Jata mala shikha rekha dhvaja dando ratho gaanah
Ityastau-vikrtayah proktah kramapurva maharsibhih
There are eight ways of reciting the Upanishadic mantras – Jata, Ghana, Mala, Shikha, Rekha, Dhvaja, Danda and Radhva. Of these Jata and Danda are most important. The others are variations of these two. The Jata method of recitation is essential for the performance of the seven Paka-Yajnas, the seven Havir-Yajnas and the seven Soma-Yajnas. The twenty-one Yajnas are associated with the five senses of action Karmendriyas, the five Jnanendriyas (the cognitive senses), the Tanmatras (the subtle elements), the five Pranas (life-breaths) and the Principle of the Ego. Consequently every Yajna is related to one Indriya.
The Brahmins, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads are aids for the control of the senses. Although different deities are mentioned in the mantras, it is the one Supreme that is invoked under different names for different purposes. When the Divine is invoked for giving rain, the name of Indra is called; Varuna is invoked for another purpose. When the Mrityunjaya Mantra is recited, it is not for conquering death (as is commonly believed), but for avoiding unnatural premature death. (SSS Vol. 15, pp. 296-297)
The name Upanishad denotes the study and practice of the innate Truth; the name, Brahma Vidya denotes the supremacy of spiritual contemplation; the name, Yoga Shastra denotes the mental churning that brings success. What is the fundamental activity, which is required of man? What is the basic thing to be known? It is only one’s own reality; the Upanishads describe the various stages of this search, the various methods of this search. (UV, p. 2)
Upa means the process of studying with Nishtha, or steadfastness; shad means, the attainment of the Ultimate Reality. The Upanishads teach not only the principles of Atmavidya but they instruct on the practical means of realisation also. They point out not only the duties and obligations one has to bear, but tell us of the acts to be done as well as those to be avoided. (UV, p. 3)
Since the opening Mantra of Ishavasya Upanishad starts with the words, ‘ishavasyam’, the Upanishad is called by that name. (UV, p. 8)
Since the Upanishad belongs to the Katha Sakha of the Krishna Yajur Veda School, it is called Katha Upanishad. (UV, p. 15)
Munda means head; Mundaka Upanishad is the head of all Upanishads, we can say. (UV, p. 21)
Mandukya Upanishad is the kernel of Vedanta; it is the most profound among all the Upanishads. (UV, p. 25)
On account of the size of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, it is named Brihath or Big; since it is best studied in the silence of the forest or Aranya; it is an Aranyaka; it instructs in Brahma jnana and is classed as an Upanishad. (UV, p. 32)
The Prashna Upanishad is an annexure of the Atharvana Veda. It is named so since it is in the form of questions (Prashna) and answers. It discusses more elaborately some topics dealt with briefly in Mundaka Upanishad and has thus become a commentary on Mundaka Upanishad. (UV, p. 41)
The Kena Upanishad is ascribed to the Sama Veda and its Talavakara branch, and hence it is also referred to as the Talavakara Upanishad. The name Kena is derived from the first word of the stanza of the first section of the Upanishad. (UV, p. 47)
The Chandogya Upanishad is incorporated in the Sama Veda. (UV, p. 53)
Aitareya Upanishad is incorporated with Rig Veda. (UV, p. 60)
Brahma vidya is the specific theme of Taittiriya Upanishad. (UV, p. 65)
In Taittiriya Upanishad the three words, Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam - are meaningfully affixed to, Brahman, to explain its characteristics. Brahman is Satyam. It has no modifications. It is Nityam, it is unaffected by time. All that is not Brahman that is, Jagat, is subject to change. (Modification is the sign of untruth; absence of modification is the sign of Truth). (UV, p. 67)
Karma is, really speaking, the practice of Dharma. The Upanishads give us guidance on what has to be done and what has to be avoided, in the spiritual journey. They direct us to revere the mother as God, revere the father as God, revere the preceptor as God, revere the guest as God, and also they warn us that Truth should not be neglected, Dharma should not be neglected. So, there are both positive and negative instructions – follow this counsel, not others. Whatever is conducive to your progress in goodness, accept; avoid other counsel - thus do the Upanishads instruct. (BPV, pp. 77-78)
The Upanishads are the voice of Ishvara. (BPV, p. 85)
Spiritual Sadhana is based on the holy Shastras. They cannot be mastered in a trice. They cannot be followed through talk. Their message is summed up in the Upanishads; hence, they are revered as authoritative. They are not the products of human intelligence, they are the whisperings of God to man. They are parts of the eternal Vedas. The Vedas shine gloriously through all its parts. The Upanishads are authentic and authoritative, as they share the glory of the Vedas. They are 1,180 in number, but through the centuries, many of them disappeared from human memory and only 108 survived. Of these, 10 have attained great popularity, as a result of the depth and value of their contents.
