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The Pinnacle of Religion
by Dr. Shyam Narayan Shukla

Abstract: All the world religions created the concept of heavens as a reward for their followers who abided by their dictates. According to these religions the ultimate goal of a human being is to acquire a place in the heaven, after this life. Hindu religion is not an exception to this philosophy either. However, the Hindu sages did not stop there. Like scientists they continued their experiments to achieve freedom from the effect of space and time. Ultimately they realized that once they caught hold of 'that', which is not relative but is full and absolute, they could live eternally in that experience. The main theme of the Upanishads deals with that state of mind in which all shackles are destroyed.

The Upanishads form the Jnanakanda of the Vedas. The word 'Upanishad' literally means 'to sit near'. The secret knowledge of Brahman taught to the disciple by sitting near the preceptor was Upanishad. The Upanishads propound the subtle truth. It is latent in the Vedas. Its knowledge is called Rahasya or secret. They were such confidential personalized instructions that they were taught only to those who were fit to receive them. It was Sage Veda Vyasa who made the secret knowledge of the Upanishads easily comprehensible, by putting it in the Bhagvadgita, which is considered the gist of the Upanishads. He also wrote Brahmasutra to put the knowledge in the form of aphorisms. The Upanishads give four Mahavakyas, one from each of the four Vedas. The Mahavakyas are very important thought provoking sentences which the sages formulated after having reached the end of their journey and realizing the ultimate objective. The Upanishadic philosophy forms the pinnacle of human religion unparalleled in world history.

UPANISHADS: The Pinnacle of Universal Religion


by
Shyam Narayan Shukla, Ph.D.

INTRODUCTION

The principal objective of all the religions of the world has been to make sure that their followers have a fulfilling life on this earth. If a person abides by certain laws of nature he would enjoy his life better here. If he leads a disciplined life he would be physically and emotionally stronger. With these basic principles in mind the prophets or founders of the religions preached their followers during their life time. Their teachings, when written in the form of books, eventually became the scriptures of the religions. All the religions have one commonalty. That is the concept of the Heavens. If a person follows the dictates of religion he would be rewarded with a place in Heaven, where there is long lasting peace and happiness. The Hindu religion did not have a prophet or a founder. However, it too has heaven and hell for good and evil people, respectively.

The Hindu sages did not feel contented with the concept of Heaven as the ultimate goal. They were very innovative people like the scientists. They continued in their search for achieving freedom from the effect of time and space. They discovered that when a man identifies himself with his body, with all its limitations, then he is a tiny, weak and mortal creature in this vast universe. On the other hand, when he identifies himself with his inner self, the Atman, which is limitless, immortal and blissful, he achieves divinity in this very life. The Upanishads are collections of their teachings. They are the unique gifts from our sages of Ancient India to this world. The Upanishadic teachings are not a mere philosophical concept but are realized facts experienced by our sages. Those teachings inspired when they were composed and they inspire even today, thousands of years later. They are as inspirational in America as they are in India. The Upanishads are beyond time and space.

VEDA AND VEDANTA

When each Veda shakha is taken, first comes the Samhita, then the Brahmana and lastly the Aranyaka1. The Upanishads occur in the concluding portion of the Aranyaka. Since the Upanishads occur at the end of the Vedas they are called the Vedanta, which literally means 'the end of the Vedas'. The ultimate goal of the Vedas is contained in the Upanishads. Also because they are the end products of the Vedas, they are appropriately called the Vedanta. The part of a Veda where there are methods of rituals and sacrifices, are the Karmakanda and the part where the supreme knowledge of the Vedanta is dealt with is the Jnanakanda.

