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Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 12

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Part 11

5 Preparation

5-7 TaittiriyA Upanishad: SikshA Valli

5-7-1 Anuvaka 2 The Study of Pronunciation Chanting Veda mantras is a spiritual discipline. The science of phonetics defines the rules of pronunciation. If not properly learned, the mistakes will continue for future generations. One must memorize the mantras before chanting; reading from the book is not considered chanting. Learning is complete only when chanting is done from memory. Once memorized, fast chanting is practiced. In ancient times everyone thoroughly studied the Vedas (minimum of 8 years and maximum of 12)., they have various ways of chanting: word by word and words in different sequences: (1) 1-2, 2- 3, 3-4, (2) 1-2-2-1-1-2, (3) 1-2- 2-1-1-2-3-3-2-1-1-2-3-2-3-3-2-2-3-4-4-3-2-2-3-4, etc. While chanting in different permutations and combinations, rules of combination (Sandhi) are applied Thus, every Vedic student is thorough with every letter of the Vedas not just every word. In a ritual, chanting is at a medium pace to make every letter pronounced and heard clearly. While teaching, chanting is slow-paced, so the student correctly catches each letter. There are rules for combining and splitting the letters.

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Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part11

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Part 10

Chapter 5 Preparation

5-6 Prasna Upanishad

5-6-4 Prasna 3.10
Though all the questions have been answered, there is an extended answer for the 4th question. How does the prAna leave the body? As death nears, our thoughts are no longer determined by our will. The willpower becomes weak in old age and the latent tendencies become strong. UdAnA pulls subtle and causal bodies and they enter the next body, the blueprint of which is already available.

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Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 10

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Part 9

Chapter 5 Preparation

5-6 Prasna Upanishad
5-6-1 Prasna 2.1 to 2.8

The subtle body is the most important of the three types of body. In the subtle body, PrAna is the most important. There is no gradation in it. All prAnAs are equally sacred, whether of a human or lower living beings. Meditation on Hiranyagarbha, the cosmic subtle body, is a powerful sAdhanA. There is respect for life which purifies the mind.
The second student, Bhargava asks a set of questions. How many divine principles sustain a living being? How many of them talk about their glory? Which one is the greatest? The teacher Pippalada replies that the divine principles are space, air, fire, water, earth, speech, mind, eye, and ear.

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Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 9

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Part 8

Chapter 5 Preparation
5-5 Mundaka Upanishad
5-5-1 Mundaka 1.1.3 and 1.1.4
Saunaka, the disciple has appropriately approached the teacher Angi and asks him to teach Brahm-vidyA by knowing which everything is known. Saunaka is a householder. A householder is also entitled to receive Brahm-vidyA. In fact, in grihastha Ashrama one learns from life experiences, becomes mature, and then a seeker of Brahm-vidyA. Vedic tradition considers grihastha Ashrama important for the refinement and maturity of the mind especially for developing dispassion and discrimination. It contributes to spiritual growth under certain conditions. Besides fulfilling personal desires in a dharmic way, a person should contribute to society. Five great sacrifices are meant to contribute to society.

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Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 8

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Part 7

5 Preparation

5-3-1 Kaivalya 1 to 4

Sage Asvalanya is a qualified student and he approaches Brahmaji, a qualified teacher, to teach him Brahma-vidyA which is beyond mAyA. It is pursued by noble persons as it destroys all the evils. The Upanishadic message is that both the student and the teacher should be qualified. A student should have four-fold qualifications by practicing karma yoga and upasana yoga. The teacher should have not only knowledge of Brahman, he should be established in Brahman and should possess communication skills. Established in Brahman means his life should conform to Brahm-vidyA. Communication skills are important because Brahman is not an object of knowledge in any conventional sense and is non-communicable and it requires special skills to teach. He should belong to a lineage of teachers and teach what he has learned from his teacher. He is prohibited from imparting a new teaching.

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Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 7

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Part 6

Part 8

Chapter 4 Bandha

4-5 Mundaka Upanishad
4-5-1 Mundaka 1.2.1 to 1.2.10
In the first section of the first chapter, the Upanishad has introduced two types of knowledge, namely, lower knowledge and higher knowledge. The higher knowledge leads to freedom. We will see details in Chapter 5 on Preparation. The second section of the first chapter describes the general nature of rituals prescribed in karma-kAnda of Vedas. Agnihotra, the fire ritual was very popular in Vedic times. The Upanishad assures that the rituals are true in the sense that if performed as per scriptural injunctions, the desired results follow. However, the Upanishad wants the performers of rituals to know the associated limitations and pitfalls. They perpetuate bondage which is the other name of samsAra. Even the fulfillment of the desire of heaven is bondage, like a golden chain. Indiscriminate people are carried away by such material benefits. They are ignorant and fools. Here is how the Upanishad describes the state of affairs.

