Sarvopanishad

[Guest guest]

Namaste, all dear members,

I reproduce below what Dr. Balasubramaniam has posted in US Brahmins Group. He

has mentioned whatever he says is based on what he has read from some books

published by R.K.Mission:

====================================

Sarvopanishad. I

As implied by its name, this is the “quintessence of the Upanishads.”

Sarvopanishad is a glossary of Vedanta. Every word we come across in debates is

explained.

There is no shanti patha.

This is a prose Upanishad. In original Sanskrit the subject is collectively

dealt with in four long passages. In the first one FAQs are raised and partly

answered. The other paragraphs deal with the other questions.

I have numbered each sentence separately for clarity and called each paragraph a

serially numbered “passage”. This makes, hopefully, for greater clarity while

conforming to the original format. I am presenting the entire Upanishad in one

installment. Passage-wise break-up would give rise to lack of coherence. As

presented here it tends to be rather longish.

Passage I- the questions.

1.OM! What is the bondage (of the soul)?

2. What is Moksha (liberation)?

3. What is avidya? (Lower or secular knowledge)

4. What is vidya? (Spiritual knowledge)

5. What are the wakeful, sleeping states with and without dreams and the fourth

state known as Turiya?

6.What are the five sheaths, the annamaya (food), praanamaya (breath), manomaya

(cognitive), vignyana maya (discriminating intelligence) and anandamaya or bliss

states that are supposed to be surrounding the Atman (like the layers in an

onion)?

7. Who is the agent (of actions)?

8. Who is the jiva (soul), kshetragnya (anatomist), witness, Kootastha the

resident ruler (of the body) and antaryami the (internal controller)?

9. Who is the pratyagaatma (inner self)?

10. Who is paramaatma?

11. Who is Atmaa?

12. What is Maayaa?

Passage I- the answers.

The master of the self identifies himself with the body. This (false)

identification is the bondage.

Realization of the falsehood is moksha or liberation.

The cause of this falsehood is Avidya. (avidya is secular or lower knowledge.)

The knowledge that makes one realize the limitations of the avidya is known as

vidya or higher knowledge. (Vidya is an essential precondition for Moksha.)

In the wakeful state the Self is reactive to gross effects like sound. It is

assisted by Fourteen organs including the mind. It is benignly influenced by

the Sun.

(Sound is representative of the five sense objects. Touch, sight, taste and

smell are others. The fourteen organs are the five input organs (ear, eye, nose,

tongue and skin), the five executive organs and the mind that includes

intellect, memory and egoism. The gods like the Sun are supposed to preside over

the organs. There is a god for each)

In the state of dream sleep, the Self and the senses are not reactive and the

sense objects are dormant as desires.

In the state of dreamless sleep differentiation disappears.

Passage II. The answers continued.

1. The fourth state (of consciousness) is said to be Turiya. In that state

consciousness is singular and undifferentiated (between real and unreal or

positive and negative). Turiya is witness to the (other) three states. (It is

not part of those.)

2. The sheath, called annamaya, is a composite of six organs that depend upon

food.

(I prefer the explanation of annamaya as primordial anaerobic life. The six

composites of this form are to be considered part of primitive cellular life.)

3. The fourteen forms of Vayu are inside the annamaya sheath. The sheath is

therefore known as praanamaya.

(The praanmaya sheath is the next stage in evolution, the aerobic life. The

fourteen forms of Vayu do not seem relevant.)

4. The next sheath is known as manomaya or mind. It is the product of (linked

to) the first two sheaths. This sheath enables reaction to inputs like sound

etc. One acts instinctively in a predetermined or programmed (sankalpaadi

dharma) manner.

(This is the third stage in evolution. This stage possesses intelligence (guided

and) limited by instinct. Sound (and smell) is mentioned because it comes from

all directions. Other senses are linearly focused.)

5. The Vignyana maya stage (of evolution) is the next higher one that includes

all the earlier three. It is cognizant of ‘differences and non-difference’.

(Discrimination is characteristic of this stage.)

(Human beings alone among the animals would qualify for this description. They

have the ability to collate data and process the information. Rationalism is the

quality that distinguishes the human mind. It goes beyond instinct-based

reaction to gross appearance.)

6. The next stage is the ultimate one, ananda maya or a state of bliss. It is

inclusive of all the earlier states. It carries the information in respect of

all the earlier states though it is inside all of them. In this respect it is

like the seed of the banyan tree that carries the secret code for the tree.

(This evolutionary stage is not known. I think Krishna was the sole

representative of this stage. He is known as the Purushottama or the Supreme

person. The following sentence identifies the final stage with the individual

Soul.)

7 It (State of bliss) is known as the agent or karta of the effect that

is interpreted (by the brain) as pleasure and pain.

Pleasure is the (brain’s) reaction to desirable results.

Misery or pain is associated with undesirable effects.

(Misery is a measure of lack of realism. It results from delusion.)

Sound, touch, sight, taste and smell are the inputs that lead to pleasure and

pain.

The Soul is called jiva when it conforms to (and is conditioned by) the idea of

punya and papa. (merit or sin) It recognizes its link of the present body to the

past life based on the trans-migratory cause effect relationship of acts (of

omission and commission), or karma. It also recognizes a future birth. (Or what

will happen in a future birth.) The name of Jiva means that it is limited by the

frailties of existence.

The ego is a composite of five groups of aggregates. The aggregates of mind, of

praana, the three gunas (the best of these is Sattva), the individual will and

those beginning with punya or merit.