The western scholars have done more research on the Vedas than Indian scholars. They have tried to establish the time when the Vedas and the Upanishads were written. The estimate ranges from 1500 B.C. to 3000 B.C. According to Bal Gangadhar Tilak the Vedas came into existence around 6000 B.C. However, according to one school of traditional vedic scholars, the Vedas are considered anadi or without beginning. It is stated in the Vedas that they are vast and endless (ananta vai Vedah). They are also without human authorship (apaurusheya). What we have is a small portion of what God created as the Vedas. A portion of what was revealed to the Rishis is available to us today. Therefore, a Rishi who wrote down an Upanishad or a shakha of a Veda, is not its creator or karta but is its seer or drishta.

It was Sage Vyas who organized the Vedas and wrote Bhagvadgita and Brahmasutra, which made it possible for the scholars to know how deep the philosophy of the Upanishads is. In the Bhagvadgita Vyas put the essence of the Upanishads in the form of a conversation between Arjuna, the disciple, and Lord Krishna, the teacher. About 10 years ago, when the Vedic knowledge was in danger of extinction, Adi Shankaracharya (788-8 A.D.) came as a teacher of the era (yuga pravartaka). He wrote commentaries to the Bhagvadgita, Brahmasutra and some principal Upanishads. Only then the mystic knowledge of the Vedanta became easier to comprehend for others.

However, mere study of the Upanishads is not enough to fathom the depth of the philosophy or to achieve the supreme knowledge which is their main theme. In the Chhandogya Upanishad there is a story of Narada who approached Sanatkumara and said that he had studied all the scriptures and all the sciences and arts. He knew only the mantras but he had no knowledge of the Atman (Mantravideva asmi na atmavid). The Upanishads have to be studied at the feet of a Brahmajnani teacher (a teacher who has achieved the Brahman). That is why it is called the Upanishad, which literally means 'to sit near (with devotion)'. It also means2 'secret teachings'. When a student studies in a Gurukul, the mystic knowledge permeates into the student's mind by the subtle manner the teacher explains the subject, by merely observing his daily sadhana and his way of life. The teacher imparts the secret knowledge of Brahman only to those students who are spiritually ready for it. That is why the Katha Upanishad says, "Many, though they hear of it, do not understand it. Wonderful is he who speaks of it. Blessed is he who, taught by a good teacher, is able to comprehend it." The Upanishads mention that the meditation on 'Om' is the meditation on the Atman or the Brahman which resides within a man3. Chhandogya Upanishad says that all the sacrifices prescribed in the Vedas cannot bring salvation. It is meditation on Om that leads one, step by step, to the highest object of the Upanishads, that is, the realization of the Brahman.

DO VEDAS AND VEDANTA CONTRADICT EACH OTHER?

Some people believe that the Vedas and Vedanta clash with each other. To prove their point they quote Lord Krishna. In the Gita Lord Krishna says:

* Vedavadaratah Partha nanyadasteeti vadinah (Gita II-42),
* Kamatmanah svargapara janmakarmaphala pradam (Gita II-43)

"O Partha, those who follow the words of the Vedas literally and say that there is nothing other than this, are full of desire to dwell in Heaven, which leads to new birth as a result of their actions."

Also,
*Traigunya vishaya veda nistraigunyo bhavarjuna (Gita II-45)
"O Arjun, the Vedas deal with the three gunas (satva, raja and tama). You should transcend these three gunas."

These verses give an impression that Lord Krishna encourages us to follow the teachings of the Upanishads directly, and ignore the rituals prescribed in the Vedas. The traditional Vedantis (scholars of the Vedanta) tell us that jumping to the study of the Upanishads directly, without preliminary preparation of purifying the mind and body does not help a student to realize Atman. The mind and body are disciplined by the yajnas and worships prescribed in the Vedas. Only after undergoing that discipline we are qualified to take up the study of the Upanishads. When the mind is purified by yajnas, then the world around us ceases to be real. Then all the actions we perform become yajnas and we are no more separate from the Brahman. Then we are ready to merge in Him. That is why Adi Shankaracharya tells us in his book, Sopana Panchaka that first we must study and recite the Vedas, perform the prescribed rituals, be guided by the Mahavakyas, meditate on them constantly and then only try to reach the Brahman. (We will discuss about the Mahavakyas in a later paragraph). The fact that the seers of the Upanishads quoted hymns from the Vedas in support of their teachings shows that they were not against the Vedas.

