Essentials of the Upanishads If you are unfamiliar with Vedanta, please consider reading the Dvaita FAQ to get somebackground. Sanskrit words are indicated by maroon coloring, and thespelling largely follows ITRANSconvention, except for some commonly-used words/terms/names. Table of Contents: Introduction Place of Upanishads in Vedanta Central Theme of the Upanishads Canons of Interpretation Methodology of the Upanishads Delineation of a Supreme Lord is the CentralTheme IshAvAsyopanishhad (Available for download.) Kenopanishhad KaThakopanishhad MaaNDuukyopanishhad AtharvaNopanishhad ShhaTprashnopanishhad Taittiriiyopanishhad  Introduction The Upanishads have been perennial sources of spiritual knowledge. Theword upanishhad means secret andsacred knowledge. This word occurs in the Upanishads themselves inmore than a dozen places in this sense. The word also means "Textsincorporating such knowledge." There are ten principal Upanishads. Other than these, a few more like Shvetaashwatara and KaushiTaki arealso considered important. Though it is known that even before Sri Shankara, commentaries were written on theUpanishads, these have been lost. Sri Shankara's commentaries on theprincipal Upanishads are the earliest available. Sri Ramanuja has notwritten any commentaries on them, but a later disciple SriRangaramanuja has written them. SriMadhvacharya has written commentaries (bhaashya-s) on the ten principal Upanishads.Interpretation of passages from these and other Upanishads is alsodiscussed by him in his Suutra-Bhaashya, which is mainly about theinterpretation of Shruti texts and also in his other major works likeAnu-vyaakhyaana, Vishnu-tatva-vinirNaya, and Tattvodyota. Place of Upanishads in Vedanta Modern thinkers generally hold that the earliest literature of India isthe Vedas, of which Rg Veda was the first to be composed. These werehymns in praise of nature gods, which emphasised ritualism and hadlittle philosophic content. Some have even attempted statisticalanalysis of the number of times individual god names were taken up forpraise and concluded that Vishnu , later extolled as the Supreme God,has fewer hymns than the more common Indra, Agni and Varuna. Subsequentcompositions called braahmaNa-s andaraNyaka-s both in verse and prosecontain attempts in explaining philosophical and cosmologicalquestions. Upanishads were composed next in order and contain thehighest flights of philosophical speculation in Vedantic thought. Whileperhaps it is comforting to reduce the entire source material ofVedanta philosophy into a well ordered scheme which the modern mind caneasily understand, there are serious discrepancies in this theory.Vedantins who profess the Vedic streams of all hues have traditionallybelieved that the Vedas and Vedanta literature is apaurushheya, not composed by anyone(including God) and hence beginningless and eternal. Even the name usedfor the Vedas for thousands of years of human memory -- Shrutiindicates this fact, which is also justified by rigorous logic. Farfrom being a collection of disjointed hymns, which the Vedas are madeout to be by people ignorant of them, there is in them a thread ofunity of thought, in describing a Supreme Being, who is different andwho is the inner controller of all other beings , including the socalled nature gods. The artificial division of the mass of Vedicliterature into karma kaaNDa (dealingwith rituals) and j~nAna kANDadealing with Philosophy is untenable, in the context of the three foldinterpretation of the Vedas, explained for the first time by Sri Madhva, in his Rgbhashya. According to Madhva, the BrahmaSuutra's OM gatisAmAnyAt.h OMclearly indicates the decided position of its author, Veda Vyaasa, thatall the Vedas, believed to be infinite in extent, have eka-vaakyata unity in stating the conclusion. Be as that as may, the ten principal Upanishads contain the essence ofthe philsophical teaching of the entire Vedic religion. The BrahmaSuutra, composed by Veda Vyaasa, accepted as the authority for thecorrect interpretation of the Vedas refers to a number of well knownUpanishadic texts and gives clues regarding their correct andconsistent interpretation. All the different founders of Vedantaschools have started from the basic position of the infallibility ofthe Vedas, Upanishads and the Brahma Suutra and have tried to justifythe claims that their own conclusions are in accordance with them. Back to top Central Theme of the Upanishads Sri Shankaracharya and some of his modern followers take Monism orAtmaikya, and Absolutism or nirguNa-brahmavaada to be the central theme ofUpanishads. Consequently, Idealism or the world being merely aprojection, which is unreal, is also taken to be a tenet of theUpanishads. Thus upaasanaa (worship)and bhakti (devotion) are