Chandogya Upanishad (Ch.6,7 & 8) – 1

Introduction & Shanthi Mantra

            The Chandogya Upanishad belongs to Sama Veda and is a big Upanishad consisting of 627 Mantras spread over eight chapters. Of these eight chapters the first five chapters deal with Saguna Iswara Upasanas and the last three chapters deal with Nirguna Iswara Jnanam.  So we are skipping the first five chapters and studying only the last three chapters i.e. chapters 6,7 and 8 in this series of blogs. The Chandogya Upanishad is considered an important Upanishad as Vyasacharya takes up a number of Mantras from this Upanishad for analysis in Brahmasutra.  This Upanishad lends itself to chanting with svaras, like Isavasya and Taittriya Upanishads.  This Upanishad starts with a Shanthi Mantra which belongs to the Sama Veda, and let us study the Mantra before taking up Chapter 6.  The Shanthi Mantra is:

Om. aapyaayantu mamangaani, vaak praanah chakshuh srotramatho balam indriyaani cha sarvaani. I sarvam Brahmaupanishadam, ma’ham Brahma niraakuryam maa maa Brahma niraakarod  aniraakaranam astu, aniraakaranam me astu I tad aatmani nirate ya upanishatsu dharmah, te mayi santu, te mayi santu. I Om shanti shanti shanti II

May my limbs, speech, Prana, eye, ear and power of all my senses grow vigorous.  All is Brahman of the Upanishads. May I never deny Brahman; may Brahman never spurn me. May there be no denial of Brahman; may there be no spurning by Brahman; may I take delight in that Athma; May the virtues recited in the Upanishads repose in me; may they repose in me I Om Peace, Peace, Peace II            

This Shanthi Mantra is personal in nature and prays for an integrated personality where the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects are harmoniously developed.  Let us see the meaning of individual phrases in this Shanthi Mantra:

Om - stands for Brahman

aapyaayantu mamangaani, vaak praanah chakshuh srotramatho balam indriyaani cha sarvaani.  - May my limbs, speech, prana, eye, ear, and all my senses grow strong and vigorous.

sarvam Brahmaupanishadam -  Everything existing is the Brahman of Upanishads

ma’ham Brahma niraakuryam maa maa Brahma niraakarod  aniraakaranam astu, aniraakaranam me astu -  May I never deny Brahman, May Brahman never deny me, May I never spurn Brahman, May Brahman never spurn me

tad aatmani nirate ya upanishatsu dharmaah, te mayi santu -  May the virtues given in the Upanishads reside in me who is devoted to the Athma.            

            Through this Shanthi Mantra, the sishya seeks a sound sthula, sukshma sareera that will enable him to absorb the teaching and pursue studies without interference of physical and mental problems.   Particular mention is made of speech, prana, eye and ear among other limbs.  Speech implying communication skill is important in Mananam for conveying the doubts to guru seeking clarification.  Prana is important for general health and vitality for concentration in studies without distraction.   Eye should be problem-free to study the Sastras. The importance of ear in Sravanam needs no emphasis. The essence of Vedanta is stated in the invocation with the affirmation that everything is only the Brahman of Upanishads.  For there is only Brahman without a second in the Universe as stated clearly in Mundaka Upanishad (2-2-11)

“That immortal Brahman alone is before, that Brahman is behind, that Brahman is to the right and left. Brahman alone pervades everything above and below; this universe is that Supreme Brahman alone.”            

And this advaitic Brahman can be known through Upanishads only as stated in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3-9-26) where Brahman is referred to as ‘aupanishadam Purusha’.  Sishya prays that neither his faith in Brahman nor the grace of Brahman should desert him at any time, and repeats it for emphasis.  He also seeks as a devoted student of AthmaJnanam all the qualification required for BrahmaVidya studies namely sadhana chathushtaya sampathi, i.e. the fourfold discipline of discrimination, dispassion, sixfold discipline, and the intense desire for moksha purushartha.   The invocation ends with the traditional prayer for peace from the three types of obstacles, also called tapatrayam, as given below:

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

In short, this is more of a personal prayer where the student prays for sareera yogyatha, jnana yogyatha, and Iswara kripa, through this peace invocation.

