उपचारनिवेदन मन्त्रम्The mantras for offering
Verse 231
गन्धतन्मात्रया सृष्टा येन गन्धधरा धरा । तस्मै परात्मने तुभ्यं परमं गन्धमर्पये ॥ २३१ ॥
gandhatanmātrayā sṛṣṭā yēna gandhadharā dharā | tasmai parātmanē tubhyaṁ paramaṁ gandhamarpayē || 231 ||
Translation
"To you, the Supreme Self, by whom through the subtle element of smell the earth was made the bearer of smell, I offer this finest perfume."
Word by word
- gandha
- of smell
- tanmātrayā
- through the subtle element
- sṛṣṭā
- was made
- yēna
- by whom
- dharā
- the bearer; the earth
- tasmai
- to that
- parātmanē
- Supreme Self
- tubhyaṁ
- to you
- paramaṁ
- finest
- gandham
- perfume
- arpayē
- I offer
Meaning
In the Sāṅkhya account, earth arises from the tanmātra of smell, and smell is its own quality. Offering perfume returns the quality to its source. The commentary glosses "dharā" as the earth.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
"Gandhatanmātrayā" and the rest. Dharā: the earth. With this mantra he should give sandal paste (gandha) to the deity.