Svetasvathara Upanishad – 14

  Chapter 5 (Mantras 1 to 7)

Mantra 5-1

dve akshare brahmapare tvanante vidyavidye nihite yatra gudhe I

ksharam tvavidya hyamrtam tu vidya vidyavidye isate yas tu so'nyah II 5.1 II

In the changeless, infinite Supreme Brahman remain hidden both knowledge and ignorance. Ignorance leads to worldliness and knowledge, to Immortality. Brahman, who controls both knowledge and ignorance, is different from both.

            Brahman is unlimited by time, space or other factors and He is not subject to any modification.  He is higher than the first manifest who is called Hiranyagarbha (also as Brahma and Prajapati).   As Brahman is the Lord of everything, knowledge and ignorance, both belonging to Maya, the power of Brahman, are under His control.  Maya of ignorance entangles a person in the phenomenal world, while Maya of knowledge takes him to spiritual pursuits by means of which the seeker attains Liberation.  So ignorance is the cause of samsara and continuing entanglement in the cycle of birth and death while knowledge, revealing the identity of one’s Self as Brahman leads to immortality, liberating one from the cycle of birth and death.

Mantra 5-2

yo yonim yonim adhitishthatyeko visvani rupani yonis cha sarvah I

rsim prasutam kapilam yas tam agre jnanair bibharti jayamanam cha pasyet II 5.2 II

He, the non-dual Brahman, rules over every position and controls all forms and all sources.  He, in the beginning, filled with wisdom the omniscient Hiranyagarbha, His own creation.

            The non-dual Brahman is the source of everything and is within all forms physical, elemental and intangible. He (Brahman) controls them as their inmost Ruler and immortal Self. He is filled with all knowledge of the past, present and future.  He produced the first manifestation, Hiranyagarbha, the first-born in the relative universe and gave him the knowledge of Vedas and from Hiranyagarbha this knowledge has come to us.

Mantra 5-3

ekaikam jalam bahudha vikurvannasmin kshetre samharaty esha devah I

bhuyah sṛshtva patayas tathesah sarvadhipatyam kurute mahatma II 5.3 II

At the time of the creation the Lord spreads out individual nets in various ways and then at the time of the cosmic dissolution withdraws them into the great Prakriti. Again the all-pervading Deity creates the aggregates of body and senses, both individual and collective and their controllers also and thus exercises His overlordship.

            This Mantra describes the process of the cycle of creation and dissolution. At the beginning of the cycle the Lord (Saguna Brahman) projects from His Maya or Prakriti, various aggregates of body, mind, senses and prana. These aggregates which are the bodies of human, sub-human, and super-human creatures are created according to their actions and thoughts in the previous cycle. These bodies are called net because they entrap the Purusha (Brahman associated with the body) and entangle him in the world. The Purusha is the diversified aspects of Brahman, identified with and limited by diverse material bodies. This identification is the result of Maya. But Brahman itself, unaffected by Maya, is the super-controller.

            At the time of the cosmic dissolution the bodies merge in the great Prakriti. They are projected again at the beginning of the next cycle. The first form that is projected at the beginning of the cycle is called Hiranyagarbha. Then other individual forms come into existence - super-humans, humans and sub-humans and they go back to Brahman at the end of the cycle to re-appear again.  Thus this wheel goes on and on.

Mantra 5-4

sarva disa urdhvamadhascha tiryak prakasayan bhrajate yad vanadvan I

evam sa devo bhagavan varenyo yonisvabhavan adhitishthaty ekah II 5.4 II

As the sun shines, illuminating all the regions, above, below, and across, so too, that one adorable God, repository of all goodness and greatness, rules over everything that has the nature of a cause.

            What the Mantra implies is that these so called causes of the world are not in themselves causes; they operate as causes only because the Bhagavan works through them. He is the ultimate cause of all the causes as well. Like the sun, that illumines everywhere-on high places, low places, on all sides, the self-luminous Brahman, rules everywhere. 

Mantra 5-5

yaccha svabhavam pachati visvayonih pachyamscha sarvan parinamayed yah I

sarvam etad visvam adhitishthaty eko gunams cha sarvan viniyojayed yah II 5.5 II

He who is the cause of all, enables all things to function according to their nature.  He also helps everything attain its maturity.  He is non-dual and rules over the whole universe and engages the gunas in their respective functions.

            Brahman is the source of everything, the cause of all causes, the first cause. He brings out His own nature in the form of all great elements and their powers to cause the world. That is to say, at the end of the cycle whatever powers the phenomenal elements were having disappear and such powers are brought back by Him at the commencement of the next cycle from which the manifest world evolves further. Through the interaction of the three gunas, the manifest world of different forms, names and functions carries on its schedule in a systematic way. In this way Brahman alone organizes the whole universe and rules over it.

