Concept of Oneness in the Upanishads (study)

by Chandra Shekhar Upadhyaya | 2015 | 52,584 words

This page relates ‘Concept of Oneness in Kena Upanishad’ of the study dealing with the Concept of Oneness in the Upanishads—Spiritual teachings of ancient India in the form of Sanskrit literature. The Upanisads teach us the essential oneness of humanity and guide us to the truth that the whole world is a family.This concept of oneness is the very essence of spiritualism, which constitutes the solid structure of Indian culture.

Concept of Oneness in Kena Upaniṣad

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The Kena Upaniṣad also known as the Talavakāropaniṣad and the Brāhmaṇopaniṣad belongs to the Talavakāra Brāhmaṇa of Jaimiṇi’s Talavakāra Sākhā of Sāmaveda. The Upaniṣad derives its name from the first word ‘kena’ incorporated in its first mantra. This Upaniṣad has four sections. In this Upaniṣad nature of Supreme Brahman, the Ultimate Reality is highlighted through the conversation between teacher and the disciple.

The Kenopaniṣad starts with the basic question by the disciple to the guru. The disciple enquires the teacher that, what is that force which impels all to their respective function.

So, the first mantra of the Kena Upaniṣad says:

‘keneṣitaṃ patati preṣitaṃ manaḥ kena prāṇaḥ prathamaḥ praiti yuktaḥ/ keneṣitāṃ vācamimāṃ vadanti cakṣuḥ śrotraṃ ka u devo yunakti//’^[1]

[Trans: Impelled and directed by whom does the mind light on its objects? Commanded by whom does the first life breath move forward? Prompted by whom do men utter this speech? And what god directs the eye and the ear?]^[2]

Here, the disciple asks to the guru that, what is that Ultimate Force which propels all our sense-organs to do their respective functions? The inquirer realises it very well that every activity has its controller who stimulates everyone to perform their respective functions. In the same way one eternal Spirit always guides all the senseorgans to accomplish their own functions. Without the control or guidance of that Spirit our mind is not able to think, our eyes unable to see, our vital breath not able to move, our speech cannot speak and the ear also unable to hear. Therefore, the disciple wants to know the mysterious nature of that Supreme Spirit from the guru.

Then, illustrating the nature of that Supreme Spirit, which is behind the every action in this world, the guru tells to the disciple in its second mantra that:

‘śrotrasya śrotraṃ manaso mano yadvāco ha vācaṃ sa u prāṇasya prāṇaḥ/
cakṣuṣaścakṣuratimucya dhīrāḥ pretyāsmāllokādamṛtā bhavanti//’^[3]

In this mantra, the Supreme Energy who activates everything is said to be the ear of the ear, i.e., the Supreme Spirit, which is Brahman itself, is the hearing capacity of the ear. He is the mind of the mind, i.e., without It mind cannot think, as He is the thinking capacity of the mind. The speech also has its power of speaking because of the Supreme Brahman. The vital-breath also depends on its movement on that Supreme Brahman, because without the power of that Supreme breathing is not possible. He is the eye of the eye as we can see only for the power of that Supreme Brahman. By knowing the fact, i.e., the all pervading Brahman is the cause of everything, the wise becomes jīvanmukta, i.e., gets liberation while living and at last in the end of his life he gets videhamukti, i.e., becomes free from the cycle of birth and death.

Explaining the secret nature of that Parama Brahman, guru again

announces to his disciple in the third mantra of the first part thus:

‘na tatra cakṣurgacchati na vāggacchati no mano na vidmo na vijānīmo yathaitadanuśiṣyādanyadeva tadviditādatho aviditādadhi / iti śuśruma pūrveṣāṃ ye nastadvyācacakṣire//’^[4]

Here, the preceptor states that our five sense-organs, viz., cakṣu, śrotra, tvak, rasana and ghrāṇa cannot reach that Supreme Brahman. Because they have no capacity to reach in that Supreme. In the same way, our five karmendriyas, viz., vāk, pāṇi, pāda pāyu and upastha are also unable to reach that Supreme Brahman. These jñānendriyas and karmendriyas have some limitations, as these are created things and have destruction also. Brahman being the eternal entity have no birth and death. Therefore, such an unlimited thing cannot be known by the limited things. On the other hand, without the power of that limitless Brahman the limited things have no existence in this world. In the same way, our mind also unable to ascertain this Supreme Brahman. By our limited knowledge or limited effort we are unable to grasp the Ultimate Brahman. Brahman cannot be known through hearing from other people, as Brahman is completely differs from known and also above the unknown.