The reason why Lord Krishna says the above about the Vedas has to be understood in the context of the Mahabharata period. During those days a majority of the people performed yajnas as a means to achieve worldly and heavenly pleasures. They behaved as if that was the ultimate teaching of the Vedas. They almost ignored the teachings of the Upanishads, that realization of the Brahman is the ultimate goal in their lives. Lord Krishna has chastised those people in the Gita. He rebuked those who took the Karma path and did not go beyond it to adopt the Jnana path in their lives. He would have certainly taken to task those also who would directly go to study the Upanishads without performing the Vedic Karmas.

Even in the time of Shankaracharya many great scholars specialized only in the Karma path of the Vedas. Mandan Mishra, a famous Vedic scholar of Varanashi, was a staunch follower of Poorva Meemansha (scholarly analysis of the Karmakanda of the Vedas), before he became a disciple of Shankaracharya. After he entered Sanyasa Ashrama and became Sureshwaracharya he shifted from karma to jnana path. He wrote the Vartika (explanation) of the Shankara Bhashya on the Brahmasutra.

THE PRINCIPAL UPANISHADS

It is believed that there are more than two hundred Upanishads3. However, only about one hundred and eight have been preserved2. The principal Upanishads are those which Adi Shankaracharya selected to comment upon. They are ten in number and are traditionally studied in a certain order. The following shloka1 (Sanskrit verse) enumerates the principal Upanishads in that order:

Isha Kena Katha Prashna Munda Mandukya Taittiri
Aitareyam cha Chandogyam Brahadaranyakam Dasha
"Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chhandogya and Brahadaranyaka are the ten (principal) Upanishads."
Shankaracharya also commented on an eleventh Upanishad, the Shvetasvatara. In his commentary on the Brahmasutra he has made references to four more Upanishads. They are: Kausheetakee, Jabala, Mahanarayana and Paingala.

Ishopanishad (or Ishavasyopanishad): Usually the Upanishads appear at the end of an Aranyaka. As an exception this Upanishad appears in the Samhita portion of Shukla Yajurveda. The very opening verse of this Upanishad contains the central theme of all the Upanishads. It says that Ishvara or God pervades the whole universe and we should realize Him by offering the fruits of all our actions to Him. Offering the fruits of action to Brahman is Karmayoga in a nutshell. This is the first time that the principle of Karmayoga is introduced in the Upanishads. Only in the Gita we see its more elaborate form.

Kenopanishad: It is also called 'Talvakara Upanishad' because it occurs in the Talvakara Brahmana of the Jaimini Shakha of Sama Veda. This Upanishad, teaches through an allegorical story, that all our powers are derived from the Mahashakti, the Supreme God or the Parmatma. The Paramatma is without beginning or end.

Kathopanishad: The Kathopanishad occurs in the Katha Shakha of the Krishna Yajurveda. This Upanishad became very popular for its fascinating story of young Nachiketa going to Yama, the God of Death, and asking him to teach him about what happens to the soul after one's death. Yama then tells him about the true nature of the soul or the Atman. It defines Atman as divine, without birth and death, indestructible, etc.

Prashnopanishad: This belongs to the Atharva Veda. As the name implies (prashna means question) this answers six questions on how creation began; who are the devas; how does life get connected to the body; what is the truth about the states of awakening, sleep and dreaming; why should one worship Onkara; and what is the relationship between Purusha and Jeeva.

Mundakopanishad: This Upanishad too is from the Atharva Veda. Mundak means shaven head. Its teachings are meant for the Sanyasis or monks who are free from worldly attachment. It talks of Akshar Brahman which is free from destruction. It classifies the knowledge into para, higher and apara, lower. The knowledge of Atman is para and all other knowledge is apara.