Mantra 5-6

tad vedaguhyopanishatsu gudham tad brahma vedate brahmayonim I

ye purvam deva rshayas cha tad vidus te tanmaya amrta vai babhuvuh II 5.6 II

That which is hidden in the Upanishads, which forms the essence of the Vedas, Brahma knows as the source of the Vedas. The gods and seers of olden times who realised That became one with That and attained immortality.

The subject of Cosmic Self, Brahman, taught in the Upanishads is very esoteric and constitutes the very essence of the Vedas. Hence it is called hidden. The source of the Vedas is Brahman only. Brahma the Hiranyagarbha, the first manifestation of Brahman, first acquired this knowledge of the Ultimate Reality, Brahman, and then he passed it on to the ancient gods and sages. Through that knowledge they realised Brahman as their own true Self and that realisation of essential oneness with Brahman is termed as attaining immortality.

Mantra 5-7

gunanvayo yah phalakarmakarta krtasya tasyaiva sa copabhokta I

sa visvarupas trigunas trivartma pranadhipah sancharati svakarmabhih II 5.7 II

Brahman associated with the three gunas is called the individual self, Jiva.  Jiva performs action, seeking the fruits and reaps the fruits of his action.  Though ruler of the pranas, Jiva becomes bound by the three gunas and assuming all forms wanders about through the three paths, as a result of his own deeds.

            The three gunas, satva, rajas and tamas, combine to form the nature of every Jiva.  Bhagavad Gita (14-6to8) describes their binding action thus: “Satva binds by attachment to knowledge and happiness; Rajas binds through attachment to actions and their fruit; Tamas binds through heedlessness, sleep and indolence”. Jiva, bound by the gunas, performs actions in the world and reaps the consequences of such actions. In order to experience the fruit of the actions, the Jiva appears as different forms in different species and wherever he goes the three gunas are always associated with him. After death he moves along the three paths viz., Devayana (the path of gods), Pitruyana (the path of forefathers), and Tiryanmarga (the path to lower births). Though this Jiva is the Lord of vital forces in the body, yet goes on moving around the cycle of birth and death, manifesting in different species in different walks of life, goaded by his past actions, until he is emancipated.

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Svetasvathara Upanishad – 13

Chapter 4 (Mantras 16 to 22(end)) 

Mantra 4-16

ghrtat param mandam ivatisukshmam jnatva sivam sarvabhuteshu gudham I

visvasyaikam pariveshtitaram jnatva devam muchyate sarvapasaih II 4.16 II

By knowing Him, the auspicious, hidden in all beings, like the film that rises to the surface of clarified butter, the sole Pervader of the universe, the Brahman, one is released from all fetters.

One becomes free forever from all bondages by knowing the Brahman who is subtle as a film on the clarified butter and who is supreme good for all, who is hidden in all beings and who pervades the entire world.

Mantra 4-17

esha devo visvakarma mahatma sada jananam hrdaye samnivishtah I

hrda manisha manasabhiklpto ya etad vidur amrtas te bhavanti II 4.17 II

The creator of the world; great souled, the Supreme Lord, always seated in the heart of every one; He manifests Himself by meditating through heart, intellect and mind; They who know Him become immortal.  

The omnipresent and omnipotent Supreme Lord, the sole creator of the world is always seated in everyone’s heart. He is revealed through meditation. One who realises Him as his Real Self becomes free from the cycle of birth and death.

Mantra 4-18

yadatamastanna diva na ratrir na sannacasacchiva eva kevalah I

tad aksharam tat savitur varenyam prajna cha tasmat prasrta purani II 4.18 II

When there is complete absence of the darkness of ignorance, then what is experienced is neither day nor night; neither existence or non-existence; only Brahman, undifferentiated and bliss absolute, called here Siva.  Even the presiding deity of sun and other planets paid homage to this Brahman. From Him has emerged the ancient wisdom that spread all over the world.

            Because darkness is symbolic of ignorance, the Upanishad says that Brahman is without darkness.  Brahman is knowledge itself.  Brahman is the Absolute. Words are simply not enough to give an idea what it is like.  Brahman is not an object that one can perceive and describe. It is beyond the description of relative terms like day and night, existence and non-existence.  It is something permanent and full which never changes.  In the words of Dr.S. Radhakrishnan “The characterization of the Supreme which transcends the duality of subject and object can only be negative and cannot be a field of clear definition and demonstration”.   He is the source of all the wisdom that has come down to us in the form of Vedas.

Mantra 4-19

nainam urdhvam na tiryancham na madhye parijagrabhat I

na tasya pratima asti yasya nama mahad yasah II 4.19 II

No one can grasp Him from above, or across, or in the middle. There is none equal to Him. His name is ‘Great Glory’.

