3.10. Prajapati, when creating beings and sacrifice, said, “By this, may you receive the bountiful cow whose milk satisfies all desires.”
Prajapati, literally “lord of beings”, symbolises Brahman [1]. “By this” refers to sacrifice. “By means of sacrifice, non-attached action, may you satisfy all your desires.” Continue reading
Chapter 6 JnAna and Moksha
6-2 Aitareya Upanishad
6-2-1 Aitareya 1.3.13 and 1.3.14
1.3.12 in chapter 5 has described the entry of Brahman in the body of jivA. The embodied Brahman is jivAtmA. The sentient jivA is a combination of consciousness (Atma) and mind-body. And Atma is not different from Paramatma (God). It is an Upanishadic Great Statement ( mahAvAkya). A jivA however forgets this fact due to the veiling power of mAyA. It is Self-ignorance. Sometimes, because of his punyAs earned in previous lives and the current life, a jivA can get a qualified teacher who out of compassion imparts Brahm-knowledge. The student realizes Brahman as ‘id’ meaning ‘this’, i.e., his Self. The Upanishad calls the knowledge IdAndra. As an adorable entity is not called by its direct name, the Upanishad uses the name Indra (not the deity Indra). The message is that by performing virtuous deeds as per scriptural injunctions, a jivA will one day develop mental maturity to know the futility of worldly goals and turn to spirituality and get Self-knowledge with the blessing of a teacher.
In shloka 3.9, Krishna tells Arjuna,
Aside from action for the purpose of sacrifice, this world is bound by action. Perform action for the purpose of sacrifice, Arjuna, free from attachment.
In doing so, he instructs Arjuna that the only action he should perform should be “free from attachment.” This is known as ‘sacrifice’ because it is the act of renouncing or giving up attachments. Being free from attachment, one has knowledge of Brahman. As Krishna says in the fourth chapter (4.23),
The work of one who is free from attachment, who is liberated, whose thought is established in knowledge and is done only for sacrifice, one’s karma wholly melts away.
The concept of sacrifice comes from the Vedas, where recitation of a mantra was seen as the sacrifice. Continue reading
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.
This post marks the end of the ‘Advaita in the Vedas’ series. While the series could continue indefinitely and branch out to the other Vedas, as was initially intended, it would inevitably end up covering already explored ground rather than adding anything new in the context of Advaita.
The series was always meant to provide an overview of Advaita in the Vedas, rather than an in-depth examination. Also, there’s nothing in the Vedas which the Upanishads fail to make more succinct. This means, by finishing the series here, there’s nothing left out or which remains unsaid – it’s all in the Upanishads. Continue reading
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.
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.
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.
There is a verse in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad which says,
Indra, through Maya, appeared as many forms. [1]
It has been quoted by both Gaudapada and Shankara to illustrate how, through the illusion of Maya, Brahman appears as many. With knowledge of Advaita, this illusion is dispelled.
The full verse says,
He shifted shape to match every shape, to manifest his shape. Indra, through Maya, appeared as many forms. his horses, hundreds and ten, are yoked.
Though quoted in Advaita literature, the verse is, itself, a quote — from the Rig Veda [2].
It is a series of eight chapters. Chapter 1 General Introduction Chapter 2 Eight Upanishads- Introduction Chapter 3 Jagat Jiva Isvara Chapter 4 Bandha Chapter 5 Preparation Chapter 6 Jnana and Moksha Chapter 7 Vedic Practices Chapter 8 Brahma Sutra Bhasya
Chapter 1 General Introduction
1-1 Why should Upanishad be studied? A brief answer should suffice at this stage. The Upanishads, also called Vedanta, form the end parts of Vedas and contain Vedantic teaching. The Upanishads are one of the Trai-Prasthanas, the other two are Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutra. Trai means three and Prasthana means to go. It is held that to know the truth, one must take recourse to the said three scriptures. Upanishad is Sruti (revealed) Prasthana, Gita is Smriti (remembered) Prasthana and Brahma Sutra is logic (Nyaya) Prasthana. Brahma-sutra provides the logical foundation for Upanishadic teachings. Shankaracharya has written a commentary (Bhasya) on Brahma Sutra.