Posts

Showing posts from 2013

3,4,5,6."UPANISAD ENDS IN 6TH MANTRAM"

Image
Chapter-4. Mantrams-3,4,5,6. 1. Upanisad ends  in: by narrating the indriyas, mind, intellect and their skills, then these functions due to the presence of Brahmam. 2. In the 7th mantram one sishya raise a doubt about the Upanisad, but in the Guru explains inthe 8th mantram. 3. Thus in the 9th santhi mantram. Here Kenopanisad ends.

2."THE EXPERIENCE OF BRAHMAM"

Image
Chapter-4. Mantram-2. 1. Here Sruti continues to applaud and extol  the Science of Self-Perfection by declaring that Indra had come to enjoy the honours of the king of even Lord Vayu and Lord Agni,  2. Because of the rare privilege he had  of knowing, for the first time, the identity of Brahmamdirectly from the Divine Mother, Uma Herself. 

"THE ESSENCE OF THE STORY"

Image
Chapter-4. Mantram1. 1. Devas in this story represent our panchendriya ( eyes,ears,nose,mouth,skin) 2. Devendran : is mind. 3.Demons : sense-objects. 4. "DEVAS OWN THE WAR AGAINST DEMONS" means that INDRIYAS  FUNCTIONINGS. 5. Yakshan ( vision ) : represents Brahmam. 6. Sense-organs cannot function without a power of Chaithanyam behind them. 7. Brahmam wanted to remind the deities of sence-organs, so the agni and vayu undergone tests before the Brahmam.  

11,12. " FINALLY LORD DEVENDRAN PROCEEDES TO DISCOVER"

Image
Mantrams- 11,12.( the final stage of the chapter.) 1. When devas found the attempts of agni and vayu failed, they requested their king to take the mission. 2. Lord Indra left to find the secret of the Spirit. 3. On seeing the the approaching king the Yaksha disappeared. 4. But Indra  did not withdraw his mission, moved forward, then Goddess Uma appeared to bless them. 5. Indra understood that Yaksha is none other than Eternal-Non-dual-Truth, to warn devas their stupidity in believing that they had won a victory  over the Demons. The essence of this story will be in the next!   

8,9,10- LORD VAYU AND HIS EXPERIENCE.

Image
Chapter-3. Mantrams-8,9,10. 1.Lord Vayu agreed and hastened to the spirit.  2. The Spirit asked him who he was. 3.And Vayu replied, "I am Vayu, Iam the trodder of the skies." 4."What power resides in you, why are you of such a nature?" asked the Spirit. 5. "Why, I can blow away everything whatever there is on earth" said Vayu. 6.The Yaksha placed a blade of grass before him saying, "blow away." 7. Vayu approached the grass, with all his power but was not able to move it. 8. So he returned to the Devas and reported, "I could not find out who that Great Spirit was."    

7."LORD VAYU (LORD OF THE WIND) IS SENT TO FIND"

Image
Chapter-3. Mantram-7. " The curious Devas chose Lord vayu and sent him in search of the secrets of the vision." '

6."AGNI FAILED IN HIS ATTEMPT "

Image
Chapter-3. Mantram-6. 1. The Supreme Lord ( Yaksha ) placed a piece of grass in front of Lord Agni and requested him to reduce it to ashes, if he could. 2.For all his vehement attempts the God of Fire , Lord of Meteors and Suns, could not  even warm the grass-blade, even a degree. 3.Thus completely crushed by the failure , Lord Agni returned. 4. And to all the enquiries of waiting crowd  of Gods, he only replied with a shrug of his shoulders, 'I don't know.'    

5."CONVERSATION BETWEEN YAKSHA AND LORD AGNI

Image
  Chapter-3. Mantram-5. "Yaksha asked Lord Agni what is your power, What is your nature? Agni replied 'I can burn whatever there is on the earth.'

4."AGNI'S ACTION"

Image
Chapter-3. Mantram-4. "Lord Agni (fire) : consented and hastened towards the vision in full confidence of his own might and power. On being interrogated  by the Supreme Lord Agni proudly declared that he is the mighty Lord of Fire, who can burn the universe at will."

