Chapter 8, Section 12
Mantra 8-12-1
maghavanmartyam va idam sariramattam mṛtyuna
tadasyamṛtasyasarirasyatmano'dhishthanamatto vai sasarirah priyapriyabhyam na
vai sasarirasya satah priyapriyayorapahatirastyasariram vava santam na
priyapriye sprsatah || 8.12.1 ||
(Prajapathi said) “O Indra, this body is mortal. It is
always held by death. Yet it is the base of the Athma, which is immortal and
formless. The embodied self is subject to both happiness and unhappiness. In
fact, there is no end to happiness and unhappiness so long as one is identified
with the body. But neither
pleasure nor pain touches one who is not identified with the body.
This is the main section as in this section Athma
Jnanam is taught. Athma is formless and has no body, asariri. It has no relation with the body, though
pervading the body and lending sentiency to the body through its reflection. Athma is in the body but it is not of the
body. It is not a part, product or part
of the body. The body is three-fold,
classified as sthula, sukshma, karana i.e. gross, subtle, causal sareeras. The
body is mortal with death hanging over its head like a sword all its lifetime.
The body is only the abode for the Athma which is the witness Self and
is independent of all the three sareeras. It is Brahman and is free from
pleasure and pain. But when manifesting
in the three sareeras with its reflection it appears to be embodied and is
mistaken for the Self “I”. This embodied
self is subject to pleasure and pain. So until one identifies oneself with the
embodied self out of ajnanam, one is subject to pleasure and pain. When one realises that his real Self is Athma,
the Brahman, and gives up identification with body, he becomes free of
pain and pleasure.
Mantra 8-12-2
asariro vayurabhraṃ vidyutstanayitnurasariranyetani
tadyathaitanyamushmadakasatsamutthaya param jyotirupasampadya svena
rupenabhinispadyante || 8.12.2 ||
The air is
formless. So also are clouds, lightning, and thunder. All these arise from the
sky and assume their respective forms due to the heat of the sun.
In this Mantra the Upanishad wants to convey that
even though we don’t see the Athma, it is always within us. It conveys this through the examples of
clouds, lightning, and thunder. There is no body consisting of feet,
hands etc., in the case of cloud and lightning and thunder. Since they are unembodied, they serve as
examples for the unembodied sakshi- Athma. Prior to the rainy season, these forms are
latent in the sky and are not manifested.
At the time of the rainy season, they appear in the sky and at the time
of summer they become one with the sun. They were
there, but they were not visible all the time. We see them only when the
conditions are right; otherwise they are in a latent form, one with the sky. Similarly, only when the
Self-knowledge arises, the sakshi-Athma without the false cognition of
identity with the three bodies is known in its natural form of Athma
identical with Brahman.
Mantra 8-12-3
evamevaisha samprasado'smacchariratsamutthaya param jyotirupasampadya svena rupenabhinishpadyate sa uttamapurushah sa tatra paryeti
jakshatkridanramamanah stribhirva yanairva jnathibhirva nopajanam smarannidam
sariram sa yatha prayogya acharane yukta evamevayamasmincharire prano yuktah || 8.12.3 ||
In the same way, this serene Being arises from the body and,
attaining the light of the Cosmic Self, appears in His own form. He is
the Uttama Purusha, the Cosmic Self. He then
freely moves about eating, playing, or enjoying himself with women, carriages,
or relatives, not remembering at all the body in which he was born. Just as an
animal (horse or bullock) is attached to a, chariot or cart, similarly Prana (life) remains attached to the body (due
to karma).
In this Mantra,
Nirguna Brahman is called Uttama Purusha, the real identity of asariri
Athma. Lord Krishna uses this expression in Bhagavad Gita (15-17) where he
says ‘Uttamah
purushastwanyah paramaatmetyudaahritah; (But
distinct is the Supreme Purusha called the highest Self)”. When
one realises this identity through Self-knowledge, the illusory knowledge
disappears through the power of right knowledge and the attachment to the body
based on the former along with the wrong identification of body as one’s real
self also vanishes. He also realises his
oneness with the rest of creation, as Athma being Brahman is one
without a second, all-pervasive and total bliss only and as Brahman, he is also
the Athma of all the beings. Sri Sankara says
that when you know your Self; when you know you are Brahman and that
everything you see is nothing but Brahman, then you feel you are one
with all. So all the pleasures that anyone enjoys is his also. In whatever he does and enjoys, he does not
have cognition of the body in which he was born. Avidya, karma and kama
tie ‘I’ to the body like a horse to a chariot.
