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ESSENCE OF MAITRI UPANISHAD
Edited, compiled, and translated by VDN Rao
Chapter VI
Parallelism and Unification of Paramatma and Antaratma
Part 1
1.Dvidhaa vaa esha aatmaanaam bibharti ayam yah praano yaschaasaa Aadityotha dvau vaa etaasyaya panthaanaa antar bahischa ahoraatrenaitau vyaavartete, asau vaa aadityo bahiratmaa antaratmaa praanoto bahir aatmakyaa gatya antaraatmaat maano numeeyate gatir iti evam hyaahaatha yah kaschid vidvaan apahata paapmaakshaadyaaksho vadaata manaastan nishthaa avritta chakshuh so antaraatma - kyaa gatyaa bahir aatmanonumeeyate gatir ityevam ha aaha, atha ya eshontaraaditye Hiranmayah purusho yah pashyaatimaam hiranyavashat sa eshontare hrit pushkara evaashritonnam atti/
The Self as a Being is conditioned by his Praana, the vital energy inside the body, by his vision and experience of the Pratyaksha Bhaskara. Similarly, the path of discovering the Inner Self and the Supreme is similar - by discarding material senses, by total abstinence and thoughts as influenced by one’s mind and discovering the Antaratma and by that awareness realising Paramatma. In other words, the Supreme as invisible in the Solar Globe needs to be realised from the earth by one’s interior lotus of the mortal heart as supported by Praana which in turn is sustained by food.
2. Atha ya eshontare hrit pushkare evaashritonnam atti sa eshognir divi shritah saurah kaalaakhoy - drishya sarva bhutaani annam attiti, kah pushkarah kim mayo veti, idam vaa va tat pushkaram yoyam aakaashosyemaas chatasro dishaash chatasra upadisho dalaa samsthaa aasam, arvaag vicharita etau praanaadityaa etaa upaasheetom iti etad aksharena vyaahritibhih saavitryaa cheti/
The Self who enters the lotus of humanity into their heart consuming similar kind of food just as the heat of the Surya Deva and enters the Invisible Antaratma in the ‘daharaakaasha’ and the ‘kaalachakra’ ( the wheel of eternal time) and the ‘Akaasha’ (the external sky) as created Paramatma. The lotus is indeed the space within and above, comparable to a tree which has as its leaves the Dasha Dishas or Ten Directions viz. Uttara or North, Purva or East, Dakshina or South, Paschim or West, Ishanya or North East, Agneya or South East, Nirruti or South West, Vayavya or North West, Urthwa or Upper Region. Praana and Surya Deva are parallels moving near each other. Now let the Self be revered with the utterances of Bhur- Bhuvah- Swah alongwith the syllable OM-AUM – and the prayer of Savitri/ Gayatri.
3. The symbol of AUM is the Paramartha Satyam -the Eternal Truth of the Formless and the Form.
Dve vaava Brahmano rupe murtaan cha aurmurtan cha;atha yan murta tad asatyam, yad amurtam tad Brahma, tajjyotih, yaj jyotih sa aadityah, sa vaa yesha ityedam atmaabhavat, sa tredhaatmaanam vyakurutaa, Aum iti, tisro maatraa etaabhih sarvam idam otam protam chaivaasmeeti, evamhyaahaiad vaa aaditya Aum ityevam dhyaayata aatmaanam yunjeeteti/
Paramatma is realisable in two ways - one with form and another the formless. Now the Brahman with Form is stated as unreal or empirical while He who is Real is the Permanent and Everlasting Truth in a way like the Pratyaksha Bhaskara from which the three folded AUM is derived. The entire universe is woven like warp and weft around Him, who comprises the three letters of AUM. In sum, the Formed Paramatma is the Form and the Reality is Formless. Avyakta- Shashwata- Sarvavyaapi-Anantam-Ajam-Avyayam thais The Unknown - Everlasting - All Pervasive - Endless - Birthless - Undiminishing!
