Essence of Upanishad-summary - arsha vidya kendra trust bangalore

Essence of Upanishad
We will see the summary of the talks given on the “essence of Upanishad”.
Shanti mantra –
Each Upanishad starts with a shanti patha. Two things are prayed for –
i) Jnana yogyata – fitness for knowledge
ii) Pratibandha nivritti - removal of obstacles.
Oct 9, 2010
Meaning of the word Upanishad –
The word ‘upanishad’ means brahmavidya. In the word ‘upanishad’ there are three components –
‘upa’, ‘ni’ and ‘shad’. ‘Upa’ and ‘ni’ are indicating the means to attain this brahmavidya. “Shad”
indicates the result of brahmavidya.
So brahmavidya is called Upanishad because it is attained by sravanam, mananam and niddhidhyasanam
indicated by the words ‘upa’ and ‘ni’ and it destroys ignorance and ignorance born problems indicated
by the word ’shad’. Therefore one meaning of the word ‘upanishad’ is brahmavidya - knowledge of the
limitless reality.
The second meaning of the word ‘upanishad’ is upasana. Upasana is called Upanishad because upasana
if done properly slackens the bondage of samsara by taking the upasaka especially hiranyagarbha or
Virat upasaka to the highest loka, brahma loka. This type of upasana takes the person to a higher loka
and thus gives some respite from punarjanma and dukha. Therefore upasana is also called Upanishad.
Thus primary and most popular meaning is brahmavidya and the second meaning is upasana.
There is another meaning for the word ‘upanishad’ mentioned in the Upanishad. Rahasya nama or
secret name is also called Upanishad. The secret name of the Lord –satyasya satyam - is also called
Upanishad.
These are the three meanings of the word ‘upanishad’ – Brahmavidya, upasana and rahasya nama.
Another meaning also is there in the secondary sense – Upanishad grantha. The book which contains a
collection of words revealing brahmavidya is also called upanishad. But this is in the secondary sense.
Primarily Upanishad is brahmavidya. But the book which is containing the sabda rasi revealing this
Brahman is called Upanishad.
There are so many Upanishads, generally occurring in the end portion of Vedas. That is why Upanishads
are otherwise called Vedantah. Some people say there are 200 upanishads and some say 108
upanishads, etc. But out of them, 10 upanishads are very, very popular . These ten are mentioned in the
form of a sloka -
Isakenakathaprasnamundamandukyatittirih,
Aitareyam ca chhandogyam brhadaranyakam tatha -
Isavasya, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittireya, Aitareya, Chandogya and Brhadaranyaka
Upanishad.
These ten upanishads are very popular mainly because Shankaracharyaji wrote commentaries on that.
That is why some scholars call these Upanishads as major Upanishads. Rest of them are called minor
Upanishads.

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During the series of Upanishads talks, we have seen 10 major Upanishads and one minor Upanishad -
Kailvalya Upanishad.
Topics discussed in Upanishads –
Upanishads talk about mainly four topics -
1) Samsara varnanam - discerning the problem of samsara. First is diagnosis of the problem.
What is samsara ? How samsara is? What causes samsara ?
One way of looking at samsara is avidya-ignorance, moha-delusion, shokha-grief.
Or sometimes it is said avidya-ignorance kama-desire , karma-action.
Or it is further elaborated by saying – ignorance of the self causes delusion about oneself being one
with this body, mind complex. Therefore there is sense of limitation.
So avidya causes apurnatva bhavana –sense of limitation. This sense of limitation causes kama - desire.
Desire causes karma - action, action causes result in the form of punya, papa. The drsta phala-visible
result will further cause desire, karma and again birth. Thus person remains in the cycle of samsara.
The cycle is Avidya – apurnatva – kama – karma – karmaphala – again kama –karma - punarjanma.
The same cycle continues birth after birth. This is how samsara is described in Upanishads in different,
different places . Cycle of samsara mentioned in the upanishad such as -
| Mundaka U.
kamabhirjayate tatra tatra.
One is born again and again in different births.
Katha U
Punah punar vashamapadyate me.
Again and again jiva comes under my (ie, Yamraja’s) sway.
2) Moksha sadhanam – Mokshah is by jnanam. Since samsara is due to ignorance and ignorance
can go only by knowledge. Therefore moksha – freedom from bondage is by knowledge.
In different places upanishad says -
Jnanad eva tu kaivalyam. Tarati shokam atmavit. Bramaved brahmaiva bhavati.
By knowledge alone one gains moksha. The knower of atma crosses sorrow. The knower of Brahman is
Brahman only.
So knowledge is the sakshaat sadhanam ie, immediate means for moksha. This knowledge which is the
immediate means for moksha is attained by sravanam, mananam and niddhidhyasanam.
In Brhadaranyaka , Yajnavalkya tells Maitreyi –
Atmavare drstavyah srotavyah, mantavyah, nidhidyasitavyah.\
Atma should be seen (ie, known directly), listened to, reflected on and contemplated upon.
So jnanam is the means for moksha and sravanam, mananam and niddhidhyasanam are the main means
for jnanam. But these three means will produce knowledge effectively only when they are supported by
some other means called sahakari sadhanam or qualifying means. These are in the form of
sadhanacatustaya sampattih ie, the four fold qualifications –

