Narada Bhakthi Sutra – 1

 

Introduction & Sutras 1 to 6

            Narada Bhakthi Sutra can be called an authoritative text-book on the Bhakthi Marga and it contains eighty-four Sutras.  Sutras are a distinct type of literary composition, a compilation of short aphoristic statements.  They are terse sayings marked by brevity and clarity and all the six schools of Indian philosophy are given out in the form of Sutras.  We have also the Brahma Sutras expounding the Advaita Vedanta and the Jaimini Sutras explaining the ritualistic portion of Vedas.

Devarishi Narada is a great devotee of Lord Narayana.  He is the manasa putra of Lord Brahma. Once he became infatuated with the apsara Rambha and Brahmaji cursed him to take birth on earth in a low caste family.  Hence, on earth he was born to Shakuntala, a servant girl in the household of Rishi Kanva.  He devotedly served the Rishis who used to visit Rishi Kanva and they blessed him. Their blessings purified him of the curse and he became free to move about in the world singing the glory of Lord Narayana.  The very name Narada stands for “one who gives the knowledge of Supreme Brahman.”

            Bhakthi stands for reverential love for God.   The term ‘Bhakthi’ comes from the root ‘Bhaj’ which means to be attached to God.  So, we can call Bhakthi Marga as devotional path to God-realisation involving deep sense of devotion, love, and affection for the Lord.  Bhakthi is divided into two kinds, viz., Apara Bhakthi or Gauna Bhakthi and Para Bhakthi.  Apara Bhakthi is the lower or initial stage of love and devotion in Bhakthi Marga and is the means to Para Bhkthi which is the highest stage of Bhakthi and the goal of spiritual sadhanas as it is marked by God-realisation.  Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita (7-16) classifies Bhaktas into four groups; artha, artharthi, Jijnasu and Jnani. Of the four, the devotion of first three comes under Apara Bhakthi and the devotion of fourth i.e. Jnani is called Para Bhakthi. Lord Krishna also describes the characteristics of a Para Bhaktha in Bhagavad Gita (12-12 to 20). With this brief introduction let us take up the Sutras.

Sutra 1

Athatho Bhakthim vykyasyamaha.

Now, therefore, the doctrine of Bhakthi, we shall expound.

The opening two words, Now and therefore, are usually employed in the opening of a sutra text as we see in the Brahmasutra that opens with the sutra- “Athatho Brahma jijnasa”.  These words here indicate that the seeker has acquired the necessary qualifications and is embarking on Bhakthi Marga. The necessary qualifications are listed as seven by Sri Ramanujacharya and they are:

1)    Viveka (discrimination in food)

2)    Vimukha (freedom from desire)

3)    Abhyas (Practice)

4)    Kriya (habit of doing good to others)

5)    Kalyan (purity in thought, word and deed, non-violence, charity, and such other virtues)

6)    Anavasada (Cheerfulness) and

7)     Anuddharasa (absence of excessive hilariousness)

To such a qualified seeker, Narada is explaining the nature of Para Bhakthi, based on his experience, which is supported by scriptures.

          Sutra 2

Sa twasmin parama prema rupa.

That (Bhakthi) is indeed of the nature of Supreme Love of God.

          Narada starts the description of Para Bhakthi as the Supreme Love of God. As supreme, it is an unconditional and selfless state of love that is beyond all comparisons. It is the highest form of love and Lord also reciprocates it as we see in Bhagavad Gita (7-18) where Lord Krishna says that He views the Para Bhaktha (Jnani Bhaktha) as His very Self. So, Para Bhakthi is sadhya bhakthi and not sadhana bhakthi.  Narada does not refer to God by any of the usual terms, Brahman, Iswara, Siva, Vishnu etc. and refers to God here with pronoun ‘That’ to avoid all sectarianism. ‘That’ indicates all concepts of God, manifest and unmanifest, both with form and without form.

Sutra 3

 Amrita swarupa cha.

Also, of the nature of immortality.

          Mundakopanishad (3-2-9) says “sa yo ha vai tat paramam Brahma veda brahmaiva bhavathi (Whoever knows the Supreme Brahman becomes the very Brahman)”. Brahman is of the nature of infinite bliss, and is immortal. So, Para Bhaktha who has attained the realisation of Brahman as his own Self, experiences this immortal nature of the infinite happiness.  The Para Bhaktha, being a jivanmuktha attains videhamukthi and thereby immortality, at death. So, the bhakthi that leads to immortality is defined as amrita swarupa.

