Isopanisad Exam Overview Isopanisad Overview • Invocation and 18 mantras • Part of the Yajur Veda. One of the most prominent Upanisad. • Not necessarily the most KC. Gopal Tapani and Kali Sanatarana are. But most influential. • The nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Clearly reveals the personal feature of God and declare the impersonal feature to be subordinate to Bhagavan. • How everything spiritual and material is related with Him, the awareness of this principle is the platform for ensuring real success in life and the ignorance of which leads to disaster. • The Lord may reveal Himself to one who dedicates himself to realizing Him through the path of bhakti. • The most important one is the Isavasya principle, the predominance of the Lord. Flow of Isopanisad • The Absolute truth is Krishna. He is complete and so are His emanations. (Invoc) • When one understand this his understanding is complete (Mantra 1) • Result of this complete understanding is freedom from the cycle of karma (Mantra 2) • One who does not understand this is condemned (Mantra 3) • Why is it difficult to understand SPG? He is full of contradictory qualities. (Mantra 4-5) • What does one who understands (Maha Bhagavat) see SPG as? (Mantras 6-8) • The process of (mis)understanding SK (Mantras 9-11) • Compares the results of understanding and not-understanding SK (Mantras 12-14) • Prayer to SK for mercy (Mantra 15-18) Overview - Invocation The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance. • Invocation describes the objective of the book. That the absolute truth, is the SPG • Repeatedly recognizes various types of His completeness and supremacy and that of the jivas also • Memorize Sanskrit and English Mantra 1 Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong. • The Lord is the proprietor of everything • This verse describes how the living entities can once again regain their completeness by acting in relation to SK • All forms of incompleteness are experienced due to incomplete knowledge of the complete Whole • This is called isavasya consciousness • Memorize Sanskrit and English Mantra 2 One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for man. • Benefits of working in the isavasya consciousness • one becomes free from karmic reaction and acts on the liberated platform. Speaks about bhakti-asrita-akarma Mantra 3 The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance. • In contrast to Mantra 2, explains the fate of those who fail to recognize the Lord’s proprietorship and therefore act in a vikarmic way. • Who is an asura: Anyone who discards scriptural injunctions. Goes immediately. • Atma-ha – kills the real purpose of soul Mantra 4 Although fixed in His abode, the Personality of Godhead is swifter than the mind and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place, He controls those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all in excellence. • • • Mantras 1 to 3 describe that one can regain his sense of completeness by connecting with the Lord through karma-yoga. Mantra 3 describes vividly the fate of those who act in ignorance of the Lord’s position. Mantra 4 explains why such people are unable to understand the Lord’s position: He is beyond material calculations and is thus known only when he reveals Himself to the sincere. SK is full of material contradictions. But all of them get resolved from the spiritual perspective. The process is descending not ascending Mantra 5 The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of everything. • Mantra 5 continues this discussion describing that the Lord has inconceivable potencies which render Him unknowable to those whom He does not favor. • What was taught in the previous verse is now taught in another way out of great respect for the subject. • Walk and not-walk: Person and Energy • Near and Far: Devotees and non-devotees. Energy and Person • Inside and Outside: Purusa incarnations Mantra 6 He who sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything or any being. • • • Mantras 4 and 5 explain that the Lord is all pervading through His energies and His expansions. They instruct that one can see this only when he receives SK’s mercy in response to his devotion and humility. Mantra 6 describes the vision of one who can see Krsna. The maha-bhagavat Anupasyati: Viewing reality in the proper perspective involves following the previous acaryas • 3 Kinds of devotees (a) kanistha-adhikari: this is the lowest stage of worship, where one is a materialistic devotee trying to advance. Such a devotee worships the Lord at a temple, etc., according to the rules of worship. He can only appreciate the Lord's presence at the place of worship and nowhere else. He does not have the ability to discriminate the advancement of others in devotional realisation. (b) madhyama-adhikari:: this is the second level, where one has the discrimination to make distinctions between four categories of beings: i) the Lord, whom he adores ii) the devotees, with whom he makes friends iii) the innocent, whom