Vedanta - Isavasya Upanishad - Slokas 12-14 - Introduction - Part 1 - Concepts of Hiranyagarbha & Prakriti; saṁbhūti & asaṁbhūti in Upasana
Preamble to the Sloka 12-14
In Vedanta, the Ultimate Reality called the Brahman is addressed as a metaphysical and physical concept, envisaged as both transcendent and immanent, unconditioned and conditioned, unmanifested and manifested, cause and effect (karana and karya) and as being and knowing. These are involved concepts and are the subject of extensive discussions, commentaries and research.
The three verses 12, 13 and 14 are almost verbatim the same as Nos.9, 10 and 11 except for the replacement of the words ‘avidya’ by ‘sambhUti’ and and ‘vidyA’ by ‘asambhUti’. While the previous three verses talk about the karma and upAsanA (worship), these three verses talk about the upAsya (the worshipped) in the same profound but cryptic manner.
In a nutshell “Whatever has birth and life is called KArya-brahman. This is sambhUti. Whatever is never born is asambhUti, the KAraNa-brahman. The KArya state dissolves into this. The usage or otherwise of our sense organs of cognition as well as the sense organs of action for all our “vidya-avidya” upasana transactions and the consequences thereof are dealt in these three Slokas”.
For the purpose of understanding the Slokas, let us a have a quick tour of these concepts in this and the next two blogs before we get into the Slokas.
Prakriti - maya - avyakrita - asaṁbhūtiḥ - unmanifest - karana brahman
Brahman is transcendental in the sense that He is birthless, changeless, infinite, Being or Existence, Knowledge and Bliss and is called as “Nirguna Brahman” or “Para-Brahman” like the big tree that remains in unmanifested state inside the seed. This is also known as ParamĀtmā, the consciousness principle which is the non-material spirit, which does not come under matter and therefore which does not come within time and space.
According to our scriptures Māyā is that basic stuff that is the source of all forms of energy and all forms of matter which includes all particles and molecules in the creation, we call it causal matter. Unmanifest is that causal state called avyakrita prakriti. The Unmanifest is the original condition of equilibrium of the primordial matter that is the substance of the universe in its causal condition (karana Brahman). This is the same as maya or prakriti. It is also called avyakrita or the undifferentiated. asaṁbhūti is the name of māyā or prakṛti. Why is prakṛti or māyā called asaṁbhūti? Because it doesn’t have origination. Māyā was never born. Many think māyā is a product of Brahman. māyā is not born out of Brahman. Māyā is always eternally with Brahman. That is why we have Ardhanārīśvara concept. So Brahman’s śakti is asaṁbhūtiḥ, māyā.
Unmanifest is that which is existent but is not available for perception or transaction like the butter in the milk. Butter is there in the milk, but we cannot see it in the milk. But we know that milk has butter. So what can we say about butter being existent or not ? It is existent technically but for all practically purposes, since it is neither available for perception nor available for transaction, we assume that butter is non-existent. But we know butter is there.
We can extend this to everything in the creation. Nothing in the creation is non-existent. It was existent in potential manner. Later it becomes manifest, which means available for transaction. Our scriptures point out, before the origination of this cosmos, it should have existed because of this simple law of conservation. And if this creation existed before, it should have existed in unmanifest form or potential form or dormant form which we can call as the seed of the creation.
So, the Nirvikalpam whch means un-differentiated and unmanifest in an un-transactable form is through the veiling power (AvaraNa) of Maya or Shakti.
बीजस्याऽन्तरिवाङ्कुरो जगदिदं प्राङ्गनिर्विकल्पं पुनः
मायाकल्पितदेशकालकलना वैचित्र्यचित्रीकृतम् ।
मायावीव विजृम्भयत्यपि महायोगीव यः स्वेच्छया
சிறுவித்தினில் அடங்கும் வருபெருந்தரு ஒப்ப, இவ்வுலகை – தன்
இச்சையுடன் மந்திரச்சித்தனும் வித்தக ஞானியும் போல் விரித்து – பின்
இலை கிளை கொடி மலர் காய் கனி வித்தென கணக்கிலா வகையுடன்
வெளி நொடி வரையிலா மாயையால் வேறுபட க் காட்டி பின் மறைத்திடும்
ஆதிஅந்தமிலா மோனநிலை ஆசான்
says Adi Sankara in his Dakshinamurthy Stothram.
இயற்கை என்றால் என்ன? பிறிதொன்றால் உருவாக்கப்படாது, தனது இயல்பில் மாறாது இருப்பது எதுவோ, அதுவே இயற்கையாகும். இயற்கை அழிவில்லாதது. அதன் ஒரு சக்தியை இன்னொரு சக்தியாக மாற்றமுடியுமே அல்லாமல்ஆக்கவோ அழிக்கவோ முடியாது. ஆதலால் பௌதிக விஞ்ஞானம் இயற்கையின் சக்திக்கு அழிவில்லை [Law of Conservation of energy] என்கிறது. ஆகையினால் தான் நம்மையும் மீறிய ஏதோ ஒரு சக்தி நம்மை ஆட்டிப் படைக்கிறது; நாம் வேறு, இறைவன் வேறு என நம்மையும் இறைவனையும் வேறுபடுத்திப் பார்கிறோம். அத்தகய நமக்கு காரணப் பரமன் என்ற பெயர்.