relegatedto a secondary position, being needed only up to a point in thespiritual evolution of the soul. Liberation, the final goal ofspiritual development becomes less attractive, as the seeker loses hisown identity in his merger with the Absolute. The entire process ofCreation delineated with such great care in the Upanishads is reducedto a mere illusion. Texts describing Brahman, the Supreme Being, assarvaj~na (all knowing), sarva-shaktimaan (All Powerful) are alsorelegated to be descriptions of Ishwara or the Saguna Brahman, who isalso a product of the universal Avidya, while Brahman is actuallynirguNa or without any attributes inabsolute reality. Some of the richest material in the Upanishadsdelineating the glory of God, the process of creation, prescribingdifferent methods of upaasanaa,Eschatology, recommending meditation, devotion etc. have to berelegated to a secondary position, as they are essentially dealing withthe machinations of the unreal Avidya, which vanishes into "nothing,"when the soul is liberated and discovers its identity with the formlessand attributeless Brahman. In other words, much of Upanishadic textsare worthless and untrue in the domain of the final reality. On theother hand, a few passages are elevated to decisive importance, as theycan be interpreted, in a limited sense, to convey Monism. Anyone whohas an acquaintance with the deep and mystical atmosphere conjured upby the Upanishads can not accept this position. The central theme ofthe Upanishads is not Monism but Monotheism, the concept of an allpervasive, immanent supreme being. He is not nirguNa (attributeless), but is guNaparipuurNa -- full of all possibleauspicious qualities. The very word brahma indicates this basic delineation of theSupreme Lord. Such a theme brings all the rest of the passages in theUpanishads into proper focus and makes them fully meaningful andessential for the aspirant. All of them will contribute in one way orthe other to the development of this central theme and none of themwill look secondary or suprefluous. In the larger context of theVedanta, as a whole, the Vedas, Brahmana-s, Aranyakas, Upanishads andthe great Epics which include the other Prasthaana texts -- BhagavadGita and the Brahma Suutraare woven into a glorious tapestry of the indescribable but realizable,fathomless but understandable glory of the Supreme Person, who has beenextolled by great devotees in all Bhakti compositions. The artificialconcept of two Brahmans, Saguna and Nirguna simultaneously existing,though totally different in essence, created by Monism to explain awaythe wealth of texts describing the glory of the Lord is done away with,with a simple explanation of nirguNabeing One who completely transcends the three guNa-s -- sattva, rajas and tamas constituting prak.rti, which is responsible for the worldas we know it. Back to top Canons of Interpretation It is not very difficult to decide between guNaparipuurNa and nirguNa Brahman being accepted as the purportof the Upanishads. There are well-known canons of interpretations,priority and preference laid down for the purpose, which are acceptedas valid by all schools. These are: upakrama, upasamhaara, etc. -- 6 determinatives ofpurport. Shruti, Linga, etc. -- 6 aids for fixing the meanings. saavakaasha and niravakaasha position of Shruti-s. upajiivya and upajiivaka position of pramaaNa-s, to accord preference. However, the Niravakaashatva and Upajiivyatva criteria are not strictlyfollowed in the Advaita tradition, leading to undue priority beingaccorded therein to Monistic-looking texts or passages, and therelegating of others to secondary positions. This has led to anothercriteria being evolved by the Advaita school, viz., tatvaavedaka and atatvaavedaka. These are defined as passageswhich expound the final truth or a tentative position, which is shownto be incorrect after due examination. Such a basis would have to beprimarily arbitrary, as it seperates the innately valid Shruti-s intotwo groups depending on whether they appear to support Advaita orotherwise. There is nothing available in the Shruti-s themselves todetermine this, and to decide on the classification on the basis of thepurport of the Shrutis, which is yet to be determined is admittedlyinvalid. Another basis relied upon by Advaita, to relegate a group ofShruti-s to a secondary position is that they are anuvaadaka. Any Shruti text which appears tospeak of something that can be known from some other valid means suchas pratyaksha (direct cognition) isgiven this handicap and considered as inferior in value to one, whichcan be known only by Shruti pramANa. In fact, this is the exactopposite of even the modern concept of evidence, which considerscorroboration as a factor which strengthens the evidentiary