          Sutra 4

 Yal labdhva puman siddho bhavati, amrito bhavati, tripto bhavati.

 Having gained that, one realizes oneself as an accomplished one and as immortal and contented.       

The person with Parama Prema Bhakthi that is amrita swarupa, the Para Bhaktha, is an accomplished person who feels fulfilled in life and has no fear of death, being a jivanmuktha.  Though the sutra says ‘gained’ it is really a discovery made on the attainment of Self-knowledge which reveals the identity of one’s Self with Brahman.  The Parama Prema Bhakta attaining an infinite satisfaction in this amrita swarupa bhakthi that gives him total fulfillment, has no wants or desires for material pleasures or objects. In the next two sutras sage Narada describes the outer signs and the inner state of the Para Bhaktha who has attained this state of perfection, immortality, and contentment.

Sutra 5

Yat praapya na kinchid vaanchati, na shochati, na dveshti, na ramate, notsaahi bhavati.

Having obtained That, one has no more desire for anything; one does not grieve, does not feel, does not rejoice, and does not become excited (or thrilled).

          This sutra describes the outer signs as follows:

1)    No desire – This is the result of total contentment.  Feeling completely satisfied with the supreme love of God, he has no desires or wants.

2)    No grief – This arises from the state of total perfection. His entire being is centred on God only with no feeling of individuality. Only when one has the feeling of individuality, one encounters grief.

3)    No hate – He feels oneness with God and sees God in all. So, he has no hatred for anyone.

4)    No indulgence – Being established in inner bliss, with senses well-controlled, his mind does not run after material pleasures.

5)    No craving – As the mind is also well-controlled like the senses, there is no inner craving also for sense-pleasures.

          Sutra 6

Yat jnyaatva mato bhavati, stabdho bhavati, atmaaramo bhavati.

 Having known That, one becomes intoxicated, one becomes fascinated, and one revels in the bliss of the Self.

          This sutra describes how others see the one who is immersed in the ecstasy of Parama Prema Bhakthi -

1)    Intoxicated – ‘intoxicated’ carries with it a meaning of madness as his behaviour does not conform to worldly standards. Smiling and weeping in sheer joy, singing, and dancing in ecstasy, a Para Bhaktha can be mistaken as mad or tipsy by the public.

2)    Silent – Having no mind for gossip and chit-chat he prefers to stay in silence rather than engaging in ordinary idle talk.

3)  Revelling in Self – He is always conscious of identity of his true Self with the Supreme God and in meditation revels in Athma, the higher Self.

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Vivekachudamani – 14

 

Select verses 68 to 73

Verse 68

sadbrahmakaryam sakalam sadaiva, sanmatrametanna tato’nyadasti |

astiti yo vakti na tasya mohah, vinirgato nidritavat prajalpaḥ ||230||

So too, the entire universe, being the effect of the Real Brahman, is Brahman itself and nothing else. It is of the essence of That and it cannot exist apart from That.  Anyone who says it does, is still under delusion like one talking in intense sleep.

Verse 69

brahmaivedam visvamityeva vani, srauti brutetharvanistha varistha |

tasmadetad brahmamatram hi visvam, nadhisthanadbhinnataropitasya||231II

Truly, this entire universe is Brahman—this is the declaration of the Atharva Veda. Therefore, this universe is Brahman alone, for a superimposition has no existence apart from its substratum.

    Brahman is the cause and universe is the effect.  This means that universe has no independent existence apart from Brahman and Brahman as the cause pervades the effect, universe. So for a man of realisation, the talk of universe as a separate entity apart from Brahman, appears as a meaningless prattle like talking in sleep.  Mundakopanishad (2.2.11), which forms part of Atharva Veda, says:

“brahmaivedamamrtam purastad brahma pascad brahma daksinatascottarenaI 

adhascordhvaṃ ca prasrtam brahmaivedam visvamidaṃ varistham II

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.”

    Brahman being the cause forms substratum for the effect, the universe. Being a superimposition, universe does not have the same degree of Reality as the substratum though it may have experienceability, utility and transactability as dream-world also has experienceability, utility and transactability for a dreamer in dream and yet seen as unreal on waking up. Same way waking-world, the universe is seen as unreal on realisation after acquisition of Athma Vidya.  Universe has no independent Real existence apart from the adhishtanam, Brahman, which is one only without second.

Verse 70

satyam yadi syajjagadetadatmanah, anantatvahaninigamapramanata |

asatyavaditvamapisituh syad, naitat trayam sadhu hitam mahatmanam||232II

If the universe, as it is, is Real, the Self (Athma) would not be Infinite, the scriptures would be false, the Lord himself would be guilty of having spoken an untruth. None of these three is considered either desirable or beneficial by the Great Ones.