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Self-knowledge and Guru Upadesa

(Based on Swami Paramarthananda’s talk)

Vedas have got two parts; Veda Purva and Veda Anta, the former part and the last part.  By following the life style given in the Veda Purva, a person will develop an interest in Self Knowledge.  It will convert a lay person into a spiritual seeker.  For such a seeker Self Knowledge is primarily dealt with in the Veda Anta or Vedanta, the end portion of Veda.  This Self Knowledge is called Upanishad.  The word ‘Upanishad’ consists of three portions - Upa, Ni and Sath.  Upa means that which is closest to you i.e. the Self or Athma.  The expression Ni means Nischaya Jnanam or clear knowledge. Sath means the destroyer.  As knowledge is always the destroyer of ignorance, Upanishad means Self Knowledge, the destroyer of Self Ignorance.

In the 7th chapter of Chandogya Upanishad, there is a story concerning Narada and Sanath Kumara.  In that story, Narada goes to Sanath Kumara and asks for knowledge. Then, Sanath Kumara asks, how can I teach you if I don’t know your level of knowledge and asks for what Narada already knows.  Then, Narada gives a big list of Knowledge or sciences that he already knows as “Rik Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharvana Veda, Iitihasas, Puranas, Bhuta vidya, Nakshatra vidya, Sarpa Devajana vidya etc. Thus he gives a very big list and at the end he says – “I am miserable in-spite of all these learnings. Previously, I was a miserable illiterate person and now I am a miserable literate person.  Therefore, you should help me to get out of this misery.  I have heard somewhere that only a person of Self Knowledge can cross over all mental miseries or afflictions”.  Through this, Upanishad indirectly indicates that other than Self Knowledge, there is no other solution for human mental problems like worry, anxiety, fear, insecurity, depression, jealousy etc.

Let us explore a little bit into knowledge in general and then Self Knowledge in particular. The branch of philosophy which deals with the nature of knowledge is called Epistemology. It deals with the nature of knowledge, the source of knowledge, what is right knowledge, what is erroneous knowledge, why error takes place etc.  In our tradition, it is called Pramana Sastra.  To understand about knowledge in general, one should know the four factors connected with knowledge. The first factor is the ‘Locus of Knowledge’. One should have a clear idea about where the knowledge takes place. One should know what the Nature of knowledge is. In Sanskrit, Locus is called Ashraya and Nature is called Swarupam. Then, the third factor is the Object of knowledge. One cannot generally say knowledge. One should say knowledge of what. Finally, and most importantly, the instrument or means by which one generates knowledge. Locus, Nature, Object, and Instrument – are the four factors one should be clear about.

Any knowledge has to take place in the intellect and it has to be in the form of a thought alone. Object of knowledge is anything about which one wants to know and that is called Vishaya.  Fourth and most important factor is the instrument or means by which one gathers knowledge called Pramanam.  We have got several instruments as every sense organ is a Pramanam.  Of these four factors, the first two is same for any knowledge, including Self Knowledge i.e. Locus is intellect and Nature is of thought form.  The uniqueness of Self Knowledge lies in the fact that it is the only knowledge where the Object of knowledge happens to be the Subject itself.  That handicaps the Instruments as they are turned outside and can reveal only the external world of objects and not the subject Self as Kathopanishad (2-1-1) says “paranchikani vyatrunat swayambhuhu tasmat paran pasyati nantaratman (The self-existent Supreme Lord destroyed (harmed) the sense-organs by making them extrovert. Therefore, one sees the external things only and not the inner Self).  All sciences also cannot help because they are all based on extrovert sense organs and therefore they cannot give Self Knowledge. The scriptures point out that we need an external aid in case of Self Knowledge, as we need a mirror to see our very eyes that are used to see others.  Sastras or the scriptures are the mirror which will show one’s own nature to oneself.  Scriptural enquiry is synonymous with Self enquiry because scriptures are verbal mirrors called Sabdha Pramanam.

