Iśāvāsya Upanishad

Sri K.C. Varadachari

Introduction

According to Sri Venkatanatha any Upanisad or a portion dealing with a vidya, should be treated as integral instruction which leads to the highest end or goal of man. A proper understanding will reveal that the several mantras bear a unitary relationship to one another.

Sri Venkatanatha interprets the Isavasyopanisad on the lines of Brahma-sutras, since it deals with the Supreme Being as Atman. For as Katyayana opines this entire Upanisad pertains to the Atman-devata — īsāvāsyam ātmadevatyaḥ.¹ Thus firstly it instructs the nature of the Lord, the ultimate category, and secondly, the good means to the realization of Him, and lastly the ultimate goal (purushārtha). These three are called according to Visistadvaitic terminology tattva, hita and purushārtha. The Brahma Sutras which comprises four chapters deals in the first the tattva— the Brahman; in the second it rejects all views not in agreement with the nature of the ultimate truth already established in the first chapter. The third chapter deals with the means of attainment, hita namely the several vidyas — śāṇḍilya, dahara, and other such meditations. Lastly, in the fourth chapter it describes the realization of the goal of the individual, namely, attainment of Brahman. All these topics are finely indicated by the following hemistich: kāraṇatvam abādhyatvam upāyatvam upeyatā.

Since the refutation of other doctrines is subordinate to the real comprehension of the truth, it is usually omitted in any instruction given to the seeker, Sri Venkatanatha introducing the 12th mantra writes :

The Upanisad, contextually considered is the fortieth and the concluding chapter of the Vajasaneya Samhita of the Sukla Yajurveda devoted to the per- formance of work, sacrifices and others. The disciple to whom it is addressed is one who has already mastered the 39 chapters which precede this final. upanisadic or knowledge-chapter. The implication is that the disciple being confused and dissatisfied with them seeks further knowledge about them.

The Structure and Plan of the Upanisad

The first mantra and the second form the first major group, third to eight form the second major group, and nine to fourteen form the third major group, while the last major group consists of the mantras fifteen to eighteen.

1st Major Group: Introduction to Atmavidya

The 1st Major group serves as an introduction to the Atmavidya which follows. The use of the second person singular “bhuñjīthaḥ” clearly indicates that these mantras are addressed to a seeking-disciple well-trained in the previous portions already taught who now, like a Naciketas, is seeking the highest truth not to be found in the instructions and practices so far taught. ln answer to this search, the first two mantras give a straight-forward and unequivocal direction that the seeker should deem himself to be the property of the Lord, like anything else, and not an independent agent, and that if he performed the prescribed rituals in this consciousness he need not be afraid of bondage resulting from the continuous performance of actions.

Sri Venkatanatha’s interpretation of vāsyam is “vyāpyam, sarvādhāre svasmin svena vasanīyaṁ vā”. ²

The interpretations of the words tyaktena and bhuñjīthāḥ ³ are almost identical with those of Uvvata, to whose bhasya we have already referred.

(ii) The second mantra ⁴ is important in so far as throughout it lays stress on the need for actions being done ; it affirms that it is the only way open to any individual (even a seeker, mumukshu) and that he cannot under any circumstances renounce actions prescribed previously in the Samhita.

2nd Major Group: Nature of Atman as the Self of All

The II Major group teaches the nature of the Atman - the Self of all things. This second major group may be said to comprise four subgroups, namely the 3rd, 4–5, 6–7, and 8th Mantras.

(i) In the third mantra the teacher before teaching the true nature of Brahman, points out the results that accriue to those who are the destroyers of the self, namely, those who are ignorant of the self, avidvāmsaḥ.

(ii) The fourth and the fifth mantras describe the omnipervasiveness of the Self. Venkatanatha points out that the mantra 4, whilst revealing the omnipervasiveness indicated in the first mantra, speaks of this Self in apparently incongruous terms, known as virodhābhāsa in later ālankārika terminology, as possessing wonderful power. The first pada of the 4th mantra speaks about the Self as unmoving but swifter than the mind; the second and third padas show that He could not be overtaken by any one but that He could overtake every one. The only explanation for this is that the Self is omnipresent. The final pada reveals His marvellous omnipresence with respect to vertical existences also.

In the 4th mantra ^apas” means water, as the accent happens to fall on the last syllable.^ ‘ .)

