Kenopanishad – 3

Chapter 2

Second chapter opens with a Mantra that contains two parts, the first one teacher’s caution, the second the start of student’s reply which extends to the next Mantra. The two Mantras 1 & 2 are:

Yadi manyase suveda iti daharam eva api

noonam twam vettha brahmanah roopam I

Yat asya tvam, yat asya deveshu atha nu,

meemaamsyam eva te manye viditam II

 (The teacher said:) If you think: "I know Brahman well," then surely you know but little of Its form; you know only Its form as conditioned by man or by the gods. Therefore Brahman, even now, is worthy of your inquiry. (The disciple said) I think I know Brahman. ( 2-1)

na aham manye suveda iti nah na veda iti veda cha I

yah nah tat veda tad veda nah na veda iti veda cha II

I do not think that I know It well enough; Not that I do not know; I know, and I do not know.  He amongst us who knows It, knows It only as such: Not that I do not know; I know, and I do not know.(2-2)

The teacher, maybe seeing a glow of satisfaction and pride of understanding in student’s face, warns that it is a mistake to feel satisfied at this stage that he knows Chaitanyam well on the basis of upadesa alone, because this feeling of knowing well comes from giving a concrete form to the idea of Brahman and whatever form one tends to give on the basis of upadesa alone will only be a limited manifestation of the all encompassing and surpassing Brahman.  Whatever upadesa one receives is only words of introduction and not of complete information.  Fullness of knowledge comes with subjective experience of this undivided whole wherein all polarities merge into a unitary Being, that is pure Existence and that is one’s own true Self.  So he asks the student to continue the sastra vichara on the basis of upadesa, and not feel smug about the knowledge gained.  

The student is apparently an Uttama adhikari.  Uttama adhikari is one who has a sharp intellect and a refined mind and has doubt-free understanding of the teaching, samyak grahanam. The student being an uttama adhikari, retreats, continues his vichara and comes back after a time to the teacher.  This time he starts with a hesitant note “I think I have understood” and continues “I do not think, I know It well; Not that I do not know, I know too.  Who amongst us understands It both as not-Known and also as the Known, he only understands It.” This is a beautiful reply, which shows he has understood what the teacher meant to convey.  From the subjective point It is known because It is one’s own Self, part of everyone of one’s experience.  At the same time It is not known as an object in which case only, one will be able to explain it and substantiate the statement that he knows It. This dilemma is well brought out in the reply. The teacher appreciates the student’s reply and expresses his appreciation of the student by rephrasing the student’s statement a little more elaborately in Mantra 3, which is also couched in a paradox.  This pattern of explaining the unexplainable is followed in Zen statements also as this shakes one’s thinking of its logical routine to understand a statement. The Mantra is 

Yasya amatam tasya matam matam yasya na veda sah I

Avijnaatam vijaanataam vijnaatam avijaanataam II 

He understands It who feels he knows It not; and he understands It not who feels he knows It.  It is unknown to one who thinks he knows It; but known to the one who feels he does not know. (2-3)

“If one understands It as an object, which the ignorant does,then this understanding is faulty; one can only realize It as his Self which wise men do, not trying to know It as an object”,  is the idea conveyed by the teacher, thus endorsing the student’s statement. With this the teaching to the student who is uttama adhikari is over and this student who is an uttama adhikari leaves.

Thereafter the teacher amplifies this statement in Mantra 4, with the oft-quoted statement; “Pratibodha-viditam matam (realised in every modification of the mind)”, addressing it to the student who is a madhyama adhikari.  Madhyama adhikari is one who has a slow grasp and his understanding is beset with doubts, samsaya grahanam and so needs a more detailed explanation.  Mantra 4 is:

Pratibodha-viditam matam amritatwam hi vindate I

Aatmanaa vindate veeryam vidyayaa vindate amritam II

He who realises It in every modification of the mind, indeed, he attains Immortality.  Through the Athma he obtains real strength, and through knowledge, he attains Immortality. (2-4)

So the teacher again explains to him that Chaitanyam is associated with every thought modification of the mind.  Every experience we have has a variable component, thought and a non-variable component, Consciousness principle, Chaitanyam.  One registers only the thought and not the Chaitanyam. To see an object one not only needs good eyes but also a source of light to illumine the object.  Even if one has good vision, if there is no light and it is totally dark, one cannot see the object. So ordinarily when we see an object, our mind registers the object alright, but not the light pervading it which makes it possible for us to see it.  This you can experiment, while walking in the daytime.  The mind registers the objects only, not the sunlight that envelopes the objects and makes it possible for us to see the objects.  Even if there is nothing to notice, the emptiness also is also revealed by the light only.  In the same way not only the thought but also absence of thought is revealed by Consciousness.  So one has always the experience of Brahman in the form of Consciousness and so one cannot say one does not know it.  At the same time as it is one’s Self itself, one cannot say one knows it as an object.  So everyone has Brahmanubhava always, only he does not know it as he does not have the Jnanam. To get the Jnanam and get established in it one must have a refined mind acquired through karma yoga and upasana yoga and then Jnanam through jnana yoga.  Then his attitude changes first from “I am the body having consciousness” to “I am the consciousness having a body” and finally to “I am the consciousness in every body and this consciousness is the same in everybody, being Brahman” which is called Sarvathma Bhava. This Jnanam liberates one even while alive, making him a Jivanmuktha which fact is emphasised in Mantra 5:

Iha ched avedeet atha satyam asti, na chet iha avedeet mahatee vinashtih I

Bhooteshu bhooteshu vichitya dheeraah pretya asmaat lokaat amritaah bhavanti II

If a man knows Athma here, he then attains the true goal of life. If one does not know It here, a great destruction awaits him. Having realised the Self in every being, the wise one rises above the world of sensual life and becomes immortal (2-5)

As a Jivanmuktha he fears not the death of the body knowing he is the Consciousness that is Brahman which is considered immortal. This Jnanam is possible in human birth only, as there is free will and this must be the spiritual goal of every human being.  The teacher declares that the human birth should be considered wasted, if in human birth one does not strive for this Jnanam.

With this Mantra 5, the second chapter comes to an end and also the upadesa to the uttama adhikari and madhyama adhikari students.  The next chapter starts with a story which is addressed to students who are adhama adhikaris, that we shall see in the next blog.

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