            Brahman who has been described in various ways in the previous Mantras is beyond one’s perception.  He cannot be seen or grasped in whatever manner one may try because He is entirely beyond grasp.  When Sastras talk of knowing Him, it only means realizing Him through personal experience. Such a realized soul too cannot express Him through words because mind and speech cannot reach there.  He is absolutely different from physical objects which can be understood or grasped. Mundaka Upanishad (2.2.10) and Katha Upanishad (2.2.15) speak of Him thus “Him the sun does not illumine, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the lightning–nor, verily, fires kindled upon the earth. He is the one light that gives light to all…”.  To say anything about Him is to limit the unlimited.  He has no equal and He is what He is and so He is called “Great Glory”.

Mantra 4-20

na samdrse tishthati rupam asya na chakshusha pasyati kaschanainam I

hrda hrdistham manasa ya enam evam vidur amrtas te bhavanti II 4.20 II

Brahman is not perceptible; no one can see Him with the eyes. Yet, through pure intellect and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection, one can realize Him in the pure heart. When one realises Him, He becomes immortal.

Brahman is not perceptible.  Nobody can visualize Him physically. Those who experience Him through meditation become immortal - free from birth and death forever.

Mantra 4-21

ajata ityevam kaschid bhiruh prapadyate I

rudra yatte dakshinam mukham tena mam pahi nityam II 4.21 II

O Rudra, You are birthlesss and this is why people frightened by death seek refuge with you. Please turn your benign face towards me and protect me always.

     This Mantra reveals the attitude of Bhakti or devotion to Brahman, who is called Rudra here. Some intelligent, discriminating people know Brahman to be birthless and so deathless as well i.e. immortal.  Fearing death and desirous of freedom from the cycle of birth and death, they take refuge in Him, realizing that the immortal Brahman can alone save them from the cycle of birth and death. So the Mantra is a prayer to Brahman for His Grace to get liberated from this fearful cycle of birth and death.   

Mantra 4-22

ma nas toke tanaye ma na ayushi ma no goshu ma no asveshu ririshah I

viran ma no rudra bhamito vadhir havishmantah sadam it tva havamahe II 4.22 II

O Rudra, Please do not be angry with us and hurt us or our sons and grandsons.  Do not destroy our cattle, horses and our strong servants. With oblations in hand, we pray to you seeking your protection.

            This Mantra is also occurring in Anuvaka 10 of Rudra Suktham (Namakam).  This Mantra presents a contrasting picture of the trend of the discussions. So far, the prayer has been for Knowledge. Now this prayer is of mundane variety seeking personal blessing and material advantage from the Supreme implying the idea of dualism. The reason is that before one can attain Brahma Jnanam, the Supreme knowledge, one is on a relative plane and one is conscious that one has a body.  So long as one lives in the relative plane of life and one is conscious of one’s body, one can reach non-dualism through dualism alone.  As long as one is attached to the body, one has to have recourse to dualism-to worship and prayer. But he must remember that his goal is non-dualism. In this process, one is using non-dualism to reach dualism. With this Mantra, the chapter ends.

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Svetasvathara Upanishad – 12

  Chapter 4 (Mantras 8 to 15)

Mantra 4-8

rcho akshare parame vyoman yasmin deva adhi visve nishedhuh I

yas tan na veda kim rcha karishyati ya it tad vidus ta ime samasate II 4.8 II

For the one who does not know Him, who is the Indestructible abode of all the Vedas and in whom all the devas rested, what will be the use of the Vedas? Only those who know Him attain (permanent) bliss.

            The Mantra is to be interpreted with care.  It does not decry Vedic rites or rituals which are done mostly for material benefits only, but only cautions that these alone will not give one permanent peace or bliss as they will not take one out of samsara. Along with the study of Vedas and performance of rituals one should try to acquire the knowledge of the Supreme Brahman who is eternal and in whom everything rests. Rig Veda mentioned in the Mantra represents all Vedas, in fact all knowledge, spiritual and secular. Devas represent all the luminous objects-sun, moon, stars, the planets, the entire galaxy. In fact, everything known and unknown to us are all supported by Brahman. Knowing Him and realizing one’s essential oneness with Brahman alone, will liberate one from samsara, conferring permanent peace and bliss. So this Mantra is expressing concern that mere performance of Vedic rituals alone, without trying to gain knowledge of Brahman, the substratum of all manifestations, does not give one lasting benefit. 

Mantra 4-9

chandamsi yajnah kratavo vratani bhutam bhavyam yaccha veda vadanti I

asman mayi srjate visvam etat tasmims chanyo mayaya samniruddhah II 4.9 II

The sacred verses, the offerings, the sacrifices, the penances, the past, the future and all that the Vedas declare, have been produced from the imperishable Brahman. Brahman creates the universe through its power of Maya. Again, in that universe as the Jiva, is bound by Maya.