Essentially, it is this maya which makes us think that we are different from God and God is the all powerful creator responsible for this universe.
Hiranyagarbha - karya brahman - saṁbhūti - manifest
In the immanent state of manifestation, Brahman is with attributes and manifests as appearance and is called Saguna Brahman like the tree sprouting out of the seed with all its roots, branches, leaves, flowers, fruits etc.
How does He manage to manifest? Through His projecting power (Vikshepa)of Maya or Shakti. The manifested Universe, which is the effect is called the “Karya Brahman” and is also called Hiranyagarbha.
Hiraṇyagarbha means: within whom there is infinite knowledge (hiraṇyam garbhe yasya saḥ Hiraṇyagabhaḥ]. It is the Golden (cosmic) womb; from it arises all the realms, objects, and beings of the universe and it is also because in him the entire universe exists in its subtle state as in a womb. Hiranyagarbha is, thus, the manifested Universe in its entirety. It is also called “Prathamaja”-the firstborn because it is the first manifestation from Karana Brahman-the cause. Hiraṇyagarbha represents total mind (and intellect) samaṣṭi manaḥ; Hiraṇyagarbha, being the total subtle body, is not perceptible by the sense organs.
In this state, thanks to the projecting power of Maya, the Jiva ‘thinks’ that he the cause, he is the enjoyer and from there projects the objective Universe, the objects of his enjoyment. This manifestation of Subtle and Physical Universe ( i.e. Karya Brahman) is caused due to a further Mis-apprehension of Reality i.e. assuming the world/Jagat to be Real and Eternal.
This Hiranyagarbha is also called saṁbhūti, again another technical word. Hiraṇyagarbha is called saṁbhūti because he is supposed to be first born, being prathamaja. Therefore he is called saṁbhūti –saṁbhūti means janma, birth. Here, it refers to the first born hiraṇyagarbha.
We will now have an overview of the term Upasana
Upasana
What is the definition of upāsana? Literal/dictionary meaning can be many. 1) Service, serving, attendance, waiting upon; 2) Engaging in, being intent on, performing; 3) Worship, respect, adoration 4) Practice of archery. 5) Regarding as, reflecting upon. 6) Religious meditation. 7) The sacred fire. 8) Injuring, hurting; (https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/upasana)
Adi Sankara described Upasana as that meditation "about someone or something, consisting of continuous succession of comparable basic concepts, without interspersing it with dissimilar concepts, that proceeds according to the scriptures and on idea enjoined in the scriptures". It is a state of concentration where "whatever is meditated upon" is completely identified, absorbed with self, and unified with as one identifies self consciousness with one's body. The two become one, "you are that". The "someone or something" in Upasana can be a symbolic deity or an abstract concept, states Shankara. In case of deity, Upasanais being one with god, which manifests as "be a god", and by "being a god, he attains the god." (Source - Klaus Witz (1998), The Supreme Wisdom of the Upaniṣads: An Introduction, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN978-8120815735, page 198-199)”.
Based on the focus of the upasana, in Isavasya Upanishad Slokas, two types of Upasanas are discussed.
saṁbhūti upasana where the focus is on the manifest
asaṁbhūti upasan where the focus is on the unmanifest.
வழிபடு’ என்பதிலிருந்து பிறந்தது வழிபாடு என்னும் சொல். வழிபடு என்பதற்குவணங்குதல், வழியில் செல்லுதல், பின்பற்றுதல், நெறிப்படுத்துதல், பூசனைமுறை என்று அகராதிகள் பொருள் தருகின்றன. தன்னுள் இருக்கும் ஆன்ம ஆற்றலை அறிந்து அவ்வாற்றலைப் பயன்படுத்தி இறைநிலைக்கு உயர்ந்து இறைவனுடன் ஒன்றிணையும் நிலையே தியான யோகம் எனப்படுகின்றது. இதனைத் தமிழில் தவம் என்பர். இவ்யோகநெறிகள் பலவாகும். அவற்றுள் குறிப்பிடத்தக்க ஒன்றாக விளங்குவது அட்டாங்க யோகமாகும். இவ்வட்டாங்க யோகத்தையே
‘‘இயம நியமமே எண்ணிலா ஆசனம்
நயமுறு பிராணாயாமம் பிரத்தியா காரம்
சயமிகு தாரணை தியானம் சமாதி
அயமுறும் அட்டாங்க மாவது மாமே.
( திருமூலர் – திருமந்திரம்.10 பா.542)
என்று திருமூலர் கூறுகிறார்.
‘ஒருமையுள் ஆமைபோல் ஐந்தடக்கல் ஆற்றின்
எழுமையும் ஏமாப்பு உடைத்து’’ (126)
என திருவள்ளுவர் எடுத்துரைக்கின்றார்.
With this brief introduction let us now study the two types of Upasanas that the Upanishad is talking about, in the subsequent blogs.