But in employing this Sabdha Pramanam one faces some fundamental problem.  Because it is a unique subject matter, scriptures use special methods to communicate.  Therefore, if one tries to study the scriptures by oneself, one will not be able to extract the teaching.  For instance, Isavasya Upanishad (mantra 11) says – “vidyan cha avidyan cha yastad veda ubhayagm saha (He who knows both vidya (knowledge) and avidya (ignorance) together)”, and the combination of vidya and avidya is very difficult to understand by oneself.  It also says in the same Mantra – “avidyaya mrutyum tirtva (through ignorance, crossing over mortality)” which means that one can get immortality through ignorance which is baffling on the face of it.  There is a difference between non-scriptural words and scriptural words which are given the title Aloukika Sabdha.  The scriptural words have to be understood in such a way that it gives one a unique knowledge and so it needs a key to extract this special knowledge.  This key is only with the Jnanis and they will be able to show the scriptural words as a mirror in front of one to reveal oneself.  Thus these words coming from the mouth of a Jnani Guru serves as a subtle mirror which will help one discover this knowledge.

With Guru Sastra Upadesa, the scriptures serve as a mirror and give this knowledge to the sishya. Therefore, all the Upanishads emphasize the role of a Guru.  Mundaka Upanishad in Mantra (1-2-12) says:

tad vignyanartham sa gurumeva abhigacchet

samitpanihi shrotriyam brahma nishtham II

For knowing that (Brahman that is the Self), let him, fuel in hand, approach a Guru who is well versed in the Vedas and is always absorbed in Brahman.

Lord Krishna also in Bhagavad Gita (4-34) tells Arjuna clearly to go to a Guru and learn.

tadviddhi pranipatena pariprashnena sevaya I

upadekshyantite jnanam jnanina tatvadarsinaha II

With reverential salutations do you approach them - the wise men who have known the Truth.  Serve them, and question them repeatedly (with due respect, until your doubts are clarified). These wise men will impart the knowledge of this divine Truth to you.

All the Upanishads uniformly say that the Guru will systematically expose the teaching in the form of a dialogue.  Sage Yajnavalkya tells his wife in Brihadaranya Upanishad (4-5-6): “atmava are drashtavyaha shrotavyaha mantavyaha nidhidhyasitavyaha (The Self should be realised, should be heard of, reflected on and meditated upon)”. So the first step in acquiring the Self Knowledge is the systematic hearing of Guru Upadesa for a length of time with Sraddah and devotion, which is called Sravanam.   If such a Sravanam takes place, one will be able to gather this knowledge about oneself and that knowledge is Jiva-Brahma-Ikyam.  For the Guru Upadesa to work as a mirror to reveal oneself, one should have a prepared mind to receive the subtle teaching, as one must have a clear pair of eyes to see the reflection properly in the mirror that is available in the front.  Similarly, along with Guru Sastra Upadesa, one should also have a prepared mind to receive the knowledge. Therefore, preparations are also equally important. So, if Guru, Sastra, and a prepared intellect are there, then the knowledge will take place effectively and destroy the ignorance and ignorance borne problems like samsara also.

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Aparokshanubhuthi – 6

Jagat & Jivathva mithyatvam

Verse 52

Svalpamapyantaram krtva jivatmanparamatmanoh I

Yah santishtati mudhathma bhayam tasyabhibhashitam II

Fear is attributed to the ignorant one who rests after making even the slightest distinction between Jivathma and Paramathma.

Verse 53

Yatrajnanadbhaveddvaitamitarastatra pasyati I

Atmathvena yada sarvam netarastatra chanvapi II

When duality appears through ignorance, one sees another; but when everything becomes identified with Athma, one does not perceive another even in the least.

Verse 54

Yasminsarvani bhutani hyatmantvena vijanatah I

Na vai tasya bhavenmoho na cha soko'dvitiyatah II

In that state when one realizes all as identified with the Athma, there arise neither delusion nor sorrow, in consequence of the absence of the duality.

Verse 55

Ayamathma hi brahmaiva sarvatmakataya sthitah I

Iti nirddharitam srutya brhadaranyasamsthaya II

The Sruthi in the form of Brihadaranyaka (Upanishad) has declared that this Athma, which is the Self of all, is verily Brahman.

Sri Sankara is refuting Dvaita in the above four verses based on Sruthi statements. Verse 52 is based on the Tatttriya Upanishad Mantra (2-7-1) which states among other things – “yada hyevaisha etasminnudaramantaram kurute . atha tasya bhayam bhavati (When he (the ignorant one) makes the slightest differentiation in It (Brahman), there is fear for him)”.  Fear leads to samsara and has its root in duality and can be overcome by him alone who realizes non-duality.  For such a wise person with Advaita Jnanam there is nothing to be gained or lost and nothing to be afraid of as well. 

