॥ ॐ श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः हरिः ॐ ॥
|| ōm̐ śrī gurubhyō namaḥ hariḥ ōm̐ ||
Mantra #15
Let us first review what has been established so far.
By the first two mantras (#1 and #2), it was established that fittedness is a pre-requisite for acquiring knowledge. To a student of shastra who has actually acquired fittedness for knowledge, the nature of Vedic Parabrahman was described with the mantra #4. In mantras #6, #7 and #8 the direct knowledge of such a Parabrahman was established as the means for getting moksha. The direct knowledge of Parabrahman does not occur by the mere study and contemplation of shastra. However, it occurs only by the Grace of God.
So, for the direct knowledge of God, study of Veda in the form of understanding-contemplation-application along with Grace of God, both are necessary. In fact, study of Veda itself is because of another Grace of God. The study provides the indirect knowledge that is necessary and the direct-knowledge brings it to a ripened state. This ripened state of knowledge is also known as sākshātkāra. Without an indirect knowledge, there is no question of direct knowledge. Without the direct experiential knowledge, doubts will linger. So, Indian philosophy insists on first getting the indirect knowledge then making it into a direct apprehension.
In order to obtain that anugraha or prasāda of Parabrahman, along with the study, the upanishat teaches the method of prayer in the next mantra #15.
Before we go further, firstly, observe that there are several words, prasāda, sākshātkāra, prārthanā, etc that have been used here, and each one of them must be understood only through a proper study of shāstra
Secondly, notice that although study of shāstra is necessary, but it is not sufficient for sākshātkāra, the direct apprehension. Why so? It is so, because, if mere study of shāstra is said to bring about mōksha, then the ultimate cause of mōksha is jñāna and not Parabrahman. For this reason, He is not Sarva-kartr. But such a position would be against this upanishat itself. Refer to “sambhōtim ca vināsham ca yastad vedō ….” vēda establishes that nothing happens without the will of God.
“na rite tvat kriyate kimchanāre maghavan mahāmarkam citramarca” – Rig vēda
Thus, neither mōksha nor bandha nor jñāna nor ajñāna can happen without the Will of God.
The all-Doership or sarva-kartrtva of Parabrahman includes sr̥ṣṭiḥ, sthiti, samhāra, niyamana, jñāna, ajñāna, bandha and mōksha – as applicable to the world of cetana and jaḍa. If ‘absence of knowledge’ is taken to be ajñāna, then, jaḍa has – sr̥ṣṭi, sthithi, laya, niyamana, ajñāna whereas cetanas have all the eight. This is what is known as “aṣṭa kartr̥tva” of Parabrahman. The expression ‘sarva-kartrtva’ is to be understood as, ‘sarva-sarva-kartrtva’. God is the author of all that happens (sarva) to all the things of this world (sarva) of cetana and acetana.
Thus, bandha (bondage) and mōksha (liberation) – both happen by the will of God. Bondage happens because of ajñāna, and mōksha happens because of jñāna. Again, jñāna and ajñāna happen by the Will of God. The will of God that releases a man is called prasāda. avidyā, mahāmāyā, mōhinī, prakr̥ti, etc are the different names that shāstra uses for the Will of God that puts a soul in bondage. Parabrahman using triguṇātmaka prakr̥ti to bind a soul is His aiśvarya. His using a certain tool, is His Creative Power.
Thus, God is the all-doer or sarva-kartr for all the states of a jeeva, the state of bondage, during the state of bondage, after the state of bondage, and before the state of mōksha, and during the state of mōksha. This is why a jeeva is always dependent on God irrespective of his state, he is said to be nitya-paratantra. The truth that “Without God’s Grace, there is no brahma-sākshātkāra” is mentioned in other upanishats such as “atharvaṇa” (also known as “muṇḍaka”)
नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यॊ न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन । यमैवेषम्वॄणुते तेन लभ्यः तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूम् स्वाम्” ॥६.२॥ – मुण्डक
nāyamātmā pravacanēna labhyo na mēdhayā na bahunā śrutēna | yamaivēṣamvr̥̄ṇutē tēna labhyaḥ tasyaiṣa ātmā vivr̥̄ṇutē tanūm svām” ||6.2|| – muṇḍaka
mundakōpanishat instructs us that, just because one can lecture on Parabrahman, it does not mean he will get the sākshātkāra of Parabrahman. muṇḍaka teaches us that just because a person can give a lecture on sākshātkāra, it does not mean he will actually get that sākshātkāra. Just because a person is very intelligent, it does not mean he will get it. Just because a person is very familiar with and can recite all the vēda, upanishats, all the eighteen chapters of the geethā, it does not mean he will get the direct knowledge of Parabrahman.
