Svetasvatara Upanishad – 1

 Shanthi Mantras & Chapter 1 (Mantras 1 &2)

            The Svetasvatara Upanishad belongs to the Krishna Yajur Veda. It is a short Upanishad consisting of 113 Mantras divided into six chapters.  It derives its name from the sage who taught it. The peculiarity of this Upanishad is that it contains passages that can be interpreted to support dualism, qualified non-dualism, non-dualism and even other systems of thought. Certain verses can also be related to the Sankhya philosophy of Kapila. Hence the protagonists of different schools of philosophy quote from it to support their respective views. But it is not one of the ten Upanishads that are called major Upanishads and for which Sri Adhi Sankara has written commentary.  Dr.S.Radhakrishnan is of the view that “it teaches the unity of souls and the world in the one Supreme Reality treating it as an attempt to reconcile the different philosophical and religious views which prevailed at the time of its composition”.  So let us take up the study of the Upanishad as one that propounds inclusiveness of the different schools of thought.

            It has two Shanthi Mantras, the first of which is one unique to Krishna Yajur Veda and is a popular Mantra that is recited in school prayers as well, as it prays for good rapport between the teacher and the student besides praying for the good health of both, as follows:

Om saha naavavatu I saha nau bhunaktu I saha veeryam karavaavahai I

tejaswi naavadheetamastu maa vidvishaavahai I Om shanti, shanti, shanti II

May He protect us both (teacher and the taught)! May He cause us both to enjoy the bliss of Mukti! May we both exert to discover the true meaning of the sacred scriptures! May our studies be fruitful! May we never quarrel with each other! Om peace, peace, peace!

            The second Shanthi Mantra is one which is unique to ShuklaYajur Veda Upanishads. This Shanthi Mantra is confusing when read as such. But when interpreted we understand it contains the Vedantic idea of Brahma Satyam, Jagan Mitya. The Shanthi Mantra with the straight meaning is as follows:

Om Poornamadah Poornamidam Poornaat Poornam-Udachyate I

Poornasya Poorna-maadaaya Poorna-mevaa-vasishyate.I

Om shanthi, shanthi, shanthi II

That is Whole; this is Whole; from that Whole this Whole becomes manifest. From the Whole when the Whole is taken out what remains is the Whole only. (Purnam here means not limited by time, space and object which means it is whole, infinite.). Om peace, peace, peace.

What it means is: - The invisible Brahman is whole, infinite; the visible world is also whole, infinite. From the whole that is Brahman, the whole that is the visible universe has come. Even after this whole that is the visible universe has come out of that whole that is Brahman, the Brahman remains still the same whole.

Both the Shanthi Mantras end with 'Om peace, peace, peace';  the traditional appeal for peace from the three types of obstacles, which are:

1) Adhyathmikam – Obstacles arising from within oneself like one’s personal ill-health, negative mood etc. i.e. obstacles arising from oneself.

2) Aadhi bauthikam – Obstacles arising from other known sources or external situations like ill-health of a family member, noisy neighbourhood etc. i.e. obstacles arising from one’s environs.

3) Aadhi daivikam – obstacles arising from unseen sources like floods, storm etc. obstacles arising from nature.

            Now let us take up chapter one which consists of 16 Mantras.

Mantra 1.1

Harih Om II brahmavadino vadanti -

kimkaranam brahma kutah sma jata jivamah kena kva ca saṃpratishthah I

adhisthitah kena sukhetareshu vartamahe brahmavido vyavastham II1.1II

Harih Om. A few Brahmavadis discuss among themselves on these lines: O Knowers of the Brahman, what is the root cause of this world? Is it Brahman? From what have we been born? Due to what do we live? In what are we abiding? Under whose orders are we passing through pain and pleasure? Under what set rules are we being governed?

            A few seekers of Brahman met as a study-group to discuss matters relating to their study.  They address each other as knower of Brahman, even though they are seekers only and take up a few questions relating to the creation, preservation and the ultimate dissolution of the beings (Jivas) and the universe, for discussion.  The questions can be briefly stated as:

1)    What is the ultimate cause of the world? Is it Brahman?

2)      Where have we come from? (where did we exist before we came into our mother’s womb)

3)    What is the support of our life?

4)    Where do we go after death?

5)    What law governs our joy and sorrow?

6)    What is the power behind our action?

Mantra 1.2

kalaḥ svabhavo niyatir yadrchcha bhutani yonih purusheti chintya I

samyoga esham natvathmabhavad athmapyanisah sukhaduhkhahetoh II 1.2 II

Time, nature, law, chance, matter, energy, intelligence - neither these, nor a combination of these, can bear examination because of their own birth, identity and the existence of the self. The self also is not a free agent, being under the sway of happiness and misery.

            The members of the study group discussed various factors as the cause of the universe like, time; nature of the object; accident or chance; the five elements and the Jivathma and also the combination of all of them.  As relative cannot be the cause of the absolute and combination presupposes existence of another entity to bring them together all of them were ruled out. Jivathma also cannot be the independent cause as its happiness or suffering is dependent on its past karma and is itself a dependent entity. Since they could not arrive at an answer, they decided to meditate on this question, which will be described in the next Mantra, that we shall see in the next blog.

-------------------------