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Viveka - discrimination, Vairagyam – non-attachment, Samadishatka – group of six qualities,
Mumukshutvam – intense desire for liberation.
These qualifications are necessary for sravanam, mananam, niddhidhyasanam to be effective.
Thus the moksha roadmap is –
Moksha by jnanam; Jnanam by sravanam, mananam and niddhidhyasanam supported by
sadhanacatustaya sampattih.
Now the question is how to get sadhanacatustaya sampattih ?
The approach of Vedas towards sadhanacatustaya sampattih is – One should follow one’s ashrama
dharma properly with proper attitude, then one will become prepared for jnanam. Do it as it is to be
done.
The sadhanas in the form of duties prescribed in each asrama are -
i) In Brahmacharya asrama two main sadhanas are : adhyayanam -study of sastra and guruseva.
ii) In Grhastasrama , the sadhanas are : pancayagna – five fold yajnas , dana-charity, tapah-
austerity. They are to be done with proper attitude. Thisn is otherwise called karma yoga.
The panca yajnas – five fold worship are –
• Deva yajna –worsghipping the gods.
• Pitr yajna – offering for the well-being of forefathers.
• Brahma yajna – Worshipping rishis, Vedas and other scriptures and studying them.
• Manushya yajna – Serving the guest and fellow human beings.
• Bhuta yajna – Serving other living beings.
iii) In Vanaprastasrama, the sadhanas are : tapah –austerity and upasana – meditation.
In other ashramas also both these are done. But in Vanaprastashrama it is the main sadhana.
If you follow this varnashrama dharma properly, then you get sadhanacatustaya sampatti.
In simple words – by karma yoga and upasana one gets sadhanacatustaya sampatti.
Karma yoga is doing karma with proper attitude. Upasana or dhyanam is meditation on the upasya
devata as prescribed in sastra. In Upanishads, generally upasanas prescribed are on Virat – Brahman
with gross universal body and mainly Hiranyagarba – Brahman with subtle universal body.
If this upasana is practiced with sakama buddhi, then the person gets some material result here and
hereafter. Hereafter means he will go to higher loka like brahmaloka,etc.
If a person does this upasana with nishkama buddhi, then he gets chitta naischalyam –steadiness of
mind and also devotion. His mind will become very calm and quiet and he will have more devotion
which will help him to do sravanam, mananam, niddhidhyasanam very effectively. Thus karma yoga and
upasana done with nishkama bhava prepares the person giving him or her sadhanacatustaya sampatti.
The he gets jnanam and gets moksha here and now. This is called sadyo mukti.
Sometimes it is said, by chance, this person does not get the opportunity to study here and he has done
upasana, then he will go to brahmaloka and there he gets jnanam and hence moksha. That is called
krama muktih.
But normal route is the person prepares himself or herself by upasana and karma yoga – gets sadhana
catustaya sampattih and also necessary conducive atmosphere required for the successful pursuit of
sravanam, mananam, niddhidhyasanam. Guruprapti also is possible by Karma yoga and upasana. It
works on both the levels, it removes the obstacles and it prepares the mind. Thus the person is ready for
sravanam mananam, niddhidhyasanam and is able to receive jnanam.