            Whatever objects are there prescribed in the Vedas - the sacred verses, the sacrifices, the offerings, the penances, the various vows etc., the past, present and future - are all derived from Brahman only, as Brahman is the material and efficient cause of this universe.  Brahman, through His power of Maya, has projected this universe.  Again as Jiva, He has got Himself, bound by Maya. When the Jiva realises this and understands his essential oneness with Brahman he gets liberated.

Mantra 4-10

mayam tu prakrtim vidyanmayinam tu mahesvaram I

tasyavayavabhutaistu vyaptam sarvam idam jagat II 4.10 II

Know, then, that Prakriti or nature is Maya and that Great Lord, Brahman, is the Lord of Maya. The whole world is filled with beings who form His parts.

            Brahman is described here as Mayin, Lord of Maya.  Maya is His power and Maya and Prakriti are the same.  The whole world is His manifestation through the power of Maya. So the Mantra calls the world His body and all beings as His parts therein.

Mantra 4-11

yo yonim yonimadhitishthatyeko yasminnidam sam cha vi chaiti sarvam I

tam isanam varadam devamidyam nichayyemam santim atyantameti II 4.11 II

He is one without a second. He presides over the source of everything.  He sustains the world when it comes into being, and again when it perishes, it goes back into Him. He controls everything.  He is the only giver of boons and He is the sole object of adoration. Realising Him one attains supreme peace.

            Brahman is the single presiding deity of each and every source of origin of things and beings. He is the Supreme Lord of all causes in the world. He is the causeless cause. Under His supervision and arrangement these causes result in effects. The whole universe merges in Him and comes out of Him during the cycles of dissolution and creation respectively. When the jiva realises this Super Controller, the only bestower of the boons, the adorable Brahman, he attains the eternal Supreme Peace.

Mantra 4-12

yo devanam prabhavas chodbhavas cha visvadhipo rudro maharshih I

hiranyagarbham janayamasa purvam sa no buddhya subhaya samyunaktu II 4.12 II

He, the omniscient Rudra, is the creator of the devas and of their powers and is the support of the universe, He who, in the beginning, gave birth to Hiranyagarbha-may He endow us with clear thinking (power of discrimination)!

            This Mantra is repetition of an earlier Mantra of Chapter 3 (3-4). This is a prayer to Brahman as Rudra for obtaining a pure, subtle intellect with the power of discrimination between eternal and ephemeral so that one can realize Brahman.  Rudra is described as maharshi- the omniscient seer; the creator of lesser cosmic powers such as Agni, Vayu etc.; the sustainer of the universe and the creator of Hiranyagarbha, the first Being. 

Mantra 4-13

yo devanam adhipo yasmiml loka adhisritah I

ya ise asya dvipadaschatushpadah kasmai devaya havisha vidhema II 4.13 II

He who is the Lord of all the gods, in whom the worlds find their support, who rules over all two-footed and four-footed beings - let us serve that God, radiant and blissful, with an oblation.

The Brahman is the Lord of all the gods, such as Brahma and Vishnu, and is also the support of worlds that exist. He controls the destinies of mankind and animals. He is radiant and Bliss Absolute. Let us pay our respects to Him, offering oblation.

Mantra 4-14

sukshmatisukshmam kalilasya madhye visvasya srashtaram anekarupam I

visvasyaikaṃ pariveshtitaram jnatva sivam santimatyantameti II 4.14 II

By realizing Him who is subtler than the subtlest, who creates the world in the midst of the chaos, who assumes many forms and who is the non-dual pervader of the universe, one attains the absolute peace.

            Brahman is in this universe but we cannot see him as he is the subtlest of all. He has manifested Himself in many forms in many ways. When the unity behind diversity is realized and one knows Him as the inner being of everyone, then one attains absolute peace and blessedness.  Brahman is called Siva in this Mantra.

Mantra 4-15

sa eva kale bhuvanasya gopta visvadhipah sarvabhuteshu gudhah I

yasmin yukta brahmarshayo devatas cha tam evaṃ jnatva mrtyupasamschinatti II4.15 II

It is He who, in proper time, becomes the protector of the universe, the Lord of all, hidden in all things, and in whom the sages and the deities are united. Verily, by knowing Him thus one cuts asunder the fetters of death.

Brahman, who is being described continuously, preserves the existence of universe and is hidden as indweller in all beings. All the sages keep themselves engaged in meditating upon him. By knowing that Supreme Brahman this way, one cuts all ties causing birth and death. He becomes free from the bondage of samsara and gets emancipated.