3. "DEVAS REACTION TO THE VISION"

Image
Chapter-3. Mantram-3. Devas surprised and amazed at the unusual glorious Vision in the horizon. They approached Lord of Agni(fire), and requested him to make personal enquiries and ascertain the identity of the Spirit. Lord of Agni agreed.

2."IN ORDER TO BLESS THE DEVAS, THE BRAHMAM IN THE FORM OF YAKSHA , GAVE A VISION TO THE DEVAS"

Image
Chapter-3. Mantram-2. "Brahmam, knowing their (Devas)  vanity, appeared before them in the form of Yaksha; but the Devas did not understand who that adorable spirit was!"  

1. "DEVAS VICTORY OVER ASURAS"

Image
Chapter-3. Mantram-1. Brahma   ha   Devebhyo   vijigye, tasya   ha   brhmano   vijaye   Deva   amahiyanta. Ta   aiksant-asmakam-evayam    vijayah asmakam-evayam   mahimeti.   Meaning- It is said that Devas once won a war over Asuras. Though the victory was due to Brahmam, the Devas became elated by it, and celebrated their victory.

PANCHENDRIYA AND THEIR PRISIDING DEITIES PANCHA BOODHAM-

Image
Chapter 3. ---------------------------/ This chapter consists of 12 mantras, and is about a story, which is the symbolic representation of the truths so far discussed in the scriptures. Essence of the story:- We have already discussed how from the Unmanifest, the Manifest world emerged out, in descending series of grosser and still grosser matter. Thus we had Akasa (Sky)/Space, Vayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Jala ( water ), and ultimately Prithvi ( Earth ), the Pancha Boodhas ( Five Elements) enumerated in order of grossness--the Earth, being the grossest. Special qualities of Elements:- 1. Akasa- has sound as its property; 2. Vayu - has besides the quality of Akasa, its own special quality of touch;  3. Agni- with sound and touch, special quality Form; 4. In Jala- besides the qualities of the previous three elements, added taste as its special quality; 5. Earth- finally possess all four preceding qualities with its special quality , the smell. The sense-organs:-

5."HAVING SEEN GOD THE MAN ENDS BY BECOMING GOD"

Image
Chapter-2. Mantram-5.(last of this chapter). Iha   ced-avedid-atha   satyam-asti na   ced-thavedin-mahati   vinastih Bhutesu   bhutesu   vicitya   dhirah pretya-smallokad-amrta   bhavanti. Meaning:- "If one knows ( That Brahmam )  here, In this world, then the true end of all human aspirations is gained. If one knows not ( That/ Brahmam) here, great is the destruction. The wise, seeing the  ONE ATMA  IN ALL  BEINGS, rise from  sense-life and become immortal. " Explanation:- Without renunciation, no enduring successes  can ever be gained by anyone, at any time, in the annals of human endeavour. Examples:- Nature herself is roaring this Truth. 1. The fish must renounce their capacity to swim if they were to gain the greater glory of gliding through the space on their wings as birds. The birds must surrender their power of flying if they were to rise higher in evolution and reach the instincts of animals. The animals must slowly  give up their hardn

TO IDENTIFY WITH THIS 'WITNESS' IS TO END THE THRALDOM ÓF THE 'EGO'.

Image
Chapter-2. Mantram-4. Pratibodha-viditam   matam   amrtatvam   hi   vindate, Atmana   vindate   viryam   vidyaya   vindate mrtam. Meaning:- "Indeed, he attains immortality, who intuits it in and through every modification of the mind. Through the Atma he obtains real strength, and through knowledge, immortality." Explanation:- A dynamic witness- A Absolute Truth presiding in us as the Self is 'known well' only when it is knowingly understood as the witness of the three states of Consciousness. " A witness is one who is standing apart from the incident and who witnesses and views   the incident without in any sense taking part in it. The witness has not even any interest in the incident nor has any prejudice against it. Unmoved and uninterested, a witness beams on the passing panorama in front of him." Similarly  if Truth, the Self, were to retain Its status as the Eternal, the Immortal, the All-pervading. It has to be a non-doer

"THE SUN NEVER ILLUMINATES ITSELF IT IS LIGHT ITSELF.

