KAIVALYA UPANISHAD : 14. Swami Advaitananda.

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From the Atharva Veda (26 Mantras) : “The HOMOGENEITY of Brahman”

4. SUBSTRATUM OF THE STATES : (Mantras 12-14, 3 no.)

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Saturday, October 15, 2022. 08:30. 
Mantram - 14: Why Do the States Change?
Post - 14.

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Mantram - 14.

9 punah cha janma antara karma-yogaat

10 sa eva jeevah swapiti prabuddhah; 

11 pura-traye kreedati yah cha jeeva

12 tatastu jaatam  sakalam vichitram.

13 aadhaaram aanandam akhanda-bodham

14 yasmin layam yaati pura-trayam cha.

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Translation :

9 punah cha janma antara karma-yogaat = Again, following from endless previous births, due to the Karmic reactions gathered in them,

10 sa eva jeevah swapiti prabuddhah; = that very same Jiva goes (back and forth) between the dream and the waking states.

11 pura-traye kreedati yah cha jeeva  = In these three cities (states), merrily sports  same (helpless) individual soul.

12 tatastu jaatam  sakalam vichitram. = That from whom verily have sprung up  all the diverse varieties of experiences;

13 aadhaaram aanandam akhanda-bodham  = That is the support or Substratum, the indivisible Bliss-Consciousness.

14 yasmin layam yaati pura-trayam cha = Into That alone dissolve  all the three cities (states) once again.

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Commentary :

This mantram takes an overview of all the three states, first two standpoints:

A. From the Standpoint of Jiva :

9-11 The Karma that we have accumulated over countless births becomes the cause 

of birth into human bodies, there to work itself out. This Karma keeps us within any one of 

the three states at any one time. It is the Karma that hurls us back and forth through the 

three states, tossing us from one to the other, like a tennis ball. 

This tossing may be a “merry sport” from the point of view of the Reality, but from 

the Jiva’s point of view, it could well be an endless experience of burning torture, an 

encounter with Pain from which it cannot find any relief except in deep sleep. 

The Jiva that was enjoying a deep rest during sleep is not left to enjoy this state for 

too long. It is stirred out of bed by Prarabdha to continue its active participation in life in 

Samsara. It is like the break that a boxer gets at the end of each round. He can go to his 

corner and forget all about the match for a paltry two minutes or so until the referee blows his whistle and calls him back into the ring to face his opponent again. For the Jiva, this goes day after day, life after life – a relentless cycle of bondage indeed!

The Three “Cities” :

This simile throws light on an important aspect of life in the three states. The states 

are unique in themselves. Hence they are described as three different cities. Each city is run 

by its own government, has its own rules and governing body, which cannot be interfered 

by the other two. As we have seen in Advaita Makaranda, the “ruling party” in each city 

does not even have an opposition party to oppose it. It controls every aspect of its own city.

The differences between the cities have been discussed already in mantras 12 and 13. 

All three states are tied to ignorance, which is their very cause. There is no escape 

from them until we end ignorance through knowledge. The cities may be compared to the 

three places familiar to every person – his home, his workplace and the shopping mall. The 

person moves from one to another endlessly throughout life. Occasionaly, to get some 

relief, he takes time off to go on a holiday, only to get caught in another triplet – the hotel, 

the cab and the restaurant – where he has to cough up cash for every service he receives!

B. From the Standpoint of the “Witnessing Self” :

12-14 The Witness or Self is common to all the three states, witnessing them as their 

substratum. It remains unaffected by the “merry sport”. In fact, it even survives their 

ultimate dissolution at the time of death, when It absorbs them into Itself.

If through knowledge and renunciation, the Jiva discovers this Self, it can find 

permanent rest in Its bosom. It can be the vacation of a lifetime. It will be an “all expenses 

paid” holiday. The Self is the Jiva’s true home – he does not need to pay a single rupee to 

live there!

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Next -

5. OUR SPIRITUAL ROOTS :

Mantras : 15-19, 5 no.

Mantram : 15 - The Material Cause of All

To be continued ...

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