श्री गणपती अथर्वशीर्ष has a part in which one asks Lord Ganesh to protect us from various directions. It seems ritualistic at first glance, but like most Sanskrit Upanishads, there are layers and layers that can be uncovered and the details within nuances are rich and carry a lot of encoding.
अव पश्चात्तात्। (Protect me from the back)
अव पुरस्तात्। (Protect me from the front)
अवोत्तरात्तात्। (Protect me from the north)
अव दक्षिणात्तात्। (Protect me from the south)
अव चोर्ध्वात्तात्। (Protect me from above)
अवाधरात्तात्। (Protect me from below)
सर्वतो मां पाहि पाहि समन्तात् | (Protect me from all sides)
Let us uncover the layers of the first line अव पश्चात्तात् । अव means protect, पश्चात्तात् means from the back or from behind. There is also a play on पश्चिम – the west – in पश्चात्तात्. I am standing facing the east – east is in front and west is to my back. North is to my left and south is to my right. So अव पश्चात्तात् means protect me from the back and also protect me from the west. As one saw earlier, who will protect and from whom/what? I will protect myself because Ganapati is internalised and I am Ganapati.
1) अव पश्चात्तात् – protect me from the back. As I am standing in the present, what is there behind me? Behind me is the sum total of my experiences and the habits and behaviours of my past. Where I am standing is the sum over my history of choices made, decisions taken and paths chosen.
How I see the world today is coloured by my experiences and even though I have experience of less than 0.00000000000000001% of the world’s events, these events that I was part of make up 100% of my experience. I am blinded in a way by the insignificance of my experiences. However, I think this is how the world works.
For eg., I feel that the best way to write is with a fountain pen, the best speed to drive on Mumbai Pune Highway is 100 kmph, the best food is made at my home and mathematics is joyful and there is a significant time left in my life to create something new. All of this is relational.
My logic is actually a set of pre-conceived notions, a mishmash of biases that worked for me. Or didn’t in some particular instance. Everyday, I will stop looking at the world a little less out of curiosity and newness and a little more coloured from my experiences. I will be also burdened by habits and expectations and a world-view that is unique to me only.
However, each coming moment is new and I must protect this coming moment from the above burdens by being aware of what I carry. By being aware, I can put everything down in the past where it belongs and learn and also unlearn at the same time.
2) अव पश्चात्तात् – protect me from the west. The Dikpala or guardian deity of the west is Varuna. Varuna is the upholder of morals and law. Varuna is also the god of the Oceans and is depicted riding a makara. In present day parlance, Varunadeva is Head of the departments of Governance and Audit. To protect myself from the Head of Governance and Audits, I must ensure that my processes (habits) are in line with my inner compass and inner scoreboard. I must be aware of my actions and must take responsibility for my decisions and choices in a manner that I can stand before Varunadeva and be appauded by him.
अव पश्चात्तात् – a small phrase of 2 words, but it is encoded with so much beauty and is made up of vast depths (literally beacuse it references the god of the Ocean) in which one can keep on plunging in to come out cleaner after every dive.