Swami Gambhirananda has rightly pointed out that,

“Whatever is known is limited, mortal, and full of misery; and hence it is to be rejected. So, when it is said that Brahman is different from the known it amounts to asserting that It is not to be rejected. Similarly, when it is affirmed that It is different from the unknown, it amounts to saying that It is not a thing to be obtained.”^[5]

The Kena Upaniṣad describes that it is the quality of hearing, seeing, thinking and speaking of ear, eye, mind, and speech that encourage these organs to their particular works, i.e., ear to hear, eye to see, mind to think and speech to speak. Here quality indicates to Supreme activating agent who controls all. So, the quality of hearing, seeing, thinking and speaking never be controlled by, the ear, eyes, mind and speech.

That is why, the Kena Upaniṣad says in its fourth manta of the first khaṇḍa:

‘yadvācānabhyuditaṃ yena vāgabhyudyate/ tadeva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yadidamupāsate//’^[6]

The nature of Parama Brahman is very mysterious. If we try again and again to understand its nature through our organs, we fail again and again in our attempt.

Without the power of Ultimate Brahman, a person cannot able to speak a single word. That is why, our speaking power is to be known as Brahman and whom the people worship here is not Brahman. This Parama Brahman is beyond the ken of speech; but He is the propounder of speech. By our own effort, we cannot know the Supreme Brahman.

Not only our speech but the limitation of all our organs have expressed in the Kenopaniṣad thus:

‘yanmanasā na manute yenāhurmano matam/ tadeva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yadidamupāsate//’^[7]

Again

‘yaccakṣuṣā na paśyati yena cakṣūṃsi paśyati/ tadeva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yadidamupāsate//’^[8]

These mantras of Kenopanisad express the esoteric nature of Brahman which is not ascertained by our mind and also our eyes, but he is the internal force, who activates mind and eyes to think and see. That is to be known as Brahman, the Ultimate Reality of this universe. To whom people here adore as Brahman is not the real form of Brahman, as He is beyond our mind and eyes.

Reference may be cited in this context from the writing of Rohit Mehta where he states—

“What man adores is what he has caught in his functional faculties. He adores the Immanent but forgets that the Spirit cannot be contained in the framework of the Immanent. That which makes the Immanent alive is the Transcendent–but the Transcendent cannot be caught.”^[9]

The last two mantras of first khaṇḍa also clarify the limitations of our organs as they completely fail to comprehend the nature of unlimited Brahman:

‘yacchrotreṇa na śṛṇoti yena śrotramidaṃ śrutam/
tadeva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yadidamupāsate//^[10]

‘yat prāṇena na prāṇiti yena prānaḥ praṇīyate/
tadeva brahma tvaṃ viddhi nedaṃ yadidamupāsate//’^[11]

These two mantras declare the origin of all, eternal and unlimited Brahman which is the source of our knowledge, whether it may come from hearing, testing or seeing. But the knowledge of Supreme Brahman cannot be gained by our ear. Because ear completely fails to achieve the knowledge of It. Again the Supreme Brahman also cannot be energised by the vital-forces but by the power of which vital forces are activated that is the Supreme Brahman and worship It.