value,particularly when each source has independently concluded the same. Inview of these adverse features, these criteria peculiar to Advaita arenot accepted by other commentators. Sri Madhva has shown in his compositions, especially in his BrahmaSuutra Bhaashya, Anu-vyaakhyaana and other Suutra-prasthaanacompositions that application of these principals de novo, without anybias, to the Upanishads yields only a guNaparipUrNa Brahman and not theattributeless nirguNa Brahman ofAdvaita. Back to top Methodology Of The Upanishads The Upanishads have their own unique style. Their exposition is in four different ways: Dialogue with questions and answers. Narration and episodes. Similes, metaphors and illustrations. Symbolism. Normally, it is not difficult to ascertain the purport of the texts inthe first two types. In some cases, the questions and answers are ofthe reductio-ad-absurdum type and the correct conclusion has tobe drawn. In the cases 3 and 4, it is more difficult to ascertain thepurport, as which aspect or shade of meaning of the simile orillustration is being used to illustrate the meaning. However, cluesare available in the wording of similes etc and also in the followingpassages. These have been exploited effectively by Sri Madhva in his interpretations.Symbolisms employed by the Upanishads are essentially of 3 types --Nature symbolism, sacrifices and sacrificial items used as symbols, andmystic sound syllables such as Aum being used as symbols. These needcareful study. Many symbols, similies, illustrations, and episodes arerepeated in different Upanishads, sometimes with slight changes. A goodmany verses are also repeated. The correct meaning can be derived byapplying the supreme test of consistency to the different occurences,in addition to the other criteria mentioned earlier. The Brahma Suutra indicates three main guidelines to understand the purport of the Upanishads: tattu samanvayaat.h -- The totalmaterial available on the point of study in the entire Shrutiliterature has to be taken into account and interpreted correctly byapplying the canons of interpretation. gati samaanyaat.h -- All theShruti literature have the same purport and apparent contradictions areresolved by proper study and interpretation. sarvavedaantapratyayam.h -- Theunderlying purport of the Upanishads is found to be one consistenttruth, which when understood fully will lead to God-realization. It is only the lack of utilisation of the guidelines fully andproperly that has led many commentators to derive Monism andAbsolutism out of Vedanta. Traditional monistic commentators had acommitted approach towards "proving" their school irrespective of theactual correct meanings derived from Vedanta texts. Modernneo-Vedantic scholars have very limited equipment in terms ofknowledge and intelligence with which to exhaustively use the criticalapparatus, and have hence made a thorough mess in theirinterpretations, which often conflict with or misinterpret thepositions adopted by the senior scholars whose lead they are supposedto be following. Back to top Delineation Of A Supreme Lord Is The CentralTheme The central theme of Upanishads is Monotheism or the delineation of aSupreme Being as the cardinal principle of the universe. This isdesignated as Brahman, Atman, Akshara, Akaasha, PraaNa, etc. In theUpanishads, Akaasha and PraaNa can also mean the element Akaasha, thedeity Vayu etc. The meaning applicable in a particular text has to bederived with the help of attributes mentioned therein. The SupremePrinciple is described as the Creator, Sustainer, Regulator, Destroyer,Enlightener and Liberator of all. It is also the one and onlyIndependent Principle upon which all other entities are dependent. Itis Immanent and Transcendent. It admits of contradictory features ofeveryday experience being present in it simultaneously -- aNu (atomic) and mahat.h (infinite), etc. Being Infinite inall respects, it cannot be comprehended by anyone completely. It hasno drawbacks or blemishes of any kind. It directs all and is notdirected or constrained by anyone. It is absolutely independent in itsvery nature and essence, functions and comprehension and innateunlimited bliss, none of which need any element external to it for itscompleteness. All others derive their limited qualities and capacitiesfrom it. It is thus described as Sat, Chit and Ananda in its essentialnature. The features of the Supreme Lord are described almost in allthe Upanishads. PraaNa occupies an important place in the Upanishadsnext only to the Supreme being. The Chhaandogya and ShaTprashnaUpanishads, in particular, bring out the role of PraaNa, who is Hischief aide and is superior to all other deities. He is howevereternally and completely subservient to Lord Vishnu, the Supreme being. Upanishads