Introduction Kabirdas was an Indian mystic who lived in north India in 14th Century. He was a devotee of Nirguna God. There are many spiritual songs (bhajans) in Hindi to his credit containing profound messages. He was of the firm view that without purity of mind, there cannot be spiritual upliftment. An impure mind leads to hypocrisy. Through his bhajans, he criticized hypocrites in a satirical manner. Dennis had a posted my article: ‘Chaki- a Vedantic Perspective’ in 2018. It was based on a bhajan of Kabir. Now is presented another bhajan: ‘Ghunghat ka pat khol re’ and its Vedantic message
Category Archives: Bimal
BrihadarAnyaka Upanishad (Part 1)
Introduction
It belongs to Yajur Veda. Brih means big in volume and teaching. Aranyaka means forest. One meaning of Upanishad is destroyer of darkness, i.e., ignorance. It has 6 chapters (adhyaya) divided into 47 sections called BrAhmana containing 434 mantrAs. There is another division. Chapters 1 and 2 together is madhu khanda or updesha khanda as it is akin to sravan. Chapters 3 and 4 together is muni khanda because yajnavalkya muni is the teacher. It is also called upapati khanda because it provides logic to the teaching. Upapati means reason. 5th and 6th Chapters together is khila khanda having miscellaneous topics. Khila means assortment. Many mantrAs, especially in chapters 5 and 6, talk about meditations and do not have Vedantic teaching. There is a meditation on bodily illness so as to practice austerity for voluntary practice of austerity is difficult.
ChAndogya Upanishad (Ch 6 to 8) Part 3
6.5.1 to 6.5.4
The teacher asks the student to pay attention to what he is about to say. The mind is essentially formed of food; the prana is essentially formed of water and speech is essentially formed of fire. The Upanishad captures the state of mind of the student who says, “It is very difficult for me to understand all these things. Please clarify this a little more. That I am made up of the three elements and that I have nothing in me of my own are unheard of. This is strange indeed. It looks as if I cannot exist at all independently. I am ‘somebody else’. Unbelievable! Please explain further.” “Yes, I shall tell you, in detail, dear boy. Listen attentively.”
Chandogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 2
6.2.1 to 6.2.4
In order to show that by knowing the supreme entity, all other things are known, creation’s evolution on the basis of the principle of cause and effect is taught. Different Upanishads describe creation in different manners. However, there is a consensus about a causeless creator from which creation has evolved according to the cause-and-effect principle. According to ShankarAcharya, creation is a necessary assumption for the purpose of the ascent of the individual to the Absolute. It may be there, or it may not be there; that is not the point. As an interim measure, creation is accepted and once it serves the purpose, it is negated. ‘x’ in an arithmetical equation does not really exist yet it is useful in solving the problem. When it solves the problem, it extinguishes itself automatically and is not there. The purpose of teaching of the Upanishad is different from storytelling, ‘once upon a time’. It is an important point. There is no use arguing about whether creation exists or not. There is no denying that there is a creation and is experienced. And Uddalaka follows this technique of teaching like a good psychologist.
ChAndogya Upanishad (Chapters 6 to 8) Part 1
Introduction
The Upanishad belongs to SAma Veda and is important because it is one of the ten Upanishads on which ShankarAchArya has written commentaries. Brahm Sutra discusses many mantrAs of this Upanishad. Study of Brahm Sutra necessarily requires prior study of this Upanishad. It has 8 chapters with 627 mantrAs. The first five chapters discuss Vedic meditations. The outcome of Brahm-upasana, regarded as the highest meditation is krama-mukti. The meditator reaches Brahmaloka and finally merges in Brahman. It is nothing compared to realization of Brahman in this life.
Tat Tvam Asi (Part 7)
Use of words for Brahman
Brahman is not an object, is free from attributes and, therefore, beyond words and ideas. Up Sah 18.24 states that word or idea can refer to objects of knowledge and not to non-objects. Brahman is known and realized as the innermost self and the ultimate subject and is therefore not an object of knowledge. The same idea is reiterated in 18.28 which says that word can apply to ego which is possessed of species and not to Self which has no classification, i.e., swagata, sajAtatiya and vijAtiya. Self is devoid of any differentiation. The question is why are words used to describe It?
Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 41
Chapter 7 Brahma Sutra BhAsya
7-9 BSB 3.4.18 to 3.4.20 SanyAs prescribed by scriptures Purva Paksha (PP) is a performer of Vedic rites and rituals. He holds that there is no Vedic sanction for sanyAs Ashrama. Vedic sanction is for only grihastha ashrama. An exception can be made for handicapped persons who cannot perform rituals. PP says that Brahmacharya Ashrama is a steppingstone for grihastha Ashrama. It is further argued that stages of life where celibacy is prescribed, they are allusions and not injunctions. The Vedic texts that those who give up fire are murderers of gods show that sanyAs is not prescribed by the Vedas.
Tat Tvam Asi (Part 6)
Who is the hearer? Who says, I am Brahman?
Teaching of TTA becomes useful (Up Sa18.111) if it is meant for a hearer. In 18.76/77, there is a question: who is the hearer of the teaching? Two possible answers, namely, the Self and the ego are examined. It is argued that Self cannot be the hearer because It is free from action. The ego which is miserable, and a sufferer cannot be the hearer because it cannot say, ‘I am free’. Does it mean that the scripture is not a pramAna and teaching has no value? To dismiss such a possibility, 18.78 suggests a solution by introducing chidAbhAsa.
Eight Upanishads (Topic-wise) Part 40
Chapter 7 Brahm Sutra Bhasya
7.7 BSB 3.3.53 and 3.3.54 The Self distinct from the body Please see the post Vedanta and Hard Problem of Consciousness
7-8 BSB 3.4.1 to 3.4.17 Knowledge of Brahman is independent of rites The aphorist establishes that karmAs do not produce knowledge of Brahman. In sutras 1 to 7, the opposite views (Purva Paksha) are presented which are refuted in sutras from 8 to 17 (Siddhanta).
7-8-1 BSB 3.4.1 and 3.4.2 (Purva Paksha) Knowledge itself cannot produce any result. Action is paramount. Knowledge is an aid to action. There is no result of knowledge in its own right. If there are any Vedic texts to the contrary, they are only figurative to glorify the knowledge. Knowledge of self is also an aid to action. The knowledge that self is different from body is an aid to action. Because the performer of rite believes that on fall of body at death, the self goes to higher loka due to punya earned on account of successful completion of rites.
Locus of Primal Ignorance (Mool-avidyA)
In Up Sah 18.44, the opponent (Purva Paksha-PP) asks a question. Who experiences the transmigratory existence? It cannot be the changeless Self. It cannot be the inert intellect, nor can it be the reflection (of the Self in the intellect) which is mithya. ShankarAchAryA gives a short reply. The transmigratory existence is a delusion because of non-discrimination between Self and non-Self. It has an apparent existence (and experienced) because of real existence of the changeless Self and appears to be belonging to It (Self).