Upanishadamritam – Isavasya Upanishat (Part 2)
by “Dharmatma” Dr. S. Yegnasubramanian
For Part 1, please refer to the following link
https://svbf.org/newsletters/year-2019/upanishadamritam-isavasya-upanishat-part-1/
Verse #7
यस्मिन् सर्वाणि भूतानि आत्मैवाभूद् विजानतः
तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः ॥७॥
yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāni ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ
tatra kō mōhaḥ kaḥ śōka ēkatvamanupaśyataḥ ॥7॥
yasmin = in whom; sarvāṇi = all; bhūtāni = beings [exist], the word tisṭhanti being implied here; ātma = the Supreme Being; eva = only; ābhūt = present, exists within; vijānataḥ= who understands this very well (the prefix vi signifying viśeṣa, “specially” is added to jānataḥ, “who knows,” the purport being that the Lord is understood as special as compared with the individual, or that He is very well understood); tatra = in that person; kō = what; mōhaḥ = delusion; śōka = sorrow; ēkatvam = identity (of the Lord existing in any one being and Him existing in all others); anupaśyataḥ = perceives well.
For one who clearly understands that all beings exist in the Supreme, and that He exists within all of them (as their controller), and who thus sees the unity of the Lord as existing (without change) everywhere, what could possibly cause delusion, or sorrow?
This is the third stage of a jñāni. There is no anātma. ātma alone is everything. The jñāni recognizes that all the anātma has become ātma itself. There is no anātma separate from ātma just as there is no wave separate from water. For such a person there is neither delusion nor grief. He feels ever full and happy.
Verse #8
स पर्यगाच्छुक्रमकायमव्रणम्
अस्नाविरग्ं शुद्धमपापविद्धम्
कविर्मनिषी परिभूः स्वयम्भूः याथातथ्यतः
अर्थान् व्यधाच्छाश्वीभ्यः समाभ्यः ॥८॥
sa paryagācchukramakāyamavraṇam
asnāviragaṁ śuddhamapāpaviddham
kavirmaniṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūḥ yāthātathyataḥ
arthān vyadhācchāśvībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ ॥8॥
sa = he (the qualified seeker who understands as previously indicated); paryagāt = (having) attained; sukram = sokarahitam = free from sorrow; akāyam = liñgasariravarjitam = lacking a subtle body; avranam = complete, not suffering from limitations of time, space or capacity; asnāviragaṁ = lacking a physical body; śuddham = being the source of all purity, the purifier; apapāviddham = untouched by sin; kavih = one knowing all, omniscient; manisī = one who controls the minds of all; paribhūh = omnipresent and the controller of all, “the best there is”; svayambhūh = self-sustaining, lacking any dependence on any other; yāthātathyatah = having the quality of yatha tatha or “as is,” i.e., “in reality,” “truly and properly,” as distinguished from “deceitfully,” “in a dream or illusion,” &c.; arthān = entities, objects; vyadadhāt = created, ordained; sāśvībhyaḥ = eternally, since time immemorial; samābhyah = years, ages. He (the one who knows as previously described) attains the Lord who is completely free of sorrow, lacking the subtle body, and the gross body, indeed is Himself the source of all purity anywhere, lacking any manner of contact with sin. That omniscient, self-sustaining Lord, the controller of all minds, has eternally created all entities (in an infinitude of cycles of Creation) in reality.
This is the summary of Verses 3 through 8. The ātma is all pervading, self effulgent, without the subtle body, without the gross body and without causal body. ātma is not afflicted by pāpa and puṇya. ātma is omniscient, omnipotent, beyond time and space, the controller of all the forces of creation, one who is beyond the world of time and space – the absolute principle, ātma is not affected by anything though it is inherent in everything, that which exists by itself i.e. not created by anything and eternal. ātma with the aid of māyā allots functions to the fourteen Prajapatis that are seemingly eternal as per what they deserve. In this verse wherever saguṇa aspect of ātma (e.g. Omnipotent ) is described, we have to assume the ātma to be the ātma and māyā couple, which is nothing but īśvara. The nirguṇa aspect (e.g. all pervading) refers to ātma by itself.
This concludes verses 3 through 8 pertaining to jñāna mārga or nivṛtti mārga. This path is prescribed for a qualified student also known as sādhana catuṣṭaya saṃpannaḥ – the one with the four fold qualifications required for the study of jñāna mārga.
