Concept of Oneness in the Upanishads (study)

by Chandra Shekhar Upadhyaya | 2015 | 52,584 words

This page relates ‘Concept of Oneness in Katha 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 Kaṭha Upaniṣad

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The Kaṭha Upaniṣad is most philosophical among all the Upaniṣads belonging to the Taittirīya school of Yajurveda. This Upaniṣad is devided into two chapters, where each chapter contains three vallīs. In this Upaniṣad we find conversation between Yama and Naciketa, where the nature of Supreme Brahman is revealed in a philosophical manner. Some texts of the Kaṭha Upaniṣad are common to the Śrimadbhagavadgītā.

In this Upaniṣad Yama, the king of Death, teaches the nature of Ultimate Reality, i.e., Ātman to Naciketa, the son of Vājaśravā, who is fitted for receiving the knowledge of Supreme Brahman, i.e., Ātman. Showing the uniqueness of the syllable Om with the Brahman (Ātman) in the second vallī of the first chapter. Yama tells to Naciketa that Om is the name and symbol of Brahman, the Supreme.

The syllable Om is nothing but Brahman itself and Yama says to Naciketa that after knowing the nature of the syllable Om, one can attain the Brahman, which is nothing but immortality itself. Yama says:

‘sarve vedā yatpadamāmananti tapāṃsi sarvāṇi ca yadvadanti/
yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tatte padaṃ saṃgraheṇa bravīmyomityetat//’^[1]

In this mantra, Yama says that the syllable Om, which is the indicator of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, is nothing but Parama Brahman itself. All the Vedas through different mantras express the greatness of Om, seeking whom people engage into the penance and desiring whom people practice brahmacarya. Therefore, the syllable Om is the Supreme Brahman and he who is able to understand the nature of this syllable Om, gains all what he desires.

That is why Yama announces:

‘etadālambanaṃ śreṣṭhametadālambanaṃ param/
‘etadālambanaṃ jñātvā brahmaloke mahīyate//’^[2]

[Trans: It is the best support of all; it is the ultimate centre of all; by knowing it one gets glorified in the Supreme Abode of Brahma.]^[3]

Explaining the nature of Ātman, the Ultimate Reality, Yama again states:

‘na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścinnāyaṃ kutaścinna babhūva kaścit/ ajo nityaḥ śāśvato’yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre//’^[4]

Yama says that, this Supreme Brahman (Ātman) neither takes birth nor does it die. This Supreme Spirit is not originated from anything else and nor does anything originate from It., i.e., He is cause and effectless entity. This entity is constant, always same, free from growth and decay, which has no harm even if the body perishes. No one be able to kill It, because this Supreme Brahman is not a subject of killing. This Ātman never be killed.

Yama explains again the mysterious nature of this Ātman to Naciketa that:

‘aṇoraṇīyānmahato mahīyānātmāsya jantornihito guhāyām/ tamakratuḥ paśyati vītaśoko dhātuḥ prasādānmahimānamātmanaḥ//’^[5]

Yama says that the Ātman which is more atomic than an atom and greater than this whole universe is seated in the heart of every living being. He who knows the greatness of the Ātman, becomes free from sorrows and sufferings. Scholars suggest that in this mantra the term ‘dhātuprasāda’ indicates a significant meaning. Rohit Mehta suggests that, the term dhātuprasāda means -“The good humouredness of the senses–the senses being in good disposition. Evidently it signifies a condition where the senses are not tense but completely relaxed. The senses do not experience any strain but are able to function with complete relaxation.”^[6] In the above mantra, the term ‘akratuḥ’ also has different meanings as Scholars elaborate it in different ways.

Max Muller and Roer mean the term ‘akratuḥ’ as “One who is free from desire.”^[7] Arabinda Ghosh suggests that, “When a man is stripped of wishes.”^[8] Hume maintains that, “One who is without active will.”^[9] According to Śaṃkarācārya ‘akratuḥ’ indicates ‘akāmaḥ’, i.e., free from desires.^[10] Joseph Nadin Rawson points out, “The man whose will is at peace”.^[11] A person who is desireless and sorrowless can able to understand the nature of this subtle element. Regarding this element Śaṃkarācārya states that, “All things, however small or great, exist only through the Self and apart from the Self have no reality.”^[12]

Yama explains the secret nature of Ātman to Naciketa and says that while staying it moves fast and while sleeping it travels everywhere. In this way Supreme Brahman, which is the Ultimate Reality of this whole universe, present every where at all times.^[13] Because, it is not conditioned by space, time and procedure.

In this regard the famous saying of A.K. Srivastava may aptly be mentioned—

“The soul is independent and distinct from other things. It has its own individuality and freedom. It is not bound by any rules and law and is absolutely unique in its existence.”^[14]

Yama, the king of Death, again elaborates the mysterious nature of Ātman to

Naciketa and says:

‘nāyamātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena/ yamevaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyastasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṃ svām//’^[15]

This Supreme Spirit, i.e., Ātman can not be achieved through learning of sacred books, nor through our intellect (buddhi), also not by much hearing. It reveals Its own nature to him whom the Ātman chooses. Ātman reveals itself and one can not obtain it. Ātman can not be known by human mind. It comes automatically, to whom it prefers. Ātman reveals its own nature to that mind which has become pure and which has attained the stage of complete tranquility.