The fifth mantra whilst reiterating in a different manner the previous mantra adds a further description about the Self being both inside and outside of all things {sarvasya).

(iii) The sixth and the seventh mantras form the third subsidiary groups which teaches the immediate results of realization of the omnipervasiveness of the Self, namely the selfness of aH thing s^ both subjectively and objectively, that is to say, absence of sorrow and delusion and recoil from anything and everything.

The sixth mantra mentions the relationship between the Self and the creatures as one of supporter and supported. The seventh speaks of them as a co-ordinate unity which is precisely an instance of the principle of interpretation of all identity-texts accord- ing to Visistadvaita.

(iv) The eighth mantra whilst further describing the nature of the Self and the seeker, by implication suggests the hita^ the good means to realization of the Lord. It can also be seen that this mantra differenti- ates between the Self and the seeker as attained and the attainer, soon after their co-ordinate unity was

1. cf, lid Upanisad Sri Aravinda Ghose : p. 4 note 2 ‘ ’Apas as it is accetitnatcd in the version of the White Yajurveda, can mean only ‘waters*. If this accentuation is disregarded we may Ule it is the singular Apas work action, Sankara however renders it by the plural works.”

c£ Upanisad Brahma-yogin aho takes this to mean the water-ejenient, - i

declared in the previous mantra, thus once again affirming that all mention of Oneness is merely a men- tion of co-ordinate unity {samdnddhikaranya).

3rd Major Group: Works and Knowledge

Ill Major groups consists of six mantras from 9 to 14. This is again subdivided into two subsidiary groups of three mantras each.

(i) 9–1 L What is briefly mentioned in the second

mantra of the Upanisad Kurman is here expanded,

and it is pointed out that the practice of works or action should go along with the practice of knowledge ; bereft of action knowledge-praxis is dangerous, bereft of knowledge action is foolish. Most of the comment- ators of this group take the word ^anyaf in the 10th mantra (13 M) and the ]3l:h(10M) mantra to refer to effects or fruits or results of praxes. V enkatanatha on the other hand says that it refers to the means alone.

Vidyaya and Avidyaya though in the instrumental case in the lOth mantra-^ are taken to be in the ablative case by Venkatanatha, in support of which he refers to the parity with the 13th mantra sambhavdt and asambhavdt. We find that this view is justified because the Madhyandina recension supplies the exact case- ending required.

Now to the meaning of the words Avidyd and Vidyd. Almost ^ all the commentators agree that the meanings’of ^jy^rfja and Vidyd are karma and knowledge respectively. According to Venkatanatha^ Vidya means knowledge of the form of meditation {upas a- ndimaka jndna) .

1. Madhvacharya considers avidya to mean wrong conception of God. S ares vara means by Avidya nuiddha karma and by vidya scr ip t u r al~kar m a ( c f Brhada rany ak op an i^ad- vdrtika)*

The most important point to be noted in this group is that a conjoint practice of karma and jndna is inculcated^ karma being subsidiary {anga) to knowledge. Bhaskara accepts this conjoint practice but he considers that karma and jndna are equally important in bringing about realization, whereas the scriptural view is definite that knowledge alone can bring about realization. Yadava Prakasa, though accepting conjoint practice of Aarma 3×1^ jndna {jndna karma-samuccaya), thinks that there are two different results, one for jndna and another for karma, namely Brahmaprdpti and karma-nwrtti. Mandana Misra explains the saha in the Upanisad as the relation of togetherness between means and end, and giving a second explanation says: avidyd cannot be without vidyd nor can vidyd be without avidjd^

This triad of verses according to Venkatanatha also teaches that the means taught herein lead to the attainment of Brahman-^mr^a^ the immortal, the Parama Purusdrtka.

{ii) 12–14 The Sambhuii-Asambhuti triad^.

The ordinary meaning of sambhuti is birth^^ and that of asamhhuti is non birth or dissolution. Some commentators mean by these two terms creation [sristi) and dissolution {pralaya). But as this meaning does

1. Brahma Siddhi p. 13 pt. I Madras Govt. O. Mss series 4 (1937) “Etad uktam bhavati : vidyavidye dve apy upayo-

peya-bhavat sahite. Navidyamant arena vidyodayosti

Anyo’rthah. Navidya vidyarahitasti ; tatha hi bheda dar^anam api na praka^asunyam, tadabhave na bhedah praka^eta— tatha na vidya aikatmya-^ravanadi-laksa^ia {sayd ?) vinavidyaya.