clearly distinguish between the Supreme Being and othersouls. Their basic differences which are in their essential natureitself are contrasted in several texts. The metaphor of the two birds,one reaping the fruits of its past deeds and the other not doing so isfound more than once. The Causus-belli of the Upanishads -- to enablethe souls to attain liberation by the grace of God, would be totallyincongruent and lost, if they have no locus standi in their essentialnature as distinct fron the world and the Lord. Upanishads are alsoclear about the reality of the external world (other than the souls)and state it clearly more than once. prakrti or primordial Nature is the materialcause of the world, while God is the efficient cause. The text eka vij~nAnena sarvavij~nAna does not supportthe Vivarta theory of Advaita, which reduces the external world to anunreal state in essence. A number of upaasana-s are described. The importance ofshravana, manana etc. Is stressed. The need of vairaagya (detachment from material entities),bhakti (devotion towards the Lord),etc., for the aspirant in his efforts to achieve salvation isdelineated. The doctrine of prasaada(God's grace) is mentioned more than once. Eschatology is describedthrough texts explaining devaayaNaand pitraayaNa. Thus all that isnecessary to pursue the spiritual path is covered in the Upanishads.With a view to give a more detailed picture of the contents of each ofthese Upanishads, a summary of the subjects dealt with along withessential points in each is now given under separate headings. Back to top IshAvAsyopanishhad [Download]the E-Book (ISBN 0-9703421-2-8); includes the commentary, with twolevels of subcommentary, and a separate gloss, all in the originalSanskrit, each by a renowned scholar of the tradition. Includes Table of Contents, Foreword by Prof. D. Prahladacharya,Preface, a translation ofthe Upanishad into English, indices, footnotes. This Upanishad belongs to the Vaajaseneyi Samhita of the Shukla(White) Yajur Veda and forms the last chapter of this Samhita. It isalso called a Mantropanishad, as it forms a part of a Samhitâ.Central ThemeThe IshAvAsya has the central theme of extolling the sarva-vyaapakatva (all pervasiveness) andsarva-niyaamakatva (all regulating)nature of the Supreme Lord. These are mentioned in the very firstexpression used in the Upanishad -- IshAvAsyam, which not only conveys Hisall-pervasiveness but also that He controls all. The next phrase used-- yat.h kincha jagatyAM jagat.h-- makes this more clear. This phrase tells us that all the things inthe world are in Prakrti and dependent upon it. Prakrti itself isdependent upon Him. Hence the Lord alone is independent and all othersare dependent upon Him. This point is stressed in verses 6 and 7,where in the Lord's presence and control in all things is brought out.In order to bring home these two characteristics of the Lord, theUpanishad gives a full exposition of the concepts. Two requirementsfor a seeker to know the Lord are also mentioned -- vairaagya, brought out by the phrase "tenatyaktena bhunjiitha" -- accept with equanimity what ever is given byHim, and vihita karmanushhThaana,brought out by kurvanneveha karmaaNi.Nature of GodThe Unique nature of the Supreme is explained in the verses anejadekam ...," etc. (verses 4 to 8). He iseverywhere. He is near and yet also far away. He is within andwithout. He moves but does not move. These apparently contradictoryattributes reveal his achintya shakti-- unthinkable ability. He has no praak.rta body, either subtle or gross. He iseternal, free from defects. He is a "sarvaj~na" (knows everything). He regulates all. He has truly created this real world.Vidya & AvidyaThose who do not know correctly the nature of the Lord will go down tothe worlds of misery. One has to have the right knowledge (vidyA) and not only avoid wrong knowledge(avidyA), but should also condemn andrefute it. Not condemning knowledge known to be wrong is more sinfulthan not having right knowledge. Both acquiring vidyA and condemning avidyA serve their respective purposes inleading to Liberation. Similarly, it is also necessary to know that Heis a Creator and Destroyer. Knowing Him as Creator only is sinful.PrayerAt its end, the Upanishad contains a beautiful prayer -- hiraNmayena patreNa -- wherein the devoteeappeals to the Supreme to reveal His nature to him. A number ofpratiika-s (symbols) are alsomentioned -- Suurya maNDala, Yama, Prajaapati, etc. Each devotee isexpected to meditate upon Lord in a pratiika suitable to him. Thepassage yo asau asau purushhaHteaches the most important doctrine that the Supreme Lord present inall the pratiika-s and in the devoteehimself is one and the same. Both from the context and the words usedin the prayer, it is