IshAvAsya Upanishad Mantra #10

By: Jayakrishna Nelamangala

||AUM Shree Gurubhyo Namaha Harihi AUM||

In the previous mantra, a clear distinction was made between belief and knowledge because they are quite opposite to each other. Often, the presence of one indicates the lack of another. When we believe in something, it simply means we don’t know about it. We don’t know about it probably because we have not yet discovered the source of knowledge for it. The truth of knowledge is intrinsic to that knowledge. It does not come from external sources. Without getting into too much detail, I will just mention that this concept is what is called “प्रामाण्य‍स्वतस्त्व prāmāṇya-svatastva”.

The implication of the previous mantra #9 is that, correct knowledge is to be obtained and incorrect knowledge is to be recognized and rejected as such. Both are needed and if we don’t do both, greater doom is predicted. This next mantra #10 teaches that, both are needed not only for avoiding the greater doom, but also for reaching the highest good. Every philosopher makes an attempt to meet this demand set by the upanishat. Based on one’s capacity for knowledge, he tries to sort out correct knowledge from incorrect knowledge. You can see this happening through out the growth of दर्शनसंप्रदाय darśanasaṁpradāya where each thinker has examined the previous school of thought.

In this mantra #10, the upanishat has used the words vidyā and avidyā. vidyā stands for correct knowledge (तत्त्वज्ञान tattvajñāna) and avidyā is its opposite which is incorrect knowledge (मिथ्याज्ञान mithyājñāna). This mantra is saying that there are two parts to the highest good. One part is caused by vidyā and the other part is by avidyā. But the philosophical question is, how can avidyā bring about the highest good? It does not make sense at all. So, the only correct way to understand this mantra is to understand it consistent with what the upanishat has taught us in the previous mantra. The nature of true knowledge is that it is internally consistent. Inconsistency is an indication of wrong-knowledge.

The mantra teaches, “इति शुश्रुम iti śuśruma” meaning “thus we have heard”. The very word ‘thus’ indicates the fact that it has been there from time immemorial. Heard from who? is answered as “ये नस्तद् विचचक्षिरे yē nastad vicacakṣirē” – heard from those knowledgeable who taught us conclusively. But who could that possibly be?

This unbroken chain of knowledge that has been passed on from immemorial times actually indicates the apourusheyatva of the Veda.

With this background, let us make an attempt at studying mantra #10 keeping in mind what was learnt in mantra #9.

उपनिषत् upaniṣat
अन्यदेवाऽहुर्विद्यया अन्यदाहुरविद्यया ।
इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद् विचचक्षिरे ॥ १० ॥
anyadēvā’hurvidyāyā anyadāhuravidyāyā |
iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ yē nastad vicacakṣirē || 10 ||

The elderly and the wise say that (आहुः āhuḥ) one part of mōksha (अन्यदेव anyadēva) is obtained by correct knowledge (विद्यया vidyāyā), and the other part (अन्यद् anyat) by the recognition and rejection of incorrect knowledge (अविद्यया avidyāyā). We have heard it like this (इति शुश्रुम iti śuśruma), from those elderly knowledgeable (धीराणां dhīrāṇāṁ) who have (ये yē) conclusively explained (विचचक्षिरे vicacakṣirē) that mōksha-sādhana (तद् tad) to us (नः naḥ).

śrī śankara has taken the words vidyā and avidyā to mean ‘devatā-jñāna’ and ‘karma’ respectively. Hence, for previous mantra #9, “विद्यायाँ रताः vidyāyām̐ ratāḥ” śrī śaṅkara teaches, “those who do not perform karma, but are immersed only in devatā-jñāna, there is a greater andhan-tamas for them”. Accordingly, in this mantra, śrī śaṅkara teaches “anyadeva” as “prithageva” and concludes that devata-jñāna and karma give different results and quotes “विद्यया देवलोको vidyāyā dēvalōkō” and “कर्मणा पितॄलोक karmaṇā pitr̥̄lōka”.

śrī ranga-rāmānuja has taken the words vidyā and avidyā to be ‘स्वाधिकारोचित कर्म परित्यागेन विद्या svādhikārōcita karma parityāgēna vidyā’ i.e., knowledge without karma and ‘vidyā vidhuram karma’ i.e., karma without knowledge. Hence, for the previous mantra #9, ‘विद्यायाँ रताः vidyāyām̐ ratāḥ” śrī ranga-rāmānuja teaches, “those who do not perform the karma that is prescribed to them” there is greater andhan-tamas for them as compared to “those that perform karma without knowledge”. So, in this mantra, “anyadeva” is teaching mōksha-sādhana is different from ‘knowledge without karma’ and it is also different from ‘karma without knowledge’ because, ‘knowledge along with performing varnāshrama-dharma’ is the mōksha-sādhana.

śri madhva has taken the words vidyā and avidyā to be yathārtha and ayathārtha – knowledge that grasps its object as it is and knowledge that grasps its object as the object is not. Accordingly, in this mantra ‘anyadeva’ – one part of moksha is obtained by vidyā and the other part is obtained by recognizing and rejecting avidyā.