Shaiva Upanishads (A Critical Study)
by Arpita Chakraborty | 2013 | 33,902 words
This page relates ‘Non-Dual or Absolute consciousness’ of the study on the Shaiva Upanishads in English, comparing them with other texts dealing with the Shiva cult (besides the Agamas and Puranas). The Upaniṣads are ancient philosophical and theological treatises. Out of the 108 Upanishads mentioned in the Muktikopanishad, 15 are classified as Saiva-Upanisads.
9. Non-Dual or Absolute consciousness
[...] Pañcabrahma Upaniṣad verse 33-35
Once upon a time Mahādeva, having imparted instruction in this manner unto the high souled Sage Gālava, relating to the Pañcabrahmavidy!, taking compassion on him, blessed the sage and suddenly vanished into his own self of his own accord. He who thus vanished so suddenly, on merely hearing whom, O Śākala, what has not hitherto been heard would have been heard what has not hitherto been understood, would have been understood, and what has not hitherto been known, would have become known that Mahādeva is the prime cause of all. Even as, through knowing a clod of earth alone, O Gautama, everything made of earth becomes known, as the article made of earth, its cause, even as through a jewel made of gold, everything made of that metal becomes known, even as through paring off the nails once with a nail cutter, every article made of black iron becomes known as in no way differing from the nail cutter in its essential character, the effect, which is in no way essentially different from its cause, its verily cause alone. What is always of the same form absolutely is the truth. Description in a form different from the actual one is indeed falsehood. That (the Brahman, the prime cause of all) is verily the one absolute cause (in no way capable of being differentiated from all its effects which would become false if described as existing apart from the Brahman), which is neither differentiated nor is of a dual character. Differentiation results in falsehood alone everywhere as the characteristics, qualities, attributes, marks and the like, forming the basis of such differentiation, stand undisclosed (without being fully set forth and well defined).
Hence, the eternal and immutable cause of all things is the one, absolute (Brahman) alone that is peerless.
[...] Pañcabrahma Upaniṣad verse 39
In this matter the one and only determining factor is that the pure sentience of the Brahman (which is the one real substratum of all this varying and variegated phenomenal existence) is non dual (Advaya) and absolute alone.[1]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid verse 33-39 [...]