Vedanta - Isavasya Upanishad - Sloka 12 to 14 - உய்விக்கும் ஒருங்கிணைந்த வழிபாடு
Preamble
Isavasya Upanishad brings out two kinds of practices needed to achieve liberation, by training the mind help to firmly fix oneself in the Supreme Consciousness.
One is to escape getting caught by karma by combining it with knowledge. This is by detaching the mind by removing the desire for objects by vidyā-avidyā updsana. We have studied them in detail in the blogs that covered Slokas 9-11.
The other is to free oneself from desires through dispassion and discrimination; this is through Upasana where we detach the mind from the world of objects and fix it in the Supreme Consciousness . This is covered in Slokas 12-14.
We had explored the introductory concepts about Upasana in our previous blogs as part of our preparation to study this batch of three Slokas. Let us now study these three Slokas on Upasana
Two possible scenarios were discussed in the introductory blogs when we try to detach the mind from the world of objects and fix it in the Supreme Consciousness through Upasana.
One is the fix it on the Unmanifested (asambhuti/prakriti) Supreme Consciousness
and the other on the manifested (sambhuti/hiranyagarbha) Supreme Consciousness.
In these three Slokas, the synthesis between the Unmanifested {asambhuti, nature (Prakriti)}, the manifested (sambhuti, hiranyagarbha or the collective consciouness) and the Supreme Consciousness (Purusha) has been expounded as Reality and in order to focus on the synthesis, the issues associated with the worship of either of them in isolation is brought out and denounced even though each approach can bear its own fruits for the seeker. The need for a seamless integration of the approaches is what is suggested at the end.
Sloka 12
Sanskrit Verse
अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति येऽसम्भूतिमुपासते ।
ततो भूय इव ते तमो य उ संभूत्यां रताः ॥ १२ ॥
English Transliteration
andhaṃ tamaḥ praviśanti ye'sambhūtimupāsate |
tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u saṃbhūtyāṃ ratāḥ || 12 ||
Meaning in English
“They fall into blind darkness who worship the unborn Prakriti. They fall into greater darkness who are bent upon the Karya Brahman Hiranyagarbha. (12).”
Meaning in Tamil
பிறப்பிலா இயற்கை ஒன்றே இறையெனத் துதிப்போர்
இருள்சூழ் மடமை நுழைவர் குருடரென கண்ணிருந்தும் !
ஐம்பொறி வழியறி தோற்றமே இறையெனத் துதிப்போர்
அதனினும் காரிருள் நிறை மடமை அடைவர் குருடரென.
Understanding the Sloka:
The reason as to why this upasana when done in isolation does not take us to our goal and we end up in darkness was elaborated in the introductory blogs. The sum and substance of these different interpretations in this Sloka may, in a sense, be given as follows.
The result of the exclusive upAsanA of the kArya-brahman is a worldly gain through extra-natural powers though, simultaneously ignorance, delusion, absence of discretion and suffering have also been indicated here.
On the other hand the result of the exclusive upAsanA of the kAraNa-brahman is a mental exploration into all outreaches of logic. Useless thoughts keep overflowing. One gets absorbed in the Prakriti.
The ideal way is therefore to be in the manifested world bodily but with a mind centred in the unmanifest Absolute, without any attachment to anything that is non-Self. The fourteenth verse makes this ideal recommendation.
தனைக் கடந்திருக்கும் பிறப்பிலா இயற்கையின் காரண வரையறை அறியாமல், தானும் பரமனும் வேறென, தானே நுகர்வோனென கருதும் “காரணப் பரமன்” எனும் மக்கள் குருடராய் கண்ணிருந்தும் இருள்சூழ் மடமை நுழைவர். தன்னுள்ளுறை பிறப்பிலா உணர்வே மூலமுமென, நுகர்வனும் தானே என உலகை நுகர்பொருளாய் முன்நிறுத்தி அப்பொருளை தானே நுகர்ந்து இன்புறும் “காரியப் பரமன்” எனும் மக்கள் கடும் காரிருள் நிறை மடமை அடைவர் குருடரென.