Verse 71

isvaro vastutattvajnah, na cahamm tesvavasthitah|

na ca matsthani bhutani, ityevameva vyaciklpat ||233||

The Lord, the knower of the Reality of all things, has expressly declared: "I do not abide in them, and nor do beings abide in Me."

    If one says that the universe is Real, there would be following contradictions:

1)    Destruction of limitlessness of Brahman – Brahman is All-pervading and Infinite as per Upanishads. If universe is Real, then it would condition Brahman rendering it limited.

2)    Falsification of scriptures – The scriptures declare that Brahman only is Real and the universe is unreal. If world is also Real, it will amount to falsifying the scriptures.

3)    The Lord becomes a liar – The Lord is the revealer of the truth of Upanishads. If the Upanishadic declarations are false, it would amount to dubbing the Lord who revealed them as liar.

Great rishis who are Brahma Jnanis will not accept the conclusions and so the world is not Real. Further Lord Krishna, who is an avatar of Iswara, declares in Bhagavad Gita (9-4,5);

mayaa tatamidam sarvam jagadavyaktamoortinaa;I

matsthaani sarvabhootaani na chaaham teshvavasthitah.II9-4II

All this world is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest aspect; all beings exist in Me, but I do not dwell in them

na cha matsthaani bhootaani--- (9-5); Nor do beings exist in me (in reality)---.

    That means universe is not independent of the Lord, but Lord is independent of the universe.  Lord establishes the mithyatva of the universe and satyatva of Brahman through this declaration, “I am not in them; They are not in me in reality”.  Universe is only apparently Real as superimposed on Brahman and as a superimposed entity is not Real in itself.  So,only Brahman is the only Reality.

Verse 72

yadi satyam bhavedvisvam, susuptavupalabhyatam |

yannopalabhyate kincid, ato’satsvapnavanmrsa ||234||

If the universe were real, it would have been perceived even in the deep-sleep state. Since it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal like a dream.

Verse 73

atah prthannasti jagatparatmanah, prthakpratitistu mrsa gunahivat|

aropitasyasti kimarthavatta, adhisthanamabhati tatha bhramena ||235||

Therefore, the world has no existence apart from the Supreme Self and the appearance of its separateness is false like the appearance of a snake in a rope. Can a superimposition have any real existence apart from its own substratum? Through delusion, it is the substratum itself which appears like that.

    The world is perceptible to one during the waking stage only.  The pluralistic world is no more perceived during dream state and deep sleep state. Satyam (Reality) is that which remains unchanged in all the three periods of “Time”, i.e. waking, dream and deep sleep. The pluralistic world ends in dream and deep sleep state and manifests again in the waking state.  Even in the waking state, where it is available for cognition, it is not constant but undergoes change. So the world is as real to a waker as the dream-world is to the dreamer in dream state. That means the waking world is also unreal and is a projection of one’s mind. The world does not have an independent existence apart from Brahman and is only a superimposition on Brahman.  Being a superimposition, world has no separate existence from Brahman, the substratum. Acharya gives the example of rope-snake to illustrate the point.  In dim light where a rope is mistaken for a snake, fear lasts until a bright light reveals the truth of rope.  Same way the mistaken delusion of world being real lasts until the guru with the help of sastra pramanam reveals to the sishya the nature of the world as superimposition on Brahman, the adhishtanam.  The world having dependant existence is mithya only in relation to Brahman, that is Real, without a second.

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Kaivalya Upanishad – 6

 

Mantras 20 to End

Mantra 20

Anoraniyanahameva tadvad, mahanaham visvamaham vicitram I

Puratano’ham purusho’hamisah, hiranmayo’ham sivarupamasmi II 20 II

I am subtler than the subtle and also I am big.  I am the manifold universe. I am the ancient one. I am the all-pervasive one. (I am) the ruler. I am the effulgent one. I am the very auspiciousness.

In this Mantra sishya is narrating what he learnt about Brahman, ascribing them to his Self i.e. Brahma-lakshanam as his Self-lakshnam.  Through this he is revealing to guru that he has understood well what he taught regarding the description of Brahman in Upanishads as well as the fact of Jiva-Brahma-Ikyam.  So substituting in this Mantra ‘I’ by its lakshyartha ‘Brahman’ the the sishya’s statement will read as:-“Brahman is subtler than the subtlest while It is also bigger than biggest.  Brahman is verily this universe with all its diversities.   Brahman is the most ancient i.e. without beginning.  It pervades everything everywhere. Brahman is Supreme, self-shining, and embodiment of Pure Happiness. That Brahman is “I””.  This is also a Nitidyasana Mantra.

