A Commentary on the Upanishads by Swami Nirmalananda Giri -21

A Commentary

on the Upanishads

by

Swami Nirmalananda Giri

A Commentary on the

Shwetashwatara Upanishad

The Universe and Its Mystery

The Brahman-seekers

 

The Shvetashvatara Upanishad opens with the clause: “Disciples inquire within

themselves.” This is supremely profound.

First of all, the Sanskrit word Brahmavadin is not “disciple” or “student of Brahman” as

Swamis Prabhavananda and Tyagisananda translate it, but literally “one who walks the

path of Brahman.” Of course, every sentient being is on the path of Brahman, but the

upanishad is referring to those who not only know that fact, but are consciously walking

the path, taking charge of their life–and therefore their evolution. In other words, they are

yogis. Next, they inquire within themselves. Certainly they read spiritual texts and respect

spiritual teachers, and they use their intelligent reason. But their real inquiry, their real

search, is within themselves.

The inquiry

“Disciples inquire within themselves: ‘What is the cause of this universe?–is it

Brahman? Whence do we come? Why do we live? Where shall we at last find rest? Under

whose command are we bound by the law of happiness and its opposite?’” (Shvetashvatara

Upanishad 1:1) There is no need to analyze this verse, but the upanishad is showing us

what real seekers of Brahman want to know. They realize that unless they know how the

whole scheme works they will not be able to work their way out. Simplistic people think all

they need do is learn some yoga practices, but they are mistaken. We have to know the lay

of the land, both inner and outer, and order our entire life accordingly. Otherwise yoga is a

pathetic joke, as useless as a wet match in a rainstorm.

Not the cause…

“Time, space, law, chance, matter, primal energy, intelligence–none of these, nor a

combination of these, can be the final cause of the universe, for they are effects, and exist

to serve the soul. Nor can the individual self be the cause, for, being subject to the law of

happiness and misery, it is not free.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:2)

Through ignorance we blame all these things for what happens to us, considering that

they are being imposed on us regardless of our will or desire. We also consider that they

are the forces pushing us to act or think as we do, and that they produce in us various

reactions. In sum, we ignore the sole truth that all our deeds and thoughts proceed from

within, that our responses are manifestations of our inner disposition (bhava). Both the

ignorant and the wise live from inside out–all is a spontaneous flow from within. Outer

circumstances are only a mirroring of that inner landscape I just mentioned. They are, as

the upanishad says, only reflections, not even being effects caused by us. Moreover, they

are not really hindrances or distractions unless we make them so, for they “exist to serve

the soul” in furthering its awakening and evolution.

Finding the Cause

“The seers, absorbed in contemplation, saw within themselves the ultimate reality, the

self-luminous being, the one God, who dwells as the self-conscious power in all creatures.

He is One without a second. Deep within all beings he dwells, hidden from sight by the

coverings of the gunas–sattwa, rajas, and tamas. He presides over time, space, and all

apparent causes.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:3)

Actually, this is a very interpretive, though quite accurate, rendering of this verse, as is

the following one of Swami Tyagisananda: “ Practising the method of meditation, they

realized that Being who is the God of religion, the Self of philosophy and the Energy of

science; who exists as the self-luminous power in everyone; who is the source of the

intellect, emotions and will; who is one without a second; who presides over all the causes

enumerated above, beginning with time and ending with the individual soul; and who had

been incomprehensible because of the limitations of their own intellect.”

Swami Gambhirananda gives the exact translation: “By practicing the yoga of

meditation [dhyana yoga] they realized the power of the Deity [devatma shaktim]

Himself, hidden by its own effect–the Lord who, alone, rules all those sources associated

with [i.e., including] Time and the individual soul.” But the other two renderings are

worth a study, for they are correct expansions of the Sanskrit words, since the text uses

certain keywords, technical terms, that carry the connotations of all that the two Swamis

have included in their translations.

So what is the cause of all? Divine power–devatma shaktim. There is no other power or

force in the universe. And although that power is manifested outside us (mostly), we

cannot discover it except by turning within and plumbing the depths of our inner

consciousness that is untouched by all phenomena.

Immortality

“This vast universe is a wheel. Upon it are all creatures that are subject to birth, death,

and rebirth. Round and round it turns, and never stops. It is the wheel of Brahman. As

long as the individual self thinks it is separate from Brahman, it revolves upon the wheel in

bondage to the laws of birth, death, and rebirth. But when through the grace of Brahman

it realizes its identity with him, it revolves upon the wheel no longer. It achieves

immortality.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:4-6) That is perfectly clear. We need only get

busy and realize it!