This is the second topic - moksha sadhanam.
3) Brahmavidya or atma vidya – is the central topic. Here three sub-topics are discussed :
a. Tvam padartha vicara or jiva swaroopa vicara.
b. Tat padartha vicara or Isvara or Brahma svaroopa vicara.
c. Aikya vicara .
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a. Tvam padartha or Jiva Svaroopa Vicara - Analysis of the nature of jiva.
The Vacyarta of the word ‘jiva’ or ‘aham’ is karta, bhokta, sukhi, dukhi, jara maranavan purushah.
Upanishad shows the fallacy in the jiva’s thinking that how you are wrongly identifying yourself with
what you are not and then prescribes viveka ie, discrimination.
There are various types of viveka like :
i. Sariratraya viveka.
ii. Pancakosha viveka.
iii. Avasthatraya viveka.
All of them can be called atma-anatma viveka ie, discrimination between self and non-self.
By this discrimination of self and non-self ie, atma -anatma viveka, person arrives at the true nature of
jiva which is unqualified consciousness – nirvisesha chaitanyam. Jiva svaroopa vicara helps the person
to arrive at this pure consciousness . I understand that my real nature is pure consciousness.
Four features were seen –
i) ‘I’ , the consciousness is an independent entity and not part, product or property of the body-
mind complex.
ii) I am pervading and enlivening the body .
iii) I am not restricted to this body .
iv) I survive the death of this body.
Arriving at the pure consciousness by jiva svaroopa vicara is the first sub-topic of brahmavidya.
b. Tat padartha or Isvara svaroopa vicara : Analysis of the nature of Isvara, the lord.
Here Brahman or paramatma is presented as jagat karanam. Yato va imani bhutani jayante ………..
The first stage of tat padartha analysis is presenting Brahman as jagat karanam. By that Upanishad
wants to derive that brahman being jagat karanam, the creation is only nama rupa. Because if we
analyse the nature of karana and karyam, we see that karanam ie, the cause alone is the substance , the
effect is nama rupa only. Nama rupa can be considered to be the property of the cause. So the entire
creation is nothing but the property of brahman. Brahman is the substance .
Thus we arrive at Vishista advaita by presenting Brahman to be jagat karanam. This is technically called
adhyaropa prakriya - superimposition of causal status on Brahman. Brahman is karanam and we arrive
at the corollary that Brahman is the one which is endowed with the property called nama rupa which is
jagat.
Second stage of ‘tat’ padartha vicara is apavada prakriya. In this, the attributes in the form of names
and forms are negated by neti, neti (not this, not this). Brahman is asabdam, asparsham, agandham,
aroopam… Here it is said that Brahman is nirgunam.
In adyaropa prakriya we say saguna brahman and in apavada prakriya we say Brahman is nirgunam.
Thereby it is implied that all the attributes are mithya ie, unreal. The world which is an attribute is
unreal. Brahma eva satyam jagat mithya – Brahman alone is the reality everything else is unreal.

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Brahman is the adhistanam ie, substratum of mithya jagat. This adhistanarupa brahman is sat
svaroopah. If we analyse, we find that what is constant in all the objects is existence ‘is’. This existence
is satyam. Therefore unqualified, attributeless sat is the nature of Brahman.
By tat padartha vicara in the form of adhyaropa and apavada prakriya, one arrives at the nature of
Brahman as nirvishesha sat –unqualified pure existence.
By tvam padartha vicara – by Drk- Drishya viveka, sariratreya viveka, we have arrived at nirvishesha chit
– pure consciousness as the nature of jiva.
Now the third stage of the analysis is -
c) Aikyam - Oneness of the true nature of Isvara which is nirvisesha sat and the true nature of jiva
which is nirvisesha chit. The sentences revealing these oneness are called mahavakyas such as
tatvamasi, prajnanam brahma. By all mahavakyas, what is said is that nirvisesha sat ie, unqualified
attributeless existence is identical to nirvisesha chit ie, unqualified consciousness .
In short, Pure existence = pure consciousness and vice versa.
That is the third sub-topic – Aikyam - oneness between jiva svaroopa and Isvara svaroopa.
Tat Tvam Asi – You, the pure consciousness are Brahman , pure existence. The person who is listening
to this will understand – aham brahmasmi - ‘I’ the consciousness am pure existence.
This is called aikya nirupanam - the teaching of the oneness between jiva and Isvara.
This oneness is presented by particular sentences which are called mahavakyas. There are so many
mahavakyas in Upanishads. But four of them are very popular. Incidentally, there are four mathas or
pithas established by Shankaracaryaji in four parts of India. Each pitha is given one mahavakya.
i) Prajnanam brahma –Pure consciousness is Brahman, pure existence.
(Rig Veda - Aitreya Upanishad- 3 rd chapter, 3 rd mantra).
This is the mahavakya for Jagannath puri pitham.
ii) Aham brahmasmi –I, the pure consciousness am Brahman, pure existence.
(Yajur Veda – Brhadaranyaka Upanishad - 1.4.10).
This is the mahavakya for Sringeri pitham.
iii) Tatvamasi – You the consciousness are that Brahman, pure existence.
(Chandogya Upanishad - 6.8.7).
It is the most popular mahavakya because it has got the style of direct teaching that ‘you are brahman’.
It is the mahavakya for Dwarka pitham.
iv) Ayamatma brahma – This self which is pure conciousness is Brahman, pure existence.
(Mandukya Upanishad - 2 nd mantra).
This is the mahavakya for Jyotishpitham.
But we should not think that only four mahavakyas are there in all the Upanishads. Every Upanishad is
has mahavakya upadesa. Like in Taittiriya also it is there - Yo veda nihitam guhayam parame vyoman.
But these four are very popular. By these mahavakyas, jiva-brahma aikyam is presented. The
understanding you gain from this teaching is that you are Brahman. What you are seeking in your life is
yourself.
Thus brahmavidya is prescribed through these three topics and this brahmavidya is the central topic of
the Upanishads.