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Svetasvathara Upanishad – 11

Chapter 4 (Mantras1 to 7) 

Mantra 4-1

ya eko'varno bahudha saktiyogad varnan anekan nihitartho dadhati I

vi chaiti chante visvamadau sa devah sa no buddhya subhaya samyunaktu II 4.1 II

The Lord, One and Undifferentiated, by the manifold application of His powers produces, in the beginning, different objects for reasons not known and, in the end, withdraws the universe into Himself.  May this self-luminous Lord endow us with clear intellect!

            This Mantra is a prayer to Lord, the Brahman, that we may be endowed with a clear intellect, with a description of that Brahman.  Brahman in His formless aspect is devoid of form and colour, yet, in the beginning of creation for some unknown reasons assumes various forms and colours through His power of Maya which is non-different from Him. We, the finite beings, cannot understand the reasons behind the creation by that infinite Brahman. It is His Lila. In the end, this universe of all forms and colours dissolve in Him as well. He initiates this cycle of creation, maintenance and dissolution without any selfish purpose but for the ultimate good of the Jivas.  That Supreme Brahman is really one without the second and is Self-luminous. We can only pray unto Him, for a good mind and clear intellect that enables us to understand our essential oneness with Him.

Mantras 4-2,3&4

tad evagnistadadityastadvayustadu chandramah I

tad eva sukram tad brahma tad apas tat prajapatih II 4.2 II

tvam stri tvam puman asi tvam kumara utha va kumari I

tvam jirno dandena vanchasi tvam jato bhavasi visvatomukhah II 4.3 II

nilah patango harito lohitakshas tadidgarbha rtavah samudrah I

anadimattvam vibhutvena varthase yato jathani bhuvanani visva II 4.4 II

That Brahman is the fire, the sun, the moon, the constellation of stars, Hiranyagarbha, water and Virat. (2)  You are the woman, you are the man; you are the boy and the girl also. You are the old man walking with the help of a stick. It is you alone who is born in all forms and has faces in all directions. (3)  You are the blue bee; You are the green parrot with red eyes; You are the thunder-clouds carrying lightning, the seasons and the oceans. You are beginningless and omnipresent. From you alone all the worlds are born.

            The Brahman is described in various terms. In Mantra 2 He is described as all devatas i.e. Agni (fire), Aapah (water), Aditya (sun), Vayu, Chandramah, Nakshtras, Hiranya garbha and Virat. In short, all the devatas are the manifestations of the Brahman only; they are not independent and different. In Mantras 3 and 4, various other forms and phenomenon are described as His manifestations. The entire universe is His manifestation only. There is no limitation to the form in which He, the Formless, incarnates. The realised seeker perceives only the Brahman in all objects, sentient and insentient; having all colours and forms because all these worlds and dwellers therein emanated from Him. The Formless appearing in a multitude of forms from moment to moment is His great play, Lila, as in the case of His appearances before Gopis or His visvarupa darshana before Arjuna and Yashoda.  In His all-pervading aspect he is in everything, omnipresent, and takes up every form. He is the master of Prakriti which is discussed in the next Mantra.

Mantra 4-5

ajamekam lohitasuklakrshnam bahvih prajah srjamanam sarupah I

ajo hyeko jushamano'nusete jahaty enam bhuktabhogamajo'nyah II 4.5 II

The one unborn Prakriti - red, white and black - gives birth to many creatures like itself. An unborn individual soul becomes attached to it and enjoys it, while another unborn individual soul rejects it after knowing the ephemeral nature of the sense world from his earlier experience.

            The Mantra says Prakriti (nature) is ajam i.e., unborn, without beginning. It is the combination of three gunas which gives rise to the diversities in the world. Prakriti (nature) creates many creatures like itself which are governed by three gunas, satva, rajas and tamas.  The three gunas are described here as three colours; white, red and black; white standing for satva representing wisdom; red for rajas representing activity; black for tamas representing inertia.  The Mantra says figuratively that an ignorant person feels drawn towards this sense world and he enjoys it while another clever and discriminative individual knows the ephemeral nature of this sense world on the basis of his previous experience and therefore rejects it. If one goes beyond all these diversities he will find that behind the diverse names and forms there is only One i.e., Brahman. This knowledge destroys ignorance. About ignorance and knowledge there is more discussion in the next two Mantras. 

