Ishavasya: Mantra #7

By : JayaKrishna Nelamangala

Previously we learnt that, fearlessness is, in without a doubt, knowledge that paramātma is sarva-niyantru, and not knowing this truth itself is fear. Vedic Brahman, who is everywhere is taught as “भयकृत् भयनाशनः bhayakr̥t bhayanāśanaḥ”. For the ignorant, fear from God who is everywhere means fear from all things around him. For this reason, he is constantly worried about protecting himself from various worldly things. For the knowledgeable, there is no fear. Vedic Brahman that is everywhere is his Protector. For the same reason, all things around him also protect him. In this situation, there is no need for him to protect himself. The next mantra teaches that for such a knowledgeable person, there is neither delusion nor there is misery.
Shōka is a product of Mōha. Moreover, this world by itself is not of the nature of Dukha. The misery that we do see is due to moha. Proper knowledge eliminates moha. An adhikārin with proper knowledge of the world as the work of God and that in dwelling God being Completeness of Bliss, sees only joy all around him. What others think as miserable world, is actually a station of ānanda and Jeevan-mukti. This the meaning from ancient times in the tradition of śruti. This Omnipresence or Sarvagatatva is a concept that enjoins several other deeper concepts which are to be known, as one makes progress in the study of shaastra.

उपनिषत्‌ upaniṣat
यस्मिन्‌ सर्वाणि भूतानि आत्मैवाभूद्‌ विजानतः ।
तत्र को मोहः कः शोकः एकत्वं अनुपश्यतः ॥ ७ ॥
yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāni ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ |
tatra kō mōhaḥ kaḥ śōkaḥ ēkatvaṁ anupaśyataḥ || 7 ||

In Paramātman all that exists are stationed. That Vedic Parabrahman indeed is in all living beings and in all non-living things of the world from beginning-less times. One who knows thus i.e., one who knows paramātman as the Support of all that exists and knows paramātman as distinct and different from the world, specially one who knows thus without doubts, where is delusion for him? Where is misery for him? There is none.

Notes:

1. When it is said, all of existence are dependent on Parabrahman, it simply means, their existence is due to Paramātman. Those things are them, because Parabrahman has made them to be so. This is how Parabrahman of the Vēda is Sarva-Kartru. Not only that, He has entered into those created things, from immemorial times. The adjective ‘from immemorial times’ is added to indicate the fact that, it is like the thing was there first and then Parabrahman entered into it. If that were to be the case, Parabrahman’s existence would be सादि sādi. Because Parabrahman was there before, those other things are there. This is how the entire universe is सादि sādi and Parabrahman is अनादि anādi.
2. Paramātman being the Ashraya for this world and Parabrahman being in all things of the world, because both are attributes of Parabrahman, they are not distinct from one another. Both are anādi. Paramātman has no motion. He is Sarvagata, Sarva-Vyāpta. He is nearby. He is far-away. He is inside and He is outside at the same time. Study of shāstra is the only way to firmly understand these points without doubts and contradictions.
3. The readers are encouraged to study “पुरुष एवेदं विश्वं कर्म तपो ब्रह्म परामॄतं puruṣa ēvēdaṁ viśvaṁ karma tapō brahma parāmr̥̄taṁ” of the muṇḍaka IV.1 and “एवं धर्मान् पृथक् पश्यंस्तानेवानुविधावति ēvaṁ dharmān pr̥thak paśyaṁstānēvānuvidhāvati” of the kaTa. (II.1-14)
4. Misery is caused by attachment and lack of knowledge of paramātman is the cause for attachment. When things of the world are understood devoid of the knowledge of Paramātma, then they cause delusion and misery. In this situation, the ignorant wants to be on the good side of those things and thinks that is his protection plan and has ownership and attachment in those things. But in reality, that thing is not the cause for anything. Therefore, although the ignorant may think that the thing is providing him ‘protection’, but the thing is incapable of providing any such protection. Believing in that thing will eventually end up in disappointment. All these actions of the ignorant are all misery and is the cause for the next misery. On the other hand, for the knowledgeable who has gotten the knowledge of Vedic Brahman, this whole chain of misery is not there for him, just as its cause the delusion is also not there for him. Thus, the knowledgeable is always without misery. The upanishat asks, for such a knowledgeable, where is the question of misery?