apparent that no Identity between the devotee andLord is intended. The word ahaM isused in the sense of asmadantaryAmi-- the Lord immanent in my heart. The second asau refers also to Mukhya PraaNa -- it meansMukhya PraaNa, in whom Lord is specially present. The words ahaM and asmi refer to the Lord with special meanings.ahaM means aheyaM -- that which is never capable of beingseparated, while asmi means beingalways present and to be known. Upanishads use a code language toconvey special meanings. Thus, both by way of normal construction oflanguage and the special construction, the phrase yo asau asaudescribes His everywhere, which is the main theme of the Upanishad.Finally the devotee appeals to the Deity to remove the contamination ofbandhaka karma (results of past deedswhich bind him to the world) and to provide him with svarUpa j~nAna (innate knowledge) to revealhis true nature. This is one of the best prayers found in theUpanishads, deep in its spiritual content and exciting in its poeticappeal. This Upanishad has three special features. The Referent described here is fully Theistic. Reality of the world is expressly mentioned. An active life with performance of prescribed Karmas is given importance. Escape from one's duty is not accepted. Back to top Kenopanishhad This belongs to the Talavakara Brahmana of the Saama Veda and is alsocalled Talavakaropanishad.Central ThemeThis Upanishad which is in the form of a dialogue between ChaturmukhaBrahma and Sadashiva, and brings out the sarva-prerakatva (controller of all others),sarvottamatva (superiority over allelse) and sakalyena avedyatva(Unknowable in its entirety) of the Supreme Person. Who Directs Us? The Upanishad asks three questions at the outset: Who directs the mind towards its good or bad objects? Who directs Mukhya PraaNa to discharge his duties? Who directs the senses -- eye, ear, etc., towards the respective objects? All these questions have but a single answer. He who gives the powerof seeing to the eye, hearing to the ear, thinking to the mind andpower to move to PraaNa directs their respective activities. He isevidently the Supreme God. Those who realise that He is the directorof the mind, senses and even of Mukhya PraaNa, will attain liberation.This takes us to the question of the nature of God. The Supreme Is Infinite And Therefore Cannot Be FullyComprehendedGod is beyond the reach of the senses, beyond words and even beyond themind. Being Infinite, He cannot be brought within the compass oflimited knowledge. One cannot know how He directs the senses, mind,etc. However, He does not remain altogether unknown, but is notcompletely known because of His infinite nature. He is unique, distinctfrom and Superior to all known things manifest or unmanifest. Hecannot be known through speech, mind, eyes, etc., but knows all that isknown through these and regulates them. He is immanent in all thejiiva-s and directs them, but He isnot identical to them. Those who think that they know Him fully do not really know Him, asthey have not comprehended His Infinite nature. On the other hand,those who think that they do not know Him fully, know Him, as theyhave realised His Infinite nature. The knowledge of God to the best ofone's ability is adequate for one's salvation. The presence of God as the Inner resident and controller of all isbrought out by an interesting story of ahaMkaarakhaNDana (humbling the pride) ofAgni, Nasikya Vayu and Indra in this Upanishad. Tapas, Dama And Karma -- Means Of Spiritual ProgressThe Upanishad concludes its teaching by stating that tapas (penance), dama (subduing the senses) and karma (prescribed action) are the means toobtain spiritual knowledge. The Vedas, Vedangas and Mimamsa constitutethe source Literature of philosophical inquiry. The exposition of the sarva-prerakatva and the sarvottamatva of the Supreme Lord is the keynote of this Upanishad. Back to top KaThakopanishhad This belongs to Taittiriiya Shaakhaa of the Krishna Yajur Veda and isin the form of a dialogue between Yama and Nachiketas.Central ThemeThe Upanishad explains that God regulates the souls even after deathand Liberation. Though the Kena also states that God regulates all thesouls, the question whether He does so during Transmigration or evenafter Liberation is not specifically raised. In the KaThaka, it isanswered in the affirmative. Yama offers Nachiketas three boons as a compensation for having kepthim waiting for three days at his door. Nachiketas asks for the followingthree boons: Three Boons Asked by Nachiketas: Let my father be freed from anger towards me, let his calm berestored and let him recognize me when I return. Teach me the nature of the Supreme God Hari, also bearing the nameof Agni (Agninaamaka Paramaatma), who can bestow the immortal world