Mantras 4-6&7

dva suparna sayuja sakhaya samanam vrksham parishasvajate I

tayoranyah pippalam svadvattyanasnann anyo abhichakasiti II 4.6 II

samane vrkshe purusho nimagno’nisaya sochati muhyamanah I

jushtam yada pasyaty anyamisamasya mahimanamiti vitasokah II 4.7 II

Two birds, bound one to the other in close friendship, are perched on the same tree. One of them tastes the sweet and bitter fruits of the tree; the other, tasting neither, calmly looks on. (6) Seated on the same tree, the individual self (jiva), deluded by forgetfulness of his identity with the divine Self, bewildered by his ego, grieves and is sad. But when he recognizes the other as the Lord worshipped by all and His glory, he becomes free from grief. (7)

            These two Mantras are in Mundaka Upanishad (3.1.1&2) as well. The Mantras are employing the metaphor of two birds, closely related, seated on the same tree. Tree stands for the body and the two birds are Jiva, the individual self and Athma, the Brahman which is the Cosmic Self.  In the example, one of the birds, the Jiva, eats the fruits of the tree, some sweet, some bitter. That is to say, the Jiva identifying itself with the body gets involved in various activities of the world and experiencing samsara is confused and distraught. The other bird, Athma, the Brahman, just sits there without eating anything as a detached witness. The form of every sentient being has two indwellers, the two selves just like the two birds. However, they do not have the same experience of the tree. The individual self, the Jiva, tastes the fruit of the tree in the form of the inner and outer senses, and according to the quality of that experience is made happy, unhappy, contented, discontented and thus undergoes experiences, sometimes laughing and sometimes weeping, immersed in thought and bewildered by his own helplessness.

            The Supreme Self, on the other hand, tasting neither (sweet or bitter experiences), calmly observes. Brahman also experiences because He is the indweller of all as Athma and is aware of all that the individual self experiences; yet, He looks on without being affected or conditioned by such experiences. But He knows exactly the effect and conditioning that accrues to the individual self. He is experiencing right along with Jiva as witness only without being involved in any of the experiences.  When the Jiva sees, right in the core of his being, the very Supreme he has been hitherto worshipping as separate from himself, all is changed.   Experiencing within his own being the presence and the glory of the Supreme, and realizing that glory as his own, the individual becomes liberated from sorrow.  Dr. Radhakrishnan says “In Mantra 6, the cause of sorrow is traced to the sense of helplessness induced in us when we are lost in the objective world. In Mantra 7, freedom from sorrow is traced to our getting beyond object, thinking and establishing contact with Real being”.

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Svetasvathara Upanishad – 10

 Chapter 3 (Mantras16 to 21(end))

Mantra 3-16

sarvatahpanipadam tat sarvato'kshisiromukham I

sarvatahsrutimal loke sarvam avrtya tishthati II 3.16 II

With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads and mouths everywhere, with ears everywhere He exists in all the worlds, enveloping all.

            This Mantra occurs in the Bhagavad Gita (13.14) also and also is referred to under Mantra 3 of this chapter.  In the previous Mantra, Upanishad described Brahman as Lord of Time i.e. Past, Present and Future and as beyond Time.  In the present Mantra it is saying He is also beyond space.  The idea is that Brahman is everywhere and He fills everything. Indeed, He is beyond time, space and causality.

Mantra 3-17

sarvendriyagunabhasam sarvendriyavivarjitam I

sarvasya prabhumisanam sarvasya saranam suhrt II 3.17 II

Himself devoid of sense organs, He shines through the functions of the sense organs. He is the master and controller of all; He is the support of all and He is the friend of all.

            The 1^st line of this Mantra occurs as first line in the Bhagavad Gita (13.15): “sarvendriyagunaabhaasam sarvendriyavivarjitam (Shining by the functions of all the sense-organs, yet without the sense-organs).  Brahman, as the in-dwelling Athma in one, functions through the sense organs through its reflection, Chidabasa, making it appear as though It has all the sense organs. But Brahman is formless and has no organs and through its reflection, it provides each of them with its individual faculty.  The Self, Athma that is Brahman, is beyond sense organs, mind and intellect, detached from everything; but conditioned by the sense organs looks as though It possess all these sense organs. It is the sustainer of them all by its mere presence and hence It is called master, controller and friend of all. 

Mantra 3-18

navadvare pure dehi hamso lelayate bahih I

vasi sarvasya lokasya sthavarasya charasya cha II 3.18 II

Brahman, the ruler of the whole world with all its moving and non-moving objects, becomes the embodied self and dwelling in the city of nine gates, sports in the outside world.

            This is a highly figurative Mantra.   In this Mantra, Brahman is called a Hamsa, the swan, which also means the destroyer of ignorance. The Brahman who is the Lord of the universe with all its moving and non-moving objects is also the indweller of the body as Athma.  The body is called in this Mantra as a city with nine gates “navadvarepure” as in Bhagavad Gita (5-13).  The nine openings in the body viz. two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, one mouth, one genital and the excretory outlet are called gates. As Self, dwelling within this physical structure, Brahman through His reflection, Chidabasa, activates the instruments of action and perception governing the activities of life though by Itself It does not perform any action. Just as a swan is not affected by the water in which it swims, Brahman is not affected by the body or other objects of the world with which the body comes into contact through its openings. The body’s interaction with the outside world is called sporting in the outside world.