{The mind group consists of four parts. They are the mind, buddhi or intellect,

the analytical propensity or chitta, and ahamkaara or self-centeredness. Praana

group has five, praana, apaana, vyaana, samaana and udaana. The gunas are

acquired characteristics as distinct from Sharadda or inborn (genetically

determined) traits. There are three gunas, the sattva (or the peaceable), the

rajas (or the restless) and the tamas (or ignorant). The ‘will’ group consists

of emotions like desire, resolve, satisfaction shyness and their opposites. The

‘merit’ group consists of punya (merit) sin, knowledge and samskara (inborn

functionality).

The Self recognizes itself (becomes aware of) when the ego ceases to exist.

(Realization is intuitive)

The subtle body is known as linga sharira or symbolic body. It is also known as

heart’s knot. This appears imperishable because of close proximity to

(association with) Atman.

(But it is perishable.)

(Heart’s knot implies a state encaged or bound within the existential

constraints. The body and its constituents are transitory.)

The consciousness that illumines (understands) the subtle body (linga sharira)

is known as the kshetragnya or one who knows the human body.

(Again the implication is that one cannot ignore the mundane life in the search

for spirituality. Spirituality comes after the mundane life is understood.)

Passage III- answers continued.

1. Atman is the Saakshi. The Saakshi or witness is the one who knows. He is

also knowledge and that which is worthy of knowing. He is not subject to

manifestation and fading. He is self-effulgent.

2. Atman is the Kootastha or resident ruler of all creation from Brahma, the

prajapati down to the lowly ant. He is seen as the undifferentiated intelligence

of all.

3. Atman is known as antaryamin or the internal controller because he looks

interwoven in all bodies. (He acts as a connecting thread that links a group of

beads.) This State is delimited by apparent differentiation between Kootastha

and others.

4. Pratyagaatma is free from all afflictions (limitations). He shines like gold.

He is the embodiment of discriminating intelligence (vignyana). He is

independent. He is the Essence of tvam or “you”. 5. Brahman is Satya

(absolute reality), knowledge, infinity and bliss.

6. Reality (satya) is one that is beyond destruction. It survives the passing of

designation (name), space, time, substance and causation. It is indestructible.

It is Eternal in the midst of the Transient. It is known as Satya. 7.

Gnyaana is cosmic consciousness that has no beginning and no end. It too

survives the passing of transient ones. (It is eternal and immutable.)

8. Ananta is infinity. Though it manifests in different phenomena from the

beginning of the material universe it remains unchanged in all these. This is

similar to clay that remains clay even when converted into different shapes.

(like pot or idol) It is similar to Gold that retains its nature in various

items of jewelry or like thread that remains a thread even when woven into

different fabrics. 9. Aananda is called Bliss. It is the essence of

consciousness of happiness. It is the ocean of immeasurable happiness. It is not

dependent on the senses.

10. That which encompasses, Reality, Cosmic Consciousness, Infinity and Bliss

and is the symbol of eternity in Space, Time, Causation and Substance, is known

as Paramaatma. It is known as Parabrahman. It is distinguished from ‘Thou” that

is possessed of attributes. It is also distinguished from ‘That’ limited by

attributes.

11. It is pervasive of all like space. It is subtle and exclusive

(incomparable). It is whole (self-contained) and is the essence of existence.

12. It is said that Atma is self-effulgent.

13. Even the entity of ‘not that’ is regarded as Atman.

(The abstract idea is conveyed that there is no difference between Atma and

Paramaatma.)

14. It (?) is without beginning.

15. It is pregnant with potentiality.

16. It is subject to proof and disproof.

17. It is both existent and non-existent.

18.Though undifferentiated it is the cause of differentiation.

19. It is provable even when it does not exist.

20. It is not provable when it exists.

21. It is not provable when it exists.

22. It (The confusion implied in 14 to 21) is called Maaya.

(I prefer maaya as a limitation of the senses. I had given the example of the

rainbow in another context. All of us see the rainbow but each of us sees a

different rainbow.)

To sum up: various specialized terms used in Vedanta are explained. The

inherent confusion in the conflicting definitions is known as Maayaa.

Skb.

==================================

Hari Om and warm regards

Mani

 

 

R. S. Mani

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

advaitin , " R.S.MANI " <r_s_mani wrote:

>

>

> Namaste, all dear members,

> I reproduce below what Dr. Balasubramaniam has posted in US

Brahmins Group. He has mentioned whatever he says is based on what he

has read from some books published by R.K.Mission:

> ====================================

> Sarvopanishad. I

 

> As implied by its name, this is the " quintessence of the Upanishads. "

> Sarvopanishad is a glossary of Vedanta.

 

> There is no shanti patha.

 

> To sum up: various specialized terms used in Vedanta are explained.

The inherent confusion in the conflicting definitions is known as

Maayaa.

> Skb.

 

Namaste,

 

Some corrections may be order here;

 

This Upanishad is also known as Sarvasara Upanishad, and is

available at:

 

http://sanskritdocuments.org/all_pdf/sarva-up.pdf

 

http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/sarvasara.itx

 

It is included in the category of Samanya Upanishads (#33 of

108). One reference has it as part of Krishna Yajur-Veda, another as

Atharva Veda. Every Upanishad has a 'shAnti pATha' according to the

Veda.which includes it.

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

Thank you for the corrections and the site where one can download the

upanishad in question.

With warm regards

 

advaitins <advaitins wrote:

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<<<<Some corrections may be order here;

 

This Upanishad is also known as Sarvasara Upanishad, and is

available at:

 

http://sanskritdocuments.org/all_pdf/sarva-up.pdf

 

http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/sarvasara.itx

 

It is included in the category of Samanya Upanishads (#33 of

108). One reference has it as part of Krishna Yajur-Veda, another as

Atharva Veda. Every Upanishad has a 'shAnti pATha' according to the

Veda.which includes it.>>>>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R. S. Mani

 

 

 

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