Freedom

“He who is realized by transcending the world of cause and effect, in deep

contemplation, is expressly declared by the scriptures to be the Supreme Brahman. He is

the substance, all else the shadow. He is the imperishable. The knowers of Brahman know

him as the one reality behind all that seems. For this reason they are devoted to him.

Absorbed in him, they attain freedom from the wheel of birth, death, and

rebirth.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:7) Union with Brahman is the only freedom, and

that is accomplished only “in deep contemplation.” In this way cause and effect are

transcended.

“The Lord supports this universe, which is made up of the perishable and the

imperishable, the manifest and the unmanifest. The individual soul, forgetful of the Lord,

attaches itself to pleasure and thus is bound. When it comes to the Lord, it is freed from all

its fetters.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:8) Forgetting is bondage, remembering is

freedom.

“The Self is all”

“Mind and matter, master and servant–both have existed from beginningless time. The

Maya which unites them has also existed from beginningless time. When all three–mind,

matter, and Maya–are known as one with Brahman, then is it realized that the Self is

infinite and has no part in action. Then is it revealed that the Self is all.” (Shvetashvatara

Upanishad 1:9) To say that mind, matter, and Maya are only illusion and non-existent

accomplishes nothing. We must come to know that they are the dreams of God, plays of

the Consciousness that IS God.

The end of ignorance

“Matter is perishable. The Lord, the destroyer of ignorance, is imperishable, immortal.

He is the one God, the Lord of the perishable and of all souls. By meditating on him, by

uniting oneself with him, by identifying oneself with him, one ceases to be ignorant.

“Know God, and all fetters will be loosed. Ignorance will vanish. Birth, death, and

rebirth will be no more. Meditate upon him and transcend physical consciousness. Thus

will you reach union with the lord of the universe. Thus will you become identified with

him who is One without a second. In him all your desires will find

fulfillment.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:10,11)

Meditation alone is the key.

The truth

“The truth is that you are always united with the Lord. But you must know this.

Nothing further is there to know. Meditate, and you will realize that mind, matter, and

Maya (the power which unites mind and matter) are but three aspects of Brahman, the

one reality.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:12)

Many people assume that since they are always the Self, are always really one with

Brahman, there is nothing to be done. It is true that nothing can make us anything that we

are not already. But yoga can open our eyes to see what we are, and always have been.

Those asleep and dreaming do need to awaken. And yoga is the process of awakening, as

the next two verses indicate.

The way to truth

“Fire, though present in the firesticks, is not perceived until one stick is rubbed

against another. The Self is like that fire: it is realized in the body by meditation on the

sacred syllable Om.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:13)

In ancient India they considered that fire was already present in a potential form, but

that it needed to be released by friction, by the generation of heat–by tapasya! So the

theme of the preceding verse is being continued, but now in a practical manner. The Self is

freed even while in the body by meditation on Om.

“Let your body be the stick that is rubbed, the sacred syllable Om the stick that is

rubbed against it. Thus shall you realize God, who is hidden within the body as fire is

hidden within the wood.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:14)

It is important that we understand that the body must be part of the process of

liberation. That is why we join the repetition (intonation) of Om to the physical breath, and

why we permit the various power centers of the body to come into play spontaneously as

we engage in the japa and meditation of Om. Also, why it is beneficial to keep our

awareness on the thousand-petalled lotus of the head outside of meditation.

For more on this, see the book Om Yoga, Its Theory and Practice.

Truthfulness and tapasya

“Like oil in sesame seeds, butter in cream, water in the river bed, fire in tinder, the Self

dwells within the soul. Realize him through truthfulness [satya] and meditation [tapasya].

“Like butter in cream is the Self in everything. Knowledge of the Self is gained through

meditation [tapasya]. The Self is Brahman. By Brahman is all ignorance

destroyed.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:15, 16)

No more need be said.

Realizing God

The next seven verses are extremely obscure in the Sanskrit original. Fortunately we

have the commentary of Shankara whose stupendous intellect and perfect realization

rendered him capable of explaining them. Swami Prabhavananda translated them

according to Shankara’s insight in this way:

“To realize God, first control the outgoing senses and harness the mind. Then

meditate upon the light in the heart of the fire–meditate, that is, upon pure consciousness

as distinct from the ordinary consciousness of the intellect. Thus the Self, the Inner

Reality, may be seen behind physical appearance.

