Treasures of the Past

Welcome to the VIII issue of treasures of the Past. In the last issue we took up the study of Isavasya Upanishad that is a part of Sukla Yajur Veda. We shall continue to study the Upanishad in this issue too.

The third verse of this Upanishad is commented below:

Verse 3.

asurya nama te loka

andhena tamasavrtah

tams te pretyabhigacchanti

ye ke catma-hano janah

One who slays his Athman goes to worlds devoid of Sun! Like the blind approaching the darker world! 

Here any one doing an activity, that is opposed to the divine or that leads one away from the divine, is described as one who slays his Athman. The blind being led into the dark world signifies world of ignorance devoid of knowledge! Let us see this in detail. With the free will, possessed by humans, especially those who intend to pursue Eternal Truth, will have to avoid anything that distracts them from their path of enquiry, anything that binds them to a lower conscious state, perpetuating birth and death! If they fail to observe this, it will amount to slaying of Athman, and confine them to the dark world, devoid of pure knowledge.The purpose of birth as a human being, especially of a sadak, is to seek God and not be lead away!

Consciousness, that is too gross, devoid of the knowledge of supreme, is described here as the Dark Sunless world, and Sama Veda also compares absence of divinity on the earth, to a cow that is barren or without milk. Similar expressions can be found in plenty in our scriptures. Knowledge being compared to Sun, Water, Milk, Wealth, and Food, are common, and depends upon the context.

Verse 4.

anejad ekam manaso javiyo

nainad deva apnuvan purvam arsat

tad dhavato 'nyan atyeti tisthat

tasminn apo matarisva dadhati

Here the verse states that Brahman has two apparently distinct attributes. Manifested universe and the Unmanifested. The Upanishad says that Brahman is unmoving, yet faster than mind! Beyond the reaches of the lords of senses, steady but ahead of all that run. Being there supports all cosmic powers and their activities.

Srimadh Bhagavat Gita verse 25 Chapter 2

avyakto ’yam acintyo ’yam
avikaryo ’yam ucyate
tasmad evam viditvainam
nanusocitum arhasi

Srimadh Bhagavat Gita verse 4 Chapter 7

bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakritir astadha

Srimadh Bhagavat Gita verse 5 Chapter 7

apareyam itas tv anyam
prakritim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho
yayedam dharyate jagat

Purusha Suktha Rik 1

sahasra SIrshA purusha: | sahasrAksha: sahasrapAt |
sa bhUmim vishvato vRtvA | atyatishTad daSAngulam

Purusha Suktha Rik 3

etAvAn asya mahima | ato jyAyAGSca pUrusha: |
pAdo 'sya vishvA bhUtAni | tripAdasyAmRtam divi

All the above verses of Bhagavat Gita and the Sruti or Veda are emphasizing that Brahman is both manifested and Unmanifested acting as its base. Another fact has been clearly spelt out here. That is, the source of all indriyas can not be within the scope of indriyas.

Source is not dependent on them. Kena Upanishad asked a number of questions to arrive at a near description of Brahman. Taittriya Upanishad states that indriyas of speech and the mind cannot reach the abode of Brahman.

Verse 5.

tad ejati tan naijati

tad dure tad v antike

tad antar asya sarvasya

tad u sarvasyasya bahyatah

That moves, moves not, that is far, that is near, that is within everything, yet that is without.    

This verse can be understood easily as the Upanishad has already given enough clues to the line of thought we need to pursue. That is, opposite characteristics coexists in Brahman. In fact they are reconciled and are fused together! There are two levels of existence of consciousness, one is the gross consciousness having forms and names that operate within time and space and there is yet another having no attributes that far exceeds the phenomenal creation, acting as the base and also infusing the creation with its own force and pure form. These two characteristics are interpenetrating mutually. Mere words are absolutely not enough to express this concept and in fact any expression would distort the potential of realization.

With this we shall conclude this issue and shall meet again in the next issue.