Verse 53 gives the substance of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Mantra (4-5-15). The translation of the relevant portion of the Mantra runs as-- “For when there is duality, as it were, then one sees another, one smells another, one tastes another, one speaks to another, one hears another, one thinks of another, one touches another, one knows another. But when to the knower of Brahman everything has become the Self, then what should he see and through what, what should he smell and through what, what should he taste and through what, what should he speak and through what, what should he hear and through what, what should he think and through what, what should he touch and through what, what should he know?  Through what should one know That owing to which all this is known?”.  It means that a person sees duality in ignorance and that when he becomes enlightened he see his Self as everything and there is no duality for him.

Verse 54 is based on the Isavasya Upanishad Mantra 7 given below:

Yasmin sarvani bhuthani athmaivabhuth vijanathaha I

Tatra ko mohah kah soka ekathvamanupasyathaha II

To the man of realization, all things have verily become the Self: what delusion, what sorrow, can there be for him who beholds that oneness?

Verse 55 is based on the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Mantra (2-5-19) wherein it is stated – “Ayam Athma Brahma sarvanubhuh (This Self, which experiences everything, is Brahman)”.  The one Athma which is the Self in all is verily the Brahman.

Verse 56

Anubhuto'pyayam loko vyavaharakshamo'pi san I

Asadrupo yatha svapna uttarakshanabadhatah II

This world, though an object of our daily experience and serving all practical purposes, is, like the dream world, of the nature of non-existence, inasmuch as it is contradicted the next moment.

Verse 57

Svapno jagarane'likah svapne'pi jagaro na hi I

Dvayameva laye nasti layo'pi hyubhayorna cha II

The dream (experience) is unreal in waking, whereas the waking (experience) is absent in dream.  Both, however, are non-existent in deep sleep which, again, is not experienced in either.

Verse 58

Trayamevam bhavenmithya gunatrayavinirmitam I

Asya drashta gunatito nityo hyekaschidathmakah II

Thus all the three states are not Real inasmuch as they are the creation of the three Gunas; but their witness (the Reality behind them) is, beyond all Gunas, eternal one, and is the Consciousness itself.

In the above three verses Sri Sankara is using yukthi  pramana to establish the mithyathvam of anathma prapancha through avasthathraya Viveka. In verse 56 it is said that a thing cannot be called Sat (ever-existent) merely because it is experienced and has pragmatic value.  The dream-world is experienced by the dreamer in dream and has practical value for the dreamer in dream but it is not Real, as it disappears in waking state. In the same way the waking world with all its relationships and transactions is not Real for one, as it is absent in dream for him.  This logic is carried on in verse 57 to show the unreality of avasththraya, all the three states, which constitutes the total world of one’s experiences. The waking state experience is absent in dream and deep sleep and the dream state experience is absent in waking and deep sleep states and the Bliss of freedom from samsara temporarily enjoyed in deep sleep state is absent in waking and dream states.  Verse 58 argues that all the three states are not Real as they are produced by the permutations and combinations of the three Gunas viz. Satva, Rajas and Tamas, with waking state being Satva-pradhana, dream state Rajo-pradhana and deep sleep state Tamo-pradhana and these three Gunas together constitute Maya.  Further whatever is a compound must disintegrate and so subject to destruction. The world thus being a compound is subject to destruction and so cannot be Real.  Further the three avasthas made up of the three Gunas, the constituents of Maya, are also mithya only like Maya i.e. available for transactions and experience but not Real.   The Consciousness principle, Athma, remains as a silent witness to all the changes, unaffected by the Gunas, being Gunathitha and Nirvikara.

Verse 59

Yadvanmrdi ghatabhrantim suktau va rajatasthitim I

Tadvadbrahmani jivatvam viksamane na pasyati II

Just as (after the illusion has gone) one is no more deluded to see pot in clay or silver in the mother-of-pearl so does one no more see Jiva in Brahman when the latter is realized (as one’s Self)

Verse 60

Yatha mrdi ghato nama kanake kundalabhidha I

Suktau hi rajatakhyatirjivasabdastatha pare II

Just as clay is described as a pot, gold as an ear-ring and a mother-of-pearl as silver, so is Brahman described as Jiva.

