PRASHNA UPANISHAD : ( Questions from Disciples Answered )

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Reflections by Swami Gurubhaktananda : on the 18 Lectures delivered by Swami Guruji, during the 15th Batch Vedanta Course at at the Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai : February 21st – March 2nd, 2012

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Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sivananda Swami Tapovanji Swami Chinmayananda

SERVE  LOVE  GIVE  PURIFY  MEDITATE  REALISE

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Tuesday, February 01, 2022. 19:00.

INTRODUCTION TO UPANISHADS by Swami Tejomayananda

“The Treasury of Scriptures”

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THE FOLLOWING is a summary of the opening lecture of Guruji on the Upanishads in general, since this text is the first Upanishad that we are studying.

The Vedas are the authoritative text for Vedanta. It is a treasury of knowledge, as well as a means for direct knowledge of the Self or Brahman.

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Dharma: The Individual & Social Domain

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Dharma is a universal constitution that governs all life on earth, communal or individual. If it is obeyed, communities can live in harmony; and individuals, too, can live in harmony with the spiritual goal of life. If it is disobeyed, there is much sorrow and pain that ensues, again for the individual as well as for the community.

Dharma’s main focus is on righteous conduct at both these levels, so that not only we get what we need to live, but we do not deprive others their right to the same. At the individual level, Dharma leads to purity; at the social level, Dharma leads to communal peace, harmony, and order.

The Vedas are the Pramana or the source of knowledge on Dharma. The standards set by the Vedas are beyond preferences, which is the main weakness of the human being. True law and order are beyond this weakness that pervades human existence. The universal laws do not favour any particular sect, race, or country in the world. Dharma refers to such universal laws that are free from all bias, making them applicable to all communities across the globe.

Within the umbrella of Dharma, are specially applicable rules which may be called “customized Dharma” for particular groups within a geographic region. Under this category comes Hindu Dharma, Christian Dharma, Islamic Dharma, etc. Hindu Dharma is largelyuniversal in nature. However, there are certain unique features in it which have in mind the protection of harmony within the sub-continent of India.

The above lays down the foundation-stone for our outlook on Dharma and Hindu Dharma. Constructive interpretations of ancient codes of Dharma have to be viewed with his broad rule in mind. Otherwise, there is the danger of bigotry, fanaticism, and fundamentalism creeping into present-day society.

The revelation means that Vedas are Apaurashaya – “not created by man”. It does not have the limitation that the human intellect has. The knowledge is unchanging, for all time. It is our sole firm standard for Truth. It is not conventional wisdom, but absolute, divine wisdom. It has been corroborated by numerous sages and Rishis who have realized their oneness with

The codes of Dharma are called the Dharma Shastras and are for the relative world.

The Absolute Domain :

Unlike the individual or social domain, the Absolute domain is one for the whole universe. Just as there is only one science of Mathematics or Physics for the whole world, so also there is one science of Metaphysics for the whole world. That science is a major subject covered in the Vedas. It is this science that is dealt with in the Upanishads portion of the vedas. It is with reference to this knowledge that the Vedas are said to be eternal and not subject to any change.

Even modern researchers accept that they are the oldest texts in the world. They are considered to be Anadi and Nitya, that is, beginningless and eternal. When the universe dissolves, this knowledge also dissolves with it, and reappears at the next time cycle.

Classification of the Vedas

There are three different ways in which the Vedas may be classified:

i) Four Parts: In this age, the Vedas have been compiled into four books by the sage Veda Vyasa, for the sake of giving some order to its contents. They are the Rig-, Yajur-, Sama- and Atharva-Vedas.

Each of these 4 parts is further subdivided into four sections: the Mantra Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and the Upanishads. These are respectively suitable for each of the four Ashramas, namely, Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa. However,this is not a hard and fast rule, as there are exceptions. There are some texts which contain material for all the Ashramas, for example the Chandogya and Taittiriya Upanishads. These texts have remained intact, and so they have to be applied with caution.

ii) Three Parts: The Vedas can also be classified into three parts as follows. The first two parts above are put together as the Karma Kanda. The other two form the Upasana Kanda and Jnana Kanda respectively.

iii) Two Parts: A further type of classification splits the Vedas into two parts: The first three parts go together as Avidya Maya. The Upanishads remain on their own as the second part, known as Vidya Maya. These are also termed as the Preyas (the pleasant) and Sreyas (the good or preferred) paths respectively.

As three parts they tie up nicely with the three types of imperfections in man:

i) Mal – the impurities of the mind, made up of all the Vasanas or subconscious

impressions of tendencies, the desires, the likes and dislikes. These are dealt with through

the Karma Kanda.

ii) Vikshepa – the restlessness or tossing of the mind. These are the continuous mental agitations which we observe in our mind. These are thinned out through the Upasana Kanda or the section dealing with worship of the Lord.

iii) Avarana – the veil of Ignorance. This is the root cause of the other two imperfections. It can be dealt with only through knowledge of the Self. This is where Jnana Kanda omes into the picture, that is, the Upanishads. The Upanishads are the portion which deals directly with putting an end to the ignorance of our true nature, and bringing us to the point of realization of the Self. The knowledge does not ‘DO’ anything. It just dispels ignorance.

The Number of Upanishads:

These deal with Brahma Vidya, but that does not define the Upanishads as there are other texts like the Bhagavad Geeta which also deal with Brahma Vidya. The defining factor is that the texts have to be ‘revealed’. These are termed Srutis. The Geeta is a Smriti, a text that has been ‘remembered’.

How many Upanishads are there? Some say 108. Generally 10 are considered as the major ones. Some sources quote it as 11, adding the Svetasvatara Upanishad to it. The Isavasya Upanishad is usually the first to be studied.

How many Upanishads do we need to study to know the Truth? If the student is ripe, one is sufficient to get firmly established in the knowledge. The different Upanishads merely show the same truth from different perspectives.

Some Upanishads are named after the word with which they begin, e.g. Kena Upanishad and Isavasya Upanishad.

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NEXT-THE PRASHNA UPANISHAD:

To be continued ....

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Upanishads : "The cream of Vedas"