KAIVALYA UPANISHAD: “The Homogeneity of Brahman” -2. Reflections: Swami Gurubhaktananda:

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Monday 20, October 2025, 19;39.           
KAIVALYA UPANISHAD: “The Homogeneity of Brahman” 
from the Atharva Veda: 26 Mantras: 
Reflections:  Swami Gurubhaktananda: 
on the Series of 8 Lectures:  Swami Advaitananda. 
of the 15th Batch Sandeepany Vedanta Course held at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai: 
From 23rd November – 30th November 2012.

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INVOCATION:  As this text is from the Atharvana Veda, the appropriate invocation is the following:
Post: 2

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2.INVOCATION:  As this text is from the Atharvana Veda, the appropriate invocation is the following:

1 

om bhadram karnebhih - What is auspicious, with our ears  

shrunuyaama devaah; = may we hear always O ye Gods. 

2 

bhadram pashyema akshabhih   = Worshipful Ones, may we with our eyes see 

yajatraah; =   always what is auspicious 

3 

sthiraih angaih tushtuvaagam sah = May we live the entire length of our allotted 

 tanoobhih; = life hale and hearty. 

4 

vyashema devahitam yad aayuh. = Offering our praises unto Thee! 

5 

swasti na indrah = Bless us, O Lord Indra,  

vriddha-shravaah; = the ancient and the famous. 

6 

swasti nah pooshaa = Bless us, O Pooshan (the Sun),  

vishwa-vedaah; = the all-knowing. 

7 

swasti nah taarkshyah = Bess us. O Vayu, the Lord of swift motiowho 

arishtanemih; = saves us from all harms. 

8 

swasti nah brihaspatih = And bless us, O Brihaspati,  

dadhaatu. = who protects the spiritual wealth in us!  

9 

om shantih! shantih! shantih! = Om Peace, Peace, Peace! 

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1. THE PRELIMINARIES: 

(Mantras 1-3a, 3 no.) 

THIS INTRODUCTORY SECTION covers basic details we need to know when beginning the spiritual path. The pre-qualifications are covered. We are told something to inspire us to want this divine knowledge. Then we are told what equipment is needed for this journey.

Mantram - 1: The Yearning for Divine Knowledge:

1 

om atha = Om. With that, let us begin: 

aashvalaayanah = There was a student named Aashvalaayana.                                                         

2 

bhagavantam parameshthinam = The Revered Lord Parameshthi, the Creator,  

upasama iti uvaacha. = did he approach and spoke to Him thus: 

3 

adhihi bhagavan = Teach me, O Revered Sir, the  

‘Brahma-vidyaam’ varishthaam = “SCIENCE OF REALITY”, said to be the highest 

4

sadaa sadbhih sevyamaanaam nigoodhaam; =  secret guarded always by good people. 

5 

yathaa achiraat sarva-paapam vyapohya = by which, all sins are soon discarded; and 

6 

‘paraatparam purusham’  yaati vidwaan. = the supreme Self is reached by the wise. 

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The student is Aashvalaayana, who is a great teacher of Vedanta himself. He is an Adhikari or qualified student for this knowledge. 

1

 Atha: “thereafter”. After what? A pre-qualification is implied. Something is pre supposed to happen before a student is qualified for this text. The word is equivalent to  saying, “Come, with that background, let us begin this study.” It is an auspicious start. 

The student is Ashvalayana, who has developed sufficient dispassion for the world by doing Karma Yoga and has attained a reasonable degree of purity of heart and steadiness of mind, i.e. Chitta Shuddhiand Chitta Ekagrata. These are the qualifications. 

2

 This is a good point to introduce the Cosmic Hierarchy: In Vedantic terminology,  the Supreme Being is Brahman. When His Shakti or power called Maya is associated with Him, He is known as Ishwara, the causal level of creation. From Ishwara come the subtle level and then gross level of Creation, known respectively as Hiranyagarbha and Virat. 

The Teacher is none other than Lord Brahma or Ishwara Himself, the Lord of Creation, which fact makes this Upanishad most valuable among all the minor Upanishads. Brahmaji is the highest authority one may approach for instructions on this topic. 

3

 Bhagavan: The traditional definition of this word has been studied in earlier texts. It is “One who possesses the six virtues: Aiswarya, Veerya, Yashas, Shree, Jnana and Vairagya” – i.e. excellence, valour, fame, prosperity or opulence, knowledge and dispassion. 

There are two other definitions which are more appropriate in this text, and which Acharyaji gave us: 

i) The designation of Brahmaji as Ishwara, Consciousness associated with the Total Creation at Causal level, has already been explained. From this, the meaning of Bhagavan arises as: “The Creator of the worlds, in its Totality and individuality”. 

ii) As the addressee is being sought for his boundless knowledge, the second meaning is: “one who is the bestower of Brahma Vidya as well as Apara Vidya” – i.e. knowledge of the Supreme Self, and knowledge about the world and how to come out of the thick, dark web of Samsara which we find ourselves entrapped in. 

Brahma Vidya: The request by Aasvalaayana is for the highest knowledge which will grant total liberation from this world of Samsara. Those who seek this are among the best of mankind in terms of spirituality. They represent the highest that a man is capable of. It may be contrasted with Apara Vidya but is not the opposite of it. The two knowledges are complementary to each other. The former applies to spiritual matters, the latter to secular matters. Each one is valid in its own realm. 

4

 Nigoodhaam: 

“Secret or hidden”. It is secret because it deals with a subject that is deeply hidden to our mind and senses. It is a secret that is kept away from the mind. It is also a secret because it can only be guarded by the few who are pure at heart. It is not the kind of secret that is available to a select few and hidden from the rest, like a political or a trade secret. 

5

 Achiraat: 

This simply means “soon” or “in due course”. The implication is that a course of Sadhana is needed, following which all one’s sins or incorrect perceptions about his true identity are erased from his psyche permanently. The cleansing process requires Sadhana to be done; it does not just happen by wishing for it, much less by simply coming under the wing of a great teacher or just converting to another religion. 

6

 Paraatparam Purusha: 

is the highest Supreme Brahman. The next level below is Prakriti (Maya) and these two in association give rise to Ishwara (causal), Hiranyagarbha (subtle) and Virat (gross) one after the other.  We note that the Upanishad’s first step is quite a giant leap! With the second step the journey begins.

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Next
Mantram - 2:  Equipment For the Journey: 
Continues

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