“Control your mind so that the Ultimate Reality, the self-luminous Lord, may be

revealed. Strive earnestly for eternal bliss.

“With the help of the mind and the intellect, keep the senses from attaching

themselves to objects of pleasure. They will then be purified by the light of the Inner

Reality, and that light will be revealed.

“The wise control their minds, and unite their hearts with the infinite, the omniscient,

the all-pervading Lord. Only discriminating souls practice spiritual disciplines. Great is the

glory of the self-luminous being, the Inner Reality.

“Hear, all ye children of immortal bliss, also ye gods who dwell in the high heavens:

Follow only in the footsteps of the illumined ones, and by continuous meditation merge

both mind and intellect in the eternal Brahman. The glorious Lord will be revealed to you.

“Control the vital force. Set fire to the Self within by the practice of meditation. Be

drunk with the wine of divine love. Thus shall you reach perfection.

“Be devoted to the eternal Brahman. Unite the light within you with the light of

Brahman. Thus will the source of ignorance be destroyed, and you will rise above

karma.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 2:1-7)

The only thing that needs pointing out is the fact that in the sixth verse, what

Prabhavananda renders: “Set fire to the Self within by the practice of meditation” is

literally: “Where fire is kindled by rubbing.” This is a reference to an earlier verse: “Let

your body be the stick that is rubbed, the sacred syllable Om the stick that is rubbed

against it. Thus shall you realize God, who is hidden within the body as fire is hidden

within the wood.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:14) Now the upanishad returns to that

instruction.

Liberating meditation

“Sit upright, holding the chest, throat, and head erect. Turn the senses and the mind

inward to the lotus of the heart. Meditate on Brahman with the help of the syllable OM.

Cross the fearful currents of the ocean of worldliness by means of the raft of Brahman–the

sacred syllable OM.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 2:8)

The word “heart” in the scriptures can mean the chakra in the center of the chest, but

usually it means the core of our being: consciousness. And it means that here. The real

message of this verse is that by means of meditation on Om the fearsome ocean of

samsara can be crossed. So sure is the upanishad of this, it calls Om “the raft of Brahman,”

for Om is Brahman itself according to the upanishads, the Gita, and the Yoga Sutras.

“With earnest effort hold the senses in check. Controlling the breath, regulate the vital

activities. As a charioteer holds back his restive horses, so does a persevering aspirant

hold back his mind.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 2:9) All this is accomplished by the

simple practice of joining the repetition of Om to the breath. This is the true pranayama

according to the upanishads and the Yoga Vashishtha, a major text on yoga and advaita

philosophy. Here are some quotations regarding this:

“With Om alone he should breathe.” (Amritabindu Upanishad 20) “Pranayama is

accomplished through concentrating the mind on Om.” (Saubhagyalakshmi Upanishad)

“The Pranava alone becomes the pranayama.” (Sandilya Upanishad 1:17) “Pranayama is

accomplished by effortlessly breathing and joining to it the repetition of the sacred

Om.” (Yoga Vashishtha 5:78) More citations can be found in Om Yoga: Its Theory and

Practice.

Regarding the environment for meditation, the upanishad continues: “Retire to a

solitary place, such as a mountain cave or a sacred spot. The place must be protected from

the wind and rain, and it must have a smooth, clean floor, free from pebbles and dust. It

must not be damp, and it must be free from disturbing noises. It must be pleasing to the

eye and quieting to the mind. Seated there, practice meditation and other spiritual

exercises.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 2:10) Frankly, today’s conditions are much more

conducive than what is described here. A simple meditation room is much more

advantageous on all levels. (See Om Yoga about this, too.)

Signs of progress

“As you practice meditation, you may see in vision forms resembling snow, crystals,

smoke, fire, lightning, fireflies the sun, the moon. These are signs that you are on your

way to the revelation of Brahman.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 2:11) These are but a few

of the visual phenomena that can occur during meditation. If you can find a copy,

Sivananda’s book Spiritual Experiences is extremely informative.

“As you become absorbed in meditation, you will realize that the Self is separate from

the body and for this reason will not be affected by disease, old age, or

death.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 2:12) This is the real purpose of meditation.

“The first signs of progress on the path of yoga are health, a sense of physical

lightness, clearness of complexion, a beautiful voice, an agreeable odor of the person, and

freedom from craving.

“As a soiled piece of metal, when it has been cleaned, shines brightly, so the dweller in

the body, when he has realized the truth of the Self, loses his sorrow and becomes radiant

with bliss.