Mandukyopanishad: This is the third Upanishad from the Atharva Veda. Manduka means a frog. This Upanishad shows the way to pass the three stages of waking, dream and dreamless sleep and reach the fourth stage of Turiya in one leap. Turiya is the stage of pure consciousness which reveals the Atman 2E

Taittiriyopanishad: This is the most widely studied Upanishad. Its first part Shikshavalli teaches self controls involved in Brahmacharya, the order in which the Vedas should be studied, the worship of Pranava, etc. The precepts such as "speak the truth", "follow the dharma", "treat mother, father and teacher as divinities" appear in this. Its second part Anandvalli describes how there is an ascending order of bliss, starting from that of a human being and culminating into Brahmananda. Bhriguvalli, the third part, is what Varun taught to his son, Bhrigu

Aitareyopanishad: This Upanishad occurs in the Rigveda. It talks about how a Jiva (soul) takes birth again and again according to sin and merit and how liberation from birth and death is possible only through the realization of the true nature of the Atman. The Upanishad proclaims that the thought (Prajna) itself is the Brahman.

Chhandogyopanishad: The last two Upanishads, namely, the Chhandogya and the Brahdaranyaka are large in size. The Chhandogya Upanishad appears in the Chhandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda. Chhandogya means one who sings the 'sama gana' (singing of the Sama Veda hymns, which are the source of the Indian classical music, praising all the gods). This Upanishad introduces us to devout truth seekers like Satyakama, Shvetaketu and Narada and learned spiritual teachers like Aruni, Sanatkumara and Prajapati. The Upanishad teaches that there is no difference between the Atman within a person and the Brahman. It tells us how starting from purity of food and going up to purity of mind and soul we reach a stage when we get rid of all the bonds and achieve Atmananda (bliss).

Brahadaranyakopanishad: 'Brihad' means large and 'Aranyaka' means forest. As its name suggests this is the largest of all the Upanishads and it is a forest of spiritual inspiration and thoughts. Usually the Upanishads appear at the end of an Aranyaka as mentioned earlier. The entire Aranyaka of the Shukla Yajurveda forms the Brahadaranyaka Upanishad. (The Samhita of Shukla Yajus contains the Isha Upanishad). We learn of two Kshatriya kings, namely, Ajat Shatru and Janaka who were well versed in the Vedantic philosophy. Then there is an interesting anecdote and philosophical dialogue of Sage Yagyavalkya and his learned wife Maitreyi. Yagyavalkya says that the nature of the Atman is love and happiness. The Upanishad expounds the central theme of all the Upanishad that man is divine and that this whole universe is Brahman.

The Four Mahavakyas

There are four Mahavakyas or ' great statements'. in the Upanishads. An Upanishad from each of the four Vedas proclaims boldly the ultimate conclus ion of its philosophy, in the form of a Mahavakya. The Aitareya Upanishad of the Rig Veda proclaims, Prajnanam Brahma - 'Brahman is pure consciousness'. The Brahadaranyaka Upanishad of the Shukla Yajur Veda says, Aham Brahmasmi - 'I am Brahman'. The Mahavakya of the Chhandogya Upanishad of the Sama Veda is, Tat Tvamasi - 'You are That'. Here 'That' means Brahman, according to the language of the Upanishads. Finally, the Mandukya Upanishad of the Atharva Veda proclaims as a Mahavakya, Ayamatma Brahma - 'This Atman is Brahman'.

This kind of bold proclamation, that a human being has Atman (soul) within him or her which is none other than the Supreme Brahman Himself, is unparalleled in the history of religions anywhere other than in the Vedas.