In the above two verses Jivathva-mithyatvam is discussed with examples. So long as a person is in ignorance, he thinks of himself as one with a distinct individuality, Jivathva, apart from Brahman.  But with the acquisition of Athma Jnanam he realizes his oneness with Brahman as Jiva and Jivathvam, that portrays Jiva as apart from Brahman, appears as nothing but an illusion like the illusion of pot apart from the clay and ear-ring apart from gold.  Pot and ear-ring are only words necessary for transactional purposes.  The all-pervading Pure Consciousness available within the body is called Jivathma and without the body by Itself It is called Paramathma.  There is no Jiva other than Brahman.  As ring is another name for gold itself and pot for clay so Jiva is another name for Brahman.

Verse 61

Yathaiva vyomni nilatvaṃ yatha niram marusthale I

Purushatvam yatha sthanau tadvadvisvaṃ cidatmani II

Just as blueness in the sky, water in the mirage and a human figure in a post (are only illusory), so is the world in Athma (Brahman).

Verse 62

Yathaiva sunye vetalo gandharvanaṃ puraṃ yatha I

Yathakase dvicandratvam tadvatsatye jagatsthitih II

Just as the appearance of a ghost in an empty place, of a castle in the sky and of a second moon in the sky (are illusory) so is the existence of the world in Brahman.

Verse 63

Yatha tarangakallolairjalameva sphuratyalam I

Patrarupena tamram hi brahmandaughaistatha'tmata II

Just as it is water that appears as ripples and waves or again it is copper that appears in the form of a vessel, so it is Athma (Brahman) that appears as the whole world

Verse 64

Ghaṭanamna yatha prthvi patanamna hi tantavaḥ I

Jagannamna chidabhati jneyaṃ tattadabhavataḥ II

Just as it is the earth (clay) that appears under the name of a jar, or it is threads that appear under the name of the cloth, so it is Athma (Brahman) that appears under the name of the world. This Athma (Brahman) is to be known by negating the names.

Sri Sankara is quoting no. of examples in the above four verses to further illustrate Jagat mithyatvam. In verses 61 and 62 the following examples are cited.  They are the appearance of:

1)    Blueness in the sky

2)    Water in the mirage

3)    Human figure in a post

4)    Ghost in the empty space

5)    Castle in the sky

6)    Vision of two moons in the sky

Just as the above are only illusions, so is the appearance of the world in Brahman. Another set of examples are given in 63 and 64, where effect which is only cause plus nama, rupa is looked upon as different from the cause. They are

1)    Ripples and waves on water which are water only in substance.

2)    Copper vessel which is copper only in substance.

3)    Jar made of clay which is clay only in substance.

4)    Cloth made of threads that is threads only in substance.

Same way Brahman is the substance of the world and appears as world and by negating the names and forms of the world mentally Brahman is to be known.

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Aparokshanubhuthi – 5

 

Jagat mithyatvam

Verse 41

Ityathmadehabhagena prapanchasyaiva satyata I

yathokta tarkasastrena tatah kiṃ purusharthatha II

Thus the enunciation of the Athma and the body has (indirectly) asserted, indeed, after the manner of the Tarkasastra, the reality of the phenomenal world.  But what ends of the human life are served thereby?

Verse 42

Ityatmadehabhedena dehatmantvaṃ nivaritam I

Idaniṃ dehabhedasya hyasattvaṃ sphutamucyate II

Thus the view that the body is the Athma has been denounced by the enunciation of the difference between the Athma and the body. Now is clearly stated the unreality of the body that is different (from the Athma).

With the 40th verse Athma-anathma-viveka part is over. Now in verse 41 the sishya who has understood that Athma is different from body, the anathma and has not grasped that anathma is mithya poses a doubt.  He thinks that Athma and anathma are two separate Real entities and so asks guru whether this will not be Dvaita, the argument of Tarka sastra that holds phenomenal world, the anathma, is eternal and co-existent with Purusha as prakrithi.  Upanishad says that as long as there is duality there will be fear and thereby samsara.  So when Self-ignorance is removed there cannot be Liberation, as duality persists and with it samsara also. To remove such doubts an enquiry into the nature of anathma is introduced by the guru in verse 42, that will reveal  anathma mithyathvam that includes Jagat mithyatvam as well.

