Chapter 6, Section 1
Mantra 6-1-1
Om. svetaketurharuneya asa tam ha pitovacha svetaketo vasa
brahmacharyaṃ na vai somyasmatkulino'nanuchya brahmabandhuriva bhavatiti || 6.1.1 ||
Once upon a time there was one Svetaketu, the grandson of Aruna.
His father said to him, ‘O Svetaketu, live the life of a Brahmachari. Dear boy, there is never anyone in our family
who does not study and is only a name sake Brahmana’.
The sixth chapter is divided into sixteen sections. Each
chapter is called an adhyaya and each section is called a khandah
there are 16 small khandahs or sections and each section is divided into
Mantras. Let us use words chapter and
section only. This and next two chapters are in the form of story narration. In the Vedic times children in India attended
Gurukula, a traditional residential school, for education. Svetaketu, grandson of Sage Aruna, at age
twelve had still not entered the Gurukula and spent his time in play. This worried his father who cajoled his son
to join a Gurukula so that he would not be just a Brahmin in name but also be a
qualified one with the knowledge of scriptures and spiritual practices.
Mantras 6-1-2
& 3
sa ha dvadasavarsha upetya caturvimsativarshah sarvanvedanadhitya mahamana anuchanamani stabdha eyaya tamha pitovacha svetaketo yannu somyedam mahamana
anuchanamani stabdho'syuta tamadesamapraksyah || 6.1.2 ||
yenasrutam srutam bhavatyamataṃ matamavijnatam vijnatamiti
katham nu bhagavaḥ sa adeso bhavatiti || 6.1.3 ||
Having gone (to the teacher’s house) when twelve years old, he
came back when he was twenty-four years old, having studied all the Vedas,
conceited, arrogant and regarding himself as very learned. (Noticing this) his
father, Sage Uddalaka, said to him, “Sveaketu, dear boy, I see you are
conceited and arrogant, regarding yourself as very learned; did you ask for
that teaching (about Supreme Brahman) through which what is unheard
becomes heard, what is unthought of becomes thought of, what is unknown becomes
known?” “Of what nature, revered sir, is that teaching?”
Persuaded by
his father, Svetaketu went to a Gurukula, stayed there and studied for twelve
years. Being intelligent, he learnt the scriptures and the other subjects taught
there well. Knowledge, instead of making him humble, gave him a feeling of
superiority and he came back well-learned but also arrogant and conceited.
Disturbed at this, his father asked him whether he had gained the knowledge of
that, knowing which all becomes known.
Svetaketu, rattled by that question countered his father by asking what
is that teaching, meaning how is it possible, instead of confessing his
ignorance and requesting his father to teach that knowledge.
Mantras 6-1-4,5 & 6
yatha somyaikena mrtpindena sarvam mrnmayam vijnatam
syadvacharambhanam vikaro namadheyam mrttiketyeva satyam || 6.1.4 ||
yatha somyaikena lohamanina sarvam lohamayam vijnatam
syadvacharambhanam vikaro namadheyam lohamityeva satyam || 6.1.5 ||
yatha somyikena nakhanikrntanena sarvaṃ karsṇayasam
vijnataṃ syadvacharambhanaṃ vikaro namadheyam kṛṣṇayasamityeva satyamevamsomya
sa adeso bhavatiti || 6.1.6 ||
Dear boy, just as through a single lump of clay,
all that is made of clay would become known, for all modification is but name
based upon words and the clay alone is real;
just as through a single ingot of gold, all that is made of gold would become
known, for all modification is but name based upon words and the gold alone is
real; just as through a single nail
cutter, all that is made of iron would become known, for all modification is
but name based upon words and iron alone is real – such, dear boy is that
teaching.
Through
the examples of clay, gold and iron, Sage Uddalaka explains to Svetaketu that
through the study of the cause, the knowledge of the different effects can be
gained. He explains how through the
knowledge of the material cause, the knowledge of products is known because
cause pervades the products and the products have no existence apart from the
cause. For instance, in the example of
clay, various products made of clay i.e. clay-pot, clay-cup, clay-vase etc. are
only clay in different shapes with different names. Knowing clay to be the essence of clay-pot
etc., all forms made from clay as well are known with the knowledge of clay. Brahman,
being the material cause as well of the world, knowing Brahman through Brahma
Vidya, one will be gaining the knowledge of the world and its products. It is interesting to note here that in Vedic
times, nail-cutters were in use and gold –mining was also done.
Mantra 6-1-7
na vai nunam bhagavantasta etadavedisuryaddhyetadavedishyankathaṃ
me navakshyanniti bhagavamstveva me tadbravitviti tatha somyeti hovaca || 6.1.7 || iti prathamah khaṇdah ||
(Svetaketu said) ‘Surely my revered teacher did not know this, for
If they knew, why should they not have told me? So please explain it to me, revered father.’ (His father) said, ‘Let it be so, my dear son’.
End of first section.
Svetaketu is afraid that he may be
sent back to Gurukula, to learn this knowledge. So he comes out with a theory
that his teacher also must be ignorant of this knowledge and so he was not
taught this knowledge. Realising his
ignorance, he now requests his father in all humility shedding his arrogance,
to teach him this knowledge and his father, in all compassion, agrees to do so.
The teaching will start in the next section, which we shall see in the next blog.
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