he tries to give the seed of devotion iv) the atheists, whom he avoids (c) uttama-adhikari: in this stage, the highest in devotional service, the devotee sees all things in relation with the Lord. He does not discriminate between others due to bodily type or even beliefs, but rather sees them all as part and parcel of SK. Accordingly, he tries to help them advance from their respective level of consciousness. Mantra 6 of Isopanisad describes the vision of such an uttama-adhikari. Mantra 7 One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or anxiety for him? • Mantra 7 continues describing the consciousness of the maha-bhagavata, which was introduced in Mantra 6 • Repeated use of the word anupasyati – meaning to follow • Essence of the Vedas is realized by following the disciplic succession • No illusion or anxiety means not in the material world. • Also gives us a clue as to what the causes of anxiety and illusion is. Not seeing all as spiritual sparks but from the bodily platform • Understand what Ekatvam means: Spiritual oneness is of quality and interest Mantra 8 Such a person must factually know the greatest of all, the Personality of Godhead, who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated, the selfsufficient philosopher who has been fulfilling everyone's desire since time immemorial. • • • • • • • • Mantra 8 describes some qualities of the Lord as he is known by the maha-bhagavata described in mantras 6 and 7. The form of the Lord is unlike any material form Krishna fulfills the desires of everyone (devotees by taking them into His association. Nondevotees by the law of karma) He is supremely purifying (api cet su duracaram..) Beyond grief <- No material modes No viens <- No material body Unembodied <- No subtle body Thus He is purely spiritual Mantra 9 Those who engage in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the culture of so-called knowledge. • • • • • • • The previous three mantras have described the maha-bhagavata, and his vision of K rishna. Mantra 9-11 develop on the same theme – of vidya and avidya Mantra 9 discusses two kinds of people who lack knowledge of K rishna: those who are simply ignorant (of spiritual life) and those who are followers of material scholarship or pseudo-spiritualists, thinking it the end-all of knowledge. This is the atma-ha described in Verse 3 Both kinds of people disregard the Lord’s propriety and consequently are degraded into the “darkest regions of ignorance.” Worse than ignorance is misguided knowledge Worse than materialists are pseudo spiritualists Mantra 10 The wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience. • • • Mantra 9 described the results of cultivating ignorance and false knowledge. Mantra 10 explains that true knowledge brings a different result than either of these. It also emphasises the need to take guidance from a dhira in the act of discriminating between real and illusory knowledge. True knowledge is the process by which one realises his eternal spiritual nature. Knowledge of the varieties of material phenomenon simply binds when devoid of spiritual understanding One can discriminate between knowledge and illusion by accepting the instructions of a dhira Mantra 11 Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality. • • • • The previous two mantras have explained that ignorance and false knowledge bind one and are in contrast to true knowledge. Mantra 11 describes how one must know the relative positions of material and spiritual knowledge to transcend the material energy and attain deathlessness. True knowledge is the process by which one realises his eternal spiritual nature. Knowledge of the varieties of material phenomenon simply binds when devoid of spiritual understanding One can discriminate between knowledge and illusion by accepting the instructions of a dhira One may appreciate the relative importance of material activities and knowledge by seeing them as sub-principles on the path of liberation Mantra 12 • • • • • • • Those who are engaged in the worship of demigods enter into the darkest region of ignorance, and still more so do the worshipers of the impersonal Absolute. Mantras 12-14 mirror Mantras 9-11. Focus is on the results as opposed to the pursuit. Just as verses 9-11 compared knowledge and nescience, and the respective destinations for the followers of each, verses 12-14 explain the worship of the relative and the Absolute. Just as cultivation of the wrong knowledge can be binding, so too can improper conceptions of the Absolute Truth. Mantra 12 explains that both worship of the dependent (the demigods) and the Absolute (impersonal Brahman) can lead to bondage. Conceptions of the Absolute based upon mental speculation alone are imperfect. Leads to impersonalism. Demigod worship is ultimately futile, as it gives temporary satisfaction, but does not elevate the soul Unethical spiritual guides incur heavy karmic reactions Mantra 13 It is said that one result is obtained by worshiping the supreme cause of all causes and that