4.Athaanyatraapi uktam, atha khalu ya udgeethah sa pranavo yah pranavah sa ugeetha esha pranavaa iti/ Evam hyaahodgeetam pranavaakhyaam pranateraram bhaa rupam vigata nidram vijaram, vimrityum, tripaadam, tryaksharam punah panchadhaa jneyam nihita guhaayaam ityevam hyaadhorddhva mulam tripaad brahma shaakhaa aakaashaa vaayuvagni udaka bhumyaadaya ekoshvaattha naamaaitad brahmaitasyaitat tejo yad asaa aadityah AUM iti etad aksharasya chata, tasmaad AUM iti anenaitad upaaseetaajasram iti ekasya sambodhaeti evam hyaaha/ Etad evaaksharam punyam, etad evaaksharam param, etad evaaksharam jnaatvaa yo yad icchati tasya tat/
It is stated elsewhere [see Chhandogya Upanishad I.v.1 to be quoted hence] that Udgita or what is recited as a hymn is pranava or Omkaara while what Omkaara is Udgita. Now Udgita, the Pranava Swarupa, is not only the prime performer of sacrificial tasks but the manifestation of the antaratma the three footed, three lettered AUM, the five folded Pancha Bhutas as represented in the Panchendriyas of the Beings in Srishti. Indeed Paramatma is comparable to a massive fig tree as resplendent as Bhaskara whose essential radiance is what the syllable AUM represents! Hence the magnificence of the Supreme.
Chhandogya Upanishadvide I.v.1-6 is relevant: I.v.1) Atha kalu udgitah sa pranavo yah pranavah sa udgita iti asau vaa udgita, esha pranava, Om iti hyesha swaraaneti/ (Pranava and Udgita are just the same. These are also the forms of Surya Deva for brightness and Praana the Vital Energy for bestowing Life. The sun is considered to be ever on the move, yet constant and the syllable Om too is all pervasive and this is what Udgita is all about!) I.v.2)
Etamu evaaham abhayagaa – sisham tasmaan mama twam ekoseeti ha Kaushitakih putram uvaacha, rasmistwam paryaavartayaad bahavo vai te bhavishyantiti adhidaivatam/(Maharshi Kaushitaki asked his son to ponder over the innumerable sun rays sincerely so that he would be blessed with several bright and virtuous sons; this is in the context of Divinities) I.v.3) Athaadhyaatmam ya evaayam mukhyah praanastam udgitam upaaseetomiti hesha swaranneti/(Referring to meditation and introspection on the individual plane in reference to the body, this should indeed be on the praana in the mouth organ, which would need be recited in udgita and significantly enough addressed to the Pranava Mantra OM; the similarity on the divine plane too as in respect of Surya Deva as applicable to the Vital Force) I.v.4) Etamu evaaham abhyaagaasisham, tasmaan mamatwam ekoseetii ha Kausheetakih putram uvacha, praanaastwam bhumaanam abhigaayataad bahavo vaime bhavishyanteeti/ (Kaushitaki told his son that he should always worship Praana, the Vital Energy in his physique as present in various forms so that the son would beget several sons, since the Maharshi was blessed only with a single son! Indeed, the Vital Force in the mouth is as important as Surya Deva was and hence would bestow several sons as his many rays) I.v.5) Atha khalu ya Udgitah sa Pranavah, yah Pranavah sa Udgita iti hotrshadanaad haivaapi durudgeetam anusaamaaharateeti anusmaaharatiti/ (Maharshi Kaushitaki asserted that Udgita was Pranava and vice versa and even if the Hota poured the oblations defectively and wrongly out of tune with the Udgita, it would matter no harm and the resultant cure of the bodily ailment would surely be accomplished and the desires of the Karta of the Udgita should be fulfilled!)
Rig Veda vide X.90 -3-4 stanzas are relevent : Etaavaanasya mahimaato jyaayaancha Puurushah, paadosya vishvaa bhutaani tripaadasyaamritam divi/ Tripaaduurthva udait Purushah paadosyehaa- bhavat punah, tato vishvang vyakraamatsaashanaanashane abhi/
The entire universe is far bigger than the Virat Purusha; this immortal Master is the Supreme Energy of the universe and the various beings as sustained by food. Of His three feet, three lokas got manifested, one sustained by food and others otherwise.
