THE GLORY OF THE UPANISHADS

SANITHA SATHYANATH

ABSTRACT

Upanishads are the fountain head of Indian cultural and spiritual knowledge as contemplated and visualized by our ancient sages and seers. Initially they were handed down for generations as oral tradition through preceptors- disciples in gurukula tradition as secret knowledge, later was documented in Sanskrit language, one of the oldest languages in the world. They were called as Vedanta as they came at the end of the Vedas. A serious study and practical implementation of upanishadic thoughts by any human being will lead one to physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual happiness in the world and a person can escape the cycles of birth and death leading to final liberation.

INTRODUCTION

The Upanishads are the philosophical religious texts of Hinduism (also known as Santana Dharma meaning eternal order or eternal path) which develop and explain the fundamental tenets of the religion. The name is translated as to sit down closely as one would to listen attentively to instruction by a teacher or other authority figure, by Upanishad has also been interpreted to mean secret teaching or revealing underlying truth. The truths addressed are the concepts expressed in the religious texts known as the Vedas which orthodox

Hindus consider the revealed knowledge of creation and the operation of the universe.

UPANISHADS

The Upanishads constitute the end part of the four Vedas namely the Rig-Veda, Yajurveda, samaveda and atharvaveda. Hence, they are also known as Vedanta, meaning the end of the Vedas (Veda+anta). They represent the highest thought of the Vedic religion, and so also Hinduism. The Vedanta school of philosophy is derived mainly from the knowledge of the Upanishads only. It has many branches such as the Dvaita, Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, and Dvaita Advaita and so on. All these schools acknowledge Brahman as the highest supreme reality and the whole creation as his manifestation, emanation or projection, representing the alternate reality or the illusion (Maya). Understanding Brahman and our relationship with him is crucial to spiritualize our lives and achieve liberation by practicing Dharma and exemplifying Gods eternal duties upon earth.

Two possible, traditional meanings have been ascribed to the word Upanishad. According to the first, Upanishad (upa+Ni+sad) means sitting near or down. It refers to the way the Upanishads were taught to the students in ancient India. The knowledge of the Upanishads was confined to a few teachers who were either Kshatriyas or Brahmans. They directly passed on the knowledge in person to a few select students according to their merit and under an oath.

Since the knowledge was taught to students who sat near the master, at a lower level or at his feet, while the master sat on a higher seat

(asana), his teaching was called Upanishad. The knowledge of the Upanishads is also known as the secret knowledge or utmost secret knowledge.

According to the second interpretation Upanishad means the knowledge which destroys the bonds of ignorance and leads to liberation. The knowledge of the Upanishads is essentially the knowledge of supreme self (Brahman) and the individual self (atman). Knowledge of these two eternal realities is considered true knowledge or pure knowledge in contrast to the worldly knowledge which is temporary and which leads to ignorance, delusion and bondage to the cycle of births and deaths. Since the knowledge of the Upanishads destroys ignorance, it is considered liberating knowledge. In the commentary on the Taittiriya Upanishads, Sri Shankaracharaya suggested that Upanishad meant that which led to the highest bliss. What he probably meant was that the knowledge of the Upanishads would lead to eternal bliss by destroying bondage and suffering.

All the Upanishads inform that this secret knowledge of one’s own self should be learnt under the guidance of preceptor (guru or acharya).According to our ancient Indian sages, universe is dynamic in nature and forms part and parcel of Brahman, the ultimate reality. Sometimes universe is referred to as body and Brahman as soul. The Mandukya Upanishad explains three states of consciousness and also the forth called, thriya which is a transcendental state also known as Samadhi. In a fascinating story of Indira and Prajapathi in the Chandogya Upanishad, Indra learns about the three state of consciousness which as waking (jagrat), dream (swapnam) and deep sleep (sushupthi) people experience the first three states everyday which is ordinary in nature. Turiya is called the highest state or

supreme state of consciousness or the fourth state which can be experienced only through hard practice and introspection. Upanishads declare that, it is a state of knowledge and liberation and also as the supreme goal of spiritual life.

While there are numerous Upanishads (1180), 108 of them are considered genuine. Eleven of them including Katha – Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad, Thaittiriya Upanishad, Brihadaranya Upanishad, Svetasvathara Upanishad, Prasna Upanishad, Maitrayana Brahmana Upanishad, Isha Upanishad, Kena Upanishad and Chandogya Upanishad are considered the most significant or major Upanishads since they have been commented upon by the major acharyas (teachers) of various traditions. Upanishads means to sit down near because they were explained to the students sitting near the feet of their teacher.

CONCLUSION

The Upanishads are commonly referred to as Vedanta. Vedanta has been interpreted as the last chapters, part of the Veda and alternatively as object, the highest purpose of the Veda. The concepts of Brahman (ultimate reality) and Atman (soul, self) are central ideas in all of the Upanishads, and know that you are the Atman is their thematic focus. Along with the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahmasutra, the mukhya Upanishads (known collectively as the Prasthanatrayi) provide a foundation for the several later schools of Vedanta, among them, two influential monistic schools of Hinduism.