Verse #9
अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽविद्यामुपासते
ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ विद्यायाग्ं रताः ॥९॥
anadhaṃ tamaḥ praviśanti yē’vidyāmupāsatē
tatō bhūya iva tē tamō ya u vidyāyāgaṃ ratāḥ ॥9॥
From Verses 9 through 18, Pravrutthi mārga or Karma mārga is elaborated upon.
anadhaṃ tamaḥ = relentless, blinding darkness; praviśanti = enter into, obtain; yē = those who; avidyām = with incorrect understanding, having failed to grasp correctly; upāsatē = worship, meditate upon; tatō = and then, than that; bhūya = greater; iva = undoubtedly; tē = they, those who; tamō = darkness; ya = who; u = but; vidyāyām = proper knowledge; ratāh = engaged in, devoted to. Those who worship avidyā (rites) enter into blinding darkness; but into greater darkness than that enter they who are engaged in vidyā (meditation).
pravṛtti mārga is prescribed to prepare one for jñāna mārga. Two types of activities are prescribed: kāyika karma or rituals, which includes bodily and verbal actions and mānasa karma or mental karma, which includes upāsana. A third type of action called karma upāsana samuccaya, which is a combination of the above two, is also prescribed in this verse. Karma upāsana samuccaya is glorified by criticizing the other two. This method of teaching is called nahi nindā nyāyaḥ. The one performing mere rituals goes to blinding darkness. The one performing mere upāsana goes to even a darker world. What is implied by dark world here is a world devoid of scope for spiritual uplift. The merits gained by rituals alone or upāsana alone will take one to a heavenly world that is full of sense pleasures and therefore not conducive for spiritual growth.
Verse #10
अन्यदेवाहुर्विद्यया अन्यदाहुरविद्यया
इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद् विचचक्षिरे ॥१०॥
anyadēvāhurvidyayā anyadāhuravidyayā
iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṃ yē nastad vicacakṣirē ॥10॥
anyat = the other, different; eva = only; ahuh = they (the learned) say; vidyayā = by correct understanding; avidyaya = by criticism of false understanding; iti = thus; susrumah = we have heard; dhīrāṇāṃ = dhimatam = persons of sound understanding; yē = who; nah = us; tad = that; vicacaksire = vyacacaksirē = explained, taught.
They say that by vidyā a really different result (is achieved), and they say that by avidyā a different result (is achieved) ’, thus have we heard (the teaching) of those wise men who explained that to us.
The fruits gained by karma alone and upāsana alone have distinct results. Therefore practice of combination of the two is advocated. Here it is also stressed that these teachings are being passed down the chain of Guru śiṣya paramparā.
Verse #11
विद्यां चाविद्यां च यस्तद् वेदोभयग्ं सह
अविद्यया मृत्युं तीर्त्वा विद्ययाऽमृतमश्नुते ॥११॥
vidyāṃ cāvidyāṁ ca yastad vēdōbhayagaṃ saha
avidyayā mr̥tyuṃ tīrtvā vidyayā’ mr̥tamaśnutē ॥11॥
vidyām = exact knowledge; āvidyā = criticism of false knowledge; ca = and (in conjunction with); yah = who; tad = that; veda = knows; ubhayam = both; saha = together, at the same time; avidyaya = by means of criticism of false knowledge; mrtyum = death (and other undesirables such as suffering and ignorance); tirtva = having overcome, crossed over; vidyaya = by means of correct knowledge; amrtam = moksa characterized by enjoyment; asnute = obtains. He who knows these two, vidya and avidya, together, attains immortality through vidya, by crossing over death through avidya.
Karma and upāsana should be both practiced together. By doing such practice, instinctive actions are avoided not governed by discrimination. Such actions are referred to as mṛtyuḥ in this verse as they lead to repeated lives of samsāra. By leading a life governed by shāstra, one crosses his svabhāva or instinctive actions and by upāsana, he attains krama mukti, which will take him to Brahma Loka to gain immortality.
This concludes the first sādhana – Karma upāsana samuccaya
Verse #12
अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽसम्भूतिमुपासते
ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ सम्भूत्याग्ं रताः ॥१२॥
andhaṃ tamaḥ praviśanti yē’sambhūtimupāsatē
tatō bhūya iva tē tamō ya u sambhūtyāgaṃ ratāḥ ॥12॥
andham tamah = relentless, blinding darkness; pravisanti = enter into, obtain; ye = those who; asambhutim = unmanifested; upasate = worship, meditate upon; tatah = and then, than that; bhuyah = greater; iva = undoubtedly; te = they, those who; tamah = darkness; ya = who; u = but; sambhutyam = manifested; ratah = engaged in, devoted to.
Those who worship the unmanifest (prakṛti) enter into blinding darkness; but those who are devoted to the manifest (hiraṇyagarbha) enter into greater darkness.
Verses 12 through 14 talk of the second sādhana – combination of two upāsanas. The two upāsanas are: upāsana on hiraṇyagarbha or samaṣḥṭi sūkṣma śarīra or total subtle body at the universe level and upāsana on prakṛti or māyā. Here hiraṇyagarbha is referred as sambhūti because it is born of causal body. The causal body or prakṛti is called asambhūti because it is without birth. In this sādhana, the combination of the two upāsanas is glorified by saying the practice of any of these upāsanas by itself leads to a dark world. Again, the implied meaning of dark world is same as described in Verse #9.
Based on : Lectures by “Dharmatma” Dr. S. Yegnasubramanian
Transcribed by : Chakravarthy Gudlavalleti
