Section 3.11 (eleventh khaṇḍa) (six texts)

Upaniṣad text:

Now rising from thence upward, He neither rises nor sets: He stands alone in the middle. To this effect there is the following verse:—(1)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

Through the above-described ‘rising’ and ‘setting’, having helped the beings to experience the results of their acts,—when this experience comes to an end, the Sun absorbs all these beings; and then, after the time of helping the creatures has ceased, the Sun, rising from thence upward, within himself,—as there are no longer any living beings for whose sake He could rise,—He rests within himself, and neither rises nor sets; He stands alone by himself—without a second, without any constituent parts,—in the middle,—within himself—He stands alone.

A certain learned person, being in the position of the Vasus and enjoying the Red and the other kinds of ‘Nectar’,—approaches the Sun standing within himself as his own ‘self’, in the manner described above and thus become self-centred and composed,—said (had revealed to him) this Mantra-text,—said to another person who had questioned him, in the following words:—‘In the Region of Brahman from where you come,—does the Sun there also,—as in our world here,—revolve through days and nights and thereby cut short the life-span of living beings?’—Being thus questioned what the knowing Yogin;—said in reply is expressed in the following verse, which represents the answer to the question put to the Yogin;—this is what the present Vedic text declares.—(1)

Upaniṣad text:

‘It is not so there; He never set. He never rose, O, Ye, Deities; by this truth, may I not fall foul of Brahman !’—(2)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

‘It is not so there’—in the Region of Brahman from where I come, it is not as you ask. There the Sun has never set nor as He ever risen,—never—at any time.—Being told that it is apparently impossible that in the region of Brahman there should be neither sunrise nor sunset,—the man has recourse to an oath; ‘O, ye Deities—who are witnesses—listen to this—by this truth—what I have said,—may I not fall foul of Brahman; that may I (if what I say is not true) not attain Brahman.—(2)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

‘What the man has said is quite true’—says the Sruti (in the following words):—

Upaniṣad text:

For one who thus knows the secret doctrine of Brahman, it does not set nor does it rise; for him, it is day once for all.—(3)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

For him who knows the above-described Brahman, the Sun rises not; nor does it set; for this knower of Brahman, it is day once for all; that is, for him, there is always day; because this man who knows the said secret doctrine of Brahman,—hidden in the Veda,—is self-illumined. The meaning is that all this refers to the person who knows all that has been said above about three ‘cross-beams’, the connected ‘nectar’ and the rest of it. What it all means is that the knowing man becomes that Brahman which is not conditioned by time as measured by sunrise and sunset, it is eternal and unborn.—(3)

Upaniṣad text:

Brahmā expounded this to Prajāpati, Prajāpati to Manu and Manu to his offsprings. The father of Uddālaka-Āruṇi expounded to him, his eldest son this Brahman -(4)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

This doctrine of Honey,—Brahmā-Hiraṇyagarbha expounded to Prajāpati-Virāṭ this latter expounded it to Manu, and Manu expounded to his off-springs Ikṣvāku and the rest.—This text eulogises the Doctrine as having come down through such distinguished tradition, from Brahmā downwards.—Further, this same Doctrine of Honey was taught by the father of Uddālaka-Āruṇi, to him, his eldest son,—as the Science of Brahma.—(4)

Upaniṣad text:

Verily, this Brahman, the Father, may expound to his eldest son, or to a worthy disciple.—(5)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

Verily, this Brahman,—described above,—another father also may expound to this eldest son, who is dearest and most worthy—or to a worthy—qualified—disciple—pupil.—(5)

Upaniṣad text:

Not to anyone else; even though he gave him the whole of this sea-girt Earth full of treasure: for this is greater than that,—yea, it is greater than that.—(6)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

One should not expound this to any one else. For all teachers, two pupils have been permitted here, from among several possible ones.—

Question—“Why has this limitation been placed on the dissemination of knowledge?” —

Answer—Even though, to such a teacher, any one were to give the whole of this Earth surrounded by water,—sea-girt—full of treasure—fully equipped with articles of enjoyment,—in return for this teaching,—this cannot be a fit price; because it—the teaching of the Doctrine of Honey—is greater—more fruitful—than that—i.e., the said, gift.—The repetition is meant to indicate the great importance of the subject.—(6)

End of Section (11) of Discourse III.