But this is only a vyavaharika connection and a mithya connection too.
Mantra 8-12-4
atha yatraitadakasamanuvishannam chakshuh sa
chakshushah purusho darsanaya chakshuratha yo vededaṃ jighranithi sa athma gandhaya
ghranamatha yo vededamabhivyaharaniti sa atmabhivyaharaya vagatha yo vededam
srnavanithi sa athma sravanaya srotram || 8.12.4 ||
Next, this organ of vision lies inside the space in
the eyes. That is where the deity presiding over the eyes (i.e., the Athma)
is. The eye is the instrument through which the Athma sees. Next, the
one who knows ‘I am smelling this’ is the Athma. The organ of smell is
the instrument through which the Athma smells. Next, the one who knows
‘I am speaking this’ is the Athma. The organ of speech is the instrument
through which the Athma speaks. Next, the one who knows ‘I hear this’ is
the Athma. The organ of hearing is the instrument through which the Athma
hears.
Earlier Prajapati had told Indra and Virochana that the person in the eyes is the Athma. Indra took it to mean that his own reflection was the Athma. But this is not what Prajāpati meant. He meant that there is a being within us who sees through the eyes and hears through the ears. He says that within the eye there is a space, and that is where the Athma is. Prajapati uses the word purusha to refer to the Athma. The person in the eye uses the eye to see and the organ of smelling to smell. When the Athma, the purusha, wants to speak, it uses the organ of speaking. And when it wants to hear, it uses the organ of hearing. Athma is not spatially away from the three sareeras. It is in and through three sareeras. It is immanent and transcendental. The immanent nature is shown here by showing it is the adhishtanam of all organs and the blessing of Athma only makes them sentient. The transcendental nature was revealed earlier when it was described as Uttama Purusha. Athma is the eye of the eye, nose of the nose, ear of the ear, tongue of the tongue is revealed here. It is also the mind of the mind which will be revealed in the next verse.
Mantra 8-12-5
atha yo vededaṃ manvaniti satma mano'sya daivam chakshuh sa va
esha etena daivena chakshusha manasaitankamanpasyanramate ya ete brahmaloke || 8.12.5 ||
Then, it is the Athma which knows ‘I
am thinking this.’ The mind is its divine eye. The Athma, now free,
enjoys seeing everything it wants to see in Brahmaloka through its
divine mental eye.
Next comes the mind. The mind is the principal organ. The
Athma works through the mind, and by means of the mind it works through
the eyes, ears, and other organs. The
mind is called here the daivam
chakshuh, the divine eye, because the Athma sees through the
mind. One who is firmly established in
Self-knowledge can enjoy whatever he wants mentally. And for such a person
everything is Brahman and every place is Brahmaloka.
Mantra 8-12-6
taṃ va etam deva athmanamupasate tasmatteshaṃ sarve cha loka
attah sarve cha kamah sa sarvaṃscha lokanapnoti sarvaṃscha
kamanyastamatmanamanuvidya vijanatiti ha prjapatiruvacha prajapatiruvacha || 8.12.6 || iti
dvadasah khandah ||
This Athma is also meditated upon by the gods. Therefore,
all worlds and all desirable things are within their grasp. One who fully
understands and realizes this Athma (with the help of teachers and the
scriptures) is able to attain whatever worlds and whatever desirable things he
wants. This is what Prajapati taught Indra. End
of section twelve.
In this Mantra
Upanishad is praising the Self-knowledge, Athma-Jnanam, in order to tempt one
to attain it. Earlier the Upanishad
(7-23) said,”Na alpe sukham asti, Bhumaiva sukham (There is no happiness
in the finite, only in Bhuma, the infinite, there is happiness)”. Athma, the Brahman, is infinite
in terms of time and space. Mundaka
Upanishad (3-2-9) says “Sa yo ha vai tat paramam Brahma veda Brahm’aiva
bhavathi (Whoever knows the supreme Brahman, becomes the very
Brahman)”. So one who fully understands
and realizes the Athma, has all the worlds and all things therein at his
command, if he wants but he feels fulfilled and fully satisfied and is
desire-free. With this Mantra, Prajapathi’s
teaching ends and also this section.
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