Namaskar Mahatmas!
The Upanishads is meant for understanding and identifying the Shiva in the Aham (heart). The journey to understand the truth is the process of going through the Upanishads. These blessings of Maharishis lead us to reach the path where we understand ourselves as complete, Purnam.
The Isha vaasya Upanishad starts with the peace invocation sloka. We do all actions for the peace of mind. This invocation sloka makes it clear that we are complete within us. When we understand we don’t perform any action to add or to leave something into our life. All desires, differences end with this one conviction – Poornatvam. This knowledge alone brings peace into our life. Peace in Body, peace in Mind, Peace in the Self.
This Upanishad explains us the Supreme Truth in 18 slokas.
Out of the 18 slokas, only the first two deal directly with the problem of Liberation and its solution. The other sixteen elaborate this solution.
Though we may know all things, we conceive the Atman as existing in some un-approachable, unreachable place on account of loss of consciousness. But the Jnani, who is aware, sees the Atman in all beings and all beings as Atman: He sees all beings as the same, and perceives no distinction or difference. So he saves himself from duality.
The Isavasya makes this great Truth clear to all. The Jnani who has tasted that vision will not be agitated by the blows of fortune or the enticements of the senses. He sees all beings as himself, having his own innate identity; he is free from bondage, from Dharma and Adharma, and the needs and urges of the body. He is “Swayamprakaasa”.
That is why in the first sloka of the Isavasya, the Jnana characterised by the absence of craving of any sort is expounded. But, those who have cravings will find it difficult to get stabilised in that Nishta or state of mind. For such, the second sloka prescribes a secondary means, the Karmanishta.
The rest of the slokas elaborate and support these two nishtas – based on Jnana and Karma. Karma-nishta has Desire and Delusion as the cardinal urges; Jnana-nishta has Vairagya, the conviction that the world is not Atman, that is to say, not true, and therefore, it is profitless to have any dealings with it. Such an attitude to Vairagya is the gateway to Jnana-nishta. From the third to the eighth sloka, the real nature of the Atman is depicted, through the condemnation of the Avidya, which prevents the understanding of the Atman.
Thus the Isavasya teaches the lesson of renunciation through the first sloka and the lesson of ‘liberating activity’ (through Karma devoid of Raga and Dwesha) in the second sloka. In the fourth and fifth sloka, it speaks of Atmathathwa and later of the fruits of the knowledge of that Atmathathwa. In the ninth sloka, the path of progressive liberation or Karmamukthi (useful for those who are too weak to follow the path of total renunciation but who are adepts in acts that are conducive to moral development and inner purification) is laid down; this is the path which co-ordinates all Karma on the principle of Upasana or worship. Those who are engaged in acts contrary to Vidya are full of Ajnana, it says; those who confine themselves to the study and practice of divine forms are even worse, for their desire is for powers and skills. Vidya leads to Deva-loka, Karma leads to Pithr-loka. So, the Jnana that results in Self-realisation is something quite distinct from these, no attempt to co-ordinate the two can succeed.
One who doesn’t work for the realization in this very birth is committing Atma-hatya or committing spiritual suicide. This valuable human birth is only to achieve this ultimate knowledge. Let us not live as body but be as Self in this very life.
Ritualistic actions are only to know the Ashrama dharma. Wherever there is ashram, wherever there is knowledge, there is Aashraya. That knowledge has to be learnt by rituals. A seeker has only to do worship to the knowledge, the Guru. He need not see where he has to do this. His goal is final : aashraya to the Guru. Reaching this state means renouncing the rituals too gradually.
Bhagwad Gita also says that Nara and Narayana did tapas in Badrinath. Arjuna and Krishna have been identified as Nara and Narayana, as Man and God. In worship also the disciple is the Nara in total surrender to the Narayana. Working in a spirit of selfless service is the burning theme of this Upanishad. Na lipyate Nara : do not get stuck with the Nara, be a Narayana.
Why do we ring the bell in the temple or in our homes? Is it to wake up the Lord? But the Lord never sleeps. Is it to let the Lord know we have come? He does not need to be told, as He is all-knowing. Are we taking permission to enter His precinct? Since the temple or our puja room is like homecoming where no permission is needed to enter. The Lord welcomes us at all times. Then why do we ring the bell? There should be purity within and without to gain the vision of the Lord who is all-auspiciousness. When the bell is sounded, any inauspicious, irrelevant noises and thoughts that might disturb the devotees are driven away and it helps in retaining what is required for the Truth. Similarly, every scripture is a bell to us. It makes us wake up to the reality. It makes us drop all unwanted things, thoughts we hold on to and fill us with pure thoughts which leads us to our own swarupa.
May our Guru’s blessings be on all of us and let us reach our inner Self with Him as a boat man in complete surrender to Him.
We will continue with another scripture written by Ramana Maharishi.
Hari Om Mahatmas!