Image
Chapter-2. Mantram-3. Yasyamatam   tasyamatam   matam   yasya   na   veda   sah; Avynatam   vyanatam   vynatam-avyanatam. Meaning- "He understands It who comprehends It not;  and he understands It not, who feels he has comprehended It. It is the unknown to the Master of True Knowledge but to the ignorant It is the known." Explanation- This is the reply  of Guru to the Disciple's reaction in the mantram-2. Here the Teacher endorses that what was stated by the pupile  is quite acceptable and that it is the only way in which the transcendal experience can be expressed. The Self which is Knowledge Absolute cannot be known by another knower other than Itself. The sun never illuminates Itself since it is light itself.      

"NOT KNOWN AND KNOWN"

Image
Chapter-2. Mantram-2. Naham   manye   suvedeti   no  na   vedeti   veda   ca yo   nastad   veda   tad   no   na   vedeti   veda   ca. Meaning:- "I do not think that 'I know it well.' But not that I do not know;  I know too. Who amongst us comprehends It both as the Not Known and as the Known--- He comprehends It." Explanation:- Guru's(Teacher) warning to Disciple:-(mantram-1.) The Guru's kind and critical warning was that  the Self is not known as an object other than the knower himself, and that all such understandings are but the comprehensions of the Intellect and Mind and not the true Experience of Truth through the 'Divine-Eye,' the Intuition. The disciple's answer as contained in this mantram is quite revealing and expressive. Disciple's reaction to Guru's warning:- There is an entire drama packed in this mantram : a drama of the student's inner mind. In utter obedience to his teacher, he fi

PURE TRUTH

Image
Chapter:-2. Mantram:-1. Yadi   manyase   suvedeti   dabhramevapi nunam   tvam   vettha   Brahmano   rupam; yadasya   tvam   yadasya   devesvatha  nu mimamsyameva   te   manye   viditam. Meaning of the Mantram- The preceptor here hastens to warn his disciple: "If you think, 'I knew well.' it is certainly but little- the form of the Brahmam you have known is also the form of the Devas. T herefore, I think that what what you think is still to be ascertained."  Explanation:- Fool:- The teacher reads the face of the disciple and gives a timely warning : "If you think that you know the Atma well, you are indeed a fool. I have said that the Atma is the Eye of the Eye etc , and the same is the Chaithanya(Power) in heavenly forms of the Devas also. But because of these statements in the last chapter  if you conclude that you have 'realised' Atma, you are sadly mistaken.   Conditioned Truths:- Conditional Truths, Delve deeper

A CAUTION-2.

Image
Chapter:-1. Mantram-7. Yacchrotrena   na srnoti-yena   srotram-idam   srutam; tadeva   Brahma   tvam   viddhi   nedam   yadidam-upasate. "What cannot be heard by the ear, but by which the ears are able to hear ..........know That as Brahmam and not this, which people here do worship." The same idea in the previous mantram once again repeated with another sense organ the Ear. Here  the emphasis is on that behind the finite organs of the body, mind and intellect, there is a Conscious Principle (Tattvam), has been more and more brought  home to the student's intellectual appreciation by yet another analogy. Brahmam directs the ear towards its object, the sound. A dead man's ear cannot register any of the finite sounds. Since the ear in itself   is not   the hearer.  Example- A gramophone in itself can enjoy no music!

A CAUTION.

Image
Chapter-1. Mantram-6. Yaccaksusa   na  pasyati   yena  caksugmsi    pasyati; tadeva   Brahma  tvam   viddhi   nedam   yad-idam-upasate. 'What cannot be seen by the eye, but by which the eyes are able to see.........Know That alone as Brahmam and not this, which people do worship here.'   The idea expressed in the previous mantram is again repeated here taking the example of the eye perceiving its forms and colours in the outer world of objects. The eyes do not see: the eye is only the instrument of seeing. The chaithanyam in us works behind and make possible to see.     