“The yogi experiences directly the truth of Brahman by realizing the light of the Self

within. He is freed from all impurities–he the pure, the bir thless, the

bright.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 2:13-15)

Brahman

“He is the one God, present in the north, the east, the south, and the west. He is the

creator. He enters into all wombs. He alone is now born as all beings, and he alone is to be

born as all beings in the future. He is within all persons as the Inner Self, facing in all

directions.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 2:16)

Here we have the affirmation that Brahman is the core of the consciousness of all

beings, that It is “incarnate” in all beings and experiences all they experience. This is how

intimately united Brahman is to each one of us.

Therefore: “Let us adore the Lord, the luminous one, who is in fire, who is in water,

who is in plants and trees, who pervades the whole universe.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad

2:17)

Om.

Brahman/Ishwara

A word of introduction

People of undeveloped minds, however intelligent, find it impossible to understand that

seeming contradictions, opposites–even seeming incompatibilities and incongruities–are

part of realities. The conflicts, of course, are in their minds. This is an inherent defect of

what we now call “left-brain” thinking, but to the “right-brainers” such appearances are

understood as being just that–erroneous perceptions. For them there is the possibility of

developing such a degree in intuition that they can see the whole picture in which no

contradictions exist.

It is extremely difficult for Westerners to grasp the unity in diversity and the diversity

in unity. This is especially seen in the idea of the Trinity, which is to be found in some form

in just about every religion. The utter mess that Christianity has made of the belief in the

Trinity is colossal, actually. And every time a theologian sets about to make it clearer, it

gets more obscure and nonsensical. They just cannot get the idea of a single absolute

unity that manifests in a threefold manner. One problem is their insistence that they are

three “persons” in the Godhead. They are horrified at the suggestion that the Three are

really three aspects or manifestations of Divinity, or three ways in which the Absolute

relates to relativity and those sentient being that are evolving within the cosmos. But that

fact is…that is how it is! They propound the existence of three Gods and get furious when

it is pointed out to them.

In ancient India the sages clearly understood and expressed the truth that God is Om

Tat Sat: divine creative intelligent energy, divine guiding intelligence within that energy,

and primal intelligence that transcends those two. Yet there is only One Consciousness,

not three. Om Tat Sat is exactly (not approximately) what Jesus meant by “Holy Spirit,”

“Son,” and “Father.” He used such symbolic terms in the hope that it would be easier for

his hearers to grasp. In most cases it was not, for they were hopeless left-brainers. And it

certainly was no help that they were addling their brains by eating the dead and drinking

wine and beer. The situation is the same today in the West. But I am not writing for them,

but for the kind of people to whom the upanishadic teachings were addressed. For them it

will be simplicity itself (as is the case with all truth).

Brahman as Ishwara

“The one absolute, impersonal Existence, together with his inscrutable Maya, appears

as the divine Lord, the personal God, endowed with manifold glories. By his divine power

he holds dominion over all the worlds. At the periods of creation and dissolution of the

universe, he alone exists. Those who realize him become immortal.” (Shvetashvatara

Upanishad 3:1)

The one absolute, impersonal Existence. These words are an excellent definition of the

indefinable Brahman. Brahman always exists. Indeed, there is nothing but Brahman at any

time. And Brahman is always One–never two. But Brahman can appear as many.

Together with his inscrutable Maya. It is through Maya, the creative power of Brahman,

that Brahman appears as many. Maya is as incomprehensible to the limited human mind

as Brahman Itself. For Maya is Brahman, other wise it could not exist.

Appears as the divine Lord, the personal God. When we get the seeming duality of

Brahman and Maya we immediately get the appearance of Brahman as Ishwara, the Lord,

the personal God. From time beyond memory it is commonly said in India that “the Father

is born as the son,” that a man’s son is an extension of his being. So it is only natural to call

Ishwara the Son of God. Brahman is the Father, Maya is the Holy Spirit Mother, and

Ishwara is their “product”–the “Son of God.” It is all Brahman, of course, but we relate to

this threefold appearance of Brahman in a threefold manner, for we are ourselves trinities.

We possess a transcendent Self (Atman) which has taken on a complex of coverings

(koshas) or bodies and began to function within it as its intelligent guide. We are thus

mirror-images of Brahman.

Endowed with manifold glories. Brahman is nirguna, without any qualities or traits, but

Ishwara is saguna, possessing innumerable qualities. So although we cannot conceive of

Brahman or speak of It, we can say a great deal about Ishwara, even though we cannot

encompass His total being. And note that we can use a personal pronoun in relation to

Ishwara. For Ishwara is of positive (male) polarity and can be referred to as “He,” just as

Maya is of negative (female) polarity and can be called “She.” When we say “God” we

usually mean Ishwara.