another result is obtained by worshiping what is not supreme. All this is heard from the undisturbed authorities, who clearly explained it. • • • • “dhira verses” importance of hearing from the proper source in the proper mood One must approach a true s.m., a dhira, to acquire transcendental knowledge (same point in Mantra 10) Spiritual realisation is obtained only by following the proper process. Any other attempt is destined to fail (parampara) Krsna is unequivocally the supreme cause of all causes (sambhavat) Mantra 14 One should know perfectly the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental name, form, qualities and pastimes, as well as the temporary material creation with its temporary demigods, men and animals. When one knows these, he surpasses death and the ephemeral cosmic manifestation with it, and in the eternal kingdom of God he enjoys his eternal life of bliss and knowledge. • • • Mantras 12 and 13 explained that one who conducts worship of the improper object or with the improper conception will not achieve spiritual emancipation. Mantra 14 states that one must know the spiritual and material energies properly, in their respective positions, to achieve liberation. The only way to deathlessness is the path of devotion to the Lord by which one awakens one’s dormant spiritual consciousness Many of the points in Mantra 14 have been expressed in previous mantras (Mantras 10-13) Mantra 15 O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee. • • • • • • • Mantras 12-14 described the necessity of understanding K rsna in relationship with His material energies. Mantras 15-17 are a prayer to the Lord to reveal His true form. Mantra 15 explains that one must also understand K rsna’s relationship with His spiritual potency, the brahmajyoti, in order to achieve realization of Him Bhagavan Sri K rsna is the ultimate source and maintainer of all spiritual and material manifestations Bhagavan is higher than Brahman or Paramatma realisation, as it contains both of them. Bhaktiyoga is the topmost path as it leads to Bhagavan realisation Because the Absolute Truth is a person, He engages in variegated relationships with His devotees. This verse introduces an important aspect of the Bhagavan feature, which is the interaction between the Lord and His devotees. Here the devotee is praying to the Lord for direct realization of His face. Srila Prabhupada explains in a lecture that in every Upanisad the impersonal realisation of the Absolute is explained first, but then the personal form of the Lord is established as supreme. Mantra 16 O my Lord, O primeval philosopher, maintainer of the universe, O regulating principle, destination of the pure devotees, well-wisher of the progenitors of mankind, please remove the effulgence of Your transcendental rays so that I can see Your form of bliss. You are the eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead, like unto the sun, as am I. • • • • • • This mantra continues the prayer of Mantra 15 for the Lord to reveal His spiritual form. Typical in prayers – first glorify then ask Qualities glorified: – Pusan: maintainer (most important) [bha] – Eka-rse: primeveal philosopher, the source of all knowledge [ga] – Yama: regulator, guardian [ga] – Prajapatya: well wisher of the progenitors (creators) [ga] – Surya: destination of the suris (great devotees) [van] The Lord and the jiva souls are one and different simultaneously Krishna is the maintainer of all, but He especially maintains His devotees The activities of pure devotees can only be understood by other pure devotees, not by jnanis or yogis Mantra 17 Let this temporary body be burnt to ashes, and let the air of life be merged with the totality of air. Now, O my Lord, please remember all my sacrifices, and because You are the ultimate beneficiary, please remember all that I have done for You. • The prayers of the devotee continue from mantras 15 and 16. At mantra 17, the prayer has an emphasis of understanding K rishna at the time of death. • The spirit soul is eternally individual; the body is made up of matter, which temporarily covers the spirit soul according to karma (a) It is described that one will attain a certain body according to his consciousness at death. When one has the spirit of independent material enjoyment, he takes a future birth in the material world according to the modes of enjoyment to which he is conditioned. Therefore the devotees try to focus their mind on K Ša, in an attempt to forego this world and return to Him. • Devotees return to K rsna by the powerful process of bhakti-yoga (a) The bhaktas prepare for remembrance of SK at death by cultivating remembrance during their lives. This is done by practicing the nine processes of devotional service, serving the Lord with all of their senses. (b) Because the Lord takes a personal interest in his devotees, He will help them even if they do not have perfect remembrance of Him at death. This again displays the special feature of reciprocation which is found in Bhagavan realization.