Mantra 3-19

apanipado javano grahita pasyatyacakshuh sa srnotyakarnah I

sa vetti vedyam na ca tasyasti vetta tam ahur agryam purusham mahantam II 3.19 II

Grasping without hands, moving without feet, He sees without eyes, He hears without ears. He knows what is to be known, but no one knows Him. They say He is the First of all beings and also the all-pervasive.

Brahman sees, hears, walks about, and tastes without sense organs because He enlivens the sense organs i.e. He is the Consciousness which activates the instruments of action and perception. He is eternal, infinite, independent and all-knowing and is called the First and Greatest of all beings.

Mantra 3-20

anoraniyan mahato mahiyan athma guhayam nihito'sya jantoh I

tamakratuṃ pasyati vitasoko dhatuprasadan mahimanam isam II 3.20 II

Athma, the Self, subtler than the subtlest and greater than the greatest, is hidden in the heart of every being. The desireless one sees that glory of the Athma through the serenity of organs and becomes free from grief.

            This whole Mantra occurs in Kathopanishad also (1.2.20) where the last word is ‘athmanah’ instead of ‘isam’.  The Athma, one’s Self, is subtler than subtlest and also greater than the greatest and it is the innermost essence of all things that exist, large or small. The person with vairagya and self- control realises the oneness of Athma with the Supreme Brahman, the Lord of all, and becomes free from grief. 

Mantra 3-21

vedahametamajaraṃ puranam sarvatmanam sarvagatam vibhutvat I

janmanirodham pravadanti yasya brahmavadino hi pravadanti nityam II 3.21 II

I know this undecaying, primeval One, the Self of all, which exists everywhere, being all-pervading and which the knowers of Brahman declare as free from birth. They speak of It as eternal.

            This Mantra is the declaration by one who has  realised the Athma, the Brahman. He recalls the glory of Brahman as one that does not age; that is eternal; that is the Self of all; that is everywhere and in every being and one without birth or death.  The chapter concludes with this Mantra.

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Svetasvathara Upanishad – 9

Chapter 3 (Mantras 8 to 15) 

Mantra 3-8

vedaham etam purusham mahantam adityavarnam tamasah parastat I

tam eva viditva’timrtyumeti nanyah pantha vidyate'yanaya II 3.8 II

(Rishi says) I know the great Purusha, who is luminous, like the sun and beyond darkness. Only by knowing Him one goes beyond death; there is no other way to the Supreme Goal.

            This Upanishadic Mantra occurs in the Purusha Suktam with slight modification as under:

vedahametam purusham mahantam adityavarnam tamasah parastat

tamevam vidvan amrita iha bhavati nanyah pantha vidyate'yanaya (20)

"I have known that great Purusha (Supreme Being) who is brilliant like the sun and who is beyond all darkness. One who knows Him thus becomes immortal (even) here. There is no other path for liberation than this"

Brahman is referred to here as Purusha because He dwells within the heart in every body (pura) and also because He fills the whole universe (purnam).  The Rishi of the Svetasvatara Upanishad says with all emphasis at his command, that knowledge of Brahman, the Absolute, who is described as bright, effulgent, shining like the sun, alone can destroy the darkness of ignorance and free men from the cycle of births and deaths. There is no other way of escape from samsara cycle i.e., there is no other path to liberation than the realization that one’s innermost Self is the birthless and deathless Brahman.

Mantra 3-9

yasmat param naparam asti kimchid yasmannaniyo na jyayo'sti kaschit I

vrksha iva stabdho divi tishthatyekastenedam purnam purushena sarvam II 3.9 II

There is nothing higher than or different from this Purusha.  Also, there is nothing bigger or smaller than Him.  He stands alone in the glory of His being fixed like a tree and fills the whole universe.

            The whole world is filled with Purusha (Brahman). Hence there cannot be any question of somebody being superior or inferior to Purusha or something being different from Purusha or something being bigger or smaller than Purusha. Thus Brahman stands alone by Himself as a tree, established in His own glory.  Brahman pervades the universe as gold pervades an ornament. He is the only substance in the universe while the names and forms are all created by Maya. Maya creates the ideas of superiority, inferiority, difference etc., which belong to the realm of phenomenal world.

Mantra 3-10

tato yad uttarataram tadarupam anamayam I

ya etad vidur amrtas te bhavanti athetare duhkham evapiyanti II 3.10 II

That (Brahman) is farthest from this world, is without form and without affliction They who know It become immortal. Others, indeed, suffer misery.