THE CENTRE OF THE CENTRE:-

Image
Chapter:-1. Mantram:-5. Yan-manasa-na  manute  yena  hur  mano  matam tadeva  Brahma  tvam  viddhi  nedam  yad-idam-upasate. What one cannot feel with the mind, but because of which they say that the mind feels............know That alone as Brahmam and not this, which people do worship here. TheTeacher in Kenopanisad prevents the disciples attention from its usual channels of superstitious beliefs and directs it towards nobler line of thinking by which he could independently become aware of his own Real Nature. Thus, here, in this mantram, the Master says  that the principle of Reality cannot be cognized by the perceptions  of the mind but, at the same time, all the mind's  'capacities to perceive things' can function only when the mind is presided over by the 'Life Aspect' in it. Example:-1. ---------------------/ A bulb has no light of its own but it become incandescent when it is energised by electric current. Thus, the current is that

THE SPEECH:-

Image
Chapter:-1. Mantra:4. Yad  vaca  nabhyuditam  yena  vagabhyudyate; Tadeva  Brahma  tvam  viddi  nedam  yad-idam-upasate. What speech cannot reveal, but what reveals speech, know THAT alone as Brahmam and not this, that people worship here.  The Atma-Chaithanyam (Dynamic life center  within us):- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------/  The power of speech is not in the words or in the instrument of utterance. It is a manifestation of the Eternal Self, "THE ATMA-CHAITHANYA" in us--the dynamic Life-Center in us, because of which speech is being uttered while we are 'alive' and in the absence of which ends, is the Atma. Again though words are uttered because of the Chaithanyam, words cannot themselves explain it. Example- Just as fire can burn and illuminate other things, but does not consume or lit up itself, so too, speech uttered as a manifestation of Truth, cannot itself illuminate Truth. 'Tat

SINCERE PURSUIT:-

Image
Slokam:-3. N  tatra  caksur  gacchati  na  vag  gacchati  no  manah na  vidmo  na  vijanimo  yathaitad-anusisyat Anyadeva  tad  viditad  atho  aviditadadhi Iti  susruma  purvesam   ye  nastad  vyacacaksire. The eye does not go there, nor speech, nor mind. We do not know how to instruct one about it It is distinct from the known and above the unknown. We have heard it, so stated the preceptors who taught us that. Eye cannot reach there.It is the very Consciousness that makes it possible for the eyes to see, it is Light or the Truth with which the eyes sees the things; and it is the seer behind the eye, just as the observer in the observatory  sitting peering into the eye-piece of the telescope. The telescope by itself cannot see, but it is the man behind the telescope who sees. Similarly, it is the Atma that sees or rather the seer in us, the Real Eye that sees. To the question, 'what is that which makes the mind go out? the answer given by the Guru is '

SELF PURIFICATION:--

Image
Slokam:-2. Srotrasya  Srotram  manaso  mano  yad vaco  ha  vacam  sa  u  pranasya  pranah caksusas  -  caksur  -  atimucya  dhirah pretya-smallokad-amarta  bhavanti Preceptor: it is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the tongue of the tongue ( speech of the speech) and also the life of the life and the eye of the eye. Having abandoned the sense of Self or 'I' -ness in these and rising above sense-life, the wise become Immortal. A direct definition of the Infinite and the Eternal Life principle would be impossible. To define God is to defile God. Hence  for a direct question such as 'who is the Director?'  the preceptor answers that he is  'the Eye of the Eye. Ear of the Ear. etc.. This is an illustration of the  suggestive language of the Upanisads. The Brahmam cannot be demonstrated positively in a concrete manner, as the thin crescent of moon could not be pointed out. But the branches and leaves of the tree are indicated here. We kno

THE TEACHER AND THE TAUGHT:-

Image
Chapter:1. Slokam:-1. Kenesitam  patati  presitam  manah kena  pranah  prathamah  praiti  yuktah kenesitam  vacamimam  vadanti caksuh  srotram  ka  u Devo  yunakti. Disciple : By whom willed and directed does the mind light upon its objects?  Commanded by whom does the main Vital Air (Prana) proceed to function? By whose will do men utter speech? What intelligence directs the eyes and ears ( towards their respective objects)? The entire Upanisad  is an conversational style. The student of life, after living his span of experiences in the world of sense-enjoyments, has come to feel an impatience with the finite joys. He has rejected the world as a field of meaningless strife and the day-to-day material life as an endless race to catch one's own shadow. The Pupil thus enquires, his Guru (Teacher) by way of questions.  