The second part of the Kenopaniṣad starts with the following mantra:

‘yadi manyase suvedeti dabhramevāpi nūnaṃ tvaṃ vettha brahmaṇo rūpam/
yadasya tvaṃ yadasya ca deveṣvatha nu mīmāṃsyameva te manye viditam//’^[12]

[Trans: If you think “I know Brahman well” then surely you know but little of ITS nature; you know ITS nature only as conditioned by man or by the gods. Therefore, Brahman, even now, is worthy of your inquiry.]^[13]

The Kena Upaniṣad proclaims that he who knows Brahman, knows only a little portion of it, hence it is mind’s illusion itself. This type of knowledge can be said as partial knowledge. “It deals only with the expressions of Brahman–and not with Brahman Itself. Surely all speculation about the Whole, based on the knowledge of the Parts is misleading. The Whole is not arrived at by just adding the Parts.”^[14] People for their ignorance say that they know the Ultimate Reality, but it is mind’s illusion only, because Brahman is completely different from their knowing. Therefore, perhaps, it can be said that their knowledge regarding the Brahman is limited or imperfect. But he who thinks that he knows not, he is actually a wise one.

That is why, the Upaniṣad states:

‘yasyāmataṃ tasya mataṃ mataṃ yasya na veda saḥ/
avijñātaṃ vijānatāṃ vijñātamavijānatām//’^[15]

Brahman, the inanimating principle is not a subject of knowing, because all the sources of knowledge fail to attain Him. Such a person, who out of ignorance thinks that he has fully comprehended the nature of Brahman, he is misguided, because his knowledge regarding the Brahman is not proper, hence it is said to be insignificant. Brahman is not comprehensible for them on account of their ajñāna or ignorance. But, those persons who become free from ignorance and egoistic feeling, completely understand the nature of Parama Brahman and get salvation in this life.

The Kena Upaniṣad says:

‘nāhaṃ manye suvedeti no na vedeti veda ca/
yo nastadveda tadveda no na vedeti veda ca//’^[16]

[Trans: I do not think that I know it well. Nor do I think that I do not know it. Among us he who knows it–knows it. And he too does not know that he does not know.]^[17]

Here the disciple says to his guru that he cannot say that he has fully comprehended the nature of Brahman and also it cannot be said that his knowledge regarding the Brahman is totally void. He is in such a state where he neither knows nor does he not know–this is the state where Brahman can be ascertained.

The Kenopaniṣad states that it is the knowledge through which man can get liberation or immortality. Realising the existence of Supreme Brahman in every individual, man can comprehend the nature of Parama Brahman. Because, Supreme Brahman resides in every individual as the inner self. Man gets strength and power for obtaining the knowledge from Him.

From the knowledge, i.e., realising Brahman in all bhūtas and knowing the fact that without Brahman there is totally vacuum, one attaining the Supreme, i.e., immortality:

‘ātmanā vindate vīryaṃ vidyayā vindate’mṛtam/’^[18]

According to Kenopaniṣad, our ultimate aim of life is to realise the nature of Supreme Brahman, which is immortality itself. One who does not able to comprehend the nature of Supreme Brahman and one who wastes his time aimlessly giving greater interest in enjoying the worldly pleasure, is a foolish one and he will never get another opportunity to recover his mistakes. As a result he gets birth and death again and again in this world until his realisation of the Supreme Brahman.

Therefore, wise people realise the existence of Supreme Brahman in every created beings and thus seeing oneness in the whole creation become free from sorrows and sufferings and gain immortality in this life:

‘bhūteṣu bhūteṣu vicitya dhīrāḥ pretyāsmāllokādamṛtā bhavanti/’^[19]

Taking birth as human being, man must try his best to realise the existence of Brahman in the whole creation and without knowing the nature of Ultimate Reality no one can achieve the immortality. So, Brahman is the real thing and all others are an illusion or error, the main cause of bondage to this world.

In this context following mantra of Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad may be mentioned:

‘..yo vā etadakṣaraṃ gārgyaviditvāsmāllokātpraiti sa kṛpaṇo’tha ya etadakṣaraṃ gārgi viditvāsmāllokātpraiti sa brāhmaṇaḥ//’^[20]

This mantra enumerates that, he who departs from this world without knowing the nature of Parama Brahman, is pitiable one (kṛpaṇa), but he who departs from his life with the knowledge of Supreme Brahman, regarded as Brāhmaṇa, i.e., the knower of Brahman.