Verse 43

Chaitanyasyaikarupatvadbhedo yukto na karhicit I

Jivatvam cha mrsha jneyam rajjau sarpagraho yatha II

No division in Consciousness is admissible at any time as it is always one and the same.  Even the individuality of the Jiva must be known as false, like the delusion of a snake in a rope.

Verse 44

Rajjvajnanatksanenaiva yadvadrajjurhi sarpini I

Bhati tadvacchitih saksadvisvakarena kevala II

As through the ignorance of the real nature of the rope the very rope appears in an instant as a snake, so also does pure Consciousness appears in the form of the phenomenal universe without undergoing any change.

Verse 45

Upadanam prapanchasya brahmanonyanna vidyate I

Tasmatsarvaprapancho'yam brahmaivasti na chetarat II

There exists no other material cause of this universe except Brahman.  Hence the whole universe is Brahman alone and nothing else. 

Consciousness is all-pervading, one and uniform and there is no plurality of Consciousness. But there is plurality of the reflection of the Consciousness causing sentiency in every Jiva.  This reflected Consciousness is also anathma as the reflecting medium, the individual mind, is anathma only.  So the individuality of the Jiva, Jivathvam, is unreal and a delusion like the vision of the snake on the rope in twilight, says the verse 43. Here the rope is mistaken for a snake due to rope-ignorance.  In verse 44 this example is extended to the case of universe which is also anathma only.  Pure Consciousness appears as the material universe without undergoing any change whatsoever due to ignorance of Chaithanyam, Pure Consciousness. The universe which is material and insentient will be experienced as Real as long as this ignorance continues. This idea is further developed in verse 45.  Brahman being one and alone before the creation of universe, It is the material cause for this universe and has karana-karya relationship with the universe like clay with earthen pot.  So Universe is only Brahman plus nama-rupa-karma. The nama- rupa-karma that differentiates the karanam from karyam is found to be without substance on enquiry.   So the universe is Brahman only in substance. Sruthi pramanam for this assertion is given in the following verses.

Verse 46

Vyapyavyapakata mithya sarvamatmeti sasanat I

Iti jnate pare tattve bhedasyavasarah kutah II

From the declaration (of the Sruthi), “All this is Athma” it follows that the idea of the pervaded and pervading is illusory.  This supreme truth being realized, where is the room for any distinction between the cause and the effect?

Verse 47

Srutya nivaritam nunam nanatvaṃ svamukhena hi I

Kathaṃ bhaso bhavedanyah sthite chadvayakarane II  

Certainly the Sruthi has directly denied manifoldness in Brahman.  The non-dual cause being an established fact, how could the universe be different from It?

Verse 48

Dosho'pi vihitah srutya mrtyormrtyum sa gacchathi I

Iha pasyati nanatvam mayaya vanchito narah II

Moreover, the Sruthi has condemned (the belief in variety) with the words, “The person who” being deceived by Maya “sees variety in this (Brahman), goes from death to death”.

Verse 49

Brahmanah sarvabhutani jayante paramatmanah I

Tasmadetani brahmaiva bhavantityavadharayet II

Inasmuch as all beings are born of Brahman, the Supreme Athma, they must be readily understood to be verily Brahman.

Verse 50

Brahmaiva sarvanamani rupani vividhani cha I

Karmanyapi samagrani bibhartiti srutirjagau II

The Sruti has clearly declared that Brahman alone is the substratum of all varieties of names, forms and actions

Verse 51

Suvarnajjayamanasya suvarnatvaṃ cha sasvatam I

Brahmano jayamanasya brahmatvaṃ cha tatha bhavet II

Just as a thing made of gold ever has the nature of gold, so also a being born of Brahman has always the nature of Brahman.

In the above verses Sruthi pramanam is given to prove everything is Brahman only.  In verse 46, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4-5-7) is quoted in part – “Idam sarvam yadayamathma (All these are only this Athma) to show Brahman itself is all.  It reveals that there is not anything apart from Brahman which It pervades, but It Itself is everything.