Mantra 21

Apanipado’hamachintyasaktih, pasyamyacaksuh sa srnomykarnah |

Aham vijanami vivikatrupah, na chasti vetta mama citsadaham || 21 ||

I am without hands and legs; (yet) I am endowed with incomprehensible power. I see without eyes. I hear without ears. Endowed with a distinct nature, I know (everything). But there is no one who is the knower of me.  I am ever the pure consciousness.

Mantra 21 is a continuation of the Self-declaration as Brahman made in the previous Mantra.  This is also a Nitidyasana Mantra

Apanipado’hamachintyasaktih – ‘I am without hands and legs’ does not mean Brahman is disabled. Here the hands and legs represent all the five Karmendriyas.  Athma, the Pure Consciousness, in one has no need to respond to outside world and it is the source of life in one’s Karmendriyas and its power cannot be comprehended because Maya is its power as Brahman.

pasyamyacaksuh sa srnomykarnah – “I see without eyes,  I hear without ears” means Athma, the Pure Consciousness, is the hearing power behind the ears and the seeing power behind the eyes.  Eyes and ears represent all five Jnanendriyas and Athma, the Pure Consciousness is the source of intelligence in Jnanendriyas.

Aham vijanami vivikatrupah – Athma, the Pure Consciousness, is aware of everything as it is Knowledge itself and as It pervades all living beings as Athma

na chasti vetta mama citsadaham -  Pure Consciousness i.e. Brahman is always the subject, the knowing principle itself  and is not an object of knowledge.

That Pure Consciousness is “I”

Mantra 22

Vedairanekairahameva vedyaḥ, vedantakrdvedavideva chaham I

Na punyapape mama nasti nasah, na janmadehendriyabuddhirasti I

Na bhumirapo na cha vahnirasti, na chanilo me’sti na chambaram cha II 22 II

I alone am to be known through all the Vedas. I am the initiator of the Vedanta. I alone am the knower of the Vedas. Punya and papa do not belong to me. There is no death (for me). Birth, body, sense organs, and intellect do not belong (to me). Earth and water do not belong (to me).  Fire also does not belong (to me). Air also does not belong (to me). Space also does not belong to me.

Continuing with the topic of Nitidyasanam, sishya says

Vedairanekairahameva vedyah, vedantakrdvedavideva chaham – this line is almost the same as the second line of Bhagavad Gita verse 15-15, with the word ‘sarvaih’ in the place of ‘anekaih’.  Here also substituting Brahman, the lakshyartha, for “I”, this can be read as “Through the four Vedas Brahman is the ultimate truth to be known.   Brahman is the author of all Vedas as Iswara and also the content of all Vedas.”

Na punyapape mama nasti nasah, na janmadehendriyabuddhirasti -  Brahman does not have the conditionings of body, mind and intellect,  Brahman is beyond birth and death and the laws of the universe do not apply to It, the Creator.

Na bhumirapo na cha vahnirasti, na chanilo me’sti na chambaram cha -  From the angle of one who has woken to Athma Jnanam, the universe made of Pancha Bhutas is a dream and so the Pancha Bhutas as dream elements is unreal and non-existent to him, the knower of Self.

With this Mantra, Nitidyasana Mantras that started from Mantra 19 ends. This Nitidyasanam reinforces the mithyatva darsanam of the universe and the mithyatva darsanam helps one see the choiceless problems of vyavaharika world as events in a cosmic dream and be untroubled by them.  When there are choices one can try to solve the problem using the various choices but the choiceless problems like old age, disease, separation, death etc. have this remedy only: see mithyatvam in them. Mithyatvam can be seen only when one revises one’s opinion about oneself that one is not a jiva and one is Brahman i.e.  “I am not a Jiva, I am Brahman” when stated in first person.  Nitidyasanam helps one to make this assertion to oneself.

Mantra 23

Evam viditva paramatmarupam, guhasayam nishkalamadvitiyam I

Samastasakshim sadasadvihinam, prayati suddham paramatmarupam II 23 II

Thus, having known the nature of the supreme Self which resides in the heart, (which is) partless, nondual, the witness of all, without cause and effect, and pure, one attains the nature of the Supreme Self.