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4) Jnanaphalam and jnana mahima – result of this knowledge and glorification of the knowledge
The result of jnanam presented is jivan mukti and videha mukti.
i) The first result is Jivan mukti - jivatah satah mukti jivan mukti – freedom for a person who is
living. Freedom from samsara of kama, krodha, bhaya, apoornatvam ie, incompleteness, aparadi
bhavana ie, guilt, shoka ie, sorrow, moha ie, delusion. He is free from this bondage even when he is
alive.
Jivan mukti is sometimes presented in positive terms also – brahma veda brahmaiva bhavati ,
brahmavid apnoti param, soshnute sarvan Kaman sah - he attains sukha, shanti, purnatvam. Either
freedom from all problems or attainment of sukha, shanti, abaya, purnatva is jivan mukti.
ii) The second result is Videha mukti - videha ca asau muktih ca videhamukti – freedom
characterized by the absence of the body. When the prarabdha of the wise person gets over, then the
body falls and merges into pancamahabhutas, sukshma sarira also merges into pancamahabhutas and
karana sarira also merges into Isvara. Thus there is total dissolution of this individuality and
consciousness continues to be consciousness ie, brahman. Therefore there is complete annihilation, or
neutralization of one’s individuality.
Namarupe vihaya - just as river merges into ocean and drops its names and forms.
The wise person becomes completely one with paramatma. Complete merger where the individuality is
dissolved into the totality is called videha mukti.
In technical terms, videha mukti is punar janma abhavah - cessation of the cycle of birth and death. As
long as this punya, papa account is continuing, vasanas are continuing, there will be rebirth either to
higher or lower loka. Once this wisdom has come and the person has enjoyed jivan mukti. Then when
the body falls because of the exhaustion of prarabdha, then the person continues to remain free . That is
called videha mukti. Jivan muktah videhamukto bhavati – One who was free while living, continues to
be free after the fall of the body.
Then there is glorification of jnanam by saying that –
, Kena U
Iha cedavedidatha satyamasti, na cedihavedinmahati vinastih.
If one knows this here, then there is truth , If it is not known here, then there is great destruction.
ie, this knowledge makes life worthwhile, otherwise life is wasted.
Mundaka U
Yasmin vijnate sarvamidham vijnatham bhavati iti.
If this is known, everything is as well known.
ie, Nothing more needs to be known afterwards.This glorification is also done by describing the
parampara of guru and shishya to show that this vidya is time-tested vidya. It is not some historical
event which took place someplace, sometime. It has been going on.
Thus these are the four topics described in the Upanishads .

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So the essence of what Upanishad wants to say can be stated more and more briefly -
• The essence of the essence of the Upanishads is –
Be prepared in the form of attaining sadhanacatustaya sampattih through karma yoga and
upasana. Get knowledge by sravanam, mananam and nidhidyasanam. Become free here and now by
becoming jeevan mukta and later videha mukta.
• Further essence is – Brahma satyam jagat mithya, jiva brahmaiva na parah .
Brahman is the reality and jiva is unreal. Jiva is Brahman only and none other.
• Further essence is - Tatvamasi - You are that.
• Further essence is - ‘OM’. Om indicates this mahavakya. You are amatra svaroopa omkara –
you are turiyam, Brahman.
• Further essence is – jnana mudra – jiva indicated by index finger is associated with the three
bodies – sthula, sukshma, karana sarira which are presented by the other three fingers. The jiva disidentifies
from these three bodies and becomes one with paramatma indicated by thumb.
• Further essence is just - silence indicating silence -awareness which is attributeless Brahman –
undescribable by any word.
Om shantih, shantih, shantih.