tothose who worship Him by performing the Nachiketas sacrifice. Teach me the nature of the Supreme God, who controls the soulsafter death and Liberation. The first boon was simple and readily granted by Yama. He also grantedthe second boon being pleased with Nachiketa's wisdom and devotion andalso taught Nachiketas the practice of sacrifice through Nachiketaagni.In fact, this Agni, earlier known as svargyaagni (Agni who leads the soul to the immortal world) wasrenamed on account of Yama's boon. Even the Sacrifice was renamedafter Nachiketas. The discussion around the third and most important boon granted byYama is the central theme of this Upanishad. Yama tries at first todissuade Nachiketas from asking this question, by offering him manytemptations such as wealth, progeny, kingship, etc. Nachiketassteadfastly refused all these offers and insisted on knowing whetherGod regulates the souls even after death and Liberation. Nature Of The Third BoonSome commentators have interpreted the third question of Nachiketas as:Is there a soul after death? This interpretation in obviouslyincorrect. Nachiketas, having already died and arrived at the doors ofthe god of death, cannot have a doubt whether a soul exists afterdeath, when his own experience is available. Though there can be adoubt in this context whether Nachiketas reached Yamaloka dead oralive, it is clearly stated in the Taittiriiya BraahmaNa, where thefull story is given, that he was dead and reached Yamaloka. Othercircumstances such as Nachiketas father performing Visvajid yaaga to attain heaven, etc., also show thatcontinuity of the soul after death is not being questioned here. Eventhe second boon of Nachiketas leading to the renaming of Svargya Agniconfirms the same belief. Therefore, the third question cannot be "Isthere a soul after death," but "Are the souls regulated by God afterdeath and Liberation?" This question is specially relevant for the period after Liberation,as some systems do not accept even the separate existence of soulsafter Liberation, while some accept equality of the souls with Godafter it. shreyas and preyas Yama congratulates Nachiketas on his steadfastness in obtaining sacredknowledge and sets the distinction between shreyas and preyas -- the Good and the Pleasant. Normalworldly interests such as family, property, etc., constitute the secondcategory, while interest in God is the first. Yama expresses hishappiness that Nachiketas has chosen shreyas. Theism Of The UpanishadYama makes it clear that God knowledge cannot be obtained only by logicor learning the scriptures. It is God who chooses the deserving andgives them His vision. The statement yamevaeshha vR^iNute, embodying this principle of God choosing Hisdevotee for revealing Himself, is the cornerstone of Theism and Bhakti. It is clear from this that the Upanishads do not profess Absolutism,but support Theism. The reference to prasaada (grace) in the expression prasiidati may be noted in this connection.The rest of the Upanishad is an excellent exposition of the nature ofGod, the fact of His being a regulator after death and Liberation,necessity of controlling the senses and the methodology of Yoga.Nature Of GodGod's unique nature is aptly explained -- anyatra dharmAt.h anyatra adharmAt.h, etc. The verses asino dUraM vrajati andaNoraNiiyan.h mahato mahiiyAn.h bringout His nature of possessing simultaneous attributes like Movementwithout moving, Atomicity and being Bigger than the biggest, etc.,which are contradictory to each other. ashabdaMasparshaM, etc., brings out His special nature of notpossessing prAk.rta attributes and ofHis being beyond the reach of the Senses like the Eye, Ear, etc. nityo nityAnAM, brings out that He iseternal, and chetanaH chetanAnAMshows that He is the only independent Chetana (Svatantra Chetana). R^itaM pibantau, etc., mentions thatHe is in the heart of all living creatures in two forms -- AtmA and AntarAtmA, and accepts the fruits ofauspicious deeds -- shubhakarmaphala. There is no difference between the Muula(original) and Avatara (incarnation) rUpa-s or forms of the Lord. His attributesare not different in essence from Him. God Regulates Souls At All StatessvapnAntaM jagaritantaM, etc., statesthat He regulates the souls during waking and deep sleep. yathA cha maraNaM prApya states that bhayadasya agniH tApati, etc., shows that theSun, Moon, Wind, Fire, etc., all function under His direction. UrdhvaM prANaM unnayati, etc., statesthat He regulates our breathing. He is resident in our hearts with thedimension of an angushhTha (thumb)and regulates us always -- past, present and future. He is called Hamsa as He is free from all defects and is the essence ofevery thing. His presence in Mukhya PraaNa is special, for variousreasons. He is present