2. The rivers in the Upaniṣads (Introduction)

The term Upaniṣad has been explained variously by the scholars. Vājasaneyī Saṃhitā, Apte,^[1] explains Upaniṣads are of certain mystical writings attached to the Brāhmaṇas, the chief aim of which is to determine the secret meaning of the Vedas. Max Müller^[2] agrees in deriving Upaniṣad from the root sad, to ‘sit down’, preceded by the two prepositions ni, ‘down’ and upa, ‘near’, so that it would express the idea of session or assembly of pupils sitting down near their teacher to listen to his instruction.

Further, Max Mülller^[3] says,

“The history and the genius of the Sanskrit language leave little doubt that Upaniṣad meant originally session particularly a session consisting of pupils, assembled at a respectful distance round their teacher.”

The word Upaniṣad denotes secret doctrine, mystic knowledge or instruction, true knowledge regarding the Supreme Spirit, religious lore etc. The Sanskrit root sad indicates different meanings such as viśaraṇa (destruction or annihilation) gati (going) and avasādana (loosing). The word Upaniṣad also refers a doctrine that looses the bond of ignorance from the very root of the disciple who approaches the teacher.^[4]

Sāyaṇācārya^[5] in his commentary on the Taittirīyāraṇyaka states that this Upaniṣad is secret knowledge and highest bliss is contained here.

The Upaniṣads represents the quintessence of the Vedic wisdom. Being the concluding portion of the Vedas, the Upaniṣads are the subtraction of Indian philosophical wisdom that has thrown its light into the entire world. These are the very root from which Indian thought and spirituality flourished. The Upaniṣads, indeed, are while in one sense a continuation of the Vedic worship, are in another a protest against the religion of the Brāhmaṇa.^[6]

The theme of Upaniṣads deals with the greatness of the Supreme Spirit. Bhaṭṭabhāskara Miśra, the commentator of the Taittirīyāraṇyaka,^[7] states that the Upaniṣads lead the aspirant to the highest good. The central theme of the Upaniṣads is that Brahman and Ātman are identical. Omniscient Brahman is nothing but Ātman.^[8] Brahman and Ātman deal with the objective and subjective aspects of the life respectively. There may not be qualitative difference between the two. This theme of Brahman and Ātman makes the substratum of the whole Upaniṣadic philosophy. In the Śāntimantra of the Upaniṣads, one can notice the keynote of the whole Upaniṣadic teaching.

It contains the quintessence of the Vedānta philosophy which reads–

oṃ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrnamidaṃ pūrṇātpūrṇamudacyate |
pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate ||

That is, “Whole, this is whole. The whole comes out of the whole. Taking the whole from the whole, the whole remains”.

The above verse indicates that the qualitative increase or decrease of the parts does not affect the whole. The whole resides even in the part. Brahman is saccidānanda and in nature Ātman is also saccidānanda, i.e. Truth, Knowledge and Bliss. The four mahāvākyas, i.e. the great Upanisadic statements held the oneness of Brahman and Ātman. The Aitareyaupaniṣad declares that ‘wisdom is Brahman—prajñānaṃ brahma. The Chāndogyopaniṣad says that ‘Thou art Brahman—tattamasi.’ The Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad declares that ‘I am Brahman’–ahaṃ brahmāsmi and Māṇḍūkyopaniṣad declares that ‘this Self is Brahmaṇ’—ayamātma brahma.’

The Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad declares,

‘That which is immediately present and directly perceived is Brahman That is the soul within all things.’^[9]

The Taittirīyopaniṣad holds that Brahman is Ātman.^[10] It again declares that He who is within this body and He who is within that solar orb above are one and the same.^[11]

Without ultimate truth man cannot attain his true integration. The teaching of the Upaniṣad is completely integrated. The Taittirīyopaniṣad holds that Brahman is truth, knowledge and infinity^[12] and Brahman is verily, the essence of the existence. For truly on getting this essence, one becomes blissful.^[13]

The Upaniṣad holds that the universe in essence a spiritual unity. All is pervaded īśa, i.e. lord, whatever moves or moves not.^[14] The Supreme Being can be recognized where the ego is abolished. One attains immortality by Self Knowledge.

The pleasant is one thing and the good is another. Both these come to a man. The Wiseman discriminates between the two and chooses the good rather than pleasant. But the foolish one chooses the pleasant rejecting the good and for attachment falls into the net of death. The knower of Brahman attains the Supreme. The divinity of man is one of the fundamental doctrines of Śaṅkarācārya. The identity between the individual Self and Brahman is not apparent but real.

The personal god is called Đśvara. Đśvara is the appearance of Brahman in māyā. Đśvara is the creator, sustainer and destroyer of the world. The Advaita Vedānta looks upon mokṣa as the great spiritual ideal that man should seek. Mokṣa or liberation is the permanent state from which there is no return to saṃsāra. It is called nihśreyasa. All branches of Indian philosophy agree that bondage is due to ignorance and liberation is due to knowledge. Mokṣa aims at radical termination of all sufferings. According to Śaṅkarācārya, mokṣa is the realization of the oneness of the soul with Brahman.

The spiritual aspirant must learn the Upaniṣadic teaching from an enlightened and illumined guru. The Upaniṣad declares, ‘He that has a guru knows.’ The aspirant can learn by three stages of spiritual quest, śravaṇa, manana and nididhyāsana—the hearing, the reflecting and mediating.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Apte,Vaman Śivram, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, under the word upaniṣad.

[2]:

Max Müller, F., The Sacred Books of the East, Vol.1, p.29-30

[3]:

Ibid., P.21

[4]:

ye mumukṣavo……teṣāmavidyādīḥ saṃsār-bījasya…….vidyopanisadityucyate | Śaṅkarācārya on Katḥopaniṣadbhāṣyabhūmikā.

[5]:

Sāyaṇācārya on T.A., 8.2

[6]:

Rādhākrishnan, S. , Indian Philosophy, vol. 1, p.66

[7]:

parasya śreyassamīpe niṣi-dantītī upaniṣadaḥ paraprātihetavo vidyaḥ | Bhaaṭṭabhāskara on Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, 71

[8]:

yo’yamātmedamamratamidaṃ brahmedaṃ sarvam | Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, 2.5.9

[9]:

yatsākṣādaparokṣād brahmayā atmā sarvāntaraḥ | Ibid.,3.4.1

[10]:

tadbrahma sa ātmā | Taittirīya Upaniṣad,1.5

[11]:

yaścayaṃ puruṣe yaścāsāvāditye sa ekaḥ | Ibid., 3.10.4

[12]:

satyaṃ jñānamanantaṃ brahma | Ibid., 2.1.1

[13]:

raso vai saḥ rasaṃ hyevāyaṃ labdhvānandī bhavati | Ibid., 2.7.1

[14]:

īśā vāsyamidaṃ sarvaṃ yat kiṅca jagatyāṃ jagat | Īśa Upaniṣad,1.1