Then what more is needed for it? This is answered as “यमैवेषम्वॄणुते तेन लभ्यः yamaivēṣamvr̥̄ṇutē tēna labhyaḥ” (the one who is chosen by God, only he gets it). What happens for such a “chosen” person is answered as “तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूम् स्वाम् tasyaiṣa ātmā vivr̥̄ṇutē tanūm svām” Parabrahman shows His Form to that chosen person. This “choosing” is called prasāda. The Will of God that releases a man is called prasāda. Also remember that there is no distinction between one quality of God such as His will, and another quality of God such as “His knowledge” or “His creatorship”. Therefore, when we say, He wills it, He creates it, He knows it, etc all mean the same. There is no svagata-bheda in God. “icchā mātram prabhō sr̥ṣṭiḥ”- Creation happens by the mere will of God. (māndūka upanisihat).
A doubt may arise. If prasāda is the cause for mōksha, then why do we need jñāna from shāstra-adhyayana? Ishwara-prasāda is also Ishwara-icchā. We have learnt that everything is “Ishāvāsya” it means Ishwara-icchā is the cause for everything, which also means, that adhyayana is also due to Ishwara-icchā. Adhyayana is Ishwara-prasāda. From this it follows that, direct knowledge or sākshātkāra means sākshātkāra from Ishwara-prasāda. So, when we say shāstra leads to sākshātkāra it means, shāstra leading to Ishwara-prasāda which leads to sākshātkāra.
Because there is no release unless there is the Grace of God, nor is there the highest point of prasāda without knowledge. Therefore, inquiry into Brahman is indispensable. That a jnyāni is the dearest to Parabrahman is mentioned in geetā at several places.
“प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनो अत्यर्थं अहं स च मम प्रियः priyō hi jñāninō atyarthaṁ ahaṁ sa ca mama priyaḥ” says śrī Krishṇa in the geetā. (I am intensely dear to the person who has knowledge, he too is dear to Me).
So, whenever jñāna is mentioned as the cause of mōksha, what is really meant is prasāda of Parabrahman.
There are several important points that we need to notice here:
1) The cause for sūrya-manḍala to be luminous and hence called “pātra” is because Parabrahman is in it in that form. Parabrahman’s body is jyōtirmāya. From this it follows that He is sarva-prakāshaka. (Hence Śruti calls Him deva elsewhere) It finally means that He is sarva-sr̥ṣṭiḥ-kartr. earlier mantras make it clear that the knowledge of His sarva-samhāra-kartrtva should be along with the knowledge of His sarva-sr̥ṣṭiḥ-kartrtva.
2) Parabrahman is Independent. He ‘drinks’ sarva-rasa means, He is in sarva-vastu in ānanda-rūpa. By being in sarva-vastu in this manner, He is sarva-rakshaka, the protector of all that exists. Only Parabrahman is sarva-shakta. Jeevātman does not have the complete knowledge of dravya, and hence he does not have the bhōga of vishayas, in the primary sense. Therefore, in the primary sense, Parabrahman has the vishaya-bhōga.
Refer to chāndōgya bhāṣya (eighth chapter):
इदं पश्यामि जिघ्राणीत्यपि जीव न वै विदुः । द्रव्याणां अपरिज्ञानात् वेदासौ पुरुषोत्तमः ॥ इति च ॥
“idam pashyāmi jighrāṇeetyapi jeevā na vai viduhu | dravyāṇām aparijnyānāt vedāsou purushōttamahā || iti ca ||
The jīvātman does not have the complete jñāna of dravya. Therefore, “I see this”, “I smell this” in all such experiences, the jīvatman does not have the complete jñāna; primarily it is only Parabrahman, Purushōttama that has such jñāna. So teaches śrī vēdavyāsa in the bhāgavata.
3) Parabrahman who is tejō-rūpa, by being in Sun, He is sūrya-pravartaka. Knowing such a prakāsha rūpa Parabrahman means to hold him in heart. The indication of this ‘holding in heart’ is dhyāna of the form shravaṇa-manana-nidhidhyāsana. Shāstra calls one who has such a dhyāna, as bhakta. To ‘see’ Parabrahman who is in sūrya-manḍala means to ‘see’ Parabrahman who is eka everywhere. Refer to taittareeya which explicitly teaches this truth as “स यश्चायं पुरुषे यश्चासावादित्ये स एकः sa yaścāyaṁ puruṣē yaścāsāvādityē sa ēkaḥ”
4) The darshana of Parabrahman who is in Hridaya means the darshana of Parabrahman who is sarva-pravartaka and jyōtirmāya. That itself is the darshana of Parabrahman who is in sūrya-manḍala.
5) For a bhakta to have darshana of Parabrahman, Parabrahman Himself has to show Himself to that bhakta. Refer to muṇḍaka which explicitly teaches this truth as: “यमैवेषम्वॄणुते तेन लभ्यः तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूम् स्वाम् yamaivēśa vr̥ṇutē tēna labhyaḥ tasyaiṣa ātmā vivr̥ṇutē tanūṁ svām”. In shāstra, a jnānee is called a bhakta (devotee). This usage of this word is not applicable to anyone else. Outside of shāstra, a devotee need not be a jnānee, but not so in shāstra. A student of shāstra should be aware of this and should not get confused with the coloquial usage of the term devotion.