SANTI-MANTRA-2.

Image
OM   apyayantu  mamangani  vak  pranascaksuh srotramantho  balamindriyani  ca  sarvani. Sarvam  Brahmaupanisadam  maham  Brahmara nirakuryam    ma    ma  Brahma  nirakarat anirakaranamastvanirakaranam   me  stu Tadatmani  nirate  ya  Upanisatsu  dharmah  te mayi  santu  te  mayi  santu. OM Santih! Santih! Santih!     May my limbs, speech, prana (vital air), eye, ear, strength, of all my senses grow vigorous. All ( everything) is the Brahmam of the Upanisads. May I never deny the Brahmam.     May the Brahmam never spurn me. May there be no denial of the Brahmam. May there be no spurning by the Brahmam. Let all the virtues  recited by the Upanisads repose in me delighting in the Atma ! May they in me repose.     In the second peace-chanting, we find how essential it is for a Sadhaka to build up a harmonious personality of all the physical, psychological and spiritual entities in him. Spiritual path, is not for the broken bodies, for the constricted hea

INVOCATION(SANTI MANTRA):-

Image
Santi-Mantra-1.:- OM Saha  navavtu.  Saha  nau  bhunaktu.  Saha  viryam  karavavahai. Tejasvi  na  vadhitam-astu.  Ma  vidvisa-vahai.     OM, May He ( Lord) protect us (Guru/Teacher and Sishya/pupil) both.  May He cause us both to enjoy ( The Supreme/Lord). May we both exert ( to discover the true inner meaning of the Scriptures/Kenopanisad) together. May our studies be thorough and sincere/faithful. We may never misunderstand each other.  OM Peace (be with us from bodily obstacles); Peace (be with us from phenomenal cruelties); Peace (be with us from heavenly wraths).   Here: this first  peace verse  gives us an idea of the team-spirit in which the teacher and the taught approached the venture of teaching and learning . In Brahma Vidya, no progress is possible without active co-operation of the teacher and equally sincere co-operation from the taught. Hence, the special prayer. 'May we never quarrel with each other.'  'This prayer seems to be specia

INTRODUCTION- CONTINUED:-

Image
The  woman remaining same:- This, some of the sceptical modern  youngsters might say, is not true. This will be explained by an illustration to make the point more clearly. The child sees its mother in a woman. Its father sees in the same woman, his wife, its uncle sees in her ,his sister, and its grandmother sees in that very same woman, a daughter. The child looks up to the mother in reverence and love. The husband looks her with lust and craving, the brother looks at her with affection and regard, and her old mother looks at her with motherly love and affection. The woman remaining  the same, four different individuals have thus seen in her four different entities: mother, wife, sister and daughter.   If this is possible and is daily done in life, is it madness for the devotee to See the Lord-of-his-heart in the Idol ? If this be madness in the devotee, we will be compelled to accept all living ones in the modern world as stark mad, and this would certainly be not quite ac

KENOPANISAD:-.

Image
INTRODUCTION:- Kenopanisad forms the ninth chapter of the Talavakara  branch in the Sama Veda. Each veda contains three distinct Books : the mantras, the brahamanas, and the aranyakas. Being an Upanisad Kena falls in the third book. Kenaopanisad starts as the ninth chapter of the Talavakara branch . The eight preceding chapters deal with the Karma and Upasana processes, constituting in them, the details of rituals and religious formalities. Karmas include special Yjnas and Yogas (sacrifice) to be performed and Upasana, which roughly are the early exercises in higher meditation to be practiced.   Upasana (worship) has come to mean now-a-days that the Lord is present in an idol, symbol, or picture. Special objects are selected for special Gods : thus, in Siva Linga we superimpose the vision of Lord Siva; in Saligram stone (a kind of nature-polished stone with strange markings upon it and often containing streaks of gold) we develop Sri Narayana idle; in the Cross Jesus Christ