The Concept of Brahman in the Upanishads

It is very difficult to describe5 the Brahman or the Supreme God in words. That is why it is said: Ekam Sat, vipra bahudha vadanti, or "Truth is one, the wise speak of It in different ways." The devotees usually heap many highest human qualities on the God to describe him. Even then they are unable to describe Him adequately and end up making Him human-like. The Rishis finally gave up human like description of the Brahman and described Him by saying "Not this, not this." In the Upanishads the Brahman is compared to a spider and His creation with the spider's cobweb, which comes out of it. The whole universe comes out of the Brahman who resides in the center of it. The Atman residing within the body is Brahman too. Taittiriya Upanishad says, "Brahman is That from which these beings are born, That by which they live when born, and That into which they enter on passing away." There is a subtle difference between the God (Ishvara) and the Brahman. Ishvara is God when viewed through human eyes, in relation to the universe. It is then Saguna Brahman. When Brahman is God as He is and viewed independently, He is Brahman, or Nirguna Brahman. Some sages believed that the best way of indicating Brahman is by silence.

CONCLUSION

The Upanishads form the Jnanakanda, or the portion dealing with the supreme knowledge, of the Vedas. They contain the ultimate messages of the Vedas. They tell us that a human being is not only made up of a body which is subject to old age, decay and death, but also of Atman within it, which is divine, eternal and blissful. A person can realize the Atman by meditating on Om, the symbol of the Supreme God, and become immortal and blissful in this very life.
References
1. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati (Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham), The Vedas, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 1991.
2. Swami Prabhavananda, The Upanishads, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madras, 1979.
3. F. Max Muller, The Upanishads, Part 1, Dover Publications, Inc, New York,1884.
4. Swami Ranganathananda, The Message of the Upanishads, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 1968.
5. D.S. Sarma, The Upanishads an Anthology, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 1964.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Shyam Narayan Shukla
B.E. (Hon's), M.Sc. (Eng'g), Ph.D., P.E., F. ASCE

Dr. Shyam Narayan Shukla was born in India. He was taught Sanskrit and the Bhagavadgita at home by his grandfather. He received B.E. (Hon's) degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Jabalpur in 1957, and then worked as an Assistant Engineer in Madhya Pradesh P.W.D. for five years. He left for North America for higher studies in 1962. He received M.Sc. (Eng'g) degree from the University of New Brunswick (Canada) in 1964 and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in 1968, in structural engineering. Thereafter, he worked for a year in the U.S.A. and went back to India, where he worked at the Structural Engineering Research Center, Roorkee for four years. In 1973 he went to Iraq and taught at the University of Sulemaniya in Iraqi Kurdistan for a year. He came back to the U.S.A. in 1974 and worked for Bechtel Corporation at San Francisco for five years. Since 1979 he has been working for the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livrmore. He has lived in Fremont, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1976.

Dr. Shukla is very active in the Indian community of the San Francisco Bay Area. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Vedic Dharma Samaj, which built a Hindu temple at Fremont in 1982. He has been the General Secretary and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Brahman Samaj of North America. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Hindi Association and is in the Editorial Board of its magazine, Vishva. He is also Secretary of the World Association of Vedic S tudies.

In addition to many publications in his technical field, Dr. Shukla has written numerous articles on the spiritual topics in Hindi magazines. He regularly delivers lectures on the Bhagvadgita and Upanishads in the temples of the Bay Area and in the Indo American Community Service Center. Recently two of his books in Hindi, namely, Ganga Se Mississippi Tak and Mississippi Ke Paar were published in India. They are the author's impressions as a foreign student and an immigrant in North America. He has also written the English version of the books as one volume entitled, From the Ganges to the Mississippi and Beyond, which was published in July 1998. Dr. Shukla's latest book, "The Upanishads" was published in April 1999. It is the English translation of ten principal Upanishads (Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chhandogya and Brihadaranyaka) and is meant for those who cannot read Sanskrit but are eager to know the contents of the Upanishads.

Dr. Shyam Shukla is married to Nirmala Shukla who is a software engineer. They have three daughters, a son, and four grandsons who all live in the San Francisco Bay Area.