MANDUKYA UPANISHAD with GAUDAPADA’S KARIKA: 24 - Swami Advayananda.

 

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Thursday 02, May 2024. 07:00.
MANDUKYA UPANISHAD 
GAUDAPADA’S KARIKA
Agama Prakarana – “The Scriptural Treatise”

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PART 1: Agama Prakarana (Mantras-29.)
THE SYLLABLES OF “OM”
Upanishad Section 3: 
PRELIMINARIES: 
Karika Section 4.1:   
MANTRAM - 4.6: “The Immortal is Birthless”  
Post-24.

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Mantram - 4.6: “The Immortal is Birthless”:

1 Ajaatasya eva dharmasya, = Verily, of the Unborn Reality  

2 jaatim icchhanti vaadinah; = a birth is being posited by these disputants; 

3 ajaatah hi amritah dharmah, = But an Unborn and Immortal Reality – 

4 martyataam katham eshyati. = how can It undergo mortality?

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Mantram - 4.7: “Immortality is Its Essential Nature”:  

1 Na bhavati amritam martyam, = The immortal cannot become mortal; 

2 na martyam amritam tathaa; = similarly, the mortal cannot become immortal. 

3 prakriteh anyathaa bhaavah, - For a thing to change its essential nature – 

4 na kathanchit bhavishyati. = never can this happen under any conditions. 

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Mantram - 4.8: “The Immortal is Immutable”:

1 Swabhaavena amritah yasya, = That a thing essentially Immortal by Its nature 

2 dharmah gacchhanti martyataam; = such as Reality, can become mortal; 

3 kritakena amritah tasya, = and that the Immortal, through such change, can 

4 katham sthaasyati nishchalah. = retain Immutability – how can one maintain this? 

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Three key Vedantic principles (see mantram titles) are expressed in the above mantras. :

There is a purpose to state these so early in the Chapter. They form the foundation 

for the logic that is used throughout this Chapter to refute the arguments posed by all the 

viewpoints presented to challenge it. 

This section has thus fulfilled a key purpose by stating the attitude and the approach 

of the Vedantin when dealing with any opposing viewpoint. The rest of this Chapter deals 

very strongly with viewpoints that aim to undermine the Truth. Vedanta, which upholds the 

highest or Absolute viewpoint, has to remain uncompromising in adhering to the Truth. In 

doing so it may appear to be stubborn in the eyes of its opponents. But this cannot be 

helped. All philosophical debate faces this criticism.  

What has to be noted by students of Vedanta is the consistency of the arguments 

presented by the Vedantin. The Vedantin never compromises on the above three Principles. 

We have to thank Sri Gaudapadaji for being so consistent in maintaining his loyalty to Truth. 

Had he lapsed by even the slightest degree in standing for the Absolute position, the forces 

that are ranged against the Truth would have driven a wedge into the crack and split the 

whole structure of Vedanta apart. 

This is the significance of Part 4 in the context of the Karika as a whole. This is why it 

has been crucial for Sri Gaudapadaji to prepare us so carefully for the discussion that is to 

follow.   

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Next

The SANKHYANS Refuted 

Karika Section 4.2:   mantras 9-13   (5 No.) 

Continued

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