in all men, prak.rti, Sky, antariksha, in the senses and everywhere. Heregulates all these entities in all states.Metaphor Of Ashwattha Tree, Fire And Spark, ChariotThe beautiful metaphor of the Ashwattha tree is used to show that Godis the foundation of all. The metaphors of the Fire and Sparks, theWind and its various manifestations are used to show theBimba-pratibimba (Object and Image) relation between God and thesouls. This emphasizes the total dependence of the soul on God, likean image on the object, but does not preach identity between thetwo. The metaphor of the Charioteer, Chariot and Horses is employed tostress the need for regulating the senses.Devataa Taaratamya, Yoga, And Moral PurityDevataa Taaratamya or the Hierarchy of gods is explained to bring outthe supremacy (Sarvottamatva) of the Lord. The Yoga methodology ofcontrolling the breath and the senses is explained. The importance ofsecuring the teaching from a good teacher is also stressed. TheKaThaka also particularly stresses the need for moral probity forspiritual pursuits in the verse naviratodushcharitAt.h, etc. A number of adhikaraNa-s in the Brahma Suutra such as guhAdhikaraNa, vAmanAdhikaraNa, etc., derive their name andsubject matter from KaThakopanishhad. A number of passages from thisUpanishad are referred to in the Suutra-s. These are shown in thekhaNDaartha of Sri Raghavendra Swami in therespective places. The main teachings of the KaThakopanishhad may be summed up as follows: A full exposition of the concept of God. God is the regulator of all even after death or Liberation. The distinction between shreyasand preyas. The importance of moral purity, controlling of senses and certaindetails of Yoga methodology. Back to top MaaNDuukyopanishhad This Upanishad is in four sections. In each, there is a portion inprose, followed by verses which explain and support the points made inprose earlier. Some verses which are considered part and parcel ofthe Upanishad by Sri Madhva, are considered as part of theGaudapada-karika, in the Advaita tradition. B N K Sharma hasdiscussed the controversy whether they form part of the Upanishad indetail in several papers, and has conclusively proved that they areindeed a part. The main points to be noted in this context are: Sri Ramanuja also quotes some of these verses as Shruti and interprets them. A number of Advaita commentators such as Anandagiri, Brahmananda, and Appayya Dixita, etc., also quote these texts as Shruti. Sri Shankara himself quotes these as Shruti elsewhere. It is clear that these form part of the Upanishad text. Gaudapada musthave considered these as his source texts and put them together asAgama-prakaraNa at the commencementof his Karika. The very description of these as Agama-prakaraNa also shows that these were nothis compositions, but were verses revealed to Chaturmukha Brahma(Brahma d.rshhTa). It is noteworthy, that some of these appear to besupportive of Advaita, and the Dvaita tradition would not have takenthe trouble to elevate them to the impregnable status of the Shruti andinterpret them in a different manner, unless they were indeed a part ofthe Upanishad. Meaning of OmkaaraThis Upanishad makes the opening statement that OM means Akshara. Three important points arementioned about OM or Akshara. It is guNapUrNa (full of auspicious attributes),trikAlAtIta (beyond the three modesof time) and Atma or sarvaniyAmaka (controller of all else). Theexpressions sarva and brahma convey guNapUrnatva, and the term akshara conveys trikAlAtItatva. AtmA conveys sarvaniyAmakatva. The implication of trikAlAtItatva is that it does not undergo anymodification or change at any time (shAshvadekaprakAra). shrItatva or Lakshmi also has the samecharacteristic by the grace of God. ayaM AtmA brahma This expression in the second passage means that the guNapUrNa Brahman conveyed by Om and AtmA present in all entities who regulates andcontrols, is one and the same. The word AtmA does not refer to the individual souls,but to God who is immanent in them. akshara or Brahman conveyed by OM, and AtmApresent in all as their inner controller is the same. Thus, God'scharacteristic of sarvaniyAmakatva isbrought out here. The context of giving an exposition of the meaningof Om and the purpose of the statement ayaM AtmAbrahma show that the identity of the jiiva and God is not plausible. On the otherhand, three important characteristics of God, guNapUrNatva, trikAlAtItatva and sarvaniyAmakatva are conveyed with the minimumof words. The Upanishad also clearly explains the correctinterpretation of the words OM,AtmA, Brahman, and akshara, all of which denote Brahman bydescribing Him with His special attributes. Four Forms Of God (conveyed by the syllables of Omkaara)After explaining OM as a whole, theUpanishad