The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad also declares that,

‘brahma veda brahmaiva bhavati,’^[21]

I.e., the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman himself.

Nothing can be achieved in life through arrogance. In the third part of the Kenopaniṣad there is a legend, where we find that the Supreme Brahman in the form of a Yakṣa asks the fire-god Agni and air-god Vāyu to burn and lift a piece of straw. But, they fail to do so. Their egoistic attitude stands in the way of obtaining the power of Brahman. Through the legend of Agni and Vāyu, the Kenopaniṣad suggests that without humility none can achieve the knowledge and power of Brahman. On the other hand when the knowledge of Brahman is attained one can gain strength, vigour and immortality. Thus, Brahman, the all pervading Reality is only the real thing and knowing Him as only one Reality, he who becomes one with the soul of other human beings gets salvation.

The Śrimad-bhagavad-gītā says:

‘mattaḥ parataraṃ nānyatkiñcidasti dhanañjaya/ mayi sarvamidaṃ protaṃ sūtre maṇigaṇā iva//’^[22]

[Trans: There is nothing else besides Me, Arjuna. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this is threaded on Me.]^[23]

In this way, knowing Brahman as the only controlling force, who is not far but resides in our heart as self, and thus realising the absolute oneness of the Ātman we can be free from the cycle of birth and death and connect us with the Supreme Brahman.

That is why, the Śvetaśvatara Upaniṣad also states:

‘aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo’ntarātmā sadā janānāṃ hṛdaye saṃniviṣṭaḥ/
hṛdā manvīśo manasābhiklṛpto ya etadviduramṛtāste bhavanti//’^[24]

The Kenopaniṣad suggests that Brahman is loved by all.

The Upaniṣad states that love is the only way through which one experiences Brahman, the Supreme Reality:

‘taddha tadvanaṃ nāma tadvanamityupāsitavyaṃ sa ya etadevaṃ vedā’bhi hainaṃ sarvāṇi bhūtāni saṃvāñchanti//’^[25]

The Kenoponiṣad encourages us to live with love which give birth to sympathy and equality. This concept is very important for establishing the social harmony. As Brahman is said to be the tadvanam, i.e., beloved of all, therefore through love, cooperation and serving the mankind we can able to achieve the Supreme Being, i.e., the Supreme Brahman.

The Kenopaniṣad gives stress on attaining the knowledge of Brahman. One who achieves the knowledge of Brahman, realises the spirit of oneness. He becomes free from all kinds of sins. He obtains physical, mental and spiritual strength. At that time he becomes united with the Brahman and forgets hatred and all kinds of discrimination. He understands that the Brahman is the only motivating force that propels all activities of this universe. Brahman is the only Reality and the knowledge of Brahman is the Absolute Bliss that brings emancipation. One who realises that Supreme Reality is the only vital force that controls all the affairs of this universe, becomes united with the Supreme Energy. It is this Supreme Energy which activates everything. All the living and non living things are nothing but His various manifestations. Therefore, nothing is superior to It.

In this way, the Kenopaniṣad starts with the queries about one Supreme Authority under the command of which all are performing their respective works. These queries ultimately come to an end with a firm affirmation of the existence of one and only Supreme Being, who is motivating all the functions of this universe. This Supreme exist inside every one and controls the bodily functions of the creatures. Without the power of this Supreme Brahman nothing becomes activated. But, it is very difficult to realise the mysterious nature of the Brahman through our sense organs and even it cannot be ascertained by our mind. For our ignorance we become confused and try to comprehend It through the limited power of our sense organs. But, unlimited Brahman cannot be grasped by the limited things. When one feels the existence of Brahman everywhere, the very introductory question that started with the term kena (by whom) ends with the answer Brahmaṇ (by the Brahman). When its nature is comprehended, the true knowledge is manifested. One who realises the true nature of Brahman, becomes free from the bitterness of racial discrimination, hatred and superstitions. Understanding the spirit of oneness he extends his helping hand to others and shares with all. In this way, by understanding the concept of oneness, human beings can overcome their ignorance and become one with the unlimited Brahman.