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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