Now, Prajapati concludes his Mahavakhya upadesa pointing out how the Mahavakhyam must be absorbed by the sishya through Sravanam, Mananam and Nitidhyasanam.  Sravaṇam and Mananam are meant for revising the conclusion about oneself that one is not a Jiva but is Brahman. Nitidhyasanam is meant for internalising the revised conclusion and having Jnananishta.  Prajapathi describes Brahman first as:

guhasayam - It is resident in the mind witnessing one’s thoughts (Sakshi).

nishkalam – It is division-less and part-less like space. Therefore, It is formless and all-pervading.

advitiyam – It is one without a second. There is Consciousness only and there is no Real second thing apart from it.

Samastasakshim - It is the witness of everything – all avasthas in case of an individual and all prapanchas in case of the total universe.

sadasadvihinam – It is beyond cause and effect.  Maya is the cause, while prapancha is effect. As It is beyond cause and effect, It is beyond Maya and prapancha.

suddham – It is free from Maya and prapancha that are mithya and not Real.  There is no second thing to contaminate It. Therefore, It is absolutely pure.

paramatmarupam prayati – It is of the nature of Paramathma, the Brahman.  Becoming Brahman is dropping the notion that I am Jiva. The knower of Brahman becomes one with Brahman dropping the notion he is Jiva.  This part of the Mantra is similar to the one in Mundakopanishad (3-2-9) that states “brahma veda brahmaiva bhavati (one who knows Brahman becomes Brahman itself)”. So he is said to become a Muktha Purusha, attaining Jivan Mukthi while alive and Videha Mukthi at death.

Mantra 24

Yah satarudriyamadhite so’gniputo bhavati, surapanatputo bhavati I

Brahmahatyaputo bhavati, krtyākrtyatputo bhavati, tasmadavimukta-

Masrito bhavati I atyasrami sarvada sakrdva japet II 24 II

One who recites Sri Rudram becomes purified by (the sacred) fire (as it were). He becomes free from the sin of drinking. He becomes free from the sin of killing a brahmin. He becomes free from the sin of omissions and commissions. Thereafter, he comes under the shelter of Lord Siva. A sanyasi should recite (Rudram) all the time or (at least) once a day.

The teaching of Brahma Vidya is over with the previous Mantra.  In this Mantra Prajapati recommends Sri Rudra parayanam for those who find it difficult to understand and assimilate Athma Vidya, as an additional sadhana for Chitta Suddhi.

Mantra also lists the papams that Sri Rudra parayanam frees one from as follows:

·         Papams relating to improper kindling of ritualistic fire

·         Papams relating to consuming of liquor (and eating meat)

·         Papam arising from killing a Brahmin (a person with Vedic knowledge)

·         Papams arising from other acts of commission and omission.

Freed from these papams he comes under the protection of Lord Siva.  Mantra recommends this parayanam for sanyasis as well for mental purification.

Mantra 25 

Anena jnanamapnoti, samsararnvanasanam I

Tasmadevam viditvainam, kaivalyam phalamasnute,

Kaivalyam phalamasnuta iti II 25 II

By the (Rudra Parayanam), one attains Self-knowledge which is the destroyer of the ocean of samsara. Therefore, having known this (Self) thus, one attains the fruit of liberation; one attains the fruit of liberation (definitely).

This is the last Mantra of the Upanishad. As the mind gets more and more prepared, the Upanishadic study will become more meaningful and more relevant. Such a person will ultimately attain Moksha. Moksha is called Kaivalyam here. Kaivalyam means advaitam – the non-dual truth. Since Moksha is called Kaivalyam, this Upanishad itself is called Kaivalya Upanishad.  The line meaning ‘one attains the fruit of liberation” is repeated to mark the end of the Upanishad.

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Guru and Self – Knowledge

 

(adapted from Swami Paramarthananda’s Gurupurnima talk)

One can have a doubt whether a Guru is necessary for gaining Self-knowledge and whether one cannot gain Self-knowledge through self-study of sastras. Scriptures say that Self-knowledge, Athma Jnanam, is about the spiritual truth which is beyond the material world of time and space, and with the limitations of human intellect one cannot attain it by oneself without the guidance of a proper Guru. First let us see the six-fold limitations of human intellect i.e. purusha buddhi doshaha shat, that scriptures talk about.

The six-fold limitations are:

1)    Ajjnanam, ignorance

2)    Samsayaha, doubt

3)    Viparyayaha, erroneous perception

4)    Pramadhaha, negligence or oversight

5)    Vipralabdihi, being misled by other’s teachings or discoveries

6)    Apatukaranatvam, limitations of the instruments i.e. sense-organs

Now let us see them one by one.

