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Fwd: Taithireeya Upanishath Satrumurai: Part II(Conclusion)

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • Wed Dec 18 2002 - 06:31:59 PST 


Dear BhakthAs and VedAbhimAnis around the World:

The TaittirIya Upanishad SaRRumuRai day ( Dec 20 ) is fast
approaching at Kuwait under the adhyaksham of SrIman I.V.K.Chary. 

In honor of this important occasion , adiyEn would like to share
a few thoughts about the importance of this Upanishad based on
the VisishtAdvaithic intrepretations of Drs. S.M.S. Chari and
NSA Swamy and  Vaikunta Vaasi UtthamUr Swamy , who in turn have
based their vyAkyAnams on the original text of Sri RangarAmAnuja
Muni(Upanishad BhAshyakArar) of Srirangam , who has also blessed us
with a Sanskrit commentary on ThiruppAvai and recieved the title of
Upanishad BhAshyakArar from GOdhA PirAtti Herself .It is 
approprioate to remember that on this "Ongi UlahaLantha 
Utthaman" dinam .

If adiyEn can take the liberty of paraphrasing a famous 
AchArya Taniyan on ThiruppAvai , One can say about TaittirIyam 
without  hyperbole : "vedam anaitthukkum vitthAhum ") 
TaitthirIyam is the essence/seed of all VedAs . Why ? 
It is because Taittiriyam has many key passages central to 
Brahma MeemAmsa( Inquiry in to Brahman ):

(1)Provides the definition of Brahman ( Sathyam Jn~Anam 
anantham Brahma).

(2)It establishes that Brahaman is Anandamayam  
(of the Ananadamaya form or Bliss form ) among 
the five concrete forms of comprehension of Brahman 
( annamaya ,prANamaya , manOmaya , vij~namaya and
Anandamaya ). Anandavalli establishes beyond doubt that 
the Bliss of Brahman is beyond comparison with any other
form of Bliss principle.

(3)It teaches that this Anandamaya Brahman , the goal of
our saadhana is the source cause of this Universe 
( tadh srushtvA tadhEva anuprAvisath ).

(4) In its chathurtha Prsnam , TaittirIya Upanishad 
(Naarayana Valli/MahA NaarAyaNopanishad) , the Lord's 
pervasive presence , immanence and transcendence 
in  all of His creation is saluted as :

" anthar bahisccha tathsarvam vyApya NaarAyaNa: 
sTitha: " TaittirIyOpanishad: IV.94

5) nyAsa VidhyA is taught here and celebrated as 
the superior penance compared to the others (Tapas,
Yaaga-Yajnams): " NyAsa ithi BrahmA , BrahmA hi Para:,
ParO hi BrahmA;thAni vaa yEthAnyavarANi tapAgamsi
nyAsa yEvAthyarEchayath ya yEvam vEdathyupanishath"
( NyAsa/Surrender /saraNAgathi /prapathti is hailed to be
the most celebrated by Supreme Brahman and Brahman 
is most celebrated. All the other penances (saadhanAs/
UpAsanAs) are inferior to NyAsa . That nyAsa surpasses
all others. He who comprehends this (truth)is supreme . 
This is the secret upadEsam /teaching of the scriptures).  

Further thoughts on the LakshaNam of Brahman 
********************************************
Coming back to the LakshaNam of Brahman , (satyam Jn~Anam 
anantham Bbrahma ) this Upanishadic passage is part of 
a larger passage of TaittirIyam:

"Brahmavid ApnOthi param , tadeshAbhyuktA
 Satyam Jn~Anam anantham Brahma 
 yO veda nihitham guhAyAm ParamE vyOman
 so'snute sarvAn kAmAn saha
 BrahmaNA vipascithEti"

This portion is known as the Aanandamaya VidhyA
section of the Upanishad and is translated by 
Dr.NSA Swamy as follows:

" The knower (meditator) of Brahman attains the Highest.
This Rk is uttered about that Brahman .(This) Brahman
is True , Conscious and Infinite. He who knows Brahman
hidden in the cavity of the heart , enjoys in the Supreme
abode all the auspicious qualities of Brahman ALONG WITH
the all-knowing Brahman" .

This statement leads us to reflect on the nature of Brahman:
Is it endowed with attributes or not ? 

Is Brahman SavisEsham or NirvisEsham ?
***************************************
The quintessence of VedAnthic inquiries on the nature of
Brahman (definition) , the method  for attaining that Brahman 
(Saadhana) and the nature of the attainment are included 
in the above definition . Other upanishads ask these questions
too and elaborate on the answers through instructions on Brahma
VidhyA. This passage of TaittirIyam however lays the ground 
work for the above three fundamental topics of VedAnthA 
according to Dr.S.M.S. Chari : 

1. What is the nature of Brahman?
2. What is the nature of the method of attainment?
3. What is the nature of the attainment ?

AchArya RaamAnujA and MaadhvAchArya intrepret this important 
passage to prove that Brahman is not nirvisEsha , but 
SavisEshA in their own ways. 

They define " Satyam Jn~Anam Anantham Brahma "as the LakshaNa 
Vaakyam for Brahman( the three Terms that provide a definition of  
Brahman)and they differ from SankarAchArya's postition that 
leads to the description of Brahman as nirvisEsha Brahman 
(devoid  of all attributes). AchArya RaamAnujA's arguments in 
SrI BhAshyam reject categorically the nirvisEsha Brahman 
position and establish that the SavisEsha Brahman ( Brahman 
endowed with attributes like Satyam , Jn~Anam and Ananatham. 
Swamy  Desikan has elaborated further how untenable 
the nirvisEsha Brahman doctrine is from the true 
perspective of Brahma soothrAs in his brilliant 
SrI Sookthis revered as Satha dhUshaNi ,SarvArTa Sidhdi 
and Para Matha Bhangam. For thousand years ,this debate 
whether Brahman is SavisEsha or nirvisEsha has gone on 
and will continue to do so . As far as VisishtAdhvathins
are concerned , our AchAryAs have unquestionably defined
and established Brahaman as SavisEsha Brahman . 

TaittirIya Upanishad like the other major Upanishads 
chosen by BhAshyAkArar (AchArya RaamAnuja )establish 
that Bbrahman is savisEsha and acknowledges the reality of 
the Universe (not miTyA) and JivAs as distinct from Brahman.

Let us reflect on the VidhyA Phalam of the study of
TaithtirIya Upanishad :

saishA BhArgavI VaaruNI  vidhyA 
ParamE vyOman PrathishtithA 
ya yEvam Veda prathishtathi
annavAn annAdhO bhavathi
MahAn bhavathi prajayA pasubhirbrahmavarchasEna
mahAn keerthyA 

(meaning according to Dr.NSA Swamy): This knowledge
taught by VaruNa and gained by Bhrigu is established
in Supreme Brahman. He who realizes thus , becomes 
established . He becomes the possessor of food and
the eater of food , He becomes great by virtue of
progeney , cattle and splendour of Brahamn .He becomes 
great through fame.   

On this forthcoming SaaRRumuRai day , May the Veda Pursuhan 
bless all the VedAbhimAnis with His most merciful glances 
and bless them and all their families to engage in further 
studies of the eternal scriptures  celebrating Him 
as Supreme Personal God and grow their Kaimkarya SrI. 
May our AchAryAs continue to bless us with the ruchi 
for Veda VichAram and Kaimkarysa prApthi!

NamO Veda PurushAya ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan
SrImath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadi . 



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