Chapter 6 JnAna and Moksha
6-7 Mundaka Upanishad
6-7-19 Mundaka 3.2.7 and 3.2.8
The Upanishad describes the process of videha-mukti, that is, when a jivanmukta dies. A human being is a combination of material part – called anAtma and sentient part called AtmA. AnAtmA is made of gross, subtle and causal bodies or alternatively five sheaths of food, vital forces, mind, intellect, and bliss. The enclosed consciousness is AtmA component. When a jivanmukta dies, anAtmA part merges into total anAtmA. Gross body merges into cosmic gross body called virAt. Subtle body into total subtle body called, Hiranyagarbha. Since there is no karmic balance, there is no causal body. In Prasna Upanishad, anAtmA part of an individual is divided into 16 parts. The Upanishad says that of them, each of 15 parts merges into corresponding totality. The Upanishad is silent about the 16th part. According to Swami ParmArthananda, the 16th part is the name of a jnAni that remains in the world for the disciples to worship. The consciousness part merges into total consciousness without any travel like pot space merging in total space when the pot breaks. An ignorant person takes rebirth in a body according to his karmAs.
6-7-20 Mundaka 3.2.9 The one who knows Brahman becomes Brahman. It is possible under one condition, namely, he is already Brahman but due to ignorance, he has disowned his real nature of Brahman. On removal of ignorance by knowledge, he reclaims his Brahman-hood There is no knowing other than claiming. He crosses over sorrow, regret, mental pain, mental distress. In his family no one is ignorant of Brahman. Swami ParmArthananda adds that freedom from sorrow is of two types. One freedom is because he understands that I am AtmA, the consciousness which is free from all attributes, be it happiness or sorrow. As AtmA, I am always free from sorrow. This is the fruit of jnAna. What about the mind? It is also free from sorrow due to completion of fourfold qualifications because of which the reflection of bliss aspect of consciousness in the mind is as good as the original.
6-7-21 Mundaka 3.2.10
The mantra prescribes rules of transmission of Brahman-knowledge. It should be transmitted to a person who has performed his duties, has studied the VedAs with full faith has performed his duties and is desirous of knowing Brahman. By performing duties, the aspirant acquires concentration of mind and purity of heart which are necessary qualifications of a sincere seeker.
mind is purified. In the beginning, he worships Brahman with attributes, and later gains knowledge of attribute-free Brahman.
6-7-22 Mundaka 3.2.11
Rishi Angira has revealed the ultimate truth to Saunaka. The Upanishad reiterates the importance of qualifications. Brahm-Vidya should not be learnt by a person not having necessary qualifications. It may harm those who are not ready for it. The humanity is indebted to Rishi Angiras and all teachers after him till the present who have carefully preserved the wisdom. None has claimed Intellectual Property Right. Therefore, the best gratitude is to offer our prostrations to the Guru lineage.
6-8 Prasna Upanishad
6-8-1 Prasna 4.1 to 4.6 The disciple Souryay Gargaya asks 5 questions. ‘
1 What are the organs which stop functioning during sleep?
2 What are the organs which keep functioning during sleep?
3 Who experiences the dream?
4 From the dream when a person goes to deep sleep state, there is the experience of happiness though he cannot express it. After waking, he says, I slept well happily. Who experiences the happiness during deep sleep?
5 In whom do all get merged?
The teacher gives the answers. All the 10 sense organs which are functional during the waking state resolve into the mind during sleep. The mind functions inwards because the sense organs are folded and the mind has no access to the external world. They temporarily resolve and again come out in the waking state. When the sun sets, all the rays are withdrawn from the earth to resolve into the setting sun and the next day when the sun rises, they emerge. The sun is like the mind and 10 sense organs are sunrays. The sentient mind gives sentiency, the illumining power, to the sense organs.
Five prAnas function during sleep because they are not dependent on human will. They discharge their respective functions as if they are performing sacred sacrifices to keep the body alive. The Pranas are like sacrificial fires.
The Upanishad cites three fires, namely, Garhapatya, Ahavaniya and Dakshinya., used for specific rituals. A householder has to light up Garhapatya immediately after the wedding and maintain it throughout his life. It is considered the Lord of the house. It is used for cremation when he dies. It can be dispensed with if he takes Sanyas. This is why a sanyasi is called nirAgni. It cannot be used for any ritual directly as it is the original source. For various rituals he has to take a portion from it and light up another fire called Ahavaniya. Inhalation is compared to Garhapatya and exhalation to Ahavaniya because exhalation comes from inhalation The bottom line is that different prAnAs are compared to different sacred fires used in Vedic rituals. The digestive fire (regulated by sAmana prAna) is compared to the priest who offers oblation. The digestive system alone nourishes and keeps the body alive. In the same way, the Hota priest balances the offering of the oblation. The punya earned by the sacrifices takes a person from the waking state to the sleep state. The sleep is the fruit. This is the imagery presented by the Upanishad.
The third question is who experiences the dream? The mind blessed with consciousness enjoys its own glory because the dream is projected by the mind alone. The waking state has various experiences and mind records them, not only of the current life but of previous births since the same mind travels from one birth to the next birth. The mind blessed by consciousness projects the dream world and it experiences everything playing the role of both the subject and object. The content of the dream is decided by karmAs including prArabdha. In dream, karmAs are expended but no fresh karmAs are earned.
Next question is about dreamless sleep. During sleep, mind is resolved and there is blankness but blankness is not nothingness. It is the experience of emptiness. Everything is in potential form, ready to manifest at appropriate time. It is the causal state and is called the causal body. But there is no knowledge. Since there is no duality, we are in our real nature which is bliss. This is the reason that on getting up, from memory we narrate about the experience that we slept happily. We don’t have any limitations, physical, emotional or intellectual. We don’t even feel our location which shows that our real nature is all-pervading consciousness and happiness. It is reflected in the resolved mind. The resolved mind is the causal body, the Anandamaya kosa.
Contd Part 30