Ajnanam – Ajnanam means ignorance.  The intellect is ignorant by itself.  It is through learning, the intellect gains knowledge; degree of knowledge depending on the degree of learning.  For example a doctor will have greater knowledge of one’s body than oneself.  

Samsayaha – Samsayaha means doubt.  One’s study generates doubts and as the understanding of a thing improves with more study, old doubts get cleared only to give rise to new doubts.  So one’s knowledge will always be assailed by Samsayaha and one cannot be absolutely sure about the knowledge one acquires.

Viparyayaha – Viparyayaha means erroneous perception or wrong perception like the parallax error. Looking at something one can make a wrong conclusion due to mistaken perception like concluding the star’s size as small by only looking at it.

Pramadhaha – Pramadhaha means negligence or oversight.  Where many factors are involved, one may miss some hidden factors, some hidden variables in making a conclusion.  This we can see in physical diagnosis or prediction.

Vipralabhdhi – Vipralabhdhi means being deceived by other people’s discoveries or teachings.  Human intellect is subject to be misled by many factors like the false news circulated in the social media.  This susceptibility of human intellect in being prejudiced by other factors is called Vipralabhdhi 

Apatukaranatvam - Apatukaranatvam means being limited by one’s sense organs. The world that one is seeing is as presented by one’s sense organs. One does not know what is there exactly as sense-organs have their limitations.  

So it is said that with defective intellect and defective instruments of knowledge, sense-organs, one can never know the truth of the world by oneself.  So if one requires a Guru or coach to gain correct knowledge even in worldly matters like arts, science etc then what to talk of the highest spiritual knowledge.  That is why scriptures uniformly echo the words of Mundakopanishad, Mantra 1-2-12; “--tad vijnaanaartham sah gurum eva abhigacchhet, samitpaanih shrotriyam brahma-nishtham.( In order to obtain that knowledge (Brahma Vidhya), let him approach that spiritual preceptor, who is well-versed in the scriptures, and who is firmly established in Brahman, in the prescribed manner with fuel in hand)”. Lord Krishna also tells Arjuna as follows in Gita (4-34)

Tadviddhi pranipaatena pariprashnena sevayaa I

Upadekshyanti te jnaanam jnaaninas tattwadarshinah II

Know that through prostration, enquiry and service.  The wise who have realised the Truth will instruct you in (that) knowledge. (4-34)

Vidhyaranya Swami points out in Anubhuthi prakasa that scriptures contain many statements which are seemingly contradictory.  In one place Advaitam is talked about and in another place Dvaitam is talked about and in another place, Visishtadvaitam is talked about. All of them quote Vedic support.  The subject of study, Brahman is subtler than the subtlest. With the result, more one studies by oneself, more will be the doubts. So all the more the necessity for the guidance of Guru in the study of scriptures, Vidhyaranya swami declares.  If we have instances of some Mahathmas who have gained Brahma Vidya and blossomed into Jnanis without the guidance of Guru, we should consider them as exception to the rule that proves the rule.

Granted Guru is required for study of Brahma Vidya, then we come to the next question as to who is a Brahma Vidya Guru.  Guru is a live person who exists in flesh and blood and who communicates the teaching of the Truth contained in the scriptures to the sishya.  Self Knowledge is always the result of a samvadaha.  Samvadaha means a dialogue while Vadaha means an argument.  That is why Upanishads that reveal Self-knowledge are in the form of Samvadha where Guru’s teaching is in the form of reply to sishya’s question.   Guru gives the teaching on the basis of the Scriptures which have come from the Lord who is free from the six-fold Dosha.  The student gets his doubts cleared through discussion with the teacher. That is why the teaching is called a dialogue.

In the Scriptures, the Gurus are divided into three types. They are Uttama Guru, Madhyama Guru and Adhama Guru.  Uttama Guru is a shrotriya, the one who has got the scriptural knowledge by studying under a competent teacher and Brahma Nishta, the one who has assimilated and internalised the knowledge.  Madhyama Guru is one who has the doubt-free knowledge but has not assimilated the knowledge.  So he has the academic knowledge as information only without any impact on his life-style.  Such a person is called kevala shrotriya and he is not a Brahma Nishta.  Adhama Guru is the exceptional case of one who has gained Athma Jnanam without Guru and the systematic study of scriptures and so does not have the methodology of teaching though he is a Brahma Nishta.  So if one wants to learn the scriptures one should approach an Uttama Guru or at least a Madhyama guru.

