Introduction

Among the Upaniṣads the Īśāvāsya stands first. It is perhaps the oldest of them all. It forms a part of the Mantra portion of the Veda itself, in fact it is the fortieth chapter of the White Yajur Veda, while other Upaniṣads are generally portions of the Brahmaṇas. If the Mantra portions are older than the Brāhmaṇas, and they must be so, as the text is always older than the commentary, then there can be no doubt that this Upaniṣad is older than the Bṛhadaraṇyaka which, according to some, is the oldest of all. Many Mantras of this Upaniṣad are to be found in the Bṛhadaraṇyaka. Thus the traditional order of the Upaniṣads, with the Īśāvāsya as the first, has an historical foundation.

This Īśāvasya is perhaps the most mystical of all. As Madhva points out, it contains the great ineffable name of God, i.e., “I AM THAT I AM”:—“SOHAM ASMI.” In the Zoroastrian Faith also this is one of the most secret names of the Lord, as is shown in the following extract from Hormuzd Yasht:—

Then spake Zarathustra: Tell me then, O Pure Ahuramazda, the name which is thy greatest, best, fairest and which is the most efficacious for prayer.

Thus answered Ahuramazda: My first name is Ahmi—I AM—* * * * and my twentieth is Ahmi yad Ahmi Mazdao—I am that 1 am. (Avesta XVII, 4 and 6.)

This too was also the most secret name of God among the Jews, as we learn from the Old Testament, Exodus Chapter III, verses 13 and 14.

“And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the Children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, what is his name? what shall I say unto them?

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

Thus among the Israel also both these names were well-known—God is called “I AM” or Ahmi of the Parsis, and Asmi of Madhva; and also “I AM THAT I AM,” the same, word for word, as “Ahmi yad Ahmi” of the Parsis, and So’ ham Asmi of Madhva.

Another point which Madhva clearly brings out is the indwelling of the Lord in Asu. Now Asu is a word derived from √as ‘to be,’ ‘to breathe.’ Asu means ‘life’,’ ‘breath’ or Prana. It is the First Begotten of God, the Spirit. The God dwelling in Asu is called Asura (or Ahura of the Parsis)—the Active Saguna Brāhman. This Asu or Prāṇa is the Christ-principle of the Gnostics. These strange coincidences cannot all be accidental. They prove that all prophets—whether Zarathustra or Moses or Madhva—were messengers of the Great White Lodge: and so naturally taught the same doctrine. In fact, Dr. Speigel is of opinion that the word Ahura (the principal name of the deity in the Zendavesta) is identical in meaning with the word Jehova. Ahura literally would mean the Lord of Ahu or Life or Existence. The word “ra” means “who takes delight in.” It is Ahu or Asu or Christ in whom the Lord takes delight, and through whom and by indwelling in whom the whole universe is created. Ahu or Asu is also the name of God, and Asura would mean “The living delight.”

Another keynote struck by Madhva is his interpretation of the triplet verses 9—11. He enunciates the great altruistic doctrine, so gloriously illustrated in the lives of all great Teachers, that a great responsibility rests with him who knows. He is bound to teach others in order to dispell the ignorance of the world: otherwise his lot is even worse than those of the ignorant.

Prayag, August, 1909.

S. C. V.