SAIVA-SIDDHANTA

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THE SVETASVATARA UPANISHAT. 1
29
especially the text books of the Yogapada or Sahamarga, where
certain Bhavanas or Vidyas calculated to create and bring
about the Highest Nirvana and Union, and Freedom from PaSa,
are more fully explained and illustrated.
The above cursory view of the past history of the Indian
philosophy will clear the ground a good deal for the proper
understanding of our particular Upanishat in question.
3 We may therefore state that the Svetasvatara Upanishat is
a genuine Upanishat of the Black Yajur Veda, and is one of the
oldest of its kind. It is not a sectarian Upanishat.
It more
properly belongs to the Yoga Pada stage of teaching, though
the other Padas are also briefly touched and alluded to. It
expounds both a theoretic philosophy and a practical religion,
all-comprehensive and all-embracing ; a system which was at
once Sankhya and Yoga, dualistic and monistic, and appealing
to all classes of society.
It lays down the distinction of three padarthas or categories
in clear terms. And these are, God, the many souls, and
matter or Pasa.
"Two birds, inseparable friends, cling to the same tree.
One of them eats the sweet fruits, the other looks on without
eating (iv. 6) which is
explained in less figurative language
in the next mantra.
"On the same tree, man (Anisa) sits grieving, immersed,
bewiidered, by his own impotence. But when he sees the
other, Isa, contented, and knows His glory, then his grief
passes away.
That this is the Highest teaching of the Rig Veda is
pointed out in the next verse.
who does not know that indestructible Being
(Akshara,) of the Rig Veda, that Highest Ether (Parama
.Vyomam) wherein all the Gods reside, of what use is the Rig
Veda^to him ? Those only who know It rest contented."