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.
In the beginning, ‘Being’ was the only one entity. To talk about beginning is not correct because creation includes time. Being means pure existence without any attributes. It was without a second. It is free from all three divisions, namely, vijAtiya, sajAtiya and svegata. The teacher holds as untenable the view that there was non-being in the beginning and from the non-being, being arose. Can anything arise from nothing? The answer is No.
The Being willed to become many and grow. The Upanishad does not mention why Being willed to become many. According to Vedanta, creation is cyclical and at the end of one cycle, the world resolves in Brahman and remains in potential and unmanifest form. The unmanifest world is mAyA. Brahman with mAyA is Isvara, the creator. A doubt may arise that Brahman and mAyA would imply duality. MayA has no independent existence. It is mithyA and lower order reality. Furthermore, when mAyA undergoes change, it does not affect Brahman. From Brahman standpoint, there is no duality. Brahman is non-dual.
At the appropriate time, mAyA becomes active and the world is manifested in stages so that jivAs exhaust their karmAs. It answers an often-asked question: why is there a creation? Upanishad briefly describes creation. Fire, water and earth in nascent and subtle forms are manifested in that order. Here space and air are skipped as they are obvious, and the limited idea is to show that everything originates from Being. It is necessary to note that mAyA itself cannot manifest without the blessing of Brahman. In this respect, Vedanta differs from Samkhya philosophy because though prakriti of Samkhya corresponds to mAyA of Vedanta, prakriti has independent reality and manifests on its own. Vedanta refutes it on the ground that the unintelligent prakriti cannot manifest.
6.3.1 to 6.3.4 & 6.4.1 to 6.4.7
Isvara is intelligent and capable of visualization. The blueprint of the creation is available with Him. From the three subtle elements, individual subtle bodies and cosmic subtle body are created. They are inert. Upanishad skips intermediate stages of creation. The gaps are to be filled for continuity. In the final stage there are three types of jivAs, namely, born of eggs, born from womb (mammals), and born from earth (plants, insects, etc). Though the supreme entity is all pervading, it is figuratively said that It ‘enters’ the individual and cosmic subtle bodies and enlivens them.
The Upanishad names the enlivened subtle elements as deities. At the micro level, they combine to make enlivened subtle body called Taijasa and at the macro level, it is Hiranyagarbha. The mind and prana are subtle bodies. Sense organs have two parts, the physical part called golakam and the invisible part is subtle. Now comes formation of gross elements by combination of three subtle elements.
One unit of gross fire= ½ unit of subtle fire+ ¼ unit of subtle water+ ¼ unit of subtle earth.
One unit of gross water= ½ unit of subtle water + ¼ unit of subtle fire+ ¼ unit of subtle earth.
One unit of gross earth= ½ unit of subtle earth+ ¼ unit of subtle fire+ ¼ unit of subtle water.
In gross fire, red colour is subtle fire, white is subtle water, and black is subtle earth. The idea is that what is thought of gross fire vanishes into three fundamental colours and so has vanished the word ‘fire’ In sun, moon and lightening, red colour is subtle fire, white colour is subtle water and black colour is subtle earth. Upanishad points out that everything in the world is a combination of the original un-triplicated elements, viz, fire, water and earth. The redness, whiteness and darkness in the sun are respectively due to fire, water and earth principles. Likewise, in the cases of the moon, the lightning and any other object. In this way, the ideas of sun-hood, moon-hood, and lightening-hood vanish. The Upanishad emphasizes that all transformation has speech as its basis, and it is a name only.
In this way all the objects of the world from smallest to the biggest can be reduced to three subtle elements which in turn are the products of the supreme entity. This is the adhyAropa (superimposition) stage where worldly objects are considered as products of Brahman. Now the Upanishad says that a product is not different from the cause as in the case of pot and clay. The pot is essentially clay. Pot is only a name and form. In the same way, the worldly objects, nay, the whole world is only name and form and word on the tongue. They do not have existence independent of Brahman and is therefore negated. It is apavAda (sublation) stage.
The Upanishadic teaching is that Brahman is real, world is mithya. He who knows this fact is wise. Because with this knowledge, he can know all the past, present and future worldly objects. In what manner? Any worldly object is Brahman+ name and form in which name and form are changing and Brahman, the substance is unchanging. This is how the ancient sages sitting at one place could know the entire creation. The ancient, great householders, the great adepts in Vedas claimed that everyone in their lineage knew everything through these three.
Contd