In verse 47 and 48 also Brihadaranyaka upanishad (4-4-19) is quoted to deny the manifoldness in Brahman. It runs as follows:

Manasaivanudrashtaivam neha nanasthi kinchana I

Mrtyoh sa mrtyumopnothi ya iha naneva pasyathi II.

Brahman is to be known by the mind in accordance with (the instructions of a teacher).   There is no diversity whatsoever in it.  He who sees diversity, as it were in It, goes from death to death. 

The first line is quoted in verse 47 and the second line in 48.  Sum and substance of these two verses is that unless a person realizes the nature of the non-dual Athma there is no escape for him from the cycle of birth and death.

In verse 49, Taittriya Upanishad (3-1-1) is quoted. It runs as “ yato va imani bhutani jayante,  yena jatani jivanti, yatprayantyabhisamvishanti,  tadvijijnasasva . tadh brahmeti – (That from which these beings are born, That by which, when born, they live, That into which they enter, and into which they merge—seek to know That. That is Brahman.)".  This reveals that Brahman is the material cause of the world and so the world is only Brahman plus nama-rupa.  Brahman being the only material cause is the adhishtanam for all the products and things in the world.  Products and things being only names, forms and actions, i.e. nama-rupa-karma, verse 50 emphasises what is stated in verse 49, citing a statement from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad which runs as “Nama, rupa, karma Jagat (name, form and action-this world)”.   Verse 51 follows this up saying that the world being born of Brahman and sustained in Brahman, enjoys the Brahman-status, Brahmathvam, permanently like the golden ornaments that do not lose goldness even though they lose the superficial nature and substance.

Whenever we talk of anathma being unreal we should always remember that the unreality of anathma is from the standpoint of Athma, the Brahman, only. This means that the anathma is only less Real than Athma and it is very much Real from the standpoint of another anathma.

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Aparokshanubhuthi – 4

 

Athma Swarupa

Verse 31

Ahamsabdena vikhyata eka eva sthitah paraḥ I

Sthulastvanekataṃ praptah katham syaddehakah puman II

The Supreme (Purusha) known by the word “I” is but one, whereas the gross bodies are many.  So how can this body be Purusha?

Verse 32

Ahaṃ drashtrutaya siddho deho drsyataya sthitah I

Mamayamiti nirdesatkatham syaddehakah puman II

“I” is well established as the subject of perception whereas the body is the object.  This is learnt from the fact that when we speak of the body we say, ‘This is mine’. So how can this body be Purusha?

Verse 33

Ahaṃ vikarahinastu deho nityam vikaravan I

Iti pratiyate sakshatkatham syaddehakah puman II

It is a fact of direct experience that the “I” is without any change, whereas the body is always undergoing changes.  So how can this body be Purusha?

Athma anathma Vichara is continued in the above verses with Athma being called the Purusha and anathma being the body.   In verse 31 it is pointed out Purusha is one and is without parts while body has multiple parts and bodies are many and so they cannot be equated.  In verse 32 an argument stated earlier is repeated.  It is that body is something “I” possess and so it is external to me.  So it cannot be identified with “I”, the Purusha.  In verse 33 it is pointed out that the body undergoes many changes and modifications over the years; in childhood, youth or old age and in happiness or misery while “I”, the Purusha remains the same without any changes and so Purusha is not the body.  So Purusha, the Self, is different from the body.

Verse 34

Yasmatparamiti srutya taya Purushalaksanam I

Vinirnitaṃ vimudena katham syaddehakah puman II

Wise men have ascertained the (real) nature of Purusha from that Sruthi text “(There is nothing) higher than He (Purusha),” etc.  So how can this body be Purusha?

Verse 35

Sarvam Purusha eveti sukte Purushasamjnite I

Apyuchyate yatah srutya katham syaddehakah puman II

Again the Sruthi has declared in the Purusha Suktham that “All this is verily the Purusha.”   So how can this body be Purusha?

Verse 36

Asaṃgah Purushaḥ prokto brhadaraṇyake'pi cha I

Anantamalasamslistah katham syaddehakah puman II

So also it is said in Brihadaranyaka (Upanishad) that “The Purusha is completely unattached”.  With its innumerable impurities how can this body be Purusha?