Sloka 13
Sanskrit Verse
अन्यदेवाहुः संभवादन्यदाहुरसंभवात् ।
इति शुश्रुम धीराणां ये नस्तद्विचचक्षिरे ॥ १३ ॥
English Transliteration
anyadevāhuḥ saṃbhavādanyadāhurasaṃbhavāt |
iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṃ ye nastadvicacakṣire || 13 ||
Anyad-evahuh sambhavat anyad –ahur- asambhavat,
iti susruma dhiranam ye nastad vica-caksire. (13)
Meaning in English
They say one thing results from the worship of Hiranyagarbha and another from the worship of Prakriti. We have thus heard it stated by wise preceptors who taught us that.
Asambhoot and Sambhoot; each of these paths bring some positive results based on their limited and discriminatory view on Reality and Spiritual endeavour. It has been so said and heard from the undisturbed authors who clearly explained it.
Meaning in Tamil
பிறப்பிலா இயற்கை ஒன்றே இறையெனத் துதி
காரணப் பரமர் இயற்கையுடனே இணைந்திடுவர்
ஐம்பொறி வழியறி தோற்றமே இறையெனத் துதி
காரியப் பரமர் அட்டமா சித்தி அடைவர் - என
இருவழி அறி மெய்ஞானியர் உரை கேட்டறிந்தோம்
Understanding the Sloka
தனைக் கடந்திருக்கும் பிறப்பிலா இயற்கையின் காரண வரையறை அறியாமல், தானும் பரமனும் வேறென, தானே நுகர்வோனென கருதும் “காரணப் பரமன்” எனும் மக்கள் இயற்கையுடனே இணைவர். தன்னுள்ளுறை பிறப்பிலா உணர்வே மூலமுமென, நுகர்வனும் தானே என உலகை நுகர்பொருளாய் முன்நிறுத்தி அப்பொருளை தானே நுகர்ந்து இன்புறும் “காரியப் பரமன்” எனும் மக்கள் தவ வலிமையால் அட்டமா சித்தி பெருவர்.
Now, the distinction in the fruits of the two individual worships is pointed out in this Sloka. They have said that from the worship of Sambhutihor Karya Brahman or Hiranyagarbha results the attainment of Anima and other Siddhis. Similarly, they have said that according to Paurairikas the absorption into Prakriti results from the worship of the unborn Prakriti. We have heard it thus stated by wise preceptors who taught us the fruits of the worship of Prakriti and Hiranyagarbha individually.
Sloka 14
Sanskrit Verse
संभूतिं च विनाशं च यस्तद्वेदोभयं सह ।
विनाशेन मृत्युं तीर्त्वा संभूत्यामृतमश्नुते ॥ १४ ॥
English Transliteration
saṃbhūtiṃ ca vināśaṃ ca yastadvedobhayaṃ saha |
vināśena mṛtyuṃ tīrtvā saṃbhūtyāmṛtamaśnute || 14 ||
Meaning in English
14. Those who worship the unmanifested Prakriti and Hiranyagarbha(Destruction) together, get over death through the worship of Hiranyagarbhaand attain immortality through the worship of Prakriti.
Meaning in Tamil
பிறப்பிலா இயற்கை வழியறி இறை துதியும்
பொறிபுலன் வழியறி இறை துதியும் அறிவர்
ஒருமையுடன் கடந்திடுவர் மரணமதனை பின்
அடைந்திடுவர் நிலைபேறு காரண பரமனென.
Essence of the three Slokas
Concluding the series of Slokas on Upasana, the Upanishad tells us that an individual can reach beyond sorrow and death only through the integrated approach of devotion and knowledge or sambhoot and asambhoot both at the same time. One has to understand the manifest and the unmanifest, sambhoot and asambhoot both at the same time; the cause of the manifestation and the destruction of the manifested, in order to achieve Bliss in this world as well as in the other world. Then alone is attained the state which is not the consciousness of inner (subjective ) world, nor of the outer (objective ) world; it is a state of all Bliss, peace and non-duality.
The Upanishad advises us to adopt this approach and elevate ourselves in our journey, where we could reach the final base for taking the “**Hillary Step” towards our summit. We will see then what happens in our subsequent blogs.
** The Hillary Step - a near vertical rock face with a height of around 12 metres (40 ft) located very high on Mount Everest at approximately 8,790 metres (28,839 ft) above sea level, near the summit.