6) What we studied in mantras 1-14 is indicated as prārthanā or ‘prayer’ in this 15th mantra. From this it follows that a ‘prayer’ cannot come from outside of shāstra. If the nature of prayer is distinct and different from knowledge, then there would have been no need for shāstra at all. In this mantra, as we have seen so far, the knowledge coming from entire shāstra is given the name ‘prayer’ or prārthanā.
With this background, we will study the mantra # 15 as:
उपनिषत् upaniṣat
हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्य अपिहितं मुखम् ।
तत् त्वम् पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये ॥ १५ ॥
hiraṇmayēna pātrēṇa satyasya apihitaṁ mukham | tat tvam pūṣan apāvr̥ṇu satya dharmāya dr̥ṣṭayē || 15 ||
Your Form which is of the nature of light (हिरण्मयेन hiraṇmayēna) which by being in all things enjoying svarūpa-ānanda and by being T he protector of all (पात्रेण pātrēṇa) such a Form of Yours (मुखम् mukham) which is Defectless and guṇapūrṇa (सत्यस्य satyasya) is in the Sun and is covered by it always (अपिहितं apihitaṁ).
Oh! Paramātman who is pūrṇa! (पूषन् pūṣan). Having only You, the sadguṇa-pūrṇa in my mind (सत्यधर्माय satyadharmāya), for me who is your devotee, (सत्यधर्माय satyadharmāya) for me to have that direct vision (दृष्टये dr̥ṣṭayē) by which I can have your direct knowledge (दृष्टये dr̥ṣṭayē) You make it uncovered (अपावृणु apāvr̥ṇu).
Notes:
1. Without the fittedness, there is no knowledge of svarūpa of Vedic Brahman, i.e., when there is no fittedness, the mantras that teach the svarūpa of Vedic Brahman won’t be understood. Those without adhikāra (fittedness) will have a certain notion of God and certain opinions as to what vēda should teach them, and mantras get understood by them according to ‘their’ notions and opinions and they are quite contented what they got, inspite of the fact that it is not the actual meaning that is intended by Veda.
2. The word ‘पश्यति paśyati’ is interpreted to mean ‘knowledge’. It is that ‘knowledge’ that is called ‘sākshātkāra’. From this, it is conclucled that the ripened state of knowledge itself is sākshātkāra. This sākshātkāra should not be construed as the ordinary perception that does not demand knowledge behind it. When a pot is perceived by a man, he need not have the knowledge of the same pot. But the Paramātma sākshātkāra is ripened state of the knowledge of the Swarūpa of Parabrahman which is generated by a study of shāstra. This subtle point must be borne in mind, when we hear about someone who is supposed to have the direct knowledge of God, we need to first confirm if their knowledge of God was the result of a study of shāstra and that the person in question has knowledge that is in a ripened state. Unless this is confirmed, we should not make them as governing ‘our’ knowledge. One who does not follow this rule, there won’t be any guru-niyama at all for him and even when they appear to be familiar with shāstra, still what he has is what is called illegitimate study ‘anyāya-adhyayna’.
3. sākshātkāra is not something that is going to occur by mere study. It occurs because of special Grace of God. There is a deeper meaning behind this statement. prasāda is not different from His icchā. Study of shāstra is also His icchā. Study is Ishwara prasāda. Thus, sākshātkāra is something that is the result of prasāda. Thus, when it is said, adhyayana leads to sākshātkāra what is meant is the prasāda caused by adhyayana causes mōksha. One should study जिज्ञासाधिकरण jijñāsādhikaraṇa of the brahma-sootras. One is released only by the prasāda of Parabrahman which is caused by the knowledge generated by inquiry.
4. If Ishwara-prasāda causes mōksha, then why insist on adhyayana? Such thinking is incorrect because, adhyayana is the language that teaches about Ishwara-swarūpa. Without adhyayana, Ishwara-svarūpa-sākshātkāra is simply not conceivable. Thus, Ishwara-prasāda itself is in the form of adhyayana. Thus, adhyayana is also Ishwara-prasāda. sākshātkāra is also Ishwara-prasāda. The cause-effect relationship between adhyayanā and sākshātkāra is also Ishwara-prasāda. Everything is Ishāvāsya. For the Grace of Parabrahman, prayer is essential. The proper understanding of this is the adhyayana which is in the form of shravaṇa-manana-nidhidhyāsana.
5. This prayer is not the familiar laukika prayer. The study of vēda that has been previously conducted is currently in this vaideeka prayer form. In other words, prayer is not different from study and study is not different from prayer. In this circumstance when study and prayer become one and the same, the fact that everything is given by īśā becomes explicitly clear. While understanding the fact that everything is Ishwara-prasāda, supporting that thought there is the conclusion i.e., the correct understanding that everything is ānanda-māyā, without any misery or delusion. The intent here is that all these ideas must be obtained as a result of a proper study of shāstra.
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