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Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 6

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Part 5

Chapter 4 Bandha

4-1 Introduction Bandha means bondage. It manifests in many ways, e.g., insecurity, emotional suffering, anxiety, hatred, and jealousy. Physical suffering is not included. According to Vedanta, behind these manifestations, there is a feeling of limitedness and incompleteness which causes desires. Desire per se is not the cause of suffering. Binding desire causes suffering because a person is so dependent on it that its non-fulfillment imbalances him and he is in the grip of negative emotions and suffers. Desire has three defects. It comes in a mixture of sorrow. It is non-satiable. It makes a person dependent on it. If not fulfilled, it causes sorrow. Even if one desire is satisfied, it is replaced by another desire. Satisfaction is not permanent and if the reason for satisfaction vanishes, it results in sorrow.

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Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 5

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Part 4

Part 6

Chapter 3 Jiva Jagat Isvara

3-5 Katha Upanishad
 3-5-1 Katha 2.3.1

The world has arisen due to kArmic balance of the jivAs carried from the previous cycle of creation. The kArmic balance is in turn due to desire which propels action. Ignorance of Atma gives rise to action. The creation is compared to a tree and its root as Brahman. The branches represent the world consisting of dualities, e.g., heat, cold; pleasure, pain; birth, and death. Brahman is eternally pure, unchanging, and is therefore superior. The trunk is like subtle bodies of all creatures. It grows in strength due to desire represented by sprinkling of water. It has tender sprouts as sensory objects. Beautiful flowers represent good deeds like sacrifice, charity, and austerities. Various tastes are experiences of happiness and sorrow. The nests are the various lokAs beginning from satya loka (also called Brahma-loka) built by birds for living beings from Brahmaji downwards. The tree like world is unsteady and shaken by winds of desires. The leaves are karma kAnda of VedAs that perpetuates the world-tree. Brahman is the root and support of the universe. There is nothing beyond Him just like a pot does not transcend the clay.

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Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 4

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Part 3

Chapter 3 Jiva Jagat Isvara

3-1 Introduction
It is desirable to begin with the obvious, namely, the creation and human being. The world is constituted of living and non-living beings. It also includes invisible entities, e.g., thoughts, and emotions. A human being is a living being. Though Upanishads differ in the details of creation, there is consensus about a causeless creator called Brahman and that the creation is cyclic, not linear. A linear creation with a beginning and an end runs into logical fallacies. In the cyclic version, there is no beginning and no end. Pedantically, it is absurd to talk about any beginning of creation because time is a part of creation. An immediate question that begs an answer is about the source of raw materials for creation. Before the creation, there was nothing except the creator. Upanishadic answer is that the creator has the material within Himself like a spider having material inside itself. The material is the mAyA power of Brahman which does not exist separately from Brahman. Cyclic creation and the material within the creator lead to a third proposition. In one cycle, the world emerges out of the creator, runs its course according to certain laws, and then resolves into the creator to remain there in potential form and become ready at an appropriate time for the next cycle. It is called creation-sustenance-dissolution. The word ‘creation’ is a misnomer because it conveys that a new thing comes into existence which is not correct. A more appropriate word is manifestation.

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Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 3

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Part 2

Chapter 2 Eight Upanishads-Introduction
A brief outlay of each Upanishad is presented for familiarization and to arouse curiosity. It is not necessary to know all the concepts at this stage.


2-1 Aitareya Upanishad It belongs to Rig Veda. There are three chapters. The first chapter has three sections, second and third chapters have one section each. A total of five sections. The Upanishad uses creation (shrIsti) and entry (anupravesha) methods (prakriyA) to convey the Vedantic teaching, namely, Brahman is the reality, jagat is mithyA, and jiva is not different from Brahman. Brahman is the cause and creation is the effect. Brahman exists independently and the world borrows its existence from Brahman. Therefore, Brahman is the reality and the world has relative reality and is mithyA. The world including jiva is made of five elements. A jiva can transact in the world if it has consciousness. Therefore, Brahman which is of the nature of consciousness enters jiva. The embodied Brahman is jivAtmA. However, the jiva forgets that his real nature is consciousness. This forgetfulness causes desire and suffering. It continues from one life to another until the jiva gains Self-knowledge. Self-knowledge enables the jiva to claim his freedom which he always has. The Upanishadic depiction of creation and entry may give an impression that Brahman fashions creation, etc, like a magician. However, the depiction is figurative. The mahAvAkya, aham Brahmasmi is from this Upanishad.

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