Section 5.11 (eleventh khaṇḍa) (seven texts)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

It has been explained above that those who go by the Southern Path become ‘food’,—in the passage ‘That food, the Deities eat’; it has also been described that there is also a very troublesome course of births and rebirths whereby they become small animals. In order to avoid both these undesirable contingencies, it is necessary for one to become the Vaiśvānara Fire who is the ‘eater of food’; and to that end, the following section has been introduced:—

Upaniṣad text:

Prācīnaśāla—Aupamanyava, Satyayajña—Pauluṣi, Indradyumna—Bhāllaveya,—Jana-Śārkarākṣya and Buḍila—Āśvatarāśvi,—these great Householders and great Vedic Scholars, having come together, held a discussion as to ‘what is our Self?’, ‘what is Brahman?’.—(1)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

Prācīnaśāla,—by name,—Aupamanyava,— the son of Upamanyu;—Satyayajña—by name,—Pauluṣi,— the son of Puluṣa;—Indradyumna—by name,—Bhāllaveya, the son of Bhāllavi, who was the son of Bhallava;—Jana—by name,—Śārkarākṣya,—the son of Śarkarākṣa; Buḍila—by name, Āśvatarāśvi,—the son of Āśvatarāśva.—All these five were Great Householders,—possessed of extensive houses, i.e. rich,—Great Vedic Scholars,—fully equipped with Vedic learning and good conduct.—All these coming together,—met somewhere,—held a discussion—a consultation;—in what manner?—as to what is our Self, and what is Brahman.—The terms ‘Self’ and ‘Brahman’ qualify one another; the term ‘Brahman’ excludes the limited Self encased within the body; and the term ‘Self’ excludes the Brahman in the form of the Sun and other manifestations apart from the Self as objects of meditation; while between the two themselves, there is no difference; Self is Brahman and Brahman is Self; and in this way it becomes established that Brahman is the All-Self, Vaiśvānara, and this is our Self. That this is so (that what is the object of meditation is the All-Self) is also indicated by those texts where it has been declared that, (If you were to meditate upon the limited Self, not upon the All-Self, then) your head would fall,—‘you would become blind’ and so forth.—(1)

Upaniṣad text:

They therefore thought thus—‘Uddālaka—Āruṇi, O, Sirs, is, at present, studying this Vaiśvānara—Self; let us go to him’; and they went over to him—(2)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

They carried on the discussion, but did not arrive at any conclusion; therefore they thought,—had ah idea of,—a teacher for themselves. Uddālaka—well known by this name,—Āruṇi,—the son of Aruṇa,—O Sirs,—revered gentlemen,—is, at present, studying, in the proper manner,—this Vaiśvānara-Self—which we are seeking; let us go to him. Having thus made up their mind, they went over to him,—went to Āruṇi.—(2)

Upaniṣad text:

He thought—‘These great Householders and great Vedic Scholars—are going to question me; and I cannot tell them anything; so I shall advise them of another teacher.—(3)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

As soon as he saw them, he knew for what purpose they had come, and then thought:—What?—‘These great Householders and great Vedic Scholars are going to question me regarding the Vaiśvānara,—and I cannot tell them,—I dare not tell them—everything—regarding what they ask;—hence I shall,—now—advise them of another— suggest to them another expounder.—(3)

Upaniṣad text:

He said to them—‘Revered Sirs, at present, Aśvapati—Kaikeya is studying this Self; let us go to him They went over to him.—(4)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

Having thought so, he said to them:—patiy—by name—Kaikeya,—the son of Kekaya,—at present—is properly studying this Self,—Vaiśvānara; etc., etc., as before.—(4)

Upaniṣad text:

When they approached, he had welcome offered to them separately with proper rites. The next morning, having risen, he said to them:—‘In my kingdom, there is no thief, no miser, no drunkard, no man who has not installed the fire, no illiterate person, no adulterer,—whence then an adulteress? I am going to perform a sacrifice. Revered Sirs; and as much wealth as I give to each single officiating priest, I shall give the same to you, Respected Sirs, please stay’.—(5)

They said—‘The purpose for which a man comes,—that he should speak out. You are, at present, studying the Self, Vaiśvānara, please expound to us that.’—(6)

He said,—‘I shall answer you, in the morning—Early in the morning, they approached him, with fuel in their hands; and without ‘initiating’ them, he expounded to them (as follows).—(7)

Commentary (Śaṅkara Bhāṣya):

When they approached him, the king—had welcome offered to them,—through priests and attendants. The next day, having risen in the morning, the king approached them with due humility and asked them to accept riches from him. Being refused by them, he thought,—‘these sages perceive in me a certain defect, whereby they refuse to accept gifts from me and pointing out to them how well-behaved he was, he said ‘In my kingdom, there is no thief,—who misappropriates the belongings of others,—no miser,—who gives not to others, even when he has the intention to do so,—no drunkard,—no Brāhmaṇas drinking wine,—no one who has not installed the fires,—even though possessed of a hundred cows,—no illiterate person,—who has not read all that he is entitled and able to read,—no adulterer—person associating with another’s wife,—hence, how could there by any misbehaved woman?—that is, it is not possible. When they said that they did not take riches, the king thought that ‘they consider what I am offering too small and hence are not accepting it’, and said—‘Revered Sirs, I am going to perform a sacrifice—in a few days,—and I have set aside wealth for that purpose,—and as much wealth as I give to each officiating priest, l shall give the same—to each of you, Respected Sirs,—please stay and witness my sacrificial performances? Being thus addressed, they said:—‘The purpose for which a man comes—to a person,—that he should speak out—that I have come for such and such a purpose; such is the practice of all good men;—we are, in fact, seeking for knowledge of Vaiśvānara; and this Self-Vaiśvānara you are studying at present,—i.e. you know It rightly; hence expound that to us.’—Thereupon, he said to them—‘In the morning, I shall answer you,—give you the right answer.’—Being told thus and understanding what the king meant,—with fuel in their hands,—i.e. carrying bundles of fuel in their hands,—the next day, early in the morning,—they approached—went over to him—the king.—As these great Householders and great Vedic Scholars, who are Brāhmaṇas, have renounced the pride of these qualifications, and with loads of fuel in their hands, have come with due humility, seeking for knowledge, to me,—who is of a lower caste—so must behave all those who seek to obtain knowledge.—He imparted to them the knowledge (they were seeking), without initiating them,—without performing the initiatory rites. As the king imparted the knowledge to persons who were fit to receive it, so should other persons also impart knowledge to fit pupils; and such is the purport of this story,—Thereupon he expounded to them, the following Philosophy of the Vaiśvānara; this sentence being construed with what follows:—(5-7)

End of Section (11) of Discourse V