The sage Vyasa classified the Upanishads and allotted them among the four Vedas: The Rig veda has 21 branches and each branch has one Upanishad allotted to it. The Yajur Veda has 109 branches and 109 Upanishads. The Atharva Veda has 50 branches and 50 Upanishads were its share. The Sama Veda has a thousand branches and the balance namely, 1,000 Upanishads were its share. Thus, the 1,180 Upanishads were assigned by Vyasa to the Four Vedas.
Sankaracharya raised the status of ten among the Upanishads by selecting them for writing his commentaries, and so they became especially important. Humanity stands to gain or fall, by these ten. All who are seeking human welfare and progress are now apprehending whether even these ten will be forgotten, for, neglecting them will usher in moral and spiritual disaster. There is no reason, however, for such fears. The Vedas can never be harmed.
Pundits and those with faith should resolve to present before humanity these ten Upanishads at least. They are Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya and Brahadaranyaka.
The remaining 98 are: Brahma, Kaivalya, Shvetashva, Jabali, Hamsa, Garbha, Aruni, Paramahamsa, Amritanada, Narayani, Amritabindu, Atharvashikha, Atharvasiras, Kashitara, Matravani, Nrisimhatapani, Brahmajabala, Maitreya, Kalagnirudra, Sulabha, Mantirika, Kshithi, Niralamba, Sarvahara, Vajrasuchika, Subharahasya, Theojobindu, Nadabindu, Dhyanabindu, Brahma vidya , Atmabodhaka, Yoga, Tattva, Naradaparivraja ka, Brahmana, Sita, Yogachudamani, Nirvana, Mandala, Dakshinamurti, Skanda, Sarabha, Advaita, Taraka, Mohanarayana, Saubhagyalakshmi, Sarasvatirahasya, Muktika, Bhavaricha, Ramathapana, Ramarahasya, Mudgali, Vasudeva, Pingala, Sandilya, Mahabhikshuka, Yogasiksha, Sannyasa, Thuriyathitha, Parmaparivrajaka, Narasimha, Akshamalika, Annapoorna, Ekakshara, Akshika, Adhathya, Surya, Kundisakhya, Atma, Savitri, Parabrahman, Pasupata, Thripurathapana, Avadhuta, Tripura, Devi, Bhavana, Katha, Yogakundali, Rudrahrdaya, Rudraksha, Bhasma, Darsana, Ganapati, Tahasata, Mahavakya, Panchabrahma, Gopalatapani, Pranagnihotra, Garuda, Krishna, Dattatreya, Varaha, Yajnavalkya, Satyayana, Avyakta, Hayagriva, and Kalisantharana.
The Upanishads have also inspired other works on Geography, Astronomy, Astrology, Economic and Political Theory, as well as the 18 Puranas comprising Skanda, Shiva, Garuda and others. The Vedas and the Upanishad are the very foundation for Sanathana Dharma. There is one interesting feature to be noted. This religion has no one founder as the others have. That invisible unknown founder is God, the source of all wisdom. He is the Prophet of this Sanathana Dharma. He is the founder; His Grace and His inspiration manifested through the pure Sages and they became the spokesmen of the Dharma. When the moral purity of men degenerates, God takes form as grace and inspiration in sages and teachers. He has also spoken through the Upanishads, the Satya Jnana, the wisdom concerning the Reality. (UV, p. 4-6)
Upanishad means sitting at the feet of the teacher. The Guru is the Tat, the Shishya is the tattva; Tat speaks, Tattva listens. That is the lesson in humility, which the Upanishad teaches. (Baba, BA, p. 6)
Upanishads can be mastered only by intelligent discrimination (Viveka). They deserve to be so mastered. Four goals are laid down for humans in the scriptures: Dharma (Righteousness), Artha (Prosperity), Kama (Moral Desire) and Moksha (Liberation). Vidya or Learning can be classified under two heads. The Apara (Lower) and Para (Higher). While the four Vedas, the earlier portion of ancient scriptures, deal with the Apara (the first three goals), the later portion of the same, the Upanishads, deal with the Para (the last among the goals). (LKV, p. 7)
God pervades every cell and atom of the universe spreading His divine effulgence everywhere. The Upanishads have declared that God is all pervasive and all that one sees is only the manifestation of divinity. Unfortunately, man today is not making any attempt to understand and experience the teachings of Upanishads and the teachings of the ancient sages and seers. Though Upanishads have revealed the all-pervasiveness of Divinity in the simplest manner, it is rather surprising that man is not making any effort to understand the same. A number of examples can be given to prove the existence of Divinity. Who is responsible for the sweetness in sugarcane? Who has made the chillies hot and