2* cf. Sabara X, vi, 2 : Rik samovdca mithunam samhhavdveti Yajus Taitt. II* v. 1. 5*

not accord with the context, Venkatanatha interprets these to mean (1) attainment of Brahman and dissolu- tion of obstacles to it (viz., samsdra) ; (2) SamddhU nispatti (communion in trance), and the destruction of ali evil tendencies and mental habits pertaining to outer objects; or (3) following a meaning which is given in his JVydya siddhdnjana (p. 162). sambhuti means arcirddi gati (ascent on the path shown by the Arcis and others), and asambhuti means karmandm anya- sahkrdntih (transference of karma from the free-ing soul at the time of his departure from his body to those who are his foes). This last view is the interpretation given by Sudarsana Suri, the author of the inimitable commentary Sruta-Prakasika on the Sri Bhasya (III, iii. 33 & 34).

Sri Venkatanatha in his Nydya siddhdnjana refers to another view put forward by Narayanarya, the author of the Mtimdld. According to him, sambhuti and vindsa mean knowledge and action, vidyd and karma. According to this view there is no difference between this triad and the vidyd-amdyd triad, of which this is merely a reiteration. Narayanarya refutes in his Mtimdld (p. 64) a view which holds that the words sambhuti and vindsa mean savihsa and nirvisesa dhyana respectively^ that is to say, the samprajndta samddhi and asamprajndta samddhi mentioned by Yoga ^astra (I, 17), The purpose of this triad is to teach the contem- plation of what follow after the death of the seeker. These are (i) arcirddi gati and karma sankrdnti or (ii) Brahma-prdpti and prati bandhaka nivrtti. These two interpretations are suggested by the context of this triad in the Upanisad as it has come to us. If however, we take into consideration the context in which this is found in the Madhyandina recension^ it would appear that it has reference to Upasana or meditation upon the supreme Self^ the tattva taught in this Upanisad. It is this meaning that Venkatanatha seems to prefer when he gives his second ahernative namely samddhi-nispatti and mdnadambhddtndm himsdste- yddindm bahirmukhendriyavrttindm ca vindsah. It is signi- licant that Kuranarayana, who is an ardent and faithful follower of Venkatanatha’s interpretation gives this meaning alone in his commentary.

4th Major Group: Meditational Prayers

This group is different from all the previous verses in so far as it consists only of mantras^ prayers to be repeated by the seeker at the time of his practice (upasana)^ whereas all the previous mantras^ or verses more properly so-called, deal with instruction alone, This can be seen by applying the /m^<3-principle of Mimamsa.^

The first prayer is for the removal of the obstacles to knowledge^ and the purpose of this prayer is merely indicated by the satya-dharmaya drstaye^ and this is expanded in the succeeding mantra.

The third and the fourth mantras are prayers to the Lord to lead the individual soul to the highest bliss, remembering Himself^ and what he had done.

The last mantra which is usually used on all occasions^ in sacrifice^ or hymn, or in the knowledge- section as in this case, has a significance all its own in Upanisadic literature,

Footnotes

¹ 1, sarvānukrama sūtra: pt. iv. p. 38, (↑)

² Ramachandra-pandita interprets vāsyam as vāsayogyam— adhishṭhānena ācchādanīyaṁ vā — nivāsārthakad-vaser bāhulakad adhikaraṇe ṇyat. (Anandasrama ed, p. 2): Sankarananda writes, “tena vāsyam acchādanīyaṁ nivāsayogyaṁ vā′ (Anandasrama ed, p. 2). Upanisad Brahma Yogin writes : īśā āvāsyaṁ vyāptam (Adyar ed, p. 7). (↑)

³ Upanisad Brahma Yogin writes: bhuñjīthāḥ - prāpnuhi (↑)

⁴ Bhaskara according to Anandagiri: yaduktaṁ bhāskareṇa sarvāpyupanishad ekaṁ brahmavidyā prakaranaṁ. tataḥ prakarana-bhedakaraṇam anucitam iti. (Anandasrama ed, p. 111) (↑)

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