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.