spicy? Every object in the universe has a unique attribute, which proves the existence of divinity as its very principle. Who is the cause for the bitterness in Neem and fragrance in lower? It is the manifestation and expression of Divinity. Any number of examples can be given which will help you to understand the existence of Divinity. People say fragrance is natural quality of a flower and do not enquire further. Who is responsible for this natural quality? You feel thrilled when you look at a mountain. Boundless joy flows through you when you see a stream in full flow. You fell ecstatic watching a lush green forest. Is it just the law of nature or the mystery of God? It is not merely the law of nature but mysterious manifestation of God in the form of nature. How can you explain the presence of a bird in side the egg? All these are pointers to Divinity. You need not undertake any particular Sadhana in order to visualise Divinity. You can experience Him in each atom and each cell of the creation.
Man is born to parents. Everyone including you and Me are born out of mother’s womb. But people have forgotten the truth that God is the Mother of all. God knows the desires and feelings of man but man cannot understand what God expects from him. None can understand God’s Will. Parents can understand the feelings of he child. Mother knows the likes and dislikes of her child. In the same manner, the child can understand the likes and dislikes of the mother. But a devotee cannot understand the Will of God, what is acceptable to Him and what is not. How one can, who cannot understand his fellowmen, understand God? Man’s mind is limited, whereas Divinity is expansive and transcendental. This being so, how can man understand God in His fullness? Hence it is not easy to please God and earn His grace. Only when you understand the divine principle fully well would you have worshipped God in the true sense. How can you understand the divine principle which is Nirgunam, Niranjanam, Sanathana Niketanam, Nitya, Shuddha, Buddha, Mukta, Nirmala Swarupinam (attributeless, pure, final abode, eternal, unsullied, enlightened, free and embodiment of sacredness).
Divinity can neither be expressed in words nor can it be gauged by the mind. Yato vacho nivartante aprapya manasa saha (whence the words along with the mind rebound in futility without comprehending Divinity), people attempt to describe God based on their own finite understanding. Only Himself and none else knows God’s plans, His mysterious nature and ways. When your mind is unable to comprehend even trivial matters, how can it estimate the infinite Divine principle? Hence, do not try to understand the ways of the Divine. Instead purify your heart and try to know your true nature. The same is stated in Vedanta: ‘Know Thyself’. The Vedantic statement ‘ Know Thyself’ does not mean knowing your physical body-height, weight, complexion, etc. You are not merely an individual (vast). Your true identity corresponds to Samashti (society). The same ‘I’ exists in you as well as in society.
Sarvatah Pani-padam Tat Sarvato ksi-siro-mukham,
Sarvatah Srutimal loke Sarvam avrtya tishthati
(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 13 verse 14)
(with hands, feet, eyes, hands, mouth and ears pervading everything. He permeates the entire universe).
The Atmic principle is all pervasive and is uniformly present in all beings. There may be difference based on names, forms and educational qualifications, but the Atma is one and the same in everyone. You have to make efforts to visualise and experience the oneness. The essence of Vedanta lies in seeing unity in diversity. Vedanta is the quintessence of the Upanishads.
Upanishads contain many lofty ideals and sacred inner meanings. The truth the Upanishads teach is embodied in the principle of atma. The Atman is formless and steady. It has no feet, but moves about everywhere. It has no ears but can hear everything. It is present everywhere, but none can grasp it. Everything is under its control. This is the mysterious and magnificent power of Atma. When you respect and love an individual, he will respect you and love you in turn. But when you respect and love everyone, God Himself will respect you and love you. You should make efforts to become recipients of god’s love.
The divine principle of Atma present in humanity is all encompassing. Its vastness is beyond any description or estimation. (DD on 11.10.2002, pp. 2-4)