This brings us to the question, how to find an Uttama Guru.  One can never search and find a Shrotriya Brahma Nishta Guru as one can never know who is a Shrotriya Brahma Nishta Guru because to identify a Shrotriya Brahma Nishta Guru, one should oneself be a Shrotriya Brahma Nishta. With the thirst for guidance, when one prays to the Lord, then through Lord’s Grace one will be blessed with such a Sadguru.  Sri Adhi Sankara affirms this in Viveka Chudamani verse 3.

Durlabham triyamevai tad devanugraha hetukam I

Manushyatvam mumukshutvam mahapurusha samshrayaha II

Very rare indeed are these three things and happen only due to the utmost Grace of God—a human birth, yearning for liberation, and the blessed association with an illumined sage (for getting Self-Knowledge).

Lastly an Uttama Guru does not encourage a cult to grow around him by declaring that whatever greatness attributed to him, that belongs to the Sastras only and also to his own Guru who taught him the sastras.  It is the lineage of such Uttama Gurus that is keeping the tradition alive teaching scriptures to qualified students.  This Guru parampara is remembered and honoured on the Gurupurnima day.

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Kathopanishad – 7

Valli 5

In the fifth valli, Lord Yama continues the discussion on Athma.  In the first Mantra, he compares the body to a city with 11 gates.  The ten golakas that represent two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, navel, genital organ, anus and the subtle aperture in the crown of the head, called Brahma-randhira  are the eleven gates referred to here, through which communications with outside world and imports and exports into this city of anathma take place.  The adhishtana devatas of these organs are the gatekeepers.  Just as the gates of the city are closed at night, these golakas are closed in deep sleep. The king of the city who keeps the activities going, by his mere presence is the Jivathma, who is ‘ajaha’ and ‘avakra chetasaha’ i.e. birthless and of the nature of undifferentiated Consciousness.  While in this Mantra, Athma, as Jivathma manifest in the body, is described for the purpose of one’s meditation, in the next Mantra, Athma, as Paramathma, pervading the whole cosmos in every form, is described, thus bringing out once again Jivathma Paramathma Ikyam. This is what  Sri Krishna says to Arjuna, calling this body as Kshetra and himself as Kshetrajna ((Gita 13-2):  “Kshetrajnam chaapi maam viddhi sarvakshetreshu Bharatha, (Know Myself as the Kshetrajna in in all the Kshetras, O Arjuna)”.

In Mantras 3, 4, 5 and 6 more description of Jivathma’s functions  and what happens after death are given.  It is not the apparently sentient prana that is responsible for body’s activities but Athma which lends sentiency to prana through chidabasa that is responsible for body’s activities.  Athma survives the body after death, in unmanifest form, as the medium for its manifestation, sukshma sareera, has left the body.  It is the sukshma sareera with chidabasa and karana sareera, which together we may call the ‘life energy’ and which is referred to as soul in some religious literature, that leaves the sthula sareera, at the time of death in the case of ajnani, i.e. one who is not qualified for videha mukthi.  Depending upon their fructifying karma, the ‘life energy’ takes a new body, human, animal or plant or that of any other living creature like worm.  “yathaa karma yathaa srutam (It all happens as per one’s karma and upasana)”,  says Lord Yama, implying one is oneself responsible for the nature of birth as the new body one gets, depends on karmaphala and upasanaphala.   In the case of a jnani, the sukshma sareera dissolves merging with the subtle elements and the karana sareera merges with the total karana sareera and so there is no more birth.

After briefly discussing what happens after death, Yama again from Mantra 8 onwards goes back to describe Athma lakshanam and Jivathma Paramathma Ikyam. The three states we saw earlier, the waking state , dream state and the deep sleep state is for the Jeeva only, not for the Jivathma, which is beyond all the three states and is a silent witness to the desires of waking state and dream state and the desirelessness  of deep sleep state. This Jivathma is none other than the Paramathma, which is eternal, pure and the resting place of all the worlds (Mantra 8). 

Paramathma is unbroken whole and one only but appears to be divided through its manifestations in various objects and bodies of the world which are called its upadhis.  Upadhi is one that falsely lends its properties to the other with which it is intimately connected.  Here upadhis are many, varied and diverse, but Brahman that is Athma, is only one.  It appears to have taken over the properties, good and bad of each of the upadhis, with which it is associated, but is really not affected by them and remains untainted by them.  This is brought out through examples, Agni tatva, Vayu tatva and Surya prakasa.(Mantras 9,10 and 11). 

