vedanta’ in popular parlance. And Vedanta is sometimes understood to be an ‘End of the Vedas’, a ‘take off’ and even a substitute for the Vedas. For the information of the dedicated readers it is important to mention that: 1. The Vedanta Sutras are an extensive commentary on the closing words of Yajurveda. The closing words of Yajurveda are: Om Kham Brahma. And the opening words of Vedanta Sutras are: Athato Brahma Jijnasa Which means: And now, an enquiry into the nature of Brahma. Clearly the Vedanta Sutras are an extensive act of meditation on the open-ended close of Yajurveda. Similarly Mandukyopanishad also is an expansive act of meditation on OM, the first of the closing words quoted above and Yajurveda (40, 15): Om Krato Smara. 2. Chief among Upanishads for the common reader are Ishopanishad and Mandukyopanishad. Ishopanishad is a literal version of the closing chapter of Yajurveda, and Mandukya, an act of meditation on OM. 3. The Gita is a call to action, an extensive commentary on the second mantra of the closing chapter of Yajurveda: Prasthana-trayi thus is neither the ‘End of the Vedas’, nor a substitute, nor a take off. Each work is a continuation of Vedic studies in its own context of meditation, meditative teaching, and a rousing call to action in a situation of karmic crisis. The three are, thus, not a departure from the Vedas, they are a homage to the Vedas.