प्रातर्नमामि तमसः परमर्कवर्णं

पूर्णं सनातनपदं पुरुषोत्तमाख्यम् ।

यस्मिन्निदं जगदशेषमशेषमूर्तौ

रज्ज्वां भुजङ्गम इव प्रतिभासितं वै

Line 1

Pratar-Namami – Prataha – in the morning, Namami – salutations. So In the early morning I salute

Tamasaf – Darkness (signifies without any form)

Param-Arka-Varnam –

Parama – Supreme,; Arka- Sun; Varnam – Colour – So Supreme colour of the ray of the sun.

Meaning:

In the morning, I salute the darkness which is without any form and which is of the supreme nature of illumination like the sun. The sun is referred to as the illuminator here just like our atma which illumines the mind. The atma does not have any form and to that supreme Brahman I offer my morning salutations.

Line 2

Poornam – Complete

Sanatanam – Eternal

Padam – Abode

Purshottama – That purusha

Akyam – Called or described as

To that Purusha or Brahman that has an eternal abode and is complete or personifies fullness.

Line 3

Yasmin – In whom

Idam – this

Jagat – world

Asesham – endless

Murtau – formed or having an identity as universe.

In whom this endless world is seemingly formed which we call as universe.

Line 4

Rajjva – Rope

Bhujangam – Snake

Iva – like

Pratibhasa – Appear or manifest

Just like an ignorant person can mistake a rope for snake when he sees actually a rope. But when he switches on the light, he sees that what he saw as snake in darkness is actually a rope. So ignorance is related to darkness and just like the snake disappears in light, likewise, in knowledge our ignorance of the self disappears. This light is the Brahman or the atma.