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KIPS KARICKAM

UPANISHADS OF INDIA - 25

Swethaswataropanishad

Swethaswataropanishad

            It starts with the famous Santhipata    ‘Sahanavavat’. This Upanishad is trying to answer some of the challenging questions in life as the following.

1.      From where do we all originate?

2.      By whose grace do we continue to live?

3.      On what foundations do we exist?

4.      Who controls our joys and sorrows?

Time, character, fate, accidents, panchamahabhutas (five elements), the spirit of life are not supposed to be causative for the existence of this world because they are subordinate to the soul. Life spirit is also not the cause for this world because it is also amenable to joys and sorrows. 

Stanza VI reads like this

“ Sarvaajeevee samrva samsthee brihanthee

Asmin hamsoo bhrahmyathe brahma chakree

  [The soul revolves round the brahma chakara which is the source of everything in this Universe. That is the eternal cause]

 

And the following stanza exemplifies the noblest Parabrahma in which all the three worlds exist. Those wise people who understand the Vedas attain their deliverance by emerging with the prabrahma.

                        Stanza IX makes it clear that the one who merges with God, life and nature becomes free from all bondages.

     Stanza XI postulates that one who realizes  the great truth about the Parabrahma overcomes all bondages in life. All the five problems like avidya (lack of knowledge), asmitha(pride), raga, dvesha, and fear of death will be overcome by one who understands the real nature of the soul. Our duty is to know this Brahma which resides in our own soul. There is nothing to be learned more than this. That is Samagrabrahma which is the source of the whole Universe.

[God is contemplated in this Upanishad as the wheel of Brahma where the pilgrim soul abides.  It attains immortality by his grace. There is a triad in the Brahma , which are the world ,the individual soul and the Supreme soul. The world combines the perishable and imperishable. An individual soul that does not know God is attached to the world.  When it realize the Brahma, it is feed from all bondages. Then there is no more birth and death. It attains Universal oneness. The subtle soul remains latent in the body as fire in firewood. The Atman can be understood by deep contemplation. The Antharaatman remains in the body as oil in sesame seeds or as butter in curd. That soul is fortunate which realizes this ultimate truth.

            Chapter two of Swethaswaropanishad gives a detailed account of thapas or meditation for God realization. The beginning section speaks of the blessings of Saavitri in the process of illumination. The joy that one experiences during meditation is like drinking of soma rasa. It underlies the importance of Bhakthi for God realization. There is a prescription of the body postures for Yoga, which many of the Yogis find extremely useful. Wise devotees are advised to cross over the dangerous currents of the world by means of Brahman, the boat. The dangerous currents are raga, dvesha, trishnas and vaasana (desires, cravings etc.) Deep meditation of Ohm (Brahman) will help a soul to cross the ocean of births and deaths.

            There comes a beautiful comparison of a shining soul. Just as a mirror is cleared of all the stains a soul shines in full glory when it attains its goal. One who is free from all the worldly bondages becomes a God himselfs. He is freed from the bondages of all sins. He pervades the whole Universe.

            Chapter 3 speaks of self realization. One who realizes that he is nothing but the cosmic soul becomes immortal. There is only one power which is present in all beings. He is the one who creates and maintains before finally draws the soul to himself. The mighty soul (Purusha) is as radiant as the sun.  Knowing him is the means to salvation. This Purusha who peruvades in all creations stands as majestic as a heavenly tree. He covers the whole Universe with his prowess. He is the fountain head of immortality. The path of devotion leads one towards the ultimate knowledge. The aatman is extremely subtle and one who is able to realize his oneness with this cosmic reality wins immortality.

            Section 4 starts with a prayer for blessings to understand the ultimate reality. We get a beautiful image of the light which is actually colourless and later shines in different colours as it passes through a prism,  Brahma assumes different forms in this world. He is agni, He is Sun, He is air. Then we get the fascinating image of two birds that dwell on a tree. While one eats a delicious fruit, the other looks on. These birds are the Jeevatma and the Paramaatma.

           

            The one who understand that the world is nothing but Maya attains eternal bliss. This section and the next gives us a detailed account of the non dualistic nature of our being.

            Chapter 6 speaks about the paths to deliverance which is attained only by Grace. It also gives us an idea about the magnificant nature of the over soul. The over soul is endowed with all the gunas (Qualities) and all the creations are endowed with these qualities. But he remains as the perennial fountain of all good sense and draws all nature and all creations to Him. The cosmic power is described through a series of images that explain the core of oneness with all beings.

Dr. Karickam

UPANISHADS OF INDIA NO. 24

Itharayo Upanishad

Itharayo Upanishad

It occupies a very prominent position among Indian Upanishads as it speaks volumes about the creation of the universe and also about the real nature of our self. It is taken from the second aaranyaka of the  Itharaya Brahmana of the Rigveda.

            Chapter one speaks of the creation of virat/ the Universe.

“In the beginning all this verily was aatman only, one and without a second. He bethought himself;

“Let me now create the worlds.”

He crated these worlds: Ambhah - the world of water, bearing clouds, Mareechi- the world of solar race, Maara- the world of mortals, Ap- the world of waters. Amba represents the regions above heaven, heaven is its support. Mareechi denotes interspace. Maara is Earth. Ap is what is underneath.

            Verse 3 states like this: He bethought himself:  Here are the worlds now. Let me now create world guardians. It continues with the story of all other creations.

     

            Chapter 2 of part I speaks of the cosmic powers in the human body and chapter 3 gives us an idea of the Supreme self in details.

            Part II narrates about the three births of the self. These are:

1.      Condition in the shape of the seed/foetus.

2.      Condition when he is born

3.      Condition when departing from this world to be born again (The concept of being born again is very dear to the Christians. Itharayopanishad also speaks of this, though with different connotations.)

            Part III deals with the real nature of the self. It asks the question, who is he whom we worship. It also gives the answer. He is Brahma. He is Indra. He is Prajapathi. He is all these Gods. He is the five elements, the Panchabhutas. He is pure consciousness. The soul as knowledge is the foundation of whole world.

                        There are striking parallels among the other creation stories that we find in the Bible, Brahma purana , Varaaha Purana and so on with the story narrated in this Upanishad.

                  Dr. Karickam

Upanishads of India No. 23