Agnir yathaiko bhuvanam pravishtah roopam roopam prati-roopah babhuva I

Ekastathaa sarva-bhutantaratma roopam roopam pratiroopah bahih cha. II

The one Athma which is in all beings (assumes) various forms in keeping with every form (of being) just as one fire-element, which is in the universe, assumes various forms in keeping with every form (of object). (It is) outside also. (2-2-9)

Vaayuryathaiko bhuvanam pravishtah roopam roopam prati-roopah babhuva I

Ekastathaa sarva-bhutantaratma roopam roopam pratiroopah bahih cha. II

The one Athma which is in all beings (assumes) various forms in keeping with every form (of being) just as one air-element, which is in the universe, assumes various forms in keeping with every form (of object). (It is) outside also. (2-2-10)

Sooryah yathaa sarva lokasya chakshuh na lipyate chaakshushaih baahya-doshaih I

Ekastathaa sarva-bhutantaratma na lipyate loka duhkhena baahyah. II

Being transcendental, the one Athma which is in all beings is not affected by the sorrows of the world just as the sun, the eye of the entire world is not affected by the perceptual (and) external impurities. (2-2-11)

Agni takes the shape of the fuel on which it is invoked and seems to be of different shapes and forms with location and with a certain time-span of existence. The plurality, location and duration are only that of the fuels on which it is manifested and not of Agni tatva itself.  The same applies to Vayu tatva. The names, forms and the properties are of the containers only and not of Vayu itself.  Surya prakasa lights up all the activities of the world good, bad, cruel, holy etc. in the daytime, but the type of activities carried out in its light does not contaminate it.  It remains pure and unaffected whether it lights up a sewage pool or a scent factory.  Similarly Athma which is the inner Self of all beings is immanent, enwrapped in every form, and also at the same time transcendental, unaffected by the properties, perfect or imperfect, of any. 

Those who are able to realize this Brahman, the supreme cosmic controller, as the Athma in all Jivas, the eternal one in all perishable bodies, the sentient one in all insentient  anathmas, they attain everlasting peace and bliss, declares Yama in Mantras 12 and 13. One Brahman appears as many Athmas as it enlivens the living creatures, as one sun lights up the whole world. This idea is echoed in the following verse of Gita (13-33):

Yathaa prakaashayatyekah kritsnam lokamimam ravih I

Kshetram kshetree tathaa kritsnam prakaashayati Bharata II

Arjuna, as the one sun illumines the entire universe, so the one Brahman who abides in all kshetras, illumines all kshetras (as Athma  in each kshetra).

Now Nachiketas gets a doubt which he expresses in Mantra 14:

“Tat etat”, iti manyante anir-deshyam paramam sukham I

Katham nu tat vijaaneeyaam kim u bhaati vibhaati vaa. II

‘This is That’ – thus do the sages perceive that indescribable highest Bliss. How shall I know That? Does It shine of Itself, or does it shine by another light?

Nachiketas asks Lord Yama how he can realize that infinite, indescribable bliss and whether it shines by itself or is illuminated by any other light? Lord Yama replies to that question in Mantra 15, a famous Mantra which appears in Mundakopanishad (2-2-10) and Svetasvatara Upanishad (6-14) as well. 

Na tatra suryah bhaati na chandra taarakam

            na imaa vidyutah bhaanti kutah ayam agnih I

Tam eva bhaantam anubhaati sarvam   

tasya bhaasaa sarvam idam vibhaati. II

 The sun does not shine there, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the lightning, much less this fire.  It shining, everything shines after It; by Its light all these shine! (2-2-15) 

The sun, the moon or stars or any other known source of light, celestial or of this world cannot illuminate It, as they all shine in Its borrowed light only and It needs no external source of light to reveal Itself.  Athma, the Self is the very Existence principle which lends existence to all else including sun, moon, stars, lightning and even the Pancha Bhuthas including Agni tatva.  So there can be no other ‘light’ to illumine the ‘light of all lights’.  This is explicitly stated by Sri Krishna in Gita (15-12).

Yadaadityagatam tejo jagad bhaasayate’khilam;

Yacchandramasi yacchaagnau tattejo viddhi maamakam. 

That light which residing in the sun, illumines the whole world, that which is in the moon and in the fire—know that light to be Mine. (Gita 15-12)

‘The light in the sun that illumines the whole world and that which is also in moon and fire, know that light to be Mine only’ declares Lord Krishna in this verse.   With this declaration by Lord Yama that the self-effulgent Brahman is “variously shining” through every manifestation in creation, large or small, sentient or inert, the fifth Valli comes to an end.

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