By his divine power he holds dominion over all the worlds. Ishwara, the Son of God,

controls and guides the evolution of all creation through His divine power (Mahashakti)

that is Maya. All that is “done” is done by Him in conjunction with Maya, for Brahman

never acts.

At the periods of creation and dissolution of the universe, he alone exists. Ishwara, as an

emanation of Brahman, arises as the first step in creation, and remains as the last step, as

well. Then He merges into “the bosom of the Father” and only Brahman remains. That is

why Jesus, referring to Ishwara, not himself, said: “No man [literally: no one] hath seen

God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath

declared him.” (John 1:18) Ishwara is the “only-begotten” because he is the sole

emanation from Brahman at the beginning of creation.

Those who realize him become immortal. This is important. Because Ishwara is

Brahman, those who approach Him and come to know Him thereby become one with

Brahman, and know Brahman. Therefore it is mistaken to say that meditation on Saguna

Brahman has a different result than meditation on Nirguna Brahman.

This is well explained in the first eight verses of the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad

Gita. There Arjuna asks Krishna: “Some worship You with steadfast love. Others worship

God the unmanifest and changeless. Which kind of devotee has the greater understanding

of yoga?” Krishna replies: “Those whose minds are fixed on me in steadfast love,

worshipping me with absolute faith, I consider them to have the greater understanding of

yoga. As for those others, the devotees of God the unmanifest, indefinable and changeless,

they worship that which is omnipresent, constant, eternal, beyond thought’s compass,

never to be moved. They hold all the senses in check. They are tranquil-minded, and

devoted to the welfare of humanity. They see the Atman in every creature. They also will

certainly come to me. But the devotees of the unmanifest have a harder task, because the

unmanifest is very difficult for embodied souls to realize. Quickly I come to those who

offer me every action, worship me only, their dearest delight, with devotion undaunted.

Because they love me these are my bondsmen and I shall save them from mortal sorrow

and all the waves of Life’s deathly ocean. Be absorbed in me, lodge your mind in me: thus

you shall dwell in me, do not doubt it, here and hereafter.”

The traits of Ishwara

“The Lord is One without a second. Within man he dwells, and within all other beings.

He projects the universe, maintains it, and withdraws it into himself.” (Shvetashvatara

Upanishad 3:2) Being Brahman, Ishwara is Absolute Unity–this must not be forgotten.

Ishwara is “incarnate” in each one of us and in all sentient beings. It is Ishwara who

creates, sustains, and dissolves the universe, and this all takes place within Him as His

creative thought, the Cosmic Dream. “His eyes are everywhere; his face, his arms, his feet

are in every place. Out of himself he has produced the heavens and the earth, and with his

arms and his wings he holds them together.” (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3:3)

His eyes are everywhere; his face, his arms, his feet are in every place. Out of himself

he has produced the heavens and the earth, and with his arms and his wings he holds

them together. He is the origin and support of the gods. He is the lord of all. He confers

bliss and wisdom upon those who are devoted to him. He destroys their sins and their

sorrows. He punishes those who break his laws. He sees all and knows all. May he endow

us with good thoughts! (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3:3,4)

Ishwara is Consciousness Itself. And in this capacity of omniscient omnipresence He

interacts with all beings. Those who wish can enter into the most intimate relationship and

communication with Him. He indeed is all possible relationships–father, mother, brother

(sister), friend–and all functions: king, master, servant, helper, companion and guide. He it

is that in this world as well as the next is the dearest of the dear and the nearest of the

near. Through the laws established in his universe, which itself is a great, living “evolution

machine,” he “rewards” and “punishes” right and wrong actions–not as do the rulers on

earth who take personal vengeance and exact retribution, but for the teaching and

furtherance of all sentient beings. His creation reacts to all action in the manner of a

mirror, a reflection which reveals to us the true character of our thoughts, words, and

deeds–indeed of our whole state of mind and being (bhava). As is said in the Gita: “My

face is equal to all creation, loving no one nor hating any. Nevertheless, my devotees dwell

within me always: I also show forth and am seen within them.” (Bhagavad Gita 9:29)

Prayer to Ishwara is a very real and effective act.

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued..) 

(My humble salutations H H Swami Nirmalananda Giri ji and   Hinduism online dot com for the collection)

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