5. Athaanyatraapi uktam, svanavati eshaasyah tanuuh yaa AUM iti stree- punnaapumasaketi lingaavatee eshaataagnir vaayur aadityaa iti bhaasvati, esha atha Brama Rudro Vishnuriti adhipativatee, eshaatha garhapatyo dakshinaagnir aahavaaneeyaa iti mukhaavatee, eshaatha Rig Yajur Saameti vigjnaanaa - vatee, esha bhur bhuvar swar iti lokavatee, eshaatha bhutam bhavyam bhavisyaad iti kaalaavatee, eshaatha praanognih surya iti prataapavatee, eshaataannam aapas chandramaa iti aapyaayanaavatee eshaatha praanopaanovyaana iti praanavatee, esheti ata AUM iti uktenaitaah pastutaa architaa arpitaa bhavanteeti evam hyaahaitad vai atyakaama paraan chaparaan cha brahmayad AUM iti etad Aksharam iti/
AUM is a ‘nisshabda shabda’ or a silent sound heard by each and every being irrespective of age, sex or neutral. This represents Agni, Vaayu and Surya as the flickering flash within as long as the life lasts. Indeed that is the Real Self, the Antaratma which is of the form of the Trimurtis, Brahma-Rudra-Vishnu essentially representing the Tri Gunas of Satvika-Tamasika-Rajasika or of srishthi-samhaara-sthitis. They also represent three types of Homaagnis or sacrificial fires viz. Gaarhapatya-Dakshina-Ahaavaneeya Agnis viz. the Agni-Mukha Swarupas; or Rik-Yajus-Saama Veda - the Knowledge Forms; or Bhur-Bhuva-Swah - the Forms of the Tri-Lokas; the Kaala maana of past-present-future; Praana-Agni- Suryas - the essence of existence as the sustaining Shaktis; the preservation energies of Food-Water-Moon; the Sense Forms of Buddhi-Manas-Ahamkaaras or Intelligence-Mind-and the Awareness or sense of thoughts; or the Praana-Apaana-Vyaana or the breathing energies. Thus AUM not only represents paraa-aparaa self- existence but Paramatma too!
Paraa Vidya - Aparaa Vidya have been distinguished in Mundaka Upanishad vide 1.i.1-5 as follows: I.i.1-3) Om, Brahma Devaanaam prathamah sambabhuva Vishvasya kartaa bhuvanasya goptaa, sa Brahma- Vidyaam sarva vidyaa pratishtham atharvaaya jyeshtha putraaya praaha/ Atharvane yaam pravadeta Brahmaatharvaa taam purovaachaangire Brahma Vidyaam sa Bharadvaajaaya Satyavaahaaya praaha Bharadvajengirase paraavaraam/ Shaunako ha vai Mahaashaalongirasam vidhivad upaasannah papraccha, kasminnu Bhagavo vijnaatam bhavati iti/
(OM, Brahma the Creator, Sustainer and Protector of the Universe was self-manifested as the foremost of Devas who were appointed to administer its existence. Most initially, He taught the rudiments of Brahma Jnaana to His eldest son Atharvan who was apparently born of one of the most ancient cycles of unqualified Brahma times. Atharvan, in turn, taught this Vidya to Angira of the yore and the latter transmitted the knowledge to Satyavaha of the ancestry of Bharadvaaja and further down to Maha Yugas and Yugas through the ages. Shaunaka, who was a householder of fame, approached Maharshi Angira of the relevant generations and asked him: ‘Bhagavan! kasminnu vijnaate sarvamidam vijnatam?’ or:
Respected Sir! What is That by which every thing becomes known! There is a reference in Chhandogya Upanishad (VI.i.3) cited in this context: A Brahmana vidyarthi named Svetaketu who learnt the Vedas in Gurukula for several years, returned home and showed off his knowledge around. His father asked the vidyardhi: Yenaashrutam bhavati, amatam matam, avijnatam vijunaatamiti! Or what is that which is never heard is heard, unthought is never thought, and unknown is never known! Svetaketu got baffled and drew a blank. The kind father explained to Svetaketu, “Do listen what is the reply: A lump of earth denotes what earth is all about just as all kinds of speech are the basis of speech itself; a lump of gold is what all gold ornaments could be of, just as a nail cutter would realise what kinds of instruments could be made out of iron! Indeed it is that secret which reveals the staggering variety of plurality that a singular existence could roll out! That is what Brahma Vidya is all about! (4-5)
Tasmai sa hovaacha, dvai vidye veditavye iti ha sma yad Brahma vido vadanti Paraachaiva -aparaacha/ Tatparaa Rigvedo Yajurvedah Saamavedorvavedah Shikshaa Kalpo Vyhakaranam Niruktam Chhando Jyotishamiti, atha paraa ayaa tadaksharamadhigamyate/
The Para-jnaana or the Aihika Jnaana of somewhat inferior approach to Brahma Vidya - in contrast to Apara-Jnaana or Amushmika Jnaana - is through acquisition of knowedge of Veda Vedangaas and the system of rituals, regulations and conventional set of rules that the knowledge of scriptures so prescribe. The other superior approach of higher learning without resorting to karama kaanda is of self realisation through total control of Panchendriyas viz. the Karmendriyas or the action-oriented organs and Jnaanendriyas or the sensory organs and mainly of Mind in essence. The former route is detailed as the knowledge of Rik-Yajur-Saama-Atharva Vedas and the Shadvedangas of Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chhandas, Jyotisha. Bhur-Bhuvah-Swah the Trilokas and worship of Gayatri - Bhaskara-and Savitri.
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