That is why, Yama says that:

‘nāvirato duścaritānnāśānto nāsamāhitaḥ/ nāśāntamānaso vāpi prajñānenainamāpnuyāt//’^[16]

[Trans: The man who has not turned away from his evil ways, who is not tranquil, who has no concentration of mind and whose mind is not at rest–he can never reach this Self through mere knowledge.]^[17]

To illustrate the nature of Ātman, Yama again states to Naciketa that:

‘ātmānaṃ rathinaṃ viddhi śarīraṃ rathameva tu/ buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca// indriyāṇi hayānāhurviṣayāṃsteṣu gocarān/ ātmendriyamanoyuktaṃ bhoktetyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ//’^[18]

Here in this mantra, Yama has explained the nature of Ātman by comparing human life with a chariot and the senses to the tied horses. The horses must be kept in control, as they are very strong and agile. The human mind possesses the potentiality to control those fickle sense-organs. Therefore, it needs intelligence or buddhi, which has been compared with a charioteer. The lord and the master of the chariot is the Ātman, who occupies his seat inside the chariot, when the charioteer, i.e., buddhi holds the reins. But it is often been found that our chariot lacks the charioteer and in the absence of the charioteer, horses (sense organs) become out of control runs away here and there. Thus, the chariot of our life moves aimlessly. So, there is a great role of the charioteer (buddhi), who can control the horses (sense organs) by his intelligence and it is only the charioteer (buddhi) who invites the master (Ātman) to occupy his seat in the chariot. Thus, Ātman takes it seat inside the chariot being invited by the intelligence. When the mind is completely under the grip of buddhi, then the Ātman takes his seat in the chariot.

Elaborating the nature of Ātman, Yama, the king of Death says to Naciketa that:

‘yataścodeti sūryo’staṃ yatra ca gacchati/ taṃ devāḥ sarve’rpitāstadu nātyeti kaścana etadvai tat//’^[19]

Yama speaks that from whom the sun arises and also into where it goes to set that is Brahman, the Supreme. There is not a single thing which is apart from It and all the deities merge into It. All are regulated by this Supreme Brahman and all obey the rules and regulations only for the command of this Ultimate Reality. There is no variety in this Supreme Brahman. He gets death after death who sees variety in that Supreme Brahman.

The Upaniṣad says:

‘mṛtyoḥ sa mṛtyuṃ gacchati ya iha nāneva paśyati/’^[20]

Explaining the mystical nature of Ātman Yama again asserts that:

‘na prāṇena nāpānena martyo jīvati kaścana/
itareṇa tu jīvanti yasminnetāvupāśritau//’^[21]

Yama states that we are living here not by the prāṇa or apāna. Because, these vital breaths depend for their activities on Supreme Brahman and without the help of the Supreme the process of breathing is not possible. Thus, the main source of our life, i.e., from which power we become conscious, that is the Supreme Brahman, who is seated in the heart of every living beings. He controls all by his power.

Yama explains the oneness nature of this Supreme Brahman in a beautiful manner:

‘vāyuryathaiko bhuvanaṃ praviṣṭo rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo babhūva/ ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo bahiśca//’^[22]

[Trans: As air, which is one, entering the world, assumes different forms corresponding to different objects, so does the one Self within all beings assume different froms corresponding to different beings and also exists outside them all.]^[23]

Therefore, the Ātman, who presides the whole, transform into various forms. But in reality He is one and devoid of duality. He is not far away from us as He resides in our body.

Who feels his presence in his own body enjoys the constant happiness, Yama describes the enigmatic nature of Ātman thus:

‘na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratārakaṃ nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto’yamagniḥ/ tameva bhāntamanubhāti sarvaṃ tasya bhāsā sarvamidaṃ vibhāti//’^[24]

Yama says that in that Supreme Brahman, the sun does not shine, nor moon, nor stars, nor these lightnings, but all these are illumined by the power of that Supreme Brahman.

He is the constant reality of this universe. Swami Vivekananda says,

“He is the eternal, eternally pure, eternally awake, the almighty, the all–knowing, the all–merciful, the Omni-present, the formless, the partless.”^[25]

The Kaṭhopaniṣad suggests that enjoyment of worldly pleasure is the cause of the re-birth in this world. Because, it can not give salvation from this world. Therefore, we should avoid it and try to understand the real nature of Supreme Brahman, which is immortality itself.

According to Kaṭha Upaniṣad, he who follows the path of truth, understands the nature of Ultimate Truth, i.e., the Brahman. The Kaṭha Upaniṣad suggests that the path for the realisation of Ultimate Truth is not an easy path. It is a razor edge path which is tough to walk and very very difficult to across It.^[26] At the same time the Upaniṣad announces that truthfulness in life can give a person to the path of Ultimate Reality.

This Upaniṣad also conveys the message of love, sympathy, tolerance and generosity. According to this Upaniṣad, Ātman as a unit holds and controls everything belonging to this universe. Everything existing in this world is entangled with that Supreme Soul, which is nothing but Brahman itself. This feelings of oneness helps us to live peacefully in the society with full co-operation and support.