            Brahman, the Absolute, cannot be brought into relation with the world as all conception of relation is based on space, time and causation, and all these comes under the realm of Maya only. This Supreme Brahman is without form and is beyond sorrow or suffering.  The knowledge that this Supreme Brahman alone, through Maya, appears as both the Creator and the world, and the realisation of one’s oneness with the Supreme Brahman bestows immortality upon the seeker.  One cannot escape sorrow and suffering in the phenomenal world without this realisation.

Mantra 3-11

sarvananasirogrivah sarvabhutaguhasayah I

sarvavyapi sa bhagavams tasmat sarvagatah sivah II 3.11 II

The faces, heads and necks of all beings are His.  He dwells in the hearts of all beings. He is the all-pervading Bhagavan. Therefore, He is the omnipresent and benign Lord.

            The previous Mantra described Brahman as transcendental (nirguna) and this Mantra describes the same Brahman as Personal God (saguna).  The 1^st  Mantra of Purusha Suktam which is also 14^th Mantra of this chapter says:

sahasra shirsha purushaha sahasrakshas sahasrapat |

sa bhumim vishvato vritva atyatishthad dashangulam ||

The Purusha (the Supreme Being) has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes and a thousand feet. He has enveloped this world from all sides and has (even) transcended it by ten fingers.

            The implication of the above statements is that when we see multiplicity like you and me, mine and yours, he and she and so on, we develop relationships based on differences such as love and hatred, likes and dislikes. But when we are able to go beyond these diversities and perceive all as the one unitary whole, we automatically love all and hatred cannot appear on the scene.

            This Mantra calls the Supreme Being as Bhagavan. The word Bhagavan means He who is the embodiment of all the six divine attributes viz., aisvarya - total power, virya - strength, yasa - fame, sri - wealth, jnana - wisdom and vairagya - dispassion.  All faces, heads, and necks, belong to the Lord only as He is the Virat Purusha, the Universal Person. He fills the entire universe. He is the inner personality of all, antaryamin.  So He guides the senses, mind and intellect and actions of all. This Bhagavan, called as Siva, is omnipresent and is the embodiment of all that is good. That is his real nature.

Mantra 3-12

mahan prabhur vai purushah sattvasyaisha pravartakah I

sunirmalam imam praptim isano jyotir avyayah II 3.12 II

He, indeed, is the great Purusha, all pervasive and all-powerful. He also inspires the mind to attain the state of purity. He is the Supreme Lord, self-luminous and imperishable.

            This Mantra further eulogizes the Purusha.  Purusha is all-powerful, all-pervasive, imperishable, non-decaying and pure, free from any trace of ignorance and He directs one’s intellect and inspires one to attain the Self-knowledge. 

Mantra 3-13

angushthamatrah purusho'ntaratma sada jananam hrdaye samnivishtah I

hrda manisha manasabhiklpto ya etad vidur amrtas te bhavanti II 3.13 II

The Purusha with a size as small as the thumb, is ever seated in the heart of beings as their inner Self.  He is known by the mind, which controls knowledge and is perceived in the heart. Those who realise this become immortal.

            The description of Purusha as angushtamatrah, of the size of a thumb, must not be taken too literally because the Self is not a physical entity so that one can measure it or describe it as big or small. It is just immeasurable or infinite and is also antaryamin, the inner Self of everybody. He is commonly stated as residing inside the hearts and hence can be perceived only by the mind alone. When such knowledge of the Self is realised, one becomes free, becomes immortal.  Though one is always free, one is not aware of it. Becoming free is a matter of change in our understanding.

Mantra 3-14&15

sahasrasirsha purushah sahasrakshah sahasrapat I

sa bhumim visvato vrtva atyatishthad dasangulam II 3.14 II

purusha evedam sarvam yad bhutam yaccha bhavyam I

utamrtatvasyesano yadannenatirohati II3.15 II

The Purusha with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet, compasses the universe on all sides and extends beyond it by ten fingers. (14) The Purusha alone is all this-what has been and what will be. He is also the Lord of Immortality and of whatever grows by food. (15)

            The Mantras 14 and 15 are the same as Purusha Suktham Mantras (1&2). Of these the first, the Mantra 14 was quoted earlier in Mantra 11. In the previous Mantra 13, Purusha, the Brahman, was described as being of the size of thumb. And now in Mantra 14 He is being described as vast and all-embracing, extending beyond the universe.  In short, He is immeasurable, infinite and fills everything in universe both inside and outside, incuding the universe itself. The state of immanence was described in the previous Mantra and here the state of transcendence is brought out. The Purusha is the Lord of the Past, Present and Future. He is the Lord of Immortality and also the bestower of immortality.  Unlike the mortals He is beyond the concept of time. He is timeless, immortal - amrita.

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