Selections from the ShAkta upaniShads -1 (bahvR^icha)

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By Anand Hundli

 

Posted in advaita-L

http://www.escribe.com/religion/advaita/m3997.html

 

Anand is also a member of this list. He is a great scholar. If you get

time you should read all his messages in Advaita-L. Each one is a gem.

 

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|| shrI gaNeshAya namaH || || bhavAnyai namaH || ||namaH shivAya||

 

In response to the interest shown in this list about Shakti or

Devi upAsanA, I would like to present and discuss passages from

upaniShads that have been classified as ShAkta. As the name suggests,

these upaniShads aim at identifying the Highest Reality Brahman of

the major upaniShads with the Goddess, Devi or Shakti.

 

Shankara wrote commentaries only on the major upaniShads. These

commentaries have been further explained by Anandagiri, and others

in the advaita tradition, including ShankarAnanda and VidyAraNya,

have also written commentaries on some upaniShads. Although there

are said to be 108 authentic upaniShads, according to the muktikA

upaniShad, upaniShads other than the major ones (with the exceptions

of a few such as the nR^isimhatApinI, shvetAshvatara, and

kauShItakI) were not commented on by advaitins for a long time.

This task was taken up by Shrii upaniShad Brahma Yogin. He wrote

commentaries on all the 108 upaniShads, including the major

upaniShads. Since he belongs to the advaitic tradition, his

commentaries on those major upaniShads are faithful to Shankara's

bhAShya's on the same. On the others, he wrote brilliant commentaries

consistent with advaitic principles.

 

Regarding Shakti worship, advaitins differ from Shakta's or

tantrika's in two important ways. First, in the advaitic upAsanA of

Shakti, the Goddess is considered to be on par with the four other

divinities, GaNesha, Shiva, ViShNu, and Suurya. In particular, there

is no difference between Shiva and Shakti or between Shiva and

ViShNu. Second, advaitic upAsanA of Shakti involves only the

sAttvikA elements of worship, leaving out unclean and indecent

practices resorted to by tantrika's such as offering of fish, meat,

alcohlic beverages, etc. to the Goddess. Wherever possible the

Vedic form of worship is employed rather than tantric. Shankara has

often been credited with eliminating tAmasika (ignorant) or tAntrika

forms of worship and substituting them with sAttvika or Vaidika forms

of worship, during his travels. Of course, two tAntrika works, the

Saundaryalaharii and the prapanchasAra are attributed to him, but this

does not conclusively prove that he wrote them. In any case, it is

certain that he did not advocate tantrika forms of worship which may

involve some objectionable rituals.

 

The first upaniShad that I have selected for study and discussion

is the bahVR^icha upaniShad from the R^ig Veda. This particular

upaniShad expresses the advaitic concept of truth clearly -

satyaM ekaM lalitAkhyaM vastu tad advitIyaM akhaNDArthaM paraM

brahma, which means

the One Truth is the thing called lalitA which is the nondual,

indivisible, Supreme Brahman.

 

Selections from the BahvR^ichopaniShad.h of the R^ig Veda

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AUM

gaNAnAn.h tvA gaNapatiM havAmahe kavim kavInAm-

upamashravastamaM |

jyeshhTharAjaM brahmaNAn.h brahmaNaspata

A naH shR^iNvannUtibhiH sIda sAdanaM || (Rg Veda 2.23.1)

 

We invoke You, O GaNapati of the ganas (followers of Shiva),

Who are Brahmanaspati of the brahmas (prayers), the

wisest among the wise, Who abound in treasure

beyond all measure, the most brilliant one.

Do listen to our prayers, come with Your blessings

and assurances of protection into our home, and

be seated.

 

AUM mahAgaNapataye namaH ||

 

Salutations to MahAgaNapati!

 

AUM praNo devI sarasvatI vAjebhirvAjinIvatI |

dhInAmavitryavatu || (R^ig Veda)

 

May the Goddess SarasvatI, who bestows nourishment and protects

(good) thoughts, protect us.

 

AUM vAgdevyai namaH ||

 

Salutations to the Goddess of speech (SarasvatI).

 

AUM vAN^.h me manasi pratiShThitA mano me vAchi pratiShThitam-

AvirAvIrma edhi vedasya ma ANIsthaH shrutaM me mA prahAsIranenA-

dhItenAhorAtrAn.h saMdadhAmyR^itaM vadiShyAmi satyaM vadiShyAmi

tanmAmavatu tadvaktAramavatvavatu mAmavatu vaktAramavatu vaktAraM ||

 

AUM shantiH shantiH shantiH ||

 

Speech is established in my mind; my mind (thought) is established

in my speech. Become manifest to me! Be You both (speech and mind)

the carriers of Veda to me! Let not what I have heard desert me.

With this study, I join the day and night. I speak what is the

true (mental) resolution. I speak true (words). May that protect me.

May that protect the speaker. May that protect me. May that protect

the speaker, may that protect the speaker!

 

AUM Peace! Peace! Peace!

 

 

AUM devI hyekA .agra AsIt.h | saiva jagadaNDamasR^ijata |

kAmakaleti viGYAyate | shR^ingArakaleti viGYAyate || 1 ||

 

AUM The devI alone was, in the beginning. She created the egg

shaped world. She is known as kAmakalA, which stands for the

syllable IM. She is known as ShR^ingArakala, which stands for

the half-syllable (ardhamAtrA) after the a, u, and m of the

AUM.

 

Notes based on upaniShad brahma yogin's commentary:

 

1. By the words "AUM devI", the Goddess has been identified with the

praNava AUM. That is, She is AUM. AUM is the symbol of both the

Parabrahman or nirguNa Brahman (Brahman without attributes) as well

as the aparabrahman or the SaguNa Brahman (Brahman with attributes).

 

AUM, due to the greatness of the para and apara Brahman, is called

the material cause of the world. But this material cause or nature

is also the prakR^iti or nature of devI, from the saying of the

Shruti -

 

praNavatvena prakR^ititvaM vadanti brahmavAdinaH

 

Those who speak of Brahman say that the praNava (AUM) is the

material nature (prakR^iti).

 

Therefore, the Goddess is also the material cause of the world.

 

2. She created the world-egg which is nondifferent from Her.

The world egg is called avidyANDa because the world or saMsAra

is avidyA or ignorance.

 

3. yA jagannidAnatayA bhAtA tasyAstanurIMkArAtmanA praNavAtmanA

cha kAmakaleti viGYAyate | (Commentary)

 

She shines as the cause of the world. Her body is known as kAmakalA

because of its nature as the IM syllable and the praNava symbol.

kAmakalA is called IM according to the passage which teaches the

shrIvidyA mantra. Therein, it is stated "kAmo yoniH kAmakalA...",

kAma being identified with ka, yoniH being identified with e,

and kAmakalA being identified with I.

 

4. She is called ShR^ingArakalA. The a, u, and M are called the

peaks (shR^inga's) of Brahman. The tip of these peaks is the

half syllable that follows AUM. The Goddess is thereby known as

ShR^ingArakalA. In the mANDUkya upaniShad, the three letters

a, u, and M of the praNava (AUM) are identified with the three

states of waking, dream, and sleep. The fourth state, turIya or

chaturtha is identified with Brahman Itself which is Shiva or

auspicious, and nondual. Therefore, by using the term

shR^ingArakalA for the devI, the bahvR^ichopaniShad is indicating

that She is indeed Brahman.

 

Anand