Section 1.4 (fourth khaṇḍa) (five texts)

Upaniṣad text:

One should meditate upon the syllable Om, the Udgītha, because one always sings with Om; of this, now, the expounding.—(1)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

The main subject-matter of the syllable ‘Om’ is here re-introduced with a view to preclude the possibility of the attention being diverted to other subjects, on account of the main subject having been interrupted by the declarations regarding the meditation on the components of the name ‘Udgītha’; the sense of this introduction is that one should perform meditation upon the same syllable ‘Om’ which is the main subject of treatment, as endowed with the qualities of immortality and fearlessness.—(1)

Upaniṣad text:

The Divinities fearing Death, entered the science of the Triadic Science; they covered themselves with the ‘Metres’; and because they covered themselves with the metres (Chandas), therefore this constitutes the metricality of the metres.—(2)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

It is described now what the Divinities did when they became frightened of death—i.e. of the killer.—They entered the Triadic Science; that is, they had recourse to the Act prescribed in the Triadic Science; that is, they commenced the performance of Vedic Acts; regarding it as a protection against Death.—Further, they proceeded to perform the acts of Japa (repeating of mantras), Homa (Pouring of Libations) and the like, with ‘Metres’,—i.e. Mantras,— which are not specifically enjoined as to be used at any particular Acts; and covered—concealed—themselves—among other Acts; because,—as—they covered themselves with these Mantras, therefore it is well known that Mantras have the character of being ‘Chandas’ (metrical)—protective covers.—(2)

Upaniṣad text:

There Death saw them in Ṛk, Sāman and Yajuṣ,—just as one sees fish in water. Then the Divinities, knowing this, rose above Ṛk., Sāman and Yajuṣ, and entered the Vowel (Svara) its elf,—(3)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

There Death saw them—the Divinities; just as,—in the ordinary world,—the fisherman sees the fish in water, which is not over-deep—thinking that it would be easy to secure them by such ordinary means as angling and draining out of the water: in the same I manner Death saw the Divinities and regarded them as easy to be got at through the exhaustion of their ‘karma’ (the resultant of their Ritualistic acts).—Question.—“Wherein did Death see the Divinities?”—Answer—In Ṛk, Sāman and Yajuṣ; that is, in the Ritualistic Acts connected with the three Vedas, Ṛk, Sāman and Yajus.—As regards the Divinities, they had their minds purified through the embellishments due to the Vedic Ritual, and hence they knew what Death was going to do to them; and knowing this, they rose above the Ṛk., Sāman and Yajuṣ,—that is. they turned away from the ritualistic acts connected with the three Vedas, Ṛk, Sāman and Yajuṣ; that is, having no hope of getting rid of the danger of death,—with the help of the said Acts, they gave up that hope and entered,—took shelter in,—the Vowel,—i.e., the syllable, endowed with the qualities of immortality and fearlessness, which is called by the name Svara (vowel); that is, they became engaged in the meditation of the syllable ‘Om’.—The particle ‘eva’ (itself) has the restrictive force, and hence it precludes the desirability of combining Ritual with Meditation. The meaning is that they gave themselves up entirely to the meditation of ‘Om’.—(3)

Question—“How does the syllable come to be called by the name ‘svara’ (vowel)?”

The Answer follows in the following text:—

Upaniṣad text:

When one gets at the Ṛk, one loudly pronounces Om; similarly with the Sāman; similarly with the Yajuṣ. That indeed is Svara which is this syllable, which is immortal, fearless. Having entered this, the Divinities became immortal and fearless.—(4)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

When one gets at the Ṛk, one loudly pronounces ‘Om’; similarly with the Sāman; similarly with the Yajuṣ.—That indeed is Svara;—“What is it?”—which is this syllable, which is immortal, fearless. Having entered this—as just described—Divinities became immortal and fearless.—(4)

Upaniṣad text:

One who, knowing this, eulogises this syllable, enters this same syllable, the immortal and fearless Svara; having entered it he becomes immortal just as the Divinities became immortal.—(5)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

One,—a person other than the Divinities,—who, like the said Divinities, knowing this syllable,— as endowed with the qualities of immortality and fearless-ness,—eulogises—praises, i.e. meditates upon [meditation is what is meant by ‘eulogy’ here] it, he enters, in the same manner as the Divinities, this same syllable, immortal and fearless,—Having entered it etc., etc. Among people gaining entry into the Royal Palace, there is always a distinction made on the ground of their being more or less intimate with the King; there is no such distinction of being more or less intimate among persons entering the Supreme Brahman; what, therefore, happens in this case is that the meditator becomes immortal and fearless, just in the same manner, and with the same degree of immortality and fearlessness, as that which characterised the Divinities;—that is, there is no superiority or inferiority in the immortality attained.—(5)