proceeds to explain the meaning of each syllable constitutingOm. These are a, u, ma, andnAda, each of which convey one formof God. a conveys Vishva orVaishvanara form of God, which regulates the jiiva, being present in his right eye andenables the Jiva to cognize external objects. This form has the face ofan elephant at the centre and nine human faces on either side --nineteen in all. With 4 arms, 2 legs, and one trunk (of the elephantface), he has 7 limbs (saptAN^ga).u conveys the taijasa form, which is present in the neck andcontrols the dream state. He enables the jiiva to cognize dream objects. This formalso has nineteen faces and seven limbs like the Vishva form. ma conveys Praaj~na form, present in the heart(h.rtkarNika) and regulates deepsleep. This form enables the jiivato cognize its own svarUpa (essence), aj~nAna (primordial ignorance) ,kAla (efflux of time) and sushupti sukha (bliss associated with deepsleep). This form also has 19 faces and seven limbs. Turiya is not Nirguna BrahmanThe fourth form of God, called Turiya Rupa is described in theUpanishad in a sort of a code language. One has to go beyond theliteral meaning to grasp the full significance of the terms used withreference to Turiya. This form present in the centre of the headdescribed by the word nantaHpraj~nA,is contrasted with the other three. He does not control waking, dreamor deep sleep. He does not control the cognition of external objects,dream objects, jiivaswarUpa, aj~nAna, etc. This does not mean that He isneutral or indifferent. He controls the Liberated. The Unliberatedsouls in samsAra therefore cannotrealize, describe, grasp, or otherwise deal with Him in any way. Heremoves mithyAj~nana or erroneousknowledge and helps to put an end to the transmigration of the jiiva. He is called Advaita in this context,as He puts an end to Dvaita (mithyAj~nAna). The negative attributes givenhere have two implications -- To contrast Turiya form of the Lord with the other three Vishva, Taijasa and Praaj~na. To bring out the distinction between comprehension of the Liberated and Unliberated. In view of these facts, the efforts of some commentators to equateTuriya form with Nirguna Brahman do not appear to be correct. Theories of CreationAt the end of the first section, different theories of creation arepostulated and the final view is stated. These are: brahma vibhUti -- creation is amodification or manifestation of Brahman. vivarta -- It is merely aprojection of an illusion like a dream or magic. kAla -- Time is the substratumfor all creation. sR^ishhTi -- Creation is theoutcome of God's will to create. The Upanishad rejects the first three views and affirms the last. TheUpanishad also rejects the views that creation by God has theobjectives of bhogArtha (forenjoyment) or krIDArtha (for sport).The Upanishad holds that it is the very nature of God (svabhAva). God's will to create is because itis His nature to do so. jaganmithyatva Is Not the PurportTwo verses of this Upanishad have given rise to much controversy intheir interpretation. This controversy is discussed in severalcontexts and the untenability of the Advaita interpretation has beenshown in detail. Hence, without going into details, the correctinterpretation will be noted here. I. prapaJNcho yadividyetaThis verse is interpreted as follows -- The erroneous knowledge leading to bondage in the form ofattachment to the body, material wealth, etc. (Called Dvaita here) isnot natural to the soul and independent of God. It can be overcomewith the grace of God. God, who removes it and is understood as suchis called Advaita. The fivefold differences between inert world, souls and God wouldhave been destroyed, if they were created (not natural and eternal). These are not destroyed, but are observed by God, who alone is supreme. II. vikalpovinivarteta, etc.This verse is also interpreted as follows -- The attachment to the body, material wealth etc. even were it to benatural, could be removed by instructions by a proper teacher. Whenone knows the supremacy of God, his erroneous knowledge leading toattachment will be removed. The fivefold differences would have been withdrawn, were they to bethe projections (unreal) of some one else. It is only the ignorant whofail to see Difference. One has to understand the supremacy of God andreality of difference, by receiving proper instructions. These interpretations will remove the erroneous notion that these twoverses state jaganmithyatva. Thissubject is discussed threadbare in the Vishnu-tattva-vinirNaya and othertexts. The main teachings of the MaaNDuukyopanishad can be summed up as: Exposition of the meaning of Omkaara. Explanation of the four forms of God viz. Visva, Taijasa, Praajna and Turiya. |
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