Verse 37

Tatraiva cha samakhyatah svayamjyotirhi Purushah I

Jadah paraprakasyo'yam kathaṃ syaddehakah puman II

There again it is clearly stated that “the Purusha is self-illumined”.  So how can the body which is inert (insentient) and illumined by an external agent be the Purusha?

Verse 38

Prokto'pi karmakaṇḍena hyatma dehadvilakshanah I

Nityascha tatphalam bhunkte dehapathadanantaram II

Moreover, the Karma kanda also declares that Athma is different from the body and permanent, as it endures even after the fall of the body and reaps the fruits of action (done in this life).

In the above five verses Sruthi pramanam is cited to prove that Purusha cannot be identified with body.

In verse 34 the sruthi text from Swetaswatara Upanishad (iii,9) is given as a pramanam for the nature of Purusha.   The Mantra runs as

Yasmat paraṃ naparam asti kimchid yasman naniyo na jyayo'sti kaschit I

Vṛksa iva stabdho divi tisthaty ekas tenedaṃ purnaṃ Purusena sarvam II 3.9 II

The whole universe is filled by the Purusha, to whom there is nothing superior, from whom there is nothing different, than whom there is nothing either subtler or greater; who stands alone, motionless as a tree, established in His own glory.

Quoting this Mantra, this verse asks how such a Purusha can be identified with this body

In the verse 35 the Sruti pramanam given is from Purusha Suktham of Rig-Veda. “Purusha evedagm sarvam (All this is verily Purusha)”.  As Purusha is all-pervading, He cannot be equated with the localized body.

In the verse 36 the Sruti pramanam given is from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4-3-15 &16) where it is stated among other things “Asngo hi ayam Purusha (This Purusha is unattached)”.  And body has relationship with another body as father-son relationship, husband-wife relationship etc. and so is sasanga.  So this Purusha cannot be identified with the body which has multiple relationships.

From the same Upanishad another passage is quoted as another Sruthi pramanam in verse 37.  “Atrayam Puruṣha svayamjyotih bhavati” is that text which means Purusha is self-evident and It does not need any pramanam to prove itself. So it is declared in the verse that the body which is inert and needs to be illumined by an external agent cannot be equated with the Self-illumining Purusha.

In verse 38 Karma kanda of Veda is quoted as Sruthi pramanam.  Karma kanda talks of previous, present and future janmas which only reveal that Purusha or soul which survives several janmas is not the same as the body witch perishes at death in this janma itself. 

Verse 39

Lingam chanekasamyuktam chalam drsyam vikari ca I

Avyapakamasadrupam tatkatham syatpumanayam II

Even the subtle body consists of many parts and is unstable.  It is also an object of perception, is changeable, limited and non-existent by nature.  So how can this be the Purusha?

In the previous verse while showing Karma-kanda also asserts that Purusha is different from body, Sri Sankara has taken sthula sareera only as body.  Here he is telling that Purusha is different from sukshma sareera as well. The sukshma sareera consists of seventeen parts, viz. the five karmendriyas, the five jnanendriyas, the five pranas, mind and intellect.  It is also an object of perception and is subject to movement, as it leaves one body at its death and enters another body at its birth. It is located in the sthula sareera and therefore limited, many and mithya. So it cannot be identified with Purusha which is without parts, the perceiver, all pervading, ekam and Sathyam.

Verse 40

Evaṃ dehadvayadanya Athma Purusha Isvarah I

Sarvathma sarvarupascha sarvatito'hamavyayah II

The immutable Athma, the substratum of ego, is thus different from these two bodies, and is the Purusha, the Iswara (the Lord of all), the Self of all; It is present in every form and yet transcends them all.

With this verse Athma-anathma-viveka discussion is concluded. Sri Sankara does not discuss karana sareera separately as karana sareera is only sukshma sareera and sthula sareera in potential form.  This verse sums up Athma Swarupa.  Athma, the Consciousness, is ekam obtaining in all bodies just like space is one in all rooms.  It transcends all bodies as well as it is all pervading and so is unaffected by anything.  It is different from the body and is the substratum of the ego as ego is “I” associated with body-mind complex. It is the Purusha, different from the sareera triam. It is changeless and is verily Brahman. 

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