Upanishads : "The cream of Vedas"

MANDUKYA UPANISHAD      INTRODUCTION-19. The Agama Prakarana consists of the twelve mantra-s of the Upanishad, with the Karika-mantra-s thrown in between at convenient points where the glosser wants to clarify the expressions and the opinions of the Sruti. We have already explained earlier that Karika is not Bhashyam ( commentary )  ... gloss is not a commentary. Glosser's job is well done when he has explained one aspect of the entire Sastram. His is the job to explain expound a part or a portion of a philosophical system, while Sastram plans to exhaust completely an entire system of thinking. As we go on, we shall try to introduce each Section with introduction which would give sufficient material to make you feel homely in each chapter. END : MAIN INTRODUCTION OF THIS UPANISHAD. Next : Chapter-1. "AGAMA PRAKARANA" ( The Scriptural Treatise ) INTRODUCTION-1.   To be continued  .....

MANDUKYA UPANISHAD      INTRODUCTION-18. The  entire  text  of  the  Karika  falls  under  four  convenient  chapters. Altogether  the  Karika  contains  215 Mantra-s  in  four  chapters : - 1. Agama Prakarana  ( On  Vedic  Text,  or  The  Scriptural  Treatise, Chapter :  1. -29 Mantra-s. ), 2. Vaitathya  Prakarana  ( On  Unreality  of  the  objective  world,  Chapter : 2. - 38 Mantra-s ), 3. Advaita Prakarana ( On  Non-Dualism, Chapter : 3. - 48 Mantra-s ), 4. and Alata  Santi  Prakarana ( On  Quenching  the  Fire-brand,  Chapter : 4. - 100 Mantra-s.) To be continued  .....  

MANDUKYA UPANISHAD     INTRODUCTION-17. Though  both  Vedantin  and  Mimamsaka-s  accept  that  the  scripture  in  itself  is  certainly  a  great  argument  to  believe  and  that  the  authority  of  scripture  is  unquestionable,  yet  they  both  have  also  accepted  the  other  canons  of  interpretation  of  Sruti. Of  them,  the  major  canon  of  interpretation,  accepted  by  both,  is  called  "UPAPATTI" ( logical  reasoning ). Even  if  many  Sruti-texts  repeatedly  declare  with  all  authority  of  truth  "FIRE IS COLD,"  it  will  not  make  the  fire  tame. In  such  places  we  have  to  understand  that  the  style  is  metaphorical  and  a  reasonable  meaning  is  to  be  given  to  the  text. Thus  in  the  text-book  chosen  by  us  for  our  Yajna-study,  mantra-s  provide  the  enunciation  of  Truth,  and  the  Karika  points  out  a  line  of  enquiry  and  thinking. Gaudapada  in  his  gloss  provides  us  with  the  st

MANDUKYA UPANISHAD     INTRODUCTION-16. Mandukya,  though  small,  occupies  a  very  high  place  in  the  Vedantik  literature,  because  it  contains  assertions  of  "Non-dualism." One  of  the  passages  considered  as  a  Major  Text   ( Mahavakya)  for  the  purpose  of  deep  meditation  is  from  this  Upanishad. We  have  for  the  purposes  of  Vedanta  Sadhana  four  great  Mahavakya-s,  each  taken  from  a  Veda;  the  passage  chosen  from  the  Atharvana  Veda,  namely,  " Ayam  Atma  Brahma"  ( This  Atma  is  the  BRAHMAM   .....  this  personal  'I'  is  the  Universal  'I' )  comes  from  this  Upanishad  ( Mantram-2. ) To be continued  .....